Chapter 28

Amelia

The pains are frequent and closer together, sweat is beading down my brow. I've nearly bitten through my bottom lip to keep from crying out, I refuse to allow this bastard to know I am in pain and give him the satisfaction of knowing he will be here when I give birth to the child he doesn't want.

When Colson told me I had to call Cronos and break his heart I tried to refuse but a swift backhand and the threat of him kicking my stomach had me complying. I don't know if Cronos understood what I was saying. I am praying with every ounce of my being that he got it, I feel horrible for using Aida's name against him but I didn't have a choice. He sounded so cold and detached on the phone.

When another wave of pain robs me of breath I arch forward in my seat and slam my eyes closed as I tighten my arms around myself.

Please, Kingsley, not now, sweet girl!

The only bonus to the constant pain is that it keeps my mind off my mom. I haven't been able to stop the tears from flowing since I woke up on the plane. The sight of her standing there looking utterly broken and torn in half will haunt me, when I asked Colson where she was he smiled wide, placed a kiss on my lips and said dead . I screamed and wailed until he punched me in the face, dazing me, my cheek still aches from the hit but it's nothing compared to the pain in my heart and the contractions.

I can't have this baby without my mom!

A sob claws its way out of me and I bite down on my bruised lip to remain silent but Colson hears and he looks pissed.

"You want something to fucking cry about?" he snarls from his seat across from me. I shake my head.

"No."

"No, what?" he screams at me, I flinch in fear.

"No, sir," I say shakily.

He smiles triumphantly. "You're a fucking pathetic waste of space. Soon as that kid is out of you, you'll join your mother." My eyes widen as fear grips me in its clutches.

"Colson, please, don't take her from me—" Before another word can be spoken, he leans forward and slaps me. I cry out, which only angers him further. He hates when I make a sound as he beats me. My head is yanked back by his grip on my hair, I look up in time to see his fist coming. I can't even protect myself, on the second punch, I black out.

I'm woken by a sharp pain in my lower back. I groan as I try to open my eyes but only one does, the other is swollen shut. I whimper but quickly quiet myself so no one hears. I fight through the pain and push myself into a sitting position. I gasp as I look around to see I'm in a bed in a room with four white walls. The beeping coming from my left draws my attention and my eyes widen at the sight of a heart monitor. An IV is set up and I see the cannula in my hand, I'm even wearing a yellow hospital type gown.

My ankles are chained to the end of the makeshift hospital bed. This cannot be happening! He knows Kingsley is coming and there is nothing I can do to stop it! It's too early, I'm only thirty-four weeks, without the proper facilities to help a premature baby she won't make it. A lump forms in my throat as more tears gather in my eyes, I can't lose my mom and daughter!

The door opens and a nurse enters with a tray, she looks at me without an ounce of remorse. I inhale through my nose and compose myself as I draw on every ounce of training I have received throughout my life.

Pain won't last.

Take the beating and never let them see they are under your skin.

Don't let them in your head.

Your body can be broken and used but your mind is your safe haven.

I remain still as the nurse wheels a table over and places the tray on it. When she reaches for my wrist, I jerk away, Her lips thin and eyes narrow in warning but I scowl back. Something about her seems familiar but I'm putting that down to the amount of pain I'm in. I have been weak for too fucking long and I will not allow these cowardly bastards to take away my free will. I will fight until my dying breath to save my daughter from these monsters like my mom saved me all those years ago!

"If you don't allow me to check your pulse, I will be forced to bring in some men to restrain you while I do it, then check to see how far you have dilated while they watch." I grind my teeth in anger. I relent to her demand and give her my wrist. She checks my pulse and then notes it down on the chart I didn't see earlier on the table. "Easiest way to do this is heels together and then drop your knees open."

"You took a vow, you promised to help people and here you are trying to help monsters?—"

"Coming from the woman who ran off and stole a man's child and refused to allow him to be a part of his child's life?" I balk at her.

"What?" I squawk out.

She scoffs. "Open now or I will call for help." My anger peaks. Colson, the lying son of a bitch, has fed this woman lies and she ate them up like a fucking addict. I watch her glove up then do as she instructed. She perches on the edge of the bed and lifts my gown right as another wave of pain tears through me. "Breathe through it, don't fight it."

"It's too soon," I grit out through clenched teeth.

"She is coming whether you are ready or not." I whimper when she pushes her fingers inside me, breathing through my nose to keep from crying out. The whole ordeal lasts about a minute before she is crossing the room and dumping her gloves in a small trash can. "You're about seven centimeters dilated." My eyes widen.

"How long was I out?" I breathe out, that's too far along for me to have been out for a few minutes. She doesn't get the chance to answer, because the door opens and Colson walks in. I close my legs and push my gown down to cover myself as best as I can.

"I'll be back to check on her in an hour," the nurse says as she leaves me alone with the monster. Colson looks clean and showered, he even looks rested, the fucking bastard. When he looks at me, I feel nothing but deep hatred for him. I can't believe I fooled myself into thinking I could actually love a piece of shit like him. Colson remains silent as he crosses to the far side of the room and gazes out the window, keeping his back to me.

"As a courtesy to you, I will make your death swift and painless."

I snort, he whirls around and looks at me with utter contempt. "A courtesy to me would be you blowing your own fucking brains out!"

"You like pushing me. Don't you?"

I stare at him for a second trying to understand why he would want to hurt me. My dad did his father a mercy and yet here he is using me and trying to hurt my father by killing his daughter and taking his grandchild.

"You know my family won't stop," I grit out through clenched teeth as another wave of pain slams into me. Colson smiles at the sight of me in pain, he loves seeing me writhe in agony. "Kill me, do whatever the fuck you want but you will never be able to stop running. They will chase you to the ends of the earth and never give up until they find you and take back what is theirs!"

"That fucking cunt of a kid is mine!" I recoil on instinct. I guess my mind thinks we are past the trauma but my body is still reacting to muscle memory.

"How can you call her that?" I ask quietly, utterly stumped by the fact he could possibly despise his own flesh and blood.

"Because you're it's mother, that's why I hate it."

"You are a fucking disgrace and I can't wait for the day my father and Cronos find you. They will drag your death out for years so you can feel every ounce of fucking pain you have caused me and my family!" I scream. "I want them to cut out your fucking tongue and pull your eyes from their sockets with a fucking spoon and make you eat them before they cut off your ears so you can go to the afterlife deaf, dumb and blind!" I slump forward and drag in lungfuls of air, just in time for another contraction to hit, this one more painful than the last, forcing me to arch my back and breathe in through my nose.

I whimper when Colson rips my head back by the hair, the contraction is still pulsing through me, the pain making me delirious. "For that comment, you dumb bitch, I'll make your death slow and painful. Hurry the fuck up and have that kid so I can get rid of you." He releases me with a hard shove.

Before he can leave the room I call out. "I can't wait for the Devil to arrive and drag your worthless ass back to fucking hell!"

"Fucking you was hell, so going anywhere else would be better than touching that wretched cunt again." Indignation burns inside me as he slams the door closed behind him.