Chapter 137 137

Chapter 137 137
Amy's POV

I have been counting contractions for two hours. That was what I was doing. Every time one came I noted the time in my head, how long it lasted, how strong it was. I was treating it like a record, which was my body doing something I could not stop and was trying very hard to delay.

They were getting closer together. I knew what that meant. The doctors explained the whole thing to me in calm clinical detail about three weeks ago and I listened carefully because that was the kind of information I wanted to actually have. I knew what the spacing meant. I knew what the progression meant.

I was running out of time to stall. I have gotten good at hiding it. I knew when one was coming a few seconds before it peaked because of the way it started in my back first. Those few seconds were enough to regulate my breathing, relax my face, and make sure nothing visible changed. I have done it through two of Richard's check-ins and one guard rotation and a conversation with Brian that I'll get to in a moment.

Brian noticed anyway. He came in about forty minutes after Richard left and he looked at me with that expression that meant he was trying to figure something out. He walked around the room once and then crouched in front of me.

"You're too quiet," he said.

"I'm restrained in a concrete room," I said. "What would you like me to be doing? Should I be dancing to celebrate how I'm being kept a prisoner against my will?"

"You're timing something." He looked at me carefully. "You keep going still at specific intervals. I've been watching you."

I looked at him without changing my expression. "I'm breathing. People do that."

He stood up and I could see him doing the math in his head and not liking where it landed. He left without saying anything else and I heard him in the corridor, his voice low and urgent, talking to someone.

He came back with one of Richard's people. A woman. She looked at me with professional eyes and I knew immediately she was the person Richard had mentioned. The one he said would handle the delivery.

I looked at her and said nothing.

She said, "You need to let us help you."

"I'm fine," I said.

"You're in labor."

"I'm fine," I said again.

She exchanged a look with Brian. He looked genuinely stressed now. That was something I filed away as useful. Richard's plan required a controlled birth. Controlled meant on their terms, in their timing, with their people managing the process so they could take what they wanted the moment the baby arrived. Me refusing to cooperate with any part of that was not part of the plan.

They wanted my baby's life and I'm not going to give that. It's not just my baby but me too, Richard thinks I'm stupid enough to believe all this nonsense.

They left again. There was more urgent voices outside the door. I waited until they were far enough away and then I let myself breathe through the next contraction properly. I let myself acknowledge it fully for thirty seconds and then I locked it back down.

I thought about Damien. I had been doing that in the gaps between everything else. I was completely in love with him. Even though I wanted him to come save me from this situation because of our child, I would have preferred if he doesn't come and risk his life for me.

The pain was getting more than I could endure and it only took all the strength in me just to hold back on this one.

I was genuinely annoyed. I wanted to get out of here so that I could talk to Damian. It felt like I was in a life or death situation and I it's finally understood what my dad was feeling the other day. I wanted to tell him everything. Even though I have expressed myself so many times to him, I still felt like I needed to do more.

I just need to get out of this room first..I checked the contraction timing in my head. It was definitely getting closer again.

Come on, I thought at the general unfairness of this situation. I need more time. Give me more time.

Brian came back in. He was trying to look calm and not succeeding. "Amelia. You need to let her help you. This is going to happen regardless and doing it like this is only harder on you."

"I'm fine," I said. For the third time. "It's my baby and I decide if I'm coming or not. I'm the one who supposed to be in pain, why are you acting like my husband? You're not. You're nobody to me."

"You are not fine." He crouched down again. "I can see it. Stop being stubborn about this. Whatever you're waiting for isn't coming in time."

I looked at him. He was wrong about that. He was completely wrong about that.

"That's because you don't know Damien enough. He spared your life so you think you already know how crazy he is. Don't you think you are the ones who are in danger?"

"He's not coming"

"He's coming," I said. I said it simply to provoke Brian. "He's coming and I'm not giving you anything before he gets here."

Brian's jaw tightened. "Damien doesn't even know where—"

There was a loud noise all of a sudden like an explosion. The explosion hit before he finished the sentence.

It didn't collapse anything but close enough to feel it through the floor and the walls. There wasn't any other telling to this than there was a attack going on. I also needed no one to tell me this but this was Damien. I looked at Brian and he didn't even look happy at all.

Brian stood up fast. I looked at the door.

He was here. I felt so much relief and I felt in a few hours. I thought that maybe I can finally have the contraction in peace but I was hoping secretly that he doesn't fall into any of Richard's trap. It wouldn't be a good thing if things went south for us. I kept hoping he came back soon enough to help me out of here so that I can deliver safe and sound.