Page 36 of Nitro
My knees wobbled, and I headed over to the bed, dropping onto the edge. The mattress dipped under my weight, springs creaking faintly. I set the box on the nightstand with trembling hands.
Motherhood had never been part of my plan. Not because I didn’t love kids—I did—but I’d never imagined myself being someone’s mom. My own childhood had been too fractured and full of shadows. My dad’s temper, his MC’s chaos, the way he broke my mom’s heart until she had no hope. She had tried her best to protect me, but even her love couldn’t erase the scars left by the man who should’ve been my first example of safety.
Then my brother had proved, yet again, that blood didn’t guarantee loyalty.
So I’d sworn I’d stand on my own. I’d build my life, my career, my future without leaning on a man.
Now here I was, sitting on Torin’s bed with a pregnancy test in my hand, wondering how he’d react if it came out positive.
“No use sitting here wondering,” I mumbled to myself.
Dragging in a shaky breath, I tore open the box. The cardboard gave with a rip that sounded way too loud in the quiet room.
The wrapper crinkled as I pulled out the plastic stick. I could keep my hands steady at 200 miles per hour, but now they shook so badly I nearly dropped it.
My eyes skimmed over the instructions, pausing on the last line. I had to wait three minutes for the results. Behind the wheel, that was practically nothing. But while my future hung in the balance, it was bound to feel like forever.
The only thing keeping me remotely calm was the bone-deep knowledge that Torin wouldn’t react the way my father had when my mom got pregnant. He wouldn’t think I was trying to trap him.
If this test came back positive, I wouldn’t be facing it alone.
Torin would never let that happen.
And my confidence in the man I’d fallen for scared me almost as much as it soothed me.
The door creaked open without warning.
I jolted, the instructions slipping from my lap as Torin strode in like he somehow knew I needed him.
His gaze cut straight to the box clutched in my hand. He didn’t need to ask what it was. The truth was written all over my face and in the tremble of my fingers.
A beat of silence stretched between us, and then the crooked smile that had undone me from the start curved his mouth. Satisfaction rolled off him in waves, and a nervous laugh slipped out of me.
“Good.” He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving my face. “You’re mine. Now I’ll make sure everyone knows it.”
“Torin…” My voice cracked on his name.
I wanted to tell him this wasn’t the plan, but he didn’t give me the chance.
“You think I’d let you run now, sweetheart?” He crouched down in front of me, bracing his forearm on his thigh, dark eyes pinning me in place. “Not a chance. You’re mine—every single part of you, including the baby I might’ve put in you.”
I shook my head. “But?—”
His hand shot out, steady and sure, tilting my chin as his thumb brushed my jaw. His touch was rough but grounding, and the fear inside me eased.
“No buts.” His tone left no room for argument. “I want this. I want you. And nothing about that test is gonna scare me off.”
My breath hitched, and his thumb stroked once more, softer this time. His crooked smile returned, bigger than ever. “So quit lookin’ like the world’s endin’, baby. If it’s positive, then all it means is I get to claim you in a way nobody can question.”
His words stitched over a wound I hadn’t even realized was still bleeding.
My legs wobbled as I pushed to my feet, the test clutched tight in my hand. Torin followed as I headed into the bathroom.
Setting the test on the counter, I hesitated.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured, his broad frame filling the doorway as he flipped the switch on the wall.
The light above the mirror flickered on with a buzz, harsh against the tremble in my hands. I tore the wrapper open, fumbling with the stick, and went through the motions with my back to him, cheeks hot with nerves. It felt strange, but oddly not too intimate, considering he was basically in the room.
