Chapter 3
Year One…
After a six-month search, Lila and I found a home in Carmel—land of the roundabouts—and had settled in to suburban living. With the lives we’d led, it was quite an adjustment. Being neighborly was a foreign concept for Lila, leaving some of our neighbors a little put off.
She wasn’t the stereotypical suburban housewife like many of the nearby residents.
There was a good chance we would never fit in well, but it didn’t bother me. She was all I needed.
We had a beautiful lot overlooking a small lake. It made for wonderful nights sitting on the deck, watching the sun set.
I stared at her, my eyes wide in surprise at her sudden burst of anger. My wife was livid—pissed beyond belief at me—and I had no idea why. Her face resembled the same shade of red as the Twizzler dangling out of my mouth. I held up my hands in surrender, never having seen the she-devil before me, and I had no idea how to handle her.
“Why?” Her hands were balled into fists at her sides, shaking.
Why, what? I asked internally, afraid to voice the words and the reaction they would incite.
Lila was beautiful in pregnancy, but at times she turned into someone I didn’t know. I’d heard about the behavior from others, but hardly experienced it myself as Grace never made it to the she-beast stage.
I really needed to stop calling her she-beast in my head. I was bound to slip one day and then she’d kill me.
I chewed at the Twizzler, buying some more time. The shrill noise that escaped her as her face screwed up made me jump. She stomped forward and I backed up, but instead of swiping at me with her claws, she grabbed the package of red, chewy goodness. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at the half-eaten package, then back at me. Bewildered, I stared at the hurt on her face before she turned and headed toward the back porch. The door slammed behind her, shaking the frame.
I flipped the Twizzler between my teeth and looked down at it. “Huh.” Mental note—anything you eat for the next month must be from a hidden stash.
I’d come in to get us some drinks and, in the process of making them, chewed on a pack of candy sitting on the counter. After the ice cream debacle the week before, I thought I understood, but it was obvious I knew nothing.
I licked my lips. At least the ice cream fiasco had a happy ending. Fuck. I’d never felt her pussy squeeze my cock so hard. It would also be a scene I’d never forget—eight-months-pregnant wife riding me while eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.
Pregnant woman really could be scary as fuck.
A few days later we found ourselves at the courthouse, in a situation that brought back memories from two years prior. A situation I had strong objections of subjecting my very pregnant wife to.
“Why are we here?” Lila’s jaw was locked just as tight as her hand was around mine, the other rubbing her belly.
“Because they need to see what kind of monster he is so they can keep him locked up longer.”
I really didn’t like the stress the whole situation was putting on her, but it was a necessity. Adam had attacked a guard, and Lila had been called back in as a character witness against him. My only hope was that we could get it over and done with before it pushed Lila into an early delivery. There were still four weeks before our little girl was due.
Down the hall, near the courtroom doors, stood Lawrence. “Are you ready?”
Lila shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. “I thought I was done with this, with him. With reliving all that…” Her gaze snapped to Lawrence. “Is he here?”
“Your father?” he asked.
Fuck! How could I have not even thought of that?
Lawrence shook his head. “He won’t be here, don’t worry. His character is just as bad, so there was no way Adam’s attorney wanted him on the stand.”
She let out a sigh of relief and continued to rub her hand over her belly.
“That and the restraining order,” I reminded her.
He nodded. “That, too.”
We walked in and took our seats behind Lawrence. Lila’s hand shook in mine, and I was thankful that this time we wouldn’t be separated.
A door in the back swung open, and out stepped two guards with a chained-up, orange-clad Adam. Even after over a year in jail he was as obstinate as ever, pulling against the cuffs and the officer who tried to pull him along when he slowed his pace.
When he looked up, his dark eyes searched out and immediately landed on us—on Lila. Her head was down in a refusal to look at him, to be subjected to the nasty vibes he was letting off.
My leg began to bounce, the stress she was under eating me up. Agitation fueled the anger I was trying to stifle in order to be strong for her, to be the foundation she so desperately needed. Because Adam was the only person to shake her to the core, and I wanted nothing more in that moment than his blood on my hands.
I kissed her temple and she relaxed a bit, her head rising as the screeching of the chairs echoed around the room. Soon, the judge came in and the proceedings began.
Opening statements, the charges against him—assault of a guard—and then it was time.
I stood, blocking her from his view as she walked to the aisle. With a kiss to her hand, I let her go, wishing I could block her from him the entire time.
As soon as she was away, I turned to Adam. As she passed by he lifted his head to watch her, probably to glare at her, but instead his eyes widened, focused on the large curve of her belly. A split second later he was on his feet, chair pushed back.
“A baby?” A snarl formed on his lips, and he lunged forward. “Fucking slut! I’ll fucking tear it out of you, whore!”
I ran forward, pulling her into my arms and spinning her around, protecting my family as his lawyer attempted to hold him back. The bailiffs made it before Adam trampled the scared man, and threw Adam to the ground.
“I’ll kill you! I’ll fucking kill you and that thing in you!”
Something about Lila always set him off. The possession he felt about her was on a destructive level, his obsession dangerous. The closest I could come up with was a petulant child throwing a tantrum that his toy was taken away.
That is what she did—took herself away. She had power and strength despite all he’d done, and he resented her for that. Always meant to be his plaything, punished whenever he wanted, destroyed when he was done.
He never got the chance to break her the way he wanted, and to see that another man took her, bred her, only solidified the loss.
Her sobs pulled my attention away from the deranged man on the floor and back to her. I pulled her closer and held her tight.
“Shh, Honeybear, I’ve got you. He’s not getting anywhere near you. Not now, not ever.”
“Enough!” the judged yelled. “Bailiff, get him out of my courtroom!”
The bailiffs nodded and pulled him to his feet. Adam continued to lunge toward Lila, snarling and screaming.
“Mrs. Thorne, please take a seat.”
We made our way back to the gallery and sat down. The judge was beyond livid.
“Mr. Ackerson, please inform your client that he is in contempt of court.”
“Your honor—”
“Too late. The behavior he has shown here today indicates he has no true knowledge that what he has done is wrong. In fact, he threatened the life of a witness, a punishable offense, and charges will be brought against him. I’m not entirely sure any amount of time will tone down the obvious bloodthirst he has for her.” He turned to us. “Mrs. Thorne, I’ve seen what I need to, and there will be no reason for you to return for this offense. I wish you a safe delivery.” He turned back to Adam’s lawyer. “As for you, Mr. Ackerson, we will set a new date to see your client again with the hopes that he can restrain himself from another outburst.”
By the fidgeting of his hands and quick nodding, I could tell Adam’s lawyer was shaken. Probably court appointed as he wasn’t the same from the trial. He had no idea what he was in for.
“What does this mean?” I asked Lawrence as soon as we were in the hall.
“Well, I’ll file the charges for the threat and that should pad his sentence some, or at least make the possibility of early release non-existent. Add that to the assault of the guard, and we’re looking at the possibility of another eight years to his sentence.” He smiled, seeming as happy with the outcome as I was.
“Thank you, Lawrence,” Lila said, holding out her hand.
He smiled at her and shook her hand. “Good luck in your delivery.”
“Thank you.”
Lawrence started to walk away, but I stopped him. “Not to sound like an ass, but I hope we never have to see you again.”
He smirked and nodded, understanding my meaning and giving a wave as he headed off.
Wrapping my arm around Lila’s shoulders, we turned to walk in the other direction. I tilted my head and kissed her hair.
“What does Mommy want for lunch?”
She seemed to perk up at the idea of food. “Samosas and tacos.”
I pursed my lips and nodded. “Right.” Whatever my babies wanted.
When we arrived home after stopping at two places for lunch, I had Lila relax on the couch while I made her some tea. Once done, I grabbed the TV remote and sat next to her. She was staring down at her belly, and I followed her gaze.
There was a small bump on top of her rather large baby bump. Just as I was about to say something, it moved, drawing along her stomach, then away.
“Was that the baby?”
“Yes, unless there is an alien inside me.”
She pulled up her shirt, and we both stared transfixed as a hand or foot popped up, stretching against Lila’s skin. I placed my hand on her stomach, and a jolt pulsed through me as our baby bumped me.
“She’s never been this active before.”
“Probably senses your stress,” I said, running my hand around.
“Maybe the fried ice cream, too.”
Another kick, maybe a punch.
My baby.
Pride pumped through me.
I marked Lila as mine. Branded her.
Fucking poured my come into her, filled her up until she was good and bred.
My DNA mixed with hers.
I leaned down and pressed my lips to her stomach. “It’s almost time, Anna. Then we finally get to meet you.”
It was hard to believe we were so close. That we would be parents.
Anna was the perfect name choice. Lila’s mother was the only one to show her love until she was a late teenager, and she was taken from her way too soon.
“I love you,” she said, staring into my eyes.
I smiled and pressed my lips to hers. “Forever.”