Adams, Eve - Trio [Gideon's Ring 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (33 page)

“I have the flu.”

“No one else is sick.”

Sarah started to sweat. “I must have caught it from someone else.”

“You haven’t gone anywhere.”

“You don’t have tabs on me twenty-four-seven.”

“I know you never leave the house. You haven’t left since Chris dropped you at my doorstep. In fact you’ve barely moved away from that computer since you got here.”

“I’m trying to find a lead on Lucky.”

“You leave that to us.” Amber pulled the keyboard from Sarah’s hands. “In your condition
,
you have bigger issues to worry about.”

Sarah widened her eyes, and Amber slapped her hand over her mouth when she realized what she’d said.

Norris stilled as color crept up his neck. He labored his breathing as comprehension sank into his expression, hardening it to stone. “You’re pregnant.”

She couldn’t even say the word, let alone admit it. Instead she nodded, and Barrett’s voice echoed through her head.

Words, Sarah. I demand words.

“Yes,” she admitted in a shallow voice.

“I’m going to kill him. That son of a bitch. He’s dead. He’s more than dead. He’s going to wish that I’d killed him.”

“
She doesn
’
t even know which one did it,
”
Amber commented before smacking her hand over her mouth once again.

“
What!
”
Norris looked ready to kill.

Amber jumped up and stopped him from leaving the room by placing her hands on his chest. She looked up into his eyes. “Baby, look at me. Look at me! This is not your fight.”

“The hell it isn’t. She’s my baby sister. I’ll do more than kill them both. I know a few pig farms around here. They’ll never find the bodies.” Norris had grown redder than a fire engine and looked ready to carry out every threat. He clenched his teeth and tensed until every vein in his neck popped out.

“Brett! I need you.” Amber called out for her other lover, and tall, blond, and handsome Brett Fields came running in. He saw Amber struggling to hold Norris back and joined in the fight. Together they had him restrained, but barely.

“What the hell is going on?” Brett grunted as he almost lost his grip. Norris pushed at Brett, but with them both like linebackers, it didn’t do much more than irritate Brett.

“Calm down, Norris. What’s got you so tight?”

“The Gideons.”

Brett stared at him and waited. When Norris didn’t elaborate, Brett shrugged. “Which ones?
”

“
Chris and Barrett.
”

“
Are you pissed that they pinned your sister? Don’t look so surprised. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. She went to the GR&L to get over what’s-his-name.”

“Ryan,” Amber and Sarah said in unison.

“Yeah, that guy. Anyway, they call it a couple
’
s retreat for a reason. Sarah went there solo. They were simply doing their job.”

Sarah recoiled and dropped her gaze. Knowing they
’
d had unprotected sex made her want to kick herself for being reckless, but the fact that what they’d shared—what she
thought
they’d shared—was nothing more than the two playing their role tore her apart. Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked to pull them back in.

She’d always hated those stories about secret babies and how the woman held it over the man. She had all the power. It wasn’t fair to the man, and she sure as hell wouldn’t do that to Barrett and Chris. Despite them only serving as her instructors, they
’
d both had a part in her getting pregnant.

When she told them, and she
would
tell them, she’d give them a choice on how involved they wanted to be in the baby’s life. After all, the baby they’d created was just as much theirs as hers. She had no right to keep that from them. Chris already had one child he never got to see. She refused to take another from him.

Her heart fluttered at the thought of those two going to Lamaze classes with her. They
’
d be in the delivery room with her, holding each of her hands and telling her how much they loved her as she brought their child into the world. They’d raise their baby together and live happily ever after.

As a trio.

She squeezed her eyes tight as the tears threatened to break free. Her heart twisted as her chest constricted. Another wave of nausea hit, but she knew it had nothing to do with the little being growing inside her.

She knew the truth. Living in the real world, fairy-tale endings like that didn’t happen. More than likely one or both of them would send her a check every month and wish her the best of luck.

“Job or not, they got careless. Those son of a bitch prick bastards got her pregnant. On top of that, they hurt her. Just look at her.”

All gazes turned to her, and she had no choice but to look up as they all watched a telltale tear stream down her face. Norris turned even redder.

Brett shook his head and hardened his expression, looking close to joining Norris in killing Barrett and Chris. Amber just looked at her in sympathy.

Norris snarled. “I’m going to kill me a few Gideons. No one makes my sister cry.”
“No, you’re not.” Sarah stood, and as she approached her hotheaded brother, he stopped fighting and waited. “You’ll help me get Lucky before he drains Barrett and his brothers like he did your client. All of you are going to help.”

“I’m not doing anything to help him.” Norris crossed his arms in front of him.

“Then do it for me,” Sarah pleaded. “This baby is a part of him, too.
”

“
We’ll get a DNA sample.
”

“
No, we won
’
t. This baby is both Barrett
’
s and Chris’s. Together.
”

Norris snarled again but said nothing.

“
By refusing to help me, you’re refusing to help your own niece.”

He pushed away from Amber and Brett and glared at Sarah. “That’s a dirty trick, sweet pea.”

She shrugged. “I’ve learned from the best.”

“How do you even know it’s a girl?” Brett stared at her stomach as if it would start blinking a neon sign with the sex of the baby.

“I just do.”

“I’ve read about this,” Amber joined in. “When the mom refers to the baby as a boy or a girl, they’re usually right.”

Norris shook his head. “But the thing looks like a grain of rice right now. You can’t tell the sex of the thing until like the third or fourth month or something.”

Sarah turned to Norris. “The
thing
you’re referring to is your niece. I’m ready to throw up at the drop of a hat. I’m starving all the time but can’t eat. I’m peeing every hour on the hour, and I’m hormonal. Do you really want to push me? Now, are you going to help me save her daddy’s business, or am I going to have to do it alone?”

Norris stepped back slowly, as did Brett. Even Amber widened her eyes at Sarah’s sudden growth of a spine.

“I have a feeling you’ll have enough to do raising a child on your own. I’m in.” Brett gave her a nod.

Amber smiled. “Me, too. But you won’t be raising the baby on your own. Barrett will step up, as will Chris.”

Seeing the hope in her eyes gave Sarah hope.

“They are good guys, Sarah. Before you write them off as nothing more than sperm donors, talk to them.”

“I don’t share Amber’s blind faith,” Norris growled. “I’m in, but we do this my way. I’ll get Lucky, save the GR&L—for you, not them—and get my clients their money back. I’ll even take down Carol as an added bonus.”

“Good. I never liked her. Anyone that has that much ass fat injected into her lips can’t be trusted. It takes
talking out of your ass
to a whole new level.”

Sarah laughed at Amber’s comment. Her family, how she loved them. “So you’ll all help me?”

Norris smiled for the first time since walking into the room. “For you and my little niece, I’ll steal the moon if I have to. Whatever it takes.”

“I love it when you are so protective,” Amber purred and wrapped her arms around Norris’
s
waist. Brett moved in behind her and sandwiched her between her men.

“I was the first to offer my services.”

“That you were. My heroes.”

Brett leaned in and buried his face in her neck as Norris went for the ear. Amber moaned when Norris’
s
hand disappeared beneath her T-shirt.

That was Sarah’s cue to leave.

Chris sat in the high-back chair and stared at the flames licking the logs, consuming them without mercy, turning them to nothing but ash. He knew the feeling. Falling in love did the same thing to him.

Barrett sat in the matching chair across from him, the same solemn expression on his face, the same lost look in his eyes as he stared at the fire. He absently rubbed the cast covering his hand.

Chris had tried to call her cell at least a dozen times, each time stopping on the last number so the call wouldn’t connect. He was such a chickenshit.

Why couldn’t he just talk to her? He’d never been scared of anything, especially women. Why her? Why now?

He knew why. He’d never been head
-
over
-
heels, barely
-
able
-
to
-
breathe
-
without
-
her in love before.

He watched as Barrett rubbed at the cast on his left hand
“
Why don’t you take one of the mountain of pain pills the doctor gave you?
”

Barrett shook his head and Chris knew why. The pain he had racing through his system couldn’t be dulled by drugs or alcohol. Only one thing could fill the painful void in his life. In his soul. Same as Chris.

Sarah
.

The fire popped and cracked, filling the otherwise silent room with signs of life. He’d kept it dark, the only light from the fire dancing on the walls, just the way he and Barrett liked it these past few weeks.

“I don’t think we should tell him, not yet. Look at him. He’s a mess.”

“But if we don’t tell him he’s going to blow a gasket.”

“He’s going to blow a gasket anyway, Matt. Maybe we should tell Chris and let
him
tell Barrett.”