Duncan

by Teresa Gabelman

  Making it to her room, she slammed the door before slapping her hands over her ears. Catching her reflection in the small mirror above the dresser, she hissed at her reflection. “I’m not a whore.”

  “Who the fuck called you a whore?” Duncan’s angry face appeared in the mirror behind her.

  Pam jumped spinning around. “He did. He always called me a whore. He said no one would ever love me after he was done with me,” She whispered, anger mixed with fear shining from her eyes. “Is it true? Do I disgust you because of what he did to me? Is that why you stopped? You don’t want me?”

  Surprised by her outburst, Duncan stepped back. “I have never wanted a woman more in my life. You have no idea what I wanted to do to you in that kitchen.”

  “What did you want to do to me?” Pam stared up at him demanding to know. “I need to know, Duncan.”

  Dare he tell her point blank? The look on her face told him the answer. She wanted to know how much he really wanted her. “I wanted to throw you across the table and fuck you,” Duncan growled.

  Pam’s eyes widened as her head tilted.

  “I’m sorry.” Duncan thought that by her expression, it wasn’t what he should have said. Fuck! “I shouldn’t have…”

  “No.” Pam shook her head. “That’s what I needed to hear. I’m not frightened.”

  “I don’t think I could take it if I ever saw fear in your eyes when you looked at me,” Duncan replied his voice deep. “That’s why I had to stop, Pam. I want you so much that I don’t think I can control myself once I’m with you. Making love to you the first time, may be my undoing, and I can’t ever hurt you.”

  “I want you, Duncan.” Pam’s lip trembled. “As long as I see your face and hear your voice, I know I’ll be fine, but I want you so badly, I need you. Does that make me more messed up than I already am? Shouldn’t I not want to have sex with anyone?”

  “No, it doesn’t.” He brushed the hair from her eyes. “It makes me respect you even more. You are a strong woman, Pam. I’ve always known that.”

  “I’m so confused.” Her voice told him how much she hated the confused emotions she was having. “But wrong or right, I do want you.”

  “There is nothing but right in that, babe,” he replied, and then looked down to touch her stomach. “I don’t want to hurt you or the baby. You sure we should?”

  “We’ll be fine.” Pam smiled trying not to show how nervous she was. She wanted this and knew Duncan would help her through it. “Please kiss me.”

  Duncan groaned smashing his mouth against hers. “If you need to stop, we will stop.” He kissed down her neck. “I swear to you, I will stop.”

  If she didn’t love this man before, she did now. She felt his hands moving over her body. A few times, she opened her eyes to see his face, and that was all she needed. Soon her thoughts only belonged to him, and again she felt free. Not even when he unbuttoned her shirt and was pulling it down off her shoulders did she feel fear. She felt free…she felt loved…she felt him pulling away.

  “No, I’m fine.” She reached up to pull him back to her. “Please, don’t stop. I didn’t say stop.”

  “Pam.” Duncan couldn’t help but laugh. “Honey, someone’s knocking on the door,” he whispered, pulling her shirt up, helping her button it.

  “Who is it?” Pam whispered, feeling disappointed.

  “I don’t know, but I may kill them.” He winked at her when she giggled. Duncan double checked to make sure Pam was covered before opening the door. He couldn’t resist leaning over and kissing her one more time.

  Sid stood on the other side when Duncan opened it. “What the hell do you want?”

  “Well, if you checked your damn phone, you’d know that Sloan wants you in his office pronto.” Sid frowned. “So since you don’t answer your damn phone, I have to be the fucking messenger.”

  “Tell him I’ll talk to him in the morning.” Duncan went to close the door, but Sid stuck his foot out stopping him.

  “Uhm no.” Sid walked into the room. “I’m not telling him that. You tell him that. I’m not your bitch because obviously I’m his. I will keep the pregnant one company while you go see what grump ass wants.”

  “Go ahead, Duncan.” Pam smiled nodding to the door. “I need to get to know Sid better anyway.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Duncan glared at Sid in warning before kissing Pam on the cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

  “So you really like the boss man, huh?” Sid asked when Duncan had left. He sat down in the only chair in the room, grabbing the remote.

  “Yeah, I do.” Pam sat on the bed. “What about you?”

  “He’s okay…for an asshole.” Sid smiled flipping through channels.

  Chapter 13

  Duncan walked into Sloan’s office without knocking. He wanted to get this over quickly so he could get back to Pam.

  “What’s so important you needed to see me right away?” Duncan stood in front of Sloan’s desk. He didn’t even want to get comfortable by taking a seat.

  “I just got a call from Pete.” Sloan tossed his pen on the desk. “Sheriff Bowman’s murderer turned himself in.”

  A bad feeling crept over Duncan. “I take it that someone is not Kenny Lawrence.”

  “Bingo,” Sloan growled. “You know I always hated that fucking dog, now I know why.”

  “That is bullshit.” Duncan slammed his hands on Sloan’s desk. “We know he did it. We watched him do it. Everyone in that fucking bar is a witness.”

  “It’s a done deal, Duncan.” Sloan cursed. “Kenny Lawrence turned in a half-breed by the name of Ray Jones.”

  “How in the hell is that a done deal,” Duncan shouted. “He’s a lying sack of shit.”

  “The half-breed confessed to it all.”

  “Fuck!”

  “Detective Ferguson has dropped everything against Kenny. He’s a free man. Supposedly, he and Ferguson set up a deal before the bastard turned in the half-breed.” Sloan frowned. “That’s not all.”

  “As if that’s not bad enough,” Duncan growled.

  “Kenny has taken out a restraining order against the VC Warriors.”

  “He’s a dead man,” Duncan warned Sloan. “I swear to God if he comes close to her, I will kill him.”

  “And that’s exactly what he wants. The more Warriors he can get out of the way, the easier he can get to her and the baby.”

  “Well that will be hard for him to do once he’s dead.” Duncan had never felt such rage. To even think of that son of a bitch getting near Pam had Duncan wanting to kill something, and he was usually the calm one.

  “He’s smarter than that.” Sloan rubbed his eyes. “As much as I hate to admit it, he pulled one over on us, but the thing he hasn’t counted on, is us being a hell of a lot smarter than him.”

  “Ferguson has his hand in this,” Duncan grunted, his mind going a mile a minute. “Did Pete say what kind of deal they made?”

  Sloan just shook his head. “Pete is trying to find out what he can.”

  “We owe that cop a lot,” Duncan replied.

  “Keep her close, Duncan. Don’t let her out of your sight,” Sloan ordered as if he had to give those orders. “He’s going to try to do this the legal way and get custody of the baby. I’d bet my ass on it. So we have to be a step ahead. The son of a bitch has bit off way more than he can chew.”

  “Swear to me if anything happens to me, the bastard never gets close to Pam or the baby.” Duncan had never been more serious in his life.

  “Nothing is going to happen to you, but yeah, I swear to you they will be taken care of,” Sloan swore with a nod sealing the deal.

  “Does everyone else know?” Duncan asked, walking away from the desk.

  “Not yet. I wanted you to be the first, but I’ll take care of them. You take care of Pam.” Sloan stared at the door as his friend and fellow Warrior walked out. He hated having his Warriors look the fool. Picking up his desk phone, he slammed it down twice before se
tting it back down nice and easy. Detective Ferguson had no clue who he was fucking with, but he was about to find out.

  *****

  Pam decided she really liked the smart mouthed Sid Sinclair. He was charming in a funny, in your face kind of way, and had her laughing nonstop since Duncan had left.

  “Okay, not much on TV tonight.” Sid kept flicking through the channels.

  “It doesn’t matter to me.” Pam stood to go to the restroom. “I never watch much TV anyway.”

  “You have got to be kidding me. Airplane Repo? How the hell do you repo an airplane.” Hearing Pam moan he flipped to the next channel.

  “Okay, I’ll find something else. How about When Fish Attack 2?” When Pam moaned louder, Sid glanced over at her ready to hand her the remote. “Here you find something.”

  Seeing Pam bent over holding her stomach had him throwing the remote as he jumped from the chair. “Pam! What’s wrong? What is it?”

  Pam bit her lip as she tried to straighten up. “Just had a small pain.”

  “Small pain, my ass.” He looked at her pale face. “Let me get Duncan.”

  “No, wait.” Pam grabbed his arm straightening all the way up. “Don’t leave me, please.”

  Sid looked torn with wanting to go for help, but not wanting to upset her more. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, just let me go to the bathroom.” Pam took two steps before stumbling into the wall with a moan as pain gripped her stomach again.

  Sid was there in a flash. Carefully he picked her up and headed for the door. “Where’s the doc’s new office?”

  “I don’t know.” Pam held onto her stomach, her face pale as she broke into a sweat. “I’m scared, Sid.”

  By the look on Sid’s face, that made two of them, but he didn’t say it. Going as fast as he could without jarring her, he went down the end of one hallway kicking doors in. “God damn, where is it?” he cursed. “Who the hell designed this place? Whoever it was needs their ass kicked.”

  “Try that way.” Pam held on trying to stay still, but another pain hit. “Oh, God.” She clinched her jaw.

  “Fuck! Fuck!” Sid went faster. “Don’t you dare have that baby yet!”

  “I seriously don’t think it’s up to me,” Pam replied unclenching her jaw as the pain faded.

  “Just hold them legs together.” Sid kicked another door cursing when it was empty. “And don’t sneeze.”

  “Don’t sneeze?” Pam looked up at him confused.

  “Yeah, we don’t need that thing shooting out.” Sid was seriously freaking out. “Where the fuck is it?”

  Pam laughed; she couldn’t help it. As scared as she was, Sid made her laugh. “It’s not a thing, it’s a baby and I don’t think a sneeze will do that.”

  “Well, let’s just not even find out, okay?” Kicking the last door at the end of another long hallway, Sid walked in where Slade and Jill were putting things away in cabinets. “Where the fuck have you been?” Sid yelled.

  “Ah, right here.” Slade caught sight of Pam. “What’s happened?”

  “I’m having small pains,” Pam answered, feeling much better that they had found the doctor.

  “And I repeat, small pains, my ass. She was bent over.” Sid still held her waiting for orders.

  “Move that stuff off the table,” Slade ordered Jill. “Hurry up.”

  Jill quickly removed a box before laying a sheet across it. Sid gently laid Pam down as Jill placed a pillow under her head. “Where’s Duncan?”

  “No, don’t bother him.” Pam grabbed Sid’s arm. “It was just a little pain. It’s gone now.”

  “Oh, I so don’t want to get my ass kicked, thank you very much,” Sid snorted, pulling out his phone hitting a few numbers. “Where the hell are you? Yeah, well we aren’t there. She was having pains, so I brought her to the doctor. I have no fucking clue where.”

  Jill grabbed the phone from Sid. “We’re down the hall by the east side exit.” She handed the phone back.

  “You need signs.” Sid moved out of the way. “This place is a damn maze.”

  “Where’s the pain, Pam?” Slade pulled up her shirt just below her breasts and pulled her pants below her belly.

  Pam put her hand on her lower right side. “It starts here, but moves across my stomach.”

  “Have you had any bleeding or spotting?”

  “No.”

  Slade pulled out a stethoscope putting them in his ears and then on her stomach. He frowned when she jerked. “Another pain?”

  “No, that’s cold.”

  “Sorry.” Slade grinned, then got serious as he listened intently moving the stethoscope around her stomach. “How far along are you?”

  “Three months.” Pam watched his face closely trying to read what was going on in his expression, but he was a closed book.

  “Do twins run in your family or the father’s family?” Slade ask not revealing anything.

  “Not in mine, and I’m not sure about….” She couldn’t say father. He wasn’t a father. He was a monster. “His family. Is the baby okay?”

  Slade pulled the stethoscope out of his ears. “How long have you been having pain?”

  “Just now. Why?” Pam started to feel panic and suddenly wanted Duncan there.

  “When was the last time you felt the baby move?” Slade grabbed his phone.

  “This morning.” Pam tried to sit up, but he put his hand on her shoulder.

  Putting the phone to his ear he waited as he stared into her eyes. “This is Dr. Buchanan. I’m bringing in a patient and need a sonogram room ready STAT.”

  “Oh, God.” Pam closed eyes fear gripping her.

  Duncan burst into the room heading straight for Pam. Grabbing her hand, he looked at Sid. “What the hell happened?”

  “We need to get her to University Hospital now.” Slade went to pick her up, but Duncan was faster.

  “I’ll get the car out front.” Sid took off so fast his last word was said from the hallway.

  Slade started grabbing stuff, shoving it in bags before following Duncan out the door. “Dammit.” He turned, but ran into Jill.

  “What do you need?” Jill asked. “I’ll get it. You need to stay with her.”

  “I need my identification stuff. I haven’t been to the hospital yet.” Slade patted his pockets to make sure he didn’t have them. “They’re on the desk.”

  “Go. I got it.” Jill went back into the room.

  Slade caught up with Duncan. “Any more pains, Pam?”

  “No,” Pam replied, her head on Duncan’s chest. “Why are we going to the hospital? What’s wrong?”

  Slade’s eyes met Duncan’s. “Just a precaution,” he told Pam, but he mouthed, hurry, to Duncan.

  Chapter 14

  Duncan followed Slade through the hospital emergency room. As soon as he showed his identification, they were escorted to a room. There was a nurse waiting. Slade said a few words to her before turning his attention back to Pam. “Have you ever had a sonogram?”

  “No,” Pam replied looking away from the nurse who was staring at her.

  “Lay her on the table.” Slade pulled the machine close.

  Reluctantly, Duncan laid her down, but grasped her cold shaking hand. Looking at Slade, he silently dared him to tell him to leave.

  Getting the message loud and clear, Slade smiled. Pulling up her shirt under her breasts, and her pants down exposing her whole belly, he watched her closely. “Any more pain?”

  “No.” Pam watched him work the machine. “Not feeling the baby move is bad, isn’t it?”

  “Not always. This is going to be cold, so I apologize.” Slade applied gel to her stomach. “Sometimes the little one just takes a long nap giving the momma some down time.”

  “But you didn’t hear anything either did you?” Pam’s chin trembled, bringing up what she was afraid to bring up at the compound.

  “Using a stethoscope isn’t the best way to hear a baby’s heartbeat. They can be lying in a different posit
ion making it impossible to hear. That’s why we use sonogram. It’s the best way.” Slade took the probe placing it in the gel running it along her stomach. “You’re going to feel some pressure, but no pain. If you feel any pain, let me know right away.”

  Duncan watched Pam who watched the screen of the machine holding her breath. “Breathe,” he whispered, placing his lips to her temple, his eyes going to the screen. The whooshing sound of the sonogram filled the room. All eyes were on the screen. As Slade ran the probe around her stomach, a different sound filled their ears. The sound of the baby’s heartbeat, faint at first, slowly got louder until it filled the room.

  Pam lost it. Tears filled her eyes at the sound. Turning her head, she buried her face in Duncan’s neck. “Thank God.”

  Slade hit buttons on the machine before moving the probe more. “You said you estimate you’re three months pregnant?”

  “Three months and a week to be exact.” Pam still had her face buried in Duncan’s neck trying to compose herself.

  “That’s impossible.” Slade hit more buttons, the machine making different noises. Even the nurse had a look of disbelief on her face. “You are in the third trimester. Are you sure about the three months?”

  “Yes, I’m sure,” Pam replied. It was a day she would never forget. “I was given a shot.”

  Slade looked up at Duncan who nodded toward the nurse shaking his head. “Okay, we’ll talk about that in a few minutes.” He turned the machine so she could see it better. “Would you like to meet your baby?”

  “Yes.” Pam sniffed wiping her eyes smearing blood on her cheek. Duncan wiped it away with a small smile. Turning, she looked at the screen, and there was her baby, nestled in her womb. “Is it okay?”

  “Yes, ten fingers and toes with a cute little nose.” Slade laughed when the baby yawned.

  “Oh, did you see that?” Pam’s eyes shot to Duncan.

  “Yeah, I did.” Duncan watched amazed. Never had he seen anything like it. Looking down at Pam’s excited face, he felt such a sense of home, it blew him away. Never did he think he would have a family of his own, but looking from Pam to the baby, he knew without a doubt, his secret hope was finally being fulfilled.