"You'll get it," he promises. "I’ll give you the wedding. I’ll give you the dress, the party, the envy of every woman in this town if that’s what you want. You can have the biggest ceremony Emerald Hills has ever seen. But the paperwork? That couldn’t wait.Icouldn’t wait.”
The door to the room opens again.
The doctor walks in, looking at a clipboard. He’s older, balding, with a kind face. He doesn't seem to notice the thick tension in the room.
"Mrs. Hollis," he says. "Good to see you awake. You took quite a hit."
He checks the monitors.
"Your concussion is mild, thankfully. Ribs are bruised, not broken. But the main concern was the pregnancy."
He smiles at us.
"You're about six weeks along. The fetal heartbeat is strong. The accident didn't cause any detachment. You and the baby are very lucky."
Six weeks.
I do the math. The night at the club. The first night.
"We want to keep you overnight for observation," the doctor says. "Just to be safe. But you should be able to go home tomorrow."
He nods at Gabriel. "Congratulations, Mr. Hollis."
"Thank you," Gabriel says. The pride in his voice is unmistakable.
The doctor leaves.
The silence is back, and it’s heavier now. Weighted with the creation of a new life and all the ways mine has changed.
"You knew," I say. It’s not a question because he doesn’t look surprised in any way by any of this.
Gabriel sits back down. He doesn't let go of my hand. He’s got that smug look on his face again.
"Yes."
"How?"
"I've been tracking your cycle for a while, a comment here or there from my son over the years added into my calendar. It wasn’t exact, but close enough. I knew you were late before you did."
I stare at his unrepentant face but it’s hard to be mad when this was originally my plan all along. Did I think it would work? Debatable. Was it crazy? Certifiably. But the fact this is all happening feels surreal.
"I told you I was going to breed you," he says, his thumb stroking my wrist. "I told you I wanted to put my baby in you. I don't say things I don't mean. I figured you knew that about me by now."
"It happened so fast," I whisper. "I mean... I knew it would happen eventually. We haven't exactly been careful. But the very first time?"
"I filled your womb with my cum. Did you really think it wouldn't take?" he says dryly.
I let my head fall back against the pillow and stare up at the ceiling. A baby. A husband. A new name.
My life has been dismantled and rebuilt in the span of a month.
I should be scared out of my mind. I should be hauling my ass straight to a lawyer.
But when I look at Gabriel, I don't see a captor. I see a man who looked at the wreckage of my life and decided to build a fortress around it. I see a man who wants me with a terrifying, consuming intensity that matches my own.
I wanted to be chosen. I wanted to be a priority.
Well, I’m his.
