Insolent (Crimson Elite 4)

“You fucked a crazy person,” Creed says from behind me. I didn’t even hear him come back outside.

“No. Fucking. Kidding. She wasn’t crazy when I fucked her.” I remember her now, she’s beautiful there’s no denying that. I was tired after finishing up a meeting, and she came up to me and started a conversation. It wasn’t anything important so I asked her back to my room, and she left the next morning without a goodbye. This is the first time I’ve seen her since.

“I’m laughing on the inside, just so you know,” Creed says walking away.

I run my hand over my face. What the actual fuck is happening? If I slap myself hard enough maybe I’ll wake up, or perhaps I should just get used to the fact that I could be a father very soon.

Too fucking soon.1DarbyI’m always so careful, so very fucking careful. And the one day, the one fucking day I’m not, it comes back to bite me in the ass months later. This is why I must have control, because if I don’t, shit like this happens. And shit like this usually doesn’t happen around me, and definitely not to me. But fuck if it hasn’t this time.

My mouth opens and has trouble staying shut as she screams—screams bloody murder into the room. Her eyes fall to me, and I wonder why she did it. Did she do it for some specific reason I’m not privileged to know? Because I would like to know. Fucking hell, I’d like to know. Right. Fucking. Now. I manage to shut my mouth long enough to step closer to her. Cleo’s hands are holding the railings of the bed, and she’s screaming. Will she ever shut up?

“Sir.” I glance up to the lady dressed in all blue, she nods her head to Cleo.

“Yes?” I answer waiting for more words. She is capable, right?

The midwife shakes her head. “Hold her hand, please.”

What the fuck? That’s the last thing I want to do, hold her damn hand. But I do it anyway. Stepping up to the woman who tricked me, I place my hand in hers. Cleo stares up to me from the bed. Sweat covers her face, and her eyes are sad.

Sad?

Why?

It’s not her that she tricked, it’s me. It’s my life she’s royally fucked down the drain. Did she even stop to consider what would happen to me when she played this trick? No. All she thought about was herself. Because that’s what selfish bitches do, and that’s what Cleo Vanderbelt is, a selfish fucking bitch.

“Darby…” She says my name as the midwife looks away from my hand now in hers. I shake my head, not wanting to hear what she has to say right now. I’m afraid if she asks me something, the words that leave my mouth might not be professional, or even fucking nice. “I’m sorry, Darby. One day you’ll understand.” Her face scrunches again as I stare back down at her while she pushes and pushes.

Honestly, all I want is to let go of her hand, but the midwife says something breaking me from my raging inner thoughts.

“Do you want to see?”

Do I?

No!

But I do anyway.

Cleo’s hand stays in mine as I step to the end of the bed and take a look. It’s not something I’ll ever forget. It’s not attractive or even something I wish to see again, but as I stare, I can’t seem to look away either.

“Okay, Cleo, one last push. Make this the big one.”

Cleo squeezes my hand, and I stand up to my full height as I go back to her bedside.

“Push,” the midwife says again. Cleo’s nails bite into my hand, and I know blood is being drawn.

Do I care? No.

This whole thing, it’s like I’m trapped inside someone else’s body. A part of me is banging on the inside asking for the escape route and knowing the answer is not coming. The other part is swearing like a mad sailor. Either way, all parts are in agreement that this isn’t where I’m meant to be.

“Darby...” Cleo says on a labored breath.

The midwife walks up to her and pushes me out of the way to check on Cleo. I step back, unsure of what’s going on while I look around the sterile room in confusion.

“One last time, Cleo, I promise.” Cleo nods. “You’ve done so well, okay. So, so, well.”

Something passes between them that I have no way of understanding. Cleo holds out her hand and glances at me one last time. I step up close, placing my damn hand in hers and stand there as she squeezes her face right up into a scrunch and everyone in the room is silent until a pop is heard.

“It’s a boy.” The midwife holds the baby up, not just any baby, my baby, and just as quick as I see him, he’s taken away. Somehow Cleo has let go of my hand, and when I turn to her, she’s white as a ghost, and her lips aren’t red anymore from the biting she was doing.