Page 116 of Wanted

“He threatened the baby,” Valentina croaked. “He threatened Penelope Jade. I didn’t think he’d go through with it… He just pulled out his disgusting dick, and he attempted t-to… Fuck. I hate you, Ryan!”

“At least I’m not Aris’s cumdump!” Ryan yelled. Cold sweat trickled down my spine. Weston shut him up with a shove against his abdomen. “I hope he dies, you whore!”

Fixing my posture and hoping that what I was about to do wouldn’t backfire, I pulled the trigger.

♥♠♥

The moment I opened my eyes and I met Jordan, I’d known he was a handful. Did he look like he could kill a man with his bare hands? Yes. Did his stature scream authority? Of course. I dreaded disobeying this man. Did I feel safe in his presence? Always.

“The baby is fine,” the doctor announced. I couldn’t remember her name because there was no space in my brain for names right now. Jordan looked like he was about ten seconds from exploding. Felicita and Travis sat curled in the corner, whispering things to each other and holding each other’s hands. There were tears all over the room but on the pregnant woman.

Valentina’s furious eyes and flared nostrils didn’t allow sadness. Ryan’s fluids had been cleaned off of her body, and she’d been given a new outfit. She lay on the examination table with clenched fists while her doctor scanned her belly.

“You should’ve just killed him,” Valentina blurted out, stupefying the room. “He’s a trash bag!”

“Didn’t we just discuss how you should remain calm? This doesn’t benefit neither of you. Think of the baby,” the doctor advised Valentina, but she shook her head.

“My baby knows what a fucking piece of shit Ryan is!” Valentina coughed. Her eyes were bloodshot, and I could feel her agonizing heat from all the way across the room. “But he gets to walk around proudly. Oh, my dad serves the king! Oh, suck my dick! Oh, FUCK OFF!”

Needless to say, once she washed the shock of her brother’s disgusting actions off of her skin, Valentina couldn’t keep quiet or calm. She’d been going off ever since she was placed on the examination table.

“It’s your fault!” She gestured at her Travis, who was comforting Felicita. “YOU ALLOWED HIM TO BECOME THAT WAY! Look at me. I’ve done what I was supposed to do. What you told me to accomplish, I’VE DONE IT! I’m married. Are you proud? I’m pregnant, too. I bagged the future King of Katantia! What about Ryan? Are you proud of your glorious son? He’s going to get raped to death now. And I have ZERO regrets. You murderer!”

I intervened, “Valentina, please—”

“Shut the fuck up. You should’ve killed him,” Valentina cursed at me. I took a deep breath.

“Let’s leave Valentina alone for a little while. She needs to process, and you being here doesn’t help,” Jordan suggested. His deep and calm voice echoing in my thoughts. He’d refreshed my memory and skills in Indianapolis. For that, I’d be forever grateful.

“I’ll stay with my daughter,” Travis said. Exhaustion covered his features. It dawned on me that I had never seen Travis happy. The one time he appeared remotely content was at breakfast with his family. Not even then had he let himself relax.

“No, you won’t,” Valentina uttered bitterly, and I watched her father break into pieces. “Your daughter doesn’t want to see your disgusting face. Get out!”

“We should go,” Felicita suggested, wiping tears from her cheeks. She grabbed Travis’s arm, and they left the room together.

Controlling my breath, I got up from my seat and headed for the door.

Valentina’s voice halted me. “You stay. Please, come with me to Aris’s room.”

I didn’t move from the spot.

♥♠♥

In the room that Aris would soon be recovering in, I sat by Valentina. I held her hand tightly. We’d just sat down after spending two hours setting up the room for Aris. I doubted that Aris cared about candles or flowers. He’d like the framed picture of their baby’s sonogram on his bedside table. Valentina cleaned it thoroughly before placing it there.

Now, we sat next to the bed he’d soon be lying in after his surgeries. The room was one of the quietest of the hospital, reserved for those with deep pockets.

Still, I heard the hurried steps of nurses and the occasional whisper of doctors in front of our door.

What I didn’t hear were the five men standing guard in front of that door. Jordan had a security detail for Valentina, two big men dressed in black and looking lethal as fuck. I’d never heard their voices. Did they even breathe? They didn’t look like they needed air. Anyway, they followed Valentina everywhere now. The other three men were here guarding the room. There was another group guarding the Cross family and Aris, who was still in surgery.

Valentina attempted to play it off, but I saw her tremors and tired eyes.

“The baby knows.”

“What do you mean?”

“I talked to her. I told her that her dad’s not feeling well.” Her voice was drier now. She didn’t put much effort into hiding her state right now. She was probably tired. She’d worn herself out arranging the room with zero hours of sleep. “I also told her that she saved me.”