Her tone shifted slightly, taking on a more serious edge.
“But you can’t be out partying every night, running the streets daily, disappearing for hours, or doing anything reckless while carrying his child… especially not once Merge fully locks in mentally on this pregnancy. I know what he’s capable of. Andtrust me… you do not want to trigger that overprotective switch in him. That man will damn near have you on a scheduled routine for the remainder of your pregnancy.” She laughed uneasily. “Hell, he’d probably have you set up in some upstairs room under the excuse of ‘doctor’s orders’ while convincing himself it’s all for your protection.”
Zonnique probably thought that sounded terrifying to me, but little did she know the thought of Merge becoming obsessively protective over me and the baby sent a dangerous amount of warmth through my chest.
Still, I quickly forced my expression into one of concern instead of excitement.
“Wow. That sounds a little… intense.”
“Right. Now he probably wouldn’t physically lock you in a basement or anything crazy like that…” Zonnique paused, a slight hesitation in her voice. “Well… hopefully not. But let’s just say Merge believes that control solves problems. That’s how his brain works.”
Despite me not being afraid,Zonnique kept describing Jaceas if she viewed him as a dangerous man and that people just vanished when he got involved.
No, I refuse to believe that.
Not my Jace.
He was the guy who’d get anxious ordering food over the phone and would even apologize profusely when he accidentally stepped on my toes, so this can’t be the same man she’s hinting at.
The rest of the ride was stone cold silence.
When we pulled up to her house, I fought to keep my expression from cracking. The place was decent—real nice for regular people—but it wasn’t what I had pictured my new life as a surrogate to be.
Where are the chefs?
The waitstaff?
The penthouse-level accommodations?
It was giving starter home, not billionaire breeding queen.
Zonnique opened the door, then stepped aside, allowing me to enter. “Come in.”
I followed her through the modest yet clean house.
Neutral tones adorned the walls, soft lighting cast a warm glow, and a few framed quotes about “gratitude” and “favor” dotted the spaces. The atmosphere was oddly comforting, yet for some reason, it made me feel a little sick.
“This will be your room,” Zonnique said, pointing to the last door on the left as she opened it.
The room was small but neat, decorated in soft, neutral shades of cream, beige, and warm brown. Nothing about it was extravagant, but it was clean, comfortable, and far nicer than anywhere I had stayed in a long time.
“I’ll let you go home so you can pack a few things and give you time to take all of this in, but tomorrow, come ready to stay,” she instructed with an air of authority.
I nodded as if that worked perfectly for me.
I had been driving Talia’s car around since placing her in the basement. Yeah, it was risky as hell, especially if anybody had reported her missing, but I was tired of walking everywhere and I damn sure wasn’t about to keep wasting money I really didn’t have on rides. And giving Zonnique the address to the apartment Dr. Loomis had gotten for me was completely out of the question. The last thing I needed was her knowing where I stayed in case that arrangement took a turn for the worse. And with the way my life usually worked, things didn’t just take turns; they flipped over, caught fire, and rolled straight into traffic.
“In the coming days and weeks, we’ll make changes to the room to suit your liking,” Zonnique added. “And when you comeback tomorrow, I can give you a tour of the rest of the house, but no time today. I gotta get to work.”
I reared my head back in astonishment. “Youwork?”
“Yes,” she giggled. “You sound so shocked.”
“I am,” I admitted. “You just seem like the type who doesn’t have to… like you probably got men falling out the sky trying to pay your bills or some rich family making sure you never struggle a day in your life.”
No shade there.
Truthfully, everything about Zonnique screamed polished branding and expensive taste.
