“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
“I’ve been acting like an ass lately. If they knew I wanted to…” His voice died. I could hear the remorse in it. “It’s a good thing they don’t understand much.”He couldn’t ever know. But he could fix it…“Tell them you love them,” I blurted out.“What?”“Please,” I begged.After a long moment of silence he spoke, “I love you two very much. And I can’t wait for my turn to hold and protect you, like your mother is doing now. I hope you can forgive me for being so foolish!”He got several happy—but painful—kicks for that. The sob in my throat came out as a teary laugh. I pressed my cheek against his, glad that we were finally on the same page.“You are very loveable and forgivable.”“How you can still love me is incredible.” He kissed my forehead and stood up moving his hand from my belly. The twins settled but they didn’t go back to sleep. “Joe…” Ash said his name then went quiet. I looked at the both of them. They were conversing silently. Whatever it was, it was bad enough to wipe a
Joe nodded. He took the pack from Maria and downed it. Maria opened two more and held them in her hands waiting for Joe to finish the one he had before she handed him another one.“Lee, what are you doing!” Ash demanded.“I told you they would do anything for love. Daddy, please take this.” I didn’t have to ask twice. He took the pack I handed him and began drinking deeply. I turned to Ash with an opened pack for him. “Now you be a good boy and drink this.” He stared at it, the desire flashing in his eyes.“No. Someone will need to keep them under control when all of this is over.” He tried to walk away from me but I stopped him.“If you love me you’ll drink this.” He just stood there staring at me. I felt desperate—love wasn’t working in my favor. “If you want to find me alive you’ll drink this.”“Lee!” He was shocked. This was my leverage and I was going to milk it in my favor.“I told you I would die before you did. If you value your children’s lives, if you value mine, you’ll drin
Maria knelt next to me. She pushed his huge paw away to look at his chest. Blood was already slipping out and getting absorbed by the carpet. I felt even more scared. I couldn’t lose my dad, I just couldn’t, he was the last blood family I had.“Daddy, please wake up, you can’t die. You haven’t seen your grandchildren yet.” I cried, hugging his head against me. I felt the shreds of pain in my belly, but I didn’t have time to worry about that I needed to wake my dad up. “Daddy, wake up!” I yelled in his ear.Maria moved back, her red hands held out. “Lee, he’s dead,” she whispered.I couldn’t hear that, I didn’t want to hear that. He couldn’t be dead they healed themselves. It was just a matter of time before he woke up. I cringed as the pains got worse. I moved back and held my hand over my belly. I couldn’t ignore the shredding pain anymore.“Ann, help me!” Maria yelled moving closer to me.“I can’t! I need to watch the hole!” Ann yelled back.When the pains soothed down I moved back
I woke up with a start and looked around. I was in my room, nothing was wrong. I closed my eyes and placed my hand over my chest, relieved. I lay back on the bed, laughing at myself. “It was just a dream, actually a nightmare.” I rubbed at the dull ache in my ribs then rested my hand on my belly. I felt my whole body tighten. Something was wrong. I was empty. I pulled the covers off me and pulled my shirt up. My stomach was flat; there was nothing inside me. My children were gone! “Ash! Ash!” I yelled in a panic. He had somehow managed to take them out of me. I stood up, ignoring the dull pain in my abdomen, back, chest and hips. I walked around the room looking for something to attack him with—something that would actually hurt. My door flew open and Ash appeared. He didn’t come near me he just stood there. He must have sensed I was pissed out of my mind. I picked up my hairbrush for lack of a better weapon and pointed it at him. “How did you do it? Did you have Joe knock me