The Auction: A Dark Romance (Club Indulgence Duet Book 1)

The sun comes into full view. Its blazing rays begin to blind me. I grunt, pick up the empty tequila bottle, and step inside the house.

I check my phone again, but there’s no response from Blakely or Noah.

I’m going to kill him for getting involved in our dispute.

This isn’t a dispute.

She left me.

She’ll come back.

She has to come back.

I can’t shake the fear that clings to me. It grown more intense as the night went on, morphing into the morning.

I call Blakely’s number, but she still has her phone turned off. I call the burner phone I used to text Hugh, but it’s off too.

I toss the empty bottle into the trash and stare out the kitchen window. Calm chaos sparkles across the sea, and everything inside me tears further apart.

What have I done?

I never expected Blakely to see her parents again. They weren’t on the guest list, but I shouldn’t have been so careless.

I text her again.

Me: I love you. I married you because I love you. Call me so I can bring you home.

I finally get a response.

Blakely: I’m never coming back, Riggs. It’s over. Don’t contact me anymore.

Me: Don’t say that. We need to talk.

She doesn’t respond. My insides quiver harder. I grip the phone, reread her message, and make a new vow.

I’ve never been more motivated to take Hugh down. This is his fault. If he had been the father Blakely deserved, or a loyal business partner, none of this would have happened.

But there’s another thing I’ll relentlessly do.

I text my pet.

Me: It’ll never be over between us. And you will return home. To me. Forever.

She still doesn’t respond, but it doesn’t matter.

I shower, sober up, and get dressed to go to the city. First, I’m taking Hugh’s shares today. Then my wife’s coming home. She’s mine. We’re unbreakable, and I will get her back.

I return to the bathroom, open the cabinet, and look for a fresh bottle of mouthwash. I reach for it, then freeze.

My pulse skyrockets.

How long has it been since her last shot?

I only gave her one.

I stare at the box of pregnancy tests and then pull it out. It’s unopened.

I dig through the trash, looking for evidence of other tests, but there aren’t any.

She can’t be pregnant.

She didn’t get her shot.

All the times Blakely’s been exhausted or unable to eat recently fill my mind. Her beautiful glow I assumed was from the happiness we both felt. I lean against the counter, and shock rolls through me. I try to remember when she last got her period, but it’s been months.

Why hasn’t she said anything to me if she thinks she’s pregnant?

I stare at my reflection in the mirror, vowing for the hundredth time since she left that somehow, I’ll make this right. She’ll see how much I love her. I promise myself out loud, ‘No matter what, I’ll get my pet back.’