There was pasta salad with cucumbers, which I loved, fresh mixed berries, and what looked like chicken salad inside a croissant.

  “Did you like the tea? I have some more that will be safe for you to drink if you’d like to try another.”

  I shook my head. “The water is fine. Thank you. This looks amazing,” I replied.

  “I’ve got to make sure you eat properly,” she said, giving me a pointed look.

  I hoped that didn’t mean she was planning on keeping me here. Not that I didn’t enjoy her home, but I wanted to go back to King. He’d want me back with him too. There would be no explanation that she could give him to change that.

  “I reckon King will be back soon,” she said, taking the seat across from me.

  I reached for the tray and set it in my lap. “He didn’t say where he was going or for how long,” I told her.

  “He leaves in a few days, as you know. If he thinks something is off with you, we might have a problem with him leaving. He has to go, Rumor. This is vitally important to us. If he knows you’re pregnant, he won’t leave.”

  I wasn’t so sure. I picked up a strawberry and took a bite, simply nodding. I didn’t know what she wanted me to say.

  “I don’t want you to feel alone in this. I’m just trying to protect King. He’s a hothead, and if he thinks he has to choose, he’ll choose you and the baby. That could get him killed. In our world, the family comes first, and that’s not necessarily the biological one. We will get this Scotlin May thing behind us, handle the Insantos, and when you bring my great-grandchild into this world, all will be well. I just need you to trust me.”

  Trust with this family was a touchy subject. I trusted them to keep me safe, but I also knew there was so much I didn’t know. They would lie to me if they felt they needed to. I would never get the complete truth.

  “Okay,” I replied, knowing I could say nothing else.

  “Good,” she said, smiling and standing back up. “Now, I will leave you to eat in peace and enjoy your book.”

  “Thanks again for lunch,” I told her.

  Her smile was genuine and warm. That I could trust.

  • Sixteen •

  You’re crazy.

  King

  Rumor was upset. I could tell she was trying to hide it, but she wasn’t doing a good job at it. I reached for the bottle of whiskey and poured more than two fingers into a glass. Listening to Scotlin talk for hours and try on clothes had been fucking miserable. All I had wanted to do was get back to Rumor, but she had been standoffish since I’d picked her up from Maeme’s.

  “Already drinking heavy in the afternoon.” Thatcher’s amused drawl came from the doorway.

  I took a drink and turned around. “I thought you’d left for Louisville already,” I said.

  “Nope. I’m staying behind. We can’t all go running off.”

  If only I could be the one staying behind.

  “Want to trade places?”

  He chuckled and walked over to pour his own glass. “What? And rob you of some good quality time with Scotlin?”

  I grimaced and took another drink. “Nothing good or quality about it.”

  Thatcher took his glass that he’d filled over halfway and smirked at me. “It can’t be that bad. Scotlin was the first bitch that let you tie her up with your rope and spank her like a bad girl. I remember when you were so enamored with her that you couldn’t keep your dick out of her.”

  I opened my mouth to tell him that wasn’t how it had been, not even close, when my eyes caught on Rumor standing in the doorway. She was pale.

  Motherfucker! Why did they always say shit like this? They knew she was here.

  I set my glass down and went directly to her.

  Why was she so goddamn pale? Had what he said upset her that much?

  “He’s full of shit, sweets,” I said as I reached her.

  She gave me a weak smile and nodded.

  “It was fucking forever ago,” Thatcher said, surprising me. He never cared about covering his messes. “He’s taken a whip to so many hot asses since hers that he couldn’t pick it out of a lineup.”

  And there it was. Thatcher being a jackass.

  “Ignore him,” I told her, then cupped the side of her face in my hand. “Are you okay?”

  She looked like she might faint, and my chest felt fucking weird. I didn’t like seeing her this way.

  “I’m fine. Just thirsty,” she said. “I should have stayed upstairs.”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “You’re not a prisoner in that room. You wanted a bath, and I left you alone so I wouldn’t get in there with you.”

  Another smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

  “What do you want to drink?” I asked her. “I’m day drinking. Want to join me?”

  She shook her head. “Just water or maybe some juice.”

  “What kind of juice, sweets? I think all we have is cranberry. Don’t usually keep juice in here, but I can get some from the main house.”

  “Water is fine.”

  Something wasn’t right. I just needed her to tell me what it was, and I’d fix it.

  “You sure you’re okay?”

  She nodded again.

  She was lying, but I couldn’t force it out of her. I had to find a way to get her to talk. Or either ask Maeme if she’d said anything to her about Scotlin. Did she know I’d been shopping with her today? Was that it? Fucking hell. I needed this shit to end.

  “You hungry?” I asked.

  She didn’t respond right away, then finally shook her head. Her color wasn’t getting better, and I was getting concerned. Was she sick and didn’t want to tell me?

  “Come on,” I said, nodding my head toward the kitchen area. “Let’s get you some water. You can look and see if any of the food that Minna dropped off today looks good to you.”

  “As much fun as it is watching you hover over her like a momma hen, I got shit to do,” Thatcher said, setting his empty glass on the bar. “Don’t suffocate her too much.”

  I ignored him as he walked past us to leave. With him gone, I could ask more specific questions and hopefully get her to talk. I went to get her some ice water, then placed it on the bar in front of her before taking her chin and looking her in the eyes.

  “You don’t feel well, or something is bothering you. Whatever it is, tell me.”

  She blinked, but said nothing as she stared up at me.

  “Sweets,” I said sternly, but not enough to scare her.

  “I don’t feel great,” she said just above a whisper.

  “I’ll call Drew,” I told her, dropping my hold on her chin and reaching for my phone.

  “NO!” Her hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.

  I stared at her, confused.

  “He gave me my … he stopped by today. I was due for a checkup. I’m fine. Just a bug or something.”

  Maeme hadn’t said anything about a checkup. That was odd. Why was I just now hearing about it?

  “What kind of checkup?” I asked.

  “The … woman kind,” she replied, and some color came back to her cheeks.

  I stilled. “What do you mean, the woman kind?”

  She took in a deep breath, as if she was exasperated with my questioning. “You know, the kind a woman has done once a year. I was overdue.”

  My nostrils flared as I inhaled sharply, jamming my phone into my pocket. “Tell me what he did,” I demanded.

  Her eyes widened. “You want details?”

  My teeth were clenched so tightly that I wasn’t sure I could open them to speak. I nodded.

  “A Pap smear, okay?” she said.

  No, he fucking didn’t. I moved past her, stalking toward the door. I hadn’t been told Drew was going to lay her on a goddamn table and open her legs.

  “KING!” she cried out, and I paused, trying to get control of the rage rolling through me like a tidal wave.

  She had set her glass down and was rushing after me. “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “To kill a man,” I replied honestly.

  She grabbed my arm so tightly that her nails bit into my skin. “NO! Who?”

  My eyes dropped to her tiny hand that held on to my biceps as if she had the strength to stop me. “The doctor.”

  “What?!”

  I lifted my gaze back to hers, trying to will myself to calm down, but the image of her lying on a table with her legs open in front of him was fucking with my head.

  “No man …” I said, holding her gaze. “NO MAN looks at or touches what is mine.”

  The panic on her face was the only thing keeping me grounded.

  “King, it is normal. Women go to the doctor. It’s for my health and to make sure I’m okay. I needed a checkup.”

  I shoved my fingers in her curls and fisted the caramel locks in my hand. “Then, a woman doctor can do it.”

  She let out a sigh and closed her eyes for a minute. The pale color was back, and I was torn between picking her up and carrying her up the stairs or going to find Doc D and ending his life.

  “It’s fine. Maeme was there. He kept me covered with a gown. It was quick and over. Please, don’t go. I don’t want you to leave.”

  Fuck. I took several deep breaths and kept my eyes on her as I fought off the need to murder. He’d still touched her. Been where no one belonged but me. I stood there, staring at her as she watched me, waiting for my next move.

  Mine. I’d claimed her without thinking. Called her mine. I wanted to see Doc D bleed out because he had touched her. This wasn’t me, and it wasn’t like anything I’d experienced before. The painful grip on my chest, the insane possessiveness.

  “Okay,” I said, knowing I couldn’t leave her after she begged me not to.

  I wasn’t sure I could do anything she didn’t want me to do. That was … eye-opening.

  Her grip on me eased, and she rubbed where she had been holding on to me so tightly. “Thank you.”

  The tightness in my chest wasn’t letting go though.

  Then, she laughed. A soft, musical sound that felt like a balm over the monster that had possessed me. Calming him.

  “Why are you laughing?” I asked, unable to keep the smile from spreading across my face.

  How was it that she controlled my mood?

  “You were going to kill a doctor for giving me a much-needed checkup,” she said, then shook her head. “You’re crazy.”

  Her color was back. The rest of the tension inside me eased. She was okay.

  “I thought you’d already established that,” I said. “Last night.”

  She laughed again and then gave me the sweetest fucking smile in the world. “Yes, I guess I did.”

  Backing her up until her back hit the wall, I caged her in. “I’m gonna need to make sure I stake my claim now. Remind you who you belong to.”

  She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. I reached up and tugged it free before lowering my head and covering those full, pouty lips with mine.

  • Seventeen •

  Y’all might come in different wrapping, but inside, you’re all the same. Smart, calculating, and you wield your pussy like a weapon.

  Rumor

  She was the first girl he’d tied up and whipped. That kept replaying in my head.

  Even with his arm around me as he slept, I stared at the wall, unable to do the same. He would be leaving with her in two days, and since yesterday, when I’d overheard Thatcher talking about Scotlin being King’s first and him not being able to keep his dick out of her, I had felt dread slowly seeping in.

  What if she offered it to him this weekend? He wanted it. He craved it, yet he never asked me to go to the tack room. Now … well, now, even if he asked me, I’d have to say no because I had another life in me to think about. When what we were doing started to bore him and he went back to his different women and his kink, I’d be left with our baby. My baby.

  I tried to close my eyes and shove it all from my mind, but it was proving impossible. I needed to focus on the good. Not the bad or the what-ifs. I had money. Maeme had said I had a lot of money. When the Insantos were no longer after me, I’d be free to live life normally. I wouldn’t struggle to pay the bills, and I could give my baby a safe, comfortable home. I could love him or her enough for both of us if King chose not to be involved. Regardless, I’d have my own family. I’d have a child to love, take care of, raise. It wasn’t all bad. I had to remember that.

  A phone rang, breaking the silence, and I jumped, startled. King tensed, then released me to sit up and reach for his cell beside the bed. I rolled onto my back, watching him as the screen lit up, illuminating his face. He took my breath away. My chest ached at the sight of him. I loved him. I had his child inside of me. That was more than I had ever had before. This wasn’t bad, considering the things I’d faced and overcome before him.

  “Yeah? Okay, my dad will be there. Shit. Fine.”

  He dropped the phone down onto the bed and muttered, “Fuuuck,” while rubbing his face with a hand before turning to look at me.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked.

  His scowl softened. “The alarm system outside the perimeter of my house went off. Scotlin is there and freaking out. My father is on his way, but I have to go meet them.”

  Scotlin. I was beginning to hate that name. I swallowed the emotion suddenly clogging my throat. Was my new brink-of-tears reaction something that came with pregnancy? I didn’t like it. Making myself vulnerable and showing that vulnerability were two different things. The former I could normally hide well.

  King leaned down and pressed a kiss to my mouth, then brushed some hair back from my face. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. You’re safe here. I’ll have Thatch come sleep in the room next door, and no one can get onto this property without permission and live for very long.”

  I nodded, afraid my voice would crack if I tried to speak.

  He climbed out of bed, and I turned back to face the wall, not wanting to see him get dressed and leave. Saving Scotlin seemed to be his number one job these days. What if it didn’t end soon? The more they were together like this, the more likely they’d rekindle their feelings for one another.

  Pulling the blankets up to my chin, I closed my eyes again and tried to pretend I wasn’t upset over his leaving. Being clingy wasn’t going to encourage him to want to stay with me. He needed space, and I had to be understanding and patient if I was going to have a chance at keeping him. Although that chance was starting to look slimmer by the day. I couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t sleep with her in Kentucky. I realized she could give him all the things I wouldn’t. She wasn’t damaged goods.

  As I stood over the sink, brushing my teeth, a cold sweat slowly eased over me, and I paused, taking the toothbrush from my mouth. I spit, then stared at myself for a brief second before turning and running to the toilet. With just enough time to drop to my knees and grab the seat before the first heave hit me.

  My eyes watered, and I tried to hold back my hair, but I failed at it mostly. When I was done, I flushed, then sat back, leaning against the wall. I held my head in my hands and rested it on my bent knees.

  Why did I still feel nauseous? Wasn’t that feeling supposed to leave once you threw up? I didn’t move, afraid I would need to vomit again even though there was nothing left to come up. Dry-heaving was horrible, and I didn’t want to go through that.

  Wasn’t it bad enough that I’d woken up alone? King hadn’t come back last night. Irrational thoughts of him getting in bed with Scotlin and holding her tortured me. Although I didn’t think he’d do that to me. Would he? No. He wouldn’t. I had to believe that. Maybe she had just been scared, and he’d slept in another room.

  Lifting my head, I looked at the toilet, then laid my head back against the wall. I needed a shower now. I was sure I’d gotten vomit in my hair. I could smell its sour stench. That scent was going to make me puke again. I had to get rid of it. With a sigh, I stood up and walked over to the shower to turn it on, then began to undress while the water heated.

  I’d like to think I had a stomach virus, but I’d read enough books. I knew this was the beginning of morning sickness. How long did this last? Could I take something to stop it? I needed a book about pregnancy. I’d have to ask Maeme to get me one. I knew so little about it.

  The steam coming from the shower caused me to pause. Was hot water bad for the baby? Why hadn’t I asked more questions when I found out? I literally knew nothing.

  Reaching in, I turned the heat down some until it was more warm than hot, then stepped inside. I sighed with relief as the water ran over me and seemed to refresh me from my moment of yuck. I wasn’t going to be able to hide this from King. If he had been here, he would have witnessed my getting sick. I couldn’t very well say it was a stomach virus if it lasted for weeks. He would know. I had to go see Maeme as soon as I got dressed.

  I quickly washed my hair and cleaned my body. Getting out of here before King returned was the only way I was getting to talk to her alone. He’d go with me if he got back first. I skipped drying my hair and got dressed before hesitantly brushing my teeth again. Thankfully, it didn’t send me running to the toilet this time.

  My stomach growled as I started out the door of the bedroom. Frowning, I looked down at it. How was I hungry after I just puked up my guts? The thought of waffles with berries and bacon made my mouth water. It wasn’t Sunday, so there wouldn’t be any waffles at Maeme’s, but perhaps I could ask her for some. Would that be bad?

  Just as I passed the open door to the lounge, I heard noise and stepped back. Was King here? He’d stop me or go with me if he saw me. I waited and listened, but whoever it was had gotten quiet. Easing up enough to peek inside, I saw Thatcher holding a coffee mug with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.