Addicted

Placing my stomach on my large stomach, I walk through the casino in search of Dominic. Ever since things went sour between Owen and Dominic, Dominic has lived in this house and is Michael's second in command. As far as I know, things still aren't the same between the two houses. My baby girl kicks hard, causing me to come to a stop. She is so big, especially for my body. I am due in two weeks but the doctors think I may have to get a c-section due to her size. They aren't sure it's physically possible for me to push her out without hurting one of us. I was a little upset at first but I don't mind it as much now. As long as I give birth to a healthy baby girl, I will be the happiest woman on the planet. Taking a deep breath, I continue walking. When I turn right at the end of the aisle, I freeze. I immediately take a step back, bumping into someone in the process. "Excuse me," the woman snaps in a snobby tone. The commotion gains attention and his eyes finally meet mine. He quickly glances over me, his eyes stopping at my stomach. He furrows his eyebrows slightly. Standing up, he steps towards me. I try to walk away but his hand wraps securely around my wrist. I notice the woman beside him and my heart constricts painfully. She's younger than me and the more that I look at her, the more I realize how similar we are. Pulling my arm away, I turn and begin walking away. His voice stops me. "Is it mine?" I search for Dominic once more but he's still nowhere in sight. "Take care of your son and don't worry about me or my child," I say, walking away. "So it's mine?" he asks, hot on my heels. "She's mine," I answer. Seeing my opportunity to escape, I speed up and walk ahead of a large group. Glancing back, I don't see him so I sigh in relief. As much as I wish I'd never have to see him again, I know things aren't that simple. He'll never leave me alone now that he knows I'm pregnant. He has to know it's his - he's the only one I've slept with since I met him. Although I can't say the same about him. The thought saddens me. I will always wonder why I wasn't enough. When I finally spot Dominic coming through the door, I breathe a sigh of relief. Finally. He smiles when he sees me. "Hey. I didn't know you were coming here," he says, hugging me. I hold onto him tightly. "Owen's here." "What?" he asks, pulling away. He turns towards Michael who is just getting off the phone. "Owen's here." He sighs. "Maybe he's finally come to his senses," he says, turning to me. "How are you and my niece doing today?" I smile, giving him a hug. "We're good. How are you?" "I'll be doing a lot better once I know what that fucker wants," he says, looking behind me. He presses a soft kiss to my temple. "Let Dominic drive you home. I'll take care of Owen. Don't worry, I won't say anything about you." I smile. "Thanks, Michael." I am so grateful for the support these two have given me. Without them, I don't know where I'd be. Turning to Dominic, he puts his arm around my shoulder and leads me out of the casino. He doesn't usually put his arm around me but I assume he's doing it to piss off Owen so I don't mind. ************************** Owen Carter The whole world seemed to come to a stop when she came into view. I never thought I'd see her here but I assumed she kept in touch with Dominic. And to see her pregnant had me feeling lightheaded. Was that what she had called about so long ago? To tell me she was pregnant? She'll never believe I tried calling her back. Although deep down I know it was my fault for waiting so long. I was too tied up with Aliyah to return her call. I stand back, watching her interact with the two men I had long since pushed away. I pushed them away and she clung onto them. They've been my family my entire life and she made them her family the moment she met them. She held onto them because it's all she had. I left her with nothing but they gave her everything she needed. They don't need to explain how they helped her because I know they'd do anything for her. Just like I thought I would at one time. But I let her go. Furrowing my eyebrows, I push the thoughts away and glance at Aliyah who is still standing beside me. "Wait for me at the bar." "Okay," she says, walking away. Once Madison and Dominic are gone, I walk forward, meeting Michael halfway. "I'm glad to see you three are getting along so well," I comment dryly. He rolls his eyes. "If you came here to be a prick then go home." "Why didn't you tell me?" He stares at me impassively. "Tell you what?" "Don't play stupid. Why didn't you tell me about Madison?" "What about her?" I grind my teeth in irritation. "That she's pregnant with my child," I growl. He chuckles. "You accused her of screwing around with Dominic at one time, right? So what if it's his?" I roll my eyes. "We both know it's mine." "Oh yeah, that's right. Because the only one f*****g around was you." I reach up, gripping the lapels of his jacket in anger. "You don't have a clue about anything that happened between us so shut the f**k up." I am pulled back by two men and I shrug their hands off my shoulders. Michael casually fixes his jacket, seeming unaffected by what just happened. "Even dad would be disappointed in you." I wince. We both know how our father was. He thought so lowly of Michael but if he was here to witness the past nine months, there's no doubt he'd be disappointed in me. "What am I supposed to do, Michael? I can't change what I did so everyone needs to get the f**k over it. She isn't family - I am." He shakes his head. "That's where you're wrong. I consider her to be my family more than you. And it isn't just about the wedding. It's about letting your emotions destroy you. You have a job - people look up to you and depend on you. So when you disappear for weeks and return just to get drunk and have s*x every day, they think you're weak. The other houses are questioning our ability to be leaders because you've let so many people down lately," he pauses. "You need to grow up, Owen. The drinking and sleeping around has to stop. You need to get back in the game or permanently sit the bench." Dragging my hand over my face, I turn and walk away. I hate to admit it but I know he's right. After getting Aliyah, we head out to the car where our driver is waiting. "When we get home, I want you and Aubrey in bed."