Page 14 of Her Darkest Possession

But it also sounds like nobody is certain whether or not the baby is still there.

Lola’s taunting words echo in my head.

A box of abortion pills.

No. I think. Indigo wouldn’t. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. I won’t believe it! I can’t believe it!

"I'll be there in twenty minutes," I say, my voice unrecognizable even to myself. "I'll see you soon, doctor."

A protective instinct slams into me and it feels different from anything I've felt before. I've killed for the bratva, fought wars over territory and respect, but this goes deeper. This is Indigo. This is family. This is about keeping that family alive and whole in a world that's doing everything it can to try and destroy it.

"Of course, Mr. Baryshev."

"Please," I tell her as I take the road towards St. Barnabas. "You can call me Anatoly."

5

INDIGO

"Amelia! Is that really you?"

Before Marcus can stand up to stop him, and before I can tell him to fuck off, Ryan Bennet is walking through the doors of my hospital room.

His face splits into that practiced smile he used to charm his way into my life on the first day of Columbia.

But no smile can hide the sleazy gleam in his eyes. That part hasn't changed at all. I just wish I recognized that on the first day I met him, and not what felt like the worst day of my life two years ago.

Because he had that same fucking smile when he came to me at the end of that summer.

After his father did all those unspeakable things to me.

And right before I told him to fuck off and never come near me again.

"Ryan." I try my best to keep my hostility restrained in a public place like this.

I won't pretend to give him the presumption of a pleasant surprise. He's the last person I want to see right now.

How dare he stand here, acting like we should be friends. If he notices my icy attitude, he sure doesn't act on it. Or he doesn't care to act on it.

"What do you want, Ryan?"

"Well, I was supposed to be here to do a speaking engagement for dad. But after everything that happened yesterday?—"

"—You mean after he was fucking murdered?"

I don't mean to correct him about his rapist of a father. But there's something unbelievably callous at the way he's casually talking about what should've been one of the most tragic things in his life.

Like he's talking about the Knicks losing a regular season game.

God, Amara was right when she told me he gave her the ick from the first moment she met him.

I don't know what I ever saw in him.

"Right." He nods. "After the murder, the rest of the staff thought that it would be best if we carried on his work. Make his death mean something. You know what I mean? He didn't have to die for nothing. And truthfully speaking, the media can't exactly go around slandering him anymore. So, I consider it a win-win."

You colossal piece of shit.

"I just thought you might be busy mourning."