Chapter Nineteen Abra
I grab Rey and pull her behind me as I face off against her angry brother. “Don’t fucking yell at her!” I feel Rey trembling against my back. I want to pull her into my arms, but I also want to punch Max in the nose.
Max snarls at me, but maintains his distance. He swipes his hand through his hair and glares around the room. “I need a few minutes with my sister.”
I snort. “You’re an idiot if you think I’m going to leave you alone with her.”
Max looks stunned. “Why? I wouldn’t hurt her.”
“That’s not how you’re acting,” Hex says. “I have sisters. I’d never bellow at them like you just did.”
I see Delphine open her mouth, likely to argue, but she closes it again.
Max deflates, but not by much. “I need to talk to my sister. She has to explain this!” Max shakes the evidence bag containing a pregnancy test for emphasis.
Rey whimpers behind me, spiking my anger. “Rey doesn’t owe you, or anyone else, an explanation. This is her business, not yours.”
“It’s my business if that asshole knocked her up as well as knocked her around. She needs to handle this before it’s too late,” Max snarls.
Rey lets out a sob and rushes up the stairs.
I grab Max to keep him from following her.
He struggles against my hold, but he’s no match for me.
Hex helps me muscle Max into a chair. “Sit there, shut up, and think about what you said,” I order.
“Can you ladies explain to him how much he just fucked up?” I ask a livid Cleo.
She nods her head once as she glares at Max.
Max has the intelligence to shrink under her angry gaze.
Delphine and Olivia circle to stand with Cleo.
I count my blessings that those glares aren’t directed at me as I jog up the stairs in search of Rey.
I expect to find her in the hallway, since I locked the door to my room.
However, the hallway is empty. I stand still until I hear her soft sobs coming from my left.
She’s in the infirmary. Entering, I find her sitting on the floor in the corner.
She has her arms wrapped around her legs as she sobs into her knees.
I slide down next to her before gently lifting her from the cold floor to pull her onto my lap.
I say nothing as I stroke her hair and let her cry. After a few minutes, her sobs subside as she relaxes against me. Her breathing evens out, so I think she’s falling asleep. I’m just about to lift her and carry her to my room when she speaks.
“I’m sorry I fell apart,” she whispers.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” I assure her. “Your brother is the one who should be apologizing. I’m guessing that will happen after the Old Ladies explain to him the error of his ways.”
Rey shifts so she can look at me. “What?”
“I left Max in the hands of Cleo, Delphhine, and Olivia. They didn’t look happy. Your brother is likely getting an earful about his poor behavior towards you. He’ll be begging to apologize by the time they’re done with him.”
“He’s right,” Max says from the doorway. Hex, Dixie, and Lake stand behind him, likely ready to drag him back downstairs if he says anything to upset Rey again. “I’m sorry, squirt, I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. Seeing the pregnancy test threw me, and I panicked. Can you forgive me?”
“I don’t know yet,” Rey says, honestly. “I’m not getting rid of this baby. At least I don’t think I am. But it is my decision, not yours. Not anyone’s, but mine.”
“You don’t have to talk about this right now,” I tell her. “I was going to carry you to my room and put you to bed so that you can rest. You can talk to Max later.”
“No, I’d rather get it over with,” Rey says with a sigh.
“How about we go downstairs, where it is more comfortable,” I suggest.
Rey smiles at me and nods. “Okay.”
I help her to her feet and keep an arm around her while we walk back downstairs. Olivia is coming out of the kitchen carrying a mug. She follows us to the sitting area and hands the mug to Rey.
“This is an herbal blend that will soothe you. You’ve had a rough few days, so I thought you could use it.”
“Thank you,” Rey says, taking the mug and breathing in the aroma.
I sit on the couch and pull her so she’s next to me. When Max tries to sit on the other side of her, I growl at him and point at the chair across the coffee table. “Sit over there.”
“But she’s my sister,” Max protests.
“And you’re an asshole,” I lob back. “Sit over there.”
Max grumbles but takes the seat I indicated. Hex, Dixie, and Lake all take seats before pulling their women onto their laps.
“Where are Zip and Pirate?” I ask, giving Rey time to drink her tea.
“Zip had a late appointment with a client. Pirate is on his way. He was with Cicero.”
I had forgotten about Cicero and assumed he had returned home after I left with Rey. Knowing he’s with Pirate sparks my interest, but I don’t want to discuss what they’re up to with Max around, so I keep my questions to myself.
Rey finishes her tea and lets out a long sigh as she places the empty mug on the table.
“Okay, let’s get this over with,” she says as she leans against me while focusing on her brother.
“Yes, I’m pregnant. I found out a few days ago when I took the pregnancy test. The father is Dontel.
He doesn’t know about the baby, and I have no plans on telling him about it.
I don’t know if I’m keeping the baby, but I’m leaning toward going through with the pregnancy.
It isn’t the baby’s fault that their father is a fucking asshole.
But, if I’m being honest, I’m terrified.
Not only am I unsure that I’ll make a good mom, but I’m not sure I can do this alone. ”
Max blinks at his sister as his mouth opens and closes as he processes the information Rey dumped on him. He finally finds his words. “You wouldn’t be alone.”
Rey wrinkles her nose at him. “Seriously? After what you just said? You told me to get rid of it.”
Max wipes his hand over his face. “I know, and I’m sorry.
That came out wrong. I freaked out when I saw the pregnancy test. I guessed that Dontel was the father, and all I could think about was keeping him out of your life.
Having a baby together didn’t fit with that plan.
I’m terrified of what he would do to you if you were trapped in a marriage with him. ”
“I will never marry him. Ever,” Rey says vehemently. “It may seem selfish and bitchy, but I have no plans on telling him about the baby. He’s out of my life. If I keep the baby, I’ll raise them without him.”
“Is that what you’re planning on doing? Having the baby and raising him as a single mom?” Max asks.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Rey admits. “I haven’t had time to wrap my head around it.
Hell, I haven’t had time to think it through.
After I took the presidency test and saw the result, I went to see my doctor.
He confirmed I was pregnant. That’s when I took the tour of obstetrics at the hospital, right before those assholes kidnapped me.
That was just yesterday! I need some time to consider my options.
I would have told you, eventually. I’m sorry you discovered the information the way you did. ”
“I’m sorry I jumped all over you,” Max says, reaching across the table so Rey could lean forward and place her hand in his. “These past twenty-four hours have been stressful.”
“For everyone,” Rey agrees. “Give me some time to think about what I’m going to do about the baby.”
“No matter what you decide, I’m here for you. You swear you aren’t planning on telling Dontel?”
“Like I said before, Dontel’s out of my life. He’ll never have to know about the baby,” Rey says.
I stiffen when I see the look on Max’s face. “What?”
“I don’t think Dontel is ready to give up on you,” Max says. “All the evidence we’ve uncovered makes him my prime suspect in the murder and in the break-in. You may be done with him, but he’s not done with you.”
“You think he plans to hurt her?” I ask.
Max shrugs. “I don’t know. He’s hurt her before. I don’t know what he would have done if he had found Rey at home when he broke in. I have a feeling he’s not ready to let her go. A man like Dontel is dangerous to any woman he fixates on, and I think he’s fixated on Rey.”
“Then we’ll make sure he can’t get near her,” I say.