A Hidden Danger

Little Flower

Marigold

Things had just gotten back to normal when it all went to hell. Austin and I had gotten a small house together, and I had returned to work. I still went by Autumn, and Austin constantly checked to see if someone was looking into my new identity. I was happy and feeling safe again. Austin was making sure of it.

I never had any weird feelings of being watched or suspected that anything was going on. I went about my days in pure bliss, learning all there was to know about the man I loved and how we were going to be a family. Nadine had spent lots of time helping take care of me when Austin needed to be at the clubhouse doing work. She had been getting more and more excited about the baby. Each day, she brought a new outfit over.

To say that I was living my life ignorant of what was about to happen would be an accurate account of the situation. No one knew what was coming. I would like to say that it was nothing but a simple situation that was ended quickly but that would be wrong.

I had been in my office finishing up my notes when my door opened. Not looking up, I thought it was Naomi or Rachel who would have been telling me they were leaving. That happened every day and was something I could count on. But that night, nothing could be further from the truth.

"I hope you have a good night. Austin will be here in just a minute to get me, so feel free to go on to the clubhouse." I had said. There was a party that night and everyone was going to make an appearance.

"I don't think he's going to be picking you up, wife."

Chills ran up and down my spine. That voice belonged to the one person I didn't want to find me. I looked up to see Marco standing in the doorway leaned against the frame. I noticed he wasn't wearing his usual suit, but a pair of dark jeans and a black t-shirt. But that wasn't what had thrown me off. It was the dark circles under his eyes. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days and once I looked closer, I could see how bloodshot his eyes were.

He just stood there staring at me as if he was taking everything in, almost like he was trying to memorize what I looked like in the moment. It was unsettling, considering the man had never paid that much attention to me before. But he was standing there staring at me all the same. I couldn't find words to say anything to him. I had really thought I would never see him again.

"Wife, you're awfully quiet. I would think you would have a lot of things to tell me." He paused and made it look like he was thinking. "I guess you could start with hello darling."

He walked closer to me, making sure to close the door. I couldn't make out the emotions on his face or in his eyes. Which felt like he had turned everything off and was just running on autopilot. He stopped right in front of the desk and sat in one of the chairs. He sat there, relaxed.

"Then you could move onto the fact that you're pregnant with my child. You could feel me in on all the things that I missed since you choose to take those moments from me. And maybe you could even explain to me why you left. Tell me the reason you choose to walk away from not only your husband but your family. You do remember you have parents? Right, my love?"

I flinched at his words. Where in the hell had that come from? My love? The man had never referred to me in any term of endearment. I knew I couldn't get away. After everything Austin had told me I knew my husband was a very dangerous man.

"The day I learned I was pregnant I went to your office." That got his attention. "I asked Gabriella if you were in and she said she thought so since she hadn't seen or heard from you all morning."

"Funny she never mentioned that you came by." His voice had an edge to it and I knew I had made a mistake.

"I begged her not to. I wanted to surprise you. We had been trying and our parents were always going on about a baby. So I thought I would make it special for you." I took a deep breath. I wanted him to understand the next part. "So you remember what you were doing that morning? The morning I left?"

I watched as the realisation to come to him. Oh, and did it ever. I never thought that I would see the day when Marco would feel guilt or remorse, but I was given that gift on that afternoon. Although he quickly removed the look, I saw it there.

"I do. But I would have thought you would understand that was a part of our lifestyle. You know that the wealthy men never stay within the boundary of their marriages." He couldn't look me in the eye as he spoke.

"Oh, do you mean the crime family lifestyle?"

His eyes snapped to mine. He was under the impression that I didn't know anything about his true lifestyle. I felt some kind of satifaction at that.

"I see you've finally learned about our families. But the real question I have for you is did you think you were going to be able to stay hidden? Was it your plan to keep my child from me?" he asked.

"I had hoped to." I said honestly.

"Why?" he gritted out.

"I don't want my child to live in that kind of world. The world of the rich and powerful who treat family as a tool to get ahead. Where marriages are arranged and there's no love. I wanted to find a place that I could give this child a chance to have a normal life."

Marco got up and walked over to me. He scooped me up and sat in my office chair, placing me in his lap. I was uncomfortable at the closeness; we had never done anything life this in the past.

"Over the last few days, I have been watching you." I was shocked by this. "You shouldn't be surprised my love. But watching you has given me a new sense of what it was that I was missing with you. The first day I saw you with that man, I saw someone that I didn't recognize. You were smiling in a way that I had never seen before. It was lovely." He tucked a hair behind my ear.

"He makes me happy." His grip had tightened at those words.

"I went on to watch a video of when you were living in our home. You did everything you were supposed to do. But the smiles were fake. The happiness wasn't there, even on the days I thought were good. The more I watched the more I wanted you to smile at me the way you did him."

My heart started to beat wildly. I pleaded with God to make it not so. I wanted nothing more than to go back to the indifference that he had always had before, because that emotion he was showing scared me more than anything.

"Now, you won't be able to get off scot free. There will be punishment for your actions. But I will ensure that you aren't killed. With a bit of training...."

My world spun at those words. With a bit of training. Flashes of my past came rushing back to me. I could see it all clearly. My mother and even my father punishing me in brutal ways for the "mistakes" I would make. There had been times when I wasn't able to attend school or even leave the house because of the pain from the punishment. They had taken me to a hypnotherapist to ensure that I wouldn't remember those times.

But something about the fact that Marco was the one saying the trigger word made me open up the memories. I grasp the sides of my head and prayed for relief, but there was none to be had. I was in agony and I tried to look into Marco's eyes to see if he understood what he had done. To my horror he did, and he was delighting in it.

"Now, my little flower, you are going to be a good girl and go to sleep. I can't have you fighting me the entire way and hurting our baby. Which we will learn the sex of at our first appointment. Once the baby is here, you will get your punishment and then I will see about training. I will make you love me, Marigold. we will be a happy family and these people will be a thing of the past."

I felt the prick of a needle and everything went dark. Just as I was drifting off, I heard him speak.

"I love you my little flower."