Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
“Hey you,” she says in a warm tone she uses with the dogs. She crouches down and lets him lick her face as she pets him. “What are you doing here?”
I clear my throat and invite myself in.
“Oh,” she says, tone cooler as she looks up at me. She straightens.
“They can’t drive themselves,” I say.
“Hm.” Her gaze moves to the puppy, whining to be free of me, and she smiles wide. “Who are you?” Mercedes takes her from me. The puppy instantly loves her, her little butt wagging along with her tail as she licks Mercedes’s face while Pestilence demands more attention.
“Do you like her?” I ask. Closing the door, I get a look at her belly in the T-shirt she’s wearing. It’s clearly not a maternity shirt because it hugs her tight, leaving a strip of skin exposed above her leggings. It takes all I have not to reach out and touch her stomach, lay my hand over my babies inside, wondering if they’ll recognize my voice, my touch.
When I meet her eyes, she’s watching me. “What is this, Judge?”
I raise my eyebrows, suddenly uncertain of my plan. “You don’t like her?”
“No, it’s not that. I love her.” She says the words so easily, so honestly. Have I ever been so easy with those particular words? Never. “But what are you doing?”
“Well, I thought it was time to get a new puppy. Keeps the boys on their toes.”
It’s her turn to raise her eyebrows. “Really? Because four giant Dobermans aren’t enough?”
I clear my throat. She sees right through me. “She’s for you, actually. I thought since you love the boys so much, you could have your own. The condo is too small for four grown dogs, obviously, but one, perhaps… I thought…” She isn’t going to make this easy. “Paolo will train her, don’t worry. She’ll stay with me until she’s fully housebroken. But I thought Pestilence could stay with you in the meantime.”
Her eyes narrow. “So she’s for me?”
I nod. “If you want her.”
“Like a gift?”
I notice she’s not wearing the necklace, but I bite back my comment. “Yes.”
“What’s her name?”
“She’s not yet named. You can choose.”
“Oh.” She looks at the small puppy as she sets her down. “Okay. I think I’ll call her Kali.”
“Kali?”
She grins at me. “Like the goddess who devours her enemies.”
“Oh. Alrighty then. Kali it is.” I am confused. But okay.
“And you want Pestilence to stay with me?”
“Can I come into the house?” I ask. She hesitates. “Just for a few minutes. I’m not going to do anything, Mercedes. I am just here for the dogs.”
“Mm-hmm, sure.” She folds her arms across her chest and gestures to the living room with a nod of her head. I see a candle burning on the mantel, and the scent of cinnamon wafts through the air. The sun is fading in the early evening hours, and there’s an overall warmth in the space. A coziness.
Steam rises from a mug of tea on the coffee table, and on the floor is a laundry basket full of baby clothes that she’s been folding. The sight of it hits me hard.
This is happening.
We are having babies.
We.
No, not we.
She.
“Mercedes, I—”
“You want something to drink?”
I drag my gaze from that stack to her. I shake my head. “Let me go get Pestilence’s things.” I need to get out of here for a minute.
“You haven’t asked me if he can stay. You just assume like you always do.”
I push my hand through my hair, my eyes falling on those clothes again. I drag a breath in. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I thought you’d want that. I thought—”
“I’m not scared of Vincent Douglas, Judge. He can’t touch us. I won’t let him.”
“He’s a man, Mercedes. If he gets to you, he will do what he wants.”
“Like most men.”
“He means you harm,” I say, cataloging the blow but not allowing myself to waver right now. Her safety is why I’m here. “And a man will always be able to overpower a woman. If he gets in here—”
“Have you seen the guards my brother has posted outside?”
“If he gets inside…” I ignore her. “They can’t help you. Not if they don’t know. I prefer you to come to the house of course,” I start, putting it out there. She scoffs at the idea. “But I won’t drag you there against your will.”
“Wow, that’s a change for you. Does it hurt to consider what someone else wants?”
I grit my teeth. “It’s safer for you if Pestilence stays. He won’t let anything happen to you.”
As if sensing the tension, Pestilence comes to nudge Mercedes to pet him. “He can stay. I’d love for him to stay. But not because I’m scared.”
I nod. “That’s all I want. I have his things outside. Food, a bed, everything he needs. Paolo will replenish his supplies. You just call me if you need anything. Anything at all. I can come to walk him—”