Page 165 of Monster

My anger blinded me to safety procedures.

Fuck.

25

EMMY

One day had passedsince Dominic had left for Las Vegas.

I didn’t even know the bastard had left the state until Lucy came over with Colt, and the silent man had passed on Dominic’s message.

How rude.

He couldn’t even tell me himself.

I was sound asleep after—I shivered—after he took my ass, but he could have woken me up to tell me quickly.

I had to find out from Colt. I shouldn’t be worried, but I was.

There had been a heavy feeling at the bottom of my stomach since I found out he had left.

I knew why he went there.

He was looking for John.

I let out a long exhale at the thought. I was worried about Dominic handling John.

It had been seven years since I’d seen the man, but I still remembered his face, as clear as day.

John wouldn’t be a match for Dominic, yet the heavy feeling persisted, and I didn’t know why.

The front doorbell rang, drawing me out of my thoughts. Lucy squeezed my shoulder as she passed me from where I was sitting in the kitchen by the window on her way to the door.

I listened for Lucy’s voice and heard the soft greeting of another woman.

I smiled, recognizing the voice right away, and watched as Lucy walked back in, Ryleigh behind her.

“Hey,” I said, watching the way the small girl waddled over to me. “What are you doing here?”

“Roman said Dominic left you here alone, and I thought you could use some company. Do you want to go to Dominic’s bar with me?”

I eyed her up and down. “You sure you don’t want to go somewhere else more… pregnant-friendly?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to drink there. And Roman’s been getting more and more, ah, protective of me as this pregnancy progresses. He doesn’t want me anywhere he can’t see me.”

I laughed. “Protective or crazy?”

She grinned. “It’s not like you don’t know. I imagined Dominic to be much more insane.”

“Downright neurotic,” I agreed with a laugh. Lucy smiled at us from her place by the island, chopping up some vegetables for dinner. “Is he out there?”

“Roman?” she asked. I nodded. She gave me a sheepish smile. “Yeah, I can’t drive anymore. This belly makes it impossible.”

I nodded, wondering what I would be like pregnant. It was a high possibility now, considering Dominic had been actively trying to get me pregnant since the first time. I should be freaked out about that. Or angry.

But the fucker had really worn me down because all I was feeling right now was curiosity.

I’d never imagined myself as a mother, but the seed had been planted.

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