He shoves my head into the mattress before letting go and gets up off me. I gasp, sucking in breaths, my lungs burning.
I yank on the restraints, realizing they’ve got me tied down to the bed, and any piece of hope I had that I might escape this is smothered. My chest so tight he might as well be sitting on top of me again.
“I want her sedated until I say otherwise. And get that pregnancy test done.” He barks out orders, and people run in and out of the room.
“I’m… not…” Deep breath. “Pregnant.”
He leans over my bed and grips my tear-streaked cheeks. “You better pray to God that you are. Otherwise, you’re no use to me.” His hand drops to my chest and it reminds me that I’m still topless. He grabs my breast painfully before slapping me across the face, making me cry out. “A worthless bitch is a dead bitch.”
His hand lowers to my black booty shorts and I can’t fight him as he cuts them off me. I’m sobbing when his fingers move my underwear to the side. “I guess if the results come back negative, I can fuck you until you’re pregnant.” He kisses my tear-streaked face when his fingers enter me. “Either way, I’m going to make you useful.”
His lips move to the side of my lips to kiss me again, and I lean into him, sinking my bloody teeth into his flesh. The last thing I hear is his scream before his fist hits my face.
There’sa beeping sound in the back of my head that won’t stop. It’s driving me crazy. Among other things. Like the throbbing in my mouth. My cheeks hurt, and my teeth ache. Is that even a thing? Was I punched a few more times once I was knocked out? It’s like a constant feeling of pressure, gripping my face.
“Lake?” I hear my name off in the distance. “Lake, little darling.”
My heavy eyes open, and I flinch.
“That’s it, Lake. Open your eyes. Look at me, Laikyn.”
I see shapes of various sizes, but they’re blurry. And then dots, bright floating dots that seem to move every time I blink. The room spins so fast it’s like I’m rolling down a hill and can’t focus on anything.
Something warm is on my face. Hands maybe? My head falls to the side, and I swallow, making me flinch. My tongue feels heavy. Why does my head hurt so bad but everything else feels so numb? Is it because I’m tied down? Is that why I can’t move my body?
“Look at me, Lake.”
I blink again or maybe my eyes were already closed and they open. A familiar set of baby-blue eyes comes into focus. Mine instantly start to sting as my breath catches in my heavy chest. If I’m dreaming, this is the best dream I’ve ever had.
“Hey.” Tyson leans down and gently kisses my forehead. “Don’t cry, Lake.”
I sniff.
He lets go of my face and he crawls onto the bed with me. He places an arm underneath my back, and I turn onto my side, not caring how bad it hurts, and bury my face into his shirt. His scent envelops me. “I’m … sorry,” I manage to say, my throat tightening and my hands gripping the material, but I can feel how weak I am.
“You’re safe, Lake. You’re safe.” He rubs my back, and I begin to sob. “I’m right here. I’ve got you.”
The act makes my head throb worse. That headache intensifying. But I feel that dream start to slip. A wave washing me out to sea, pulling me from him. I try to hold on but it pulls me under, and I’m unable to swim fast enough to break the surface.
FIFTY-EIGHT
TYSON
She cried herself back to sleep, or it could have been the drugs still in her system. Either way, I was thankful for it. Lake needs as much rest as she can get for her and the baby.
Baby.
She’s pregnant. I can’t even tell her I’m happy about it. Not yet. We have no clue if the baby is alive, and I don’t want to tell her anything until we know. And I won’t know much until I’ve got Jackson in my hands, telling me what the fuck he did and why he did it.
Why would someone want my wife pregnant? It can’t be the Lords doing. I gave up my ranking, but if I had a son, he would still have a high ranking. He would fall back in line with my bloodline, and then add the Minson blood, and he’d be powerful. Hell, even if we had a daughter, she’d be placed with the highest-ranking Lord there is when she’s of age. That’s the exact reason why Lake didn’t want kids. She doesn’t want to bring a child into a world where their life will be dictated by the Lords.
But I don’t see the Lords setting that up. It would benefit them, of course, but they didn’t know who I was going to marry. So why would they force a child? It doesn’t make any sense.
A soft knock sounds on the door before it opens, and Ryat enters. He looks at my sleeping wife in my arms and then at me. “Kash is back.”
I go to get up but pause, not wanting to leave her.
“Go.” Bramsen enters. “I’ll stay with her.”
