AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I missed whatever the news anchor said after that, the ringing in my ears drowning out all other sound. This had to be connected to what happened the last time I went to the club, yet I’d had no idea the problem had gotten so bad. Leo had told me he was dealing with issues caused by what happened, but not that it had started some kind of war.
I pressed a hand to my chest, the dull ache that plagued me throbbing with renewed pain. Leo’s father was the head of the Galleons, which meant Leo had to be high up the chain as well.
What if he was one of the men on the street being shot at?
Doing the shooting?
What if he was the one who’d been hurt?
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until spots began to dance in front of my eyes. Sucking in a lungful of the stale office air, I tried to calm the frantic pace of my heart and clear the fear from my thoughts.
This was why I was better off without him. He lived a dangerous life. Anything could happen.
He could die.
The sound of my name snapped my attention to the open door in front of me. Forcing a shaky smile, I dropped my hand to grab my purse before I stood and followed the nurse. After the usual weight and blood pressure check, I was led to an exam room where I was once again given too much time to think.
Leo had made his choice. I’d been willing to give things a shot despite my misgivings, but he’d decided he couldn’t keep me safe without locking me up, and I couldn’t live like that. I couldn’t abandon my family.
And he’d known that, granting me freedom instead.
Cradling my growing bump, I firmed my resolve. It didn’t matter that I’d loved him. That I was aching without him. I had to put the wellbeing of my child first, and I knew firsthand the trauma of being told my father was dead, then watching my mother fade away from a broken bond.
I didn’t want that for my little one.
I couldn’t put them through that.
Pushing away the worry and the conflicted feelings, I straightened my shoulders and nodded to myself. I would be enough for my baby. I’d have my brother to help me get my feet under me, and by the time he left for college, I’d have it all worked out. I could do it on my own.
I was able to manage a weak but real smile when the doctor entered, a spark of excitement fluttering in my chest for the first time after two weeks of emptiness. I couldn’t let the past keep dragging me down. I had to look to the future.
As the sound of my baby’s heartbeat filled the room, tears flooded my eyes again, but they were tears of happiness. Having a baby wasn’t something I’d ever thought about, but I wouldn’t change what had happened for anything. Even the pain of a broken heart and the uncertainty of doing it on my own wasn’t enough to dampen the joy of knowing my little one was growing, healthy and strong.
That no matter what, it would be loved.
That wasn’t something that could be taken from me.
Finished with my appointment, I left the doctor’s office with my head held high. I knew there would still be moments of doubt, and I couldn’t just turn off my feelings for Leo, but there would be no more wallowing.
I could do this.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Leo
Watching Cadence walk into the doctor’s office had almost destroyed my willpower. I’d promised my father to cut all ties, but it wasn’t as simple as saying goodbye and walking away.
My obsession ran too deep for that.
After the time we’d spent together, I knew the nuances of her body, and every stolen glance over the past two weeks confirmed my worst fears. There was no bounce to her step. Her shoulders curled in, leaving her looking even smaller than her tiny frame. The few times I was able to catch a peek at her face, the spark and confidence I’d grown to love was missing.
I’d broken her.
Something in my chest twisted, the urge to chase after her as she disappeared through the doors almost too much to resist. Hand slamming into the steering wheel, I curled my fingers around it, squeezing so tight the plastic creaked.
The past two weeks had been hell. My father was still negotiating with Dimitri to set up a meeting and discuss my marriage to Tasia, and whoever was behind the attacks was still playing with us. There was an attack almost every night, yet the men had taken to running after only a few minutes, whether or not they had the upper hand.
It was clearly meant as a distraction, but what were they distracting us from?
