"When was your last period?" Maria asks, dumping more cream in her coffee.
I open my mouth to answer, then freeze. My period. When was my last period? I try to count back the weeks in my head, but everything's a blur of dinner parties and heated nights with Ash.
“Ut-oh.” Katie makes a worried face.
“What do you mean, ut-oh? Maybe it’s good news,” Sophia says.
“I’m not pregnant. Just… ah… my mind is already on errands I have to run.” The first of which is to figure out if I am late and how to find out if I’m pregnant without anyone knowing.
I pull out my phone and scroll through the little red dots I use to mark my cycle. Four weeks ago? No. Five? Six?
Oh, God.
“You need to be in the present, girl.” Kate shakes her head. “No thinking about errands while with your friends.”
I put my phone away and plaster on a smile. I laugh and joke with my friends, all the while hiding my panic. I can’t be pregnant. Well, I could, but I can’t imagine how Ash would take the news. He doesn’t want a wife. He’s definitely not going to want a kid.
After our visit, I hug my friends goodbye, and I practically flee out the door, my mind racing. I need to know for sure, but how? I can't just walk into a pharmacy. Ash has men watching me everywhere I go. Even now, I can see Thomas and Marco scanning the street as they escort me toward the car.
A man in a tailored suit catches my eye, walking purposefully in our direction. Thomas immediately shifts, positioning himself between me and the approaching stranger.
"Mrs. Ifrinn?" the man calls out, raising his hand in greeting.
Marco's hand disappears beneath his jacket, no doubt reaching for his weapon, but I touch his arm. "Wait."
The man is approaching as if he knows me. I study the man's face, trying to place him. Dark hair, expensive watch, confident stride. He could be from any of the families we've been courting.
"Let him through," I tell my guards, straightening my shoulders. These connections are too important to risk offending someone. "I'm sure he's a friend."
Thomas hesitates but steps aside, though he keeps his body angled protectively toward me. The man approaches with a broad smile that makes me think of a salesman.
"I wasn't sure if you'd recognize me," he says, stepping closer. The smile drops from the stranger's face as his hand darts inside his jacket. Before I can blink, silver flashes in the afternoon sun. My breath catches as I register the knife.
"The Keans know what you’re doing. Tell your father the Keans don't take kindly to being double-crossed. If you’re smart, you and your husband will back off or your family will be dead.” As he speaks, the knife slashes through the air. Pain pierces my forearm, and I cry out. Warm blood seeps through my sleeve. Thomas tackles the man while Marco wraps his arms around me, shielding my body as he hurries me toward the car.
“Get in the car.” Marco practically tosses me in and launches in next to me. “Drive,” he calls to my driver. The car peels away from the curb.
“What about Thomas and?—”
“Dylan and Schmidt will deal with him.”
They’re my other guards who always follow in a second car.
“Fuck, you’re bleeding. Keep pressure on it."
My arm throbs, but all I can think about is the man's threat. The Keans are watching us. They know what we're doing. And they're coming for my family.
“Let’s get her to a hospital. I’ll call Mr. Ifrinn,” Marco tells the driver.
When we arrive, Marco keeps his arm around me as he ushers me in, barking orders, and moments later, I’m in a private room.
The nurse examines the wound. “It’s not too deep. Just long.”
Marco stands guard outside the door, and I can hear him on the phone, no doubt talking to Ash.
“A few stitches and you'll be good as new."
Everything has been a blur since the man approached me, but now my wits start to return and I realize now would be a good time to ask about a pregnancy test.
