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“Who’s there?” I screamed. “Leave us alone!”
Everywhere I turned, it was nothing but darkness, and I couldn’t figure out where I was going. The voice started growing louder and louder. I climbed up the beach and ran through the woods. The sounds of screeching monkeys and laughter filled my ears. I stopped, sensing something getting close, and I squinted into the distance. Moving quickly toward us was a large mouth, laughing loudly and opening wide. I screamed and shot forward into the woods.
I could feel the wet leaves under my bare feet and the breathing of the baby against my chest. As I stepped into the clearing, I froze, looking out over a giant cliff, plunging into the darkness below. I turned around and watched in horror as the mouth spread over us and slammed shut.
I sat up in the bed, grabbing my chest where the baby had been, and I looked around in panic. My head was covered in sweat, and Milos ran his hand over my back. My vision cleared, and the fear clouding my brain receded. I looked down at my belly and sighed in relief. It had been a horrible nightmare, and I knew exactly who was to blame. Tears filled my eyes, and I put my face in my hands, no longer able to control any emotions. I sobbed uncontrollably. Milos scooted up behind me, put his arms around my chest, and kissed the back of my neck.
“It’s all right,” he whispered soothingly. “It was just a nightmare. Take a deep breath. I’m right her with you.”
I breathed in through my nose and out my mouth, trying to settle the uncomfortable feeling in my chest. It had all seemed so real, and I’d felt so helpless. I couldn’t protect myself, I couldn’t protect my child, and I was left, standing on a cliff with a choice of either jumping or facing the demon chasing me. In the end, I let the mouth engulf us both, lost in the darkness that followed.
There was no doubt in my mind it represented my uncertain future. Do I let Reg engulf me with his bribery and continue with these terrible snow ball of lies, or do I jump into the darkness, hoping for a soft landing below? One thing was for sure. I never wanted to feel that helplessness again, not for me or my child.
I gathered my emotions and leaned back into Milos’s arms, feeling his comfort wrapped around us both. The baby kicked hard in my stomach, and I rubbed my belly, knowing it too could feel my despair. I felt terrible about all of this, every part of it, but even worse, I no longer felt like I was in control of the situation.
I felt like everything was spiraling out of control, just like in my dream, where I was running blindly through the woods, everything frightening, and no knowledge of where to go from there. However, unlike my dream, I knew that I did not have to face the darkness alone. Milos was there to stay, there to do whatever he could to help us get through this, and no matter what happened, we would have each other in the end.
I turned my head and let Milos wipe the tears from my face. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against my forehead. I closed my eyes, taking in his scent, his strength, and his comfort. Reg Evers had picked on the wrong family, and I wasn’t going to sit by and let him take advantage of me all over again.
26
Milos
I sat in my chair by the window, staring down over the gardens. It was now raining here, too, and the weather matched my mood. I hadn’t slept very much, since Adriana was having a hard time getting settled. Then, without warning, she woke from a nightmare that had completely shaken her world upside down. She didn’t explain the dr
eam to me, but I could tell that this Reg controversy had really gotten into her head.
I felt helpless, and I needed to step up and stand up to this tyrant. No one was going to come into my Kingdom and bully me and my family around without some severe repercussions. The first thing I needed to do, though, was find out what exactly he was looking for. I swiveled my chair around and faced Brat, who was standing, waiting for me to tell him what came next.
“Can you get word to Mr. Evers?”
“I can,” Brat said carefully. “What would you like me to tell him?”
“Tell him to meet me at that small pub in the capital in an hour,” I replied. “I’ll listen to what he has to say.”
“Are you sure this is the right thing?” Brat asked. “We already know he is looking for money.”
“We assume it’s money,” I replied. “But we don’t know for sure. Reg Evers might be an asshole, but one thing he is not, is stupid. I want to hear him out before I make my decision on how to handle this.”
“Understood,” Brat replied with a bow of his head. “I will go call him. Do you want me to come along?”
“No,” I replied, looking over at the closed door to the bedroom. “I think it best we keep as many people out of this drama as possible. I’ll meet with him alone.”
“I’ll have the car sent around for you,” Brat replied, before turning and walking from the room.
I sat in the chair, finishing my coffee and staring out into the scenery below, before standing and heading back to change. I wore plain clothes and pulled on my waterproof trench coat. I stepped in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection, wondering how inconspicuous I actually looked. I pulled the collar up on my coat and pulled a hat on, bringing the bill down low to hide my face. I clutched my sunglasses in my hand, wondering what kind of money this asshole was really looking for. I knew, even if I paid him off, this would never end. I needed this to be as discreet as possible. In the past, I hadn’t cared if I was splashed all over the tabloids, but now, I had a family and a kingdom to think about. I had to be extra careful meeting with this man.
As I turned back to walk out of the room, I stared at Adriana leaning against the doorframe. She smiled and walked over to me, pulling my collar up and kissing me on the cheek. She looked tired but more relaxed than the night before. I pulled my arms around her and hugged her tightly, knowing this was all very hard for her.
“I am going to meet Reg,” I said, still holding her tightly.
“I know,” she replied, pulling back. “I heard you and Brat. Just be careful, and don’t do anything you will regret.”
“Of course,” I replied, leaning in and kissing her lips.
I walked out of the room and out into the sitting area, pulling my sunglasses on and looking back one last time as Adriana stood by the fireplace, watching me walk out. She looked worried, which made this all that more important to me. There were so many good things in our lives, and I would be damned if I let this asshole ruin that. I nodded at Adriana and mustered the biggest smile I could manage. She shook her head and smiled, giggling to herself. That was exactly what I needed to see before leaving for this meeting, a reminder of everything I was fighting for.
I took a long way around to the front to avoid walking past my mother’s wing. I didn’t want to bring her into this unless I absolutely needed to. She had enough on her plate. I jumped in the car and headed out to the capital. It had been a while since I had been here alone, in fact, the last time I was here, I was wasted, trying to forget Adriana, not realizing I was doing the exact opposite of what I should have been doing.
