Chapter Forty-Five Lila
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
LILA
“Thanks for coming to my OB-GYN appointment.” I reached to clasp Tierney’s hand in the back seat of the Mercedes. We were driven by my driver, with an Irish soldier in the passenger seat.
Tierney squeezed my hand back. “Of course. We’re family now, and I love you. Besides, Tiernan’s not here. I figured you could use the support.”
“Actually, he’s only been to my first appointment,” I confessed, feeling the tips of my ears pinking. “His emblematic middle finger to me, since he didn’t want me to keep the baby.”
“What an asshole.” Tierney frowned, surprised. “Wait, so who did you go with up until now? I know you’re not on speaking terms with your mom.”
“I went by myself, mostly.” Enzo managed to come twice, and Luca once. “Well, with my harem of bodyguards. It’s fine, though. I had my Kindle. When you have your books, you’re never really alone.”
But I felt alone since he’d left. Not to mention, I couldn’t sleep at all. I didn’t even try his stupid vibrator. What made me fall asleep weren’t the orgasms—it was him holding me after sex. Knowing he was in the apartment with me. That he’d keep me safe even if it cost him his own life.
“You look worried,” she said.
“I am worried,” I admitted.
“Spill it, little moon,” Tierney knew Tiernan called me Gealach. For some reason, that filled my chest with warm pride. “I know you want to ask me something.”
“Do you think he’ll be okay?”
“I grew up with Alex and Tiernan, and all I can say is that they’re both unkillable. I also can’t envision either of them pulling the trigger on the other. I mean, accidents happen, but…” She sighed. “I don’t know. I think Tiernan will get out of it.”
We stopped at an intersection merging with a highway.
“Do you think he’ll ever warm up to the idea of the baby?” I asked. “You know him better than I do. Is there hope for us?”
Tierney’s eyes softened, and a small smile tugged at her mouth. The light turned green and our vehicle slid into the intersection.
“I think—”
Our car jerked sideways suddenly, careening in circles and crashing into another vehicle. My body slammed against Tierney.
Hot metal seared the side of my torso, and I arched, hugging my belly with a pained scream.
We were hit. Another car sped into the intersection on a full red light, crashing into us.
The airbags were activated, and I spotted my bodyguard sitting in the passenger seat unbuckling himself and crawling toward the back seat. Tierney was covered in blood—warm, thick, coppery liquid all over her beautiful face—but she didn’t even care. She was trying to unbuckle me first.
My heart beat so fast and so hard I could actually hear it between my ears. It was the first sound I ever heard, and one I already wanted to forget.
I looked down and saw my abdomen crushed between my knees, squeezed in an unnatural angle.
Everything was painted scarlet.
Everything.
My dress. My arms. My legs. My heart.
The once-white roses. The tiara of flowers.
It was my attacker who did this. I knew it.
I trembled, realizing I was losing blood, but I wasn’t sure where I was bleeding from. Everything was numb, and I became lightheaded. My eyes rolled inside their sockets.
Tierney grabbed my shoulders and shook me, her lips moving.
She was screaming.
I didn’t hear a thing.
Finally, Tierney stopped screaming and sagged beside me.
My eyes fluttered shut. Behind them, I saw the red and blue swirls of police and ambulances approaching.
The baby…
The baby…
My baby…