Page 35

“Just go,” she urges. “Trust me, everything is fine.”

I will not trust her because everything isnotfine, but I don’t stick around to argue with her. I head out the door to the car with windows too tinted to see anything, get in, and nearly get right back out.

“Draven?”

Click.

The locks engage as he offers me a suspiciously warm smile. “Hey, little keeper. Miss me?”

My chest tightens as I nod. “I did, yeah.” I won’t deny it. We haven’t seen each other much since the night he put me to sleep. Creed’s errands keep him out during the day, and his parties occupy his nights. Maybe he’s been avoiding me. Maybe I’ve been avoiding him. But the relief I feel right now can’t be ignored. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m taking you to this dumb appointment and then we’re getting burritos to celebrate how fertile we both know you are.”

“There won’t be much to celebrate,” I remind him quietly. “All it’s going to prove is that I’m not doing my job.”

“That’s not on you though.” He puts the car in drive and starts to move. “It’s on him.”

Maybe. But it won’t matter.

“Who do you think he’ll blame? Something tells me it won’t be Alex. But there’s nothing I can do about it, so.”

“Both of you. But he’ll be ashamed his precious heir has a cock that just blows in the wind, so Alex is going to be the one that has to answer for it.” His grip tightens on the wheel slightly. “He’s gambling with that girl’s life because she’s territorial. It’s stupid.”

Right. She’s the one who matters. Yet again, I have to remind myself to unclench my jaw.

“I’m sure his cock works just fucking fine. She seems to love it.”

Dray meets my gaze at a red light. “They’re both idiots. Don’t waste your anger on them, little keeper. We’ll figure this shit out, alright?”

We? There’s no we about any of this, but I keep my mouth shut. I am angry. I’m going to stay angry until I find a way out of this, and more and more, I’m thinking that means I need to run.

I just don’t know where the hell I’ll go.

“I’m fine,” I lie, firmly and with more conviction than I expected. “Can you just turn the radio on or something? I’m not in the mood to talk.”

Chuckling, Draven shakes his head at me and resumes driving. “I thought you missed me?” He forces a gasp. “Did you lie to me? I thought we were past the lies, baby.”

My stomach squirms. Baby, little keeper. All these pet names reminding me how fucked I am. “I wasn’t lying, I just changed my mind.”

“That’s rude. I have a better idea anyway. How about you scream at me until that tightness in your chest loosens? Say whatever you want, it’ll never leave this car. Take it out on me... I can handle it.”

He doesn’t want that. I don’t need to yell, I need to beat someone to death with a hammer. Preferably a man, since men seem to think women are playthings and property. Really any man would do.

“Why do you care so much?” I ask gently. It is an accusation, but I don’t want it to sound like one. “Why show up today, why do anything at all? It doesn’t make any sense.”

For the first time since I met him he looks nervous. “Would you believe me if I said I was just a nice guy?”

“No.” I roll my eyes, looking out the window. “No one around here does anything without an ulterior motive.”

“You’re not wrong there. In all honesty, I don’t know why I care so much, but I do. I also have a proposal for you if you’re open to hear it.”

It can’t be any worse than the last time a Creed son proposed to me, so I meet his eyes again. “What is it?”

“Have my baby instead.”

The words don’t quite sink in, not right away. I sit there staring at him, blinking, breathing, trying to process.

“What?” I’ve got it now, I just don’t know how to answer. “Why? What?”