and a half?”
“What?”
“How many months along are you, Jezebel?”
She stared at him long and hard, watching the mask dissolve as anger took its place. “What does it matter?”
“Oh, it matters.” The smile he gave her was chilling. “You know exactly why it matters.”
Jezebel shook her head. One of her biggest fears was being realized. She’d never thought to call and tell Ramsey she was pregnant. She was in protective custody after all, and couldn’t reach out to anyone. Now here, she could tell him, but something made her pause. It was his child and he had rights as far as the baby was concerned, but his lifestyle was so dangerous. She’d seen firsthand how dangerous. “It doesn’t matter, Ramsey.”
“How many months?” he demanded, obsidian eyes seeming to grow even darker.
Bracing her weight against the door, she shook her head. “I despise you. I really do!”
He took a step forward, crowding her into the door. “How many?”
She sighed. In a low voice, she muttered, “Almost five.”
He drew away, pacing over to his bed, stopping before the television, before looking back to her. The anger emanating from his body was palpable.
“Don’t. Move.”
With that, he strode into his closet. She was contemplating running to her room when Jezebel decided against it. If he wanted to be angry, she could get angry too. Hell, she was already there.
When he emerged, he was wearing cotton pajama bottoms and his hair was pushed away from his face as if he’d run his fingers through it numerous times.
“You lied to me.”
“Feels like shit, doesn’t it?” She shrugged.
“Were you going to tell me about…” He broke off and looked down at her belly before lifting cold eyes back to hers. “Is it a boy or a girl?”
“I don’t know.”
“Jezebel.” His voice held a warning.
“I said I don’t know.” She didn’t. At her last checkup, the baby had been in too strange a position for the doctor to tell.
Ramsey inhaled once, twice. “No more lies.”
“I’m guessing that only applies to me.”
He scowled. “You weren’t going to tell me about my own child!”
“I had to go into protective custody because of you, Ramsey! You’re a mobster! A real mobster. You’re not some honest-to-God businessman. You kill people for a living!” When he didn’t deny it, she nodded. “Do you think I want my child to grow up around that? You think I want him to have a target on his back? Do you think I want my child to end up like…?” She caught herself before she said it but from the way his face closed up and he took a step back, she knew he’d gotten her drift.
“End up like Lily?” he finished in a cool tone. “Of course you wouldn’t. No mother would.”
Although she had every right to be upset, Jezebel couldn’t help but say, “I shouldn’t have mentioned her—”
“No.” Ramsey turned away. “You had every right to.”
He walked back into his closet, and this time, Jezebel slipped from his room.
***
He was going to be a father.
Seated on the edge of his bed, Ramsey shook his head. Many emotions warred inside him but the one that practically emitted from his skin was one he’d forgotten in the past months. Terror. This was a first for him, unchartered territory. He had no idea what he was doing. Yes, he’d helped to parent Lily, but he hadn’t been there for her birth, or through Sarah’s pregnancy. And he was going to be with Jezebel every step of the way until his child entered the world safely. That was his other fear; Jezebel was pregnant with his child .
He allowed his body to fall back until he was staring up at the yellow lights twinkling beneath the star-shaped, crystal chandelier on his ceiling. Someone had murdered Lily to hurt him. That person had gone after Jezebel and his unborn child to bring him to his knees. The child wasn’t even born and already, he was in danger.
Ramsey closed his eyes.
He’d protect him, protect them.
Resolved, he
“What?”
“How many months along are you, Jezebel?”
She stared at him long and hard, watching the mask dissolve as anger took its place. “What does it matter?”
“Oh, it matters.” The smile he gave her was chilling. “You know exactly why it matters.”
Jezebel shook her head. One of her biggest fears was being realized. She’d never thought to call and tell Ramsey she was pregnant. She was in protective custody after all, and couldn’t reach out to anyone. Now here, she could tell him, but something made her pause. It was his child and he had rights as far as the baby was concerned, but his lifestyle was so dangerous. She’d seen firsthand how dangerous. “It doesn’t matter, Ramsey.”
“How many months?” he demanded, obsidian eyes seeming to grow even darker.
Bracing her weight against the door, she shook her head. “I despise you. I really do!”
He took a step forward, crowding her into the door. “How many?”
She sighed. In a low voice, she muttered, “Almost five.”
He drew away, pacing over to his bed, stopping before the television, before looking back to her. The anger emanating from his body was palpable.
“Don’t. Move.”
With that, he strode into his closet. She was contemplating running to her room when Jezebel decided against it. If he wanted to be angry, she could get angry too. Hell, she was already there.
When he emerged, he was wearing cotton pajama bottoms and his hair was pushed away from his face as if he’d run his fingers through it numerous times.
“You lied to me.”
“Feels like shit, doesn’t it?” She shrugged.
“Were you going to tell me about…” He broke off and looked down at her belly before lifting cold eyes back to hers. “Is it a boy or a girl?”
“I don’t know.”
“Jezebel.” His voice held a warning.
“I said I don’t know.” She didn’t. At her last checkup, the baby had been in too strange a position for the doctor to tell.
Ramsey inhaled once, twice. “No more lies.”
“I’m guessing that only applies to me.”
He scowled. “You weren’t going to tell me about my own child!”
“I had to go into protective custody because of you, Ramsey! You’re a mobster! A real mobster. You’re not some honest-to-God businessman. You kill people for a living!” When he didn’t deny it, she nodded. “Do you think I want my child to grow up around that? You think I want him to have a target on his back? Do you think I want my child to end up like…?” She caught herself before she said it but from the way his face closed up and he took a step back, she knew he’d gotten her drift.
“End up like Lily?” he finished in a cool tone. “Of course you wouldn’t. No mother would.”
Although she had every right to be upset, Jezebel couldn’t help but say, “I shouldn’t have mentioned her—”
“No.” Ramsey turned away. “You had every right to.”
He walked back into his closet, and this time, Jezebel slipped from his room.
***
He was going to be a father.
Seated on the edge of his bed, Ramsey shook his head. Many emotions warred inside him but the one that practically emitted from his skin was one he’d forgotten in the past months. Terror. This was a first for him, unchartered territory. He had no idea what he was doing. Yes, he’d helped to parent Lily, but he hadn’t been there for her birth, or through Sarah’s pregnancy. And he was going to be with Jezebel every step of the way until his child entered the world safely. That was his other fear; Jezebel was pregnant with his child .
He allowed his body to fall back until he was staring up at the yellow lights twinkling beneath the star-shaped, crystal chandelier on his ceiling. Someone had murdered Lily to hurt him. That person had gone after Jezebel and his unborn child to bring him to his knees. The child wasn’t even born and already, he was in danger.
Ramsey closed his eyes.
He’d protect him, protect them.
Resolved, he
Similar Books
