unconditional (BOOK #2) [TO BE PUBLISHED]

Chapter 73 - Russell POV

Now she was carrying my child... I was going to be a father... I knew I'd have to step up more, Angel had her setbacks and now wasn't the time for her to be pregnant but I meant what I said to Amara... Angel had more love to give that anyone I knew, and I know too many love isn't enough, but I would be there to pick up the rest, not out of obligation, but want.

So now, with all McKenna says, I guess I do know why Amara would put up with me... it was hitting me in face, she really did love me, but I also knew that she couldn't have children, I accepted that the moment we found out. She loved me, but I was safe to her, and she was convenient to me. This situation with Angel was bizarre I couldn't bring other women around her, not many woman periods with Declan and Catalena in our family.

"Russ!" McKenna snapped her finger in my face, "Yea?"

She shook her head, "When do you think you'll be leaving?" I didn't need to think before the answer was rushing out, "If I could not I would but I'm guessing soon, a week or so..." She nodded to herself.

"McKenna?" I tried being soft, not wanting to squash her hope or feelings for this man, but when she met my face again, the words got stuck in my throat.

"You think it's pathetic? Don't you?" she asked defeated, not dating much, not when she was in high-school, not when she was in university and now, to be so ready to...

"No, at this point Ducky," I say using her childhood nickname, "with what we know – granted it isn't much – Declan, the others... they have some kind of abilities, they aren't like that. We already know Declan and Catalena are very fast, but these others could... have telepathy? Or maybe even precognitions... nothing is out of question... I just don't want you hurt," I said my thoughts butchered, super speed was one thing but telepathy and anything else was already crossing a line of absurdity.

"I don't want me hurt either," she huffed, "Enough about me. What did Amara want?" She lifted her brow waiting.

"That she's going to wait for me..." I murmur, "You know I see where she's coming from but I don't understand what she wants me to do. She's never been open to getting to know anything about Angel-"

"That's true but you never really gave us much info about Angel's situation before. When you came back with her in tow, you said that she needed help, couldn't speak, was abused and suck, but nothing more after that... she isn't completely self-sufficient and then we hang around her and see that she isn't as bad off as you worried us, we had to learn on a curve," She interrupted.

"I understand that," I said carefully, thinking, she wasn't lying, I said the bare minimum but that was enough at the time, "but it's not my story to tell," I argued much weaker now.

"True, but we've figured out a few things on our own, she's afraid of men, we suspected that she was abused, we know she understands when spoken too, but she also hasn't spoken at all, watches cartoon videos with Cody in pure amazement-"

"I get it! I get it!" I stopped her.

"She's been sexually abused, starved, beaten, tortured since she was maybe five years old, you heard that part from Gabriel as well. But she has no name, we found her like I told Gabriel, chained outside. If – if Angel has a daughter... my daughter, Gabriel said they'd do to her what previous men did to Angel," I just starting speaking blurting out different pieces of information. It was all on my chest, suffocating me, "do you know how hard these last few months have been without her? Not knowing if she's safe? If she was being fed? Did they have her chained outside like I found her?" the anxiety making my voice rise higher and higher as words tumbled out.

"Wait! What?" the voice behind me gasped. My mother, with Dad and Thayer. "How much of that did you hear?" I tried to divert.

"Enough, why didn't you ever tell us these things?" my mother scrunched her face, but features were coated in dread. "When I went with Declan – after what happened with Amara. Declan said we were jut hiking but it was more than that, he was searching, for her," I continued to go into great detail of my time spent with Angel... the truth growth she overcome in those two years we were together in Germany. When I finished with that I begun pacing, "
I left her for 40 minutes to make things right with Amara. The people that made her into what she is – how Angel is – they want my child. Mom I know okay – I know you love Amara like a daughter, but I can't let them get Angel. I can't ignore my child and I will never – not again – put Amara ahead of Angel!" I said clearing things up with them, letting them know exactly where I stood.