Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“For all of this,” I bellow back, holding my arms out to gesture toward his eighty-million-dollar gaudy-ass home. “You had no problem with my plan while you were spending like there was no tomorrow. You haven’t taken that ring off your finger either.”
“You and Dad made it seem like this would last forever. All we had to do was make sure there was a male. We had the brothers; why get involved with more of them? This is bad, Candido. It’s really bad.”
“It’s nothing we can’t fix. I’ll find Ray and that motherfucker and I’ll fix this,” I seethe.
“I hope it’s that simple because I’m going to need to cover my ass from now on,” he mutters. “Fuck.”
Where is He?
“Ray.”
“Um,” I mumble in my sleep.
“Ray, wake up.”
“What? No, I’m sleeping, Venus. Leave me alone.”
“Knox is gone. Wake up, now,” she growls.
I sit up and look around, then reach for my belly. She’s right; my stomach is flat and I feel so empty. I toss the covers back and that’s when I realize Kendrick isn’t in bed with me.
I jump from the bed and rush to the mirror. My reflection shows my naked body as I remember it before I started to share it with supernatural beings. I once again look like I love to eat but hit the gym religiously to keep my curves firm.
I worked hard for this body, but I want my bump back. I palm my stomach and look down. Where is my little Knox?
“What happened? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. One minute, he was there, and then the next, he was gone. I felt him… his power. Then nothing.”
“What does this mean? I’m not bleeding. I didn’t miscarry. Where’s our baby?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m waking you. We need Kendrick. Please reach for him, call for him, do something.”
I wave my hand for a robe to cover me. Reaching out for our bond, I try to locate Kendrick. As soon as I connect with him, he pulls me to him.
I stumble forward a bit as I appear in his office. I’ve only been in here once before and it was only briefly. Venus and I thought we would sense The Book of Paths here and then we could ask for it, but it wasn’t here. She didn’t feel it then.
Tears roll down my cheeks and I run to him. He stands and holds up his hands.
“No, wait,” he rumbles.
However, I’m already in motion, not realizing he’s trying to stop me. I flash to him and throw myself into his arms. It’s the first time I’ve been able to flash.
“Did she just…” Rock says.
“How is she that close? Not even Reilly has gotten that far.” Bradan’s voice follows.
Through my sobbing, I realize we’re not alone. Not knowing what they’re talking about, I ignore them both. Kendrick rubs my back soothingly. I cling to him, not knowing how to tell him what has happened.
“Rock, Dagger, out. We will finish this later,” Kendrick barks.
He kisses the top of my head and brushes my hair back from my face. I look at him through my tears. He searches my gaze and I realize I closed the door to my thoughts while we were making love earlier, before I passed out.
I didn’t want him to hear me repeating how much I loved him. I’m still warring with whether these are my true feelings, feelings caused by the bond, or Venus’s feelings for him bleeding into mine. It’s all happened so fast.
In the last few weeks, I’ve learned to close my thoughts without closing the bond. Seeing his concern, I open the door and allow him in.
He stiffens and places me on my feet. Shoving his hands in his hair, he stands there staring at my missing baby bump. He looks as perplexed as I feel.
“You didn’t put us out, so does someone want to tell us what’s going on?” Ardran asks.
“The baby is gone,” Reilly murmurs.
“What do you mean gone?” Ardan asks.
“The fetus is no longer in her womb.”
“Did she give birth?” Ardan then lowers his voice. “Has she lost him?”
“No,” Kendrick says. “She has not miscarried. He is just gone, but Venus is still with her.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on?” I say now, trembling as I bounce from foot to foot.
“Ray?” I turn to look at Bradan. “Do me a favor. Touch Kendrick’s desk.”
“No,” Kendrick roars.
Bradan throws his hands up. “I was just curious.”
“All of you, out. You’re not helping,” Kendrick bites out.
“Do you want me to answer Candido’s summon?”
I look up at Kendrick as my father is mentioned. I haven’t spoken to him since seeing him at the engagement party two months ago.
“No, fuck him. We are done with him. The rings will return soon. We are all mated now. He and the Ricci family are done.”
I move back to wrap my arms around Kendrick as I sob. I’ve carried Knox for two months. I had begun to bond with him. I talked to him all day and read books to him at night.