Surprise Bidder

I’m safe.

“I said let her go,” Gavin repeats. “Or you’ll join Goldberg in hell.”

Goldberg? Who’s that?

The pressure against my side disappears. I let out a breath of relief.

My attacker moves away. Out of curiosity, I glance over my shoulder. Apart from Gavin, I see two men- one whose face I can’t see clearly because of his hat and a heavily built man leading him away. Gavin gives the latter a nod before taking my arm.

“Not a word until we’re back at the apartment.”

~

As soon as we’re there, I take off my shoes and sit down on the couch. I suddenly feel tired. Gavin stands in front of me with his hands on his hips. I can see him trying to hold on to his temper beneath those dark, narrowed eyes.

“Why did you leave?” he asks impatiently. “I thought you were smart enough not to run away. I thought I could trust you.”

“I wasn’t running away,” I tell him. “I only went out because I was craving for ice cream.”

“Don’t we have some in the kitchen?”

I shrug. “Do you like ice cream?”

I take that pause as a no. “You could have asked someone to buy it for you.”

“Who? You fired my personal maid, remember?”

He frowns. “She wasn’t the only member of the staff.”

“Well, I didn’t know the others and they seemed busy,” I say. “Besides, I wasn’t sure what flavor I wanted, and I wanted to eat it at the parlor. I mean, it was only five minutes away.”

The scowl on Gavin’s face deepens.

What? I’m pregnant. It’s normal for me to have food cravings, or so I’ve read. Besides, I needed something to cheer me up.

“How did you know there was an ice cream shop nearby, again?” Gavin asks me.

“I saw it when we were driving here,” I answer.

Wait. Did he not know about it?

“And where did you get the money? Do they accept credit cards?”

“No. I used the cash I had left.”

That doesn’t seem to make him too happy, either.

“Listen, I wouldn’t have left if I’d known I’d be in any danger,” I add. “I just wanted ice cream. That’s all.”

For a moment, Gavin falls silent, his expression still stern. Then he scratches the back of his head, lets out a deep breath and sits down beside me.

“Are you alright?”

The sudden gentleness of his voice and the concern in his eyes throw me off, but I recover and nod.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” He doesn’t sound convinced. “Maybe I should call a doctor just to make sure.”

I roll my eyes. This almost feels like a repeat of this morning, when I kept trying to tell him no harm was done and he wouldn’t listen. Why won’t he listen? Why won’t he believe me?

“I’m sure,” I tell him. “He sneaked up to me, held me at gunpoint and told me to keep walking. That’s all.”

This time, he seems to believe me. A sigh of relief escapes his lips.

My eyebrows arch. Was he that worried about me?

I suddenly feel a need to reassure him, so I place my hand over his and give it a firm squeeze.

“I’m fine, Gavin.”

His eyes widen slightly.

Oops. Was I not supposed to use his first name?

He doesn’t seem angry, though. On the contrary, as he looks into my eyes, I see something soft and warm in his. My heart skips a beat. I didn’t know his eyes could look like that.

I avert my gaze as I feel fire creep into my cheeks. I pull my hand away and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear- at least, I pretend to.

“So how did you know where I was or that I was in trouble?” I ask him to defuse the awkward silence setting in.

“I have my sources,” he answers vaguely.

“The man who tried to kidnap me. You said his name was Goldberg.”

“I did?”

“What did he want with me?” I ask curiously.

“I’d rather you not think about him anymore,” Gavin says. “I’ll take care of him.”

Those last words and the icy look that goes with them send a shiver down my spine.

I’d like to ask more questions, to know more about what happened, but I decide that since Gavin is being nice and all, I’ll behave.

“Okay. I just hope he- ”

I stop as my stomach turns. I clasp a hand to my mouth as I feel its contents churning, rising.

Gavin gives me a puzzled look. “Leah?”

I don’t answer, afraid to open my mouth. I just run to the nearest bathroom, and as soon as I’ve lifted the lid on the toilet, I throw up.

Shit.

I hear the same dismay in Gavin’s voice as he stands behind me. “I’ll call the doctor.”

~

“Leah is fine,” Dr. Taylor pronounces as soon as he’s done examining me. “She’s probably just having morning sickness.”

I read about that.

“Even though it’s almost evening?” Gavin glances at his watch.