didn’t. We were interrupted when his father was found dead on his office desk. We were so close, but that only leaves one option, an option that I just can’t fathom.
“Seven weeks,” I breathe. “Colton and I haven’t been screwing for seven weeks.”
Realization dawns on his face. “What are you saying, Ocean?”
I swallow hard, beginning to panic. “Seven weeks ago was the masquerade party. The night that Jude …”
Realization dawns on his face and he instantly begins shaking his head. “No, it couldn’t be his. I was told he didn’t finish. The bastard didn’t fucking come in you. Your fucking rapist isn’t the father of this baby.” Eli shifts his gaze around to the doctor who sits there with his brows raised. “Is it possible? Could she be pregnant to a guy who didn't finish?”
The doctor presses his lips into a hard line, sensing this is a hard topic. “Yes, unfortunately, it’s possible. There is a slim chance that a woman can get pregnant when pre-ejaculation occurs. I’ve seen it happen many times.”
I shake my head, looking to Eli in panic. “I can’t … I can’t have Jude’s baby.”
“I know,” Eli says, pulling me up beside him and holding me close. “It’s okay. We’re going to figure this out. You’ll be okay.”
The doctor hands over some pamphlets and Eli reluctantly takes them. “There are options,” he tells me. “Have a read over these and give it a few days to really think about what you want to do. You don’t want to make any drastic decisions.”
I nod and thank him and within seconds, Eli has whisked me out of the doctor's office. He takes me out to the Audi and doesn’t takes his eyes from me, getting in the driver’s side and patiently waiting for me to make my way around and get in. “You don’t have to do this,” he tells me. “Just say the word and I’ll book the appointment.”
I shake my head. “I … I don't know. I need to think about this. It’s a baby, not leftover dinner that you either put away in the fridge or just throw out. I can't … I need to go home. I need to talk to Colton.”
“Are you sure?” he questions.
I nod, knowing that’s where I need to be.
“Alright,” he tells me, hitting the gas. We get back to his apartment and he jumps out of the Audi then waits as I get back in the driver's seat. “Drive carefully, okay,” he tells me. “You’ve got a lot on your mind and the last thing you want is to be getting in an accident.”
“I know,” I tell him. “Thanks for coming with me.”
“Wouldn't have it any other way,” he says.
I give him a tight smile, trying to forget the fact that I'm currently holding my rapist's baby inside of me. “Please don’t tell the guys. I’ll do it when I’m ready.”
“You have my word.”
With that, I hit the gas and take off up the road.
I’m having Jude’s baby.
How can this happen?
Tears form in my eyes and desperation takes over me. I need to get home. I need to talk to Colton and figure out what the hell I’m going to do. The pamphlets sit beside me on the passenger's seat and I can't help but rake my eyes over them.
There are options but I don’t know if I have it in me to go down that route.
What am I supposed to do? Have Colton raise a baby that isn’t his? No, I can’t ask that of him. I can’t ask anything of him.
I need to handle this myself.
Taking a deep breath, I turn the Audi around and within the space of three minutes, I bring the car to a stop, feeling the desperation completely overtake me.
Tears flow from my eyes and as I get out of the car, I realize just how fucking stupid this is but I can’t stop myself. I have to do this. I can't keep bringing Colton into my problems. He has enough of his own for now.
I step up in front of a heavy metal door and bang my fists against it three times, silently willing myself to stop crying. I hear the familiar sound of a heavy metal lock sliding out of place and chills run down my spine at how similar it sounded to when I unlocked Jude’s dungeon.
The door pulls open and an expectant Mikhail Russo stands before me, watching me through narrowed eyes with his wolves at his back. If he’s surprised to see me, he doesn’t show it. “What do you want, girl?”
I look up at him, hating that I’m here. “I need your help.”
His eyes somehow narrow further and as he steps out of the doorway and into my personal space, I do everything in my power to keep myself from shrinking back. “Understand this, pup. If you walk through my door, you’re mine. You accept your position in this family.” His hand comes up and brushes past the still healing burn at the back of my neck. “You live by this mark. You are loyal to me. Loyal to your family. Is that clear?”
The weight of his words sits heavy against my chest. Giving him my loyalty is the final nail in the coffin. I won’t just be dead to Nic, I'll be the enemy, and that includes Sebastian, Eli, and Kai.
Fuck. They’re going to hate me.
Can I do that to them?
I meet Russo’s stare and raise my chin. “I’m all in.”
Rejects Paradise Series Playlist
Game of Survival - Ruelle
I’m Gonna Show You Crazy - Bebe Rexha
Nightmare - Halsey
Never Tear Us Apart - Bishop Briggs
Bird Set Free - Sia
Helium - Sia
Dusk Till Dawn - Zayn feat Sia
Heaven - Julia Michaels
Graveyard - Halsey
Bad Bitch - Bebe Rexha
Love Drug - G-Eazy feat Halsey
Hurricane - Tommee Profitt
Unloveable - Delacey
Power - Isak Danielson
Cruel Intentions - Delacey feat G-Eazy
Not Afraid Anymore - Halsey
Unstoppable - Sia
Monsters - Tommee Profitt
Can’t Help Falling In Love - Tommee Profitt
Angel Cry - G-Eazy feat Devon Baldwin
Bad At Love - Halsey
Creep - G-Eazy feat Ashley Benson
In The End - Tommee Profitt
Wicked Game - Daisy Gray
Haunted - Beyonce
Gasoline - Halsey
I Feel Like I’m Drowning - Two Feet
Twisted - Two Feet
Wild Horses - Bishop Briggs
The Fire - Bishop Briggs
Killer - Vallerie Broussard
Thanks for reading!
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DN3TBWN
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Ride or Die - Rejects Paradise (Book 4)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HR8V5NH
Author Biography
Sheridan Anne is a wife to a smart-ass husband, Mumma to two beautiful girls, twin sister, daughter, and friend who lives in beautiful Australia. Sheridan writes both romance and young adult fantasy books on a variety of topics and can be found on most days with her family or writing during naptime. To find out more or to simply say ‘hello’, connect with her on Facebook or Instagram -
www.facebook.com/SheridanAnneAuthor
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Other Series by Sheridan Anne
www.amazon.com/Sheridan-Anne/e/B079TLXN6K
Young Adult / New Adult - Romance
The Broken Hill High Series (5 Book Series + Novella)
Haven Falls (7 Book Series + Novella)
Broken Hill Boys (5 Book Novella Series)
Aston Creek High (4 Book Series)
Rejects Paradise (4 Book Series)
New Adult Romance
Kings of Denver (4 Book Series)
Denver Royalty (3 Book Series)
Rebels Advocate (4 Book Series)
Urban Fantasy - Pen name: Cassidy Summers
Slayer Academy (3 Book Series)