Three Way, the Novel (21 page)

“I don’t like this, Ryker,” I said with a frown.

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice,” he replied with a small smile. “I’ll be back before you even notice I’m gone.”

“I doubt that,” I said sadly. I hated that he’d put himself in danger to bring down one of the most notorious gangs this side of the country, and I hated that he had to do the right thing even if it meant that he would be away from me for a short time.

But I understood it and that was part of the reason I loved him. Ryker never had to go through Quantico, he never had to actually work on dangerous cases…but he did it because he had such a strong sense of right and wrong. It wasn’t about the money; it was about the justice.

“I promise I’ll make it up to you,” he said and held my hand to his lips and kissed it lightly. “You name your price when I get back and I’ll do it.”

“This could be interesting,” I said with a grin. I knew this would be as hard on him as it was on me and decided to not begrudge him his career. “I’ll figure out something and let you know when you’re back.”

“Sounds good to me,” he replied. “And I’m sorry. If there were any other way…”

“It’s fine, I promise,” I said and held my hand up. “You’ll be back before we know it and hopefully in plenty of time for the baby’s birth.”

“I told them about the due date and they assured me I wouldn’t miss it,” he said with a confident smile. I knew he couldn’t say whether or not he’d be back, but he believed he would be. That’s all I had to go on, so that’s what I had to believe.

***

“Shit, Ryker, there’s got to be a way out of this,” Quinn said a few nights after we broke the news. “Look at Margot, she’s so ate up over this that you can’t leave her.”

“I told them I’m quitting after this one last thing,” Ryker said as he packed. “But this way is best for both of you, I don’t want to be hanging around before the trial and putting both of you in danger.”

“I don’t see how leaving us is going to protect us any,” Quinn said stubbornly. He sensed how upset I was and was playing at being my champion. I loved him for it but I knew how much it was distressing Ryker.

“I’m fine,” I said and put my hand on Quinn’s arm to calm him. “We’ll just get increased security around here, all will be good.”

“As long as you’re okay, sweetheart,” Quinn replied but still shot Ryker a sideways look that belied his acceptance.

“It will all be fine, everything will work out…look how blessed we are, how could it not?” I asked and sat on the edge of the bed. I watched Ryker finish packing and zip up his suitcase and a pang of unease pierced through my good mood.

I didn’t exactly believe it myself, but I needed to be strong for them.

“Let’s not spend our last couple hours bickering over this,” Ryker said and planted his suitcase firmly on the floor. “Let’s enjoy our time together.”

“Okay,” Quinn said and ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair. His obvious discomfort was actually really sexy. I loved the fact that he cared about me that much.

“Come here,” I said and patted the bed on either side, “just sit with me and talk to me. I miss just being with you two.”

They accepted my suggestion and we spent the last couple hours together talking and laughing and touching each other like it should be. Just us, with no FBI or fear and anxiety. Just love and respect and time with my men.

I fought back my tears as the FBI car came to pick up Ryker to take him into hiding.

It had all happened so fast, as they sped away into the night it hit me hard. He was gone and there was a possibility he’d miss the birth of our baby all because he was a noble and honorable man who would be testifying against some dirt bag bikers.

“He’ll be back,” Quinn said and took me into his arms to comfort me. “He’ll make it back in time too, if I know him he’ll move heaven and hell just to make it back before the baby is born.”

“I hope you’re right,” I sighed and put my face on his chest.

He held me until we went inside and I fell asleep in Quinn’s arms.

I knew he’d try his best, but sometimes a person’s best wasn’t good enough.

Chapter Four

I woke up feeling sick.

I didn’t have a cold or anything, but something wasn’t right. Maybe it wasn’t sick so much as
off.

Ryker had been gone for ten days and the baby wasn’t due for another week or so but the way he was kicking me I wondered if he wasn’t going to arrive earlier.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Quinn asked, rolling over to pull me into his arms.

“I’m not sure,” I said, “my stomach feels weird. Flip floppy.”

“Is it the baby?” he asked, concern on his face.

“I don’t think so but honestly I don’t know,” I replied and closed my eyes again, letting him run his hands along my belly, helping calm the strange sensations.

“How do we know when the baby is coming?” Quinn asked, his voice tense.

“I guess you weren’t paying attention during the hospital tour,” I laughed. “They explained labor and all that jazz.”

“The other couples wouldn’t stop staring at the three of us,” he said, “it was distracting.”

“You’ll have to get used to that,” I told him. “Besides, who’s to say they were staring for that reason, you guys are pretty freaking hot. The women were probably jealous of me and the guys were jealous of your big muscles.”

He chuckled and held me closer. “If anything the women wanted to be you and the men wanted to be with you.”

“Not like this,” I sighed and ran my own hand over my protruding stomach.

“You’re still beautiful, Margot,” he said and kissed my neck, making me shiver in excitement. “How about we have a nice long shower and head down for breakfast soon? It might make you feel a little better.”

I agreed and after Quinn soaping me down and washing my hair for me, we got dressed and had breakfast in the bright little sunroom off the back of the house.

It was drizzling rain but we could still see the ocean from where we ate. No matter how stressed I felt, seeing the ocean always made me feel better. There was something about the endless waves washing up against the shore that soothed my soul.

I could never move back inland, I’d have to be near the ocean from here on out in my life. I was connected to it.

After our late breakfast we decided to take a short walk in the rain, I needed the fresh air to calm the twinges in my stomach that had been bothering me all morning.

“I wish I could text Ryker,” I said with a tight voice.

“You know he’s done, right?” Quinn asked. “I’m backing off at work too, the two of us would rather spend time with you and the baby than any job.”

“Are you serious? Both of you?” I replied in a whisper. “You’re giving up your careers?”

“Not careers, distractions, sweetheart. They’re meaningless without you in our lives. I told you before we have enough money to take care of all of us for our whole lives.”

“What if we have ten children?” I smiled.

“Them too,” he chuckled. “Your life is what you want. Anything you want to do, it’s up to you. Money is such a barrier for most people, but Ryker and I both agree that it’s worth nothing if we didn’t have you. It warms our hearts to know we can give this freedom to you.”

“I can’t tell you how much that means to me,” I replied quietly. The rain had slowed to a light mist and the ocean swept rhythmically up to the sand and back again. “My whole life I felt like I was drifting, not wanting to be what my parents wanted and not knowing if I wanted a career…it all made me so confused.”

“I hope you’re not confused now,” he said and stopped walking. “I hope you know how completely and utterly loved you are.”

“I do,” I said and smiled shyly up at him. “I know it and I feel it in my bones. With every breath I know how much you and Ryker love me and I love you for it, more than you’ll ever know.”

He hooked his finger under my chin and tilted my head up for a kiss. I was so full of happiness at that moment that I didn’t notice the twitching in my stomach as he kissed me.

I didn’t notice how it lurched and jumped and rolled around.

In fact I didn’t notice anything except his hot tongue and soft lips and bristly chin where he hadn’t shaved for a couple days.

I didn’t notice until a sharp pain stabbed through my abdomen and made me gasp as I doubled over.

“Margot!” Quinn exclaimed in concern and alarm. “Is it the baby?”

“I think so,” I moaned and felt him rub my back as I shuddered and rode the pain out. If this was what labor felt like, I didn’t think I’d do very well at all.

“What do I need to do? Isn’t it early?” he asked, his voice growing tense and his fear shining through.

“I think it’s nothing,” I said and exhaled slowly. The pain was receding and I was starting to feel better again. “It might be a Braxton Hicks contraction, just my body getting ready for the baby.”

“I hope so,” Quinn said, his face blanched white. “Ryker might not be back for a couple more days.”

“Is there any way to get in touch with him?” I asked. “This little boy might be coming out on his own will.”

“Let’s walk back to the house and I’ll call his boss,” Quinn said, taking my hand and leading me slowly back up the beach.

I could still hear the soothing rhythm of the ocean waves and the rain had stopped, but everything felt different.

Like those waves, I was part of an undeniable force of nature now. Whether I was ready or not, my baby was coming…just as those waves crashed against the shore, my life would be changed.

And yet as overwhelming as it suddenly seemed, I couldn’t wait to meet him.

Chapter Five

“I think it’s more than Braxton Hicks,” I said half way up the walk to the house. I doubled over as another contraction ripped through me.

“Hang in there, Margot…and baby,” Quinn said and comforted me as I rode the new contraction out too. “Try to make it to the house, sweetheart, and we’ll get you to the hospital.”

“I’ll make it,” I said as the pain flowed away from me and I stood upright. “Okay, let’s go.”

We walked slowly up to the house and once inside, Quinn was a flurry of motion while I sat on a bench near the front door. The contractions were still fairly far apart but getting more intense with each round.

He called Ryker’s old contact at the FBI to let him know what was going on, retrieved my hospital bag from upstairs, asked me about a hundred times if I needed anything to eat or wear or basically how I was doing, and he had the staff ready to prep the nursery for our return.

With a baby.

It was really hitting me by then that this was it, this was real. And I couldn’t be more excited.

Finally after what seemed like hours but in reality was about thirty minutes, Quinn stood in front of me with flushed cheeks and a bright excitement in his eyes. He already looked like a proud father.

“This is it,” he said taking my hand and helping me up.

“This is,” I smiled and followed him to the car.

We made it to the hospital in record time, Quinn’s calm driving hiding the fact that he seemed utterly panicked under the surface. He kept looking over at me with an assuring smile, but I wasn’t the one who needed it then. A stillness had come over me and I felt almost Zen about the pending birth.

My only anxiety was over Ryker’s absence. I wanted him with us to witness the birth of our baby boy but it might not happen.

We reached admissions of the hospital, the nurse seemed detached and unimpressed by my contractions.

“How far apart?” she asked, curling a piece of her hair around her finger and looking at me apathetically.

“I’m not sure, a few minutes maybe?” Quinn jumped in to answer.

“Did your water break?” she asked.

“No, I mean I don’t think so,” Quinn replied and looked at me for an answer.

“Not yet,” I said.

“Then you’ll have to go home and come back when you’re ready to have the baby.”

“Not, we paid a lot of money for a private birth suite. We were instructed to come the moment she felt her contractions warranted the attention,” Quinn said slowly as if she were dense. I was so glad he was talking for me, all I wanted to do was reach through the admissions window and smack her upside the head.

She reluctantly picked up the phone, asked our names again, and punched a few numbers on her phone. I could hear her asking about our suite and whether or not we were allowed up when I felt something pop inside of me.

“Oh,” I exclaimed as warm liquid soaked my yoga pants.

“What’s wrong?” Quinn asked in alarm.

“It just broke,” I said.

“The baby? Are you hurt?” he exclaimed.

I laughed, “No, my water. He’s coming.”

“Hey,” Quinn yelled and tapped on the glass. The admissions nurse glared at him and held her hand over the phone.

“What?” she asked with her lips pursed.

“It just broke, we need to get up there now!” Quinn demanded.

Before the nurse could even respond, Quinn reached beside him, grabbed a wheelchair and helped me sit. He pushed me to the elevator as the nurse called after us for our ID. We ignored her, got in and pushed the button to labor and delivery.

I reached up behind me and he took my hand, resting it on my shoulder.

“I hope Ryker makes it,” I sighed and closed my eyes as another contraction rippled through me.

“Me too,” Quinn said, “it doesn’t quite feel like our family is complete without him here.”

“I know,” I replied, “but you’ll do fine. You’re doing fine, in fact I can’t imagine doing this without you. I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he replied and squeezed my hand.

The elevator doors opened and he pushed me into a rush of people moving back and forth.

We’d already been shown our suite when we’d preregistered a couple week before, so he started off towards the room.

“Wait,” we heard behind us and he stopped.

An adorable nurse with a kind face and a shock of blonde curls stood in front of us and began to ask questions. When she was satisfied that we were who we said we were, we headed off down the hall to begin the journey to having this little boy.