A Very Wild Christmas

Chapter 6: Abigail

I stared down at the two digital lines in awe.

Pregnant +3 weeks.

It was really happening again and this time Duke was here to witness it all.

Sobs started wracking through my body as it sunk in.

I was really pregnant, Eva would be a big sister. Our family of three would become four.

"Abbie, are you okay?" Rachael knocked timidly on the bathroom door, concern worming in her voice.

We still had a lot to talk about, but while she was here, I wanted her to get me a test without Duke noticing. It was going to make an incredible Christmas surprise.

"Coming." I grin, holding the test tightly in my hand.

Rachael

Abbie came out of the bathroom hiding the test in her hand. It was either going to be good or bad news. There was no in-between with this kind of stuff.

"Are you okay?" I asked again, concerned as to whether I should get Duke for help.

"I'm pregnant!" She chokes out, presenting the test to me. Sadness and jealousy wash through me like a tidal wave but I shove them down for the moment. My bitterness shouldn't ruin such an occasion.

"Congratulations." I smile, pulling her in for an awkward hug. Abbie gladly takes it, seeking my comfort and squeezing tighter.

"I need to make a surprise for Duke now. He'll be thrilled."

"How far along are you?" I question, staring at her flat stomach.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure, maybe six weeks? It's been a while since I've had a period. I've been so stressed about Christmas and other stuff this month that it skipped my mind."

"It definitely makes sense why you have been so sick. Duke's been going mad at the club trying to figure it out."

Abbie chuckled, her face still slightly pale from what can now be morning sickness. "He is very overprotective."

I silently agreed, picking up the rest of the shopping bag and handing it to Abbie. "I hope you don't mind, but I got you something else, just in case the test was positive."

Her hand immediately dives into the bag and she pulls out a small T-shirt with the writing 'big sister' on the front. Her face immediately lights up with glee. "Thank you, this is perfect!"

I awkwardly smile, preparing to leave but Abbie stops me. "Rachael, what have you been doing the last few months, and why are you back?"

I was hoping to avoid these questions if possible, but nothing usually slipped Abbie's mind. Shuffling over to the bed, I prepare to tell her the truth. Abbie follows, sitting opposite me.

"When we were saved, someone took a liking to me." I start, dampening the story down.

Someone didn't just take a liking to me.

They became obsessed with me.

"Ryder." She immediately cuts in.

"Yeah. He's a very intense person."

"He can be sometimes. I'm sure it will pass."

"I don't think it will Abbie. For the last two years, he's been stalking me. I first noticed it when money was being transferred into my bank account monthly which I didn't ask for. I had a job at a clothing store so I was making my own way. Suddenly I kept seeing a blacked out SUV outside my house. The same one Ryder drove. Next thing I knew, he would come into my house at night while I was sleeping."

I briefly looked up from my explanation to see Abbie's face three shades paler than before.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you this-"

"Tell me more." She grabs my arm, keeping me in place.

"There's not much left of the story, I tried to run away and Ryder caught me and brought me back."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. I just want to go back to the way things were. It feels like I've swapped one cage for another." I admit.

I'd spent many years suffering at Pavel's clutches, I didn't want the same with Ryder. I don't think I could handle going through that all over again.

"I can promise you, Rachael. Ryder is not the same as Pavel. He can be strongly driven but I can assure you there are reasons for his motives."

"I don't think keeping me on a tight leash is good a motive."

"Is that why you have been wherever he's been the last week and also why you came back?"

"Yes. The day I came running into Duke's office with Eva was the day after I came back."

Abbie sat in silence for a moment before running off angrily. The pregnancy test was discarded on the bed. I quickly bagged everything up and placed it under the bed, not wanting to spoil the surprise for Duke. Shouting echoed from downstairs and I ran down to see the commotion.

"How dare you!" Abbie screamed, trying to lunge at Ryder but Duke was holding her back.

Ryder's angry gaze snapped to me and I cowered in fear. He'd never looked at me like that before and from what Pavel used to be like, that wasn't a good face. Something bad was about to happen.

"I was protecting her." He cooly defends, looking away from me. I sighed in relief.

"How! How is taking her and keeping her on a tight leash protective!"

"Because the Bratva is after her!" Ryder roared, his cool demeanour completely gone. Panic swirled in my gut and I could feel my heart rate accelerating.

"Why didn't you tell me that?" I panicked. "I would have happily gone with you instead of you forcing me!"

"I wasn't sure if you would believe me."

"I will believe anything to do with my ex-husband and his disgusting mob. You wouldn't even have to tell me twice."

I knew what they were all capable of, I had lived through it all. If they were after me, it had something to do with expensive and dangerous items hidden in different areas. It was a useless battle for them, I had no clue where any of it was and I didn't want to know.

"This is just a misunderstanding, you both need to calm down," Duke warns Abbie and Ryder. His authoritative voice gave me fear. "I don't want my daughter waking up to hear this."

"We'll be going then." Ryder holds out his hand for me to take and I walk over and grab it without argument. Abbie's sad face looks at me as we walk away and something pangs inside of me but I wasn't sure what it was.

Ryder opens the car door and ushers me inside, immediately clipping in my seat belt while Ryder gets in his side. We drive off in tense silence.

"How much did you tell her?" He eventually breaks the silence.

"Everything over the last two years."

A long sigh leaves Ryder's mouth. "Everything I do has a reason behind it. You just didn't want to realise it. I know about your past Rachael, I would never make you feel like a captive."

I stare at the mist starting to creep in around the edges of the windscreen. "It's difficult to separate the two. I was living freely not too long ago."

"And you will still live freely now. You just have to stay with me until the Bratva situation calms down."

Sadness worms into my brain. "Why didn't you tell me?"

The warmth of his hand greets mine, and for a moment I take it. I make myself believe that I'm in a happy relationship that's worth living for.

"Because I care about you, Rachael." The words leave his mouth gruffly.

My gaze moves to the passenger window, admiring the view of the ocean. It always seems to be bluer in the winter. "You obsess over me, you don't care about me."

"Then maybe having an obsession is better."

I wasn't sure if it was.