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“At risk of pissing you off further…” She holds up her bound hands. “I can’t steer the train like this.”
“Yes, you can,” I say, even though I’m not so sure. “Just get us to Texas.”
She glares at me for a moment, but then she turns and starts flicking switches and adjusting a large handle next to the seat. “I think we need to take the route through Little Rock, which is going to be… at least twenty-four hours. I mean, we can’t just blast through all the stops without letting anyone else go.”
“Use alternate routes,” I demand. “There must be something that doesn’t go through a major city.”
“Sure, but then we’re really cutting it close with fuel.”
“Put it in eco mode or something.”
She laughs, shaking her head. “You must not know much about trains.”
“And I don’t care to learn. That’s your job. Either get us to Texas or I’m going to toss you out onto the tracks.”
She looks up at me, shaking her head. “Jasha, I expected better from you, but after what you did to me, I can’t say I’m surprised anymore.”
“What are you talking about?” I can feel anger starting to rise in my chest, but I’d prefer to keep things as cordial as possible between us, especially if I have to deal with her for the entire way to Texas.
“I tried to call you. You know, after we…”
“Had sex?” I say bluntly.
“Right,” she says, her expression turning down. “Now, I’m kind of glad you never answered my calls.”
“Don’t play innocent. You knew what you were doing, too. It was just a little fun, and that was all,” I reply as the train tracks rumble beneath us. “And I did you a favor. There’s no way you would’ve been blowing up my phone if you knew I was a Bratva boss.”
“I still don’t know what that means,” she says, shaking her head.
“Seriously?”
“I’m just being honest.”
I sigh. “Bratva. It means the Russian Mafia. Do you understand now?”
“Okay, I figured it had something to do with crime,” she says, and then she places her hand on her belly. “Just don’t hurt me, okay? Don’t hurt… us.”
I’m struck by a sudden realization, like the electric crackle of adrenaline when you fall and realize you’re about to hit the ground harder than you had anticipated. It’s a sickening feeling, and it twists my stomach into a knot.
I was going to throw this bitch off the train the moment I confirmed we were on route to Texas, but if she’s pregnant, I can’t bring myself to hurt her and risk hurting her baby.
This changes everything.
I look at her, at her apologetic face as she rubs her belly, and the second realization hits me much harder than the first.
4
Lola
Jasha looks like he’s been struck by lightning, and I’d almost find it funny if my life and the life of our child weren’t in his hands. “You’re not…” he begins, but he’s unable to finish his sentence.
“I am, and I’m certain that it’s yours,” I say. “But like I said, it’s probably better that you never answered my calls, considering the kind of man you turned out to be.”
Offending his character snaps him out of his stupefied stance real quick. “You know what?” he asks, waving his finger at me. “You never told me you were on birth control. I can’t be held responsible for your mistakes. I bet you wanted to get knocked up, just so you’d have someone rich to collect child support payments from.”
“Oh, grow up,” I groan, twisting myself around in my chair so that I can better stare him down. “It takes two to make a baby. It’s your fault just as much as mine.”
He shrugs. “And what? You have no proof that it’s my baby, or even that you’re pregnant. For all I know, you’re making this up so that I don’t kill you.”
