“Then you’d better start talking before the UPS guy gets an eyeful.”
“But Severin...it’s important. I don’t want to tell you here, like this.”
“Apparently you didn’t plan to tell me at all.”
“I was afraid you’d freak out.”
“You want me to freak out? Whisper behind my back a little more, you’ll go from having a master to a monster sooner than you think. I’m at the end of my fucking patience, Miss Korsgaard. So what is it?” He swallowed. “Are you two planning to leaving me?”
“What? No!”
He tensed, hating that he had to voice his biggest fear. “Are you...dying?” His voice hadn’t hitched, had it? She couldn’t have heard his hesitation.
“No, Master,” she replied, reaching out a hand again, but she should have known he wouldn’t reward her yet. “Not that I’m aware of.”
A shaky breath escaped his lips, but it was mercifully silent. The other reason he’d blindfolded her was to hide how worried he was. He’d spent most of his life trying to pretend he didn’t give a shit about anything or anyone. Hanging on to people was like trying to close a fist around water, and yet he kept trying. He never seemed to learn from his mistakes.
“Then what? What could be so important or terrible that you can’t just fucking tell me? It’s not Church or Ilse, or the girls because I talked to him yesterday, and he’s not acting weird at all. I assume you haven’t heard from fucking Loïc. So what? What else could you be hiding from me? Is it Ro? Is he sick? Is he leaving?”
“No, Master. None of that.”
He cupped her cheek, her face so small and fragile in his huge paw of a hand. He let go before his calluses scraped her. “Then tell me, Min. Just say it or I’ll keep thinking the worst.”
Without asking, she pulled off the blindfold, blinking around for a moment before looking at him again. He was about to punish her for it, but her expression was so grave he chose to let the impudence slide.
“I need to see your face.” Her dark brows drew together. “Rodrigo should be here for this.”
“But he knows already.”
“Yes.”
“Then let me have the same private moment you had with him.”
Guilt flashed in her eyes, as he’d intended.
“I’ve been sick.”
“Yes.”
“And the doctor came.”
“Yes.”
“You left.”
He inclined his head, acknowledging his culpability in that. He hadn’t been ready to hear she was dying, but then she’d just assured him she wasn’t. So where was this going?
“If you throw me out for this I’ll never forgive you.” There was an underlying pain and accusation he wasn’t sure he deserved. Maybe he did.
“Tell me.” His mind raced through things that didn’t fit with the facts or what he knew of her – that she’d emptied his bank accounts, or fucked Loïc, or killed someone and needed help hiding the body. None of that shit mattered.
She swallowed thickly and her voice dropped to a tentative whisper. “I’m trusting you, Severin.”
He nodded for her to go on, but suspicion sprouted.
Shit.
“I’m pregnant.”