Chapter Twenty Four
One Hour Later
I am twenty-seven weeks pregnant with a baby girl.
Part of me wants to be excited, because I love babies, but the other part of me knows that I likely won’t even get to hold her.
As long as she is safe, I’ll be okay. Declan said he will be the one to take her to Thane, and no matter what happens, he will keep her safe.
Every day, Declan wakes me with breakfast. When I get done, Josh comes in and fucks me.
I take a shower and scrub myself raw. After that, I read or write until lunch.
Declan will usually eat with me, and we will play card games or something.
After, I will try reading or something until Josh comes in to fuck me again.
I’ll take another shower and go back to entertaining myself until dinner.
That’s when Declan will bring me downstairs to eat with Josh.
He will have me clean up, since the maids are done by then, and then he will make me join him in his room.
This is just so he can make me suck his cock while he watches football.
When he’s done with me, he sends me to my room and comes behind me to lock me in.
I have an ultrasound every two weeks, but Josh has finally stopped coming to that. He just has Declan update him.
I also learned that Declan not only lives here, but the vent in my floor directly routes to him downstairs. I only figured that out because I heard him talking to Josh.
Basically, Declan is here specifically because of me and Thane.
Josh figured out who Thane’s family is, and apparently that is the mafia.
I don’t know the details, but I do know that Declan got into a lot of trouble with debt.
Josh paid it off and essentially owns Declan.
As long as I am here, so is he. His entire job is to make sure I stay alive and give Josh a kid.
Josh says all of this is because Thane killed Joe, but literally no one talks about Joe.
I don’t think that they really liked him all that much.
So why? I can’t understand why Josh hates Thane so much.
I am lying on my bed poking my stomach, watching my belly jump.
She’s always very active in the evenings.
I decided that her name is Grace. I don’t know about a middle name, but Thane and Reid can decide when they get her.
I try not to think about Giovanni because the thought of him not being in this world is heartbreaking.
I miss all of them so goddamn much, but it’s his death that might actually break me.
I spent so much time meditating to try and cope with all of this.
I have a couple new scars, but overall, I’ve done well with not self-harming.
I write out my anger and breathe through the sleepless nights when nightmares plague my dreams. I’m using everything my men taught me, plus everything I’ve learned from Declan.
He taught me how to calm myself in the moment when I’m angry.
That was something I always struggled with, but I have him to thank for this progress.
I would be a goddamn liar if I said that I didn’t love Declan, but I do.
He’s been a constant in my life for the past four months, and one of the reasons I haven't killed myself already. I know I could survive without him here, but his presence has brought me so much strength. When I finally get out of here, I don’t know where I will be in regard to him.
I don’t know what his relationship is like with his family.
He doesn’t really talk much about them, but he looks up to his brother.
“Hey,” Declan says, rushing into the room so fast that it freaks me out, jumping up.
“Jesus, dude. What the fuck?” I ask.
“You need to find a way out of here tonight. I don’t care what the fuck you do, but you need to run. I can cause enough of a distraction after dinner, but you really need to fucking go. Okay?” he says, grabbing my face and talking to me with a hushed tone.
“What’s wrong? You said not to run?” I say. “What’s…”
“He’s going to sell her, Ayla. He just said on a call with someone that as soon as you have her, he’s selling her to some man who makes movies. Movies, Ayla. Child porn. You need to get you and her out of here.”
“Fuck. Okay. Uh… how am I supposed to do that?” I ask.
“What is your routine when he takes you in his room at night?”
“He usually just has me blow him while he watches TV. Sometimes he fucks me. Really, it’s just him getting himself off,” I say. “He did say that he wanted me to ride him.”
“Does he have you get undressed?” Declan asks.
“No. He refuses to buy underwear, so he just pulls my dress up and fucks me,” I say. “Why?”
Declan pulls what is undeniably a switchblade from his pocket and shoves it down between my breasts. “Use it. Get out of here, Ayla. Tell my family I love them so fucking much and I’m so sorry. Please, Ayla. You have to get the fuck out of here. Stab him in the fucking throat and leave.”
“But you will die, Declan. You can’t…”
“I can and I will. I shouldn’t say this, but I’m going to.
I love you, and I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you.
It breaks my fucking heart to see him put his hands on you, but it ends tonight.
You hear me? I know I’m asking you to do a lot, but please save yourself.
Save that little girl. Leave me behind and go,” Declan says with tears running down his cheeks as he keeps his hands on the side of my face.
“Declan,” I whimper.
“Please, baby. Please.”
“Okay,” I sniff.
“Thank you,” he says, kissing me quickly before stepping back. “Wash your face and come down for dinner.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
Declan nods once before leaving the room.
I go to the bathroom and do my best to calm down and wash my face.
I can do this because I planned on killing him.
I can’t leave Declan behind, though. I won’t.
What kind of fucking person would I be if I did?
I did it to Giovanni, and it got him killed. I’m not doing it twice.
I take a deep breath and plaster the same stupid smile on my face that I have for the last few weeks and go down to the dining room. When I get there, I take my seat across from Josh.
“Evening,” Josh says, looking at his phone. He does a double-take of me and narrows his eyes. “You’ve been crying.”
“Yeah. Just hormones,” I lie.
“Well, tonight we are celebrating,” he says.
“Oh?” I ask. “What are we celebrating?”
“We have a buyer for your baby,” he says simply. He’s testing me.
“I thought Thane was getting her?” I ask coolly, taking a bite of my food.
“I decided to give her to a couple who want a baby. That fine by you?” he asks. He’s testing me.
“Whatever you think is best, Josh,” I say. I already want to vomit over the words I’m about to say. “Once I have her, you and I can start trying for a baby.”
“We can. I thought you didn’t want to have my baby, Ayla?” he asks with a grin.
“Eh. You’ve treated me well, and you’re not half bad looking. I think we would make a cute baby together,” I lie with a sweet smile. “Plus, maybe then you will realize I’m not going anywhere.”
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“Josh, you forget to lock my door half the time. Your security is fucking terrible. I could’ve left several times. I like it here, though. It’s peaceful. You always act like you have to force me to spend time with you in the evenings, but I enjoy it. I enjoy serving you.”
“Oh yeah?” he asks. “Come here, Ayla.”
He has a stupid smile on his face as he moves his chair back. I already know what he wants, so I don’t hesitate to crawl into his lap to straddle him. His hands rest on my thighs and slowly move up.
“So eager,” he says.
“Can I ask for something?” I ask, batting my eyelashes at him.
“What’s that, Ayla?” he asks with a smirk.
“Can I ride your cock tonight?” I ask, knowing that Declan is behind me somewhere. I can sense him.
“It depends. Are you going to come for your master?” Josh asks, moving his hands to squeeze my ass. I giggle and roll my hips against his groin, making him grunt. “I’ll take that as an enthusiastic yes. Go eat your food, and we can go watch something.”
“Okay!” I say happily. I hop down and return to my chair, handily exchanging a look with Declan.
“He’s dead,” Declan says.
“Hear that? Thane is finally dead,” Josh says. My heart stops for a second, but I can’t break the facade.
“Whoops,” I chuckle, sipping my iced tea.
“Does that not bother you?” Josh asks.
“I mean, if the baby has a home, I don’t really need him,” I say with a shrug.
“You’re right,” he says, smiling. “Alright. Eat your dinner so you can ride my cock.” I grin at him and take a bite of my food.
I keep this stupid happy appearance about me, but I’m dying inside.
Is he actually dead? If he is, is Reid okay?
So many questions, but first, I have to slit this motherfucker’s throat.
Declan isn’t usually with us for dinner, so I’m willing to bet we will end up in the living room and he will make Declan watch me ride him.
This means that he will also get to watch me slit his fucking throat, because I’m going to do it.
And then I’m going to kill every fucking guard who gets in my way. I will get us both out of here.
When we get done eating, I collect the plates and take them to the kitchen. I go through my routine of cleaning everything before finding Josh and Declan in the living room.
“Hey,” Josh says, smiling as I walk in. “Get your cute ass over here.”
“Just my ass?” I ask with a smile.
“Specifically, your cunt,” he says, pulling his cock free. When I get to him, I go down to my knees in front of him and start sucking his cock. I intend to cover him in enough saliva so that he doesn’t realize he makes me as dry as the Sahara. Spit isn’t lube, but it’ll do.
I stop before he comes and climb into his lap. As I lower down on his cock, I remember something Nadia told me once… If there is going to be blood, get naked first.