Captured

Chapter 30

I held my breath while I waited for Kane to say something, anything. But he hadn't. He pulled another blanket over me and told me to get some rest before leaving the room.

I had thought nothing could hurt more than recounting the events from the worst day of my life. The day that changed everything for me. Before that day, I'd been a child. I was scared and alone and I wanted my mother and my sister more than anything in the world. I wanted to go back to my fathers temper and beatings.

After I'd lost my child, I became a survivor. I was a murderer. A mother without a baby. A vengeful daughter. A broken woman at the mercy of every man.

And I decided I never would be again.

But Kane walking away without a word, without any resemblance of reassurance; that had hurt more than I expected. I had wanted so desperately for him to tell me that would never happen again. That I wouldn't lose this child.

I'd cried until my tear ducts ran dry and my eyes were so heavy I couldn't stay awake any longer. I spent the next few days drifting in and out of sleep. I didn't get out of bed unless it was to use the bathroom. I didn't speak. I ate what Kane brought me and drank when he told me to. He slept on the sofa so I could have the whole bed to myself while I recovered. Although I wasn't sure what I was recovering from; the cold I had caught or the pain in my heart.

Finally, after days, he was the one to break the silence and his words took me by surprise. "I'm sorry about your baby," he said, taking a seat on the bed beside me, a hot drink in his hands. "And I'm sorry your father put you through all that."

My lip curled at the mention of the man. "He was a monster," I spat in disgust. There were no happy memories of that man. Every moment of my life was miserable because of him. "I won't ever let anyone treat my daughter that way if I have a girl," I said, sending him a pointed look.

He ignored it, only narrowing his eyes a little. "You're not far off now," he stated, "are you feeling better?"

I nodded. My throat no longer felt like it was on fire and I wasn't sneezing anywhere near as much as I had been. After days in bed I finally felt warm again and my body didn't feel as weak and shaky as it had.

"Are you nervous? About giving birth?"

I eyed him for a moment, trying to read his expression before nodding. "Considering the complications," I said, referring to my damaged womb after being beaten, "and the fact there's a chance I'll give birth and won't even get to hold my child before they're dragged away from me. Yes. I am."

He nodded slowly, not breaking eyes contact while I waited with baited breath, hoping he would say something. Anything.

"How about we make a deal?" He said, his eyes sliding down to my stomach for a moment before he looked back at me. I narrowed my eyes and nodded for him to continue and he raised an eyebrow. "We'll raise this child together. I won't take them away or stop you from seeing them," he said and the ache that has been in my chest for the past week suddenly lifted.

My eyes widened and filled with tears at his words. "I promise you that I won't take them away, but in return I need you to promise the same thing. You won't leave, you won't run with my child," he paused and narrowed his eyes, the corner of his lip twitching, "you won't shoot me."

A burst of relieved laughter fell from my lips as I nodded. "Deal," I said instantly. Tears spilled down my cheeks yet again, but for the first time in my life, they were happy tears. Relief flooded me at the agreement that I would be with my child. I would get to know my baby. That was all I had ever wanted.

A small smile crossed Kane's lips. "Deal," he said with a nod. "And you have nothing to worry about with the birth. I'm a doctor remember," he said with a smirk.

I smiled back. "I don't know how I'd survive if something went wrong," I told him.

"Nothing will," he said with confidence.

"There's a lot that can go wrong with pregnancy," I stated, remembering all the other girls that gave birth in the whorehouse. Their pain filled screams had echoed through the building and many of the girls hadn't survived the procedure. "What if I'm not strong enough?"

Kane scoffed and I frowned up at him. "If you're not strong enough then the human race is doomed," he said, shaking his head with a small smile on his face.

I hated the feeling that flooded my chest. I hated the smile that fell on my lips. I hated the longing I felt in my stomach and the urge to reach out and take his hand in the front of my mind. I hated the warmth flowing through my body, just because of his words. I hated how much I wanted to hear those words. I hated how desperate I was for his approval. And I hated that I wanted him to say more.