Page 105 of Hook

Once he’s been sufficiently tortured and he’s struggling to keep his heart beating from the loss of blood, I stand and kick him in the stomach to ensure he won’t survive his injuries. He collapses in a bloody heap on the floor like a broken doll, limp and lifeless; he takes his last wheezing breath of air and then his chest stops moving as he bleeds out on the cold stone floor.

Another victim of my wrath.

The men around me stare at me in shock before quickly averting their gaze as they back away from me in fear while others look away in disgust. They know what kind of man Cillian Hook truly is—ruthless and unforgiving when it comes to traitors such as Frank who dare cross me.

35

GWENDOLYNE

Iwake and glance at the other side of the bed, finding it empty.

Cillian didn’t sleep here last night, not after our fight.

My stomach churns as I sit up, certain I’m going to puke. I rush into the bathroom, my head spinning. Lifting the toilet lid, I hurl what little contents are left in my stomach into the bowl.

Groaning, I slump to the floor and clutch my stomach. I have been trying desperately to ignore the glaringly obvious fact. My period is two weeks late. I can’t go out and get a test, but I don’t need to.

The aching breasts, feeling so tired, it’s like I’ve run a marathon, and throwing up every morning tells me all I need to know. Not to mention, I’ve had weird fucking cravings for pickles and ice cream.

I’m pregnant.

Pregnant with Cillian Hook’s baby.

It’s a fact I’ve tried to ignore for a while, the idea nagging at my brain. Especially since he keeps telling me he’s going to breed me. It’s as if this was his aim. To get me pregnant and trap me with him, so that I have to remain here.

What would my dad say if I made it out of here?

He’d probably make me get rid of it, and that’s not something I think I could do. Clawing myself off the floor, I return to the bedroom and fall back into bed, shutting my eyes. I can’t be bothered to get out of bed today.

* * *

The wordson the page don’t register as I try and fail miserably to read the book I was into only Four days ago. Ever since Cillian told me he loved me and I admitted to myself I’m pregnant, I’ve been unable to focus on anything.

I can’t work out if that’s because of him admitting his feelings for me or because I haven’t seen him since. Four days he’s not returned to the house, at least, not when I’ve been around. It’s driving me crazy.

Ironic considering seeing him drove me crazy most of the time, but now that he’s not here… I can’t dwell on my fucked up emotions right now and what they mean.

I’ve felt guilty for hurting him which is ridiculous. I shouldn’t feel guilty for refusing his love, considering the way he went about everything.

My feelings for the man are complicated. There was a spark before he kidnapped me and it hasn’t extinguished. If anything, it’s grown fiercer.

I sigh and toss my book onto the sofa, knowing that no matter how badly I want to divert my thoughts from Cillian, it’s impossible.

“What did the book do to you?” That voice sends shivers down my spine. It’s even more striking having not heard it for four days.

“Cillian,” I breathe his name, my heart pounding erratically beneath my skin. Heat spreads through my body, despite myself, as I turn to face him. “Where have you been?”

He tilts his head to the side, an odd glimmer in his eyes. “Why? Have you missed me?”

I swallow hard and shake my head. “Of course not.”

He chuckles softly. “Answer the question. What did the book do to you?”

I glance at the novel and shake my head. “Nothing, I’m bored of reading.”

He arches a brow. “You love reading.”

I swallow hard, hating that he knows that about me. “What do you want?” I ask, trying to divert the conversation away from the fact that I can’t read because all I’m thinking about is him and our baby.

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