Page 64 of The Union
I cocked my head. “Care to share?” I asked.
She smiled. “Later.”
“Scream if he gets out of hand,” Dad said on his way to the door.
“You mean, if he screams.” Layla’s bright smile warmed my black heart.
My dad shook his head before he left.
Once we were alone, I blinked and stared into her gorgeous blue eyes, inhaling her essence that had a way of driving me mad. My throat burned to taste her, to feel her sweet nectar fill my veins. More than that, I had to show her she was safe with me. I tore the IV out of my arm. “Come here, baby doll.” I swung my legs over the bed.
She eased between my legs, beaming.
I raked my fingers through her hair. “Did I hurt you?” I asked again since she hadn’t exactly given me her answer out loud.
“Not at all. But you scared us, Sam. You were such a different person with that chip activated. More animal. At first, I thought you would attack me, but you seemed confused and sad when you looked at me. Then I told you I loved you, and we were having a baby. You squatted down and pressed your ear to my belly. I knew you understood me. Even when Dane came in to protect me from you, you were the one who wanted to protect me from him.” She lifted a shoulder. “But mark my words, Sam Mason. If you ever do hurt me, chip or not, I will slice and dice your balls, pulverize them, and serve them to the crows.” She yanked on my beard.
I barked out a laugh. “You love me, don’t you?”
She snorted. “Fuck no. I’m in love with you.”
“Explain what my father said about you reacting quickly.”
She took a breath. “When you pulled me away from Dane, my tender breasts hit your chest, and my reflexes from the pain made me knee you in the balls.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Good to know you haven’t lost your feistiness, and I’m so sorry.”
“No need to apologize. You weren’t yourself.”
“So you’re not afraid to be alone with me?” I needed a solid confirmation because beneath that tough exterior of hers, I could still sense her nervousness about something.
She pursed her lips. “Well, maybe I was at first. But I’m furious at Carly and my family, dizzy, tired, confused, and… I was kind of afraid of what you would think of me.”
My forehead wrinkled. “What do you mean?”
She snagged her bottom lip between her teeth. “Do you don’t think I’m fat?” She glared, daring me to say yes.
I rubbed her belly. “Fuck no. You’re stunning. I can’t believe how much you’ve grown in such a short time. As far as Carly goes, that bitch will be lying in a pool of her own blood when I’m done with her, and so will anyone else who fucks with you and me.”
She searched my face. “You mean you, me, and ourbabies.” She emphasized the last word.
I cocked my head. “Come again?”
“I keep having this recurring dream of a boy who says he’s my son, and he asks for my help with his sister, who seems to be in danger. I don’t know, but I think that’s why I’m big for eight weeks.”
Holy fucking hell.I was stuck on eight weeks. If we had twins, no biggie to me. I was one, so that made sense. But I’d lost time that I would never get back because of the sick fucks who wanted to control me.
Suddenly, I was tripping down memory lane to the time when I’d been kidnapped by Edmund Rain and my uncle Patrick. They’d captured me when I was human, and I woke up a fucking vampire. My father had surfaced after about fourteen years, and Jo was also a vampire. After my uncle had drained my human body of blood, the only way to save me was to turn me without my consent. But the key to my survival had been my sister. Jo had given up her humanity to save me. A scientific process unheard of in my world. A process Dr. Vieira hadn’t been confident would work. But I was living proof it had.
Layla snapped her fingers. “Sam, where are you?”
I blinked, homing in on her pretty face. “I’m sorry. I am so fucking pissed at people using me. Did we find Carly or Emery?”
She frowned. “No, and we’ve been looking everywhere. I called Jack, but no answer. I’m afraid my grandmother has done something to him. I can’t even reach my aunt Tab.”
I growled. “I’m ready to hunt.”
She knitted her eyebrows. “I thought we were going into hiding. Maybe we should spend some time in Maine at Jo’s house.”
