Read Online Beyond Revenge (The Ransom Series) by A.T. Douglas - Free Book Online

he would tell me to do.  Breathe.  Just
breathe, Morgan .
    So I do.  I take three deep breaths and
calm the emotions overtaking my body.  I regain control and pull back from
Jack’s embrace.   “How did you convince him?  Why do you get to spend more time with me?”
    “He wants you to be happy.”
    I laugh bitterly.  The irony in that
sentence makes me sick.  I know Jack’s just the messenger, but I can barely look
at him.
    He grasps my hands between us.  “Morgan…”   My stubbornness wins out for just a little longer , but I finally give in and look him in the eyes.   “He’s not going to lay a finger on you now.  You realize that,
right?  You’re carrying precious cargo.  You’re the most important thing to him
now, and he won’t risk that by beating you or forcing himself on you.”
    I don’t know how to react, so I just
nod.  I’ve just been told that the seemingly endless nightmare that started the
moment Russo and his men separated me from Leo is coming to a partial end, and
all I can do is nod.
    This is how numb I’ve become.
    “Mark and I are on the same page about
this,” Jack continues.  “The less stress and strain on you, the better it will
be for the baby.  It’s in everyone’s best interests for you to be as happy as you can be in this situation, and that’s why I’m
here.”
    My lips curve upward just slightly.  “It
does make me happy to have you here.”  I think about what this means for a
moment and come to a sad realization.  “He wants you to keep an eye on me
though, doesn’t he?  He’s afraid I’ll do something to myself or the baby.”
    Jack’s face remains impassive, his
voice silent.  It’s all the confirmation I need.
    “I’m not going to do anything,” I
assure him.  “I’m not like Mark.  I don’t destroy the innocent for my own
benefit.”
    Jack gives me an understanding look
mixed with something else.  He looks like he feels sorry for me, but I don’t
want his pity.
    “He wants me to take the test, doesn’t
he?” I ask, motioning to the box Jack left on the
floor.
    He nods with a sigh as he picks up the
box.  He opens it and hands the pregnancy test stick to me still in its
wrapper.  “Just to be sure.”
    It seems a pointless venture, but I get
up and take the test with me to the small bathroom that is connected to th e basement room.  I close the door
behind me, taking a moment to breathe before I unwrap the test and remove the
cap on the end of it.
    By the time I’m done and emerge from
the bathroom , I feel like a
completely different person than the girl who was here just minutes before.  My
hand is shaking as I offer the test to Jack.
    There are no lines or crosses .  No code to be deciphered.  It says it there in plain English,
clear as day.
    Pregnant.
    Jack nods reluctantly and puts the test
back in the box before taking me up in his arms.  The tears I kept restrained
before fall freely from me now.  I deserve this cry, and I let myself give in
to every single tear, letting it all out of me at once so I can focus on being
stronger afterward.
    “Okay,” I say, pulling back and
stepping away.  I wipe away the last of my tears on my sleeve.  “I’m okay
now.”  I take a seat on the bed to keep myself from pacing the room nervously. 
I need to relax.  I need a distraction.
    Jack sits next to me on the bed, leaning
forward to put the pregnancy test on the floor out of my sight before resting
his elbows on his knees.
    “How long can you stay?” I ask, fearful
that our time is already up.
    “As long as you need.”
    I breathe a heavy sigh of relief. 
“Just stay with me for a while?”
    He smiles and nods.  “Of course.”
    My hands twist and turn anxiously within each other’s grasp in my lap.  Jack’s presence
helps alleviate some of my nerves, but Leo’s the one who would truly keep me
calm if he were here.  Maybe talking about him will give me the same effect.   “How long have you known