Be My Hero (Forbidden Men #3)(53)

Slipping one hand into a pocket of his pressed khakis, he strolled closer, his lip curling into a mocking sneer as he looked me up and down. "Mason told me you were here."

Next item on my to-do list: murder Reese's interfering boyfriend.

Stopping in front of me, Alec let out a breath and shook his head as if disappointed. In me! "I talked to your parents, Eva—"

"Oh, well, you know what?" I snorted and held up a hand to stop him, knowing he still wanted me to do what he'd been demanding the last time we'd spoken. "I talked to my parents too, and I know exactly what their position is. I wouldn't be here in BFE Illinois, sponging off my cousin, if they hadn't kicked me out because I refused to get an abortion. And since I'm still here, Alec, I guess that means I haven't changed my mind. So, sorry for your wasted trip, but you came for nothing. You can turn around and go right back to Florida."

Alec gritted his teeth, his expression showing all the frustration he was experiencing. I didn't care; he wasn't going to tell me what to do with my baby. He'd given up his right to make a decision the moment he'd called me a cheating whore after I told him I was pregnant.

But then his face went blank.

"You're really going to play this out, aren't you? Fine, I'm willing to play. What do you want, E.?"

When he caught my arm in a hard, vise-like grip, my warning signals shot sky-high. Alec had never been physically abusive before. But something wasn't right about him today.

Men who found themselves on the edge of desperation usually acted out in terrible ways. I'd learned that the hard way from my father. Well, today Alec looked eerily desperate.

Knowing I had to handle this carefully, even though his presence was ticking me off big time, I tried to take his entire reason to feel desperate away from him.

"This isn't a power play for me to get a pretty toy, Alec," I assured. "The only thing I want is my child."

"Bullshit!" He jabbed his finger accusingly in my direction. "What happened to the girl I met who said kids gave her the willies?"

"You knocked her up," I shot back, fury rising inside me. "So I guess I'm just going to have to learn to adjust."

"Jesus Christ," Alec shouted inside the garage, making me narrow my eyes and set my hand on my hip. "Why can't you just take care of this?"

"I am! I'm going to stay here and take care of my baby, like a mother should."

"A mother? Oh my God." He let out a degrading laugh. "Are you even listening to yourself? This is not you. You're not mother material, Eva. You're a f*cking spoiled, rich cunt."

Ouch. That one hurt. I was a single, nineteen-year-old child with no job, no home, and I was about to bring an innocent little human into the world and be totally responsible for her. Sudden dizziness made me sway on my feet. Poor Skylar seemed royally screwed and she wasn't even born yet. With a douchebag for a father and a spoiled, rich cunt for a mother, my baby didn't stand a chance.

But I was still determined give her one. No matter what anyone thought, I would love my girl and I'd find a way to be a damn good mother, if it was the last thing I did.

I squared my shoulders. "Just because I didn't plan on this ever happening, doesn't mean I'm going to brush it aside like a minor inconvenience. I'm keeping my child."

Alec sneered as if he knew a secret. "Well, I can't allow you to do that."

I tried to tug my arm away from him. "Why not? I'm not asking you to do anything. In fact, I don't even want you involved."

Alec jerked me closer. "How stupid do you think I am? I know you'll get the law on your side, and you'll f*cking bleed everything from me. You could hold this over me for the rest of my life, suck me dry with some bullshit child support, make me pay for all kinds of shit I want nothing to do with. And I refuse to let you get away with it."

"Alec . . . " I gave a long, tired sigh and even rolled my eyes as dramatically as I could, even though my heart was racing. For some irrational reason, I thought letting him see my fear would cause him to pounce. "Believe me." Please, please believe me. "I will not do that to you. I don't want anything from you. Actually, if I never saw you again, I would be overwhelmed with joy. I'll even sign a piece of paper saying so."

"See, now." Alec shook his head and laughed softly. "I'm having trouble believing that. I know you, remember? I know what a conniving, manipulative bitch you are. And I refuse to let you continue this."

"Well, I've changed." I huffed out a sound of aggravation when I tried to tug my arm free of his grip and he wouldn't release me. "People can change, you know. Now let me go."

"Not until you agree to get rid of it."

Was he on crack? It was way too late for an abortion, even if I'd been on board with the idea. I sniffed and lifted my chin. "Never."

"Then you leave me no other choice."

Oh, shit. I realized I'd made a big mistake by standing up to him, and even egging his temper on, a split second before he shoved me against the wall.

As my back cracked against sheetrock and then my head banged into it, fear seized me. He clutched me by the throat until I was screaming and screaming, and just screaming for all I was worth, hoping I was loud enough to get Mason and Reese's attention.