CHAPTER THIRTEEN
– FIERO –
I wait impatiently until Quinn returns from her short visit to the bathroom. From the retching sounds I’m guessing she’s suffering from morning sickness due to the pregnancy. I hear water running and a few minutes later she’s walking back into the room.
“How long have you been sick?” I ask, and can’t help but bring up the fact that, “I assumed you’d be smart enough to know pregnancy symptoms.” She narrows her eyes and another question arises inside me. “Or were you aware?”
I grind my teeth to prevent myself from asking if she was going to use the information to fucking blackmail me. I might have ignored her the moment I left her naked ass on the floor a few weeks ago, but I had her under surveillance.
Not because of the interest she evokes inside me; it’s a standard issue and mentioned in the contract. It’s a system to protect those involved, along with our secret society. This is why I know for a fact no other cock but mine was the last one inside her tight pussy.
She closes the distance between us in the blink of an eye.
Two hands give me a hard shove against my chest when she snaps, “I got sick from whatever Cillian’s guys knocked me out with.
How dare you judge me? You clearly don’t know me, and let’s keep it that way because I don’t trust you, the doctor, the blood test, or anything involving all of this.
I’m not pregnant: I was fucking drugged.
That’s why I’m sick and not because some crazy-ass blood test result you think you have. ”
I stare down at her with a load of disinterest while I’m fuming on the inside. I couldn’t care less about the things she mentioned, except for the fact she got sick from whatever she was given. I make a mental note to ask the doctor if it would affect the unborn child.
Quinn reaches for me again and this time it’s not to shove me. Nope, her hand is on my buckle.
Curling my fingers around her wrist, I tighten my grip. “Whatever your intention is, I strongly suggest you act differently.”
She lifts her chin and the defiance is gleaming in her eyes. Dismissing her, I sidestep and drop her wrist as I stride to the door.
Before I step out, I turn my head to face her one final time.
“I’m the only one who knew that the condom broke while I was balls deep inside you.
We both know you haven’t been with anyone else.
So, you are pregnant with what I’m almost one-hundred percent sure is my child.
Which means you will stay in this room until further testing can give us the final result. ”
“The fuck I will,” she roars as I shut and lock the door behind me.
“Sounds like she’s agreeing wholeheartedly with your suggestion,” Floris deadpans.
I shoot my brother a glare and turn to head for my office.
“Anything I can do to help?” he questions as he falls in step beside me.
Taking a turn to head into my office, I ask, “Did you find her father yet?”
Floris leans against the doorjamb. “I’ve been a bit busy with the special delivery for Cillian.”
I can feel a smile tug my lips as I open my laptop. “Have I thanked you for the suggestion yet?”
My brother snorts. “I’m just following your lead, bro. Remember the time you had to remind the mayor who’s boss?”
Opening a program I need to hack into Quinn’s father’s bank accounts, I mutter, “Pretty sure I sent the fucker the anal plug Moxen shoved up his ass. A far cry from sending body parts, little brother.”
Floris shrugs. “Semantics.”
Taking my gaze from my laptop, I pin him with a look when I ask, “Please tell me you didn’t send their cocks.”
“Well, he is a cocksucker, so...”
I rub a hand over my face. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
Floris chuckles. “I’m gonna swing by Andrew’s gym.”
“You do that,” I grumble and focus on the laptop in front of me.
It only costs me a few keystrokes to become aware of a minor complication and reach for my phone to message Floris. The money I wired the fucker to make sure he paid off his debt to Cillian is gone. Withdrawn.
One might think there’s a possibility he gave it in cash, but our deal involved proof. Meaning he had to wire the money to Cillian to leave a damn paper trail. I knew there was a slight chance he would flee, but I gave the idiot a chance for Quinn’s sake.
Quinn, the woman I’m currently holding hostage, and who is carrying my child. Which means she’s tied to me for life. She doesn’t have a choice in the matter and to be honest? There aren’t any options out there. She will realize very damn soon the only right choice will be to submit to my order.
“Couldn’t you have checked before I headed for my car?” Floris grumbles as he steps into my office.
I don’t look up when I reply, “I could have, but then I wouldn’t have had the precious silence I like to do a little digging.”
“Anyone ever tell you you’re a pain in the ass?”
“Besides you?” I turn the laptop. “No, everyone else would scratch their head before throwing an insult my way.”
“It’s not an insult when it’s the truth,” Floris states as he slightly leans forward to read the information I pulled.
I thumb off a message and read one from the doctor I just received.
The answer to my question, which doesn’t completely calm the worry in my gut.
I asked him about the sedative they gave Quinn and if it was a risk to the unborn child.
According to him the light sedative could have potentially harmed the fetus, but there was a strong heartbeat when he checked.
It’s still early in the pregnancy and we will have more tests soon enough. Fuck. There hasn’t been a single moment in my life where I thought about children. Becoming a father, starting a family in this fucked-up world and all that shit.
Though, the thought of becoming a father, passing on a legacy, didn’t freak me out. Instead, it felt right, and I already wanted to make Quinn mine. Which will make things easier now that she’s carrying my child.
Floris drops himself in the chair across from me and pulls me back to the discussion at hand when he states, “Motherfucker’s got a large head start. Please tell me you’re not sending me out of state.”
“No. I need you here with me so I can handle Cillian myself. I’ve put our bounty hunter on it. Andrew is a loose end I need to deal with, and we both know who the biggest threat is here.”
“Agreed.” Floris leans forward. “Do we have eyes on that fucker?”
“Not yet,” I admit. “We lost him when he ditched the tail I put on him. I have a program running in the background with facial recognition software. Hopefully the fucker shows his face somewhere with camera surveillance to pinpoint a location.”
Floris nods and a smirk tugs his lips when he asks, “What about the woman?”
I narrow my eyes. “What about her?”
My little brother shrugs. “I could talk to her. Get acquainted with the chick carrying my little niece or nephew.”
“You will do no such thing.” I get to my feet. “Besides, she needs to rest.”
Floris stands. “So, what are you going to do?”
“None of your damn business. Make yourself busy by digging into Cillian’s businesses. I want to know if anything’s changed since our last background check.”
He reaches for another laptop and sits back down in the chair. “On it, boss.”
I walk out and head for the guestroom I put Quinn in. Once I turn the lock and step inside, I find her standing in front of the window. She doesn’t turn around or so much as acknowledge me.
“Feeling better?” I ask and come to a stop beside her.
She’s mimicking a statue. I don’t have any experience when it comes to charming women. It’s unnecessary with my reputation, and to be honest? There hasn’t been one who triggered something inside me to make a damn effort.
Though, I get the feeling the woman standing next to me doesn’t want any charm.
Her reaction isn’t to get back to me. No, I’m pretty sure the silence she’s treating me to is due to the questions and turmoil inside her head.
Quinn is smart and like me, she uses computers, books, and other options to gather information to make sense of things.
It’s why I keep my eyes straight forward, on the stables where my horses are, when I start to explain.
“When I became aware of your situation I had someone bring your father in so I could question him to make sure I had all the details. The debt he told me about concerning Cillian is one I paid in full. Though, your father was the one who had to transfer the money. Clearly, he didn’t and withdrew the money so he could run and save his own ass.
..leaving you to face the consequences.”
Her head whips my way, and I smile now that I have her attention.