Page 75 of Shark’s Rise

“I’ll take you to the kitchen,” she persisted. “You can supervise from there. Everything’s nearly done. The early arrival guests will be here in an hour. We can handle setting up the rest.”

“No!” Though my voice remained a rasp, my glower was warrior fierce. The expression took effort. A lot of it. My elbows shook. My breaths came in fast, frantic puffs. “We’re this close. I’m not bailing out now. It’s just a little cramp. I need to drink more water, that’s all. I’m just a little dehydrated.”

“Mr. Shark will have my head on a platter if something happens to you or that child. For God’s sake, you’re scaring me. Pleeeaaassse.” As she begged it, she moved in and squeezed my hand.

“Compromise?” I persisted. “Tell you what. I’ll sit down right now, and while you braid my hair, I’ll drink a whole bottle of water. Then I’ll be right as rain, like my mom always used to say. You’ll see.”

Dori was still plainly skeptical, but she helped me over to a comfortable padded chair in the adjoining lounge area of the ladies’ room. I fought the urge to just curl up in the thing and sleep like the corpse I felt, especially after Dori brought me some water and started brushing my hair. Heaven. This was damn near close to heaven. If my baby boy stopped playing darts against my abdominal wall, I’d likely change that assessment to a solid nirvana.

I’d foregone having a professional stylist do my hair and makeup, knowing I’d feel more comfortable with Dori’s assistance. We’d agreed on a single French braid down the middle, just to keep it out of my way while we made sure the food was ready on the ornate gold serving trays, the DJ was ready to pump trendy tunes, and the bars were fully set. After guests had traversed the elaborate entrance the hostess was obsessed with most, they’d have a stunning event to enjoy all night.

I couldn’t wait for them all to see it. Just like I couldn’t wait for it all to be over.

I was still busy mental rallying myself when Rio burst through the door of the restroom.

My sister-in-law looked like a badass goddess in a black leather midi dress. Her jet-black hair was slicked back on the sides and spiked on end on top, giving the illusion of a mohawk. Fierce ankle boots finished the look, and she was a force to be reckoned with.

“Holy. Shit.” Dori and I blurted it in tandem, but barely. Rio was already pumping a fist, her jubilance like a blare of trumpets on the air.

“Partner of mine!” She whooped. “We’re almost there. We rocked this shit like the fire starters we are, baby!”

Compelled by her contagious excitement, I jumped to my feet and gripped her in a heartfelt hug. Dori’s whoops joined our giddy laughs, despite how she’d have to restart my braid.

“Yes, we did!” I cried out, just before tears pooled in my eyes. I leaned back to see Rio caught in the same emotional vise. “Oh, my dear hell. Ohhh, Rio. Girl, you’re stunning tonight.”

“Right back at you, mama.” She winked. “This gown is gorgeous!”

“I can’t thank you enough for all of this. You really pulled out all the stops tonight. I really do owe you so much for this. For all you’ve do— Unhhh!”

My groan was raw and sudden, sounding like I’d just hoisted myself to the top of a thousand-foot cliff. Which was exactly the height to which my pain just jumped. As a bigger flood of the stuff hit, I doubled over. I was pretty positive I was white-knuckling the chair arms by now, but I was past being horrified or guilty about it. Way past. All I could think about was the band of awful sensation through my middle.

“Abbi? Abs? Shit. Shit!” My sister-in-law looked around the lounge frantically before fixing her stare onto my assistant. “Dori. What the hell do we do?”

I attempted to breathe through the next brutal spike. No use. At all. “Ohhh, God,” I moaned out. “Shit. This kid’s mad now.”

“I knew it,” Dori exclaimed. “Ohhh, no! I knew this was going to happen.”

I chose to ignore her. No, that wasn’t right. I simply couldn’t give her any attention right now because Kaisan was demanding all of it. And I gave it. Willingly. Desperately. “Okay, little man,” I muttered. “Ssshhh. We’re going home, okay? Settle down, big boy. It’s all right.”

But there was the damn joke. On me.

Deep inside, I didn’t know if it would really be all right.

I rubbed my belly, trying to ease the agony, but couldn’t really reach where the pain knifed me. My vagina was the apex of the torture, with the agony shooting straight up into where the baby was.

“Fuck!” I yelled. “Oh fuck. It rea…lly…hurts.” Yikes. The stabs were starting to take my breath away.

“Can you get something to put her feet up on?” Dori asked Rio.

“What about the stepstool over there in the corner? Looks like a cleaning crew left it in here.”

“That’s fine,” Dori said. “Anything. Make her comfortable. I’m calling 9-1-1.”

“No!” It was my loudest shriek of the night. “Just no, no! Sebastian will lose his mind. Please, Dori. Let’s just stop and think ab—” I cut in on myself with a new wince, tightening with every shallow breath I could get in. “Uhhh, okay…about that. Fuck! Oh, fuck, fuck! Fine, go ahead and call!” The pain was getting worse. I was getting shaky. It was way too early to go into labor.

Way. Too. Early.

What the hell had I done?