Liam pressed a kiss directly below her navel. His lips brushed her skin as he whispered something that wasn’t intended for her to hear. In response to his voice, something stirred inside her, a peculiar warmth. The sensation was oddly comforting, but the pang of emptiness brought tears to her eyes, heartsick at the thought she wasn’t carrying Liam’s child.
Liam had spent the last several hours listening to the tiny fluttering heartbeat echoing softly in Olivia’s womb, light as a butterfly’s wings. Life he’d created now thrived inside the woman he loved, and there was no headier sound, no greater joy in this world.
His rejoicing was short-lived, however, when he turned and saw the displeasure clouding Olivia’s beautiful face. Did she know about the babe and was she displeased by the pregnancy? True, he’d never spoken fondly of it in the past, but he hadn’t wanted her to get her hopes up that they would ever have children. Back then, he’d been her bonded guardian and it had been a physical impossibility to mate with her. He’d resigned himself to that fact and accepted that he’d never have young of his own. It had pained him to think on it overmuch, so he’d quickly quelled any such talk early in their relationship.
Now he was left wondering if he hadn’t poisoned her against the idea of bearing his child. In truth, she couldn’t look any more distressed, anymore heartbroken, than she did at this moment, and her pain was like a knife stabbing into his heart. She should be happy... They should be rejoicing in the life they’d created together. Yes, this changed everything. Yes, this complicated things—immeasurably so—but they were going to have a baby, and nothing, no threat, no inconvenience, could ever overshadow the joy of bringing forth a life together.
Tears spilled over her lids as she watched him press a kiss to her belly and whisper a blessing to their child. He rose up and took her face in his hands, brushing away the fallen tears from her cheeks before pressing his lips to her forehead, then to her briny tear-stained cheeks, and the tip of her nose, and then finally her lips.
“Why are you crying?” he whispered. “It breaks my heart to see you looking so sad. Is it fear that burdens your heart? Are you not pleased to bear my child?”
A broken sob escaped her lips. “Haden told you I was pregnant, didn’t he?” she accused.
At the mention of his name, Liam’s hackles rose. His jaw clenched, a muscle in his cheek ticked as he grappled to reign in his temper before he said something he’d regret. Haden, Haden, Haden… He was sick to death of every conversation always having to be about Haden. This was about them—about their child—it had nothing to do with that half-breed bastard.
He drew a breath, readying to tell her as much, but before he could respond, Olivia pulled away from him and climbed out of bed. Snatching her nightgown off the floor, she hastily pulled it on and marched into the bathroom. She came back a moment later carrying a trash can and emptied it onto their bed. Multiple EPT boxes and white-capped sticks bearing blue minus signs littered the bedspread.
“I’m not pregnant!” Olivia announced as tears continued streaming down her face. She dropped the small trash can and it clattered to the floor as she turned and ran back into the bathroom.
The soft snick of the lock announced she wanted to be alone, and he wisely decided to give her a few moments to compose herself. Olivia might not think she was pregnant, but her emotions were clearly saturated in HCG. On the up side, she appeared genuinely upset at the thought that she wasn’t carrying his child, and that, in itself, pleased him to no end. The uncertainty that she might not want this baby vanished, and in its wake, resounding joy filled his heart.
Liam climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of lounge pants. With a mental command, the shower turned on and he picked up the discarded trash can, dropping the empty boxes and sticks inside. There were easily ten of these tests on the bed and everyone read negative. Huh…that was odd. No wonder she was so convinced she wasn’t pregnant. If he hadn’t heard the little heartbeat for himself, he would have doubted it, too.
Carrying the trash can with him, Liam touched the doorknob and willed the lock to open. When he stepped inside, steam was already clinging to the mirror and shrouding the air in a humid haze. Olivia sat at the vanity near the sink, her face buried in her hands. The shower’s hiss muffled her gut-wrenching sobs, her slight shoulders hunched as if she carried the weight of the world upon them. After setting the trash can down beside the loo, he walked over and stood behind her.
“Shh…” he soothed, taking the brush from the counter and putting it to the tangles in her hair. She loved having her hair brushed. Even as a small child, it always soothed her.
He stood there several minutes, silently letting her have the cry she seemed to so desperately need. A part of him suspected her tears bore more weight than just the disappointment over an unquickened pregnancy. She had been through a lot over the last few weeks, and sometimes the best cure for stress was a good, hard cry.
Dragging the fine-bristled brush through Olivia’s raven hair, Liam found himself thinking about their child. Would it be a girl, and would he soon have two heads of illustrious locks to tend? It didn’t take very long for the tension to begin to ease from her shoulders and for her sobs to soften to a few departing hiccups. Soon, her back eased against his thighs, and he draped her mane over her shoulder while he finished working the knots out of her ends.
He didn’t speak. He just waited, silently, for her to compose herself. No, this wasn’t just about the pregnancy. That might well have been the catalyst to her breakdown, but Olivia was dealing with a lot of pent-up, unresolved emotions.
As Olivia dried her cheeks, she watched him from the reflection in the mirror, and after a few minutes, she exhaled a troubled sigh and said, “I’m sorry.”
He met her gaze in the mirror and smiled. “Whatever for? Burying me in garbage? I must say, if that’s the worst of your hormones, then I’ll count myself lucky.” He bent and kissed the top of her head.
“But, Liam, I already told you, I’m not—”
“Yes, you are.” He took a seat on the bench beside her and turned her to face him. “We’re going to have a baby, Olivia. I don’t know why your tests are coming back negative, but I heard the babe’s heartbeat myself this morning. It’s faint but strong. You’re definitely pregnant.”
A fresh wave of tears filled her eyes, but this time they were accompanied by a smile so bright it would surely have outshone the stars in Heaven. “Truly?” she asked as if she still couldn’t believe it. “We’re going to have a baby?”
She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, peppering his face and neck with kisses. Right now, at this very moment, was the closest he’d come to feeling her emotions since their bond had been severed, and Liam closed his eyes, reveling in her joy, a masculine rumble of pleasure chortling in his throat.
How had he thought, for even a moment, that she wouldn’t be happy about the babe? The woman was smothering him in kisses. And when her lips found his again, his hands slipped into her hair, holding her still as his mouth claimed hers in a plundering kiss that quickly turned her elated expression of joy into a heated exchange of burning desire.
Cutting off the shower with a mental command, he swept her up into his arms and carried her back to bed. As he laid her down and covered her body with his, he broke their kiss long enough to meet her eyes and pledge his heart to her.
“I love you, Olivia. I have loved you from the first moment I saw you. You are my life, my very breath...and soon you will give me my heart’s greatest desire—a child of my own flesh and blood. It is one thing I’ve longed for and never dreamed I could have. Marry me, Olivia, so that we may be eternally bound in the sight of God and man.”
Olivia woke to the warmth of the sun shining on her face and stretched languidly, reaching for Liam. When her hand fell on the cool sheet, she cracked open an eye and lifted her head, frowning at finding herself alone. If it weren't for the delicious scent of sandalwood clinging to the sheets and the pleasur
able ache of a thorough loving, she would wonder if last night had been a dream—a wonderful, spectacular dream. After stretching to unkink her sore, stiff muscles, she laid her palm on her stomach and smiled.
“Good morning, little one.”
As if in response to her greeting, the same liquid heat she’d felt last night began to stir, warming her womb as it had when Liam had spoken so softly. Could the babe hear her? Was it even now communicating with her? Impossible… Then again, maybe not. They were in uncharted territory here, evidenced by the multitude of negative pregnancy tests that apparently weren’t designed to detect supernatural conception.
Still, with no visible proof, it was hard to believe a little life was growing inside her—a life she and Liam had created together. After days of uncertainty and riding the emotional rollercoaster of hopes, doubts and fears, she finally had the answers she’d so desperately agonized over.
They were going to have a baby, and Liam couldn’t have seemed more thrilled about the news. He’d even asked her to marry him… How many times had she dreamed of hearing those words? After all these years of pain, suffering and heartache, they were going to be married, and would finally become a family.
Smiling to herself, she let out a little squeal of joy. For the first time, all her hopes and dreams were within her grasp. Life just didn’t get any better than this. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could ruin this day…
And for almost a whole hour, Olivia’s world was perfect.
Chapter Ten
Brushing aside the disappointment at waking to find herself alone, Olivia slipped on her robe and padded into the bathroom. Surely Liam would seek her out when he heard the tempting groan of the hot water pipes as she filled the bath. When the lure of scrubbing her back didn’t bring him to the door, she shook off the unease trying to take root in the pit of her stomach, and determined not to worry. After all, old habits die hard, and she scolded herself for letting unsettling thoughts enter her mind. Today was the first day of the rest of her life. She refused to let fears and doubts cloud her joy.
Like a persistent rash, Haden popped into her mind—unbidden and unwelcomed. He was the final loose end she needed to tie up. The dangling thread that if she did not snip, threatened to unravel this blanket of peace she’d worked so hard to knit for herself and Liam. She’d be lying if she said the idea of speaking to him did not stir her anxiety, but it had to be done—for her own sanity and for Liam’s peace of mind, he had to leave. She just hoped that the stone was consolation enough to get him to do it.
In truth, she didn’t even know why he was back. She’d been so certain that when he’d walked out that door, she’d never see him again. Honestly, he didn’t act any happier about it than she was. Perhaps he was her punishment for some wrong she’d done in her life—sent from Hell to torment her and needle her emotions, attempting to undermine her feelings for Liam.
As tempting a thought as it was, she knew it wasn’t true. She suspected Haden was as much a victim of circumstance as she was. Their paths had crossed, as a result, of actions put in play centuries before she was even born. He didn’t want to love her—that much she knew. It pained her to have hurt him, and she did not relish the thought of doing it again.
Exhaling a wary sigh, she coiled her hair on top of her head, securing it with a clip before unfastening her robe and letting it drop to her feet. As she moved to step into the tub, her reflection caught in the full-length mirror mounted to the back of the door, and she turned to stand before it. A smile touched her lips at the sight of the love bite on her neck—and in a few other places she noticed upon closer inspection. What she’d been hoping to find was evidence of the young she carried.
Her breasts were fuller, her nipples ruddier, but then again, that change could just be from attentive loving. Other than that, she noticed nothing different. Her flat stomach was still flat, her hips gently flared. She looked a bit top-heavy, but she’d always been generously endowed.
Olivia drew her finger over the mark on her breast and wondered if he saw her now, would he be surprised by the evidence left behind by his lovemaking. Not that she was complaining. The passion in which he’d taken her had surprised and excited her. He’d loved her thoroughly, taking her to heights of pleasure she’d never reached before.
Exhaling a sated sigh, she turned back to the tub, poured the jasmine-scented oil into the water, and eased herself into the hot bath. Olivia winced when her bare back connected with the cold porcelain tub. After adjusting to the chill, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, soaking in the fragrant water.
She must have dozed off because Olivia woke with a start. Water splashed over the rim, soaking her robe. Her hands and feet were shriveled like prunes, her water gone tepid. Muttering a curse, she quickly washed and grabbed a towel off the rack to dry herself. How long had she been in there? Long enough for the bath to grow cold, and still Liam hadn’t come up to check on her. His absence worried her, and the niggling feeling of dread returned to sour her stomach.
Olivia quickly dressed and headed downstairs to look for Liam. She was almost to the kitchen when the sound of his voice stopped her in the hall.
“I don’t see any scenario where this is going to end well for you.”
Who was Liam talking to?
“Still thinking on killing me, are you?”
Haden… She’d know that whiskey-roughened voice anywhere.
“I haven’t entirely tabled the idea.”
“Did you tell Olivia?”
“No, and I’d rather not, either. No good will come of it. I keep hoping Sephat will come to his senses and rescind the decree. This is asinine. Turning an assassin into a goddamn guardian—.”
A what…?
“—do you think the Dark Court knows?” Liam’s voice dropped as if speaking the hated name too loud may somehow serve as a summons. Or perhaps he just didn’t want to chance her overhearing them.
“Of course they do. Otherwise, Gahn would have killed her in the Everglades. It’s by no chance that she’s still alive. The question isn’t if they know, it’s how will they take her, and what are you willing to do to stop them? You’re a reckless prick to do this to her, you know that.”
A loud bang echoed from the kitchen, startling Olivia. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth, smothering a surprised yelp. Liam’s voice dropped to a menacing growl that sent a prickle of goosebumps up her arms as he snarled, “Utter those words again and I’ll snap your fucking neck. I do not regret the babe I have in Olivia, and I will keep them both safe. I don’t care if I have to hunt Gahn down and kill the bastard myself. He won’t get his hands on her—not again.”
“He never should have gotten to her the first time,” Haden snapped back with equal venom. “You couldn’t sense the danger she was in because he used a human shield. He had a mortal pawn to do his bidding. What’s to keep him from doing it again? How will you protect her then? You can’t keep her in a fucking bubble and you can’t be with her every second of the day.”
A snarled curse tore from Liam’s throat, and she could imagine him dragging his hand through his hair in frustration. “How aware of her are you?”
Aware of her...? Why would Haden be aware of her?
Haden chuckled as if the question was somehow amusing, but Olivia didn’t find anything funny about it.
“Aware enough to do my job, and that’s all you need to know.”
His job…? What was his job?
“And how exactly do you plan to do that? You sure as hell won’t be living here with us.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m looking into renting the place across the street. That should keep me close enough to Olivia, and yet far enough away that you and I won’t kill each other.”
“Don’t bet on it,” Liam grumbled.
“Hey, I don’t like this anymore than you do. If you want me gone so damn bad, then fix it!”
“Do you have any idea how much I hate you?” Liam growled. The mena
ce in his voice sent a shiver racing up Olivia’s spine.
The sound of a chair scraping against tile alerted her that someone was getting up. Olivia snuck back to the living room and ducked into the little alcove before she was discovered. Footsteps entered the hall, clipped and determined. Haden’s voice rang out as he drew closer. “Believe me, asshole, the feeling is mutual.”
The temperamental steps echoed past her and a moment later, the front door squeaked open and slammed shut. A nasty curse rang out, followed by a loud crash and shattering glass. Without a second thought, Olivia slipped out of hiding and ran into the kitchen.
“Stay back!”
Olivia came to an abrupt halt at Liam’s sharp command, but it was too late. She stepped in the puddle of merlot and her foot slipped out from under her. Liam dove to catch her, but she was too far away. Reflexively, her hand shot out to brace her fall, but she hit the ground—hard—and white-hot pain shot up her arm as her wrist came down on a jagged piece of glass.
Her startled yelp turned into a pained cry as the shard cut deep into her flesh. Liam barked a foul curse and scooped her into his arms, rushing her into the living room as the front door flew open, banging against the wall, and then there was a lot of shouting.
“What the fuck happened?” Haden demanded, rushing over to where Liam laid her on the couch. Olivia cried out when Liam’s hand clamped tightly over her wrist, but the blood continued to seep between his fingers and drip onto the floor. His effort to stanch the flow seemed of minimal help, she was losing blood at an alarming rate, and the sight of all the gore was making her woozy.
“I fell…” she answered Haden, trying to intercept a nasty confrontation brewing between the two. “I cut myself on a piece of glass.”
“Go grab a towel from the closet,” Liam barked.
The Redemption Series Page 110