Keep Me (Broken Heroes 3)

With so many other things on my mind, the thought of birth control kind of went out the window. Xander never asked me, and I never mentioned it either. I couldn’t actually remember the last time we used a condom, other than the first time we had sex.

“Shit,” I mutter under my breath. Do I really need a pregnancy test to confirm being pregnant? Dread has coated my insides since last night. The last thing either of us need is a baby. I mean, Xander already has Q and that is hard enough for him.

And I don’t even know if we could be considered a couple, since we’ve never really discussed that either. I sigh into the toilet before flushing it. It’s obvious that I needed to sit down with Xander and figure out what the hell we are, and what we plan to do. I’m not his prisoner anymore, and he isn’t my captor. We are beyond that now.

Thankfully, I’d already asked one of the maids to pick me up a pregnancy test yesterday. She’d told me she would bring it to work today, and the anxiety of the unknown is starting to wear on me.

Trying to calm myself, I wash my hands and brush my teeth before heading out of the bathroom. My eyes move to the clock beside the bed. It is nearly eight a.m., and she will be here any second. I want to get to her before anyone else can see what she is carrying. The last thing I need is a stupid rumor getting back to Xander before I can confirm or deny something.

Slipping into my flats, I head downstairs, trying to find her. I weave in and out of the halls heading toward the servants’ quarters. When I don’t see her anywhere, I turn around and head back toward the kitchen. I feel Xander’s guards watching my every step, and I smile at one of the men, trying not to draw too much attention. He doesn’t smile back, which doesn’t surprise me. I get the feeling most of the men around here don’t know what it feels like to smile.

When I spot Cara unloading bags of groceries near the pantry, I walk up to her, casually, of course.

“Did you get it?” I lean into her ear and whisper.

She smiles and pulls out a pregnancy test. I stare at the small box for a long moment as if the damn thing holds all the answers to my problems, and I guess it kind of does.

“Here you go, Mrs. Rossi.”

I blink at the name. Doesn’t she know? Maybe she just thinks we’re married. I guess it doesn’t really matter, but I’d feel weird correcting her and since doing so would just make her ask questions, I let her think whatever she wants.

“Thank you!” I exclaim, wrapping her up in a tight hug. Her body stiffens in my hold, clearly not anticipating my actions. “Seriously, Cara, it means a lot to me. If you need anything ever, please don’t hesitate to ask.” I could kiss her cheeks for helping me out with this, but I don’t think she’d like that very much so instead, I release her and make my way back upstairs.

A couple guards pass me in the hall. They eye me warily but don’t say anything or even greet me. They treat me like I’m not there, though the coldness in their stares makes me shiver. I wonder what Xander told them about me, and if they would attack me just like the other guard had.

No. They know better. I shake the thought away and continue onward toward the bedroom. Once inside, I open the box and take out one of the tests. It’s wrapped up in a plastic packaging and crinkles loudly in my hands. I’m seconds away from taking the test when a noise just outside the door catches meets my ears.

I didn’t see anybody else in the hall when I was out there a minute ago. Maybe the nanny is just going in to check on Q? I place the package on the dresser and peek around the corner and down the hall.

Deep in my belly, something feels off, and I think my body knows it, too, as I stay to the shadows, looking out the door. My eyes catch on an unknown man making his way down the hall. He’s not dressed like any of Xander’s men, and he’s walking as if he is trying to be quiet. I try and think about who he might be, and where he came from.

His back is to me and with every step, he gets closer and closer to Q’s bedroom. Whoever this man is, he shouldn’t be here. None of the guards come up to the second floor. None. But I suppose I already know he’s not a guard and that makes my suspicion of him that much more.