9. Willow
Tears filled my eyes as I placed a palm on my stomach, grateful for this second chance.
Before he left, the doctor confirmed that the baby was healthy, and he prescribed prenatal vitamins. His assurance sent a sense of relief through me. I’d never put my baby at risk for the sake of appearances again. All my reasons for marrying Stuart had vanished—no, turned to ashes, and there wasn’t an ounce of regret. My sixth sense had been going off about Stuart for weeks, but like a fool, I’d ignored it. I’d seen the signs and, like a woman blinded by hope, I convinced myself I was wrong. It almost cost me the little life growing inside me.
I risked a glance at Royce, tension rolling off him in waves while silence dominated the room.
I averted my gaze again, heavy shame suffocating me. I knew now that I’d never felt true, genuine feelings for Stuart. And yet, once I’d found out about the baby, I convinced myself that marrying him was the right thing to do.
If I hadn’t… If I’d followed my gut feeling, it wouldn’t have come to this.
Without another word, Royce reached for the bottle on the nightstand and proceeded to lather ointment on my skin, covering the bruises. His movements were methodical, never causing pain or discomfort.
But the ache in my chest made up for it.
“How many times has he hurt you before?” Royce’s voice was soft, but it was impossible to miss the warning in it. “I’m guessing this wasn’t the first.”
“Royce, please don’t?—”
“Willow, I’m already in a state where I’m prepared to commit mass murder. Please don’t excuse that bastard’s actions.”
He was right, of course. There was nothing I would or could say to justify what Stuart did to me. Not when I had this baby to look out for. A baby I already loved.
“It’s the first time he’s ever put a hand on me,” I finally said, holding his eyes so he could see the truth in them. “But I’ve seen glimpses of his temper, and I should have known better than to ignore them.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” he demanded, and I wished there was a simple answer. If I hadn’t gotten knocked up, I probably would have. But this little life growing inside me had changed everything. “Willow, I thought we were friends.”
He got me there, but in my defense, I hadn’t said a word to Aurora or Sailor either. Call it shame or call it longing for a different reality. I’d watched my best friends fall in love with men who worshiped the ground they walked on. Sure, they were mafia men, but still. You couldn’t fault the way they made my girls their top priority.
And there I was getting knocked up by an idiot because I had to go and have a fling during a dry spell.
“I’m scared of losing you,” I finally admitted.
“You’ll never lose me.” He brushed the tip of his nose against mine. “I’m here. For you.” He wrapped his strong arms around me and squeezed gently. I’d never felt safer than I did right now. “Nobody will ever hurt you again.”
“I should have never agreed to marry him,” I mumbled. “I knew it was a mistake from the very start.”
“Why did you, then?”
A heartbeat of silence passed before I whispered, “Because I’m pregnant.”
“Pregnant?” he repeated, his voice eerily calm.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, then nodded, unable to find my voice. Up until Stuart went ballistic, there’d been a tiny part of me that regretted being pregnant. Stuart wasn’t the right man. It wasn’t the right time. The circumstances were less than ideal.
But now, that regret was gone. My instincts had flared when Stuart’s temper threatened my baby. I knew now, without an ounce of doubt, that I’d protect my child at all costs.
“Yes, Royce,” I stated calmly, despite the turmoil in my chest. “I’m pregnant.”
“He hit you knowing you’re pregnant.” I couldn’t tell whether it was a question or a statement, but Royce’s face became a blank mask while dark, threatening shadows danced in his eyes. “I’m going to kill him,” he stated matter-of-factly.
His volatile words made my chest clench. I couldn’t Iet Royce get into trouble on my account, no matter how much I wanted revenge.
“You’re not going to kill him,” I retorted calmly.
“Oh yes, I am.” He jumped off the bed and started stomping around the room like a caged animal. Then suddenly he stopped, his dark eyes landing on me. “Will you be okay alone for an hour?”
I jolted upright, then slid off the bed, ignoring the way my body screamed out. The moment my feet hit the plush rug, the room started to spin.
“Whoa.” I flopped my arms around to catch on to something to hold myself up before Royce caught me. “Okay, I didn’t see that coming,” I mumbled, trying to blink away the black dots in my vision.
“I don’t know how,” Royce spat angrily. “You’ve been physically assaulted, and if that weren’t already enough—you’re pregnant. Get back in bed.”
Squaring my shoulders, I glared at him. “I’m stronger than I look, Royce, and don’t think for a minute that you can boss me around.”
A tense second passed before his shoulders slumped. “Fine. Willow, please, for the love of God, get back in bed and rest.”
I held his gaze. “Only if you promise to rest next to me.”
His brows furrowed. “Later. Right now, I have to?—”
“You have to go murder someone,” I cut him off exasperatedly. “Yeah, I know. And that’s the exact reason I’m either going with you, or you’re going to stay here with me.”
“No.”
I jutted my chin out stubbornly. “Yes.”
“Willow—”
“Royce.” We glared at each other, our battle of wills playing tug-of-war, neither one of us willing to cave. My head was pounding, but I wasn’t going to let him catch on to that. “So what’s it going to be?” I finally broke the silence.
“You need a stress-free environment in your condition.”
I nodded. “Agreed.”
He flashed me a satisfied smile. “I knew you’d see things my way.”
I rolled my eyes. “You misunderstand. I agreed that I need a stress-free environment. So to make things a bit less stressful for me, I have to insist that we stay together. I’m not ready to tell anyone what happened, and I can admit that I need someone by my side until I’m back on my feet.” He stared at me, blinking furiously, confusion in his eyes. I sighed. “You’re my security blanket, Royce,” I said. “So if you want to beat up Stuart, I want to come with you.” I could argue that Stuart wasn’t worth it, but I knew Royce well enough that he wouldn’t let it go. So I’d support him on this one, partly because the bastard deserved a good beating. “And I’ll be there to ensure you don’t kill him.”
“Are you worried about Stuart?”
“No, I’m worried about you,” I snapped. “If you do kill him, or beat him severely enough, you’ll likely have to disappear. I want to be with you so we can hide together. Besides, my stuff is at the hotel.”
I held my breath, watching him ponder my words as he sat down and ran his hand through his hair.
“Pregnant,” he said, almost as if he was testing the word. I nodded, and he leveled me with a glare. “I’m furious you didn’t come to me sooner!”
I blinked in confusion.
“Excuse me?” I hissed with indignation.
“I thought you fucking trusted me,” he said, accusation clear in his voice.
“First of all, I don’t like your attitude, so you better chill the fuck out,” I spewed, rubbing my still-flat belly. “And I do trust you.” He scoffed as if he didn’t believe me. “I know you’re in shock; so was I when I found out. But regardless, you will show me some respect.” Royce looked at me, his lip twitching slightly. “And no, you won’t distract me from our conversation. If you’re going to the hotel, you’re taking me with you. Otherwise, you’re staying here where I can keep an eye on you.”
Tension twisted between us, weaving its invisible rope until it wrapped around my chest tightly, making it hard to breathe. My knuckles turned white, but I refused to avert my eyes as the moment stretched into eternity.
“Fine,” he finally agreed, and my breath left me with a whoosh. “But you’re getting some sleep first. We’ll go before dawn.”
“Okay.” I would agree to anything right now as long as he didn’t leave without me. Well, almost anything.
“And I’m carrying you to my car, then to the hotel room, and then back to the car. If anyone tries anything, I’m shooting first and asking questions later.”
His words should have made me feel nauseous, but they didn’t. For better or worse, Royce made me feel safe.
“Agreed.”