CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
– QUINN –
“Rest,” the doctor says once more before he slips out of the room.
I slightly shift and am happy to have a little less pain because the doctor just wrapped my ankle. Rest might sound easy, and my ass being on this bed is one thing, but my mind is running overtime.
A knock on the door distracts me from the burning in my eyes. I don’t want to cry. Not only have I’ve done enough of it these past few days, it doesn’t help shit either. Well, except for letting the pressure in my chest fade for a handful of seconds.
“Come in,” I murmur.
Bri steps inside. The relief and joy flowing through me still rips a sob from me. My best friend crosses the room and is hugging me the next second.
“I missed you,” I murmur.
“Right back at ya,” Bri says and gives me a tight squeeze. Pulling back, she asks, “Why did you leave? And why are you here and not home like you said when you cleared your things out of our apartment?”
So much has happened in the past few weeks. Bri only knows some parts of it and I’ve done everything I can to keep her safe. She shouldn’t even be here, and I know it’s selfish, but I’m still glad she came.
“I’m married,” I blurt, getting one major thing out there, and while I’m at it? I throw out the other life-changing element in my life, “And I’m pregnant.”
“What the...” Her eyes are wide and she keeps staring at me without adding other words.
Movement near the door draws my attention.
“What is Tate doing here?” I whisper.
Bri is jolted out of the brain freeze I put her in when she shoots him a glare and snaps, “There’s nowhere for me to go, so go wait outside.”
Tate smirks. “I have my orders. Suck it up, duchess.”
“Duchess?” I whisper. “Why is he calling you duchess? Is it a term of endearment?”
“There’s nothing endearing about it,” Tate states on a fake whisper.
Bri flips him off and turns to me. “Ignore him. So, you got married?”
I hold up my hand to show her.
“And got a freaking tattoo? Oh my gosh, this is hysterical. You’re married to Fiero Reaux, how the hell did you manage to do that?
Shit. You got knocked up during the whole one-time sex night?
” Her gaze slides to Tate and she wrinkles her nose before she faces me again and adds, “You don’t know who the baby-daddy is and this is why and how the big boss muffles away mistakes? ”
My head jerks back. Did she really just?
“There’s only one cock that went up her cunt, and only one made her take his cum into her body. Not me, not one of the others, only the baby daddy. Which should be none of your fucking business,” Tate snaps.
Bri hangs her head and nods. She reaches for my hand, and I instantly pull away. People tend to show real emotions in heated moments. I know the information overload takes a minute to process, but the things she just said? Hurtful doesn’t begin to describe it.
Fiero strides in the room and demands everyone’s attention with just his presence.
“Good,” he rumbles as he stares at Bri. “You’re here.”
I narrow my eyes. It might sound casual, and he is the one who told me he’d get her here...though it sounds as if there’s more to it. He stalks to me and my belly flutters when he places chocolate ice cream on the bed along with a spoon.
There’s no chance to thank him due to my jaw dropping when Fiero says, “Mind explaining to Quinn why your brother is involved with everything that happened to her the past few weeks?”
“What?” I squeak and glance at Bri.
I expect her to be shocked, to deny Fiero’s words, but instead she looks guilty.
“I’d like for you to leave.” I turn to Fiero. “Make her leave.”
He gives me a warm look. It might not seem so to others, but spending enough time with him allows me to see these tiny changes in his features.
“I can remove her from the room, but she’s not going anywhere. She’s staying here so we have something they want.” He pins Bri with an angry glare.
Grabbing the tub of ice cream, I rip off the lid and grab the spoon to point it at Bri. “Then put her in the basement next to my brother.”
I shove a spoonful of icy goodness into my mouth and sigh in the tiny moment of contentment.
Fiero chuckles. “We could trade and get your brother upstairs. He’s actually been quite cooperative giving me straight answers, even if he can’t speak. I have the doctor checking him out to give me additional answers.”
“He’s not coming upstairs. He still put a gun to my head so he’s staying put,” I grumble and shovel another delicious scoop of ice cream in my mouth.
“Quinn.” Bri tries to reach for me again.
“No, Bri. I’m not talking to you unless you have a damn fine explanation. The look you gave Fiero when he called you out about your brother said enough. You looked freaking guilty, so you know something I don’t know.”
“I didn’t know,” she croaks and taps on the screen on her phone before showing it to me.
“Archi just asked me to keep an eye on you. How you might need our help and that I should offer it to you. He was concerned, that’s all.
There’s no way I would ever agree to causing trouble, getting you hurt or whatever. I swear, he only wants to help.”
Fiero takes the phone from Bri. “Tate, put her into a guestroom and make sure she stays there.”
“Sure, boss.” Tate strides to the bed, takes Bri by her elbow and guides her out of the room.
Bri doesn’t say anything or so much as put up a fight; she hangs her head and walks away. Walks. Away. I’ve been repeating this sentence for what feels like every second of the day, but seriously? What the hell is going on?
“Floris, get in here and close the door,” Fiero orders.
Fiero scoots down to the edge of the bed while Floris leans against the wall. I keep eating ice cream, it’s a simple thing to do and it at least makes me feel better. I have a feeling whatever Fiero is about to say won’t be good.
“The family legacy is the Reaux college, along with the fantasy deal. My grandfather founded everything while my father almost fucked it all up. I had to swoop in and make sure everything stayed in our name. Cillian was the one who almost bought what’s ours.
” Fiero bounces a finger between him and Floris.
Floris curses. “You’re thinking it was a setup? This is a second attempt to take us down, isn’t it? Really? That fucker is willing to work with someone who works in underground fighting? That shit is more illegal than the fantasy deals we have to help students fund their career.”
Fiero shrugs. “Apples and oranges. I consider myself an information broker while others see it as extorting people.”
“Why would Bri’s brother be involved?” I ask, scraping the bottom of the tub.
Wow, I inhaled the ice cream.
Floris and Fiero share a look, and then my husband starts to explain.
“Both Cillian and Archibald were students here, as were their fathers. Archibald didn’t accept a fantasy deal invite, the others did.
My father pressured Archibald’s father into something he had no business interfering with.
It all backfired. Archibald’s father was disbarred, his license to practice law was revoked.
Archibald is holding a grudge while Cillian’s father ended up with a jail sentence.
Both on opposite ends, while blaming the one who foolishly thought he could interfere for his own personal gain, our father.
All of this is a twisted form of revenge.
Cillian saw my protective streak when it came to you and used it against me.
So did Archibald through his sister, your best friend.
Though, I don’t think she’s fully involved. They might have used her as well.”
I frown and try to make sense of what Fiero just said. “So, your father made Archi’s father do something illegal and it cost him his job. Since he was Cillian’s father’s lawyer his trial went to shit. Nice butterfly effect that’s going on for how many years now?”
“Long enough,” Floris snaps. “I say we use Tate’s girl to force a truce. If they don’t want it? We’ll make her disappear.”
“Excuse you?” I throw the spoon at him.
Except, I can’t throw for shit and it hits the wall two feet from where he’s standing, leaving a chocolate smudge.
“She’s an innocent who...” Fiero stops talking and then he’s wearing a stupid grin.
I narrow my eyes. “I’m afraid to ask what you’re thinking.”
The corner of his mouth twitches. He crawls closer to me and I can feel my heart jump.
He’s inches from my face when he asks, “I’m thinking about using the part where we made a baby.”
Using the part...what is he...oh. Damn.
“I was wearing a wig,” I gasp when I realize what he’s saying.
“And forged a signature so in theory it’s Archibald’s sister who had a fantasy deal,” Fiero finishes for me.
Which also makes me add, “She didn’t know about any revenge shit they were working on or she would have never let me act as if I was her. Archi used her, and now you want to use her too.”
“Correction, we’re going to use ourselves to trick him.” Fiero grins while Floris rubs his hands.
I shake my head. It seems like the level of insanity just went up a notch.