Chapter 4

"Jordan, I'm begging you…Mmph—"

Tabitha didn't even get a chance to plead before the male escort clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her into the bedroom.

When Jordan saw that last desperate look she threw his way, something twisted in his chest, but he couldn't tear his gaze away. It felt like something was slipping farther and farther out of his reach.

"Joe…" Caroline walked up, worry written all over her face as she slipped her hand into his. "Maybe you should just let it go. There are so many guys, and Ms. Rhodes is so pretty. I'm scared something might go wrong."

Only then did Jordan realize how hard he'd been clenching his fist. His nails dug deep into his palm.

He withdrew his gaze and tapped her nose. "Why are you so kind, babe? She literally hit you earlier. She doesn't deserve your concern."

Caroline looked toward the upstairs landing, guilt clouding her eyes. "I ultimately owe her for this."

Jordan followed her gaze upstairs, then squeezed her hand. "Quit overthinking. It's not good for the baby. Nothing's gonna blow up over this."

Caroline rested a hand on her baby bump. "But…"

He cut her off. "No buts. You're pregnant, and you tried to hide it from me."

Guilt filled his eyes. "You already gave up a kidney to save my life. I don't even know if that affects us having a baby. I booked you a full checkup for tomorrow, so you need to turn in early tonight."

Caroline's heart lurched at his words. Her pulse started racing. "I already did a full workup; that hospital already has all my records. Switching everything over now would be a pain…"

"I won't feel at ease if you don't get checked. It won't hurt, so be good, okay?" Jordan reached over to ruffle her hair. "Come on. Let's go home."

"…Okay."

Just then, several heavy bangs echoed from upstairs. Jordan's expression tightened, and he instinctively started toward the stairs.

Caroline frowned, impatience flashing across her face. Those useless idiots upstairs couldn't even wait for Jordan to leave before getting started. If he realized all the men he'd hired had been swapped out… everything would go to shit.

"Joe, I'm a little dizzy. I think my blood sugar might be a little low. Do we still have any candy at home?" she quickly asked.

Jordan stopped mid-step. "Didn't you get anything to eat earlier?"

"The food was cold, and after everything that happened tonight, I just didn't have an appetite." She stuck out her tongue, looking a little sheepish, and promised, "I swear it won't happen again."

"Come on, I'll take you out for something to eat." His voice was indulgent and helpless as he steered her toward the door.

It was all for show, anyway, for the reporters staked out outside. The ten men and the bodyguards were on his payroll. What could possibly happen to Tabitha?

She was obviously just trying to get his attention again and make him feel guilty. Besides, she was so obsessed with loyalty in relationships. There was no way she'd actually let anyone touch her.

Caroline finally relaxed when she saw Jordan give up on going upstairs.

A little performance was far from enough. She wanted the title of Mrs. Gill for good, and she wanted her baby to have a clean, legitimate claim as the Gill family heir.

She'd hired all the men in the bedroom, and she'd even had someone lace the incense with a strong aphrodisiac. There was no doubt that the deed would be done.

Of course, that still wasn't enough. The main event had to be the live broadcast.

"Mrs. Gill caught in bed with ten male escorts in her marital home…"

How was that for a headline?

After tonight, Tabitha would be done for.

…

Upstairs, in the master bedroom, Tabitha was surrounded by a pack of starving wolves like a lamb up for slaughter.

"How much did Jordan pay you? I'll double it. All of you, get out!" she snapped.

The man in the lead, Callum White, just smiled as he closed in on her, going along with what she'd said. "Ms. Rhodes, why bring up your husband all of a sudden? Is that some new kink?"

"Yeah, sweetheart," another guy chimed in. "Why mention him at all? The bunch of us here are more than enough to keep you satisfied."

Callum took another lazy step forward. His fingers brushed the top button of his shirt, and he undid it slowly, deliberately. "So, Ms. Rhodes, what sort of fun do you wanna have?"

Tabitha stared at his hands as they worked the button open, and her stomach churned. She backed up until her calves hit the edge of the bed, and she tumbled onto the mattress. The plushness under her spine made her scalp prickle; she scrambled on all fours, clawing her way toward the other side of the bed.

"Don't run, sweetheart." Another man came around from the left and crouched by the mattress. He tilted his head, staring at her with a slick gaze. "The more you run, the more worked up we get."

Tabitha snatched up a pillow and hurled it at him. He caught it easily, then lifted it to his nose and inhaled, eyes closing in exaggerated bliss, like some sleazy fox in heat.

Bile burned at the back of her throat. She rolled off the bed, her bare feet slapping onto the ice-cold marble, and bolted for the door.

She was two steps from the doorknob when a hand clamped around her ankle. She fell forward, slamming to her knees. Pain exploded in her legs, and her vision went white for a second.

She didn't stop. She dug her fingernails into the gaps between the tiles, the skin splitting until her fingernails bled as she dragged herself forward with everything she had.

"Feisty, aren't you?" The man holding her laughed, tightened his grip, and hauled her backward.

The rug twisted under her as she was dragged, leaving a crooked track behind her. Tabitha flailed, her fingernails raking over the back of his hand.

He hissed and reflexively loosened his hold. She kicked off, lunging forward, and staggered to her feet, bracing herself against the wall.

The door was right in front of her. She grabbed the doorknob and twisted, but the door didn't budge. It was locked!

"Where do you think you're going, princess?" A hot body pressed up against her from behind. A man's chin settled in the curve of her shoulder, his breath fanning over her ear. "There are reporters everywhere outside. You open this door, and tomorrow's front page is gonna be about the high-and-mighty Mrs. Gill streaking."

Goosebumps broke out all over Tabitha's skin. She drove her elbow back, hard. The man behind her grunted and stumbled away, and she spun and bolted for the window.

Her fingers had just curled around the latch when another hand slid in from the side and pressed the frame down. The man drawled, "You wanna jump? This is the fifth floor. We'll be heartbroken if you break those pretty legs."

The other male escorts closed in behind him.

"Yeah, Ms. Rhodes. This aphrodisiac is the special kind. Toughing it out isn't happening. If we don't take care of it, we'll all die here."

"Unless you hit the hospital, we're all you've got, and you're all we've got. We're in the same boat now."

Tabitha shook hard. She clenched her jaw and shrank into the window corner, her back pressed to the icy glass. She grabbed anything within reach and hurled it at the men. Unfortunately, the more she fought, the more riled up they got.

Her own body was starting to go haywire, too. Heat crawled over her skin, bringing with it a restless, unbearable itch…

A faint, sweet scent kept wafting into her nose. Only then did Tabitha notice the incense burner still smoking on the vanity. But she'd never had the habit of burning incense…

Had Jordan really come to hate her this much?

She lunged over, snatched up the burner, and flung it straight out the window. She couldn't afford to take even another whiff of the fragrance. Then, she yanked open a drawer and pulled out a fruit knife. Without hesitation, she leveled it at the men. Anyone who came close to her was going down with her!

She didn't want this life anymore. Jordan could have it.

"Why so wild, sweetheart? Wouldn't it be nice to just lie back and enjoy the pampering?" one of the men joked as they moved in, grinning. One of them cupped her delicate face; another yanked at her clothes.

At first, every brush of their hands made Tabitha's stomach turn. But slowly, something shifted. She still loathed them with every cell in her brain, but her traitorous body kept wanting to lean in.

Tabitha didn't think twice. She slashed the knife across the back of the nearest man's hand. He yelped, and the sharp tang of blood instantly cut through the cloying sweetness in the air.

"Damn it! Who the hell do you think you are? You're just a rich man's discarded wife! Your husband literally handed you over for us to play with, and you're still here acting like some innocent virgin?" he roared.

"Get away from me! Take one more step, and I'll kill you!" Tabitha warned, forcing herself to stay lucid.

The moment the thought struck her, she didn't hesitate. She turned the blade on herself and dragged it across her own forearm.

Blood spurted at once. The searing pain bit straight into her bones, clearing her head a little. But no matter how much she forced herself to endure, she couldn't fight the aphrodisiac flooding her system. Her limbs went soft, her body melted like warm wax, and her sanity was swallowed inch by inch.

All she could do was keep swinging the knife in a desperate arc to keep them from getting any closer. However… they were breathing the same air, and the aphrodisiac was working on them, too. Their raucous, lewd laughter echoed in her ears.

Someone tackled Tabitha to the floor. Hands clamped down on her wrists and ankles, pinning her down. Her tears spilled over, streaming down her face.

"Help… Let me go!" Her voice shook with terror; each plea grew weaker, each struggle became feebler.

It wasn't that she'd given up. The aphrodisiac had stolen every last scrap of control from her.

Maybe she really should have died on that cruise ship that exploded three years ago.

"Damn, Callum. Chicks who've been pampered with money really are on a different level," someone said.

"Right? She's soft all over, like she doesn't even have bones. Her skin's like silk! How can Mr. Gill bear to give her up?"

The metallic scent of blood mixed with the smell of the incense and sweat until Tabitha felt like she was being steamed alive in a sauna. Despair, terror, and pain seeped into every pore. All that was left in her ears was their shrill, grating laughter.

She wanted to hold on—she hadn't gotten the divorce certificate yet. Even if she died, she wanted to make sure she had no ties to the Gills anymore. But… she really couldn't hold on anymore.

Tabitha thought, "Jordan, I won't owe you a damn thing after this. If I ever run into you in my next life, I'll make sure to take you out!"

Suddenly, the sharp crash of shattering porcelain cut through the noise in the room, followed by a string of furious curses.

A powerful force abruptly hauled Tabitha up from the floor. A shawl was wrapped around her bare shoulders, and she was pulled against a solid, unfamiliar chest.

She struggled on instinct, but a low voice sounded above her head, laced with a barely controlled edge. "If you don't wanna die, stop moving!"