I studied her face, looking for a hint as to what she was getting at. “Does it really matter if I did or didn’t?”
“Yes,” she answered flatly.
“Not that it’s really any of your business, but yes, I did. And not that I should have to explain myself, but I had to fuck her so she wouldn’t know what I was up to. She had to think I really wanted to marry her.”
“So, you married the girl, used her for sex and money, and then left her swinging in the wind when you got what you wanted. Does that sum it up?”
“It wasn’t my finest moment, Reese, and I’m definitely not proud of my actions, but I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had to. I love my sister and I had to find her. Marrying Shannon was the fastest way to get Harper back. And you’re assuming Shannon is this delicate little flower that I crushed. She’s not. She’s a cold, calculating, crazy bitch. You of all people should realize that.”
“Why would I realize that?” she asked, puzzled.
“Because she’s the one who ran you off the road!” I blurted.
“What?” she shrieked. “How do you know that?”
“I don’t know it for sure, but she is from Arizona, she has dark, curly hair, and, like I said, she’s a crazy bitch.”
“Why would she come after me? I thought you hadn’t seen or talked to her in years.”
“I haven’t. My best guess is she found out you and I have a child together and that pissed her off. How she found out is anyone’s guess.”
“So, what are you going to do about her now?”
I sighed and ran my hands over my face. “I figured I would let the police handle it and, of course, I will happily divorce her, but I have to find her first.”
“You’re telling me no one can locate this psycho bitch?”
“That’s what I’m telling you. She has the means to make it hard to find her, but we’ll get her eventually. That I can promise you.”
“We’ll see. So, what’s next on our list of topics we’ve been ordered to discuss?” she asked, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
“The abortion,” I stated bluntly. “I heard you on the phone saying ‘He doesn’t want it and neither do I’ and ‘I don’t care about the money, I just want to get rid of it quickly.’ Then, you had a doctor’s appointment the next day. Care to explain that?”
“How did you even know I was pregnant?” she asked.
“I wasn’t awake yet, but I could hear people talking. I heard Harper ask you if you were pregnant because you kept getting sick and you were having dizzy spells. You quickly denied the possibility, but I knew by the sound of your voice that you were lying to her.”
“I see. Well, about what you heard me say on the phone; I was talking about selling my grandmother’s house. I was explaining that I didn’t want it and neither did Carbon. The real estate agent was telling me all sorts of things we could do to get more money out of it. I explained that I didn’t care about the money, I just wanted to get it sold quickly. I did know that I was pregnant and I was freaking out about money. As for the doctor’s appointment, I went to confirm the pregnancy and get some medication for morning sickness.”
I looked down at my hands in my lap. I had made a huge mistake. Fucking huge. I said things to her that I knew would destroy her and send her running far away from me, all because I jumped to conclusions instead of acting like an adult and talking to her about it. “Reese, I need to apologize for what I said to you in the hospital. I was already so angry about being stabbed and when I thought you aborted my baby, I was fucking furious. I wanted to drive you away, so I said the things I knew would do that. I didn’t mean any of it. Swear on my life, I didn’t mean a word I said. You have to know that.”
I looked up when I heard her sniffle. Tears were streaming from her vivid green eyes.
I moved to sit next to her on the bed, caressing her cheek with my hand. “I’m sorry, sugar. I know how much those words hurt you, but I promise you, I didn’t mean them. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but please know I didn’t mean a damn word I said.”
Her breath hitched when she started to speak. “That’s why I left and that’s why I didn’t tell you about the baby.” She began sobbing. “I thought you didn’t want us. I was going to tell you about him eventually, but I wanted to prove to you that I wasn’t a little girl, that I could do it on my own if I had to.”
I pulled her into my arms and held her while she cried. “I’m so sorry, sugar. So sorry,” I murmured to her, gently rocking her back and forth.
When her sobs quieted down, I shifted so I could pull back and see her face. Even with her eyes red and puffy from crying, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world. I met her eyes and bared my soul. “I do want you. I’ve always wanted you. And now, I want both of you. You good with that, sugar?”
She whispered the word I desperately wanted to hear, “Yes.”
My lips met hers with raw, animalistic need. I grabbed the back of her neck with one hand, sliding my fingers into her silky hair. My other hand went straight to her perfect ass. She braced herself with her hands on my shoulders, squeezing just enough for me to feel her fingernails through my shirt. I groaned at the sensation. It had been over a year since we were together and I had been longing for her ever since.
“Duke,” she whimpered against my lips.
“What is it, baby? What do you need?” I asked, never taking my mouth away from her. I trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck, waiting to hear her answer.
