Page 121 of A King’s Obsession

The smile she'd been wearing disappeared.

“Ezra.”

Hearing my name come out of her mouth after six fucking months nearly brought me to my knees.

Then Ashlynn screamed.

“OOOOOH, FUCK! MALACHI!”

Her body curled forward as another contraction hit, and Malachi immediately reached for her hand. I barely registered the movement. My attention stayed locked on the woman standing less than ten feet away from me.

Her face was fuller. Her hips had spread beneath that dress, and the little belly she'd never had before was sitting right there in front of my fucking eyes.

I took a step toward her.

“Jru?”

She moved backward, her hand flying to her stomach.

That movement snapped something in me.

“What the FUCK?”

“Ezra,” Malachi warned.

I pointed toward Jru, looking between her and my brother. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Bruh, listen—”

“LISTEN TO WHAT?” My voice bounced off the walls. “You telling me this whole fucking time she's been—”

“EZRA!” Yara snapped.

Jru flinched.

I saw it. Saw the fear flash across her face, and for one brief second, I hated myself for putting it there.

But then my eyes dropped to her stomach again.

Pregnant.

She was fucking pregnant.

Six months without a phone call. Six months without knowing whether she was eating, sleeping, or even alive. And now she was standing in front of me carrying a baby.

Whose fucking baby?

Malachi moved between us, placing a firm hand against my chest.

“Hey, bruh. Not here.” He glanced toward his wife, who was gripping the bed rail and groaning through another contraction. “Yara, get Ash real quick.”

Ashlynn's head snapped toward him.

“Get Ash WHAT? I KNOW FOR A FACT YOU AIN'T ABOUT TO LEAVE ME OVER HERE PUSHING OUT YOUR BIG-ASS BABIES BECAUSE THIS NIGGA WANNA LOSE HIS FUCKING MIND!”

“Baby, ain't nobody leaving you.” Malachi kept his hand against my chest while trying to reassure his wife over his shoulder. “I'm just trying to keep this motherfucker from getting us all thrown out the hospital.”

I barely heard either one of them. Jru had lowered her eyes, one hand still resting against her stomach, and something about the way she wouldn't look at me made my thoughts go places they had no business going.