Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
He looked at me, narrowing his gaze as we stood there motionless. I swallowed, not knowing what was wrong other than how I clung to him.
I loosened my arms and he actually growled at me, his grip around me tightening. “Don’t.”
“I-I… Don’t what?”
“Pull away from me. Do not!” His voice was harsh, his gaze intense. “Understand?”
“No.” I shook my head, tears threatening again. “I don’t understand at all!”
He closed his eyes and shook his head, grunting once. Then he practically dropped me. He reached out to grasp my hips to steady me when I sucked in a breath and stumbled.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “Shouldn’t ‘a done that.” Then he turned and stalked out of the garage. “Come on.” Now he sounded mad. At me?
I knew I needed to follow him, but the last thing I wanted to do was be anywhere around Cyrus. I needed to hole up in a private space and lick my wounds. I’d been prepared for what the doctor would say, but not for Cyrus to be there, or for him to have already known. Or for him to tell the fucking doctor the baby was his!
“No. I’m just gonna leave. I’m not sure what I came all this way for, but I need to go back home.”
He whipped around, walking back in my direction, advancing on me like an angry wildcat. “You said you didn’t have a home, so you’re not leaving.”
“I can go back to Florida. Donovan will let me stay with him until I get things fixed.”
“Fixed? What things?” I actually stepped back at the anger in his expression. He closed his eyes, his fists clenched at his side. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. I was beginning to realize he did that when he was trying to get himself back under control. But why would he be this angry at me?
“My life! Everything got turned topsy-turvy a couple of weeks ago. Then this happened! Why are you angry with me?” I was practically yelling at him, the tears threatening again. I was going to lose it. The only question was if I could get behind closed doors or if the entirety of the compound would be witness to my humiliation.
“I’m not angry with you!” Cyrus raised his voice in proportion to my own. He took another deep breath, giving his head another little shake. “Are you looking to terminate your pregnancy? ‘Cause you know this ain’t the place.”
“What if I am?”
“Then you need to tell me so I can get Stitches to help me find a safe place for you to have the procedure. Either way we have some things to discuss. Come with me.” It was an order pure and simple. He held his hand out to me, fully expecting me to take it.
“What’s going on with us, Cyrus?”
“Nothing’s going on with us,” he snapped. “Blade’s tryin’ his best to help a kid who’s dying, and I’m taking care of you so he can concentrate.”
If he’d slapped me, I wouldn’t have been hurt as much. “So I’m a responsibility.”
“I didn’t say that. You need someone watchin’ over you and I’m fillin’ in.”
“Well, news flash, asshole! I’m an adult! I can take care of myself. And anyone else who comes along!”
I stormed out of the garage, heading toward the compound. There were several men outside lounging against the building or in chairs on the large patio. Had they heard everything?
Fuck!
I turned abruptly to point a finger at Cyrus, to give him a piece of my mind. He was so hot on my heels, he crashed into me. Again, he enclosed his arms around me. I seemed to be finding myself there a lot. The disturbing thing was, I loved every fucking second of it. But I refused to be a charity case, either financially or emotionally.
“I hate you! You bring me here when you know I’m struggling to hold it together and attack me! Demanding to know my plans when they’re none of your business! And why in the hell would you tell the doctor you’re the father of this baby?”
“Not now, Odette.” His words were quiet but sharp. “We’re fixin’ to talk about it all once we get inside.” He snagged my arm and I jerked away.
“Fuck you!” I screamed at him, tears streaming down my face. “Fuck! You!”
Cyrus’s expression was impassive. He gazed at me steadily, calmly. Like he was the fucking reasonable one when he was the one who snapped first.
“You good, Odette?”
I turned to see Stitches approaching. The other men stood in front of the clubhouse seemingly oblivious when I knew they had to be hanging on every word. My commotion must have alerted the rest of the place because several women filed out of the clubhouse, their expressions ranging from curious to outright gleeful.
“No! I’m not good!” And the dam broke.