Page 56 of Carnal Urges

When I whirl on her, bristling, she lifts her brows.

“What’s that look for?”

I growl, “Youare notgetting an abortion.”

She examines my face in silence for a while. When she finally speaks, her voice is tranquil. “I didn’t say I was. But if I were, it would be none of your damn business.”

I lose my cool and shout, “Of course it’s my business! You’re my fucking captive!”

When her hair settles back around her face, she folds her hands in her lap. “I see you have strong feelings on the subject. I’d like to point out, however, that regardless of how I got to be here, it’s curious that you’d care one way or the other. After all, you’re not the father. Not that there is a father, because I’m not pregnant, but if I were, you wouldn’t be him.”

“Jesus Christ, do you think I’m an imbecile? I know I’m not the bloody father!”

She narrows her eyes. “Exactly. You’re not the father, you’re going to be sending me home soon, and I’ll be out of your hair forever. So what are you getting so excited about?”

I flail around for something that would explain my bizarre emotional turmoil over this news. All I can come up with is, “I don’t believe in abortion.”

“Congratulations. Still not your business.”

I start to pace again. Sloane watches me with eyes as sharp as a hawk’s.

“If you’re thinking that you’re going to keep me chained up in your home indefinitely to block my reproductive rights, I’ll tell you right now that won’t work.”

I wasn’t thinking that, but it does make me curious. “Why not?”

“Kieran and Homer would never let you do that to me.”

I gape at her, astounded. “Spider told you his real name?”

“Of course. Why is that so shocking?”

“He doesn’t tell anyone his real name. I didn’t know it until we’d known each other for more than ten years. And he was only in the room with you for three minutes.”

She gives me a look. “The wee homely camel princess is good at getting dogs to do her bidding, remember?”

When I glare at her, seething, she sighs.

“Can we please not fight? I’ve got a splitting headache, my brain might be about to kill me, and I might be—but I’m not—with child. I don’t have the energy for verbal combat.”

She slumps back against the pillows and pulls the covers over her face.

I pace for a while longer. My mind is the smoking aftermath of a nuclear bomb.

Pregnant. The woman I kidnapped is pregnant with a Bratva baby?

Holy fuck. And I thought things were bad before.

From under the covers, Sloane says, “If I ask you a personal question, will you answer?”

“No.”

Naturally, she ignores that. “Did you have a girlfriend who terminated her pregnancy against your wishes?”

I drop into the chair beside her bed and exhale. “No.”

“Oh. Okay. Sorry, that was none of my business. It’s just that the topic seems like a trigger point for you.”

“If I tell you it’s because I believe all life is sacred, you’ll laugh at me.”