Ghostwalker 07 - Murder Game

would have taken her baby—Andy's baby—with her. She closed her eyes briefly, afraid she'd heard wrong.

    Jake sighed softly and ran his fingers through his hair as if in agitation. "That's what scares me. There's only me to be the parent, to give the baby a good home, and I'm so far from the real deal." That admission slipped out and his voice rang with truth.

    She swallowed—hard. Her throat convulsed. It took effort to part her dried lips and she had to reach for her voice. When it came it was thin and shaky and nearly unrecognizable. "Are you certain? About my baby? Are you certain I didn't lose it?"

    He leaned closer to her. Jake Bannaconni. She'd heard his name spoken in hushed, awed whispers, but she still couldn't figure out why she knew him. What was it that was so familiar about him, and why did she feel as if his will held her an?

    "Your baby is fine, Emma. The doctor said even with the blood loss, the baby appears to be healthy. There are no signs that the pregnancy will terminate. You're going to be mother."

    Tears burned behind her eyes again. Her baby. Her precious baby was safe. She wasn't entirely alone and there was a small piece of Andy growing inside of her. "Thank you for ABC Amber LIT Converter
    http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

    ABC Amber LIT Converter
    http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    telling me about the baby. I was afraid to ask and no one thought to tell me. Just my head, my leg, a million other injuries and…" She trailed off and stared, blinking up at the ceiling, tears welling in her eyes.

    "Andrew," he supplied gently. "I'm sorry, Emma, we both have to live with what happened. And we both have babies to raise by ourselves." He flashed a small smile. "I have the feeling you'll be much better at the parenting part of it than I will."

    "You'll be a good father," she reassured. "Don't worry so much." How in the world was she going to take care of a baby?

    Jake picked up Emma's hand, his thumb moving along the back of her hand. His touch was achingly familiar. "Have they said when you can get out of here?"

    Emma shook her head. "Where would I go?" The thought of her apartment, her home with Andrew, was too much for her to contemplate. She couldn't face going back to the apartment and trying to pack up Andy's things.

    "We'll deal with it later, when you're feeling stronger," he assured. "I called my lawyer and asked him to look into insurance for you and a settlement of some sort. At least to get the ball rolling. I know you don't want to think about money, but it will be important when you have the baby."

    Emma lifted her lashes, allowing her gaze to drift over his face. There was something about him that haunted her, commanded her, drew her like a magnet when she wanted to be left alone, to simply disappear. No one else compelled her as he did. She knew him.
    The memory of him nagged at her, yet she couldn't place him.

    She could remember the events leading up to the accident, sitting in the car, so excited, her news of her pregnancy on the tip of her tongue, but she held back, determined to wait until they were at the restaurant and she could see Andy's expression, watch his eyes and his mouth when she revealed they were going to have a child. He'd died without ever knowing. She hated that. Her gaze flicked again to Jake's face. She knew he was Jake because he told her, not because the memory of him had returned.

    She didn't remember the crash. She remembered after, when there was pain and fire and Jake staring at her, stopping her from following Andy. His eyes fascinated her, pulled at her, like a predator searching for prey. His focused stare made her uncomfortable, yet in some strange way comforted her. Maybe if her head ever stopped throbbing and the doctors backed off on the pain medication she could think more clearly, but right now, his personality was too strong and she couldn't think for herself.

    "How do I know you? I looked into your eyes and I know you."

    "I'm sorry, I'm the man who pulled you out of the car." He looked down, taking his hand away from hers and rubbing at his temples as if he had the same headache she did. "I ABC Amber LIT Converter
    http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

    ABC Amber LIT Converter
    http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    couldn't get to your husband. The fire was everywhere."

    She saw burns on his hands and her heart jumped. She reached out and drew his hand to her. "Is this from pulling me out of the car?"

    He