HAZEL

I'm screaming for Ronan, but the sound is muffled by the hand slapped over my mouth. I can smell gunpowder in the air. It's smoky and toxic. I can still remember the flash of light as the gun went off. Now, I can't see anything in this darkness. Even if there were light, it would be blurred by my tears.

Ronan got shot. I heard his ragged breath. My heart fell to the pit of my stomach the same time his body thudded on the floor. And now I'm being taken. Ripped from the moments of pleasure and dragged through a horror so hot that every fiber of my being is screaming.

I dig my heels into the dirt beneath me, fighting my kidnapper, but I'm only on my feet for a minute before I'm tossed into the air, landing swiftly on the back of a horse that's as silent as the night.

The impact of my belly against the saddle empties my lungs. I flinch from the shock but quickly gather air to prepare to scream and aler Ronan's guards. They must be mobilizing. They must have heard the gunshot and are so close—

Pain erupts in my temple, and I sink into a darkness deeper than the night.

— —

There are two men bickering in hushed whispers. None of them sound like Ronan—not that Ronan would ever have any reason to hide or whisper. He's a proud man. A lord of an estate who answers to no one.

Ronan... where is he?

Disoriented, I open my eyes and shake my head to disrupt the foggy feeling. It's proven to be a mistake when a headache pierces through.

"...return her now! Why would you take her and shoot the lord?"

"The lord didn't stop to put a condom on. I was watching them fuck!"

"It was dark out, you idiot. Why take such a stupid gamble? Do you have any idea what that beast is capable of? You shot him and stole his bitch. He has a dozen mistresses in that estate."

Memories of yesterday flood back. A night of pleasure in Ronan's arms ended in tragedy. He had just spilled his seed inside of me before he spilled blood.

My heart races like never before, and I feel a pins and needles sensation in my hands as my glands sweat. I shut my eyes, not seeing anything valuable in this dark closet I'm shoved in, and I try to make sense of the men's conversation.

"No, this is his favorite whore. I heard that he has only been sticking to one lately. Pussy-whipped. I stole her and maybe a little something more if he nutted in her. He'll pay any ransom for his heir. We could be rich! I had to take the opportunity."

There's a sigh. "What the fuck were you doing at the estate anyway?"

"I was going to see the guard Manuel. Talk to him through the wall like I always do. He had news about the hole in the wall. Apparently, they're going to patch it. So we were going to have to find another way to smuggle the heroin in. I was about to reach our meeting spot when I saw the freak. Tall and broad. I recognized his voice. Watched him pump the bitch full of semen."

"Except that he might have pulled out before nutting! And you don't know if she's on some birth control!"

"Relax. She's not. That estate has had a shortage of pills this past month or two. Manuel told me."

"Felix, we cannot keep this girl for months in hopes that she's pregnant with that mutt's kid. That is a dangerous gamble that we are not prepared for."

"But what if I'm right? We will be able to buy houses by the sea and never look at this wasteland of a country. Buy liquor and whore of every shade. We will become lords just like that ugly motherfucker. I know he has gold to last him generations somewhere in that estate. I know it! He'll pay for them!"

Oh, god. They're fucking crazy. Pregnancy? Heirs? They want to keep me here for months?

It was supposed to be a lovely night. A night for Ronan and I to learn about each other—our bodies, our desires and limits. Just passion. Just fun. Just allowing ourselves to live without worrying about hiding behind walls or hoodies.

But the beautiful art he painted inside me has been weaponized. His semen is being harvested by these two madmen who want to turn me into their cash cow.

I fight the urge to vomit as I think of the possibilities. I'm certainly within my ovulation window—maids always have to keep track of their cycle to request the rationed sanitary products. It's a slim chance, but it could happen. If I don't take any medication, Ronan's seed will take root.

A child will be born. Strong and willed just like its father.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

I have no one to blame but myself. I shouldn't have asked Ronan to take me outside. My fantasy had been sinful, and now I'm paying the price. I should have been satisfied in his bed, under his body. Looking into his beautiful eyes as I accepted every bit of his body into mine—a body not monstrous, but chiseled by a god.

I should have remained in his chambers, in his arms. But I got too curious. Too greedy. Wanted the extreme. And now I'm paying a price.

"How do you even know he's not dead? You shot him. Jesus, Felix. Why would you shoot the richest motherfucker you've ever come across? He has all the resources in the world to comb through the towns until he finds us and bleeds us out through our dicks."

"He's built like the fucking wall that surrounds his estate. A little bullet won't kill him. Besides, I dropped him right outside his precious estate. The guards found him within minutes. Manuel will let me know about his—"

"You cannot tell Manuel about this! We're keeping it to ourselves."

"Whatever. We will plan the details later. For now, I'll check on the merchandise. You can keep an eye out the window. We're moving the girl as soon as the sun sets."

I force my eyes shut and focus on my breathing, trying to even it out.

This isn't happening. It's just a dream.

Maybe if I repeat it enough times, I'll believe it.

— —

RONAN

I look at the ceiling with confusion. It's painted blue, which is impossible because my bedroom has no color. The only hint of vibrancy in my room comes from the woman that lays on my bed: from Hazel. With her beautiful brown...

Oh, fuck!

I shoot up from the bed and feel pain explode on my side. I look down at the three stitches that I just accidentally ripped, blood trickling down my abdomen and into my pants.

I pull the IV line from my arm and barge out of the infirmary, ignoring the trail of blood I leave on the hardwood floors.

"Where is she!" I roar, throwing the doors open, unhinging one of them.

She better be here. Better be in my bed, safe and round, cradling a book in her delicate hands and waiting for me.

She better be home, or I'll prove the rumors true by becoming a monster.

Walker is the first man I see. He's leaning against the wall, looking out the window with his arms crossed.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I demand. For the first time, I'm not happy to see my friend.

He turns, his face solemn. "Janice, called me. She thought I was the only one that could calm you when you found out that—"

"No!" I grit, interrupting the news that Hazel is gone.

It's impossible. Unacceptable. She had just been in my arms, trusting me with her body. To protect it. To lift her to impossible heights of pleasure.

How did I let her slip through my fingers?

No. Unacceptable. Impossible.

I stomp past Walker, my trail of blood marking the carpet.

"Ronan, your stitches—"

I swing when he reaches for my arm to stop me. No one and nothing will get in my fucking way. Not my most trusted friend, not my own body as it's drained of blood, not my enemies.

I will find Hazel even if I have to burn down my own estate in the process.