Chapter 15 - Blair #2
He doesn't flinch. He doesn't look away. In fact, there’s a glint in his eye that takes me a second to figure out. Pride, I think. Or satisfaction. Maybe a little of both. Either way, he’s completely unapologetic about what he’s done.
"Because you are my wife," he says. "And you are pregnant."
“How? I know I have a head injury, but I don’t remember you proposing. Or a wedding.” I don’t bother asking about the baby thing. He hasn’t made that a secret, and while it’s a shock, it doesn’t feel like he ever tried to hide his intentions from me.
But this infuriating man just stares at me and that’s when it hits me.
The paperwork.
The folder on the kitchen island. The "insurance forms." The "security authorizations."
The realization hits me harder than the car accident. I walked into this situation wanting revenge. I wanted to make Ryder regret the day he met me. I wanted to burn his world down.
But somewhere along the way, the goal shifted. I stopped wanting to hurt Ryder and started wanting to keep Gabriel.
I just didn't realize he was playing for keeps, too.
"You tricked me," I whisper.
"I did what I had to do to keep you," he corrects, his thumb rubbing over my knuckles.
There’s no apology, but then I wouldn’t expect one from a man like him. There’s just a simple, brutal fact delivered with the confidence of a man who knows he’s won.
He looks... proud. Satisfied. Like a king who didn't just conquer the kingdom, but burned the maps so no one could ever find a way in again.
"You buried a marriage license in insurance paperwork so I wouldn’t know what I was signing," I say, my voice rising.
"I gave you every opportunity to read through the forms. You’re the one who chose not to.”
I open my mouth to argue some more, but then he speaks again.
“I made you my wife," he says, a dark smile playing on his lips. "And I’d do it again right now.”
"You don't get to just... acquire me like one of your buildings!"
He leans forward, his eyes burning with an intensity that steals the air from my lungs. "You were mine the second you walked into that club. You chose me. You crawled into my lap and begged me to ruin you. I just made sure you couldn't unchoose me when things got complicated."
"This isn't complicated," I snap, trying to yank my hand away. "This is insanity."
He holds on. His grip isn't painful, but it is absolute.
"It’s inevitable," he says. "You agreed to be mine and that means forever. Things in my world are dangerous. You saw that tonight. I can protect you better this way."
The mention of the accident makes his jaw clench. The satisfaction in his expression vanishes, replaced by a cold, terrifying rage that he’s barely keeping a lid on.
"He tried to take you from me,” Gabriel growls, his voice dropping to a register that vibrates in my chest.
I stare at him. The violence in his eyes is a promise of what’s to come and for a second, I almost feel bad for Ryder.
Almost.
"You're happy about this," I accuse, trying to change the subject. "Not about the accident. But about the marriage and the baby. You’re happy you trapped me."
"I’m fucking ecstatic," he admits without a shred of shame. "I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you. I’ve watched you waste your light on a boy who couldn't see you. I wasn't going to let you walk away. Not now. Not ever."
My heart does a traitorous flip.
He’s crazy. He’s controlling. He’s a monster.
And he wants me so badly he committed fraud to keep me.
Hard to hate that, really.
"I wanted a wedding," I say, the fight draining out of me as the truth settles in. I’m not leaving him. I never was.
Gabriel’s expression softens. He lifts my hand to his lips, kissing my palm.
"You'll get it," he promises. "I’ll give you the wedding. I’ll give you the dress, the party, the envy of every woman in this town if that’s what you want. You can have the biggest ceremony Emerald Hills has ever seen. But the paperwork? That couldn’t wait. I couldn’t wait.”
The door to the room opens again.
The doctor walks in, looking at a clipboard. He’s older, balding, with a kind face. He doesn't seem to notice the thick tension in the room.
"Mrs. Hollis," he says. "Good to see you awake. You took quite a hit."
He checks the monitors.
"Your concussion is mild, thankfully. Ribs are bruised, not broken. But the main concern was the pregnancy."
He smiles at us.
"You're about six weeks along. The fetal heartbeat is strong. The accident didn't cause any detachment. You and the baby are very lucky."
Six weeks.
I do the math. The night at the club. The first night.
"We want to keep you overnight for observation," the doctor says. "Just to be safe. But you should be able to go home tomorrow."
He nods at Gabriel. "Congratulations, Mr. Hollis."
"Thank you," Gabriel says. The pride in his voice is unmistakable.
The doctor leaves.
The silence is back, and it’s heavier now. Weighted with the creation of a new life and all the ways mine has changed.
"You knew," I say. It’s not a question because he doesn’t look surprised in any way by any of this.
Gabriel sits back down. He doesn't let go of my hand. He’s got that smug look on his face again.
"Yes."
"How?"
"I've been tracking your cycle for a while, a comment here or there from my son over the years added into my calendar. It wasn’t exact, but close enough. I knew you were late before you did."
I stare at his unrepentant face but it’s hard to be mad when this was originally my plan all along. Did I think it would work? Debatable. Was it crazy? Certifiably. But the fact this is all happening feels surreal.
"I told you I was going to breed you," he says, his thumb stroking my wrist. "I told you I wanted to put my baby in you. I don't say things I don't mean. I figured you knew that about me by now."
"It happened so fast," I whisper. "I mean... I knew it would happen eventually. We haven't exactly been careful. But the very first time?"
"I filled your womb with my cum. Did you really think it wouldn't take?" he says dryly.
I let my head fall back against the pillow and stare up at the ceiling. A baby. A husband. A new name.
My life has been dismantled and rebuilt in the span of a month.
I should be scared out of my mind. I should be hauling my ass straight to a lawyer.
But when I look at Gabriel, I don't see a captor. I see a man who looked at the wreckage of my life and decided to build a fortress around it. I see a man who wants me with a terrifying, consuming intensity that matches my own.
I wanted to be chosen. I wanted to be a priority.
Well, I’m his.
"I'm keeping it," I say.
"You better," Gabriel says. "That baby is a Hollis. It’s not going anywhere."
"And the marriage?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.
"That’s not going anywhere either," he says. "You’re mine. Legally. Biblically. Biologically. You can be mad about the method, but don't pretend you don't want the result."
He challenges me with a look. He dares me to deny it.
I can't.
I want him. I want his ring. I want his baby. I want his obsession.
"You're a monster," I say, but the venom is gone.
"Yes," he agrees, leaning in to kiss my forehead. "But I'm your monster."
I turn my head away from him, toward the window where the snow is still falling.
It’s a mess. It’s a disaster.
It’s exactly what I wanted.
My fingers tighten around his because I don’t think I can let go.