"Cold hands brushed my thighs."



12

We had been driving for about an hour, the silence in the car so thick it felt suffocating. The grip he had on my thigh was a constant, and the pain from it had become almost routine. Finally, the car came to a halt. It was dark, and I couldn't make out anything around us.

Reign got out first and came around to my side, helping me out. We were on a mountain cliff, overlooking a brightly lit city below. I walked past him, momentarily mesmerized by the view, but the moment was shattered when he roughly gripped the back of my neck and pulled me into his chest. His hand tightened around my throat, squeezing firmly. My voice was gone, swallowed by the pressure.

"What do you take me for Ami?" A tear fell at the tone of his hard voice. With hands still on my throat, he walked me backwards slowly, not once breaking eye contact.

I was certain he knew the cliff was behind me—was he planning to kill me tonight? With every step I took backward, my heart raced faster. I believed in both God and the Devil, in heaven and hell. But nothing had ever terrified me like this. Reign stood before me, a figure of pure darkness, the Devil in his most merciless form.

"W-wait, Reign, please." Panic overtook me as I tried in vain to pry his hand from my throat, but his grip was unyielding. "P-please, just listen. I-I..."

Flashes of my life rushed before my eyes, reminding me of everything I still had to live for—the life growing inside me. If I was pregnant, I would protect this child with everything I had. Even if I wasn't, the thought of a potential lifeline gave me a spark of hope.

His eyes burned with a desire so intense, I could feel it deep in my bones. And then, I realized we were standing at the edge. My left foot slipped off the precipice, sending a surge of heat through my body. My reflexes kicked in, and I grabbed onto the bottom of his shirt to steady myself. But his hold on my neck only tightened, and I trembled, struggling to maintain my grip with sweaty palms.

"Nyet," Reign muttered, his voice almost a growl. "I know I'm repeating myself, but learning from our mistakes is important, no?"

Before I could respond, his soft, plump lips met mine. My tears fell, dampening my cheeks as I clung to him desperately, trying to hold on.

"Da, don't die, baby," he whispered, his words a strange mix of tenderness and danger. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for what was coming when his hands finally released their grip.

And then, in the silence of my mind, a soft voice whispered, "I'm pregnant."

•••

I've come to know the feeling all too well—the weight of failure pressing down on me. It's always been one extreme or the other: overachieving or falling short. My academic career was a constant battle to be the best, a pressure instilled in me by my father. Now, the universe has handed me Reign, another weight on my shoulders, a constant reminder of my perceived failures, especially when it comes to the way he lives his life. My mother moved on without a word, leaving me to bear the brunt of it all.

All I want is to be left alone.

I weakly tried to open my swollen eyes, blinking away the pain. I realized I was back in the bedroom at the estate, meaning I was back in the UK. Just as I registered the thought, the door opened, and the doctor entered.

She smiled at me, her voice gentle. "Ah, Ms. Martin, I'm glad to see you're awake. I'm Dr. Butler, your family doctor."

I tried to gulp but could barely manage it. I opened my mouth to speak, but she stopped me with a raised hand.

"I suggest you don't try to speak just yet," she said softly. "Your trachea was severely damaged. You underwent surgery three days ago. We were able to stop the rupture in your throat before any other serious injuries occurred. Now, it just needs time to heal."

I shut my eyes, trying to piece together the events of that night in Brazil, but everything felt so foggy, like a dream slipping through my fingers.

"Ms. Gusev, I ran some blood tests. Did you know you're six weeks pregnant?" The doctor's voice was calm, almost clinical. "Also, I've been asked to inform you that Mr. Gusev is out of the country on business."

I absorbed the news, feeling a strange emptiness. The man who had put me on bed rest wasn't even here.

Before I could process the weight of her words, a knock came at the door. I barely reacted before I saw Stassie let herself in. The doctor gave me a polite, closed-lip smile and quietly left us alone.

Stassie sat on the chair next to my bed, her eyes full of sympathy.

"I quit the finance job," she said softly. "I left my family behind."

Still weak, drained from everything that had happened, I turned to face her, hoping my eyes would convey what I couldn't find the strength to say aloud.

She smiled sadly and took my hand in hers. "My whole life, I never had a genuine relationship with anyone—not even my parents. Everything felt fake, like a scripted role when you come from money. But you, Amina... you're a gift, especially to me. And now, you have me. Whenever things seem impossible, you've got me to hug."

At the end of her words, tears blurred my vision, but despite it all, we smiled.

I reached for her hand, gently pulling it toward my stomach and letting it rest there, then placed mine on top of hers. She gasped, her eyes searching my face for answers. After a long moment, she lowered her face closer to mine and whispered softly, her voice trembling:

"It's safe with me."

•••

Hibernation—that's what this feels like. I've been holed up in this bedroom on bed rest, and while I won't pretend it's been easy, it's what I'm used to.

A younger version of me once pictured a fairy tale life: a successful career, a husband, kids, and a big house to match. Now, I don't know what's worse—trying to understand Reign, or convincing myself that beneath all that darkness, there might still be sunshine and rainbows.

I finished my shower, wrapping myself in a plush towel as I wiped the steam from the bathroom mirror. My reflection stared back at me, and I wiped away the lone tear that had escaped.

As I glanced at the counter, my eyes landed on an unfamiliar orange pill bottle.

"Hydrocodone?" I whispered to myself.

The doctor must have left these behind for pain. I looked at the closed door, my mind spinning with thoughts. I placed my hand on my stomach, feeling the weight of what it meant: a baby growing inside me. I'd have to raise a mafia heir, and the thought made my stomach churn. I disagreed with every part of that lifestyle, especially when it came to raising a child in it.

I opened the bottle.

"Why haven't you been eating?" The doors opened, I scarily jumped facing him out of reflex hiding my hands behind my back. Reigns eye's ocean blue eyes immediately was drawn to what's behind me. My heart instantly began pumping out my chest, what was I honestly panicking for?

Change the subject.

"Y-you're back... how was your t-trip?" My voice was so raspy, it felt like a strain just to speak. Reign stepped closer, his expression unreadable, but there was a question in his eyes.

"What are you hiding, Ami?" His deep voice was both intimidating and strangely captivating, stirring a response in me I couldn't quite control.

My bottom lip trembled, and I shakily pulled my hand away, holding up the pill bottle. "I-I promise I wasn't hiding it... I was prescribed these." I rushed to move past him, clutching the towel tightly around me.

His chiselled jaw shifted into a smile, and I couldn't help but wonder—why do the most handsome ones seem to carry the most trauma? Reign took the bottle from my hands, opened it, and briefly glanced down at my chest.

"Nyet, beautiful," he said, his tone low and commanding. "You want to feel no pain, yes? Open your hand."

He placed a few pills into my palm, his eyes never leaving mine. "Swallow."

A wave of heat surged through me, my body responding in ways I couldn't ignore. My core pulsed, and I felt the warmth between my legs begin to build.

Not giving me any room to oppose the warning look in his eyes was already clear. I had no choice but to pop the pills, no water just my saliva. I glanced up at him, as he took some himself throwing the rest of the bottle to the side.

"The next time you hide something, I'll finish the job and just cut your throat open." A sharp pain cut throughout me.

"Give me a kiss baby, i've missed you. Did you miss me?" I shyly smiled, before getting on the tips of my toes reaching up to nervously kiss him.

It got intensely aggressive, he yanked my towel clean off my body leaving me completely bare. Shoving his tongue in my mouth, I sucked on it in a daze created by Reign Gusev.

Cold hands trailed down from the middle of my back. He roughly squeezed my hips, stopping at my ass giving it soft rub. I relaxed my hands on his hard chest, as our kiss grew deeper. Reign painfully bit down on my bottom lip drawing a little blood.

It reached my gums, I tasted metallic as he sucked on my lip shedding more for him to taste. Eventually, he pulled away, gripping my waist to lift me on the cold marble counter.

He stood before me fully clothed as I was bare core to marble. Reign was effortlessly attractive, his rugged beard and bold tattoos covering every inch of him. His signature look— a white button-up shirt that clung to his toned muscles, and black dress pants accustom to his lean frame— made him look impossible to resist.

I catch myself starring mostly at his print even when soft. He took a glance at my full chest, licking his lips at my tiny nipples.

"Are you wet?"

My body took initiative to nod, "show me."

The man has a true gift on how to make a girl sexually devote themselves to him. I spread my legs for him, inching closer to the edge of the counter, leaning my back against the mirror. The cool air left from the steamy bathroom hit my back making me shiver.

Reign focused entirely on my core, his gaze dropping to me with a look of admiration in his eyes turning dark, "tell me what you want."

•••