Chapter 12
Rowan’s heart felt like it was being shredded alive, torn apart piece by piece.
Suddenly, he turned around and faced Calvin. His hand gripped
Calvin’s arm, tight and burning with rage.
“Bring them to me,” he ordered, voice low and deadly.
Calvin had been waiting for this. He didn’t bother replying. He just
turned and stormed out.
In the dead of night, deep within the underground holding cell,
screams echoed against the stone walls.
The women who had brutalized Joanna were now strung up by their
wrists, suspended in the air, their blood dripping down to pool on the
concrete floor.
One of them shrieked, “It wasn’t us! We were just paid to do it.”
“That’s right. It was the woman by your side, Mr. Swanson. She said if we did the job well and made it clean, she’d help get us out early!”
“We have proof! We recorded everything. If you don’t believe us, we’ll play it for you.”
They were barely clinging to life, breaths shallow and ragged. But
even on the edge of death, they weren’t ready to give up.
In a desperate
sent them without hesitation.
“Are you serious, miss? You’re asking us to beat up Joanna? Do you even know who she is?”
“You’ve lost your damn mind! What kind of nonsense are you
spewing? Joanna is Rowan’s woman. He treats her like she’s made of glass. It’s like even looking at her the wrong way would crack her.
“Hurt her? If we so much as lay a finger on her, Rowan would bury us. You’d better take this job somewhere else. We’re not doing it!”
A mocking laugh burst through the speaker. Rowan’s body went rigid. That voice–he recognized it.
His eyes narrowed, going darker by the second.
“You idiots don’t know a thing. Do you think Rowan loves her? Don’t make me laugh. Do you even know who I am?
“Here, I’ll show you something.”
“A marriage certificate? Wait, female name, Hattie Duncan. Male name… Rowan Swanson? That can’t be real! Isn’t Joanna his wife? Are you trying to scam us with a fake marriage certificate?”
Hattie’s voice was sharp. “Fake? Look again. This is the real one. Rowan brought me all the way back from Eldorra to get married.
“The one Joanna has? That’s fake. Now do you get it? I’m the real
Mrs. Swanson.
“Just do exactly what I said, and you’ll get your cut. It’ll be more than enough to make it worth your time. I’ll transfer a hefty sum into each of your accounts once it’s done.
“The crueler, the better. I want her broken. Hit her in the stomach
hard. Make sure she can never have children again.”
Calvin couldn’t take it anymore.
He grabbed the whip and lashed it across the woman hanging in front.
of him.
They tried to defend themselves again, but their excuses drowned beneath the cracking of leather and the sting of raw pain.
Rowan didn’t say a word. He grabbed his keys and walked out the
door.
Hattie’s face lit up the moment she saw him. Beaming, she rushed
forward and threw her arms around him.
“Rowan, you didn’t even call to say you were coming. Were you
missing me? Or maybe… missing the baby? Or maybe…”
Her voice softened as her hand slowly reached toward his waist,
suggestive and teasing.
But before she could touch him, her wrist was suddenly locked in an unyielding grip.
She cried out in pain, startled. Her eyes shot up to meet his, and what she saw made her breath hitch. Rowan was staring at her with a look. she had never seen before. It was something cold, something.
dangerous.
Her heart skipped, then pounded harder in her chest.
She stammered, “Rowan? What’s g–going on? Did I s–say something wrong? Did I d–do something wrong? Say something! Don’t just stare at me like that… Please, Rowan.
“You’re hurting me. I-”
Before she could finish, Rowan’s other hand snapped up and closed
tightly around her throat.
She gasped, choking instantly. Her eyes rolled back as her fingers. clawed at his hand, trying to pry him off.
She couldn’t breathe. Her chest heaved as panic set in, her face flushing deep red.
Her toes left the floor as her body lifted off the ground.
She choked out, “The… baby! The baby!”
With a cold snort, Rowan shoved her away. She crashed to the floor
like a discarded rag doll.
Hattie cried out, her back arching in pain.
She clutched her stomach, tears streaming down her pale face.
She cried out, “Rowan, what’s happening? I’m carrying your child. How
could you try to strangle me like that?”
His eyes were sharp. “Hattie, I really underestimated you.”
C
