The Underworld

chapter twelve

"What's this I hear that one of Louis' whores is pregnant?" Mr. Coldwell was the first to break the silence as he stepped through the door.

"She's not a whore dad," Annabeth spoke up. "Louis—"

Her father cut her off before she could say anything else. "Is it true?" He asked her.

I narrowed my eyes at them. Not once had any of them turned to look nor speak to me since the rest of the Coldwell's walked in. I wanted to yell at them, Louis especially. I wanted to say all kinds of horrible things and run out, but those thoughts diminished when suddenly all their eyes turned to me.

"Kill the bastard child along with the whore," he ordered.

My vision began to blur and my arms immediately wrapped themselves around myself when suddenly Annabeth stood in between me and her father's gun.

"No! Just let her go! I promise you she won't say a word about her time here and no one will know about her and the child."

"I'm not risking anything for a bitch and the thing inside her."

Shivers ran through my body and the sheets over me no longer kept me warm. Annabeth no longer stood in between the gun and I. She was shoved aside and into her mother's arms.

This was it. This was the end, I thought. I would never get out of here, at least not the way I hoped. Immediately I thought of what they'd do to my body once it was limp and lifeless. No one would find me and if they ever did, it wouldn't be the way they hoped.

But I'd be free.

"Louis needs an heir!"

Everyone's eyes snapped towards Annabeth, even Louis'.

"He needs someone to take over after he can't anymore." Annabeth freed herself from her mother's arms and once again stood in between the gun and I. "Let her live and the baby. The baby is our blood. We can raise them to be like us."

No. "No."

I shifted my gaze at Louis. The look on his face towards his sister screamed murder.

Although I couldn't see her face, I saw Annabeth turn towards her brother. "Unless you want to keep whoring around." She shifted her attention towards her father once more. "Who will take over once you are gone? Unless you already have a bride picked out for Louis."

"No!" I yelled. "Let me go please! You won't see or hear from me or the baby again. I promise." My voice cracked at the end.

There was a deafening silence. I felt like I was slowly sinking further into the bed. My insides twisted and I already knew my fate was set.

The gun was now pointing at the floor. Louis took a step forward and before he could say anything, his father intervened.

"It's settled."

No one glanced at me. Annabeth watched the rest of her family leave the room. I could hear her heavy breaths. She took a second before she slowly turned to me. Sadness and regret was written all over her face.

"I'm sorry. It was either you both died, or you—" She paused. "Are you okay?"

"I just want to be alone."