CHAPTER FIFTEEN
– FIERO –
I place a hand on my desk and lean in so my head is right next to hers while watching the screen of her laptop. All she needs is a few keystrokes to bring up a map. A map showing a dot.
“Did you put a GPS tracker on your father?” Floris asks in awe.
“My brother did.” She turns her head to talk to me, not knowing my head is right next to hers.
Her lips brush my cheek. The gasp coming from her is followed by a hot breath caressing my skin as she jerks her head back. Quinn is completely flustered while I act as if she didn’t just send a shiver of lust right down to my damn cock.
I don’t like people touching me, unintentionally or not. Quinn recently witnessed my reaction to an incident, and I wonder if her reaction has something to do with it.
“Why?” I throw the word out on a grunt and take the laptop from her.
She stops me and shoves the computer back in front of her.
“Because he’s disappeared on my brother one too many times.
It’s easier to drag his ass back when you know where he is.
” Pointing at the screen she adds, “This is where he’s going.
Horse racing is his favorite when it comes to gambling, he even prefers it over the underground fights he organizes. ”
Floris’s eyes meet mine and he gives me a tight nod. He reaches for the phone as he strides out the door. He doesn’t need me to order him to get in touch with the bounty hunter and pass along the information Quinn just gave us.
I close the laptop and watch how she places a hand on her stomach. “Still nauseous?”
“I don’t know what they gave me to knock me out. My head still hurts and I’m definitely a little queasy.”
“The doctor will swing by again later today,” I tell her. “He mentioned something about bringing prenatal vitamins.”
She turns her narrowed gaze on me. “Why are you so unnaturally calm about all of this? It’s as if you’re already committed to becoming a father. Shit. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you had this planned all along.”
“Not planned. It might not have come as such a surprise for me due to the broken condom. I’m always good at handling unforeseen circumstances. Seeing options and possibilities instead of roadblocks and limitations is a challenge that keeps me sharp.”
Quinn snorts. “Be sure to keep that mindset when you’re up all hours of the day with a newborn crying and shitting himself.”
The corner of my mouth twitches. “Does your motherly instinct tell you we’re having a boy?”
Her lips part and I’m liking the stunned expression.
Leaning in, I whisper beside her ear, “My mindset can handle everything, Quinn. Because life is simply too damn short to dance to anyone else’s bullshit. Besides, if a baby is keeping me up? It sure as hell be my own blood I’ll get up and care for.”
Pulling back, I intentionally let my lips brush her cheek.
A small gasp tumbles over her lush pink lips.
Lips I felt wrapped around my cock. Her little tight pussy was a damn dream, and her hot little mouth?
Shit. I stifle a groan and pull back. I wanted to tease her and instead my cock is becoming painfully hard.
Quinn clears her throat. “What are your intentions? I mean, for the future when it comes to becoming a parent. Are we going to do the joint custody thing? Do you have a girlfriend? Wait. Are you married?”
Annoyance fills my veins, but I manage to keep my voice even. “My cock wouldn’t have been balls deep inside you if I’d had a girlfriend or wife.”
Her cheeks flush a deep crimson, and she places a hand over her stomach.
“You should get back in bed and rest,” I order and grab her elbow to guide her up.
She yanks her arm back. “I’m fine. Just answer the rest of my freaking question.”
I glare down at her and cross my arms in front of my chest to intimidate her. Normally I don’t need to intimidate anyone; they all know who I am and my reputation proceeds me.
Yet, this woman lifts her chin in defiance and snaps, “Well?”
Fuck. Seeing the defiance lighting up her eyes is making my cock even harder.
Honesty can be freeing or feel as harsh as a whip lashing out, it’s why I tell her, “The kid inside your belly is mine and so are you. A child needs his mother and I have no intention of depriving our child of both his parents. We’re not going to bounce a kid around either.
We will all live here. I will draw up a contract and put eight million in my child’s name at birth.
You will be the appointed caregiver and beneficiary of those funds. ”
People, especially the women I encounter in life, have intentions and expectations when it comes to money. Needless to say, Quinn too acted on her lack of it to reach a personal goal. Hence me offering her a bonus plan to make sure she agrees to my order.
A grunt rips from me as pain flares in my stomach. Motherfucker. I sure as hell didn’t expect the punch in the gut she just gave me. She’s quick, I give her that. Not fast enough to rush past me, though.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I grit.
She fights the grip I have on her wrist and I let her go.
“I’m leaving. You’re insane if you think I’m going to stay here. I know very damn well I let those guys...let you fuck me for money. But don’t even think for a second I want a single dollar from you when it involves a freaking person.”
A snort leaves me. “You’re passing up eight million?”
“I don’t want your money, asshole. Money isn’t the bigger picture when it comes to raising a child.” Pure anger is on her face when she steps closer and I barely catch her wrist before she can punch me again.
“Woman,” I growl. “Stop punching me.”
I give a short pull and let her body collide with mine.
Wrapping my fist in her hair, I tilt her head back and shove my face a breath away from hers. “You want to get physical? Say the word and I’ll strip you naked to shove my cock into your tight little cunt.”
The menace is pliable in her words when she states, “I won’t let you fuck me for money again.”
I can’t help but give her a feral smile. “Little vixen, the next time I fuck you it won’t be about money, nor will it be your fantasy. It’ll be my pleasure reaping yours.”
She swallows and her gaze lands on my mouth. Her little pink tongue glides over her bottom lip, and I know she’s thinking about kissing.
I release the grip I have on her and step back to create distance between us. Fuck. This woman has an unexpected influence on me. I willingly pulled her flush against me. Let her touch me.
Keeping the tone in my voice even I tell her, “You need to go to your room and get some rest. The doctor will be here shortly. We will discuss our long-term relationship when we’ve handled the other issues. For now, we have a deal where you stay here to keep yourself and others safe.”
“We don’t have a relationship,” she fires back, but the words lack strength and certainty.
The knock on the door doesn’t break our staring contest when I rumble, “Enter.”
Someone clears his throat and it’s Quinn who breaks our connection first. The doctor is standing near the door and Quinn steps toward him.
“Do you happen to have a pregnancy test in that bag of yours?” She throws a thumb over her shoulder in my direction. “I’d like to pee on a stick to see for myself if I’m pregnant. I won’t simply believe what that guy is telling me.”
The doctor glances my way to seek permission, and I give the man a nod. He lets Quinn know he has a test in his bag and I still get a glare from Quinn as she walks out of my office. I’m grinning when my phone rings.
“We’ve got him,” Floris informs me.
My grin widens a fraction. “Bring him to the warehouse and make sure everything is set so I can properly question the fucker.”
I stride out of my office and thumb off a message to one of my men to make sure Quinn doesn’t leave the house. Though, I have a feeling she won’t risk her own life, or Aubrielle’s for that matter.
Once I’m sure everything is handled, I get in my car and head for the warehouse, feeling good about the stress relief I’m about to have in the form of some good old torture. I don’t even care it involves Quinn’s father.
One might think she would be hurt or shocked, but I have a feeling she knew exactly what would happen if she told me where to find him. Especially when the man easily surrendered her to Cillian to do with her as he fucking pleases.
It’s another thing I will handle as soon as I can get my hands on Cillian. First, though? I’m going to take care of the man who got the ball rolling.