After emailing everything to the university, I run out of things to avoid taking the test. Everything changes if I'm pregnant. Walking into the bedroom, I sit with it in my hand. Alaric looks at me."If you're not, you need to figure out contraception. We need to be safe until you're protected."All I can do is nod in agreement. I know he means wearing condoms going forward, which sucks. I prefer sex without them, but I am happy with it if it stops me from getting pregnant. My hand stays wrapped around the test.Moving, he takes it from me and looks at it. "You're not pregnant, Ruby; you can breathe." He chuckles slightly, and my eyes roll. "Anyone would think you didn't want to be tied down to me." He smiles slightly."It's not that Alaric; I would be happy if I were pregnant, but it's not ideal. I'm still studying, or I hope anyway. We live four hours away from each other. I'm not comfortable having you support me financially, and people will think I trapped you."Right now, I need
"There won't be a physical contract, Ruby." I raise my eyes to him. "There isn't a need. I will have your list; that is important. The rest, we can incorporate within our relationship without the need for a contract.""I don't understand." I really don't."Look, contracts are used to ensure that the lists are followed and that both parties know what to expect from the relationship and the boundaries going into it. I can still do all this without the contract. Do you need a contract to tell us how we will spend our time or where?"My head shakes. "No, because we decide on the moment and along the way.""Exactly. It's part of the relationship like me ensuring you went to class. It's part of the relationship, and this can be included. We need your lists, but there is no contract. At any moment, you want to stop any of these aspects, you say, and it stops.""Okay." I'm fine with that. "I've emailed my lists over." I was surprised by how easy it was, but then again, I merely ticked boxes.
I'm alone when I wake up. I need to get contraception sorted today. Getting ready, I walk down and find the house empty. Grabbing my phone, I smile and see Alaric's name.Morning baby girl, I expect you to eat today and drink enough water. I'm not sure how long I will be, keys to the cars are hung up if you need to leave or go home. A xI cook while updating Bex on things, although there is nothing to update.After eating, I sit with the laptop and begin looking for work. I then start feeling sick. Walking to the kitchen, I grab a glass of water before sitting back down.I ate too quickly. An hour later, I began my university work. The last thing I want is to not do it and get told I am staying. The phone ringing has me pick it up and answer."Yes?""Yes, baby girl?" I smile, hearing Alaric's voice."Sorry, I didn't look." Okay, I did sound rude."It's fine baby girl, did you eat?"My eyes roll. "I did, Sir. I had breakfast and drank water." That was more because I felt sick."Good, I
My eyes stay on her, watching her every move, and she laughs."Oh, Ruby is trying to give me the silent treatment. Enjoy it, Ruby. I've got a plan. If this doesn't force him to hand over money, I have other ways."Her smile widens more. "I'm not leaving Ruby. You can drag me out, but I will stay and wait outside for Alaric to return. How's the pregnancy?""Stay, wait for him." I've given up."You know...Alan Richardson doesn't take too kindly to people lying about his children."Everyone knows Max's dad doesn't like anything bad said about them, truth or not. He ensured all of Max's brothers' issues vanished. I heard stories of the students who reported him, and they had nothing but hell since."You're not very talkative, Ruby. What if I tell you I met your parents this morning."No! "Why?" What the fuck?"Oh, I don't know, maybe to destroy that relationship a little more. Which I did. I hope you didn't want your parents to forgive you, as that won't happen now.""Just leave." I'm don
I don't move. I'm still trying to process what happened. How did it go from Max wanting to cause issues to Beatrix helping him and going to my parents?Even I know my parents aren't ones to stay quiet. Alaric's arms wrap around my body as he hugs me and I relax into his hold, wanting nothing more than to hide away until they finish destroying my life."Don't you fucking run, Ruby!" His words are fierce, and I peer up at him, I had thought it, but not said it, how would he know? "I can see it all over your face. Do not run." He pleads, pulling me closer to him."She's using me to get to you, Alaric. She's using me to win." Even I know she is, and the reality that ultimatly it will be because of me that he gives her money is worry. She shouldn't get a thing from him, even if she is tormenting me."And you think that you walking away isn't her winning? Don't do it, baby girl, promise me." He pleads. Nodding slowly, I agree not to."I'm sorry." I don't even know why the hell I'm apologisi
I listen to the ringing, waiting for Max to answer. I can't make anything worse. Everything is already blowing up."Hello, Ruby." His voice comes through, and I'm shocked by his welcome. How would he know it was me? "What can I do for you?" He sounds so smug.My mind fights to find something to ask, but there are no words coming to me. I hear him laugh, and I begin to feel annoyed."Why are you helping Beatrix?" I will start with that, and then I can maybe help Alaric."She is helping me, Ruby.""Helping you what?" Why would Beatrix help him?"You know that video made me look weak. Even now, people still fucking talk about it. There was no way I would let you walk after that." I laugh at his words."Why Beatrix Max?" I don't get why her."Why not? She found me after seeing the video. She needed something I had, and I needed her to make a call for me." He explains, and I hear someone in the background. He laughs lightly. "I need to go. You're not getting answers about the plan, Ruby. Y
When I wake, I'm alone in bed. Glancing around, I grab my phone and see the time. It's nearly nine. Opening the message from Alaric, I smile.Be good today, baby girl; I'll be home this evening and see you then. A xHitting reply, I type out a message.I will try, but I may get bored here all alone and go play in your hidden room. xI imagine his face when he reads the message and I laugh; getting ready, I walk down and see Ivy and Bex."You're still here?" I thought they would have left."Of course, we're still here; we will leave later. Right now, we need to know about you and Alaric." Bex says, and I look at her, confused. "Oh, come on. You moved your stuff in Ruby." Bex explains, and I laugh."I didn't move my things in," I reply. She knows I didn't because it was literally one bag of items."Technically, you did. I thought this was just fun." Ivy says, and I nod at her."I thought it was just fun, but things changed." My words are quiet, and I shrug."You love him." Bex teases, a
I'm fed up with serious talk. I'm done with the stress. I have had enough of the crap that keeps building. Standing, I decide to taunt Alaric.He must sense it as he shakes his head. "Baby girl, I will not touch you until you eat." His words clearly state a fact. I glance from him to my plate.I feel like crap, so eating won't help. Then what? Will I even feel well enough for him to fuck me after? Sighing, I sit down, eat and fight off the sickness that builds with each bite.After finishing, I put down the folk. "Now you can't say no, Daddy," I smirk at him."You're wrong there, baby girl; I can." His words tease, and my eyes widen in disbelief. "I won't but give yourself at least some time before fucking me. Let me sort the dishes." Leaning over the table, he kisses my cheek.Well, he agreed to fuck me. Standing, I begin to help with the dishes, which means he touches me quickly. At least, that is what I think anyway. Weirdly, I've missed him, or at least I feel like I have.He's be
ZadeI knew if I waited, things would go wrong, which is why I proposed to Izzy sooner than I had planned. Good job I did as if I hadn't. I was meant to be proposing right now, which isn't ideal.The room is buzzing with controlled chaos. Nurses move efficiently around us, murmuring instructions and checking monitors. Izzy lies in the hospital bed, her face flushed, hair damp with sweat, and hands clutching mine like a lifeline. Her grip is strong—stronger than I ever expected—but I welcome the pain. It’s grounding me, keeping me in the moment when I feel like I might lose my mind.“Zade, breathe,” Izzy groans, her voice strained as another contraction overtakes her. “You’re supposed to remind me to breathe, not forget how to do it yourself.”I snap out of my daze, nodding quickly. “Right. Breathe, Izzy. Deep breaths.” I mimic the motion, inhaling and exhaling like I’m teaching her something she hasn’t been doing perfectly for hours.She glares at me between breaths, sweat beading on
IzzyI can’t help but smile at Zade as he drives, his hands steady on the wheel, his profile glowing in the soft morning light. Time has slipped by so quickly. It feels like only yesterday we were grappling with fears and uncertainty, and now here we are. Zade has been by my side so much more than I ever expected. He still works, but not nearly as much as he did before. Somehow, he’s found a balance, and it’s brought us closer in ways I didn’t think possible.While he’s working, I spend most of my time at home with Sammi and baby Emmerson. It’s been heartwarming to watch Sammi and Grayson navigate parenthood together, their bond strengthening with every passing day. Watching their joy gives me hope—hope that Zade and I can have something just as beautiful with our baby.Zade has been going to counseling regularly, and I see pieces of the real him emerging more and more each week. The man beneath the armor he built to survive, to lead the mafia, to bury his pain—that man is someone ext
Zade POVI lose myself in her, time slipping away as I drink her in, the salty-sweet flavor of her flooding my senses. She collapses into the bed eventually, her body limp, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips. Even now, her walls quiver, her body still coming down as I lick the last remnants of her release.When I finally pull away, I move up her body and kiss her with a desperate need, our lips crashing together in a possessive claim. I’m hard again, painfully so, but there’s no rush. Tonight, there’s no clock ticking down, no interruptions, just us.“Alright,” I say, standing to strip the last of my clothes, my eyes devouring her sprawled form. “Let’s keep going.”She whimpers, weak from the relentless pleasure, and reaches for me, her hands trembling as they find my shoulders. “Zade,” she murmurs, but I’m nowhere near done.Izzy tastes like heaven, pure and raw, a flavor I never want to forget. My lips return to her swollen clit, teasing and tormenting her again. Her body jerks as s
ZadeAs I help Izzy into my car, her radiant smile reminds me just how much I’ve been neglecting her. I’ve been so consumed with making sure Grayson is home with Sammi and the baby that I’ve failed the one person who needed me most—her. The guilt eats at me as I start the engine, and I steal glances at her, soaking in her beauty, her strength, her unwavering patience with me.She pulls something from her bag and holds it out to me—a scan image. My heart twists as I take it, running my fingers over the black-and-white lines that outline our baby.“I’m sorry I missed it,” I whisper, the weight of regret heavy in my voice.Her smile is soft, understanding. “It’s fine. You were working and making sure Grayson was home for Sammi and the baby.” Her words are kind, but they cut deep. Missing this moment wasn’t fine, and I can’t let it happen again.When we arrive, I park and immediately step out, going to her side and lifting her into my arms. She laughs lightly, her arms wrapping around my
Izzy POVHis dark eyes burn into mine, a mixture of frustration and desire. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Izzy,” he murmurs, his voice low and hoarse.I lean in, letting my breath ghost over his lips. “Good. I want to play, Zade. And this time, I make the rules.”“You want to fuck me?” His voice is low, teasing, as his dark eyes bore into mine, a smirk playing on his lips. The sight of him, restrained and vulnerable yet brimming with raw power, ignites something primal in me. I chuckle softly, leaning in to capture his lips, grinding against him as I feel him stir beneath me.“Oh, you have no idea how much I want to fuck you,” I murmur against his lips, my voice husky with desire. Pulling back, I let a wicked smile curl on my lips. “You’re all mine now,” I whisper, my words dripping with dominance. Slowly, deliberately, I sink to my knees in front of him, maintaining eye contact as my hands glide over his thighs.His breath hitches when I reach up, my fingers wrapping around his s
IzzyIt’s been two months since we came back, and while Zade and I have grown closer, some days feel like we’re barely keeping our heads above water. The distance that came with my pregnancy has dissolved, and his promise to fuck me every day? He’s kept it. But most of the time, it’s rushed, like an obligation rather than passion.I understand why—he’s juggling too much. He practically ordered Grayson to stay home for a couple of months after Sammi had the baby, leaving him to hold everything together. Sure, his brothers are around to help, but Zade hardly leans on them. It’s as if he’s still carrying the weight of raising them, of being their protector, even now.Today was supposed to be different. It was the scan, the moment I’ve been excited about for weeks. But, at the last minute, he got a call—something urgent, something he couldn’t ignore—and I found myself in the clinic with my mum instead of him. All I got from Zade was a quick message asking how it went. No follow-up, no exc
Izzy POVThe moment Zade walks in, the tension between us hangs in the air like a storm waiting to break. We talk briefly, my voice trembling as I tell him the words that have been weighing on my heart: “I’m keeping the baby.” Relief flickers across his face, but it’s not pure joy—it’s layered with fear, uncertainty, and something I can’t quite place. He doesn’t say much after that, just pulls me into his arms, holding me close. I melt into him, exhaustion taking over as I fall asleep wrapped in his warmth.When I wake, the space beside me is empty, and the bed feels colder without him. Slowly, I sit up, rubbing my eyes. My gaze falls on Zade, seated at the foot of the bed, his back turned to me. His shoulders are tense, and his head is bowed slightly, as if the weight of the world is pressing down on him.I hesitate, unsure of what to say or how to bridge the chasm that feels like it’s grown between us. Things had been going so well before all this, and now? Now it feels like we’ve b
IzzyThe moment Grayson wraps his arms around me, I feel the weight of everything pressing down on me like a storm. For the first time in hours, there’s a flicker of safety, but it’s fragile, like glass teetering on the edge of shattering. Zade’s words still echo in my mind—angry, hurt, raw—and even though I know deep down he would never hurt me, in that moment, he didn’t feel like the man I fell in love with. He felt like someone else entirely, someone I didn’t know.The sound of the door closing behind me sends a chill through my spine. Zade has left. I should stop him, run after him, beg him to stay, but I can’t. My legs feel like lead, and my heart is a hurricane of guilt and confusion.“What’s happened?” Grayson’s voice cuts through the silence, low but laced with tension. His arms tighten around me, and for a moment, I let myself break. The tears come in uncontrollable waves, and I bury my face into his chest as though I can hide from my own mistakes.“I’m pregnant, Gray,” I cho
Zade POVEvery time I close my eyes, I see her face—tear-streaked and filled with anguish. Then the memories hit, unbidden and relentless. Blood. The screams. The bodies. My parents, mangled and lifeless. Her—my ex, so pregnant, so full of life, and then... gone. The flashbacks swallow me whole, dragging me under. My breathing becomes shallow, erratic, and I grip the edge of the table to ground myself, my knuckles white.“Zade,” a voice cuts through the storm in my mind, anchoring me back to reality. I look up to see Grayson sitting across from me, his face a mixture of concern and frustration.I can’t even muster the energy to speak. I just stare at him, then down at the untouched glass of whiskey in front of me.“Did you drink it?” he asks, his tone sharp but not unkind.I shake my head. “No. But I wanted to. God, I wanted to.”Grayson exhales, leaning back in his chair. “At least you didn’t. That’s something.” He watches me closely, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re drowning, Za