Page 47 of Ruthless Salvation

An hour later, the doctor stopped by and cleared me of any serious injury. There was no way he could have missed the horrid purple bruising around my neck, but he acted like it wasn’t there.

I felt oddly embarrassed, which then triggered a slew of other negative emotions—primarily self-loathing. How dare I be embarrassed? I was the victim here. If anyone should be embarrassed, it was Damyon for what he’d done or the doctor for ignoring what was so obviously wrong. But neither of those things would change. This was my new reality, and if I didn’t like it, I’d have to find a way out.

But first, I had to know the full extent of the trouble I was in.

Two days later, I did something I never thought I’d do. I shoplifted a pregnancy test. I didn’t want to take it back to the house, so I asked my escort if we could pick up lunch, then begged off to the restroom. Thank God it was a single water closet with a lock. I didn’t think I could do this with an audience.

I set the activated test on the edge of the sink and stared deep into the reflection of my eyes.

Time to be strong, Stormy girl. No room for fear or doubts from this moment on.

Tears streamed down my cheeks. The last I’d cry for a long time.

Two pink lines emerged on the test strip.

I was pregnant, and this was no longer about me anymore.

Present

I overreactedabout Oran meeting with Storm. I’d known it as the words left my mouth, but that was how it was with her. I couldn’t think straight when she was around. Or when we were apart. She stole all capacity for rational thought, leaving me constantly on edge.

I needed to play this carefully, but that was foreign territory for me. I’d never had to finesse anyone before. To gain someone’s trust. I hadn’t given two shits what anyone thought of me since I was a high school kid, which felt like another lifetime.

Stormy’s opinion mattered. If she didn’t think I was worthy of her, it would be my own damn fault.

“You were an angry bastard before, but you’re damn near unbearable lately. What the hell’s gotten into you?” Jolly hoisted himself into the bar chair beside me. The club was empty. We still had another hour until open, so no one else had clocked in yet.

“You know what—orwho, rather.” If there was anyone I let in at all, it was Jolly. I owed him so much more than my life. He was the only reason I wasn’t completely unhinged.

“I’ve seen the way you two interact. She ain’t exactly chasing you away with a stick, so what’s the problem?”

I huffed out a sardonic laugh. Leave it to Jolly to make things painfully simple. “Let’s see … I’m foul-tempered, possessive, and downright irrational where she’s concerned. I’m amazed she hasn’t already run for the hills.”

“Well. Don’t be.”

“I can’t, Jolly,” I bit back at him. “How the hell am I supposed to quit being who I am?”

He shrugged. “I s’pose that’s a matter of motivation. Anyone can change, if they want to badly enough.”

Fucking goddammit.

I hated when he was right.

“You want a drink?” I grumbled as I made my way around the bar.

“Never said no to a drink before. No point in startin’ now.” He watched me get down the bottle of Jameson whiskey and pour us each a tumbler full before continuing. “You know, I was talkin’ with Storm a while back.”

“Yeah?” I peered at him before taking a drink, curious where he was headed.

“She had trouble hearing me—said she had hearing loss in her left ear.”

Huh. How had I never noticed that? “Interesting, but not sure of your point.”

“You know anyone else with that sort of issue?” He spoke slowly as though the subject had a deeper meaning.

I shrugged. “One or two guys at the gym, but that’s from taking hits without gear on.” Every fucking muscle in my body marbleized into solid stone. “You don’t think…?” I couldn’t even say it. The idea seemed preposterous. How could anyone lay a hand on a woman so radiant as Stormy? Yet there’d been the odd way she’d reacted to me calling her angel. Had someone else used the term before—someone who’d hurt her?

Jolly raised his hands in surrender. “I could be totally off base. Just an observation.” Jolly wasn’t one for idle gossip. He wouldn’t have voiced the thought if he didn’t think it had merit.