by M. N. Forgy
“Charlie, talk to me,” he rasps, squeezing the sponge of soapy warm water down my back, bringing me from moments ago to now.
“It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have tried to pull Tara off you,” I whisper, staring at the tub’s chrome faucet. “But I saw her beating on you and I just reacted.” I shrug, emotion filling my voice. Goose bumps race along my arms, and even with the warm water, I feel cold and empty. The injuries from the fall don’t compare to the pain splicing through my heart.
“The doctor said the bleeding is too light to determine a miscarriage. Don’t talk as if this is it, Charlie.”
I let out a heavy breath and lay my head back on his legs. “You’re just trying to make me feel better,” I sniffle.
“It’s my fault, too. If I was away from the stairs…” he clips, his voice dark. “I should have listened to you and left you back at the house.”
I shift sideways and look up at him, his face taut and eyes holding sorrow. He’s blaming himself, too. It hurts me to know that he thinks this is his fault.
I raise my hand and cup his jaw, the scruff tickling my palm.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted the baby at first,” I admit. “I didn’t know what to think. Waking up one day and being told you’re pregnant is a shock. But now, thinking I may not have that little heartbeat inside me anymore, I know for sure that I do want the baby one-hundred percent.” I start to cry.
Landon cups my hand and brings his head down, kissing the skin of my inner wrist. “Let’s get you out,” he whispers against my hand. He stands and grabs a towel from the counter as I place my hands on each side of the tub and stand on wobbly legs. Landon wraps my body in a large, fluffy white towel and directs me out of the water. Standing in front of the mirror, I watch him pat and dry my body with such care and love, I draw in a sudden breath. He begins to roll down his pants legs, and I slowly head into the bedroom with the towel still wrapped around me.
I look out the window, all the twinkling lights of Vegas shining in the distance.
“We’ll make it through this, sweetheart,” Landon whispers into my ear. I nod as a tear trails down my cheek. I lean against him, my body drawing strength from his closeness.
“What now?” I question. Where do Landon and I go from here? We may lose a child, but Landon lost a father too. I tried to get him to talk about it, but he does the man thing and says he’s fine. That his father got what was coming to him. He also assured me that Tara paid for what she’d doneattacking me. When I asked what he meant, he said nobody harms a Blackwell and lives to see another day. I don’t know if he took care of it or Osborn, and I don’t want to think about it.
“You become the Madam of the Blackwell estate. That is, if you want to.” Landon pulls me from my thoughts, and I frown. Me as the Madam of the estate makes the nerves in my stomach knot. I’m not sure I could handle a bunch of damaged women.
“I’m not so sure I’m the one for the job, Landon,” I whisper, grief lacing my words.
“I beg to differ. You are perfect for the job. You know more about being in those girls’ shoes than anyone.” Landon strides behind me, his hands on my hips as he rests his chin on my shoulder. “Let’s get you to bed. You need to rest.” Landon turns me and presses on the small of my back, leading me back to the bed. The bed is made perfectly, the sheets seemingly brand new. Landon pulls the comforter back and helps me crawl in; they’re crisp and clean against my sore body. He turns the lights off then climbs in after me, pulling me into the crook of his torso. The warmth of his skin against mine is comforting and relaxing. It’s all I could ever want.
“If fate hands us the worst, Charlie, the doctor said we could try to conceive again.” My eyes widen and my heart sputters. I tilt my head back and search Landon’s face in the dark. We should wait. We shouldn’t jump into a commitment so quickly, but my gut says to hell with what normal people do. When have we ever been normal anyway?
“Is… is that something you want?” I question. I know getting pregnant was an accident, but actually planning to have a child is a whole other level of commitment.
Landon runs his hand along the crook of my neck and exhales.
“If we lose this baby, then yes. When we’re both mentally and physically ready.” He raises a stern brow at me. “Yes, it is something I want.”
I nod, agreeing.
“All in?” he whispers, kissing my forehead tenderly. My lips curl into a smile, his ‘all in’ making me giggle.
“All in.”
EPILOGUE
LANDON
Three Days Later
I sit at my desk, working some of the girls’ clients for the week when my phone rings. “Landon Blackwell,” I answer anxiously. Charlie is with the doctor upstairs. She said she wanted to be alone when she found out if we had lost our child or not. I refused, but the doctor insisted.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Blackwell. This is Aaron from wildlife conservation. I got a call that you had two gorillas you were looking to have placed in our reserve?”
I sit up straight and jerk my tie loose. “Yes, that is correct.”
“Can I set up a time to come and look the gorillas over, observe them to see if they’re fit for our program? I’m sure they will be. I would just like to see them firsthand.” He chuckles and I give a half-laugh, standing to relieve my nerves.
“Yes, that would be terrific,” I respond. “Next week sound okay to you?” I’m not sure if I’m free next week, but I can shuffle some things around if I need to. Since Father’s death, Roman and I pretty much run things together.
“Great. If you want to email me the directions and any information regarding Jaheem and Ebele, that would be great.”
“Yes, of course.”
“I’ll see you next week then, Mr. Blackwell.”
“See you then.” I hang up, my back sweating. I’ve been trying to get them into one of these programs for what seems like forever. It’s not that I won’t miss them, because I will. I grew up running out to their cage and seeing them. But they deserve to be free, to be animals. Not prisoners.
The door opens and shuts to my office, catching my attention.
Charlie walks in wearing a long, sexy-as-hell black dress, her dark hair is let down and curling at the ends. When I was younger, my mother would dress in a black dress before she worked the estate. When I asked her about it, she furrowed her brows and said, “Every woman deserves a little black dress, Landon.” Then she smirked and ruffled my hair. “Don’t forget that, son.”
“Have I said how sexy you look in black?” I smile wolfishly. Charlie’s cheeks flush as she strides over to my desk. My cock grows in my slacks with the need to take her again. “We just got Jaheem and Ebele a home into a nice reserve, I think,” I inform her with a big smile.
“Really?” Charlie lights up. She smiles and looks off. “That’s crazy.”
I lift a brow, curious at what she’s thinking in that head of hers. “Why’s that?”
“They’re free, we’re free. It’s just an odd coincidence.” I nod and smile, noticing she has her hand behind her back and a mischievous smile playing her face. I cock my head to the side, curious what she’s up to.
“What?” I ask with a laugh.
She pulls her arm out and shoves her hand in my face as she squeals in excitement. I pull my face back to look at what she has in her hand to find a picture of some sort. I take it from her, and examine it. It’s an ultrasound image. I forgot for a moment about her being with the doctor I was so excited about finding Jaheem and Ebele a home.
“Really?” I look at her with surprise.
“Mmhhm.” She nods. “We didn’t lose the baby!” I stand from my desk and make my way to her, pulling her into my arms. “I can’t believe it. I surely thought we had lost it,” she mutters into the crook of my neck. I scoff.
“Must be a boy then, tough like his dad.” She rolls her eyes and slaps at my chest. I slide my hand along her abdomen, and smirk. “A Blackwell and an Evans, imagin
e that,” I mutter. Relief floods my senses that we didn’t lose it, that Charlie and I created something precious out of an act of love rather than creating chaos and damage in our wake. This baby is a start to a new chapter in mine and Charlie’s life. He or she stands for something memorable.
Charlie beams with happiness as she watches my hand caress her belly.
“Imagine that,” she repeats. “We actually did something right for a change, and it happened when we weren’t even trying,” she giggles. I shake my head, and pull my hand away. Trying to get a hold of my emotions.
“How’s your first day going as the Madam?” I ask, trailing my fingers up her spine. Making Charlie the Madam was the best decision I ever made. She’s perfect for the girls. Hearing the news, Veronica got pissed and left. I can honestly say things between the girls have become a lot less catty since her departure.
“Jayden is not taking the team cleaning her up well, and Roman is pacing outside the door like a dog in heat waiting for her. I just…” She closes her eyes. “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do,” she huffs, sitting at my desk. It took some threatening and cash to get Jayden from Mick, but in the end, it was all worth it. Charlie seems much happier that Jayden is here. I offered Jayden a position to help Charlie out around the estate, but she refused. Jayden said there’s a void in her life we wouldn’t understand and she’d rather be an escort.
I grab Charlie’s hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. Things between Charlie and I are smoother now that we don’t have to fight what we really want, which is just to be together. We’re better people when we’re together than when we’re apart. We both have something the other needs. She needs my strength to cure her pain and my presence when she feels alone. I need her love and that attitude of hers to put me in my place.
“Your job is to be there for the girls, make sure they follow the rules. A lot of girls come in here damaged, although you wouldn’t know it by the fake smiles and how they constantly throw themselves at men. But mostly, that’s an act of filling an emptiness,” I explain, sitting on my desk. She runs her hand down my arm and smiles.
Charlie nods. “If there is something I know, it’s that you have to relinquish it all before you can have it all.”
I hold her arm and pull her back to my front, brushing the hair from her neck.
“Do you have it all, Charlie?” I whisper into her ear.
She turns her head slightly and offers a wicked smile.
“I’m getting there.”
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book was so much fun to write. The research alone was amazing and I found myself nose deep into the world of escorts and pimps till the wee hours of the night. It’s as fascinating as it is dark.
This book could not have been completed without my amazing team of friends though. Thank you Author JC Emery and your ability to listen to me ramble and plot at all hours of the night.
Thank you LM Creations for the amazing cover. BIG thank you to Alessandra Torre for the cover blurb. I tried my hardest not to fan-girl all over you, but you rock… so it was hard.
My editor at Hottree, you are amazing and worked so well with my tight schedule. Julie, can I just say THANK YOU for proofing Relinquish on your vacation (If that is not loyalty, I don’t know what is).
My street team and Addicts group, you are the best, and I love every one of you. Rock Stars Of Romance, you fucking rock! Thank you much for an amazing release, tour, and cover reveal.
Max Effect, you rock at formatting. I always know I’m in good hands with your amazing talent.
I am forever grateful to my betas. This book had me so nervous being my first out of my MC series. Some read a couple of chapters, some read all of the book. Stephanie, Brie, Bel, Julie, Vickie, Courtney, Jennifer, Nancy, and Emily. You’re opinion, and advice helped me in many ways. Thank you!
Most of all, thank you- the reader. This book would not be here without you and your support. I’m beyond grateful and hope to keep pleasing you with books to come!
Love M.N. Forgy
xx
ALSO BY M. N. FORGY
DEVIL’S DUST SERIES
What Doesn’t Destroy Us (#1)
The Scars That Define Us (#2)
The Broken Pieces Of Us (Novella)
The Fear That Divides Us (#3)
Love That Defies Us (Novella)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
M.N. Forgy was raised in Missouri where she still lives with her family. She’s a soccer mom by day and a saucy writer by night.
M.N. Forgy started writing at a young age but never took it seriously until years later, as a stay-at-home mom, she opened her laptop and started writing again. As a role model for her children, she felt she couldn’t live with the “what if” anymore and finally took a chance on her character’s story. So, with her glass of wine in hand and a stray Barbie sharing her seat, she continues to create and please her fans.
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