Page 68 of Bitter Heat
Lukas said, “Our attorney has convinced the prison warden that, with our support and sponsorship, Wilbet isn’t a flight risk.”
Monte interrupted him. “And given your needs right now, and your innocence in all that occurred, Wilbet is being given the option to spend the rest of your pregnancy imprisoned in our home. That way, he can help you during your time of need and be present for the birth of his son. Isn’t that wonderful news, Kerry? He’ll be home, and in your arms again, at last.”
Rage began to pulse in Janus’s bloodstream. He gripped the side of the sofa where he sat and held his breath. If he moved, he’d make a mess of things, because they were talking about letting that monster touchhisKerry.Hisomega.Hisvulnerable and pregnant omega. What if Wilbet hurt the baby? There was no doubt he’d hurt Kerry. Sweat slipped down Janus’s back and temple from all the effort to hold still.
Kerry stared at his in-laws, his eyes gone so hollow and dark that they almost looked black. “Why would I ever want that?” he whispered.
“Why would you…? Darling, he’s your alpha!” Monte exclaimed, putting a hand on Kerry’s shoulder and rubbing it gently. “I know you have much to forgive him for, but you also know that you need him.”
“I know no such thing,” Kerry bit out. “I’ve told you what he did to me. I begged you to allow me to let another alpha service my heat—”
“Because you were upset. Jealous that he wasn’t faithful. But love, all alphas who aren’tÉrosgápeare like that. Insatiable beasts. Isn’t that right, Lukas? If not for our bond, why you’d be fucking every omega you could get your hands on.”
“Not so,” Lukas said darkly. “Monte, watch your tongue. You’ll go too far.”
Monte’s cheeks flushed, and he looked down at his plate, but then he was back at it, saying, “Darling, what he did was very wrong, and he’s serving out a long sentence for it. Doesn’t he deserve a reprieve for the few weeks you have left before—”
“No.” Kerry’s deep, low voice sounded like ash being scraped from a grate. “Absolutely not. You will not take this from me. I don’t care how much you want him home; I won’t do it.I won’t do it.”
“We don’t have to allow you to stay with your uncle—” Monte started, his eyes narrowing.
“Monte, stop.” Lukas sounded almost as cold as Kerry looked, but not half as enraged as Janus felt.
Monte’s jaw grew tight, and his eyes blazed, but he stopped talking like his alpha asked. He shifted closer to Kerry, though, clenching his arm and leaning in, taking his air and space.
“Kerry,” Lukas said slowly, “I can’t feign surprise at your reaction. I didn’t think you’d accept this well, and frankly, I can’t blame you. We both know my son is an abhorrent monster—”
“No!” Monte cried, but Lukas hushed him with a simple lift of one finger.
“Yes, love, he’s a monster. He abused Kerry, and he raped prostitutes and brutalized them. You don’t want to believe the truth about him, because he’s your only child and you love him. But I’ve faced the facts long ago.”
“If you believe that, then why do you let him continue to rape me?” Kerry gritted out. Janus nearly clawed at the booth between them, wanting to climb over and rip Monte and Lukas apart. “Why did you deny my petition to get a surrogate? Am I that expendable to you?”
Lukas swallowed hard, and while Janus could only see half of his face, it looked as though he was forcing something distasteful down. “In a word: yes.” Janus almost didn’t hear the rest over the roar of his pulse in his ears. “We need an heir, and you’re our only means to that end. But I don’t like the idea of torturing you, Kerry. We’ll do what we must, but no more. And now that we’ve seen your reaction to this proposition, I’d like to think my Monte will come to the same conclusion that I have.”
Monte hissed slightly, digging his fingers into Kerry’s arm hard enough to make him wince, but then he deflated like a balloon, going limp at the table. He let go of Kerry’s arm and slumped over, putting his hands over his freckled face. “Wilbet’s changed, Kerry. Hepromisesme that he’s changed.”
Kerry just blinked at Monte, an expression of frozen horror on his face.
“If Kerry doesn’t want him during this time, it will only endanger the pregnancy to force him,” Lukas said softly. “Keep your priorities in line, love.”
“Oh, I see,” Kerry bit out. “You don’t like the idea of torturing me, but if it was somehow better for the baby, then, what? You’d make me?”
“There is recent scholarship that makes it clear that an omega and the baby have better survival rates when they are being serviced throughout their pregnancy by a caring alpha.” Lukas lifted a brow with a bitter sneer. “I do believe the word ‘caring’ is operative. I imagine the outcome of the study would show that an omega being unwillingly serviced by an abusive alpha would be quite grim.”
Kerry was shaking, and Janus was, too, but with fury instead of fear.
“I’d planned to put my foot down about this regardless, but I was hoping that if Monte saw your genuine reaction, he’d believe me when I say there is no hope for our son’s soul. Ouronlyhope lies in your womb and the future fruit thereof.” He turned to Monte again. “So, please love, leave Wilbet in the past. Embrace the future. It’s right there in front of you.” Here he put his hand out to touch Kerry’s belly, and Monte, breaking into tears, did as well.
Kerry remained frozen, his dark eyes sunken with disgust and rage, and his skin paler than Janus had ever seen it. He sucked in a long, deep breath, and his eyes suddenly widened. And just like that Kerry’s gaze locked on Janus’s, tears welling up and sliding down his sharp cheekbones as he stared, wordlessly and helplessly, at him. Janus’s throat tightened, his heart pounded, he held back with all he had for Kerry’s sake because no matter how he felt, the law was clear.
They held each other’s gaze for a long, horrible minute as the Monhundys rubbed Kerry’s stomach, leaning close to coo at it, and then to kiss each other over it, a brief but clear indication of Kerry’s place in their plans for the future. All too soon they were insisting that Kerry follow them back upstairs for the doctor’s examination, and Kerry, looking empty and desolate, meekly followed.
The curtain of Janus’s nook twitched, and Janus leapt away from his position to sit awkwardly in front of the prior couple’s cake and tea, as a waiter poked his head in, eyes squeezed modestly shut, saying, “Sirs, I believe it’s time for you to move on. My manager suggests you may want to take this up to your room?”
Janus cleared his throat then, and the waiter’s eyes popped open in surprise. “Oh! Oh, my! I thought you were waiting for a friend. Where did the couple who…oh, never mind. Might I get you tea, sir? Or cake?”
“I’m fine,” Janus said, slipping out of the nook and following Kerry and the Monhundys out of the room and into the hotel lobby again. He waited until they had a good head start up the stairs and then he discreetly followed, marking what room they guided Kerry into, and then hastening into his own to wait for a new plan to come to him.
