“Yeah?”
There’s a slight pause before she speaks. “Stop fighting him.”
“What?”
“I don’t know what he did or what happened. But I know fighting him will only make things hard for you and the babies.”
“Mira, I’m not just going to sit back while he keeps me hostage in this damn room,” I blurt.
“I get that. I do. I’d be pissed at him, too, if I were you. I mean, I am pissed at him for doing this, but…” There’s a long pause, and I lean my head to the side, listening. “You’re pregnant with his babies, Leandra. And the truth is, you’ll never be rid of him. Whether you’re here or somewhere else, he’s the father of those twins, and nothing you can do will change that. I know him…well, I thought I did. But what I do know is there’s not a chance in hell he’ll let you walk away with his children.”
My skin crawls with a sudden chill. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying he’s not going to let you take his children, and if you continue to fight him and not agree to stay, you’ll end up having to make the most difficult decision of your life.”
I close my eyes. “Which is?”
“Your freedom…or your children.”
Mira goes silent, and I lean my head to the side. She’s right. I know she is. In the end, no matter what road I choose to take, it will all lead to me being forced to choose, a decision I never thought I’d be in a position to make.
“Oh, God. Speak of the devil,” Mira says, and I hear her move on the other side of the door.
I sit up straight. “Is he coming?”
“Yup.”
I’m on my feet, turning to face the door and taking a few steps back like I’m expecting a beast to break through the wood.
“Alexius,” I hear Mira say. “Finally come to your senses?”
“Leave, Mira,” he replies, and I eye the lock as he slips in the key. My heartbeat echoes between my ears and my palms are sweaty as I continue to move back. I’m not scared of him. Even after what he’s done, I know he won’t hurt me, or he would have done it already. Instead, I’m scared of what I feel for him, fearing the pain of having my heart hacked open with a serrated blade every time I see him. His face. His eyes. His lips. His presence. It’s all a reminder of how much I fucking love the man who betrayed me so unapologetically.
My hand is on my belly when the door opens, and our eyes meet. God, he’s so beautiful, it makes my heart ache. No amount of anger I feel can change that. Shadows fall over his face, but it does nothing to tame the iridescence that gleams from irises I’ve lost myself in so many times before. His tall frame is wrapped in a pristine suit, broad shoulders carved from power, and a stare that makes everything else disappear. Everything I promised I would say to him is gone. Every last word, every curse, every demand, vanished.
For one reckless moment, I forget about what he’s done, remembering the moans that not so long ago filled this room, my cries of ecstasy proof of how much I loved everything he did to me. How much I loved him.
How much I still love him.
The connection between us hasn’t weakened even the tiniest bit. It’s still there. Strong. Potent. Undeniable.
And then I remember…
He clears his throat. “I’ve arranged for a doctor to come to the house to monitor the pregnancy, make sure you and the babies are okay. I’m having one of the spare bedrooms set up with all the necessary equipment so the doctor can continue to make house calls.”
I lift my chin. “You can’t keep me locked up in here forever.”
“Continue to want to run from me, and I will.”
I bite the inside of my cheek and watch as he closes the door, locks it, and slips the key into his jacket pocket. “How are you feeling?”
“Hurt. Betrayed. Sick to my stomach. Pick one.”
“I’m talking about you and the pregnancy.”
“Oh, you mean our babies? The two lives growing inside me, something I had no say in?”
“Leandra,” he breathes out, rubbing his palm across the back of his neck. “I didn’t come here to fight.”