Chapter Ten.
Allegra
“A threesome? Are you sure? That doesn’t feel right,” I gasped as I stared wide-eyed at Prescott.
“Well, it wasn’t exactly a gangbang, cuz. It’s called a triad relationship. Allegra, you were involved with Rain and Shotgun. That’s why Wade is dark-haired and Darcy red-haired. They have two different fathers, although they’re technically fraternal twins,” Lowell explained.
“Basically, I was a slut,” I stated, and everyone shook their heads.
“No, you were all in a committed relationship,” Prescott replied.
“But we broke up?”
“Yes. Over the Rapid City War and Shotgun’s refusal to bow out,” Gramps said.
Prescott scowled.
“Allegra deserves the full facts. Girl’s an adult,” Gramps chided, and Prescott’s frown deepened.
“And then I spent the next two years moping on a yacht and staying well away from home,” I replied.
“Child, I wouldn’t say sulking. You were deeply hurt, Shotgun let you down,” Gramps said.
“So, I packed up and did a bunk with the kids, and Shotgun and Rain have never seen them? That seems cruel and brattish.”
“You were hurting, and Shotgun had stated you were lying about being pregnant.”
“Remains a nasty thing to do, if I acted out of spite.” I leaned back in the garden chair and studied my family. “And I slept with both men?”
As they laughed, I was stuck on that. I’d been in a steady, committed relationship with two men. None of the family seemed bothered, but I was. A triad wasn’t a standard relationship. So why had I agreed to one?
“Don’t underestimate how devastated you were, Allegra. When Shotgun denied the baby’s existence, it rocked you to your core. The situation was made worse because he believed you would be so underhanded,” Thatch said.
Everyone changed the subject. I knew nothing but what the family told me. I didn’t think they were lying, but they only had one side of the story. Mine.
“What’s wrong, dear girl?” Nana asked softly. We were sitting side by side, and I shook my head. Nana was still recovering, and I wouldn’t worry her with petty concerns. She was recuperating from what had luckily been a minor stroke and a broken hip.
“Answer me, Allegra,” Nana ordered, keeping her voice down.
“I just sense there’s more than what I’m being told.”
“There probably is. Shotgun and Rain loved you; that was obvious, and you blossomed under their care. Never sat right with me that you believed Shotgun picked Hellfire over you. He appeared the type of man who’d blow the world up for you.”
Then why hadn’t he?
“Do you have their address?”
“There’s my brave girl. Yes, I do.”
◆◆◆
I thanked the Uber driver and gave him a hefty tip.
Taking in their home, it wasn’t what I had expected. Either Shotgun or Rain definitely had money. It sat at the end of a street, with a little lane leading up to the house, set on about an acre of land backing onto fields. It screamed privacy, but was well-maintained.
Since it was a Saturday, Nana had assured me that somebody would be in.
Plus, I had no way of contacting them. As I walked up the lane, I searched for anything familiar; there was nothing.
Even when the house came into view, it rang no bells.
I hated this sense of emptiness. Would I ever feel full again, or was I condemned to continuously wondering if I should recognise a stranger?
Determined, I strode up to the front door and knocked. Surprisingly, it opened, and I stepped back. Had someone left it open? Gingerly, I pushed it and peered in.
“Hello?”
Nobody answered. I bit my lip in hesitation. It could be that the door had been left ajar, or they’d rushed out and it hadn’t shut properly. But somebody could also be injured inside, and that worried me.
“Is anyone home?” I called again and received the same silence. There’d not been a car or motorbike outside. I assumed Shotgun rode because he was in an MC. Uncertain, I shuffled from foot to foot until I heard a rustling. Shit, someone might be in there and hurt.
Oh well, I could always apologise afterwards.
I stepped inside and looked around. The hall was quite large, with several doors leading off it.
I moved to the nearest and discovered a lounge, and the opposite door led to a TV room.
The next door revealed a dining room, then a kitchen.
There was one left, and I opened it and wished I hadn’t. Holy crap.
The office had been destroyed. There were three filing cabinets that had been forced open, spilling the files everywhere.
Books were ripped from shelves and tossed onto the floor.
The drawers in the heavy wooden chest had been yanked out, and the contents were poured out.
Pictures had been torn from the walls, and several baskets had been emptied, too.
A break-in had occurred here. I immediately stepped back and hit a hard body. I screamed and moved away quickly as someone clutched at me.
“Allegra! It’s me, honey!” a guy cried, and I shot across the other side of the office and grabbed a lamp.
“Don’t smash that, it was one of your favourites,” the stranger said, and I glanced down. It was rather pretty, but even so.
“Who are you?” I demanded as I yanked my phone out.
“Rain. Shit, Shotgun was right—you don’t recognise us,” Rain stated with a frown.
I studied him closely. He was freaking gorgeous but not recognisable. But Rain had Darcy’s hair colour.
“Rain, why is the door wide open?” Shotgun shouted. At least I think that was him; his voice seemed familiar.
“The office babe, we’ve got a guest,” Rain called back over his shoulder.
Shotgun appeared, and his eyes narrowed.
“What the fuck happened? Allegra, are you okay?” The worry in Shotgun’s tone undid me, and I began lowering the lamp.
“The door was ajar, and I heard a rustling sound. I thought someone was injured, and I found this,” I replied lamely, sweeping my arm around.
“Are you hurt?” Shotgun demanded.
That felt nice. Shotgun’s immediate concern was me.
“No, but Rain scared me.”
“You remember Rain?” Shotgun looked hopeful.
“No, he introduced himself.”
“Sweetheart, that lamp was a favourite, you might wanna put that down,” Shotgun remarked, and I giggled. He frowned, puzzled.
“Rain said the same,” I explained, and Shotgun nodded, his frown clearing.
“He’s not wrong.”
We stood looking at each other in an awkward silence that kept growing. Once, I knew these two guys intimately, but now they were strangers. Shit, I’d even had their kids. Ah. That also needed explaining.
“Um, I came to talk and discovered this. Perhaps I should come back?” I suggested.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll call the cops, let’s go sit on the porch,” Rain said. “Shotgun, you want to check the rest of the house?”
Rain dragged his phone out and was about to dial nine-one-one when it rang. It was his turn to look confused as he turned to Shotgun.
“It’s Kingston, the big boss… Hello… Actually, I was just about to call the police. I’ve been broken into… who else… how many… anyone hurt?”
From the snippets we were getting, Rain wasn’t the only one who’d been burglarised. I racked my brain trying to remember what Rain’s job was. The family had told me, but it was slipping my mind amidst this mess.
“Yes, if you text the report numbers, I’ll let the locals know this is linked… Thank you and enjoy your weekend.”
Rain hung up and lowered his head, rubbing the back of his neck. Shotgun and I waited… and waited, then Shotgun lost patience.
“Rain!”
“What? Oh sorry. Kingston said three team members have reported burglaries today. I’m the fourth.
No one was injured, and it happened when they were all out.
Those at home haven’t seen or heard anything suspicious.
Nonetheless, Kingston is warning everyone to be on guard.
He’s sending company security out to make a report. ”
“Does this relate to your project?” Shotgun asked.
“Appears so, which means we have a leak. Nobody knows, apart from the team. Not even other teams within the company,” Rain mused.
I stood there awkwardly and finally shuffled my feet. I’d no idea what was happening and felt I should leave.
“Sorry. Allegra, let’s go outside. Shotgun will check the rest of the house. Take a seat on the porch swing while I call the police?” Rain suggested.
“Actually, I’ll call for an Uber, we can do this another time.”
“Don’t go! Please,” Rain exclaimed, and a desperate look crossed his face. “Please, Allegra, two years have passed since we last saw each other. I’m aware you’ve got memory loss, but it means a lot you’re here.”
Unsure, I sent Shotgun a sideways glance, and he nodded. “Stay and talk, you came for a reason, sweetheart.”
“Just don’t forget, I remember nothing. Everything is blank. Hell, I don’t even know my favourite food, for crying out loud!”
“Chicken tacos, with quesadillas and chicken savoury rice with a beef burrito,” Shotgun replied, and I laughed.
“Seriously?”
He shrugged. “Yup. You liked Italian and Chinese too, but Mexican was always your go-to. And you hate pizza.”
“Wow, really?” I asked, moving towards him. Shotgun held out a hand to help me over some glass.
“Yeah, you can’t stand pizza.”
“Damn. And my cousins have been telling me I love it and I’ve been eating it,” I growled out.
Shotgun and Rain laughed.
“Did you enjoy it?”
I shrugged a little sheepishly. “Honestly, yes.”
“Learn something new every day. Gotta admit, it’s a clean palate for you foodwise,” Rain said as we walked out.
“Rain, everything for me is a blank slate. Music, TV, movies, books, clothing. I literally remember nothing. But I recall facts like WW2, 9/11, and similar things. Amnesia is damn weird.”
“Retrograde amnesia confounds even the best medical minds. It has no rhyme or rhythm. It’s now been a couple of weeks since the accident, and you’ve remembered nothing?” Rain asked as we hit the porch.