Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
“They have to move,” I cry. “How do we get them to move?”
“I’ve got this.” His hand rests on my thigh. “Trust me.”
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
With a quick turn of his wrist, determination written in the angles of his face, he cuts the wheel and hops the curb. I close my eyes. I feel his hand leave my thigh as he continues to drive as if this sidewalk is his own personal lane. I tune out the sounds of horns blaring and people screaming as he tears down the sidewalk and nearly flips the car over as he makes the turn to get to the hospital.
Several ambulances, lights flashing, sit in the bays at the back of the hospital. Lyam throws the car in Park and runs to my side. Yanks open my door and lifts me out. I’ve never seen him look so wild and afraid. It terrifies me.
A young man in a security uniform steps in front of him. “Sir, this entrance is only for—”
“Stand back.” Lyam’s eyes narrow. He hasn’t bothered to hide his weapons and they all look down immediately. “We’re meeting Dr. Martin. We’ll go in this entrance.”
They mutter to each other as they part to let us in.
“You can’t threaten security guards, Lyam,” I whisper. “You’ll get arrested.”
“I’m getting you in there.”
“You are no good to me if you’re in jail!” I protest.
He grunts in reply.
Two nurses in scrubs see us and usher us down a hall. “This way, Mr. Gerard. Dr. Martin is ready for you.”
I bury my head on his chest as he carries me down the hallway. We’re brought to a room with a hospital bed and monitors.
He lays me down with surprising gentleness.
I watch the nurses eye him like he’s a bomb about to detonate.
Lyam holds my hand when we look at the little wriggling bean on the screen in front of us.
Our baby.
“Some women bleed during pregnancy,” Doctor Martin says reassuringly. “But everything is fine. You see?” she says, pointing to the screen with her index finger. “That’s the heartbeat. You’re perfectly healthy. Your body is shedding excess blood which can be alarming, but in this case doesn’t indicate that anything is wrong.”
“But I thought she stopped bleeding when she was pregnant,” Lyam says, his voice sounding not unlike a growl.
“Most women do, yes,” Doctor Martin says calmly. “That’s how it normally goes. But some women bleed periodically. This is how some women end up in labor without knowing they were even pregnant. They assume the bleeding is their cycle, when in fact it isn’t at all.”
“So the baby’s okay?” I ask. “That’s what’s most important.”
Dr. Martin smiles. “The baby’s perfect.”
“And Cosette will be okay?” Lyam asks in a tone that dares her to tell him otherwise.
“Of course,” she says. “Though I do recommend bed rest for the next day or two just to ensure she recovers from the trauma. I’ve given her something that will help her sleep for now. Make sure she rests.”
Lyam’s jaw clenches. “Oh, I am fully prepared to do that.”
I sigh. Of course he is. He’d chain me to the bed and stand guard over me until I have this baby if that’s what he had to do.
She clears her throat. “Mr. Gerard. We need to talk. Typically, we frown upon people coming into the hospital with weapons. You cannot come in here and threaten the staff again.”
“I may not?” he challenges, getting to his feet.
“Lyam.” I reach for him, but he shrugs me off.
“My future wife is carrying our child. I needed to make sure she was safe.”
“I understand,” she says. “But I’ll repeat. You cannot come in here and threaten people. They are far less likely to do what you ask if you’re using threats to get what you want, and how much of a help will you be to your wife and child if you’re arrested?”
My thoughts exactly.
They go on arguing while I mull things over.
Wait.
He said wife.
Did he say wife? Of course he did. I’m pregnant with his child, so it stands to reason the next thing he wants to do is put a ring on my finger and make this official.
He could’ve told me that.
Before this happened, I was on the verge of telling him that Montague is my father. I wanted him to know. But right now, I think we need to clear a few things up.
I yawn, exhausted. All I care about is this baby, and sleep.
And maybe getting a proposal? Gah.
I’d never seen Lyam panicked until he saw me bleed.
It unnerves me.
But I rest secure in the knowledge that our baby is safe, tucked away in my womb.
I close my eyes.
The doctor leaves. I don’t even know what they agreed upon, but I know Lyam doesn’t back down, so that was probably an interesting compromise.