Page 208 of Stand: Part One

Darren’s eyes blazed with fury before he reared back and smacked me hard across the face, pain instantly flaring in my cheek. Wrapping his entire hand around my throat, he yanked me closer and squeezed.

“Say the fucking words, or you won’t see Camaro until our child is born,” he threatened, his voice so sharp it cut right to the bone. My heart tore itself in half at his demand, a sob scratching up my throat as several tears escaped down my face.

“I love you,” I muttered through gritted teeth, wishing I could die at that very moment.

A cruel grin curled his lips, his eyes flashing with sinister satisfaction as he basked in his victory. And then he leaned in and kissed me, claiming my mouth with the same ferocity he had on my body. And as more tears spilled down my cheeks, I could feel his thumb gently wiping them away.

When he finally pulled back, he released my face with a victorious smirk on his own, and stood to his full towering height.

“See you at dinner.” With a snicker, he turned to leave the room, collecting my knife from the floor before shutting the door behind him.

My knees gave out a second later, causing me to collapse in a heap onto the floor, surrounded by the mess and absolute chaos I could never escape.

And now… everything was lost.

51

Weaponized

Irritation boiled through my veins as I left Jaden behind in Sid’s office. Sloane gave me an odd look as I passed her without acknowledgment, her eyes flashing with what I recognized as concern. But then she schooled herself quickly, waiting for me to get halfway down the hall before reentering Sid’s office and finding the mess of a little brat I’d left behind.

Jaden’s reaction had been a little more heated than expected, but nothing I couldn’t handle. The only surprising part was that she actually managed to stab me in the fucking leg. She’d pulled it out so fast and had it in the air before I realized what it even was.

I thought it might have been another piece from Sid’s chessboard, not caring if it hit me. But when I felt the sudden sting in my leg, I was in damn near disbelief not only at her recklessness but also her accuracy.

She’d almost hit my femoral artery, barely just a few centimeters away. I would have bled out in minutes had we not been inside the convenience of an underground hospital wing.

Thankfully, it looked like she wasn’t really aiming for anything specific when she threw it. If I knew she had actually tried to kill me, things might have ended a little differently. Either way, she wouldn’t be getting that butterfly knife back for a long time, if ever.

As I stormed back to my office, charged heat expanded in my chest, the warmth radiating in waves that warned my guards to steer far away as they passed by. Jaden was finally pregnant. My goal had been achieved and I was going to be a father—I should be fucking elated. But all I could think about was Jaden’s absolute hysteria.

I knew this was going to happen, knew she would be pissed that I had purposely kept my actions from her. Her anger had been enough to actually allow her to bypass her fear of me, giving her the strength to defy me and scream that she fucking hated me instead. So why the hell was I so bothered by it? I’d never cared before. I usually enjoyed it most times.

It wasn’t exactly a secret that she didn’t want to bear my children, and maybe that was the problem. Did I want her to want to have my kids? Maybe. It sure as shit would make things a lot easier right now. A united front on at least one mutual goal would have been nice to experience for once.

But that was the other problem—our goals were not aligned.

Would she act like this every time I got her pregnant? Probably—especially if I continued to keep my intentions a secret. Or maybe she would eventually come to appreciate the family she helped create and would grow to love. Just like she would eventually grow to love me—even if it took decades.

In my office, I found Scott and Daniel engaged in what sounded like a heated argument, their voices cutting off the second they heard me enter. Both their heads turned, their eyes observing my obvious mood before they traveled down to the bloodstain no doubt growing on my pants.

“What the hell happened to your leg?” Daniel asked, his brow rising in surprise.

I sighed as I rounded my desk and pulled out the first-aid kit to patch up the bleeding that continued trickling down my leg.

“What were you two arguing about?”

There was an annoying pause in the air before Scott caught on to my lingering rage and finally answered.

“Daniel wants Lessner dead.”

I scoffed with a quiet laugh. “And why the hell would he want that for our long-time family accountant?”

Ripping the tear Jaden’s knife had made in my pants, I tore it open so I could get a better look at the damage she’d done.

Goddamnit, it needs fucking stitches.

“Because he’s a huge liability that we can’t afford to have right now. He knows too much,” Daniel answered. “I think it’s time we cut him loose. I’ll manage the accounts.”