Dani Walsh escaped a black site with her life. Now she’s fighting for two.
Eight months pregnant and hunted, she turns to the only man who can help her—Mateo Cruz. The man who once gave her everything… then vanished without a word.
But Mateo doesn’t remember her.
Three days of his life are missing—erased completely. And somehow, Dani—and the baby she carries—are at the centre of them.
As enemies close in and secrets unravel, Mateo is forced to trust the one thing he can’t explain—the way his body knows her. The way he can’t walk away.
Because whether he remembers or not… Dani and their baby are his.
And he’ll burn the world down to protect them.
Excerpt:
Only one person who could help her now.
Mateo Cruz.
And this time he wasn’t walking away.
Her throat burned as she pushed forward, her hand braced low on her stomach as another wave of pain rolled through her, determined to get to help tonight.
“You’re okay,” she whispered. “We’re okay.”
Even if she wasn’t entirely sure if she was trying to convince her baby … or herself.
An Uber ride and a six-block walk later, and the house came into view like something unreal. Solid. Secure.
Dani stopped at the edge of the drive, her breath uneven now, her body trembling with the effort it had taken to get here.
Her lips pressed together, something dry and sharp flickering through her.
“Please don’t be an asshole,” she muttered.
Then she walked forward.
The door opened before she could knock a second time.
The man standing there filled the space immediately—tall, solid, his presence controlled in a way that spoke of training, experience, danger. His gaze moved over her quickly, efficiently, landing on her stomach for half a second before returning to her face.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
She let out a slow breath, too tired to soften the edge in her voice.
“Yeah,” she said. “You can start by not shutting the door in my face.”
His brow lifted slightly.
“Mateo Cruz,” she added. “I need to see him.”
Something shifted behind his eyes—interest, maybe recognition of the name coming from her mouth—but he didn’t move immediately. “Fuck.”
Dani tilted her head, exhaustion bleeding into dry sarcasm.
“I’m not leaving,” she said. “So, unless you want me collapsing out here and explaining that to him later, I suggest you let me in.”
A beat.
Then the corner of his mouth twitched.
“Dominic,” he said.
“Dani.”
His gaze dropped once more to her stomach, sharper this time.
Then he stepped aside. “Come in, Dani.”
She wasn’t walking into this weak.
Not in front of him.
She pushed past Dominic and walked in like she owned the place.
Every step into that house felt like walking through water, her body heavy, her balance just a fraction off, but she forced herself forward anyway. Because if she stopped now—if she hesitated—she wasn’t sure she’d make it the rest of the way.
And she had to make it.
It was him. The man from the mountains. The man who had looked at her like she mattered. The man who had walked away without a word.
She walked straight up to him, closing the distance because if she didn’t—if she gave herself space to think, to feel—she might break before she got the words out.
Mateo blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Uh … hello?”
Her breath was already uneven, her body screaming at her to sit, to stop, to give in—but she didn’t. “You.”
Her voice came out rougher than she intended, but steady enough to hold.
Mateo pointed at himself, confusion flickering across his face. “Me?”
“Yes, you.”
The room had gone quiet.
Dani could feel it—the shift, the attention, the weight of eyes turning toward her—but she didn’t look at anyone else. Didn’t care about anyone else.
“Can I help you?” Mateo asked carefully.
Something inside her snapped.
“Oh, you already did,” she shot back, the words edged sharp enough to cut. “About eight months ago.”
He frowned.
And for a second—just a second—she thought maybe—
“Pretty sure I would remember that.”
That sting.
Her hand came up before she even thought about it, fingers pressing hard against the curve of her stomach as she jabbed toward it. “This baby is yours.”
Mateo stared at her.
Then—he laughed.
The sound hit her like a slap.
“No way,” he said. “We would have had to—”
He stopped. And something ugly and tired and dangerously close to hysterical twisted in her chest.
“Yes,” she said slowly, her voice dropping into something almost calm. “That is typically how it works.”
“But I don’t even know you,” he protested.
That did it.
“Oh, good,” she said, her voice rising as she jabbed a finger at him again. “We’re doing the confused man routine. Fantastic. Let me help you.”
She could feel the room now—people watching, listening—but she didn’t stop.
“You don’t remember me?” she continued. “Fine. That doesn’t magically make biology stop working. People get drugged. People get manipulated. People wake up in places they didn’t choose to be in with things already done to them.”
Her eyes flashed as she leaned in just enough to make sure he heard every word.
“And in case your education failed you somewhere along the way—there are also clinics, laboratories, needles, and very determined people who can make a baby happen without you lighting candles and writing poetry first.”
She threw her hands up, the movement sharp, frustrated, exhausted.
“So no, Mateo, you don’t have to remember me for this to be possible.”
Silence.
Then—somewhere behind her—a choked sound. People spoke, but she ignored them. The edges of her vision were turning black. Mateo looked around the room like he was waiting for someone—anyone—to step in and save him from this.
“I did not do anything!” he protested.
Something sharp and almost feral twisted in her chest.
“That is what they all say,” Dani added mildly. “But the proof, as they say, is in my freaking belly!”
Mateo pointed at her. “I have literally never seen this person before in my life!”
That almost broke her.
Almost.
Because for him, it was confusion.
For her, it was everything.
“That is not getting less suspicious the more you say it,” a man said as the black in her vision began closing in on her.
Mateo looked at him. “I—”
Her hand pressed harder into her stomach as another wave of pain rolled through her, sharper now, stealing the edge of her breath.
Her vision blurred, her body finally catching up to everything she had pushed it through—the escape, the pain, the exhaustion, the fear.
{"num_reviews":0,"add_this":[{"service":"facebook","annotation":""},{"service":"email","annotation":""},{"service":"print","annotation":""},{"service":"twitter","annotation":""}],"gtin":null,"id":3680,"can_purchase":true,"meta_description":"","category":["Contemporary","Erotic ","Suspense","Series The Iron Covenant"],"AddThisServiceButtonMeta":"","main_image":{"data":"https:\u002f\u002fcdn11.bigcommerce.com\u002fs-21532\u002fimages\u002fstencil\u002f{:size}\u002fproducts\u002f3680\u002f3966\u002fHis_Brutal_Promise_copy__09651.1788137143.jpg?c=2","alt":"Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance\n\nHeat Level: 3\n\nWord Count: 34, 000\n\nISBN: 978-0-3695-1538-4\n\nEditor: Laurie White\n\nCover Artist: Jay Aheer"},"add_to_wishlist_url":"https:\u002f\u002fwww.evernightpublishing.com\u002fwishlist.php?action=add&product_id=3680","custom_fields":[{"id":"806","name":"Series","value":"\u002fseries-the-iron-covenant\u002f"}],"sku":"978-0-3695-1538-4","backorder_availability_prompt":"","url":"https:\u002f\u002fwww.evernightpublishing.com\u002fhis-brutal-promise-by-maia-dylan\u002f","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThe Iron Covenant, 4\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fem\u003e\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDani Walsh escaped a black site with her life. Now she’s fighting for two.\u003c\u002fstrong\u003e\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003cbr \u002f\u003e\u003cbr \u002f\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEight months pregnant and hunted, she turns to the only man who can help her—Mateo Cruz. The man who once gave her everything… then vanished without a word.\u003c\u002fstrong\u003e\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003cbr \u002f\u003e\u003cbr \u002f\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBut Mateo doesn’t remember her.\u003c\u002fstrong\u003e\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003cbr \u002f\u003e\u003cbr \u002f\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThree days of his life are missing—erased completely. And somehow, Dani—and the baby she carries—are at the centre of them.\u003c\u002fstrong\u003e\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003cbr \u002f\u003e\u003cbr \u002f\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAs enemies close in and secrets unravel, Mateo is forced to trust the one thing he can’t explain—the way his body knows her. The way he can’t walk away.\u003c\u002fstrong\u003e\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003cbr \u002f\u003e\u003cbr \u002f\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBecause whether he remembers or not… Dani and their baby are his.\u003c\u002fstrong\u003e\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003cbr \u002f\u003e\u003cbr \u002f\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnd he’ll burn the world down to protect them.\u003c\u002fstrong\u003e\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExcerpt:\u003c\u002fstrong\u003e\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eOnly one person who could help her now.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eMateo Cruz.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eAnd this time he wasn’t walking away.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHer throat burned as she pushed forward, her hand braced low on her stomach as another wave of pain rolled through her, determined to get to help tonight.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“You’re okay,” she whispered. “We’re okay.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eEven if she wasn’t entirely sure if she was trying to convince her baby … or herself.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eAn Uber ride and a six-block walk later, and the house came into view like something unreal. Solid. Secure.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eDani stopped at the edge of the drive, her breath uneven now, her body trembling with the effort it had taken to get here.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHer lips pressed together, something dry and sharp flickering through her.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“Please don’t be an asshole,” she muttered.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThen she walked forward.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThe door opened before she could knock a second time.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThe man standing there filled the space immediately—tall, solid, his presence controlled in a way that spoke of training, experience, danger. His gaze moved over her quickly, efficiently, landing on her stomach for half a second before returning to her face.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“Can I help you?” he asked.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eShe let out a slow breath, too tired to soften the edge in her voice.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“Yeah,” she said. “You can start by not shutting the door in my face.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHis brow lifted slightly.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“Mateo Cruz,” she added. “I need to see him.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eSomething shifted behind his eyes—interest, maybe recognition of the name coming from her mouth—but he didn’t move immediately. “Fuck.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eDani tilted her head, exhaustion bleeding into dry sarcasm.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“I’m not leaving,” she said. “So, unless you want me collapsing out here and explaining that to him later, I suggest you let me in.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eA beat.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThen the corner of his mouth twitched.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“Dominic,” he said.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“Dani.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHis gaze dropped once more to her stomach, sharper this time.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThen he stepped aside. “Come in, Dani.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eShe wasn’t walking into this weak.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eNot in front of him.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eShe pushed past Dominic and walked in like she owned the place.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eEvery step into that house felt like walking through water, her body heavy, her balance just a fraction off, but she forced herself forward anyway. Because if she stopped now—if she hesitated—she wasn’t sure she’d make it the rest of the way.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eAnd she had to make it.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eIt was him. The man from the mountains. The man who had looked at her like she mattered. The man who had walked away without a word.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eShe walked straight up to him, closing the distance because if she didn’t—if she gave herself space to think, to feel—she might break before she got the words out.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eMateo blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Uh … hello?”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHer breath was already uneven, her body screaming at her to sit, to stop, to give in—but she didn’t. “You.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHer voice came out rougher than she intended, but steady enough to hold.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eMateo pointed at himself, confusion flickering across his face. “Me?”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“Yes, you.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThe room had gone quiet.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eDani could feel it—the shift, the attention, the weight of eyes turning toward her—but she didn’t look at anyone else. Didn’t care about anyone else.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“Can I help you?” Mateo asked carefully.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eSomething inside her snapped.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“Oh, you already did,” she shot back, the words edged sharp enough to cut. “About eight months ago.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHe frowned.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eAnd for a second—just a second—she thought maybe—\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“Pretty sure I would remember that.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThat sting.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHer hand came up before she even thought about it, fingers pressing hard against the curve of her stomach as she jabbed toward it. “This baby is yours.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eMateo stared at her.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThen—he laughed.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThe sound hit her like a slap.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“No way,” he said. “We would have had to—”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHe stopped. And something ugly and tired and dangerously close to hysterical twisted in her chest.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“Yes,” she said slowly, her voice dropping into something almost calm. “That is typically how it works.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“But I don’t even know you,” he protested.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThat did it.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“Oh, good,” she said, her voice rising as she jabbed a finger at him again. “We’re doing the confused man routine. Fantastic. Let me help you.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eShe could feel the room now—people watching, listening—but she didn’t stop.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“You don’t remember me?” she continued. “Fine. That doesn’t magically make biology stop working. People get drugged. People get manipulated. People wake up in places they didn’t choose to be in with things already done to them.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHer eyes flashed as she leaned in just enough to make sure he heard every word.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“And in case your education failed you somewhere along the way—there are also clinics, laboratories, needles, and very determined people who can make a baby happen without you lighting candles and writing poetry first.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eShe threw her hands up, the movement sharp, frustrated, exhausted.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“So no, Mateo, you don’t have to remember me for this to be possible.”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eSilence.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThen—somewhere behind her—a choked sound. People spoke, but she ignored them. The edges of her vision were turning black. Mateo looked around the room like he was waiting for someone—anyone—to step in and save him from this.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“I did not do anything!” he protested.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eSomething sharp and almost feral twisted in her chest.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“That is what they all say,” Dani added mildly. “But the proof, as they say, is in my freaking belly!”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eMateo pointed at her. “I have literally never seen this person before in my life!”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThat almost broke her.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eAlmost.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eBecause for him, it was confusion.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eFor her, it was everything.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003e“That is not getting less suspicious the more you say it,” a man said as the black in her vision began closing in on her.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eMateo looked at him. “I—”\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHer hand pressed harder into her stomach as another wave of pain rolled through her, sharper now, stealing the edge of her breath.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHer vision blurred, her body finally catching up to everything she had pushed it through—the escape, the pain, the exhaustion, the fear.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eMateo moved.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eShe didn’t see it happen.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eJust felt it.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eHis hands on her.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eStrong.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eSteady.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"\u003eThen everything went black.\u003c\u002fspan\u003e\u003c\u002fp\u003e","show_backorder_message":false,"tags":[],"warranty":"","price":{"without_tax":{"formatted":"$2.99","value":2.99,"currency":"USD"},"tax_label":"Tax","sale_price_without_tax":{"formatted":"$2.99","value":2.99,"currency":"USD"},"non_sale_price_without_tax":{"formatted":"$3.99","value":3.99,"currency":"USD"}},"default_shipping_expectation_prompt":"","detail_messages":"","availability":"","page_title":"His Brutal Promise by Maia Dylan","cart_url":"https:\u002f\u002fwww.evernightpublishing.com\u002fcart.php","show_backorder_availability_prompt":false,"max_purchase_quantity":0,"show_quantity_on_hand":false,"show_default_shipping_expectation_prompt":false,"show_quantity_on_backorder":false,"brand":{"name":"Heat Level 3","url":"https:\u002f\u002fwww.evernightpublishing.com\u002fbrands\u002fHeat-Level-3.html"},"attributes":[],"mpn":null,"upc":null,"options":[],"related_products":[{"id":2478,"sku":"978-1-77339-861-7","name":"His to Protect by Maia Dylan","url":"https:\u002f\u002fwww.evernightpublishing.com\u002fhis-to-protect-by-maia-dylan\u002f","availability":"","rating":5,"brand":{"name":"Heat Level 3"},"category":["Erotic ","Gay","Paranormal","Shifters\u002fVampires"],"summary":"An Alpha's Claim, 2\r\nKaea Hemopo was a man on a mission. 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