After Ash’s nightmare last night my arm, ribs, and belly were sore. He had clamped his hand on my arm, squeezing it tighter as his nightmare got worse. His other arm crushed my ribs as he held me tight against him. The twins kicked wildly and painfully causing more pain inside me. This was one time I wished I hadn’t fallen asleep in his arms.
I didn’t dare move or make a sound. I knew I was in his nightmare and if I moved it would only make things worse. He might have either attacked me or tightened his grip. He finally woke up after what felt like a decade. I pretended to be asleep but I was most grateful when his grips loosened and the twins settled down. I slept while he watched me, his arms securely around me. My close encounter with Baku had scared him more than it did me.
I walked down the stairs feeling sore all over. There was a large bruise on my arm, a long purple strip across my chest and small purple spots on my belly. The twins’ kic
Ash you need to get back here now!Joe’s thoughts were loud in my head. I turned and kept my eyes on the other door. It was closed but that wouldn’t stop them if they wanted to crash in.How many!“There’s only one in the house.” My voice was shaky. Ann pulled me back to stand behind the island. Joe moved closer to the door blocking it with his body.There is only one foreign scent. I’ll take him.“Joe, don’t. What if it’s a trap?”She’s right. We’ll be there in a minute.“Sooner than a minute would be great.”“Lee what’s going on?” Maria asked with a quivering voice.“Ash and the others are on the way; in the meantime Joe is going to keep him away from us.” I shifted my eyes to Maria for a second before they went back on the door.“Lee, sit down, I’ll cover the door.” Ann stepped around me.“Why?”“One, you are pregnant, two I’m the one with the gun.” Ann pulled it up and aimed it at the door.“Sure, Salt, the spot light is all yours.”“Now is not the time to make jokes!” Maria hushe
“What are you doing here, we thought you died?” Ash asked him perplexed.“I didn’t. I joined another tribe, the village close to ours,” Eri answered him.“The Mohawks? But we were at battle with them, I didn’t see you?” Ash’s color was back. His voice was more stable and clear. He put his arm around my waist and held me against him. The rest of us stood around watching Ash and Eri reminiscing.“I wasn’t going to fight my brothers. And anyway they didn’t let nomads join their warriors.”“They didn’t know you were Lakota?”“If they did they would have skinned me alive!” Eri laughed nervously.“Lee, take notes, some of this may come up in your paper,” Ann joked behind us.“How about we all sit down?” Maria spoke softly.“Good idea, my ankles are killing me.” I dragged Ash with me to the couch. I felt more relaxed knowing that Eri wasn’t a threat but after all Ash had told me, I didn’t understand why he was with Baku. “Eri, I hope you don’t mind my asking but after what Baku did to you, w
“They will be forced to mature quicker. They will grow faster, tearing and crushing you and then finally they will rip themselves out of you as fully grown toddlers.” He spoke looking directly at me, making sure I understood every word he said. I was getting it, loud and clear.I looked at him speechless. My throat felt dry at the thought of the pain that would cause me. The image of them coming out of me grown like I was a sleeping bag they had unzipped, scared me even more. “Talk about skipping the three a.m. feedings,” I whispered.“That isn’t funny, neither is the image in your head.” Ash came close to me and pulled me up from the seat. He held me tight against him. I couldn’t feel his anger anymore. All I felt was fear.“How do we know he’s not making it up, maybe Baku sent him,” Maria asked her voice broken.“Practical is more believable than theory.” He stood up and extended his arm to me. “Lee.”“Eri, no,” Ash said harshly. He moved me to his side away from Eri.“I won’t hurt
“Lee, think of your family, I’m sure your sisters don’t want to lose you and your dad just got you back,” Ash pleaded but that only made me madder. “If Lee does that it will kill her. We can’t ask her to kill her children to keep us happy.” Maria’s voice was low and drained. I knew she was hurting, but I was glad she was backing me up.“She threw having a normal life out the window when she fell in love with you. After all she’s gone through for you and because of you the least you can do is let her do what she wants.” Ann spoke softly.“You want me to let her die!” Ash yelled.“She won’t die. Joe has a plan. And because she also loves us close to as much as she loves her children she’ll do this for us. Won’t you, Lee?” Maria spoke with her eyes fixed on me. Tears were spilling down her cheeks.“I’d have to make a few changes to it.” Joe looked up at Ash as if he was having a conversation with him different to the burning topic in the room, “of course with Ash’s help but there is no
“Where are we going?” Ash pulled the jeep out of the garage and sped down the path and out to the main road.“We are going to the beach.” I looked at him smiling like a fool. Eri had turned out to be the best burglar ever. He’d given me leverage and the rest no other choice but to accept my decision on having these babies. Not that it would have mattered. I would have been able to protect them from Ash just fine—well with a little difficulty but I would have pulled it off somehow. But that didn’t matter anymore. He was going to let me have them, let me have his children.He looked away from the road and stared at me, his lips pulled up into my smile. “I can’t remember the last time I saw that smile.”“What smile?”“The ‘truly happy’ smile.” He glanced at the road when he took the corner before he looked back at me.“When was the last time you saw it?”“When you realized your dad was real and not a figment of your imagination.”I laughed remembering that day. It was the best yet most
“I’m good, just worried about you. How’s my friend in there?” His lips pulled up into a smile as he rubbed his hand over my belly. “Are you still thinking of adoption?”It was very hard not getting lost in a girlish giddy joy when Josh was around. “About that. I need to explain something to you.”“No she’s not and they are twins,” Ash answered before I could.Josh looked at me stunned, completely ignoring Ash. “Twins, you didn’t tell me that?”“I didn’t want to scare you away.” I spoke softly, more aware of Ash. His anger kept scratching at my bones.“That’s why you are so big?” His grin got wider. He placed both hands on my belly.Ash pulled me back and out of his hold. I didn’t fight him. I didn’t want to make him angrier.Josh gave Ash a cold gaze. “Let me guess, you are bidding for stepdad?” he asked Ash sarcastically.“No. I’m their father in all sense of the word,” Ash responded with a victorious cynicism.“What?” Josh exclaimed.I felt pissed at Ash. The only time he proudly sa
I was getting tired of this. I couldn’t take it anymore. The constant black outs and nausea was becoming too much for me to handle. Ash was right, and they were doing more than killing me, they were annoying the hell out of me but they were my children what else could I do?I sat on the patio swing, watching the sunset under the tall trees. After a day and a half of holding my head over the toilet puking out all the blood Joe had administered into me through an IV and away from Ash’s hysterias, these few moments felt like paradise to me. Ann and Maria were seated with me talking about the latest hot movie star while keeping an eye on me. No one wanted to leave me alone now that I was finally feeling the effect of the pregnancy. Joe and my dad were in the house, preparing for the C-Section, which they always did in anticipation of the fifth pain and any other problems that were bound to occur. With Ash gone, Dad was my space heater.Ash had left angry with me for not doing what he want
“Ash, considering you already know that I can tell when you are lying, why do you insist on doing it?”“Joe needs to relieve Billy so if you would please hurry up?” He reached for my hand but I pulled away.“Ash, what are you planning?” I said angrily. I looked back at the table, searching for a needle or a drug that was meant to put me out, or paralyze me, or whatever just to make sure I couldn’t fight them when they cut me open. “I promise you, Lee, we don’t plan on forcing you to do anything you don’t want. I just want to check you.” Joe spoke softly. Maria moved close to him, her face reassuring.“Then why is everyone so alert?” I swallowed hard as fear crawled into me. “Its Baku isn’t it?” I didn’t think he would be brave enough to follow up on his threat especially with Ash around.A deep rumble rolled over Ash’s chest. His fists clenched and his jaw tightened. I saw the silver creep into his eyes before he quickly closed them. That was all I needed as an answer. I moved to him