One More Time by RB Hilliard Read Free Book Online Page B

inappropriate, Bella, is you not telling me you were carrying my child. Not to mention, your poor decision to keep me away with a piddly restraining order…as if that could stop me.” He let out a maniacal sounding laugh and my heart stuttered in my chest.
    “I have a recording. And I have a judge on my side who agrees with me and that piddly restraining order, I’ll have you know,” I informed him.
    “That’s what you think,” he said, leering at my breasts. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to march your fat ass down to the courthouse tomorrow and tell the judge you want to rescind the order. Tell him you want to ‘work things out’ with me. If you don’t, the second that child is born, I am coming at you with both barrels raised.”
    “You’ve lost your mind!” I screeched. “I have a recording, Jimmy! I have proof that you are a jackass of epic proportions!”
    “Yes, but you also have a drug addiction,” he calmly said.
    Ice cold dread slithered up my spine. “That’s a lie and you know it.”
    His eyebrow quirked. “Really? I’ve got it documented, Bella. I’ve also spoken with several lawyer and judge friends about my beautiful fiancé who is pregnant and, I’m afraid, has fallen off the wagon again.”
    Fear like I’d never known raced through my veins. “You can’t do that.”
    “I already have, sweetheart. First thing tomorrow, you will rescind that order. By the end of the week we are moving in together. We’ll have a quick wedding before the baby is born and we’ll raise it together. All will be just as it should.”
    My heart galloped and my belly painfully tightened, which forced me to suck in a deep breath of air. What do I do? Without thinking, I blurted the first thing that came to mind. “She’s not yours!”
    Jimmy’s face paled. “What did you say?” he quietly asked.
    “I said the baby is not yours.” He blinked and I explained. “The weekend you went to New York. I met someone. We slept together.”
    He interrupted before I could get the rest out. “Nice try, but I know better.”
    Ignoring him, I kept on. “I swear! We had unprotected sex. This is not your child, Jimmy.”
    “You’ll say anything, won’t you? I knew you were pathetic but to keep my own child from me? That’s crazy, Bella. Just-like…”
    I didn’t let him finish. “Think whatever you want, Jimmy, but it’s true. Now, you need to leave.” I slid past him into the bedroom and snatched up my phone. “Or I’m calling the police.”
    “This isn’t over. I know you, Bella. The last thing you would do is have unprotected sex with some random guy. That baby is mine.”
    “No it’s not and I have proof,” I blurted. Why did I have to tell him that? Because I’m desperate, that’s why.
    “Yeah?” he challenged. “Well, you’d best be able to produce this so-called truth. You see, I think you’re lying. I think you’re desperate and grasping at straws. Get ready for the fight of your life,” he snarled. Then he stormed down the hall and out the front door.
    Locking the door behind him, I immediately called Sally.
    “Come home now,” I told her. Completely shaken by Jimmy’s surprise visit and at my wits end, I made my way back down the hall to my bedroom. My bathroom was now a total mess. As I stepped in to clean it, I hit a wet spot on the tile floor and, before I could stop myself, I was falling. As I went down, I threw my hands out to break my fall, but was too late. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my head and then….nothing.

Chapter Four
    Dillon
    ‡
    Six Weeks Later
    “D id you hear that?”
    Adam shushed me, “Shhhhh. Don’t talk so loud or you’ll wake Mom.”
    “Is that Dad’s car? I thought he was out of town for a few more days?” I whispered.
    “Me too.”
    BAM!
    Fear shot through me. “That sounded like a gunshot, Adam.”
    “It’s coming from inside the house. Stay here, D, and let me check it out.”
    “Hurry, Adam!”
    BAM! BAM! BAM!