Chapter 4

Rachel's POV

"I didn't hire anyone to hurt Samantha." My voice shook. "I've been in the hospital all week. How could I—"

"Liar!" Austin's face twisted with disgust.

"I was trying to save our baby. I couldn't even get out of bed, and you think I somehow organized an attack?"

"Enough!" He cut me off. "I don't want to hear another word from you."

My wrists burned against the rope. The pain shot up my arms but I barely felt it compared to the panic rising in my chest. "Please, just listen—"

"You're not just vicious, Rachel. You're sick." His voice dropped to cold. "You hired men to beat Samantha. To assault her. If someone hadn't walked by and saved her, God knows what would have happened."

"That's insane! I would never—"

"If anything happens to Samantha," he leaned in close enough that I could see the hatred in his eyes, "I will make you pay for the rest of your life."

I looked at him, wanting to say something.

Samantha suddenly sat up on the cot. She rushed toward me, her face red with rage.

"You bitch!" Her hand flew across my face.

My head snapped to the side and I tasted copper.

"You wanted me dead!" Another slap, harder this time.

My ear rang like someone had held a bell right next to it. Blood filled my mouth. "You—"

"What did I ever do to you?" She sobbed dramatically, turning to Austin with tears streaming down her face. "Why does she hate me so much?"

I lifted my head slowly, through the pain, I saw it. Just for a second. The gleam of satisfaction in her eyes before she buried her face in her hands.

This was a trap.

"Austin." I said. "You can investigate. Don't just believe her word against mine."

"The evidence is right there!"

"Evidence can be faked. You know that."

Samantha's sobs grew louder, "Austin, listen to her! She's still trying to blame me for her own crimes!"

She buried her face in his chest.

"Since you won't admit what you did," Austin said, his voice flat and cold, "maybe you need to understand how it feels to be helpless."

He looked toward the door and nodded. Four men in security uniforms walked in.

"Strip her."

The words didn't register at first. Then they did, and terror flooded through me.

"No!" I thrashed against the ropes hard. "Don't touch me!"

"Please!" My voice broke. "Austin, please don't do this!"

Fabric tore. Cold air hit my skin and I felt completely exposed, completely vulnerable.

"I'll do anything!" Tears streamed down my face and I couldn't stop them. "Anything you want! Please!"

"The baby!" I screamed when I felt them pulling at my pants. "Don't hurt the baby!"

"The baby is yours!" The words tore from my throat in one last desperate attempt. "Austin, it's your child! Don't you care at all?"

His hand lifted slightly.

"Wait."

The men froze. "Boss?"

Austin stared at me and something flickered across his face.

Samantha's eyes widened. She looked from Austin to me and her face darkened with an anger.

She lunged forward, and her foot connected with my stomach with brutal force.

The pain was blinding. It exploded through my abdomen and radiated outward until I couldn't feel anything else.

"Ah—" The scream ripped from me.

I doubled over as far as the ropes would let me, which wasn't far enough. Every nerve in my body was on fire and I couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

"My baby..." I gasped, trying to curl around the pain. "My baby..."

My hands clawed at my stomach uselessly. The pain kept getting worse, sharper, deeper, like something was tearing inside me.

Something warm spread between my legs.

"It hurts..." I couldn't catch my breath. Each gasp sent fresh waves of agony through me. "So much..."

I looked down at my thighs and saw red seeping through the fabric of my pants.

"Blood..." My voice came out as barely a whisper. "There's blood..."

I lifted my head and tears blurred everything.

"Austin..." I could hardly get the words out. "Please... get a doctor... save the baby..."

His face went pale when he saw the blood pooling beneath me.

"Austin..." My voice was fading and I had to fight to keep conscious. "Please... a doctor..."

He turned toward the door. "Go get—"

"Austin!" Samantha grabbed his arm hard enough to stop him. "That's a bastard child! Why would you waste resources on it?"

He hesitated.

"It's not..." I sobbed, the words coming out broken and desperate. "It's yours... please..."

"She's faking," Samantha said with absolute certainty. "Using the baby to manipulate you. Can't you see what she's doing?"

Austin's jaw tightened and he pulled his arm free from Samantha's grip. "We'll see if she's still acting in an hour."

"No..." I tried to curl around the pain but the ropes held me too tight. "Please..."

The cramping intensified until I thought I would pass out from it. Each wave was worse than the last and I could feel my baby slipping away from me, feel the life draining out.

Samantha swayed suddenly. She pressed a hand to her forehead like she might faint.

"Austin... I feel dizzy..."

She collapsed in a heap.

"Samantha!" Austin caught her before she hit the ground.

He lifted her into his arms and rushed toward the door without a backward glance.

"Austin..." I tried to call out but my voice was too weak. "Don't leave me... I need help..."

He didn't even look back.

The door slammed shut. All the men followed him out and their footsteps faded down the hallway.

"Why...Why are you doing this to me..."

The pain was unbearable. I was so cold.

"Baby..." My voice cracked and broke. "I'm sorry... Mommy's so sorry...I'm so useless... I couldn't protect you..."

I drifted in and out, the pain the only thing keeping me anchored.

The door opened. I couldn't lift my head anymore.

"Oh my God!" A woman's voice, young and frightened.

Footsteps rushed toward me.

"So much blood!" Hands fumbled with the ropes binding my wrists. "Ma'am! Can you hear me?"

I forced my eyes open. A young nurse stared at me with complete horror on her face.

"Doctor..." I whispered. "Need... doctor..."

"Hurry! Help me get her to the bed!" She called to someone behind her.

They lifted me and every movement sent fresh waves of agony through my body.

"My baby..." I grabbed the nurse's hand weakly, my fingers barely able to hold on. "Save my baby..."

They laid me on a bed and the sheets were immediately soaked with blood, the white fabric turning dark red.

"When will the doctor come..."

The nurse's face twisted with guilt. "Ma'am... this facility... we don't have an OB-GYN..."

"What?"

"This is just a small private clinic. We do minor procedures. No maternity ward, no specialists..."

Fear flooded through me, colder than the blood loss. "Then... other doctors..."

"They're all with the other patient. The boss called everyone to examine her and no one's available..."

The nurse looked away and I had my answer.

Then I begged the nurse to let me use her phone and made a call. After hanging up, I couldn't hold on any longer and fainted.

Austin's POV

I'd sat beside Samantha's bed all night, watching her sleep, making sure she was okay.

Her eyes fluttered open.

"Austin?" Her voice was soft and sleepy.

"I'm here." I touched her hand gently. "How do you feel?"

"Sore." She tried to sit up. "What did the doctor say?"

"Just bruising. Surface wounds. Nothing serious, you'll be fine in a few days."

She nodded slowly, relaxing back into the pillows. "That's good."

I stood up and stretched. My back ached from sitting in the chair. "I should check on Rachel. She's pregnant, after all."

Samantha's expression tightened. "Must you?"

"I won't be long. Just need to make sure nothing serious happened."

I stepped outside and called my assistant, asking him to bring Rachel over.

"Sir..." his voice trembled. "Mrs. Collins didn't make it. She... she passed away last night."