Chapter 4 — Nowhere Safe

Natalie's POV The moment Butcher slammed the door, my legs buckled. I slid down the wall, landing on the floor as tears spilled down my face. My entire body shook, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make it stop. What the hell had just happened? I stared at the door, half expecting the giant to come charging back through it. My arm throbbed where he'd grabbed me. Looking down, I could already see red marks forming around my upper arm. Wonderful. Apparently, carrying his baby gave him the right to manhandle me whenever he felt like it. I pulled my knees toward my chest as much as my growing stomach allowed. I'd dealt with angry patients before. Working in a hospital meant encountering people at their absolute worst. I'd been yelled at, threatened, and called every name imaginable. But Butcher? That man genuinely frightened me. He hadn't just been angry. He'd looked at me like I was something he could crush without a second thought. And the worst part? I believed he could. I placed a trembling hand over my stomach. “I'm sorry, little one,” I whispered. A fresh wave of tears followed. Six months ago, I'd saved that man's life. I'd patched up his stab wounds, made sure he survived, and somehow ended up spending the night with him. Now I was trapped inside his clubhouse because he'd decided our baby belonged to him. Not us. Him. I couldn't help wondering whether I'd made the biggest mistake of my life by telling him the truth. Maybe I should've lied when he asked whether the baby was his. Maybe he would've believed me and walked away. Then again, knowing that giant, he probably would've demanded a DNA test anyway. I wiped my cheeks. “Congratulations, Natalie,” I muttered. “You've officially managed to complicate your life beyond recognition.” My baby shifted beneath my hand. At least someone was keeping me company. A knock sounded at the door. I froze. “Ma'am? I've got your food.” The prospect. Thank God. “Come in,” I called, quickly wiping my face. The door opened, and the young man stepped inside carrying a plate with a burger and fries, along with a bottle of water. He stopped when he saw me sitting on the floor. “You good, lady?” I shook my head. His expression changed. “Need me to get somebody?” “No, thank you.” He looked toward the door, then back at me. “Prez can be a little intense.” I let out a humorless laugh. “A little?” The prospect winced. “Yeah. Poor choice of words.” Despite everything, I almost smiled. He placed the food on the small table beside the bed. “Your belongings are here too. We put your clothes in the dresser and the rest of your stuff in the bathroom.” “Thank you. I appreciate it.” He nodded. “If you need anything, just holler.” I watched him leave, relieved when he closed the door quietly. At least somebody around here understood that doors didn't need to be slammed hard enough to shake the building. I slowly pushed myself off the floor. The burger smelled wonderful, but my appetite had disappeared. Still, my baby needed me to eat. I sat on the edge of the bed and unwrapped the burger. “Alright, little one. Mommy might not be hungry, but you're getting something.” I managed about half before my stomach decided it had enough. Taking a drink of water, I glanced around the room. I wanted to go home. I wanted my own bed, my own kitchen, and the freedom to walk outside. Without some enormous biker deciding whether I was allowed. Most importantly, I wanted to feel safe. And right now, that wasn't happening. ........................ After putting the remaining food aside, I decided to find my toiletries. The prospect had mentioned everything was in the bathroom. Sure enough, several plastic shopping bags sat on the counter. I frowned as I looked through them. Brand-new shampoo. Conditioner. Body wash. Even my prenatal vitamins. “What the heck?” Why hadn't they just brought my stuff from home? I picked up the vitamin bottle and checked the label. Same brand. Same dosage. At least they'd gotten that right. Maybe Butcher had decided my belongings weren't good enough for his precious clubhouse. Wouldn't surprise me. I took my prenatal vitamin with some water before turning on the shower. The water needed to be warm, not hot. Anything hotter lately made me dizzy. Pregnancy was such a wonderful experience. One minute, I could work a twelve-hour shift on my feet. The next, a shower that was slightly too hot made me feel like I was about to kiss the bathroom floor. I stepped beneath the spray and closed my eyes. For several minutes, I simply stood there, letting the water run over my shoulders. My arm still hurt. I looked down at the marks Butcher had left. They were darker now. I swallowed. I finished washing and turned off the water. After drying myself, I slipped into clean underwear and a bra. Followed by a comfortable pair of black, relaxed-fit pants and a simple shirt. I brushed through my red curls before they could tangle. My hair had a mind of its own. It always looked better wet, but once it dried, those curls went wherever they pleased. I glanced at myself in the mirror. My eyes were still red. Fantastic. In less than two hours, I was supposed to meet Butcher's family. What exactly was I supposed to say? Hi, everyone! I'm Natalie. Your son knocked me up six months ago, disappeared, and now apparently thinks I'm his personal prisoner. Yeah. That would go over beautifully. I shook my head. Maybe his family would be normal. Then again, Butcher had to get that temper from somewhere. I wasn't holding my breath. I returned to the bedroom and climbed onto the bed. Grabbing my phone, I decided to scroll for a while. Anything to distract myself from the disaster my life had become. I checked the time. Still a while before the giant was supposed to return. Maybe I could find something funny to watch. Something involving puppies. Puppies were safe. Puppies didn't drag pregnant women down hallways and threaten them. I had just opened my phone when the bedroom door swung open. My head snapped up. What the hell? I knew I'd locked that door. A man I'd never seen before stepped inside. He was overweight, with greasy hair and a Hell Riders cut stretched across his stomach. He didn't knock. Didn't introduce himself. He simply walked inside and closed the door behind him. My stomach tightened. “What the hell are you doing in here?” I scrambled off the bed. The man looked me up and down. “You sure are pretty. The kid was right.” Every warning bell in my head went off. The kid? What kid? I backed toward the wall. “You need to leave. Butcher will be pissed if he finds you in here.” I hoped mentioning the giant would make him reconsider. Instead, the man chuckled. “What Butcher don't know won't hurt him.” Oh, God. I instinctively placed a hand over my stomach. “Get out.” He took another step toward me. “I said get out!” He kept coming. My heart hammered against my ribs. I opened my mouth and screamed. Not words. Just one long, terrified scream. The man lunged. His hand closed around my throat before I could get away. I grabbed his wrist, trying to pull his fingers loose. My back struck the wall. “Shut your f*****g mouth!” I couldn't breathe properly. Panic surged through me. My baby. I had to protect my baby. The man pressed closer, and something inside me snapped. I wasn't going to let him hurt us. I drove my knee upward with everything I had. He released my throat with a strangled curse and doubled over, clutching himself. I didn't wait. I ran. My bare feet slapped against the floor as I raced into the hallway. Behind me, the man shouted. “You b***h! I'll f*****g deal with you!” I kept running. My throat burned, and tears blurred my vision. Needed to find someone. Anyone. But who could I trust? I'd thought being inside the clubhouse meant I was protected. Apparently, I couldn't have been more wrong. I stumbled into the main room. Several heads turned. My entire body shook as I struggled to catch my breath. “What the f**k happened?” Crank was already coming toward me. His expression changed when he saw my face. “Girl, what happened?” I tried to answer. “He…” My voice cracked. I swallowed, wincing at the pain in my throat. “He was trying to r**e me.” The room went quiet. Crank's expression turned murderous. “Who?” Before I could answer, the man appeared at the end of the hallway. “Don't f*****g lie, b***h! You invited me into your room!” I stumbled backward. The sight of him sent another wave of panic through me. Crank stepped directly between us. “Stay behind me, girl.” For once, I wasn't about to argue with a biker giving me an order. The man stopped a few feet away. “She f*****g invited me in,” he insisted. “Shut your f*****g mouth,” Crank growled. The biker hesitated. “Crank, I'm telling you—” “You miserable piece of shit.” Crank took a step toward him. “You've got the f*****g balls to make a move against this woman, then stand here and lie to my face?” The man shook his head. “That's not what happened.” Crank's shoulders straightened. I hadn't thought the older biker could look any more intimidating. Apparently, I was wrong. “You think I'm f*****g stupid?” Nobody answered. Crank moved closer. “She's carrying my nephew's child, you worthless bastard.” The man's expression changed. “And you thought you could put your f*****g hands on her?” I pressed a trembling hand against my stomach. My throat hurt, my arm throbbed, and I wanted nothing more than to disappear somewhere nobody could find me. Crank stared the man down. “Now you're going to explain exactly what the f**k you were doing in her room.” His voice dropped dangerously low. “And you'd better think real f*****g carefully before you open your mouth.”