Power Play (Nashville Assassins Next Generation 2)

Do I run? But then I realize what he said. “I’m sorry? Isn’t this her thyroid’s fault?”

Before I can even react, Shea Adler’s fist connects with my mouth. My head whips back, and I stagger back as he yells, “No, you piece of shit. You knocked her up.”

“Shea! Are you kidding me?” Elli yells, pushing him back. But something isn’t clicking in my head. When I open my eyes, covering my mouth with my hand to catch the blood, Shea is being detained by hospital security, and I’m stunned. Did he just say what I think he did?

Shelli comes to me, paper towels in her hands, and she holds one to my mouth. “Are you okay?”

I push the towel away. “Wait, Posey’s pregnant?”

Her lip wobbles, and she slowly shakes her head. “She was, but it was an ectopic pregnancy that ruptured. That’s why she lost so much blood.”

My whole body goes numb, and there could be any number of reasons why I get light-headed. I did just get the shit knocked out of me by Shea Adler, and Posey has been pregnant and I didn’t even know. I doubt she knew either, and my heart, it aches.

“Is she going to be okay?”

She shrugs sadly. “I don’t know. She lost a lot of blood.”

I close my eyes, crouching down once more, and I don’t try to hide my emotions. I let them all out, sobbing in the middle of the ER. If Julia could see me, she’d see that I’m not emotionally unavailable. Or maybe I was. For her. But for Posey, I feel every single emotion. All I want is to be there with her. I want to protect her. I want to love her.

But I might not get that chance.

Chapter Thirty

Boon

“Why are you still here?”

I don’t look at Shea; I just sit there, taking deep breaths.

“You aren’t welcome here.”

“Shea, quit,” Elli warns. “He’s here for the same reason we are. For Posey.”

“I won’t allow you to be with her. It’s your fault she’s in there,” he accuses, his voice low and dark. “She’ll listen to me. She’ll drop you.”

“Dad, it takes two to have sex. Relax!” Shelli yells. “You’re making a fool of yourself.”

He ignores his daughter, and I feel his hate-filled gaze on me. “If you cared even a bit about her, you’d have used a condom. You know you could have ruined her life, right? She doesn’t need a baby. She doesn’t need you.”

“Shea, that is enough. Quit before I call security on you myself,” Elli warns as I close my eyes. I know anything I say will only make things worse. There is no point. So, I sit here. Waiting. “They are in a relationship.”

“A relationship?” he laughs. “Posey doesn’t do relationships. She’s too smart.”

“Apparently not, since not only has she been dating Boon for months now, but she also got knocked up,” Shelli says. And poor Aiden, he looks so uncomfortable. “You do realize you’re in a relationship, right?”

“Shelli, I don’t need your commentary. I’m speaking to this jackass who thinks he has something going with my daughter.”

“He doesn’t think, Shea. It’s true. They love each other,” Elli stresses, and he gawks at her. “I know that’s tough for you to hear, but our daughters are adults. They make their own choices, and Posey chose him. We have to support her choice.”

“The fuck we do,” he sneers. “This guy is nothing. Not good enough for my daughter.”

I press my lips together. I want to put him in his place, but he’s hurting. He’s scared—we all are. I know how much he loves his children, and if the roles were reversed, I’m sure I’d act the same way. I would be beside myself with fear. He’s loved her way longer than I have. And I’m not discounting my love, it’s huge, but I am strong enough to be patient with this man. Not only do I respect him, but I know how much he means to Posey. He’s not in his right mind. Nor am I. I’m too emotional, too hurt to be able to be respectful. So, I sit, and I take the abuse.

“Look at him. He doesn’t even look the least bit affected. He doesn’t even care. He’s here to keep his fucking job.”

That one stings. I do care. I’m just trying to breathe.

“Shea, for real, man. He’s a good dude. He loves Posey,” Aiden says, and I appreciate my best friend.

“A good dude would have come to me and told me he was dating and in love with my daughter! Instead, I find out when she’s lost so much blood from a pregnancy he induced.”

“Dad! She opened her legs too.”

I cup my face, leaning on my legs. The tension in this waiting room is so thick, I feel as if I’m choking. Or maybe that’s just my sob.