Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
She turned to Nash. He wore a smug smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. What was he really thinking? Was he happy? Upset? Angry? Was his smirk just to satisfy the horrible doctor…or a true reflection of his feelings? After their heart-wrenching conversation about their lost son, she thought she’d understood his heart. But lately, he’d been so closed off, so focused on whatever he wasn’t telling her…
“Excellent.” Even Nash’s voice failed to hint at what he was thinking.
“Quite.” The doctor began gathering her things. “We can take her down to medical this afternoon for her first exam—”
“That won’t be necessary.” Nash waved a dismissive hand. “We’ll be leaving after tonight’s auction.”
“You’re attending?”
Nash shrugged. “Like I said, I’ve enjoyed the process. Why not add another breeder to my collection?”
Horror sliced through Haisley. Even knowing he didn’t mean those words, hearing him talk about women like cattle made her skin crawl. This place had forced him to behave like someone he wasn’t—the kind of man who could say such things without flinching.
Dr. Haynes nodded, seemingly satisfied as she typed on her phone. “Mr. Gray will be pleased to hear of your success. I’m sure he’ll be happy to help you add another mare to your stable. If you’re interested in maximizing your investments, we have lucrative options. The research market pays handsomely for fresh fetal tissue. Or there are buyers who would plunk down a fortune and take the infant off your hands after delivery…”
Haisley smothered a gasp of horror as she fought to shove her subservient mask back in place. These monsters weren’t just sex traffickers; they were baby brokers. Monsters who sold infants to the highest bidder.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Nash’s expression never changed.
How did he do it? How did he maintain such iron control? Haisley wanted to scream.
“Congratulations again.” Dr. Haynes swept from the room, leaving behind the acrid scent of antiseptic and evil.
The moment the door clicked shut, Nash was on his feet. His fingers made quick work of the buttons on her blouse. “Time to celebrate, sweet thing. Let’s fuck.”
Haisley recoiled internally even as she forced herself to lean into his touch. She hated this—hated that their intimate moments had become performances for their captors. Hated that Nash had learned to play this role so convincingly.
He guided her to the bathroom. She caught glimpses of his face in the mirrors they passed—taut with some emotion she couldn’t read. He’d seemed on edge all week, wound tight as a spring. Had the pregnancy news only upset him more?
He flipped on both shower and music before stripping them both and pulling her under the spray. The moment his lips found her ear, his mask dissolved. She saw joy in his eyes.
“A baby,” he whispered, voice raw with emotion. “Our baby.” His hand splayed protectively across her belly. “I swear to God, I’ll die before I let them hurt either of you.”
Relief flooded her. This was her Nash—the man who’d mourned their lost son, who had promised her a future filled with the family they both wanted.
“So…you’re happy?”
“Thrilled, baby.” He cupped her face and kissed her like no other woman existed in this world but her. “This may not have been planned or happened how you wanted it, but—”
“None of that matters if I’m with you. C-can we really just leave tonight?”
His face changed. Closed. Before he even spoke, she knew the answer. “No. Listen carefully. I could lose my job and maybe even go to prison for what I’m about to tell you, but I don’t care. You’ve been tangled in this shit from the beginning. You deserve to know what’s going on. And now that you’re pregnant…”
Her heart skipped. “What?”
“The raid. It’s happening tonight, during the auction.” His hands wandered her body for the cameras while his voice dropped even lower. “Kane will be with me. Ethan is coming back—and bringing the feds with him. We have to capture Gray and the higher-ups—before security realizes what’s happening.”
“So that’s what all the secret meetings this week have been about?” Suddenly his behavior made sense—the phone calls, the intense discussions with Kane, another haircut with Karliah, the growing tension. “You’ve been planning this all week? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“To protect you. And me. If Gray or his minions caught even a hint of our plan…” He shook his head. “But I couldn’t keep you in the dark any longer. Not with the baby.”
“Thank you.” Hope and fear began warring in her chest.
She wanted to be angry that he’d kept her out of the loop, but she understood the stakes. Still… “No more secrets after this. Promise me.”
“I swear.” His kiss was fierce, a promise he intended to keep.
“But if you follow through with the plan tonight, that won’t end the ring. Black Velvet—”
“I know. We’re hoping to find this asshole’s identity on servers, in paperwork—something. Or that Gray will plea and tell us to save his own ass.” His grip tightened. “But if something goes wrong…”