It was amazing to have her to myself.

  To hold her.

  To kiss her.

  God, I loved her. I could admit that now. I was sure I sounded like I was whipped. But I didn’t care.

  When I wasn’t with her, I constantly thought about her. What was she doing? Did she think of me in those lonely moments or during a busy day? Would she ever want more than what we have now? Would it be enough for me? Too many questions left unanswered. But I had time. If anything, time was on my side.

  ***

  KARA

  Nervousness swirled inside me as I approached the school building. Was I dressed appropriately? Did I have everything I needed to fill out the paperwork? Would the teacher I worked with like me?

  I took a deep breath and stepped inside the building and easily found the main office. “Hi. I’m supposed to ask for Bonnie. It’s my first day.”

  “Of course. I’m Kylie, the school’s secretary.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Kara.”

  I followed as she led the way to an office space. “Bonnie, I have Kara here.”

  “Thank you, Kylie.” Bonnie looked up and smiled. She motioned to the chair opposite of her. “Have a seat.”

  I sat. Kylie seemed like she would be cool. And she seemed to be around my age. She had a cute black bob, and deep brown eyes. Bonnie, on the other hand, seemed like a matter-of-fact kind of lady. And she seemed like she was about ten years older than me.

  “We’ll get started on your paperwork, your pay, and all the tedious stuff.”

  “I appreciate the opportunity to work here.”

  “It’s just part time for now. But it can turn into a full-time position by the start of the next school year.”

  I was coming in around the holidays, which was halfway into the school year.

  “Your pay will be eleven dollars an hour. And you’ll get a raise in six months. You’ll work Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”

  I nodded. “Sounds good.” It really did seem like a dream job for now. Something manageable.

  Chapter Eleven

  KARA

  I had the day off, and I was about to see Damon. This time, he was coming over on his lunch break and we were going to take a walk around the park I lived close to. It was a change. Something different. Of course, Matteo would be close by. Because no matter how you sliced it, as long as Damon was the man he was, he needed protection. And being in association with him, that made me a target. I was just now realizing this. It was something I would have to accept if we were to be together in the long run.

  My hair was up in a ponytail, and I had my pink jogging pants on with a white sweatshirt. “You ready?” he asked, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek.

  “Yes, sir,” I grabbed my keys and my phone.

  We headed over to the park. Damon reached for my hand and I happily obliged. “Pretty soon, it’ll be too cold for a walk.”

  “Yeah, it’s almost winter time. How’s the new job?”

  “It’s great so far. I think I will enjoy it. Little kids are awesome and messy.” I laughed at the thought. But I was afraid to tell Damon I realized I wanted kids. I never saw myself with kids until yesterday.

  “I’m happy you are enjoying it.”

  “Why are you smiling so much?”

  Damon looked at me weird. “I am?”

  “You are and it’s making me nervous.”

  “Can’t I just be happy I’m here with you?”

  “I guess you can. I’m happy, too. Oh, and I saw the women the other day and I took all the clothes and everything over. They seemed happy about new clothes and stuff.”

  “I bet.”

  “When I talked to Jacinda. She mentioned about having a counselor come in a few times a week or more to help some of the ladies that are having a hard time adjusting. She thought I might want to join.”

  “Are you going to?”

  “I probably will.”

  “It might help you. Plus, the other ladies might see you are just as normal as they are.”

  “You’re right. I never want them to think that I think I’m better than them.”

  “We’re all the same, Kara.”

  We walked around the park three times before I got a phone call. Looking at the caller ID, I said, “It’s Antonio.”

  “You better answer it,” Damon said.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Kara. It’s Antonio. I was wondering if we could meet at your apartment.”

  “Yeah. I’ll be there in a few.”

  “See you then.”

  “See you.”

  I hung up my phone and stuffed it back in my pocket. “He must have good news.”

  “Maybe.” Damon shrugged.

  We rounded the corner and I saw Antonio, and then I immediately spotted a small stark blonde woman standing next to him.

  “Olivia!” I ran over to her and put my arms around her small frame.

  “Kara! I’m so happy to see you.”

  “Me, too.” I pulled away to get a good look at her. A huge jacket engulfed her body.

  I looked to Damon. “Did you know about this?”

  He smiled wide. “I did.”

  I mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to Antonio.

  “I’ll let you ladies catch up,” Damon said, offering me a peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow for dinner?”

  “Of course.”

  “See you then.”

  “See ya.” I watched as he loaded into the back of an SUV.

  Putting my arm around Olivia’s shoulders, I led us to my apartment. “You can stay with me as long as you like. There’s even a spare room you can sleep in.”

  Inside, she shrugged off her jacket.

  “You’re pregnant?”

  It was more of a statement than a question.

  She rubbed her belly. “I’m three months along.”

  “Three months,” I repeated, trying to do some math in my head.

  “The baby is Jose Macias’s.”

  “What?” Surely, I didn’t hear her correctly. Surely, she wasn’t carrying a monster’s baby.

  “He raped me the first night you came.”

  “Olivia.” I was speechless.

  “They came and got me in the middle of the night. No one else knew. And he raped me multiple times that night.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “You didn’t know. And the man that bought me, well, he wasn’t too happy I was pregnant with another man’s baby.”

  That was when I noticed the bruise around her eye. “He beat you?”

  She nodded in response.

  I placed a hand on her knee. “Well, you are here now. You’re safe. I promise. No one is gonna hurt you.”

  “Who is he?” she asked, pointing to Matteo.

  “Here’s here to protect us. We aren’t in danger, so it’s just as a precaution. Damon insisted.”

  She smiled. “Ah. He seemed like a real charmer.”

  “You don’t even know the half of it. Do you want something to drink? Are you hungry?”

  She frowned. “I’m not.”

  “Okay. Well, let me show you your room. We can go shopping tomorrow after I get out of work for some clothes for you.”

  “You have a job already?”

  “Oh, I’m just a teacher’s aide. And it’s only Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. And I have dinner with Damon on Wednesdays, too.”

  “Sometime you’re gonna have to tell me about him.”

  I smiled. “I will. Here’s your room, and you have your own bathroom.”

  “Thanks, Kara. I’m so glad Antonio got me out of that situation.”

  “Me, too.” I reached over and hugged her once again. I couldn’t help but feel protective over her. She’d been through hell and back. “I’ll go grab you some pjs.”

  I walked over to my room and picked out a pajama set.

  “Here. This might work.”

  “Perfect.”

  “I would stay up and chat with you, but I have work in the morning.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about it. We can catch up more tomorrow when you get home.”

  “Goodnight.”

  “Night.” I looked back before heading out. “I’m really glad you are here.”

  “Me, too.”

  Smiling, I headed to my own room.

  Chapter Twelve

  KARA

  “How am I gonna keep an eye on you and her at the same time?” Matteo questioned as I drank a mug of coffee.

  “You can drop me off and come right back here. She’ll be fine until you get back. And I’ll be fine at the school.”

  “Fine. Let’s go.”

  I quickly peeked in on Olivia and saw she was still sleeping. But I was worried about leaving her by herself for a few minutes while Matteo insisted on driving me to work. I wasn’t sure what her situation was. Would someone still come for her even if she was pregnant with another man’s baby?

  “Okay, I’m ready.” My heels clicked on the hardwood floor as we rushed out the door. We loaded into the SUV. I don’t know why but I always sat in back like he was my chauffeur. I just did it out of habit.

  “You don’t have to drive like a maniac. She’ll be fine until you get back.”

  “We don’t know that. Boss wants me to take her to the doctor tomorrow so she can get a proper checkup.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll be able to go with her since I don’t work tomorrow. And bring her along when you come pick me up so we can do a little shopping.”

  “Okay. We’re here,” he announced as he pulled up to the door. And I barely made it inside before he peeled out of the parking lot. Dude needed to relax.

  “Good morning, Kara.”

  “Good morning, Miss Bailey.” She was the teacher I was hired to help.

  “Who can say their ABCs?” Miss Bailey asked the class of small children.

  Two kids raised their hands and were able to recite the alphabet all the way through.

  By lunch time, the kids were getting a little rowdy from playing at recess time.

  “So, what did you do before this job?” Miss Bailey asked me.

  “Oh, I…” I wasn’t sure how to answer that question. For most, it should have been a simple question.

  “Nowhere in particular. This is kind of my first real job as an adult. I know. A little late.” I changed the subject. “How long have you worked here?”

  “Going four years. I started right out of college.”

  “Nice.”

  “Are you a wine drinker?” she asked.

  “Occasionally You?”

  “Yeah. We should go out for a drink one night.”

  I was surprised by her suggestion. “We should. That would be nice.”

  “Are you married or have a boyfriend?”

  “I have a boyfriend. You?”

  “Newly married.” She showed off her big diamond ring.

  Recess was over, and the kids were settling down and it was almost at the end of the day. The kids wore me out, that was for sure.

  Matteo pulled up to my work right on time, and I saw Olivia in the back, so I slid in next to her. “Ready to go shopping?” I asked her.

  “I guess so. I don’t have a choice.”

  “Well, you can get a few things now and when you feel up to it, we can do more later.”

  “All I need is a few things, because this is going to continue to grow.” She pointed at her tummy.

  “I think there is a maternity store nearby,” I told Matteo.

  Five minutes later, we were pulling into the parking lot of a maternity store. While we walked in, Matteo stuck close by, standing just outside the door of the store. I noticed he had been watching Olivia a lot more closely than he had me. Was he attracted to her? It sure seemed so.

  We browsed through the maternity clothes and pointed out how cute newborn clothes were. “How are you paying for all this?” she finally asked.

  I smirked. “I’m not. Damon is. I have his black card.”

  “Kara!”

  “What? Trust me, he would want me to. I promise.”

  She shook her head. “Fine.”

  We looked around until she settled on three tops, three pairs of stretchy pants, and two dresses. “That’s all you’re getting?”

  “For now.”

  “Okay. I know you’re probably tired and I got a date with Damon tonight.”

  “You mean Mister Fancy Pants.” She giggled.

  “Fancy pants?”

  “Yeah. Every time I see him, he’s in fancy clothes and he just has that aura about him. Are you gonna tell me how you met?”

  “Well, he played cards with my dad and some other powerful men. Of course, I had a huge crush on him every time he came over. But I never knew the extent that my father owed him money. And he took me for payment.”

  “Oh my god. Are you serious?”

  “Dead serious.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah. He wanted me to fully submit to him, and I struggled with that. I got punished, mostly in sexual ways, when I disobeyed him. And when I finally came to terms with it, I was kidnapped by Jose. So that set me back a lot. I needed an escape from Damon. I needed to figure out who I was without him, even though it was hard without him around. But I feel like I’m coming into my own.”

  “I don’t blame you for needing that time. And it seems like he’s understanding.”

  “Oh, he is. Don’t let it fool you. He is possessive. He didn’t want to let me go completely, and I can’t say I wanted him to. So, right now, we are just dating and getting to know each other on another level.”

  “I hope it all works out.”

  I smiled. “Me, too. I don’t know if Matteo told you, but Damon scheduled a doctor’s appointment for you tomorrow.”

  “He told me.”

  “I’ll be able to go with you since I’m off work. Okay, let’s get out of here. I have a date to get ready for.”

  On the way home, we stopped for pizza so Olivia and Matteo could eat while I went out with Damon. “I’m going to hop in the shower while you guys eat.”

  After my shower, I put on a pair of black skinny jeans, a white fuzzy sweater, and a pair of black heels. I did my hair up in a bun.

  “Wow. You look amazing,” Olivia said when I entered the living room.

  “Thank you. How are you feeling? Are you gonna be okay?”

  “Yes. I have Matteo here and the TV and remote.” She put her feet up on the ottoman. “You two go have fun.”

  I hated leaving her so soon after she got here. But it was necessary. The doorbell rang and I went to let Damon it.

  “Smells good in here.”

  “We stopped to get pizza for them.”

  “Hey, Matteo. Olivia.”

  “Hey, boss.”

  “Hey, Mister Damon,” Olivia said with a grin.

  “Just call me Damon.” Then he looked at me. “You look nice. You ready?”

  “I’m ready.” I picked up my clutch and followed Damon out.

  Chapter Thirteen

  KARA

  “How was your date last night?” Olivia asked first thing in the morning.

  “It was nice.”

  “Just nice? I need details. Did he take you to a fancy restaurant? He did; he’s Mister Fancy Pants.”

  “Yes, he did. Now, are you ready for your appointment?”

  “Just about. Let me go pee and I’ll be ready. All I do is pee. All the time.”

  I laughed. Olivia was adjusting well for someone that was pregnant and in a new environment.

  “All set,” Olivia announced, walking back into the living room and grabbing her purse.

  Matteo stood to open the door for us and then we headed down to the SUV where we loaded in the back and Matteo began to drive us.

  “Have you been to this area of Texas before?” I asked Olivia.

  “I haven’t. But seems like a nice area.”

  “I don’t think I ever asked where you were originally from.”

  “Oh. San Francisco, California.”

  “Oh okay. You sure you don’t have family looking for you?”

  She reached over, covering my hand with hers. “No one is looking for me. I promise.”

  “Well, we’re family now.”

  She smiled wide and reached to hug me. “You’re like a sister to me. I appreciate everything you have done for me. One day, I’ll pay you back somehow.”

  “Family helps family. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  I was an only child, but I imagined this was what having a sister felt like. I just felt a love for her and protective over her. I know it was because of that bond we shared and no one could break that bond. Just like sisters.

  “We’re here,” Matteo announced as he pulled into a parking space of the doctor’s office.

  “I’ll text you when we’re done,” I told him as we exited the vehicle. Surely, he didn’t think he was coming in with us. I’d imagine even waiting in the waiting room would make him nervous.

  Inside, we checked in at the front desk. Olivia went to sit in one of the chairs and I talked to the nurse. “While we’re here, can I take a pregnancy test?”

  “Sure. Your name will be called shortly.”

  I sat next to Olivia. “I’m going to take a pregnancy test once the doctor is done with you.”

  “Kara. Do you think you’re pregnant?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been pregnant before. But I missed my period. It’s probably just stress or something.”

  “Have you and Damon been active?”

  “We have.”

  “It would be fun to be pregnant together.”

  That fact made me smile. “It would be.”

  Olivia’s name was called and we headed back to a room. The nurse came in and took Olivia’s vitals before the doctor entered the room.

  “Hi Olivia. I’m Doctor Treyvon. I’ll be overseeing your pregnancy from here on out. Let’s get you set up on the table so we can do an ultrasound and let you hear the baby’s heartbeat.”

  Once she was situated, she reached over to take my hand while the doctor put some goo on her belly that was barely poking out. The sonogram wand was pressed on her stomach and moved around until we could hear the baby’s heartbeat.

 

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