Page 64 of Endure the Pain

I went to get to my feet and Louie was quick to help me. I glared down at Angela.

“Really, cuz?” Dylan said, stepping closer. He shook his head at me. “I can’t believe you’d do that to Jameson.”

I ignored him and held my hand out to Jamie. “Gun,” I said firmly. He pulled his gun from where he had it tucked behind him and handed it over.

I cocked it and pointed it at Angela. Before she could react, I pulled the trigger twice, putting two bullets into her chest. Her body hit the floor, blood quickly pooling around her on the tile.

“Fuck, Maura! Why would you do that?” Dylan yelled, clearly distraught. He laced his fingers behind his head as he stared down at the very dead Skank Barbie.

I turned my gun on him, drawing his attention. “Are you questioning me?” I asked him.

He dropped his hands to hold his palms out in surrender.

“You brought aguestinto my house who not only insulted me, but attempted to kill me. I should kill you. I stuck my neck out for you. I saved your fucking life!” I yelled, making him flinch. “Instead of being grateful and trying to redeem yourself, you conspired with this whore.” I tilted my head toward Angela. “Give me a reason why I should let you live.”

“I didn’t know she was going to attack you, I swear. She was a good lay. That’s it. There was no conspiring, I promise,” he said, pleadingly.

My hand squeezed around the gun. My gut screamed that I should do it, but my mind kept flashing back to when we'd been kids. I couldn’t do it.

I lowered the gun and stepped toward him. “If you somuch as breathe out of line, not even Stefan can save you from me,” I warned loud enough that even Stefan could hear the threat.

Dylan nodded.

“Not that it’s anyone's business, but I’m in a relationship with both Jamie and Louie. If anyone has an issue with that, please let me know so I can tell you to go fuck yourself,” I announced to the room before storming out of the kitchen.

CHAPTER 20

Jamie followed me to our room. Louie wasn’t with him. I assumed he'd stayed behind to give us a moment. I went straight for my closet and grabbed the tests and Jellybean’s sonogram picture. Jamie was leaning against the bedroom door with his arms folded across his chest. His eyes followed me as I left the closet and walked over to him.

I held out the tests. “I found out yesterday morning.” He took the tests and looked them over. “Louie knows. He found the tests last night.”

“I picked up on that.” His eyes shifted to mine. “Were you planning on telling me?”

I took a deep breath. “When I first found out, no. I’d planned on dealing with this on my own, sparing you and Louie the hardship because I had no intention of keeping this baby.”

His expression hardened. “I know you don’t want kids, baby, but I thought you would at least tell me and let me be there for you. We don’t hide shit like this from each other.”

“I know and I’m sorry.”

He studied me, his harsh glare unrelenting as he did. “You saidhad.”

I kept my face blank. “Do you want kids?”

He was a little stunned by the question. “I’d die a happy man if all I had was you for the rest of my life.”

I shook my head. “That’s not what I asked.”

He went quiet, debating. I could see it in his eyes.

I gave him a small smile. “You do, don’t you?”

He sighed. “You’ve never wanted kids. Even when we were younger, you were adamant about it. I’ve always loved you, so I’ve never humored the possibility of ever having kids. That was, until we first got together. I thought I fucked up by not wearing a condom. I didn’t know how you were going to react to me possibly getting you pregnant. Then I thought, what if you didn’t get mad? You’d been gone for six years. Maybe you might have changed your mind about having kids. For a minute, I envisioned what it would be like to have a family with you. And I was good with it. The look on your face when I asked you if I should be preparing for a baby said it all. You hadn’t changed your mind. I was a little disappointed, but not enough to give you up. I’m not lying when I say I’d die a happy man if all I had was you. You’re enough for me. Kids would just be a bonus.”

I held the sonogram out to him. “I went to see a doctor yesterday. I got this there.”

He took the black and white picture and the corner of his mouth lifted as he stared down at it. “Do you know who…” He trailed off with a slight wince, but I knew what he had intended to ask.

“Would you love it less if it was Louie’s?”