Twisted loyalty

I TRUST YOU

“ My love, be careful. No, I’m right behind you.”

Raymond paused and looked at her swollen belly. He brought his hand to it and gently caressed it before leaning closer and whispering to the baby.

“Daddy’s going to protect you and your mom, so be brave for me and protect your mom too, okay?”

The baby kicked as if acknowledging his request, and Raymond smiled lovingly.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t forget, I can take care of myself and our child, so don’t worry. I love you.”

Before Raymond could reply to Lisa, Damion interrupted them.

“Lisa!” Damion called out to her.

Raymond felt irritated, and Lisa noticed it. She quickly leaned closer and whispered to him.

“Stop doing that. Haven’t I told you there’s nothing going on between me and him anymore? Besides, he’s getting married.”

“Right, right, I know, but I just don’t like him anywhere near you. Isn’t he supposed to know we were having a husband-and-wife moment? He’s always interrupting us,” Raymond said.

Lisa just laughed.

Before she could reply, Damion called her again, but this time he was already walking toward them.

Raymond hissed.

“See what I mean?”

“Stop it, Ray. He’s just like a big brother to me. Nothing else,” Lisa said.

Damion reached them and hugged Lisa, making Raymond’s blood boil.

“Please be careful out there, and know that I’ll be watching over you. Also, take care of my niece or nephew, okay?”

Lisa smiled at him.

“Don’t worry. I promise I’ll try my best to be safe. And Ray will be right behind me, so there’s no need to worry about us. The same goes for you too. Please avoid any unnecessary fights and protect my sister-in-law, okay?”

Before Damion could reply, Raymond added, “As Lisa said, her husband will and can protect her. And I know you’re worried about her because so am I. I’m her husband for a reason.”

“Ray!” Lisa called out his name, giving him a warning glare.

Raymond immediately shut up.

Damion smirked at him and patted his shoulder.

“Lisa, don’t worry about him. I understand Raymond’s reaction. I’d probably do the same thing if it were Anna.”

He walked away.

Lisa sighed and apologized on behalf of Raymond before turning back to him. She found him looking somewhere else.

“How many times do I have to tell you that Damion and I have nothing anymore? We dated in school for just a month, and we eventually figured out that we weren’t a match. There was no intimacy between us, and we decided to break up and just be friends, which surprisingly turned out great.”

She smiled.

“And when I discovered that he worked with you, I was so happy that two of the most important people in my life were working closely together. Don’t you trust me?”

Raymond realized where Lisa was going with this and immediately stopped her.

“Babe, my love, I trust you one hundred percent. It’s just that I get super jealous whenever I see you talking to him—or any man, in fact. And I’m sorry. I’ll try to control it better.”

He sighed.

“You know, during that time, I wasn’t in your life. I just watched as he boldly announced to everyone in school that you were his girlfriend. I was so jealous and angry. I hated him because he had the privilege of calling you his.”

He grinned.

“And now, look who has you.”

He smiled proudly.

“Look who made you the mother of our kids, with another one on the way. Me. I love showing off in his face whenever I get the chance.”

Raymond chuckled.

“He was the one who told me back then that I would never have you. And now look who got you. Your very own beloved husband. Me, of course.”

Lisa understood where he was coming from. She found his behavior incredibly cute, so she leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips to shut him up.

“I know, my love. You are everything I want in life. I love you. And can you please forgive him now? It’s been years, and we have more important matters at hand.”

Raymond felt better.

“Love you more. You’re right. I’ll think about it.”

He smiled.

“But now, you should get going. I’ll escort you to a safe distance from Richard’s area, and then I’ll be right behind you.”

They hugged each other before starting to move.

Raymond gave Lisa a smaller pistol to hide beneath her clothes, using her swollen belly to help conceal it.

“Use this to protect yourself in case anything goes wrong or Richard tries anything.”

Lisa nodded.

“I will.”

After they fought off some of the drugged patients, they noticed something strange.

The patients weren’t going anywhere near Richard’s area.

Lisa and Raymond exchanged a suspicious look.

“This is strange,” Lisa whispered.

“It is,” Raymond replied. “It looks like they’ve been instructed to stay away from that area.”

They both knew it was suspicious.

It was time for Raymond to hide.

Lisa checked the hidden microphone and wires attached to her body to make sure everything was working.

“Ray?”

“I’m right here,” he replied through the earpiece.

Lisa breathed a small sigh of relief.

She was scared of what was waiting for her behind that door. She could only hope that nothing would happen to the plan and that everything would go smoothly.

Finally, she reached Richard’s area.

Several men approached her.

“Drop your weapon and follow us.”

Lisa did as she was told.

They searched her, and she allowed them to do so, knowing they wouldn’t find the things she had hidden on her.

One of the men grabbed her arm and began dragging her toward the door.

Lisa placed one hand protectively over her stomach.

“I can walk on my own,” she said.

The man ignored her.

He opened the door and dragged her inside before forcing her to kneel on the floor.

Lisa hissed in pain.

The man immediately turned toward his boss.

“Sir, she has arrived.”

He smiled proudly, clearly expecting praise.

Instead, Richard suddenly shouted.

The man fell to the floor, screaming in pain.

He looked down and saw blood pouring from his legs before looking up at his boss in confusion.

Richard looked furious.

“You bastard! How dare you treat my rose like that?”

Richard stepped toward him.

“You dare to touch her with those disgusting hands of yours?”

He used his heavy boot to stomp on the man’s hand.

“How dare you!”

The man screamed in agony.

Richard then struck him with his gun.

Lisa couldn't help but watch in horror.

He was still the same man.

“Richard!” she called out. “Please, stop it! You’re going to kill him!”

Richard stopped.

He slowly looked at her with bloodlust in his eyes.

Lisa felt overwhelmed and momentarily lost her breath.

Richard turned back to the injured man and smiled sinisterly.

“You see? That’s the woman you treated badly, and she still wants to save you. But you’re not worth it.”

He paused.

“But because of her, I’ll set you free.”

Before Lisa could even take a breath of relief, Richard raised his gun and shot the man.

He died instantly.

Lisa looked away, feeling nauseous.

Richard grabbed her by the jaw and forced her to look at him.

He stared into her eyes with his empty, emotionless gaze before giving her a kiss on the forehead.

“He deserved it. Don’t worry yourself about it. You’re too good for this world.”

He smiled.

“And think of our child.”

Lisa froze when Richard mentioned her child.

Through the earpiece, she could hear Raymond practically foaming with anger.

“That bastard! How dare he call my child his? When I get my hands on him, I’m going to kill him.”

Lisa immediately moved her face away from Richard’s hand and stood up, holding her stomach protectively.

“You wanted me here, and here I am. Now let them go, please. This is between us.”

She glared at him.

“And don’t call my child yours. My child has a father.”

She took a breath.

“Now, what do you want from me, Richard? Stop this game.”

Richard simply laughed.

“My love… my rose. Why are you being so mean?”

He smiled at her.

“I forgive you for leaving me, if that’s what you’re worried about. And I know you were forced into this marriage because I know you love me, right?”

He laughed.

“And about the child, I would never make you kill it. I’m ready to be its father. Of course, our child will need a father when I get rid of that thing that claims to be your husband.”

His smile widened.

“We’re going to be one happy family, right?”

Lisa and Raymond were both shocked by what he said.

Raymond immediately spoke through the earpiece.

“I’m so going to enjoy killing this man.”

Lisa shook her head.

“You’re sick, Richard. I will never belong to you. And keep my child out of this. I would love to see you try to kill my husband. You don’t know who you’re messing with.”

She stepped closer.

“And what are you really doing here, you sick bastard? Let those innocent people go.”

Richard smiled.

“Okay, I will. Anything for you, my rose.”

He tilted his head.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy with you. That’s why I like you so feisty, my little tigress.”