***LONDON’S POV***
When the doctor walked into the ward, I didn’t quite pick up who he was until he spoke with Zane. When his eyes moved to my face, a small smile spreading those thick lips of his, he asked,
“How are you doing today?”
Huffing, I reply, “Apart from when I puked, I have been cool,” I mutter.
He nods his head, then, clearing his throat, he forces himself to say, “It must be the pregnancy hormones taking a toll on you. Once the first semester passes, you won’t have this morning sickness again,” he explains.
My brain stops thinking at that moment and I look towards Zane. There is a shit-eating grin on his face and there is no doubt that he isn’t aware of the fact that I was pregnant.
It is obvious that they found out, even before me because they had been here.
Was I ready to tell Zane the truth? No! He would have known of course, but this news is like the fastest blow in mankind and the mere thought of it is ready to press me with its weight.
I look at Zane and then at the doctor, anger pouring through me. I restrain it enough to be polite and ask for the doctor to give us a moment.
He did and I lashed out at Zane.
“You knew I was pregnant didn’t you?” I questioned.
“Yes, London. I was about to tell you when the doctor beat me at it,” he explains.
His brows are drawn up as if he regrets it, but I can’t be certain if he means it or not.
“I don’t want a baby, Zane. Is that what you wanted from me. To be your brooding mare?” I demanded.
“London, listen,” he says his voice adding a little attention to it.
“No, you listen, Mr. Zane. A baby was never a part of this deal,” I say.
“But then, here it is, and it obvious we are having a baby,” he says.
There is this tiniest bit of excitement clouding Zane’s voice. It makes me… hope. Yes, that is the word. I hope for a future where a baby is sharing our love, I love the idea of taking care of his kids and being their mother.
I don’t know why I see myself using plural, but it is absurd to even think it out and I so well bloody know it.
“Mind the way you talk to me, little girl,” he warns.
I shake my head, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“No, I wouldn’t. You should be the one listening to me, you asshole. How on earth do you even think that I would feel if such a thing happened to someone you treasure the most?” I ask frowning.
“What?” he asks seeming lost.
“You, Zane. You just knocked me up. How would you feel if someone knocked a member of your family you hold them to in life?” I let out pushing away when he touches me.
I don’t want him to put his hand on me, I am distracted a lot just by the fact that he has those burning hands in me, and now, I have to deal with Zane and everything that is between.
“Come on, Zane, answer. Or has the cat gotten your tongue?” I push out.
I am just trying my luck now, and it would run fast in a nasty way. Poking Zane is like wounding a bear, he would get mad at me, and if he retaliates… I hope he doesn’t though.
“I wouldn’t be happy, but this isn’t about some relative I don’t give two fucks about. This is about you, London. You are pregnant, carrying my baby,” he puts every energy into those words.
I start sobbing. This is too much.
“You just think I am important because I carry your seed. That is what you wanted, huh? You be balls deep inside me, to get me knocked up so that I wouldn’t be an option to anyone else,” I blurt out.
Zane stood up angrily pacing the room. He pulled at the strands of hair on his head and I feared that he was going to uproot them.
“I love you, London. And that is one thing that I haven’t been able to do with anyone. Before you came into my life, it was all dark, but now… Now… All I think about is you,” he rages out, the word meaning everything to him.
I get stuck on the fact that Zane loves me.
“No, you don’t, Zane. You spank me every time you’ve got an opportunity. I like it though, but this isn’t what I thought would be my idea of a happy ever after,” I shout.
I was taking everything within me to keep this conversation running. It was working so far.
“I am no hero, London. I am a villain, the worst one that haunts nightmares of beautiful ladies,” Zane says.
I gasp.
“I have never wanted a hero to share my love story, I want the dark knights who punish their ladies and fuck them raw…” I stop, not knowing if I am actually saying a lot or just babbling rubbish.
Zane has stopped rooting his hair but his eyes are on me. He looks like he just swallowed an entire fish without chewing it.
“You just said you hate punishment, but you get naughty all of the time, always being available for a smack on the ass,”
His words make me chuckle. It is funny knowing that he sees me like that, I feel so grateful that he would even suggest stuff like that to me.
“Stop!” I chuckle.
When I pat the side of my bed that is good, where Zane wouldn’t hit my injured hand, he gets the memo and slides in beside me.
The bed is just big enough to accommodate us, another plus of being in the VIP room.
“I am supposed to be your captive. The deal ends the moment the debt is paid,” I explain tears threatening to spill out.
“I know, honey, I know. But I am a selfish man who wants more, and is used to getting what they wants,” he murmurs against my hair, kissing me warmly.
“I have a hand in a cast, Zane. And it would be about nine weeks before I can remove it. I can’t be a burden to you,” the words leave my lips before I can stop myself.
“Don’t. You are never a burden to me, and you would never be,” I finish, letting him know that.
We stay in silence for a while, and when a knock comes in, I see Reaper with food.
I look at Zane and he smiles at me.
“You ordered, baby girl,” he says as he takes everything Reaper hands him and places it on his side of the bed, where he had vacated a moment ago.
“Chicken nuggets,” I cried out as I used my free hand to feed myself.
I don’t care if the men were staring, I put the ranch and ketchup on the fries, ate it, and munch.
Instead of coffee, I had sparkling water. It was in a straw cup, so, I took my time sipping it. When I looked up from a break, both men’s eyes were on me and Zane had a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Mine!” he growled as Reaper walked out of the room.
“Do I have a chance of escaping you again?” I ask as I hold a chicken thigh and munch on it.
The men had really added to my order, extra things were in the package Reaper brought for me.
I was licking my fingers, moaning lovingly as my eyes caught Zane’s eyes.
“Ouipps!” I whisper.
I couldn’t have another bite again, and I had almost cleared the entire package.
“I am glad the baby is forcing you to eat much. The doctor said some hormones could make a woman lose her appetite and have the morning sickness all the time,” Zane explains.
“Well, I just feel extra hungry. Do you think you would still love me if I added a couple of pounds to my body?” I twist my lips to the corner.
Zane burst out laughing at my ridiculous question, but as he steadies, he replies to me.
“Forever and always, baby. I will always love you. London, you are like a switch to my brain, I don’t know a moment I don’t feel like I haven’t felt connected to you since the moment you first walked into my life,” he explains.
“I always seem to draw the worst to myself, though,” I grit out.
“I don’t mind, little girl, Daddy is here to catch you in case you fall. Now, don’t wait for any fucking permission to act crazy, I am here for you,” he says laying soft kisses on my forehead.
I sleep for a while, enjoying Zane’s warmness as he smoothens my hair.
***
One Week Later
It has been one week since Zane saved me from Oliver. That son of a bitch. He hadn’t reached out to me, Zane hadn’t asked who had kidnapped me, but I see it in his eyes, he has that deadly look that hovers around him just by thinking about it.
The pregnancy is only two months old, but it feels like I have been pregnant forever. I feel like I would fight a bear if I am faced with one.
That thought is crazy though, and thinking about it makes me feel weak.
“London,” Zane calls out to me as he meets me on the patio.
He has been in his office all day, and the glass of orange juice in his hand looks fresh. He wouldn’t let me pick a pin, thus, why I have three maids waiting on me at beck and call, with a trained chef to cook whatever I desire.
“Thank you,” I reply accepting the glass.
“I want us to discuss something, little girl,” he says sliding into the chair beside me.
My cast is still new, no one had put a marker on it, and it makes me feel… unwanted. The thoughts leave my head as Zane’s words cut through my thoughts.
“Do you remember the faces of the people who kidnapped you, London? Can you identify them if you see them? Or can you at least describe them?” he questions his eyes on me.
Zane hadn’t made mention of events that happened that night, except for the fact that he was grateful I was being found. Good thing they found me when they did because Bamba was ready to kill me.
“No!” I lie easily through my teeth.
My eyes are on the ground, I seem to be searching for something I do not know, it makes me want to cry, and also, laugh at myself for being weak.
I hate this.
“Look at me, baby,” Zane urges and I look up to find him trying to decipher if I was lying or not.
I clearly was.
“I don’t know, Zane. If I knew, you would be the first person to know,” I rumble the words.
When Zane wouldn’t let the matter go, I slurped on my drink, hoping the distraction would be enough to make him let go of the topic.
The bastard doesn’t take the link. He just does as he wants.
“You know I would be mad at you if I found out that you are hiding information about your captors from me. You just have a broken arm, the rest of you is fine and your ass can take a few smacks from lying to me,” I warn.
“I swear, Zane, I know nothing about those men. And I was too weak to keep the images of those men in my head,” I added quickly when it felt like the words I said weren’t believable enough.
He nods his head once, and then, kisses me gently across the lips.
“I love you,” he lets out.
I haven’t said the words back to Zane, and he doesn’t force me to, so, I just nod, enjoying his embrace.