“Do what I say, or God help me.” I undo my belt buckle, not sure what the hell I’m even thinking because I have no intention of using it on her, and the instant I do, she lets out a scream and jumps from the bed.

“No!” She runs across the room, as far from me as she can get, panic in her wide eyes. She picks up the closest thing she can get her hands on, a small, decorative vase, and throws it across the room at me.

I duck to avoid it, and it crashes against the wall. It shatters and she uses that moment to get past me to the door and slips through my grasp, leaving me holding the fabric of the nightgown when I reach for her. But as the door opens and she charges out, I don’t let go and the gown rips, leaving a naked Mercedes stumbling down the hall.

“Get back here!” I go after her and manage to grab a handful of hair to tug her backward. Her arms flail as she falls into me. I catch her, wrap an arm around her, and that’s when I feel it.

When I feel the thing that stops me dead.

It’s like time stops. The whole fucking world comes to a fucking halt.

“What the—?”

She scurries away when I loosen my grip, and I get a good look when she stands still, letting me.

It takes an eternity to drag my gaze from her small, rounded belly up over her breasts swollen like I’d noticed weeks ago when I’d thought nothing of it, up to her tearstained face.

My mouth falls open as she stares at me, breathing hard.

“Jesus.” It’s all I can manage.

“I didn’t know what they would do. I couldn’t let them hurt the baby.”

6

Judge

Fuck.

I push a hand into my hair. What have I done? What the fuck have I done?

“You don’t have to do anything. I know you didn’t want this.” I have no idea how long we’ve been standing here. How long she’s been talking.

“The pill.” They’re the only words I can get out. They’re the only stupid words I can say.

And those are the ones that stop her. That make her shake her head with a knowing but disappointed set to her mouth.

“I didn’t take it. I couldn’t.”

“Jesus, Mercedes. What the fuck were you thinking?” I’m unable to drag my gaze from her protruding belly, so obvious on her slim frame. How did she hide it from me? She’d been wearing baggier clothes. I’d noticed that but hadn’t given it much thought. But we’ve had sex. I would have felt it. Although she’d been careful, turning away, guiding my hands. It was always dark. Had she made sure of that?