Page 92 of Thorns of Deceit

I draped her with a blanket, then sat in a chair across from her, listening to her slow and deep breaths, her arms wrapped around herself like they were her shield.

I was unable to take my eyes off her, the late morning light claiming her skin.

My wife.

She was here, in my home and under my protection, sleeping peacefully, and there was no way in hell I’d ever let her go.

I knew we had to talk about many things, starting with why she’d run five years ago.

Raven distracted me with her initiation of sex earlier, and I hadn’t been strong enough to resist her. It was like she knew exactly how to pull me in, press her mouth to mine, tangle her fingers in my hair like she was as desperate for me as I was for her. Like she needed me. And maybe she did, but not in the way that answered any of my questions.

My phone buzzed on the kitchen counter, its screen flashing. I moved fast to silence it before it disturbed her.

She didn’t even stir.

I gave her one more look and stepped out onto the balcony. The autumn air bit at my skin, crisp and sharp, smelling faintly of distant chimney smoke and the damp rustle of falling leaves.

“Miss me already?” I said, my voice low.

“You wish,” Tyran shot back, dry as ever. “I actually wanted to tell you something. Something I saw in Raven’s room.”

I stilled, hand tightening around the railing. “What is it?”

“It somehow slipped past Kyran, which is a miracle in itself. But I saw it.” He paused just long enough to stretch the silence, and my gut twisted. “A pregnancy test,” he said. “Positive.”

With a single word, my entire world stopped. It echoed, ringing in my ears like a prayer.Positive.

I leaned against the railing, breath caught in my chest, unable to speak.

“Did you hear me?” he pressed cautiously.

“Yeah,” I muttered.

Was he sure it belonged to Raven? After all, five girls lived in that apartment. But my brother did say he found it in her room. She wouldn’t have someone else’s pregnancy test in her space…

Was she going to tell me? She hadn’t so far.

Maybe she’s planning to run again,my mind taunted as I stared into the blur of trees and the city beyond.

My heart was racing, my palms slick. A baby. I swelled with joy and hope, but also terror. Especially knowing the danger she and our baby would be in if the contents of that damn video ever leaked.

No. Losing her—them—was not an option. I would show her that staying with me meant safety and protection. Maybe this would be something that anchored her to me for good. Our baby would close the door on any talk about ending our marriage.Our baby would keep her mine—not just in moments, but fully, forever.

“Thanks for letting me know,” I told my brother. “Keep it between us for now, okay?”

“You got it.”

The line went dead and I went through my zipped file where I stored the video, wiping it clean from every digital print so it would never be found by anyone again.

This was my first step to ensuring my family’s safety. The question was, what would Raven’s step be?

I turned back toward the quiet apartment where she still slept on the couch, unaware of the storm brewing within me.

THIRTY-SIX

RAVEN

My eyes fluttered open and the ceiling came into focus—a vaulted white dome with crown moldings too intricate to be anything but expensive. I was in Aiden’s penthouse.