Page 75 of Owned

Rowan

I sat there for a second, glaring at my phone. Atlas’s voice had been as hard as granite telling me I couldn’t even meet him at Arcadia, that we would go together or not at all. I’d been very tempted to tell him not at all, but I’d arranged the meeting with Charlotte already and I couldn’t back out of it.

My anger simmered. I knew why he was being so possessive. He’d told me after all, and the whole baby situation had kicked that into high gear. But if we somehow managed to deal with Charlotte, would he be like this for the next nine months? And when the baby was born, would he be the same?

I couldn’t live like that and I wouldn’t, which meant he and I would have to have a confrontation about it. I didn’t relish the idea since the last few weeks with him had been so good, but if he wouldn’t even let me leave the loft without him, then something that to be done.

Still, I should have known he’d be impossible about me leaving without him. Pity I hadn’t been able to think of a good enough excuse to give him that he’d believe. Now I was going to have to figure out what to do with Charlotte.

I could ask her to come to the loft instead, but I didn’t want Atlas returning unexpectedly and finding her here, because it would make the entire situation worse. I could go on my own of course, take the subway or an Uber, but Atlas would have a fit if I wasn’t here when he got back, and he might then do something rash. I wouldn’t put it past him.

I thought a minute then texted Charlotte, asking if she could meet me here first. She’d no doubt come with a car and driver, so maybe we could have the conversation in the car, which would mean I could then leap out when I spotted Atlas returning.

Charlotte texted back that would be fine, so I spent the rest of the day thinking about how I was going to negotiate with her, and how I could get her to stop her quest for our baby.

Of course then there was this whole sex show business that I’d agreed to and which I was conveniently not thinking about. I had to get ready for that too.

I took a bath and washed my hair, went through the outfits in my wardrobe, trying to figure out which one Atlas would like me to be in. I eventually chose my flowing blue dress because I knew he liked it, then had a small moment of indecision about underwear. I didn’t want to wear my every day bra and panties, not if people were going to see it, so eventually I chose a silky blue set that I’d conned Atlas into buying for me. They were fairly plain, but they matched the dress, and I probably wouldn’t be wearing them long enough for anyone to see anyway.

That thought sent a little bolt of heat through me, making my mouth go dry, but I didn’t want to think about that yet, so I forced it away.

After that I tried to distract myself with a few things, including a text conversation with Mom who wanted me to know she’d become friends with a wonderful woman in the facility she was in and they’d been getting on like a house on fire. It was so good to hear that. Friends were another thing Mom had had difficulties with in the past.

Then I got a text from Charlotte, that she was waiting outside, so quickly I put my phone down, then dashed outside the loft. A black limo idled at the curb outside. Charlotte’s, naturally.

The security guards outside the loft’s front door began converging on me, but at that moment the rear door of the limo opened, and I had just enough time to quickly slip inside before the door closed.

Charlotte Hamilton sat on the seat opposite, looking ethereal and beautiful in a white dress, her brilliant red hair in a tidy chignon. She wore very little makeup and her skin was perfect, and she smiled at me as I settled myself in the seat opposite.

“Rowan,” she said warmly. “You’re positively glowing. Which I take to mean you have some news to tell me?”

The security guards were scowling through the window and gesturing at me, but I ignored them. “I can’t chat for long,” I said. “Atlas doesn’t know I’m talking to you and he wants me to stay in the loft.” Behind me I heard the driver’s door shut as the driver got in and the car engine turn over.

“I can see that,” Charlotte said calmly, glancing at the guards outside on the sidewalk.

I expected her to ask briskly what it was that I wanted, but instead, the limo pulled out smoothly from the curb and into the traffic.

Instant alarm filled me. “What are you doing?”

Charlotte’s green gaze was steady. “I didn’t believe that you were too sick for the doctor’s appointment last week, so I’ve decided to take you for a check up now.”

“I don’t need a checkup,” I said. “I…I’m pregnant.”

My grandmother smiled. “I thought as much. You’ll forgive me if I require some proof, though.”

Something Atlas had told me echoed in my head. He’d been worried Charlotte might spirit me away once she found out I was pregnant. I thought he was being paranoid, that she wouldn’t do that, but now I wasn’t so sure.

“You’ll take me back to the loft?” I asked. “Afterwards?”

Charlotte ignored the question. “Did you call me because you wanted to tell me about the pregnancy? Or was it about something else?”

My mouth dried. I was not going back to the loft, was I?

A cold thread of fear wound through me, but I shoved it away. I couldn’t let that get to me now, not when I had to start negotiations with her.

“I want to talk to you about the baby,” I said in a level voice, thinking about the plan I’d settled on, the angle I was going to take to get her to give in.

“Oh yes?” She settled back in her seat. “What about it?”

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