Page 62 of Trapped

For weeks, I hadn’t taken my birth control pills. The moment we landed in Italy, I looked for them to take my next dose. I swore I’d packed them, but they weren’t in my zipped clutch or my makeup bag. I’d brought it up to Santino, but he patted my hand and told me to focus on getting better. We didn’t have sex during my recovery, so it slipped from my mind.

Did he throw them out?

It was as though the ground had slipped beneath my feet. The world tilted, and I couldn’t breathe.

My heart pounded. “So…so all of this, bringing me here, helping me through detox. It was all to keep me alive long enough toknock me up?”

Santino smiled. “You can’t get pregnant if your drinking is out of control.”

“You’re fucking crazy.”

I tried to push myself up, to get away from him, but my legs wobbled. Santino caught me, his arm around my waist, and helped me stand.

His grip on me tightened. Then he slowly picked up the pregnancy test from the armrest, as though giving me a chance to react. But I couldn’t. I was frozen, torn between reality and the impossible hope that this wasn’t real.

“Let’s go inside,” he said, rubbing my back. “You need to take this.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but nothing came out. I let him guide me back in, his hand warm against my back as he led me toward the bedroom.

When we reached the bedroom, Santino paused at the door. Softness lingered in his predatory gaze, making this whole situation even more surreal.

“You came inside me our first night together.”

He smirked. “I just liked the idea of defiling a Romanov bride.”

“So you wanted to humiliate me.”

“It was never about hurting you, principessa. I thought I’d play with you for a while, and then…I don’t know. Maybe I caught feelings right away. I’m not sure.”

That wrapped around me like velvet shackles. The warmth of his hands soothed the chill settling in my heart. All the alcohol Idrank in the past must’ve damaged my brain. Why else wasn’t I fighting him tooth and nail?

He pushed me inside the room.

Like a helpless child, I let him guide me. A lump lodged in my throat at the sight of the bed. A deranged excitement zipped through my limbs as he looped an arm around my waist.I gripped his wrist, intending to fling it off me.

“Stop,” I whimpered.

“Delilah, you knew coming to me was a risk.”

“You were supposed to have your fun and move on!”

“So you can drink yourself into an early grave? I don’t think so, principessa. You are too valuable to throw your life away.” He closed the door to the bedroom.

“Bringing a child into our mess isn’t the answer.”

“It’s the only way to keep you safe.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Why wait until now?”

“You had to focus on getting clean. I didn’t want to add more pressure on you.”

I barked out a laugh. “Always so concerned for my well-being.”

“You couldn’t even handle keys to my place. You’d pitch a fit if I brought up trying for a baby.”

“This is insane,” I hissed.

“Plenty of guys have kids with their mistresses, and I intend to make you my wife. So. If you don’t mind. Take the test.” Henudged me into the bathroom, flipped the lights, and set the pink box on the counter.

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