That was probably the point where it should have been obvious that I was really only lying to myself.
Paul was nearly vibrating with nerves as we stepped out onto the front steps of the courthouse, our marriage certificate duly filed and the two copies that the clerk had considerately made for us tucked into my pocket. “Now what?”
Threading our fingers together, I squeezed his hand lightly. “Now, we drive back to the ODI compound to face the music.”
Paul drew in a shuddering breath but didn’t speak.
“It’s going to be okay, Tiger,” I tried to reassure him. “Your father can’t do anything to you.” I helped him up into the truck before walking around to my door. Looking down at the sad little bag of cold, soggy tacos that we hadn’t gotten around to eating, I snickered. “We have a long drive ahead of us, so why don’t we stop and have dinner?”
Paul nodded and I pulled out of the parking lot and we headed off in search of food before starting the long drive back to face my new father-in-law.
~*~
Back at the ODI compound, Paul and I walked into chaos. Not only had the Senator called in the sheriff’s office and a bevy of attorneys, there was even representation from the local National Guard and the Texas Rangers. Add in a few elephants and we would have had a full-blown circus. Of course, the one thing that the Senator was missing was the knowledge that none of that was enough to forcibly remove Paul from my side if push came to shove.
Chuck, on the other hand,didknow who -or what- I was and what I was capable of which probably explained the amused glint in his eyes as the Senator blustered about and threatened me, all the while careful to keep the law enforcement people between us. For my part, I seated Paul on a comfortable chair behind me and waited.
When the Senator finally seemed to run out of steam, I stepped forward and handed the copy of our marriage certificate to one of his attorneys.
“If you’ll excuse us, my husband and I are tired and will be retiring,” I said calmly.
“Husband?” the Senator gasped in seeming outrage. “You kidnapped my son and forced him tomarryyou? I won’t stand for it!” he snarled, his beady little eyes flashing as he turned to a sheriff’s deputy who was standing silently by the door. “Donotlet them leave! I want that marriage annulled!”
Behind me, Paul choked on a sob, his already high distress level rising to the point that my nerves were thrumming with the need to soothe him.
“We can’t do that,” the deputy muttered in response. “Not unless the boy says he wasn’t willing.”
“Tell them, Paul!” the Senator snapped. “Tell them that thispedophileforced you to marry him!”
I snorted a laugh. “Pedophile? Really? He’s well over eighteen and just shy of twenty-one,” I pointed out in amusement.
“He didn’t,” Paul managed to speak up. “I wanted to marry him. He hasn’t made me do anything.”
“And what about the baby’s father?” the Senator glared at me, apparently assuming I didn’t know about the pregnancy. “Or do you even know whose baby it is, you whore?”
“That’s more than enough,” I snarled, focusing my glare on the men before him. As one, they swallowed hard and stepped aside, parting like the red sea before Moses. I took one step toward Paul’s asshole of a father, smirking when he began to back up. “You will never speak to Paul like that again, is that clear?”
The Senator’s head bobbed and he shuddered.
“Good.” I turned to help Paul from his seat and led him through the throng of people to the door, stopping at the attorney who was still gripping the copy of the marriage license, pulling it free, I replaced it with Drey’s card. “Please address all further communication to our attorney.”
Paul didn’t speak until we were back in the truck and pulling out of the parking lot, our bags still safely tucked in the bed. “Where are we going?”
“Something’s bothering me and I don’t feel good about you being in an unsecured location,” I finally said with a sigh. “We’re going to drive into the city and find a nice, anonymous hotel for the night.”
“Oh.” Paul sat quietly for a moment. “You said something’s bothering you?”
I nodded and glanced over at him, my heart twisting at how pale and lost he looked. “Your scent hasn’t changed and, as far as I know, only Bari and I can pick up on the heartbeat this early. How did your father know that you’re pregnant?”
Paul’s eyes widened as the implication of my words hit him. “Oh, shit.”
Oh, shit, indeed.
Chapter Nine
Paul
I was pretty much oblivious of my surroundings as I paced a path around the hotel suite that Sylas had chosen for us, my bare feet silent on the plush cream-colored carpet. Sylas had only gone down to the lobby to request extra towels and a few other things, but without him there to ground me, my anxiety was skyrocketing.
