24. Something in the water
Chapter 24
Something in the water
LETTIE
T omer pulses his hand on the exposed skin of my thigh just below my skirt’s hemline. “Are you okay?”
Teasing him, I bat him off. “Hands on the wheel, bud. Ten and two. You’re carrying precious cargo. It’s official now.”
His gravelly chuckle makes my nipples stiffen to peaks, and when he moves his palm to rub my belly, I melt into a puddle of liquefied Lettie.
Flashing a bona fide smile, I reassure him of my blissed-out state of mind. “I’m better than okay. Thank you kindly for asking.”
“I’m glad, sugar.” He winks before facing the road. “I have to admit, you’re taking the pregnancy much better than I expected.”
“Same. I’ve done flabbered my ghasts.” I giggle softly, then flop against the headrest, craning my neck toward him. I could stare at his profile forever and never get enough of it. “Especially how I flew off the handle after we had the accident. When I look back on that night, I’m so embarrassed. I wasn’t exactly stable.”
“Considering what you learned about your birth mother, your reaction made perfect sense. Religious trauma aside, nobody wants to repeat the cycles of their parents.” His features harden a smidgen.
Needing to touch him, I loop my arm around his elbow without yanking his grip off the wheel. “So glad you’re man enough to put up with my psychological baggage.”
His head pitches backward. “I’m not exactly the poster child for mental health stability.”
“Hush your mouth.” I squeeze his bicep affectionately. “Speaking of which... are you nervous?”
“Yes, but you’ll be with me, so I know I’ll be fine.”
It’s the day for appointments.
His first therapist session is in a few hours, and we just left the obstetrician’s office. I’m pleased as punch to report that everything looks good with the pregnancy. Because of my unique circumstances, the doctor whipped out an ultrasound machine and did an internal scan right there in the office like it was nothing. Said she wanted to ease my mind after all the trauma.
Bless her heart. Genuinely.
The sounds of the heartbeat filling the tiny room will live in my memories for years. Didn’t know I could love something on first sound alone.
One of Redleg’s finest follows in the car behind us, providing an extra layer of protection. Since Sawyer knows about the pregnancy, Tomer tapped him for backup duties. We’re swinging by headquarters for lunch and to pick up his fiancée, Sammy. She sees the same therapist, so we scheduled back-to-back appointments later this afternoon. For logistical reasons. Can’t be running off to therapy without reinforcements when the mafia is out to get you.
Grinning at Tomer like a goober, I whisper, “I’m so proud of you, babe.”
“Right back at ya, sugar tits.”
A boisterous laugh erupts from my chest. He’s not usually one for silly names. I love it when he surprises me with something so blatantly out of character and lighthearted.
Given all the bullshit surrounding us, I live for these jovial moments with him.
A few nights ago, he told me he knew about Viktor’s email, having discussed it with Mia and Klein. I had my apology and explanation ready to go, but I didn’t need it. He wasn’t mad and never doubted my reasoning for hiding it. He knew it was to protect him, plain and simple.
More to my surprise, the whole situation hasn’t decimated his near-constant happiness. I expected him to break down or demand to see the photos for himself. After that, I figured he’d shoot his way into Viktor’s mansion and drag him out by his hair.
Yet he didn’t do any of that. Instead, he was relieved he could comfort me, even if he didn’t know why I needed it.
Sadly, the email hasn’t yielded much proof. Without me corroborating what Viktor said about Big Al’s eyes or identifying him in those photos, there isn’t much they can do with it. Whoever sent it is talented at hiding their digital tracks. Whether it’s Viktor or someone working to take him down, we don’t know.
My rambling thoughts remind me of something I keep meaning to ask him. “Oh, you didn’t tell me what Shep said about Yuri. Did he share any new information? Is he Yev’s father?”
Tomer’s jaw clicks. “When Shep asked whether he was his father, Yuri’s answer was something like... there are lots of ways to be someone’s father .” He throws a smirk at me. “Helpful, huh?”
My knee starts bouncing. “I don’t know the man. Wouldn’t recognize him if he were in front of my face. But I’d sure love to dip him in honey and shove his head into an anthill.”
“Great interrogation technique. I’m going to steal that.”
Another big guffaw shakes my shoulders.
When my cackles finally ebb, I redirect him to the conversation with Yuri. “What were the answers to the other questions?”
His chest expands with an inhale. “As to why he won’t help us directly, he said the architect needs more time. Something about avoiding collateral damage. A good build can’t be rushed.”
“That isn’t a straight answer, so I’m still on team honey head in the ant hill .”
“For Yuri, it’s barely a curve. The theatrical prick rarely gets more direct than that.” Tomer dabs his tongue at his lip, making the soft flesh glisten. “In a way, he confirmed we’re on the right track. His family—whoever all the players are—wants to take Lenkov down and has a master plan. Unfortunately, he didn’t want to answer the fatherhood question, although I’m unsure why.”
With nothing to add, I silently trail my greedy fingertips over his arm to stay connected to him.
After a beat, he continues. “Yuri denied sending the email, and Shep believed him. However, he knew what email we were talking about, which is curious as fuck since we thought Yev was his only link to the inside.”
“Perfect. More questions.” Shaking my head, I click my tongue. “Anything else?”
Amusement plays across his features, brightening the mood in an instant. “He smiled and scratched his beard when Shep asked if he knew Alexei Bugrov. That’s his tell.”
“His tell for yes or no?”
“It’s his affirmative nonverbal response.”
A chill dances through me, making my skin pebble. “ Affirmative is sexy military talk, babe. That’s starting to affect me the way my manners do you.” I shimmy my shoulders, pulsing my fingers around his bicep.
Before lust takes over, I quickly attempt to refocus my thoughts. If I don’t stop, I’ll ask him to find a shady parking lot where I can jump on his dick. Not sure Sawyer would want to be the lookout for that.
We won’t know unless we ask him , my inner nasty girl thinks.
A two-note laugh of disbelief rumbles from deep in his chest.
Oblivious to how I want to ride his cock the rest of the way to HQ, Tomer keeps prattling about the case. You gotta admire his focus, even if it’s foreign to me.
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t much of a surprise that Yuri knows Alexei, considering Yev hid at this guy’s place. And Yuri is part of the family unit Yev kept referring to. Sounds like Alexei is too. It’s all related somehow. I only wish I knew who the fucker was.”
“Maybe this mysterious Alexei sent the email from Viktor,” I offer with a flippant quality to my voice, complete with a snicker and heavy sigh.
Tomer slaps his palm on the steering wheel, making me flinch. “Shit, baby. You’re a fucking genius. You deserve an extra orgasm. As soon as we get to HQ, I’ll deliver. Then I’m running up to the lair to work for a bit. I’m skipping lunch.”
My cheeks warm, a flush spreading over my throat and upper chest. “I was kidding, but I’d be a new level of dumb to pass up an orgasm.”
His indulgent smile detonates, sending lust shrapnel in all directions, most of it landing between my thighs. “Give me a Lettieism for how dumb you’d have to be to say no to me making you come.”
“Oh, you’re putting me on the spot.” I nibble my lip. “I suppose I’d be so dumb my brain would rattle around like a BB in a barrel.”
He grimaces. “You can do better.”
Crossing my arms at my chest, I jut my chin in a challenge. “Let’s see what you come up with on the spot, mister.”
Without missing a beat, he rattles off, “You’d have to be so dumb your family tree was nothing but bamboo. Your IQ would be room temperature. You’d have two brain cells, both fighting for third place.”
“ Buckets of bananas , babe. How did you come up with all that?”
His diabolical grin sends me into hysterics. “Channeled my drill sergeant. One time, he told me I was, without a doubt, a product of anal sex.”
By the time he’s done, we’re both cracking up worse than my cellphone screen from all the times I dropped it.
The next song on the radio irritates me, so I flip over to a country station. Almost instantly, I launch into the verse before I even register the name of it. It’s “Heartfirst” by Kelsea Ballerini.
At the next stop light, Tomer looks over at me with stars dancing in his eyes. I can’t believe I thought he hated my voice the first time I sang for him.
I lengthen my neck, straining to offer him a kiss. He eagerly obliges, erasing the space between us and sealing our lips.
And for now, everything is simply magical.
Him. Me. The baby. Us.
Perfection.
Is it too much to hope it stays that way? Probably. But I’ll wish for it anyway.
Tomer Stillman is a man of his word these days. He was not kidding about giving me an orgasm when we got back to Redleg.
My splayed hands brace me against the door to our bunk room as my eyes roll into the back of my skull.
“Be a good girl for me and stay quiet.” His warm breath tickles the side of my neck as he grunts and thrashes into my slick pussy from behind. “ Fuck . You feel like heaven wrapped around me.”
I bite my lip, struggling to keep my moans at an acceptable volume for midday sex at HQ. “So good, babe. So damn good.”
It’s all I can get out. My vocabulary grows paltrier by the stroke. “ Argh . More. Harder.”
See what I mean?
Shakespeare’s got nothing on me when Tomer is dicking me into the door.
He reaches around my waist to strum his fingers over my clit. “You can come for me, sugar bear. I need to feel this silky pussy flutter and squeeze my cock.”
“Yes, babe. Yes.”
A few blissful minutes later, I drip all over him as my climax slams through me. Lights flash, and wave after wave of euphoria rocks every cell of my body.
I know he’s getting close to his release when he picks up his pace and pistons in and out frantically.
“Fuck, Lettie baby. Love you so damn much,” he forces out through a clenched jaw.
Lights keep flashing as he relentlessly douses me with pleasure.
Reaching behind me, I cup his nape to hold him close to my ear so I can feast on every delicious sound he utters. Damn , there is nothing hotter than him moaning because of how much he loves being inside me.
As my consciousness slowly returns, I realize why the lights were flashing. My right hand had slipped from the door and landed on the light switch.
That all tracks with calamity Lettie’s mode of operations.
“Thanks for the light show, sugar bear.” He kisses my cheek before slowly withdrawing. “It added to the ambiance.”
A satisfied grin slips on my face. “I always try to keep it exciting.”
He squeezes one of my ass cheeks, then gives it a soft smack. “You sure do. Mmm .”
Once he’s tucked himself back into his jeans, he bends to get my panties, holding them out for me to step in them. Unfortunately, there isn’t a bathroom in the bunk room, so we use the restrooms down the hall for cleanup afterward. Not exactly convenient, but I’ll happily make do for more dick like that.
Twenty minutes later, he carries a plate full of pasta for himself over to the lair, leaving me with the rest of the gang in the break room.
Just like Tomer did for me before he dashed out, Sawyer makes a plate for his princess and places it in front of her. Sammy is seated on my right, and Valerie Franco is on my left. She’s Shep and Kri’s foster daughter.
Interesting dining companions. Unemployed and extremely pregnant, Sammy is revered like royalty. In contrast, Valerie is one of the youngest billionaires in the country and is treated like a typical teen.
Sue and Leo take the seats opposite us. Shep, Kri, and Sawyer round out the group, everyone eagerly digging in.
Madeline and Boss Dad disappeared shortly after dropping off two large foil pans of baked ziti and meatballs. She came over and gave me a kiss on the top of my head, then grumbled something to Big Al before she sort of stormed out.
The energy she gave off was a mix of I don’t want to cause a scene and I’m about to rage-kick someone in the crotch .
From everything I’ve seen and heard about Madeline, it’s unlike her to have an attitude. And the face my birth father made as he watched her leave was... something . Clearly, there’s trouble in paradise.
My guilty conscience hopes it’s not because of me, but the pasta is so damn tasty I soon forget what I felt bad for.
After popping a whole-ass meatball in her mouth like it’s no bigger than an M&M, Sammy leans over and whispers, “Does everyone in here know about your little bundle, or am I one of the lucky few?”
“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure who Tomer has told. I would imagine almost everyone in this room knows, except maybe Shep, Kri, and Valerie.”
Out of nowhere, a soft voice asks, “Everyone but us knows what?”
A trill of shock jolts my entire frame, and I jump an inch out of my seat. “Jiminy Christmas!” I yelp.
Cackling like a hyena at open mic night, Valerie grins at me with the smirkiest smirk I’ve likely ever seen, aside from Shep’s.
My hand lands on my chest as if bound and determined to keep my heart inside my body. “ Lord, help me over the fence . Ya ’bout scared me clean out my skin, child.”
Laughter rings around the room, echoing off the tile floor.
“You can’t startle a woman in her condition,” Sawyer chides the precocious teen.
Sammy whacks him in the chest with the back of her hand. “Dammit, blabbermouth. That was supposed to be a secret.”
Closing my eyes, I brace my forehead on my fingertips.
Fan-freaking-tastic.
First, Tomer drops the pregnancy news on Boss Dad like a bomb as he storms out of his office a few days ago. Now , even more people know. I’ve been meaning to have a sit-down chat with Boss Dad about my growing family. Haven’t had the chance yet. I can only hope one of these yahoos doesn’t bring it up with him before I can clear the air.
Most women don’t tell many people they’re pregnant until after the first trimester, but the Redleg gossip train made that approach impossible.
“You’re pregnant?” Valerie squeaks.
In my periphery, Kri pushes her water to the other side of the table. “Keep that shit away from me.”
It strikes me as strange, so I quirk my brow at her in silent question.
Shep notices too.“What are you doing, baby girl? Does it taste funny?”
“I guess I’ll never know,” Kri snarks. “I am not drinking the water in this place. It’s clearly contaminated with fertility hormones.”
Shep takes a moment to process her quip while the rest of us laugh. Even me.
Unaware of the joke, Val picks up her water bottle for a swig. Before it reaches her lips, Shep swats it out of her hand, sending the bottle careening to the table.
“Hey!” Val hollers in protest while scooting her chair back to escape the cascading waterfall.
The muted laughter from Kri’s joke about something being in the water at Redleg has nothing on the hilarity caused by Shep’s overreaction.
Leo and Sawyer jump up to gather towels while everyone’s wisecracks and snide comments prolong the laughter.
Once everything settles, I drum my fingernails on the laminate table and journey my eyes past the faces of my dining companions. “So everyone knows our little news, huh?”
“What’s one more pregnancy at this point? We’ll all raise our kids together.” Leo’s enormous hands turn out in front of him. “Congratulations, Lettie.”
Sue squints one eye at me, her mouth puckering awkwardly. “Sorry. I tried to keep it from him, but I’m a horrible liar.”
“Word to the wise,” Sammy says from behind a Cheshire grin. “Never tell Sue anything you need to keep from my brother. Somehow, he always knows when she’s got a secret.”
“It isn’t my fault, Sammy,” Sue contends, her blue eyes sparkling with playful indignation. “He saw the receipt for the pregnancy test and thought it was mine. And we weren’t even trying at that point. For feck’s sake , it was a few days before the wedding.”
Teasing her sister-in-law, Sammy quips, “You should have taken it for the team, Sue. My brother knew before Sawyer did.”
Sue flings her thumb at her giant husband. “He wouldn’t have believed me. He has ways of getting my secrets.”
Val chimes in through snort-laughs. “Yeah, yeah, we know. The pickle tickle.”
“Wait. What?” I ask, my voice drowned out by the laughter in the room.
Sue’s cheeks redden, but she keeps focused on making her point. “You know I can’t lie. Have you seen me try?”
Sammy’s enormous belly jiggles with her laughter. “So many wonderful times. Two thumbs up. Solid gold entertainment.”
“Oh, feck off,” Sue hisses with absolutely no venom in her tone, then turns her pretty eyes on me. “Anyhow, I’m sorry for telling your secret to Leo. However, I can’t explain how they know.” She sticks out her pinky and index finger, simultaneously pointing at Sawyer and Sammy. “That’s not on me. And neither are they.” She tips her chin toward Kri, Val, and Shep.
Giggling, I wave her off. “Don’t worry, honey. I accidentally told Tomer about you being pregnant too. So I guess we’re even.”
Her features melt, the relief visibly relaxing her. “Even is good. Balanced.”
“We’re happy for you and Tomer,” Sawyer offers, raising his coffee cup in my direction.“A few years ago, I wouldn’t have thought him ready to be a father, but he’s become a new man over the last several months. I suppose we have you to thank for that.”
A few sassy retorts melt on my tongue, but I keep them there, offering him a half grin instead.
I take a gulp of the fertility water, and my ability to filter my thoughts must float along the cold stream down my throat. “Actually, he always would have made a great father. I might have brought him out of his shell, but he’s a damn good man on the inside. Always has been. Truth be told, it’s too bad you guys didn’t see it all this time. But that’s on you. Your loss.”
For a few seconds, all I hear is the raucous pounding of my heart. As I look around the room, everyone’s eyes have fallen to the floor. Forks and knives have frozen in place.
Oopsie poopsie.
Might have released a smidge too much honesty.I barely know these people, and here I am, reading them the riot act.
“Awk-ward,” Val singsongs, finally breaking the tension.
“Sorry,” I begin to apologize, falling back on my raising. “Nope. Check that. I ain’t really sorry. If it pisses y’all off, then tough titties said the kitty when the milk went dry. Y’all have been shitty to him for years. And if you ask me, which I know you didn’t, you should be begging for his forgiveness.” My head bobs emphatically, adding punctuation to my dressing down.
And just like that, the tension in the room spikes to hazardous levels.
Man alive . These hormones must be messing with me, making me act contrary.There’s sticking up for someone, and then there’s being a bitch. Not sure where I am on the spectrum.
“Awk-ward-er,” Valerie chirps after several seconds of torturous silence.
This time, the response is less jovial.
Their gazes burn into me from all sides. Steadfast, I keep my eyes on my ziti, taking a bite to prove I’m unrattled.
Although, I’m rattled as the chains on the Ghost of Christmas Past .
As you’d expect, Sawyer is the first one to speak. “Lettie, our relationship with Tomer isn’t that simple. I don’t think your judgment is entirely fair. It’s?—”
I cut him off with another of my patented overreactions. “Oh, you want fair? That’s where they judge pigs and pies.”
A couple of tight laughs escape. Sue and Val, by the sound of it.
“Kri, I’m sorry, but I no longer want to be like you when I grow up,” Valerie whispers loud enough for everyone to hear. “I’m gonna be like Lettie.”
“You already are, kid,” Shep says, rubbing the top of her head, which draws an annoyed huff from her.
No one else seems bold enough to speak, which is fine because it’s not me who needs to hear their excuses or apologies.
“Lettie, I need to say something,” Leo’s husky voice sails across the table.
“Is it something I need to hear, or does Tomer?” I’m not trying to incite trouble. Just unwilling to back down. I made my point, and it stands.
Leo’s response is calm and direct. “Both. I’ll start with you, though.”
I lower my fork and fold my hands in my lap. “Go ahead.” To alleviate the mood, I offer a congenial smile.
“Tomer is our family. We love him and would lay down our lives for him. Plain and simple.”
Straightforward. Honest.
My throat gets tight, lips wobbling as his earnestness socks me in the chest.
He continues. “We tease him because we tease everybody we love. That’s how we were as soldiers. It’s how we’ve always been. That’s part of how we cope with all the horrible shit we face. Hell, not even Big Al is exempt from relentless ball-busting. I personally hid his Redleg tablet from him when I found it at my mother’s house. Joking around and talking shit is part of the fabric of our brotherhood.”
“Hey now,” Kri warns.
His dark eyes warm. “Sorry. The fabric of our family . And the shit with Tomer is no different. We tease him because we love him. If you don’t believe me, I’ll give you some examples.” He glances down the table toward my left. “We tease Shep about getting beat on the mat by Kri.”
I levy a glance at Shep. He nods and shrugs with a cheeky grin plastered on his face.
Leo piles on, “We give Kri shit about being a hot head.”
Val snort-laughs.
“We bust Klein’s balls about his old man music. And Sawyer about his dumb voices and being whipped by my sister. Plus, his coffee obsession, and he’s bougie as fuck.” Leo screws his face comically. “We’ve got a lot of ball-busting fodder for him.”
Sawyer takes it well and tosses it back. “And we tease Lionheart for being a giant fucker so far up Boss’s ass he can count his cavities.”
Leo snarls at him, entirely playful, then squares himself with me. “You see? We all get the shit. It’s part of what makes us a family. Perhaps dysfunctional, but a family nonetheless.”
“But Tomer doesn’t see—” I start, ready to say he doesn’t see it that way, which matters.
It’s not playful ribbing if the person being teased doesn’t know it’s harmless.
Leo raises his finger, which is roughly the size of my forearm, cutting me off and making me speechless in one go. Impressive. “Recently, Mia brought to my attention how he might not see it as good-natured teasing. Frankly, I’ll be the first to admit we were dumbasses not to realize it was bothering him on our own. And I’ll be rectifying that with Tomer.”
“Me too,” Sawyer offers. “I already ordered a new sign for him.”
I flash the angriest of angry eyes at him.
“It’s a nice one. Honest.” He draws an imaginary X over his heart. “I swear.”
“It better be.” I raise my first two fingers in front of my eyes. “Or you’ll be on my shit list.” I flick my wrist, sending them out toward him.
The sound of quiet laughter surrounds me as the mood lightens.
“Oh damn. She’s exactly like her father. Shit list and all,” Shep jokes. “We’re so screwed.”
Val puts her hands in prayer position, resting her chin on her fingertips. “Definitely going to be like Lettie. My new hero.”
Flashing an honest smile at the big guy across the table, I offer, “Thanks, Leo. I appreciate it. He needs to know. As long as you tell him what you told me, there’s no hard feelings.”
He offers his hand for a shake, which I accept. His hand dwarfs mine, making me feel like a kid again.
As amiable conversation resumes, Sue leans across the table toward me. “Can I just say how much I love you for Tomer?”
“Yes. You can say that,” I jest, feeling saucier than the ziti.
“Ah-ha. Well played.” Her smile is radiant. “Seriously, though. You’re exactly what Tomer needed. You’re his Leo.”
My nose wrinkles. “Excuse me? I’m gonna need more explanation.”
She chortles, tight and choppy, tipping her head in the direction of her giant husband. “He’s my shield. My protector. And he taught me I’m worth loving.”
Without warning, tears pool, threatening to spill down my cheeks. Heavens above , these hormones are killing me. “You think I did that for Tomer?”
“You still do. Every day.”She beams back at me. “People like Tomer and me need someone to break us out of our shells and remind us we deserve happiness. That’s not something just anyone can do. It takes a lot of patience and determination.”
Leaning in to kiss her on the cheek, Leo wraps his arm around her shoulder. He gazes at her like she’s the most magical creature he’s ever seen. For such a giant, tough-looking dude, he’s giving off heart-emoji eyes vibes right now.
Sue cranes her neck to meet his eyes, her smile spreading as wide as the ocean and affection for him running as deep. “It takes a special person to love someone like me or Tomer,” she whispers.
“Nah,” he answers back, even if she didn’t ask a question. “Loving you is easy. It’s earning your love in return that takes patience.”
Oh my heart.
She gives him a quick kiss, then ends the tender moment in the most pregnant woman way ever. “Dammit. I have to pee again.”
“Same,” Sammy says, pushing away from the table.
The laughter rocking my gut has me standing up to join them. “If you’ll excuse us, all the baby factories must head to the bathroom immediately for a very important meeting.”
As we go, I hear Kri joking, “Quick. While they’re gone, spray the disinfectant on every surface so their condition doesn’t spread.”