Page 27 of Hades

“I guess I don’t know how to… Ah!” Harley glanced at the monitor and saw that she was going through another minor contraction. These were nothing compared to the real thing, but Harley stayed patient and coached her through it. When it was done, Savannah continued. “I don’t know how to slow down. I feel like there’s so much I have to do before he gets here. I feel guilty for taking time out for myself. I’m taking double the classes so I can graduate next month instead of next semester, and I’m working double the hours to build my savings for my child. I don’t feel right slowing down right now.”

“Does your job give you PTO?”

“Yeah. They’re really generous with it too. I’m blessed to have found this job before my son gets here. Once I graduate, I’ll be promoted and get a bigger salary. My boss is really great.”

Harley nodded as she listened, but she was already going to the computer in the room and waking it up. “Good. Then your boss won’t mind if you take a week off.”

Savannah’s eyes bulged. “Wait, what? No, I can’t do that?—”

“Savannah, you can and you will. I’m writing you a doctor’s note right now. You’re lucky I don’t put you on bedrest for the duration of your pregnancy. Take the time off work, do your school work, and rest. That’s all I want you to do. Do you understand?”

Savannah huffed out a long breath before she nodded sadly. “I understand.”

Harley smiled in triumph as she quickly typed up the letter and then sent it to the printer in the room. She left it in the printing tray and walked over to the bed. Savannah peered up at her with a pout on her face. “Are you sure he’s not coming? These contractions are something serious.”

Harley nodded. “He’s not coming, and he is one hundred percent healthy. We just need to get mama on the same page. Do you need anything else before I go? The nurses will square you away so you can have these fake contractions at home.”

Savannah snorted. “No, thank you for coming.”

Harley beamed at her. “I’ll always show up for you, sweetie. All you have to do is call. Go home and rest.”

She sang those last words as she walked out of the room, thankful that Savannah’s son wasn’t on his way into the world. That would have been really bad. It was too soon, and she didn’t want to see Savannah go through that stress.

Harley quickly made it to her locker and pulled her purse out, noticing her phone vibrating inside. She grabbed it and saw Hades’s name across the screen before she quickly answered it, knowing better than to ignore his call. She wasn’t speaking to him, but that didn’t mean she was crazy enough not to answer when he called.

Before she could greet him with a dry “Hello,” his thunderous voice snapped at her.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?”

She froze just as she was about to close her locker. “I thought you said I was free to move around?—”

“That don’t mean you can leave whenever the fuck you want. You steady testing me, Tink. I’ma have to show yo’ ass somethin’.”

Her pussy clenched, just as her jaw did. She didn’t understand why his threats caused her body to react in that way. “My patient had an emergency.”

She continued toward the elevator as she listened to him rant in her ear.

“You’re about to have an emergency when you come home. I don’t know what you don’t understand about?—”

Her phone cut out when she got on the elevator and headed down to the first floor. By the time the elevator doors opened again, Hades was still ranting in her ear. “—You gon’ learn, even if I have to lock you in my damn room. That don’t really sound that bad now that I think about it. You’re lucky I can see where your lil ass is at all times?—”

Harley stopped in her tracks just as she got to the double doors to exit the birthing center. The navy blue BMW looked familiar to her, causing her to tremble.

“Hades,” she murmured, slowly backing away from the door.

“Nah, I don’t want to hear shit. You better bring yo’ ass?—”

“Hades!” she said in a harsh whisper. “Drew is here.” She turned around and ducked down the hall, making her way toward the staff breakroom on that floor. It was mostly used by the front desk receptionists, but today, she was about to hide right up in there, praying Drew didn’t come into this place, causing a scene.

“Where he at?”

“He’s outside in his blue BMW. I think there were a few other people in the car with him, but I didn’t get a good look.”

“Did he see you?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered. She hated that she sounded so afraid. Drew definitely intimidated her, but she really had no reason to think he would harm her. His weird obsession with her set her on edge, though, and she realized each time she saw him since she broke up with him, he became a little more erratic. That was where her unease came from.

“Stay your ass inside and away from the doors.”

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