Total pages in book: 12
Estimated words: 11137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 56(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 37(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 56(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 37(@300wpm)
“He’s been arrested,” Quinn whispered.
Suddenly, it felt like all those years ago when Miles had stepped into Damien’s living room to tell me Damien was arrested. My chest ached, and I broke down into sobs.
Why was this happening to me again? I protectively wrapped my arms around my belly, hoping and praying the same damn thing didn’t happen again.
“He’s asking to see you.” I looked up at Quinn. I hadn’t been expecting that. He knelt in front of me, his eyes steady on mine as he rested his hands on my knees. “He won’t do you like Damien, honey. He wants to see you.”
Sniffling, I nodded and quickly got William ready to go out into the cold. I was barely holding myself together, but I had to. I was a mother now with another baby on the way. My kids needed me. And Miles was not Damien. He wasn’t abandoning me.
The police station was cold and dreary when we made it there. Quinn quickly got me into an interrogation room with him, and he stayed out, holding William so I could have time with Miles.
My lips trembled as I stared at him. Miles was handcuffed to the table, unable to stand up. He watched me though, so much love for me in his eyes that it almost brought me to my knees.
“Why?” I whispered.
“I did it for you, baby,” he said just as softly. “I failed you, but I refused to fail you again.” He shook his head. “Every person who had a hand in taking you and selling you is gone,” he informed me. I sank down into the chair across from him. He kept his eyes on me. “I’m getting a deal. Since I saved the lives of nineteen women and girls and killed a sex operation, I’m looking at only five years.”
“Five years?” I croaked. Five years still felt like an eternity.
He nodded. Tears slid down my cheeks. I hurriedly swiped at them. “Hayley, baby, look at me.” I slowly lifted my eyes to his. “I’m coming home to you, baby girl. I don’t have a chance of bond, so my time is already started. You can start counting down the days. And I want you to come see me.”
The pain in my chest eased a bit. Damien had never wanted me to come see him, and it had made me absolutely miserable. “You mean that?”
He nodded. “I know how much it killed you to not be able to see Damien. I won’t do that to you, baby girl. I want you to come see me. But just you. I don’t want either of our kids ever seeing me locked up, you hear me?”
I nodded, my hand flattening over my belly. “Okay,” I whispered.
He offered me a tender smile, a smile he had always reserved just for me, even when I had been Damien’s. “I love you, baby girl.”
I sniffled. “I love you, too,” I croaked.
He nodded his head toward the door. “Go on now. Go home. Eat. Get some rest.”
I nodded and stood from the chair. I wished I could touch him, but I knew I couldn’t. With a shaky breath and one last longing look at him, I slipped from the room. And somehow, I kept myself from completely breaking down as Quinn led me out to his car.
12
Hayley
Not today.
I released a low groan as I clutched the counter, trying to make it across the room to my phone. I was supposed to be seeing Miles today. I hadn’t missed a single visitation day. Every single week, I was right there waiting for the prison guard to let me into the visitation area.
But our little girl had other plans.
I finally managed to grab my phone and call Quinn. “Yep?” he asked when he answered.
I snorted. What a fucking way to answer the phone.
“Can you do me a favor?” I asked him.
“Depends on the favor, girly,” he teased.
“I need you to get a message to Miles. Let him know I’m in labor. And I need you to come get me and drive me to the hospital.”
“Fuck!” Quinn snapped. “You sure got a fucking way of springing shit up on people, don’t you, girly? You should have started with the fact that you’re in fucking labor first. I’ll be there in five. Be ready. Where’s the little monster?”
I snorted at his nickname for William. Whereas Isabelle was sweet, gentle, and mostly quiet, William was the exact opposite, just like his stubborn, hardheaded father had been. Every single day, he was more and more like Damien. It made me miss him so much, but I knew my first love was living through my son.
“At the sitter’s,” I told him. An older lady had moved in next door. She was in her mid-sixties, and she absolutely adored William despite how much of a damn terror my little boy was. But for some reason, he was always so good with her.