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“You’ve been here all this time and didn’t think to fucking tell me?”
I lifted my chin, scolding myself for the hint of tears. I had to stay strong, dammit. I’d been so nervous guessing how he’d react, and here I had my proof. He was mad. No dreams of love could last now.
Stubborn and determined to stay protective of my child, I looked him dead in the eye. “Yes. I’ve been here all this time and wouldn’t tell you. I couldn’t until I had a clue of what would happen.”
He seethed, staring me down.
“It was the only leverage I had when you stripped me of my freedom. It was the only power I had as your fucking broodmare, Maxim. I didn’t want to tell you because you kidnapped me and controlled me so easily that I feared you’d do the same to him or her.” Covering my stomach with my hand seemed like such a feeble afterthought, but the principle remained the same. Iwouldstillblock him from this baby if it meant he’d take him or her away from me.
“Will you?” I demanded with every ounce of anger I had. “Will you take this baby from me once I’ve delivered?”
“Don’t even think about fucking negotiating or playing mind games with me right now,” he warned in a deep growl.
I stood, not cowering any longer. I’d shown my hand, and I had to deal with it now. So why not face him directly and be as strong as possible?
“I’m not.” I shook my head. “I’m not playing games or negotiating. Despite not knowing how you’d react, I planned to tell you about the baby the night that alarm went off. I just want to know what will happen now. You won’t commit tome. You don’t place any other value or purpose onme, just whether I can give you this heir you want so badly. Will you take my child from me? Will you kick me out and dismiss me after I’ve given you what you want—theonlything you want since you don’t fucking wantme?” I stabbed my finger at my chest for unnecessary emphasis, feeling so damn dumb now. In hindsight, I was such a fool to ever wonder if he could be in love with me and see me as something more than just a woman to knock up.
I hated how I’d let my stupid heart lead me astray like this. Only a moron would daydream about being in love with a Mafia boss. I couldn’t even trust him to care about me at all to know that he wouldn’t take my child from me.
Without trust, love didn’t stand a chance.
And with him, there wasn’t a smidgen of hope for us.
Staring him down, I felt every thudding beat of my heart. It was banging so wildly after defying him like this. To put him on the spot and lay out what I was so afraid of. My guilt hadn’t eased at all, but in the face of explaining how stuck I’d felt, it no longer mattered.
I’d done the best I could for myself and the future of this baby.
It wasn’t my fault that he hadn’t decided to hint that he could care about me.
As I watched him, every second passing heavier than the previous one, tangible tension bubbled and yawned as a wider gap grew between us.
More than anything, I hated myself for starting to love him when it was now so obvious that all he really had wanted from me in the end was sex. He’d manipulated me to care, to believe that he could change and come to realize that we were good together, even out of bed.
The longer it took him to react and reply, I knew it was over.
I had my answer now.
He hadn’t shifted at all. In the beginning, I’d asked himwhy. Why me? Why do this like this?
Not once did he lie. He wanted an heir, and that was it.
“You’ve served your purpose,” he finally said at last, breaking the tense silence with that cold, harsh statement.
Before turning from me, he lifted his head and looked down at me.
“I’ll arrange for the necessary medical provisions.”
And then he left.
He walked right out of the room, dismissing me and taking my broken heart with him.
38
MAXIM
Aweek after Sloane told me that she was pregnant, I rubbed my temples and groaned at the headache growing too quickly for me to be able to tame it. Every fucking day, they came, and I knew why.
Sleeping in one of the guest rooms on my father’s floor sucked. I couldn’t get comfortable no matter which bed or room I chose. I slept like shit and dreamed of her. I had nightmares of losing her to a masked gunman. Then after those passed and pissed me off, I had more bad dreams of someone shooting the baby swelling her stomach.