wrist in his tiny excuse for a kitchen.
“I’m not. I won’t. I promise.”
He cocked his head, dark eyes narrowing. “I don’t know. You play all badass, Star, but inside, maybe you’re just a little narc waiting for a chance.”
“Stop it, Billy. Not true. I won’t tell anybody.” Because as soon as you let go of me, I’m outta here. Outta this apartment, outta this town. First bus to anywhere. I don’t even care anymore.
“Maybe you need a little reminder what will happen if you breathe a word?”
“No!” Star’s free arm went to her stomach, protective. “Let me go!”
His eyes suddenly went suspicious, and she dropped her arm. Oh, no. Oh, hell no. He poked her stomach, hard, and she clenched her lips, determined not to let on.
Determined not to let on that there was a tiny baby in there, a teeny tiny spark of hope that was the only reason she hadn’t chosen to do something desperate.
“What the hell, Star? You knocked up?” He poked her again, and she couldn’t help but put her hand out in defense.
“Stop it. Stop, Billy. Just let me go. I want to go home.”
“Right. You ain’t never wanted to go home before. What’s waiting there for you besides a liquored-up whore who don’t care whether you come home tonight or next week? Or never?”
Star bit her lip. Nothing. Nothing was waiting for her, and he damn well knew it.
“Answer my question.” He lifted her chin with an angry finger. “You pregnant?”
She didn’t know what to do. Either way, she was doomed. Finally she nodded.
“Not funny, Star.” Billy’s dark eyes bored into hers as his huge hand clamped her wrist harder.
“I’m not joking, Billy.” She shook her arm with false bravado. “And let go.”
“How the hell did you let this happen?”
“Seriously? I just called up the stork and asked for a baby. How do you think it happened?”
He shook his head, face going dark, angry.
She braced herself.
“It ain’t mine.”
“Of course it’s yours.”
“Prove it.”
“I can’t prove it, Billy. But I’ve never been with anybody else. You know that.”
He pushed out his chin, narrowed his eyes. Shit. She knew what was coming next. She shook her arm again, but it only made him hold her more tightly.
“Come on, Billy. Cut it out.”
“You trying to saddle me with an effing kid? It’s not 1950, princess. That ain’t how it’s done.”
“I’m not trying to saddle you. It happened. I don’t know how. We’ve always been careful.” And I wasn’t even going to tell you. I was going to get out of this hellhole and never tell you.
He twisted her arm, making her wince. But she didn’t cry out. This time she didn’t cry.
“You need to take care of it. I’m not having no baby mama in my life.”
“I will take care of it. Don’t worry about it. I’ll raise her myself.”
“Her?” His sneer was so ugly she just wanted to slap his face. But she would never, ever do that.
She put her free hand to her stomach. “Or him. I don’t know, obviously.”
He looked at her as if she were three forks short of a silverware drawer. “I don’t mean take care of it. I mean get rid of it.”
A hollow feeling filled her gut. No way would she ever do that. Ever. This baby might have come half from Billy, but the other half was all her. She would have this baby, damn it. And she would love it with all her might, and take care of it the way a child should be taken care of.
She had no idea how. But she’d be damned if she’d let anything happen to it.
“I will not, Billy. I’m not getting rid of it. I’m going to have the baby.”
“No, you’re not. No girlfriend of mine’s showing up looking like a beached whale. And no girlfriend of mine’s gonna be whining for child support for the next twenty years. Not happening.”
She gave her hand one final pull, and miraculously, freed her wrist. Then she turned to go, prepared to walk out of Billy’s dank little apartment, prepared to walk—somewhere, anywhere where she might be safe.
Not here.
Not home.
She got all the way to the doorway. Had her hand on the doorknob. Had even started to twist it. But then she felt her head snap back as Billy grabbed her hair.
“We’re not done here, princess.”
She shivered as he spoke low and menacing, right next to her ear.
That was the last thing she remembered.
She woke up in a hospital bed late the next day,