Submitting to the Shadow (Kindred Tales #27) - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,77

him for conspiracy to commit murder, since he was complicit in the kidnapping and he delivered you right to the killer’s hands. And he told them he did it because you gave him a failing grade on a test! Can you believe that?” She shook her head. “I’m so glad you’re up here now. You never have to deal with that bullshit again!”

Sammi appreciated all this information but the person she really wanted to know about was Roark. She knew her best friend could keep talking for hours if she didn’t find some way to stop her and get the conversation back to where she needed it to go.

Taking Meg’s hand in hers, she squeezed it and mouthed his name while raising her eyebrows.

Roark?

Meg frowned and then her face brightened.

“Oh yes—he saved you! You know, Sammi—I’m beginning to think he’s not such a bad guy. Maybe everything that happened between the two of you was a big misunderstanding. At any rate, he certainly got to you in the nick of time!”

Can I talk to him? Sammi mouthed.

“Oh, you want to talk to him? Of course!” Sammi nodded. “He’s been at your bedside night and day for this whole week, you know. I just made him leave to grab a shower and something to eat a little while ago, but he should be back any minute.”

Sammi’s heart gave a little leap. If Roark had been so attentive to her while she was ill, surely he must still have some feelings for her! Surely they could get things straightened out between them and have the kind of relationship she’d been longing for from the moment she’d fallen for him.

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door of her room and Liv stuck her head in.

“Excuse me, Meg but Commander Roark is back and he’d like to see Samantha.”

“Oh good—Sammi’s awake.” Meg nodded at Sammi and grinned. “And she wants to see him too.” She turned back to Sammi and squeezed her hand. “Now remember, don’t try to talk! But I’m sure you’ll still be able to communicate just fine.”

Leaning over, she gave Sammi a kiss on the cheek and then, with a promise to see her later, she left the Med Center room and at last, Roark came in.

Sixty

Sammi’s heart jumped in her chest the minute she saw him standing there, so tall and handsome. But there was a haggard look on his sharp features that worried her.

“Samantha,” he said formally and came to sit in the chair beside her bed where Meg had been sitting when she first woke up. Sammi wished he would reach for her hand but instead, he crossed his arms over his broad chest, as though to keep himself from touching her.

“Samantha,” he said again, shaking his head. “I have so much to say to you—so much to apologize for… I hardly know where to start.”

He looked down meditatively, a frown on his dark face. At last he looked up at her and took a deep breath.

“The children you are carrying are mine,” he said, lifting his chin. “The entire time we were doing, er, ‘experiments’ with my machine, I wasn’t using fake seed as I had told you—I was using my own seed on you every time.”

Sammi felt her eyes widen at his confession. She had suspected something like this—of course she had. But to hear him admit it like this, so bluntly… She shook her head, unable to quite take it in.

“It’s true.” Roark nodded, confirming the fact. “I did it because I thought my sperm was completely nonviable and that there was no way I could make you pregnant. But also…” He took a deep breath. “Also because I wanted so desperately to Claim you and I didn’t dare try to bond you to me, the way I should have.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “What a coward I was,” he muttered, clearly talking to himself. “And what a fool.”

Sammi wanted to reach out and touch him—to tell him it was okay. She knew she ought to be mad—hell, she ought to be furious. But she couldn’t find anger in her heart for the tall Shadow Twin. She only wanted to love him…only wanted to know that he loved her in return.

“Anyway…” Roark cleared his throat. “I was so certain my sperm was nonviable, I was sure I couldn’t be the father when you told me you were pregnant. And the fact that the babies you’re carrying are twin