Chapter 2 #3
I chuckled, but there wasn’t a trace of humor behind it.
“Welcome is a bit of a stretch. And that was six months ago before I realized you don’t know what the hell temporary means.
And you coming to my crib was never part of the arrangement.
We meet at your spot or a hotel… never here.
Yeah, I told security you could come through once…
one particular night when you were a two-in-the-morning decision made by a man with too much liquor in his system and not enough self.
So don’t flatter yourself, Zonnique. That VIP pass you had was for one night, not a lifetime subscription. ”
The air shifted. Even the butler backed up like he didn’t wanna catch a stray vibe.
Zonnique tossed her long, dark hair over her shoulder like she was unbothered. “Anyway, I didn’t come here to argue.”
“Then leave,” I bit out, coldly. “’Cause arguing takes energy and I’d rather save mine for shit that matters. You don’t.”
“Well, being that I don’t take too kindly to being disrespected, I would gladly excuse myself. Unfortunately, we have business to handle today.”
“What kind of business?”
“The appointment… with the fertility doctor.”
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath.
I’d forgotten.
I looked up slowly, rubbing my temples. “That shit today?”
“Yes!” she sassed. “And we need to leave soon if we’re gonna make it on time. You know it’s an hour away and you still have to get ready. We can’t miss this appointment. You’re running out of time.”
“The only thing running out is my patience, Zonnique. Be careful how much more of it you use.”
“Oh, relaaaaax,” she purred, brushing past me and leaving a cloud of that loud-ass perfume behind. “You’re acting like I’m the enemy.”
“Nah. An enemy, I can shoot.” I watched her stroll farther into my house. “You’re worse. You’re semipermanent.”
Zonnique stopped and spun around, her lips parting in offense. “You’re such an ass sometimes!”
“And I have reason to believe you’re a thief, so sit yo’ ass down and don’t touch a damn thing while you wait.” I reconsidered and pointed toward the floor. “Matter of fact don’t even sit. Stand right there where everybody can see your hands.”
“Really, Merge? You act like I haven’t been here before.”
“You have, and that’s exactly why I want you to remain standing right there.”
I turned toward the butler, who looked like he was seriously reconsidering every career decision that had led him to apply for that position.
“Next time she shows up uninvited, I don’t care if she’s standing outside in heels, caught in a thunderstorm, buried in snow, or wrapped around a damn snake, you don’t open shit. Got it?”
He nodded so fast I thought his neck might snap. “Yes, sir.”
Zonnique’s mouth fell open. “Are you serious right now?”
“As a bullet,” I replied.
Then I turned and headed upstairs, the gun still tucked at my waist as I muttered under my breath.
A year later, and somehow I hated her even more than I had the day I found out there was a possibility I’d have to make her the mother of my child… and eventually my wife.
But business was business.
Until I produced an heir, I was stuck paying the price for a deal I’d made out of desperation.
***
I sat silently in the doctor’s private office; one leg crossed over the other as I watched the man behind the desk sweat through his collar.
Zonnique sat beside me with her purse resting neatly in her lap, twirling a strand of hair around her finger like she was waiting for a spa treatment instead of the news that was about to become her own personal reckoning.
Dr. Fairchild cleared his throat for the third time, eyes darting between us, betraying his discomfort.
“Thank you both for coming in. I, uh… I wanted to go over the results with you in person.”
“Then go over them,” I urged, unable to mask my impatience.
The man flinched, adjusting his glasses nervously as he prepared to deliver the news.
“Y-Yes, sir. It’s just… these things are delicate. And I wanted to be sure I interpreted them correctly before—”
“Before what?” I cut him off, my tone low and sharp. “Before you waste my time? Because that’s what it sounds like you’re doing.”
“N-No, sir. I—um—well…” He glanced down at the folder in front of him, clearly struggling to find the right words. “Miss Guidry, after reviewing your scans and blood work, it appears that your reproductive function is… compromised.”
“My what is what?” Zonnique shrilled in confusion.
“Compromised,” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.
“You have extensive scarring along your uterine wall, likely a result of past infections or surgical procedures. Unfortunately, this condition is preventing implantation. I’m afraid that means natural conception would be… highly unlikely.”
There was a heavy silence.
My jaw ticked as I slowly turned toward Zonnique.
Not fast.
Not dramatic.
Just a long, cutting side-eye filled with enough suspicion to slice through the space between us.
She felt it.
“Previous infections or surgical procedures?” I questioned, keeping my eyes locked on her. “What exactly could cause that? UTIs? STDs? Yeast infections? Abortions?”
The doctor shifted uncomfortably behind his desk.
Zonnique’s eyes widened for half a second, but I caught it.
She straightened in her chair and shook her head too quickly. “I’ve never had an abortion!” she blurted, her voice climbing another octave. “Never!”
I raised one brow. “You skipped right over the STD part, though.”
“Those neither!” she denied quickly, but her tone had lost its confidence.
I didn’t respond, nod, or argue; I just looked away and went quiet.
The doctor cleared his throat gently, trying to ease the tension in the room.
“Well… to answer your question, scarring of this nature could be caused by several factors. Untreated pelvic inflammatory disease, or infections such as chlamydia or gonorrhea, are common culprits. Repeated yeast infections—while uncomfortable—rarely lead to this type of damage unless they’re chronic and left untreated.
But surgical procedures are often the bigger issues…
things like dilation and curettage (D I did brutally honest.
As far as I was concerned, Zonnique had sold me a dream with a busted foundation, then sat there looking shocked because the whole damn plan had collapsed before we could build on it.
“Mr. Belvior, please understand—” Dr. Fairchild began.
“No, you understand,” I interjected, voice like ice on steel.
“I’ve got board meetings, hostile takeovers, and niggas trying to dismantle my empire every other week, and here I am, blessing somebody with the kind of dick that could bring a corpse back to life, and she can’t even deliver the one thing I actually need. ”
Zonnique gasped. “I’m just as shocked about this shit as you are! You’re acting like I knew the whole time and kept quiet just so I could get free dick out of you!”
“Don’t forget to add good dick,” I corrected. “Best you ever had, if we telling the whole truth.”
She rolled her eyes. “You are so damn full of yourself!”
“And knowing you, that don’t mean you didn’t do exactly what I said.”
Her expression hardened. “You really think I’m that trifling?”
“I think you’re selfish enough to look me in my face and lie with a smile.
Also selfish enough to moan my name at night while hiding the one truth that could’ve ended this whole arrangement.
” I leaned forward, my stare cutting into her.
“Because the second I found out you couldn’t carry my child, you knew another woman would…
and you couldn’t stand the thought of somebody else having my baby and becoming my wife. ”
Dr. Fairchild tried to intervene, voice trembling. “T-There are still options, of course! I’ve already compiled a list of—”
I stood abruptly, then shoved the papers off the desk with one sharp sweep of my hand. They fluttered through the air, scattering across the floor.
Zonnique flinched and the doctor cursed under his breath.
“Keep yo’ fuckin’ list!” I sneered. “I don’t like wasting time, money, or effort. This could’ve been a phone call and you could’ve saved yourself the sweat and stuttering.”
Dr. Fairchild nodded frantically, hands shaking.
“Merge, wait!” Zonnique blurted behind me. “I know you’re angry but just try to hear him out about the options! You need this child, remember?”
I froze.
Damn right I do… and that’s the problem.
That was why that whole situation had me on edge.