31. Dream
I stood in the bathroom of the Knight Estate, leaning over the marble sink as I stared into the mirror. The soft light illuminated the faint bruise on my cheek, a dull reminder of Lamari’s hand slapping me hard. I gently traced the mark with my fingers, my heart racing as the memories from the past two days flooded back.
It had only been seven hours since I’d been freed, but I felt like I hadn’t taken a full breath since. My reflection stared back at me—tired, hollow, with eyes still swollen from crying. Tears welled up again as I thought about everything I’d endured, but they weren’t just tears of pain.
I pressed a hand against my stomach, the smallest flicker of joy breaking through the sadness.
“My baby,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
The thought of being pregnant for the first time made me smile, even as my heart felt heavy. But what happened to me—the shame, the fear—I wondered if it would make Damier see me differently when he fully realized what had been done to me.
Would he look at me like I was broken?
A sob broke from my lips as I tried to shake the thought. He’d promised me he would protect me, and he did. But I couldn’t stop the ache in my chest at the idea of him seeing me as less than I was before.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as my hand lingered on my stomach.
“You have no idea how much you’re already loved. I’m going to do everything I can to protect you. I promise I’ll make sure nothing like this ever touches you.”
I paused, biting my lip as I let my emotions settle. “I hope you’re a boy,” I said softly, smiling through my tears. “With ginger hair like mine. Your uncle, Donta, would’ve loved you, and you have a brother. He’s named after your uncle, who passed away. You have a beautiful family waiting to meet you. You are royalty.”
The words felt surreal as they left my mouth, but they also gave me something to hold onto. Something to fight for.
I straightened, wiping my face with a towel before glancing at my reflection again. “I need to see my psychologist before we leave for Thailand,” I whispered to myself. “Hell, I’ll need her for this whole pregnancy.”
I thought about it for a moment, a faint smile tugging at my lips. I have money now. I can just fly her out to me.
I turned toward the shower, knowing I wasn’t done trying to wash the past few days off me. It was my third shower, but I couldn’t stop. The memory of Lamari’s hands on me clung to my skin, and no matter how much soap I used, I still felt it.
The hot water poured over me, scalding but comforting, as I scrubbed every inch of my body. My mind wandered to the baby again, the tiny life inside me that was already giving me hope.
When I stepped out, I wrapped myself in a towel, carefully drying off before lotioning my skin. The faint scent of lavender lingered as I brushed my teeth, trying to focus on the little routines that made me feel like myself again.
I slipped into one of Damier’s oversized Tom Ford t-shirts and climbed back into bed. He was sleeping peacefully, his chest rising and falling steadily. I watched him for a moment, remembering the night he woke me up from a nightmare not so long ago. Now, I was the one carrying the weight of restless nights.
Curling under him, damn near wanting to be in his skin, I pressed my face against his chest, his warmth grounding me in a way nothing else could. His arm instinctively wrapped around me, even in his sleep.
For the first time since I’d been taken, I let out a shaky breath and closed my eyes, praying for just a few hours of peace.