Page 20 of The Hunted Wife

The brunette woman lounging on the sofa sat up. “Ricard. Darling. Come here and let me make you feel better. “

He looked over at her and smiled. A lot can happen in a few days. Today I find that this time I want her. I have to see to my needs somehow. “You do always know how to ease me.” He walked over to her and sat. Then he lifted her so she straddled his body. “Now, Nadia, do what you do best.” He reached up and squeezed her jaw so her lips formed a pout, then he brought her down so her lips met his for a deep kiss. Soon, he stood with her in his arms, her legs around his waist, and moved their play to the bedroom.

Millie had gotten into a routine. After the first two weeks at the ranch she had managed to get the men to bring their dirty clothes to her, rather than having to go and collect them herself.

Adam came into the kitchen where she was cleaning up after breakfast. “Millie, I wanted to let you know that our annual barbeque is this coming Saturday. Every year we host a get together where all of our neighbors and friends come over here. We eat, drink and come together as a community.

“We provide the steer and a couple of side dishes. You’re responsible for those.”

She frowned. “So, you just spring this on me now? What if Ricard’s men are here with your guests? Can’t you put it off until this situation with Ricard is concluded?”

“I can’t this has been on the calendar for two years. It rotates and this year it is our turn.”

She threw her hands into the air. “Fine. Do you know the name of every one of your guests and who they will be bringing?” She paced away and then turned back. “I’ll make your food but that is all. I won’t be attending.” She turned to leave.

Adam stopped her flight with a hand on her shoulder. “You have to attend. Everyone has heard about you but no one has met you.”

“And what if Ricard’s people are there?”

“They won’t be. I’ll know every person attending. No one will be bringing anyone new. Trust me.”

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him and placed a hand on her stomach then quickly removed it when she realized what she was doing. “You had better be right or we are leaving.”

Adam watched her hand and furrowed his brows. “You’re—wait a minute. You said we. Since I know you didn’t mean me, you…you’re…pregnant? You are, aren’t you?”

She folded her arms over her chest. “So what if I am? That doesn’t change things. If he manages to crash your party, then I’m leaving.”

Millie saw Adam coming to terms with her news. Now was so not a good time for this to happen.

Adam mimicked her stance and crossed his arms over his chest. “You can’t. You need the protection that I can provide. You’ve seen all the security personnel we have now. Heck, you’ve cooked for all of them, and that is no mean feat. An extra seventeen people…well, I know it’s not been easy on you, but leaving would be worse. Where would you go? Where would you hide from him?” Adam ran a hand through his hair and put the other one on his hip. “He’s been able to follow you until now and when you have a baby, it will be even harder to hide. I’ll start helping you in the kitchen myself. I know we brothers have been bad about keeping up our end of the bargain. I’ll be better I promise. I’ll cover every day that one of the other men don’t show. Please, Millie. I don’t want to have to lock you in your room, but I will if it means keeping you safe.”

Millie narrowed her gaze. “Lock me in my room! You would lock me in my room?” She stalked over to him and poked him in the chest with an index finger. “You will not lock me in my room, not now, not ever. Do you understand me, Mr. Sullivan.”

“Yes, Mrs. Sullivan, I understand you, but…” he raised his right hand and cradled her face. “I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. I’m your husband, for better or worse remember. It’s my job to keep you and now our baby, safe. And I take that job very seriously. As a matter of fact, I want you to learn Sullivan Security’s code. It’s three quick flashes, pause and three more quick flashes. If you ever see that you know that we are on site or on the way.”

Her pulse still raced since she’d told him in no uncertain terms that she would not be sent to her room like a spoiled child. She stepped back and ran her hands over her face, letting out a deep breath. “Fine. I’ve got it.” She looked up at him. “Why are we arguing? I don’t want to fight. I’m scared, Adam. All the strange people in the house. I?—”

“They won’t be in the house. It’s off limits.”

“Where will they use the bathroom if not in the house?”

“We’ll use the bunkhouse bathrooms. We’ll designate one for women and one for men. There will be no need to enter the house.”

While she thought of the situation the way he explained it, she was silent for a moment. “Very well, provided I can spend most of the time in the house away from your friends. I don’t trust that Ricard hasn’t recruited some of them, just to keep their eyes and ears open while looking for me.” She swallowed hard. “You don’t understand how diabolical he can be.”

He ran his right hand behind his neck. “You’re right. I don’t. I can’t imagine any man…or woman…wanting to hurt you. It’s simply not in my wheelhouse.”

“Well, you better believe it. He will do anything to get me and the flash drive I carry back and our being married won’t bother him one little bit. Once he discovers I’m pregnant, he’ll wait a suitable period of time and when the child is born, he’ll claim it as his own.”

“But wouldn’t he want a child of his own with you?”

She flicked her hand in the air. “I don’t believe he wants me that way. As far as I know he’s not interested in me sexually. He just wants what my father will give him upon our marriage—his own little part of the East side to rule. That’s what he wants. That’s what this is all about. In return, my father expects a child within a year. If there isn’t one, or at least one on the way, Ricard will lose everything, including his life. And my father will sell me to another. And it will go on that way until I am with child.” She looked straight into his eyes. “I don’t want that. As much as I hate Ricard, and trust me I’ve known him for many years and I have hated him from the beginning, I still don’t want his blood on my hands.”

“I understand what you’re saying, but you have to understand, too, that now that we are married you can’t hide from my friends. They are curious about you. I need you to at least meet them and then you can retire to the house with a migraine. Won’t that work?”

She pressed her right index finger against her chin for a moment. “Yes, that should work but you can’t leave my side. Not for any reason, do you agree?”

Adam nodded. “I won’t leave your side for any reason.”