Lucian and Hemsworth walked back inside, with Branby carrying a tray filled with wine glasses.
“Let’s have a drink,” Lucian said, “to celebrate.”
Gabriel pulled me into the sitting room after him, my hand held firmly in his.
“To Dr. Lindeth,” Lucian said in a warm voice, winking at me.
“Fuck you,” I said, suddenly absolutely furious. “Your precious son is a disgusting amoral psychopath and you know it.”
“I know nothing of the sort,” he said, raising one aristocratic eyebrow. “And you’ve just confirmed he is normal in every way before a whole committee.”
“Did you date me just so I couldliefor you?” I demanded.
Lucian looked disturbed for once. “No, of course not. I did think—a stepmother for Gabriel who had psychiatric training—just the thing.”
I felt so furious at this, just a gut-deep flaming rage that he’d brought me here under false pretenses, when he must have known perfectly well Gabriel was a psychopath, that I flew at him, tearing at his tie and stupid pocket squares.
Gabriel only chuckled as Lucian tried to fend me off.
“Let her,” he said.
“Son—”
“I said let her.”
I ripped out his cufflinks and kicked at Lucian’s ankles, almost frightened of my own rage.
This wasn’t usually me. I wasn’t an angry person.
What had happened to my scholarly convictions that every psychopath could be taught empathy?
“That’s enough, baby,” Gabriel said, pulling me back against him. “You’re making me horny.”
“She’s mine,” he told his father, as a hard hand clamped down on my head, stroking my hair with a terrifying metronomic regularity. "Not yours. She never was yours. All you did was deliver her to me.”
CHAPTER 12
It was only a week or so after I had lied to the Steelblades and the HNL that Gabriel started telling me to take a pregnancy test.
I was able to head him off, convince him nothing would show yet.
But.
I knew I couldn’t delay it much longer.
He watched me like a hawk, like a jealous, possessive bird of prey.
I knew he was watching forsigns. Nausea, morning sickness. It was way too early for that.
But how long could I deny what I feared?
Gabriel told me to pick out any ring I wanted and he’d buy it for me.
This wasn’t how men were supposed to act.
Especially not 22-year-old men.
Especially not 22-year-old superstar athletes.
