He kept his hand on my neck as he led me to the passenger side of his car, only letting go to open the door before shoving me inside. The second I was in his car that smelled of Giorgio Armani, I had a contraction that had me gasping in even more pain. I was still breathing heavily by the time he got in.
He raised his eyebrows at me, saying, “Your water isn’t going to break in my car or anything, is it?”
“You… are such… a dick,” I ground out between breaths.
“Tell me something I don’t know, babe.” He laughed, starting his car. I snarled at him, making him chortle even more. “You always acted a lot tougher than you actually are. I was wearing you down, breaking you in. It would have only taken me a few more months to have you exactly as I wanted you.”
“Where are you taking me?” I demanded when the contraction subsided, ignoring his commentary even though it was true. If Delia hadn’t seen those bruises, if she hadn’t talked me into running, I would have broken. I had been so close to that point.
“We’re going home, of course.”
My heart stopped. Home. I couldn’t go home. Not ever.
“I’m not going home. You are not taking me home, Jared,” I screeched at the top of my lungs.
He cringed away from me.
“Shut the hell up, Chloe,” he yelled back. “You’re going home to your mama.” He glared at the road, hands squeezing the steering wheel. “You made a real mess of things, running off like you did. It’s been pure hell putting on a fucking act, pretending I’m looking for my lost love. Had to make sure no one knew about any of the women I’ve been screwing. Worst three years of my life.”
He shook his head, grimacing at me. It couldn’t have been that bad. He’d been screwing every freaking girl under the sun while we were engaged anyway, so he was plenty used to the lifestyle. It probably even made it more exciting for him.
“Then Rita was nice enough to send me and your parents that picture of you with that asshole. Fucking knocked up,” he spat. I flinched away from him. “We had to pay her a pretty penny to delete the photo. Can’t have anyone knowing you were off fucking other guys while you were missing.”
“And yet you’re taking me home?” I deadpanned. “It’s pretty obvious I’m pregnant, Jared. You aren’t going to be able to hide my belly.”
“You always were fucking stupid.” He glanced in my direction, mouth set in a hard line. “But don’t you worry your pretty little head about it. We’ve got it all figured out.”
My stomach sank even further at that, dread filling me. “They sent you?” I asked, already knowing the answer. Of course they’d sent him. They wouldn’t come for me themselves—they wouldn’t waste their time coming all the way to Tennessee to fetch their daughter.
“My dad didn’t want anything to do with your family once he saw the picture. Refused to let me come get you. But, as you know, everyone can be swayed for a price.”
The truth in that statement made my blood run cold. They’d paid back what had been given to ensure our engagement in the first place. Probably even more.
The thought of going back to them, to that world, made me want to die. Whatever they had “planned” for me, for my babies, I couldn’t allow it. I had to find a way to prevent it. But I was certain if he got me within the confines of that plantation, there would be no escaping a second time.
No matter what, I had to stay in Tennessee. I had finals the next week, I had a job, I had all my stuff for the twins at my house, including my Zofran pump stuff.
I only had a seven-hour drive to figure out what the hell I was going to do.
17
Kai
The airport was crowded as hell. It was probably a stupid idea to fly there without her even knowing I was coming. But this would be my last chance to figure something out with her. Once I was on duty, I wouldn’t be able to travel much.
I had to try. Of course I cared about her, even if I was still pissed. Even if I didn’t really know her past. She was still Kate in my mind, still the person carrying our twins. She was a spitfire, a control freak, a passionate lover, and I loved her. I might have never said it to her face, since I knew it would only freak her out, but I did. And I had to use what little time I had left to fight for her, to make those plans for her to come to Ohio in the fall.
I tried calling her once more before I boarded my plane, but it went straight to voice mail, which was odd. Unless she’d started turning her phone off at night. It was almost midnight, which would have me getting into Nashville near two in the morning. Maybe a horrible idea to show up on her doorstep in the middle of the night, but I couldn’t sit still any longer, couldn’t be a bum wasting away because I was sad about my relationship failure. Something needed to be done before my time was up.
It was just about two in the morning, as I’d guessed it would be, when the plane touched down and I got a driver to take me to Kate’s apartment building. Her shitty car she wouldn’t let me replace was parked in her normal spot. After I paid the driver and got out with my backpack on, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. That sick feeling in my stomach followed me all the way to her door, and I wasn’t sure why. But I knocked on her door anyway, hoping she would hear me, hoping she would be inclined to answer.
But she didn’t answer. Even though I stood there knocking for about fifteen minutes. At which point her neighbor, who I’d seen a few times, stuck her head out the door, glaring at me. “You know it’s almost three in the morning, right?”
“Uh, yeah. Sorry.” I shrugged. What the hell am I doing here?
“She isn’t home anyway,” she told me. “Saw her leave with some guy after she got home from work. Super hunk. Super fancy car. Hasn’t come home since.”
My fury was instantly raging. I fisted my hands at my sides, snarling “Thanks” at the poor lady.
She disappeared behind her door, slamming it shut. Should have known that at the first sign of things not working between us she would go back to doing what she did best. Apparently not even being pregnant slowed her down.
Fuck. I’d come all the way to Tennessee to try fixing things at two in the fucking morning, and she wasn’t even home. She was out with some guy with a fancy car. Which explained why her phone was off.
I didn’t know what to do. I could always go to Ava’s and crash there until I could fly back home the next day, but she and Cade probably wouldn’t appreciate me showing up in the middle of the night either.
Right when I took my phone out to get another driver, it started buzzing, Kate’s name on the screen. But that wasn’t her real name. And she was with some other guy. It took me a few long seconds to decide to answer, and I wasn’t even sure what pushed me to do so. Pure curiosity as to why she would be calling me? Maybe I was a masochistic bastard who enjoyed the torture. Who knew?
“Hi” was all I could think to say that didn’t make me sound like a dick.
“Kai,” she whispered. My stomach turned.
“Why are you calling me when you’re with someone else?”
“What? How do you—”