Page 95 of Tempt Me

Taliah pursed her lips. “Fallon. I am not referring to your nephew. Your pregnancy did not survive the assault.”

I blinked rapidly. “My p-pregnancy? Wha?”

Now, she had that sympathetic look that doctors couldn’t help but use. It was their mask.

“Yes. You were in the early stages of pregnancy, and the trauma that happened during the assault at the hospital caused you to hemorrhage, and you have miscarried. I am so sorry.”

I couldn’t wrap my head around her words.

Baby. Assault. Pregnancy. Miscarried.

I couldn’t have been pregnant. I couldn’t have. I didn’t…

Ferdinand…

He always claimed he was infertile by an accident that was caused on a boat as a child. Could he have lied to me? Why? Why would he…

Baby. Assault. Pregnancy. Miscarried.

He assaulted me. Herapedme. He didn’t stop. He kept going even after I begged him to stop. He smashed my body into all those damn things in the nursery. I…

“I can get your nephew if that would be a comfort? He is being cared for by a close friend of our family. She has a little one, too, so she knows how to handle them. I am…not very good with babies unless it’s bringing them into the world. Even then, I prefer to…uh…work on sleeping patients.”

“Is he safe? Where is he?” I sat up now, and my stomach was already screaming at me.

“Yes, Fallon. I will call Penelope and have him brought right over, okay?”

I relaxed a little bit. The knowledge that Xavy would be back in my arms soon was the only comfort I had right now. I was still reeling from the events.

I had been pregnant? I couldn’t be a mother. I was so unfit for being a mom. It wasn’t even funny.

Yet the thought of losing Xavier felt…wrong. Like I would be missing a puzzle piece. Taliah left me in my room, and I allowed myself to cry. Tears fell down my cheeks as I spoke to the child I would never know.

“I am so sorry, little baby. I didn’t know you existed, but I would have loved you. I…I don’t know what to say. I feel so guilty you’re gone, even though I don’t know the first thing about being your…mom.”

I put my hand on my stomach, feeling the emptiness now.

“I…I am so sorry. Noah, please take care of my baby, and I will take care of Xavier, okay?”

I was probably high off the drugs in my IV, but I felt a warmth. A light in my body I couldn’t explain. It was like my brother heard me and took my child’s soul to be with him.

“Be safe, little one. Maybe you can play with Xenia, too. Pharaoh said she always loved babies. I know you’ll be happy up there. So many to love you. I will love you from down here until we meet again, okay?”

I was babbling. My word vomit turned into actual vomit. I was losing my meal when Taliah came back into the room. I could see her from the doorway. She looked calm, but fear slid onto her features as she walked forward. I started to ask what was wrong, but then I saw the glint of a gun at her head.

I opened my mouth to scream when Ferdinand came into view. He looked like hell. His clothes were dirty, bloody, his face beat to shit…what the hell happened? What the fuck was going on?

“Hello, Pet,” he said. His voice held a vibration to it that showed his insanity. “You thought you’d check out with no call? How rude.”

I looked at Taliah. I didn’t know what to do.

“Ferdinand. Darling. I am sorry. I was wrong. Please let go of the doctor.”

I had to get Taliah free.

“Darling, please. Let her go, and you can take me home with you, okay?”

He was unhinged. He was shaking, his head jerking as if there was something he was trying to shake off.