God, I hoped I could be a decent person.
14
Aspen
No, no, no. Don’t open your eyes. It’ll pass.
I slowly rolled onto my left side, feeling the onset of vertigo. If I let my lids peak, the room would spin.
I hadn’t had an episode in several months. Thinking back to that time, it was after Jill’s visit. I was incredibly stressed worrying about what Cass might do after she was gone. He’d been at a meeting most of the day. The anticipation had me hovering on the edge of an anxiety attack as I’d exited the bathroom…
The room spun, catching me off guard. As I lost my balance my ankle twisted in my four-inch heels. My heart rate accelerated as I hobbled to the bed to begin the Semont Maneuver. Hopefully, I could head off an epic episode that could make me miserable for days. If I didn’t get this under control quickly, I’d get nauseous and throw up. I hated throwing up.
One step. Two. Three. Four.
My hands were out in front of me to help balance myself. I desperately wanted to close my eyes. To make the spinning room stop. But knew I shouldn’t. My knee hit the mattress. I felt my way around to my side of the bed and sat down, turning my head forty-five degrees to the right.
Steadying my breathing, I laid on my left side, counting to thirty. By the time I went through the whole routine, the episode passed.
Vertigo had started about eight months ago when I wanted to end things with Casso, but he forbade me ever leaving him.
I exhaled in relief as the world slowly stopped spinning.
“Aspen?” His deep voice caused my muscles to lock up. “Another episode?”
I felt him approaching. If I vaulted up too quickly, I could send myself into a tailspin. Then I’d be vulnerable and at his mercy.
“Yes, but it’s passed.” I slowly sat up, putting my legs over the edge of the bed.
He knelt before me. “I missed you, precious.” His hands glided along my legs, traveling under my dress. “Did you miss me?” He was so alluring. When he wanted to be, he could seduce me with kindness and affection. His hypnotic gaze put me in a trance.
But evil dwelled in him.
I didn’t know what to say as we stared at each other. Tension rolled in like a thick fog. As his eyes narrowed, expectantly waiting for my reply, I held my breath. I wouldn’t lie just to please him.
The tips of his fingers fondled my pussy.
His face moved toward mine. I braced for his kiss. Sometimes he could melt me. Other times nauseated me. “I want a baby. An heir for my empire.”
I reared back. “What?” The room started to spin again. “Absolutely not.”
Casso laughed. “We’ll see about that, precious.”
Tears streamed down my face. A couple of months later, I was pregnant.
Now I wasn’t anymore.
My stomach roiled. I didn’t want to think about Casso. I knew he’d come for me. But as of this moment, I felt safe among the bikers in the club.
Dammit, the room wouldn’t stop spinning. I sat up on the edge of the bed to start the Semont Maneuver.
Bad move.
I covered my mouth as bile shot into my throat, trying to keep my head movements controlled. I searched for a trashcan, thinking I’d seen one but apparently, my memory was faulty.
Freaking out—because I was clearly hungover on top of vertigo—I rushed to the door, threw it open, and ran to the bathroom. I didn’t make it, spewing all over myself a few feet away from the toilet.
The horrendous smell had me gagging into the porcelain bowl, emptying my guts. My sweatshirt was covered as it seeped into my leggings.