CHAPTER TWENTY
– QUINN –
My heart jolts inside my chest. The skin on my knuckles still tingles where Fiero just planted a kiss when the limousine suddenly jerks. A gasp rips from me when I’m bumping into Fiero who places a hand on my knee to steady me.
“Keep your eyes on the damn road, Floris,” Fiero states.
Floris meets our gaze through the rearview mirror. “It’s your fault, acting all married and shit.”
“I’m not acting,” Fiero states and he gently gives my knee a little squeeze.
Okay, the tiny show of affection he just did with the kiss and knee squeeze? It’s very unlike Fiero. He hits a button to let the screen slide in place to block Floris out.
Turning to me, Fiero says, “Since we’re married, we might as well give it a fair shot, don’t you think?”
I raise one of my eyebrows. “A real marriage consists of mutual respect, good communication, and loyalty. You’re not a sappy shit man and I won’t demand for you to change or fake things.”
“Quinn.” The way he says my name causes a flock of butterflies to go crazy inside my stomach.
“Yes?” I breathe on a whisper.
“Do you think I’ve ever changed for anyone or faked shit to accommodate someone else?”
It’s a trick question. He doesn’t need me to answer, right? Shit. Why am I nervous? The way he’s staring at me is causing my throat to run dry. He’s my freaking husband, we’re already connected through life by the tiny person growing inside my belly.
“Then we have another deal,” I murmur when I look into his eyes.
“We’re good at making deals.” His voice turns husky.
I do hope we’re home soon because all the deals aside? I’m so freaking attracted to this man.
He keeps staring, causing my brain to fog with lust and making me blurt, “We’re also good at sex. It’s probably the chemistry, so at least we’ll have enough to keep each other entertained for a lifetime.”
Shoot me now. I can’t believe I just said that and I can feel my cheeks heat.
Fiero chuckles. “We’ll see.”
Great. Such a damn Fiero answer. Except for the chuckling, maybe he’s opening up, making an effort? It sure makes me feel at ease...and hot and bothered for sure.
Thankfully, we’re home. Since we’re married, I’m definitely calling Fiero’s house home. I might not want his money to be sitting in my bank account, but sharing a home is normal. Along with him paying for the final tuition, and the medical bills. Shit. I am taking his money.
Whatever. I have more pressing matters to worry about when I see my brother stepping out of a car parked across the street. The relief flowing through me due to seeing him alive is overwhelming. At this point I didn’t know what to believe when it comes to Micah being alive or not.
As soon as the limousine comes to a stop, I jump out and rush in his direction. I hear Fiero cursing behind me along with footsteps, but all I see is my brother. It doesn’t matter that I found out that we’re not blood-related; he always made me feel like his sister.
His smile feels like a warm blanket, especially when he scoops me up for a hug. He lets his hands glide over my arms, cup my face, and then back to my waist. It’s as if he needs to check for himself that I’m okay.
“Let her go,” Fiero orders with a voice made from steel.
I don’t understand Fiero’s reaction, other than the overbearing protective streak the man has.
A comment is right there on my lips, but something cold and hard is being pressed against my head, and my whole body freezes up.
Somehow, I expect to feel the words rumble through my brother’s chest, but I don’t because Micah isn’t the one talking.
“He will put a bullet in her brain if you don’t step back, Mr. Reaux,” a man beside us states.
It might not be a smart thing to do, but I do turn my head to watch the man beside me. I don’t recognize him and I shift my gaze to look up at my brother. He’s staring straight ahead. There’s a large scar on his throat, and it reminds me of the video I received.
“Let me go, Micah,” I whisper for his ears only.
The only response from him is the tightening of his arm around my waist. Unease settles in my veins. Why is it that a man I’ve known for a handful of weeks...one I haven’t even spent enough time with except for the past few days...is more trustworthy than the people I’ve known all my damn life?
There’s one thing I do know for sure. My brother has one hand holding the gun pressing to my head, his other is on my waist. I place my hands on his hips and push slightly to create some distance for what I’m about to do.
“Why, Micah?” I whisper and throw out two facts hoping he won’t pull the trigger. “I’m married and pregnant.”
That gets his attention and I feel his hand on my waist slip. I take this small window to turn and push myself away from the man I’ve always considered my brother by blood. A gunshot blasts through the air and I scream while covering my head with my arms.
I feel someone covering me with his body while scooping me up. More gunshots sound followed by the screeching of tires. My heart is beating in my throat, the rush sounds loud in my ears, and the panic is weighing down on my chest. Fiero’s scent wraps around me as he carries me inside the house.
He places me on the couch, squats down before me, and takes my face in his hand to make our gaze connect. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did he harm your belly in any way?”
“I’m not okay,” I croak. “I’m not hurt, but I’m definitely not okay.”
“You fucking scared me,” Fiero whispers harshly and gets to his feet.
He turns to Floris. “Watch her and make sure she doesn’t run off again.”
Ouch. I might not have been hurt, but the way Fiero just lashed out makes me feel like an idiot.
Yes, thinking back it was a crazy thing to do, but my brother has always protected me.
Always. Hell, he had a gun pressed against my temple mere minutes ago and he let me out of his grip.
I’m not foolish to think I got the better of him; he’s been a fighter all his life.
“Where is he going?” I ask Floris.
“Don’t know, don’t care, I have my orders.” Gone is the playful Floris, and annoyance makes me flip him off.
“I’m going to take a shower,” I announce and get to my feet, only to whimper and drop back down on the couch.
Shit. I might have twisted my ankle. Gritting my teeth, I slowly get to my feet this time and shuffle in the direction of the door.
“What’s wrong?” Floris asks, a hint of worry in his voice.
“You have your orders,” I snap. “So, you watch, asshole, and don’t worry...I’m not going to run off, I’m going to my room for a shower.”
Pain is shooting through my leg and I’m now sure I twisted the damn thing. I sigh in relief when I reach my room and can slam the door in Floris’s face. A sob rips from me when I reach the bed. I want nothing more than to crawl into it and sleep this terrible day away, but I can’t.
Gritting my teeth, I start to strip away my dirty clothes and hop in the direction of the bathroom. It takes some effort to balance myself while I get a quick shower, but I make it work. My ankle is throbbing by the time I’m dressed in yoga pants along with an oversized sweater and crawl into bed.
My eyes sting and another sob rips from my throat.
Tears start to fall, and my emotions go haywire with everything that happened today.
The things my father...no, not my father.
The man who raised me, who I thought was my father isn’t.
He killed my mother or had her killed; either way her blood is on his hands.
And what the freaking hell just happened with my brother? Nothing seems right and nothing makes sense. I need a minute to breathe, to get my thoughts straight, all while the world keeps spinning.
I really want to talk to my friend right now. Bri would always give her opinion, even if it didn’t help, she was there for me. I miss her. Sobs shake my body as I cry into the pillow. Nothing feels right anymore. It’s as if I’ve lost grip on reality.
My gaze slides to the phone sitting on my bedside table. I could call Bri, just to hear her voice. But what would I say? I can’t pull her into this mess and put her life in danger. A phone rings and I have to wipe my eyes to get rid of the blur caused by the tears.
How strange. I’m looking at my phone but that’s not the one ringing. The sound is coming from the pile of dirty clothes, and I reach for it to roam through it. A burner phone I don’t recognize is in my hands and I glance at the incoming message.
My eyes go wide when I realize it’s from my brother. He must have put it in my pocket when he hugged me.