Tempted by Deception (Deception Trilogy #2) by Rina Kent

The more he grows, the smaller that black hole in my chest shrinks. And now, I look forward to staring at my reflection in the mirror every morning, to listening to music and even reading some books so I can form any sort of connection with him.

Luca’s lips twist. “Congratulations are in order, I guess.”

“Instead of congratulating me, help me leave Adrian.”

“No. Not yet.”

“Why not?”

“Because I need eyes on him. You can’t leave him yet.”

“Luca…” My voice breaks. “How could you say that?”

“You’ll thank me for it later when you know the truth.” He opens the stall door and gives me a quizzical stare over his shoulder. “Take care of yourself, Duchess. No one else is going to do it for you. Not me and definitely not the unfeeling psycho, Adrian.”

And with that, he climbs through the window and jumps down.

His words float behind him long after he’s gone, settling a weight at the bottom of my stomach.

“Mrs. Volkov?” Yan calls, and when I don’t reply, he follows with an urgent, “I’m coming in.”

I straighten, stepping out of the stall as Yan nearly yanks the door from its hinges. He steps inside, and his critical eyes study me mechanically. “Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I hide my tremors with a smile.

“I thought I heard voices.”

“It…must be from outside.” I motion at the window Luca left open.

Yan heads to it with purposeful strides, inspects it, then narrows his eyes before he slams it shut.

When he turns around to face me, all of his nonchalance and playful behavior are gone. “I’m going to ask you a question, and I want your honesty, Lia. Was someone here?”

“No,” I say with a conviction I don’t feel, hoping he believes me.

He gives a curt nod and precedes me toward the door.

I don’t release a breath. Not then, not after we get home, and certainly not when Adrian keeps watching me all night as if I’m his custom-made pet, trapped under his thumb.

Luca was right.

I have to look out for myself, and that includes surviving Adrian until I can escape him.

If that means I need to provide Luca with any scraps of information on my husband, so be it.





30





Adrian





Six months later





The sound of crying fills the air as the midwife fusses around Lia and a few nurses wipe the sweat off her forehead.

“It’s a beautiful boy,” the midwife announces with a soft smile that vanishes upon meeting my gaze, then reappears when she directs her attention to Lia.

My wife releases the iron grip that she kept on my hand during the entire birthing process. Her nails broke my skin from the force of her pain and screams. There’s nothing I wanted to do more than take that pain for myself and relieve her of it. Having her scratch and claw at my skin is nothing compared to what she’s been through.

She was glowing through the months of her pregnancy, counting days and crossing them off her calendar until the day she’d meet her son.

I tried ignoring that she never called him our son or our baby, or that she never once referred to him as ours. As if, in a way, she was tolerating me and this marriage only for the child. And while I attempted to let that slide, I don’t like it. I don’t like that she’s been slowly erasing me since the wedding.

Considering the way everything started, I gave her some leeway, content with having her by my side every night and knowing she’s safe and fucking mine.

However, no matter how much she comes undone around me, she never lets me hear her voice anymore. As soon as I’m out of her, she gives me her back and moves to the edge of the bed. That doesn’t stop me from spooning her from behind, but while she sleeps in my hold, she still squirms every night, still tries to get away from me.

Which will never happen.

And it’s not only because of the child. As much as I’m a fucking scum for using my own son, his existence is merely a consequence of keeping her by my side.

How are you any different from your psycho mother? I can hear Yan chastising me, and I push him and his loathsome voice out of my head.

Unlike my mother, I won’t hurt my son for my own gains. If anything, I’ll burn the world if anyone so much as gets near him or his mother.

All remnants of anguish disappear from Lia’s face, replaced by a soft, awed expression. Fresh tears stream down her cheeks, but she looks the happiest I’ve seen her since before she broke her leg.

Or maybe ever.

The nurse carefully places the baby in her arms and Lia holds him gently, lips falling open, then shut, apparently lost for words.

The child immediately stops crying as his mother pulls him to her bare chest, which is only covered by a sheet. Even though the nurse wiped him down, he’s still covered with goo and blood. However, Lia doesn’t seem to care about that as she smiles at him through her tears. “Hi there, my beautiful angel.”

His small fingers curl into fists, resting on her breastbone, and his eyes move behind his closed lids as if he can recognize her voice. She spent the entirety of her pregnancy talking to him, making him listen to music and dancing slowly because she wanted him to be light on his feet. She even went out of her way and read to him when I know for a fact that she hates it.