Chapter 5
The scent of garlic and butter filled the air. I wanted everything to be perfect for Rayne when she came home. I had tried calling her earlier but was sent to voice mail. She’d been tired recently. The dark circles that had once disappeared from beneath her eyes were back. I didn’t know if it was just the amount of work that she’d been doing or if it was that her nightmares were haunting her again, but I wanted to fix things.
Dominic still teased me about the fact that I doted on her. I wanted to fix all of her problems and right the wrongs of the universe. She deserved so much more than what she had been given.
And that I wanted her to marry me.
The ring behind the glass was absolutely flawless–what I envisioned when I closed my eyes at night. Four rose gold bands intertwined. Each had diamonds laid within the metal, and on top, small marquise gems surrounded the center stone. It was unique and perfect, like the woman at home waiting for me.
Dominic shook his head at me. “Don’t even think about it. She isn’t the type of woman who likes expensive gifts. Remember when we bought her the car?”
Hunter rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but you still bought her a car.”
The muscle on Dominic’s jaw ticked. “Yeah, because she needed the car. Do you remember the death trap on wheels she was driving?”
I cleared my throat, hoping to interrupt the two of them. “What if this is something that I need?“ Not that I didn’t understand marriage was antiquated or that because of Rayne’s past, commitment was difficult. She’d never really been loved before, just like me. I just wanted something more concrete—a promise that we would be together until our last breaths.
If I weren’t allowed to buy her jewelry, then a home-cooked meal would have to do. She loved pasta. Well, she wasn’t a picky eater–something about worrying where your next meal comes from changes your perspective quickly.
My throat tightened at the memory of the first time I had seen her apartment and the conversation I’d had afterward.
“So last night, I went to do some research on Rayne.”
Dominic raised his eyebrows. “Tell me you didn’t sleep with her.” Hunter burst into laughter beside him.
“No. I mean, not yet. Guys, listen, last night she was out for a bit, and I snooped around her place. Her apartment complex is a shithole. I can’t stress that enough,” I said, frowning. “Would it be weird to deliver groceries to her apartment?”
Hunter gave me a pained look. “Ethan, you really should have run this by us first. You can’t go breaking into random people’s apartments just because you want more information,” he said hesitantly, rubbing his temples. “You won’t understand what I am about to say, but you can’t buy her anything. We came from very different backgrounds. Your father had money, and he gave you the best of everything. I’m not saying this to knock you. I know you have worked hard for what you have as an adult, but I think it might offend her if you have groceries delivered.”
I glanced at Dominic to read his expression. He looked conflicted and rested his head in his hands. “If we do something for her, it has to be after the job is finished.”
The grocery delivery had never happened. Instead, fate had intervened, and she’d never had to worry about money after that again. The worries she had now were different. Especially after Oliver stepped down and named Rayne his heir. A woman in her twenties running a criminal organization was unheard of. At least in Strathmore. More than once, someone had questioned the authenticity of her claim to the “throne.”
And every time we had struck them down.
The pasta was finally finished, the garlic bread was warm, and the salad was waiting in the refrigerator. I poured four glasses of chilled white wine and waited, scrolling through my phone to kill the time. The minutes passed slowly, giving me too much time to think. I’d never quite gotten over the demons of my past. I still wore the invisible scars, but being with Rayne helped to quiet the chaos inside of me.
Smudge nudged my leg, and I absentmindedly petted her. Over the past few months, she had warmed up to me, and I wouldn’t take her affection for granted. Perhaps Rayne had been right along. The cat could sense my weakness and that I desperately wanted her to love me. After bags of catnip treats, she finally caved.
Around seven, Hunter and Dominic walked into the room. “What she really needs is to hire someone to help her manage Inferno. The workload is too heavy. Between the weapons shipment on Friday night, her trying to restock the bar, dancers not coming in for their shift, and being short a bartender, she can’t juggle it all. She’s used to being able to do everything on her own,” Hunter murmured. His fingers were still covered in paint from the newest piece he was working on.
Dominic ran a hand through his hair. “I know. I’ve tried telling her all of this. She doesn’t trust anyone. It’s not like I blame her, though.”
I stifled a laugh. Dominic trusted nearly no one. It had taken him longer than everyone else to open himself up to Rayne. I took a sip of the wine in front of me and grimaced. White wine had never been my favorite. Whiskey was more my style, but I wanted dinner to feel special. “Speaking of Rayne, where is she?” I asked, hoping that one of my friends would know.
Hunter frowned. “I texted her, but she hasn’t responded yet. I’m sure she’s fine. Joey hasn’t texted me. Have you checked her location?”
I choked back more wine as I pulled up her location. Helping Hands, Nia’s clinic. “Guys, did she tell you she was seeing Nia or Enzo today?” Rayne had a working relationship with Rory and Enzo, which had only grown since the three had taken over completely. The men who ran the city when we were growing up had retired, instead deciding to focus on grandchildren and beach trips. Nia and Victoria were the icing on the cake. Although her bonds with both were different, I thought they helped to keep Rayne sane.
Dominic picked up a glass of wine and swirled it, staring at the liquid. “She didn’t inform me, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t have something to take care of. Besides, she is organizing a charity project or something with Oliver.”
Nothing that either of them said was illogical, but I still worried about her as the minutes dragged on. What if Joey was disarmed and someone had taken Rayne? Just like what had happened with Phillip.
By the time Rayne walked out of the elevator doors, the food was cold. I opened my mouth to say something funny, but her eyes were rimmed with red. What was wrong? Who had hurt her?
I walked over to where she stood and picked her up. She let out a little noise of surprise as I cradled her against my chest and sat on the couch with her. “What’s going on?”
She pushed at my shoulder, trying to get me to loosen my grip, but I wouldn’t let her go. I couldn’t. Not until I knew what was happening. “Nothing,” she finally responded, but even the edges of her voice cracked.
My heart splintered in my chest hearing her sound upset. I kissed her forehead. “Bullshit. Just tell me. Who did this to you?”
She sniffed and mumbled under her breath, “You did it to me. Well, one of you. I just don’t know who. I’m basically a human cum dumpster.”
I stared at her momentarily in shock, her words taking me off guard. “What are you talking about, baby? You’re so much more than that to me.” Because she was. She was everything.
Dominic crossed the room, every muscle in his body tense. He grasped her chin, forcing her to make eye contact with him. “I don’t know what this is about, but we’re not going to do this. Tell me what happened.”
He was always stern with her and straight to the point, but beneath it all, I knew he loved her more deeply than anyone else. Every morning, he made her coffee, his way of showing how he felt. And once a week, I caught him brushing and braiding her hair when no one else was around. He could be abrasive and brusque, but apparently, that was precisely what she needed to pull her from the shell.
You could have heard a pin drop when she uttered the words, “I’m pregnant.”
Hunter collapsed into a nearby chair and said nothing, observing the situation unfold. Dominic was as still as a statue before he dropped to his knees, bringing them face to face. “You’re what?”
I ignored his words, instead pressing a hard kiss against her lips. I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. “That’s what you’re upset about?”
A baby. I had thought that maybe Oliver had been shot again or something had happened to Marie. A child was a gift. I didn’t know how to be a parent, and I doubted Rayne did either, but Hunter and Dominic were different. Dominic’s parents tried their best, and Hunter’s mother sacrificed everything for him. Including what she thought was true love.
Between the four of us, a child would want for nothing, including love.
I undid the hair tie, holding her strands hostage, and ran my fingers through her hair in a comforting manner. “Is that why you’re upset?”
“I don’t know why I’m upset. I just wasn’t expecting it.”
Dominic ran his thumb along her jaw. “Everything is going to be fine, sweetheart, but we should discuss our plans—things like a DNA test to see who the father is.”
I clutched her tighter against me and put my chin on her shoulder. “Why? We’ll all love the baby the same way. We’re all the father.”
Dominic sighed at me and closed his eyes. “Yes, Ethan. We’ll all love the baby, but we should know for medical reasons. As you know, many conditions have a genetic component. Also, have you forgotten that Rayne is Rh negative? And you,” he pointed at me, “are Rh positive. Which means she would need additional medical attention to prevent Rhesus incompatibility.”
Hunter rapped his knuckles against the table, drawing our attention. “We can deal with all of this in the morning. Come here, princess.”
That was my signal to let Rayne go. But I didn’t want to. I just wanted to hold her. She kissed my cheek, and I unwound my arms around her knowing she needed all of us, not just me.
My smile didn’t fall from my face as I watched her crawl into Hunter’s lap and lay her head on his chest. We weren’t privy to whatever he said; it was a private conversation between the two of them.
The ring I had seen floated in the back of my mind, as did mint green baby onesies.