Page 73 of Freed By Fire
I smile softly as I curl onto my side, fingers still caressing the sensitive skin.
What’s your plan? Hide in this room until you give birth? Even if Mason’s enemies don’t find out you’re pregnant, what will you do about Mason? What about appointments and vitamins? What about avoiding stress?
With a frown, I realize how much I still have to consider, and how much I need to prepare.
The longer I lay there, listening to Mason’s hushed voice, the more determined I become.
I know I’ve made the right decision.
When I feel a little steadier, I stand and wander over to the desk in the corner. I keep one eye on the door while I wait for the laptop to start. I drum my fingers against the desk when the screen lights up, and I log in. I open a browser and skim through a few things.
I nearly jump out of my skin when the door shuts.
Mason strides over to me, and I close the browser window and turn to him with a smile. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I scared you.”
Mason stops in front of me, and there’s a furrow between his brows. “Are you sure?”
I slide off the chair and wrap my arms around him. “Doctor Shepard didn’t do anything. It’s just the side effects and low blood sugar. I’m fine.”
Mason presses his forehead to mine. “I don’t have anything to do for the rest of the day. I’m staying right here.”
I draw back to look at him and frown. “We both know that’s not true. I’m fine, Mason. I know you have things to do.”
Despite his protests, I force Mason to leave, needing to be alone with my thoughts.
But as soon as he’s gone, and the weight of what I’ve done settles around me, I feel sick all over again.
What have I done?
Chapter Fourteen
Mason
“Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Lowe,” I say.
Mr. Lowe sits up straighter and unfastens a button in his jacket. “When I heard about your… predicament, I knew we could be of some use to each other. We are both businessmen, after all.”
I sit down across from him and smile. “Indeed. I’ve drafted up a contract as per our agreement.”
I slide the contract over to him, and Mr. Lowe holds it up to the light and squints. Then he takes out a pair of glasses and pauses to polish them. I settle deeper into my leather chair. When Mr. Lowe glances up and smiles at me, I know I have him right where I want him.
Katia’s hard work has paid off, and all it took was allowing Mr. Lowe entry as one of Mercy’s clients at a discounted price.
I loathe allowing a man of his caliber into one of the most exclusive clubs in the city, but I also know it’s a necessary price to pay for access to the mayor.
I finally have you, you bastard. And you thought you could outsmart me.
With another person from the mayor’s circle on the inside, I now have what I need to begin the next phase of my plan.
Starting with paying our dear old mayor a visit and not having to worry about the consequences.
Mr. Lowe reaches across the table for a pen and is almost humming. “I must admit, I thought the offer was too good to be true, but when your man came to me… well, I knew you and I would see eye to eye.”
I maintain a polite smile. “I take it you already have your eye on someone?”
Mr. Lowe scrawls his signature at the bottom. “Several someones, in fact, and I have those test results you asked for.”
I nod and stand. “You’ll give them to Carlisle on the way out.”
