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“Pregnant?”
“Yes.” Miri sniffed and wiped at her tears, waiting for me to say something.
“I—”
“I’m sorry,” she cried, pushing off my lap and curling up on the bed. “I didn’t think about… I didn’t know.”
I had no idea how to feel. I was elated—the knowledge I claimed Miri in such a primitive way made my inner caveman roar with satisfaction. Knowing she would swell with my child gave me a high I hadn’t expected. Yet I was confused—what did this mean for us? How would it work? Could it work? I was terrified—what if El Cuchillo found her and killed our child? Or killed me, leaving Miri without a way to provide for our baby?
I had no clue how long I sat there unmoving like a statue. By the time I got my head on straight and turned toward my girl, she had her eyes closed, breathing steadily as she slept. It warmed me to think that even if I didn’t react the way she hoped, Miri felt safe enough now that she was with me to catch up on desperately needed sleep.
I sent a text to Frank to let me know if there were any developments and set the phone on the nightstand. A minute later, I had shucked my jeans and shirt and curled up behind Miri, slinging an arm over her midsection. Instinctively, my hand drifted to cover her belly and warmth washed over me. I spread my palm, my hand large enough to span the entire width of Miri’s tiny waist.
My baby. Our baby.
If I thought I was determined to kill El Cuchillo before, I knew everything had changed. Now, I would tear him, and anyone who stood between us, to shreds. I would do anything to protect my child, my love, my life.
I literally held my future in the palm of my hand.
Miri
I slowly regained consciousness, stretching out on the soft bed. My body felt liquid and relaxed. I probably slept more in one night than I had in weeks. I rolled over and reached for Jag, smiling as I remembered how he held me, his hand protectively covering my belly as I drifted off. The pain from carrying the weight of such a huge secret was gone. Despite my lingering fear, I felt lighter than I had in a long time.
When my hand found nothing but empty sheets, I opened my eyes and sat up. The room was nothing to look at, small, with a single chi
pped nightstand that held the saddest lamp I’d ever seen. I slid off the mattress until my feet touched the rough carpet. There was only one door in the room, so that’s where I went. The hall was empty but I found the bathroom and quickly used the facilities and washed my face. As I descended to the first floor, I heard the murmured voices of men having a quiet, but heated discussion. For a brief second, I considered going back upstairs. Then I smelled coffee and my stomach made the decision for me by rumbling loudly.
I turned the corner into the kitchen slash living area, which seemed to be the only room on the bottom floor, and stopped. Jag was on the phone, hissing his extreme displeasure to whoever was on the other end while standing in front of the stove and stirring something that smelled wonderful. Frank and another man I didn’t recognize were hunched over a bunch of computer equipment that was taking up half the kitchen table.
No one noticed me.
Heart pounding, I crossed the room, ignoring the shocked stares of Jag’s employees, until I was at Jag’s side. I felt his muscles tense and his conversation came to an abrupt halt. Jag growled as he ended the call.
“I’ll talk to you about this blatant screw-up later. This is not over.” He slid the phone into his pocket and pulled me into his arms, hugging me with such tenderness, it was difficult to believe he threatened someone a second earlier. “Good morning, doll. Hungry?” My stomach growled again and my face flamed hot. Jag laughed and kissed my forehead. “I’ll take that as a yes. Why don’t you sit and I’ll bring you some juice while the eggs finish cooking.”
I didn’t want to leave his side. Having been apart for almost two weeks, plus those horrible days spent as a prisoner with Cat, the last thing I wanted was space between us. Jag misread my hesitation as nervousness around the other men.
“Leave,” he barked sharply. I jumped and almost fell down.
Frank and the other guy scrambled to their feet and vanished. Pasting a smile back on his face, Jag gently guided me to the table and pushed me into a chair. Before I could say a word, I had a glass of orange juice in front of me and Jag was scooping scrambled eggs onto a plate and buttering a slice of toast.
“Is there any coffee?” I asked, glancing at the countertops until my eye landed on a half-filled pot.
Jag placed his own plate on the table and sat next to me. “Coffee is bad for the baby,” he said before digging into his breakfast, avoiding my gaze.
Okaaaay.
Jag was acting weird. His body was stiff and his movements rigid, completely lacking the fluid grace he usually possessed, plus Jag wouldn’t look at me. We still hadn’t discussed anything—the baby, my escape from his protective detail, showing up here, what would happen next. The tension was so palpable, the few inches between us may as well have been a bottomless chasm.
He was pissed. No not pissed. Jag was furious.
“Jag, I—”
“What the fuck were you thinking, Miri?” I flinched at his harsh tone, recoiling as if he’d slapped me across the face. Blinking, I struggled to keep the tears at bay. “You shouldn’t be here, especially with…” Jag pointed at my stomach with his fork. “This is no place for you.”
I knew Jag didn’t mean to hurt my feelings. I knew he was overwhelmed. I knew he was lashing out because he was afraid for me, for the safety of the baby. But knowing it didn’t make it hurt any less. My lip trembled and I ducked my head so Jag wouldn’t see how much his words stung.
“Fuck. I’m sorry, Miri.” A warm, rough hand landed on my bare thigh, giving it a firm squeeze. As always, I melted under his touch. Jag’s other hand brushed the underside of my chin, tilting my face toward his. “I’m sorry, doll. I’m just…” He huffed in frustration. “I want you with me more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. I just don’t want you here, in the line of fire. If anything were to happen to you or…” Jag’s eyes flicked down to my abdomen and back up.
