Chapter 95

Renee’s POV

“You’re pregnant?” Mia repeats in disbelief. Though despite the shock in her voice, her face remains completely blank. I debate about answering. I nervously glance over at Mark as though he will help me out of this situation, never mind the fact he’s the very reason I’m here.

“Y-yes,” I stammer. Mia takes a small step back, her face breaks into smile but she doesn’t look happy. She throws her head back and laughs madly.

For a second, I don’t move. I don’t know what to do. Her reaction is the last thing I expect.

“Mia?” Mark says tentatively. Mia wipes her eyes, still struggling to get ahold of herself.

“I can’t believe this,” Mia says between gasps for air. My mouth goes dry. I fail to see what’s so funny, or what’s not to get. Eric and I are married after all. “That baby should be mine!” Mia barks suddenly consumed by rage.

Wait. What? My face must spell out my baffled feelings because Mia scoffs. “I was there for Eric the entire time you were away. I told him he could father my son, that we could become our child since you took your daughter away from him!” Miss face eye more and more red with each word.

I open my mouth, but have nothing to say. Mia actually is right. I wasn’t fair to Eric in the past, but he wasn’t fair to me either. That’s besides the point, none of that matters now and Mia doesn’t get a claim to my fated mate just because Eric and I both suck at love. Or we used to at least.

Mia’s eyes bore into mine. “You have no right to have his baby,” she says in a way that sends a chill down my spine. Mia steps closer to me and instinctively I scoot back, careful not to let the chains slip loose. Not yet at least.

Mark thrusts himself forward and pulls Mia back by the arm. “We’re going to set everything he straight,” he tells her as though to calm her down, but I don’t think Mia hears him. She shrugs him off like his grip is weak and I’m surprised by her strength.

Eric. Where are you?

“It should be me having his baby, not you. You’re a nobody. Even your own parents didn’t want you!” Mia spits. Okay. That one hurt. “Together Eric and I could have ruled the world. We would own everything!” Mia comes closer and I keep scooting until my back hits the wall.

Something shiny glints in the sunlight streaming in from the broken dusty window followed by a metallic ringing. It’s then I notice Mia is holding a butcher knife. My eyes widen, so do Marks which makes me realize even he didn’t know she had that.

“Mia,” I say slowly. “Let’s talk about this,” I say trying to buy myself or Eric more time. The chains around my wrists may be loose, but what am I going to do? Leap after her only to have a knife plunged inside me? Besides, I’m not at my strongest to be fighting.

“No, I’m done talking,” Mia says and in a swift jerking motion she thrusts the blade right up to my belly. I scream. Mia’s lips curl up into a wicked smile. “I’m going to enjoy this,”

My baby starts kicking wildly as though knowing danger is nearby. Adrenaline courses through my veins and I suddenly am overcome by a powerful wave of strength and alertness. My mother instinct to protect comes in full force. If Mia wants to fight, she’ll get one.

Suddenly the rusted metal door that was barely hanging on to its hinges goes flying across the room. Mia and Mark whip their heads around just as Eric comes barreling into the warehouse. Relief crashes over me.

It takes Eric less than a nano second to process what’s going on before he springs into action. He lunges at Mia his jaw open wide revealing rows of perfectly sharp canine teeth. The knife falls from Mia’s hand landing with a clang.

I brace myself for what’s about to happen, but then unexpectedly Mark reacts. He intercepts Eric’s path to Mia and together they intersect, their bodies flying across the large open space until they land with a loud thud.

Momentarily stunned, Mia regains her bearings and looks at me. We make eye contact for a split second before our eyes fall to the knife. We moth make a move to grab it, but Mia reaches it first.

She holds it up to me and I figure now’s a good time. I raise my arms high above my head, bringing the chains up with me. Then in one fluid motion, I slam my arms down while pulling my arms apart. The hairline fracture that was in the chains split further and they break off.

My arms may be free, but my legs are still locked up. Mia assess her advantages and raises the knife. “This ends now,” she says.

She comes running at me and I guard my self, ready to fight with all I got. But we never make contact. Eric comes up from behind her, grabs her by the shoulders and throws her back. Mia goes flying, the knife somehow now in Eric’s hands.

He takes the blade in both his palms and bends it like it’s paper. The knife snaps and he crushes each piece and Briley all that’s left are what look like balls of tinfoil.

“Enough!” Mark bellows. “Let’s get this over with,”I I look at him and wince for him. His lip is split and his nose doesn’t look right. Eric runs over to me, kneeling by my side and inspects me thoroughly. I do the same to him. It looks like he’s been through Hell.

I can see the anger building as he takes in my battered appearance. I know Eric well enough know to know he doesn’t think his father has had enough, it’s not over until Eric says it is.

Eric yanks the chains around my legs, breaking them free. I try to stand, but instantly fall back down but Eric catches me before I hit the ground. “I’m going to kill them,” Eric whispers in my ear as I clutch to his arms, I breathe in his scent. I believe him.

“Where’s the money?” Mark asks sounding close behind. Eric sound around, baring his teeth.

“I’ll give you your money,” Eric says. “A deals a deal, right?” Mark eyes Eric suspiciously. Mia appears at his side, limping and rubbing her head.

“I’m glad we have an understanding,” Mark says with hesitation. He cocks an eyebrow. “I don’t see any money,”

“I had a sack full of cash, but I lost it on the way here,” Eric shrugs, but Mark goes rigid.

“You lost my money?” Mark yells.

“That bag contained a fraction of what’s in my accounts,” Eric says as though ten million dollars is pocket change.

Mark still doesn’t look appeased. “Give me the passwords before you mess that up too,”

Eric smirks. “No problem,”

Mia limps over to a black duffle bag laying against the back wall. Eric and Mark hold each others gaze, watching one another’s every move y til Mia returns with a sleek silver laptop. She opens it and makes a few strokes across the keyboard and then turns it over for Mark to type.

Eric gives his password and I watch with anticipation as the black screen on the laptop lights up with each letter being pressed.

Eric is really doing this. He’s giving away all his money so we can be free from his father. But will Mia ever stop?

Mark his enter and the black screen changes pages to display Eric’s banking information l. Mark looks at the list of logs, then his face falls.

“Where is it?” He asks softly. “Where’s my money?” He then erupts.

Mia turns the laptop around and her face too twists into confusion. I watch the scene unfold before me realizing Eric’s up to something.

“I took out all the cash, I didn’t loose all of it like I said only a fraction. But I’ve liquidated my accounts completely. Hence the chaos and n the city that im sure you heard about. I wasn’t being changed by mobs because a few million were gone, I was being chased by mobs because billions are gone.” Eric passes. “Well, not gone. Just at the bank. Not in the accounts. Which means,”

“The accounts are useless,” Mia screeches.

Despite everything, I laugh. Mark was never going to get Eric’s money. And I was right, this isn’t over yet.