Page 36 of Beautifully Reckless
She can’t bear to say the words, so I make her.
Giving her neck another little squeeze, firm enough that she feels it, I remind her, from that action alone, that I won’t let her run from this.
“Say it.”
Her lip trembles, and she takes in a shaky breath, but when she speaks, her voice is firm and sure.
“The father could be any one of the six arseholes that raped me.”
Good girl.
“So you don’t know who the father is. What does that have to do with you running from me?”
She looks at me like I’m an idiot, scoffing in frustration. “I chose to keep this baby, Ringo. I chose this baby despite the fact it was created in such vulgarness and violence. I’m not foolish enough to know people are going to think I’m crazy for doing that. Why would any sane person willingly have the baby of their rapist?”
Easing my grip on her neck, I let my hand slide to her nape, fingers tangling in her hair. Fisting the strands, I tug slowly, tilting her head back just enough that she has nowhere to look but at me.
“What does your choice to have this baby have to do with you fucking running from me?”
“What do you mean?” she cries out, frustration cracking her voice. “I thought you took one look at me and were furious that I lied. That you knew there was no way you’d want to be involved with someone in my condition.”
My jaw clenches so hard my teeth ache.
“Why the fuck would you think that?”
Her expression shifts, confusion swallowing her anger, “Wendy said…”
“Wendy? Wendy said fucking what?!” I yell, probably a little too loudly, but she doesn’t flinch back. No, she does the opposite, pulling against my hold of her hair, getting right in my face, caramel eyes flashing with something fiery and fucking unbreakable.
“She said you don’t want damaged goods or have any interest in raising someone else’s kid. And then she said…”
Red hot rage pulses through me like a fucking live wire.
“Abbey, I swear to fucking satan if you don’t tell me what that bitch said, right fucking now, I’ll kidnap you all over again.” I lean in impossibly close, my voice dropping to a deadly rasp. “And this time I’ll keep you chained up.”
Angry tears dampen her eyes, but despite them, her chin lifts in defiance. “Do it.”
Fuck.
“Don’t fucking tempt me, Angel.” I tighten my grip just for a second, knowing her scalp must be burning from the pain. “Now tell me what she said.”
Her hands come to my chest, shoving me away, my fingers barely releasing her hair in time to not fucking hurt her.
But she’s angry, furious. So fucking alive with the emotion of it that it sparks something inside me.
Mine.
Fuck. I want to keep her.
Trying to walk off her rage, Abbey starts pacing, her body wired tight, her breaths coming too fast.
Her fury is like a wildfire, and I can’t say it’s a bad thing.
She’s going to need it.
Some days it’ll be the only thing that keeps her standing.
“Angel.” I warn again, waiting for her to fucking tell me what that bitch of a woman said to her.
