Page 115 of A King’s Obsession

She waited until I could stand upright before helping me toward the entryway. Halfway there, she glanced around the living room.

"Where your hospital bags at?"

"FUCK THEM BAGS!"

Her eyes widened.

"Well, excuse the fuck outta me!"

"I don't know where they at right now! Get me to the hospital! We can worry about the bags later!"

Yara snatched my purse and phone from the entryway table, grabbed her keys, and practically dragged me through the front door. By the time we reached her car, sweat was rolling down my neck, and my legs felt like somebody had replaced my bones with spaghetti noodles.

She helped me into the passenger seat, carefully positioning the seat belt beneath my stomach before running around to the driver's side.

"Okay. We good. Hospital."

"YARA, DRIVE!"

She backed out of the driveway so fast I grabbed the door handle.

"OH, HELL NO! DON'T KILL ME BEFORE I HAVE MY BABIES!"

"You just told me to hurry!"

"I SAID HURRY, NOT TAKE ME TO MEET JESUS!"

She slammed on the brakes at the stop sign and looked at me like she was seriously considering leaving my ass on the curb.

"Girl, I don't know what you want from me!"

Neither did I.

All I knew was my stomach hurt, my back felt like somebody was trying to break it in half, and Malachi's big-headed ass was nowhere to be found.

Yara pulled onto the main road, weaving through traffic while I gripped the seat belt and tried to concentrate on anything besides the pain.

"Okay, Ash. Just breathe. In and out, nice and slow."

I turned toward her as another contraction began building.

"STOP TELLING ME TO BREATHE! I CAN'T FUCKING BREATHE! I GOT TWO MOTHERFUCKING HUMANS TRYING TO COME OUT OF ME!"

"Oh, hell no!" She slapped one hand against the steering wheel. "You know what? I'm calling your husband!"

"GOOD! TELL HIM I'M ABOUT TO KILL HIS ASS!"

She tapped Malachi's name on the dashboard screen. He answered almost immediately.

"Yara? You got her?"

"YES, I GOT HER! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?"

"I'm coming! I'm about thirty, forty-five minutes out. I'm moving as fast as I can!"

I leaned toward the dashboard, my face twisting with another wave of pain.

"THIRTY TO FORTY-FIVE MINUTES? MOTHERFUCKER, YOU BETTER HURRY UP AND GET HERE! YOU NEED TO DO THE DASH ABOUT ME AND THESE BABIES!"