He slid his finger over the tender entrance, and I sucked in air. His eyes moved to meet mine, and a devilish smile played over his face. “Nothing prettier than this pussy leaking my cum.”

  I sucked in a breath as my skin heated. He lifted the finger he had just slid inside of me. It glistened as he studied it. As if on impulse, my lips opened, and the animalistic expression that came over his face as he took his finger to slip it into my mouth made me feel as crazed as he was.

  Closing my lips around his finger, I sucked hard.

  “Jesus,” he muttered in awe.

  I used my tongue to lavish him with it as if it were his shaft inside my mouth.

  He hissed as he slowly pulled it away. “All right, sweets, if you’re gonna get naughty, then you’re gonna get fucked again.”

  Licking my lips, I smiled sweetly up at him. “Promise?” I asked.

  A deep chuckle came from his chest before he picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist just as his mouth covered mine.

  • Twenty •

  Of course he is. I don’t shoot to maim.

  Rumor

  The tenderness between my legs was all I had left of King for now. He was gone until Monday. I had to go five days without him. Maeme’s library had gotten me through the afternoon after he drove away. The tears came even though I fought them, but at least I had been able to wait until he was gone.

  Leaving the sofa in Maeme’s living room, where I had been reading, curled up with a blanket that she had covered me up with, to go get a glass of water, I listened for any other sounds in the house. Maeme had gone up to get dressed for bed a little while ago, but she hadn’t said good night yet. I knew I should try and get some sleep, but I was afraid that once I stopped reading, all the fears about King and Scotlin in Kentucky would start taunting me.

  A loud ringing went through the house as I walked through the foyer. Pausing, I looked around. What was that? Had I caused it? The sound got louder, and I moved slightly to see if I’d triggered some alarm.

  “Go to the back,” Maeme demanded.

  Turning, I saw her walking down the stairs with a hard look on her face I’d never seen before.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked as panic slowly began to unfurl in my chest.

  Her eyes were locked on the door, then quickly swung to the front windows. “Get away from the windows!” she barked at me.

  Scratch that. I was now scared. No, make that panicked.

  I moved, but I didn’t leave. I waited on Maeme. I wasn’t going without her. If there was danger outside, I had to protect her. She wasn’t just King’s grandmother; she was my family too.

  “Rumor! Go!”

  I shook my head. “Not without you.”

  With a firm set of her mouth, she studied me for only a moment, then waved a hand toward the stairs. “Get in the closet under there.”

  I shook my head again. “Not without you,” I repeated. “Do I need to call the police?”

  The expression that flashed across her face looked as if I had just asked her if she’d like a piece of pie. “Lord, no. That ain’t gonna do no good. Don’t call anyone. Just get under them stairs.”

  “I’m not—” I started, but she cut me off, waving her hand as she swung her gaze to the door as the bell rang.

  “Shit,” she whispered, moving toward the door. “Stay there. Do not move,” she said quietly before she lifted her other hand, and I saw it then. A gun. She’d had it the entire time, but I hadn’t been looking at her side.

  There was a click as she aimed it at the door with one hand, then used her other to open it.

  As I stepped back, my eyes widened. What was she doing?

  “Can I help you?” she asked in a hard tone that made me shiver and wrap my arms around my waist.

  “Yes, ma’am,” a deep voice replied. “I hope so.”

  “Better make it quick. I don’t want to be stuck cleaning up blood off my porch.”

  The gunshot that went off wasn’t from Maeme. It was farther away.

  “Fuck,” the man said.

  “Not quick enough,” she drawled. “Seems one of my boys is already here.”

  “I’m just looking for someone,” he said, no longer sounding friendly.

  “Only person here is me. Now, you can go before that one out there decides to aim at you instead of just giving you a warning. He’s not what we consider sane.”

  I couldn’t move. I was glued to the spot. Unsure of what was happening, but no longer worried about Maeme, who clearly had it under control.

  “You got two goddamn seconds to get off that porch.” Thatcher’s voice carried in the house from outside.

  I sank against the wall beside me then, letting out a sigh of relief. Although Maeme had a gun, the fact that Thatcher was outside made me feel a million times better. The man at the door should run like hell.

  Maeme stepped outside, closing the door behind her. What was she doing? She wasn’t needed out there. I moved toward the window, trying to make sure she was okay.

  By the time I made it to the window, all I could see was Thatcher walking away with his gun pressed against the man’s head. Searching for Maeme, I found her on the top porch step with her gun still aimed as her gaze scanned the yard. I sucked in a breath as the sound of a gun went off. Maeme’s shoulders moved with the sound, and her arms barely jerked. A dark figure in the distance dropped to the ground.

  “Get that out of my yard,” she shouted before she turned and came back toward the door.

  Stunned, I stood there as she stepped inside, scowling.

  Her eyes found me the moment she closed the door, then narrowed. “I told you to get away from that window. They’re bulletproof, but there ain’t no need to test it.”

  I opened my mouth and closed it, then turned back to the window, staring out at the body in the yard. “Is … is … he dead?” I asked in a whisper.

  “Of course he is. I don’t shoot to maim,” she replied. “Now, get away from the window, and let’s go get you a cup of warm tea, then get you to bed.”

  “Bed?” I asked, my head still spinning.

  “I reckon it’s past both our bedtimes,” she replied. “How’s chamomile sound to you? Or did you like that peppermint tea I made you earlier?”

  Tea? She was asking me about tea? There was a dead man outside in her yard that she’d killed. And Thatcher had another one with him that might be dead by now. I blinked several times.

  “Come now,” she replied. “They knew better than to come here. It’s what happens.”

  “What happens?” I asked, stunned. “But … he … was asking about … he could have been lost. Or … ” I couldn’t seem to make my words come out clearly.

  “An innocent man wouldn’t have had a partner out, hiding in the trees. Ain’t no through traffic back here. Folks don’t come up to our doors—this door—asking for someone this time of night. They know better. Now, what kind of tea would you like? I think I might even have some raspberry.”

  My hand went to my stomach then. I laid my palm flat against it. Maeme’s eyes dropped to see me do it. A small smile touched her lips, and then she looked at me.

  “We protect what’s ours. One day, you’ll understand.” She walked over to me and hooked her arm with mine. “I think this might call for some of my lemon cake too. You had a bit of a shock, but it was bound to happen eventually. Ain’t no secret what we are now, Rumor. You know. It’s our life. It’s your life.”

  My life. My baby’s life. I sucked in a breath as I fell into step beside Maeme as she headed toward the kitchen. I wasn’t going to be able to eat anything. I didn’t tell her that though. My heart was still in my throat. I wanted King. I hated him being gone. My phone was in the living room, and I glanced back in that direction, wanting to go get it and call him. Hear his voice. Be reminded why I was here.

  An hour later, I was in bed alone. I sent a text to King and waited for a response, but one never came.

  • Twenty-One •

  I didn’t want to hear him lie to me.

  Rumor

  The ringing of the phone woke me, and I reached for it, squinting against the sunshine pouring into the room. King’s name on the screen had me scrambling to sit up as I pressed the phone to my ear.

  “Hello?” I said, my voice thick with sleep.

  “Hey, sweets. Did I wake you?” he asked.

  “Yes, but it’s fine,” I replied, already smiling.

  “You slept late. Did you have a hard time sleeping last night?” The genuine concern in his tone didn’t seem as if he knew about what had happened here.

  “Uh, I did. I just stayed up late, I guess,” I said, not sure if there was a reason he didn’t know about the men who had come here. Wouldn’t Thatcher have told him even if Maeme didn’t?

  “I miss you,” he told me. “I needed to hear your voice before I faced the shit today.”

  My hand held on to the phone tightly. “I miss you too.”

  “One night down. Only five more, and I’ll be back.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed, although it seemed like forever. “What are your plans today?” I asked, not sure I truly wanted to know, but suddenly afraid I’d say something I wasn’t supposed to.

  “Nothing important,” he grumbled. “Shit I don’t want to do. But hearing your voice helps.”

  My smile returned. “You can call me anytime. It’s not like I have a busy schedule.”

  He was silent for a moment. “You bored, sweets?”

  I twisted the sheet in my hand. “No, I’m fine. I have books.”

  “When I get back, I’m taking you riding. It’s time you got to do more things.”

  The book Maeme had gotten me hadn’t come yet, but I didn’t need it to tell me that riding a horse was not safe while pregnant. Especially learning to ride one.

  “The reading is fine. I’ll go out for a walk today.”

  “Don’t go alone,” he urged.

  I was sure walking back on Maeme’s property or over at the Shephard Ranch was fine, but I agreed anyway. No need to make him worry. He had enough to deal with right now.

  “We’re gonna be late,” Scotlin called out, causing me to tense up.

  Were they in the same room?

  “I’m sorry, sweets,” he said with a sigh. “I gotta go.”

  I wanted to ask him if they were in a hotel room together. Where were they going? All the questions he wasn’t voluntarily telling me made me fear I already knew the answers.

  “Okay,” I said.

  “Talk soon,” he replied.

  I sat there, holding the phone as he ended the call, closing my eyes and taking several breaths, wishing it didn’t hurt so bad. The words I love you had been right there on the tip of my tongue. Ready to fall right out if he hadn’t hung up.

  Dropping the phone to my lap, I covered my face and let out a deep breath, then forced myself to stand up. It was after ten, and Maeme had been up for hours at this point. I was surprised I had slept this late. The wave of nausea that came over me had me pausing, and I let it ease up before I continued onto the bathroom.

  I glared at the toothbrush as I walked by it. Although it was a necessary item, I feared that using it would send me to the toilet again. Luckily, I made it through getting dressed and cleaning my teeth carefully without vomiting. The nausea was there, but it was manageable.

  The house was bright and cheery, as always, when I walked down the stairs. My eyes went to the windows, and I thought about the man who had been killed out there last night.

  Was there blood on the ground? Would the police come? What about the people who would be looking for the men?

  I was lost in my own thoughts as I walked into the kitchen. Storm was sitting at the bar with a plate of food in front of him. His gaze shifted from his phone to me. “Morning,” he said, setting his phone down and reaching for the mug beside him.

  “Good morning,” I replied. “You’re not going to Kentucky?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. Not this year. I’m here with Thatch and Wells.”

  I glanced at the coffeepot, then decided I’d better stick to juice and went over to the fridge.

  “Maeme left you a plate of food,” he told me.

  Turning back to him, I frowned. “Where is Maeme?”

  “She had to tend to some business,” he said. “She’ll be back shortly.”

  I took out the orange juice, then closed the door before going to get myself a glass.

  “You seem to be handling last night well,” he said.

  I shrugged, not sure that was the case. When I turned back with my glass and filled it, I looked back at Storm. “What happened to that other man? The one Thatcher took.”

  “Dead. He told us what we needed to know, and then Thatch slit his throat.”

  I stared down at my orange juice as that sank in. He had said it as if it were no big deal. This would never be normal for me. How could it? That was someone’s life they had ended.

  “I spoke to King this morning. He called, but … but I don’t think he knew about it. Last night.”

  Storm raised an eyebrow. “You think he’d stay away if he knew? Fucker has a death wish where you’re concerned. He talked back to the boss as if his life was of no concern when it came to you. He’d tell them all to go fuck themselves and come running back here. Can’t tell him. At least if you want him to live.”

  Blaise Hughes’s face flashed in my mind. He’d been terrifying. Beautiful but clearly powerful and ruthless. I didn’t want to think about King upsetting that man. My stomach knotted up.

  “I see,” I said because I did. I saw very clearly. We had to keep King there, doing what he was told.

  I took a sip of orange juice and set my glass back on the counter.

  “Did you know any of your hus—Churchill’s friends? Business associates?” Storm asked me.

  I shrugged. “Not really. I met some. He took me to parties, business affairs, that kind of thing in the beginning. I met people he worked with, but I didn’t really know them.”

  Talking about Hill made me remember things that I wanted to forget. King made it easy to do that. He wasn’t here now though.

  “When was the last time you went to one of those things? Saw those people?” Storm asked me.

  I tensed. It felt as if he was digging for something, and I didn’t know what it was. I had nothing I was keeping from them. They knew more about Churchill than I did.

  I shifted my feet uncomfortably. “About four months, I guess. Maybe three.”

  It had been hard for him to take me places because of the bruises I had to cover up. The last event where they took their spouses, I was limping and couldn’t walk in heels. He was furious about it, too, even if he was the one who had hurt me. I’d paid for being injured with more abuse.

  Storm pointed toward the oven. “Your food is in there, covered in foil.”

  I started to make my way over to it.

  “You were three when you went into the foster system.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.

  I nodded. I knew they already had my background. They’d known it before they went after Hill. Before I met them.

  “Do you remember anything before then? Your mom? It says you had a mother, but doesn’t mention your father. He’s not even listed on your birth certificate.”

  I opened the oven and took out the plate that was warm. I didn’t feel comfortable with this line of questioning. What was it that Storm was wanting to know? Why was I getting questioned all of a sudden?

  “I don’t know. My memories are vague,” I said, closing the door to the oven, then turning back around. “Why are you asking?”

  Storm was taking a drink of his coffee. He swallowed and studied me as if he was deciding if I was telling the truth. “There’re a lot of holes. Things we don’t know about you.”

  I tensed. “Join the club. There are things I don’t know about me too.”

  Stone’s lips twitched with an almost smile. “Fair enough. Sorry if I upset you. I’m just curious.”

  I took off the foil from my plate, feeling my hands tremble. “I think I’ll take this to the sunroom. If you’ll excuse me,” I replied tightly as I grabbed a fork and walked away from him before he asked me more. About things I didn’t know and had stopped trying to find out a long time ago.

  It felt as if he didn’t believe me. Like he thought I was hiding something. It was the first time I’d felt like a real outsider here.

  I was ready for Maeme to get back. I didn’t like Storm. I decided I liked him less than Thatcher. At least Thatcher was blunt. Said what he was thinking even if it was harsh.

  The next two days, I only received one text from King. It was to apologize for not having time to call, and he’d sent it after I went to bed. When I responded the next morning, it went unanswered, although I could see that he’d read it. That stung, and my imagination was starting to get more creative and painful as the time passed. The more he went without contacting me, the more I seemed to get nauseated. I didn’t know if it was because of the pregnancy or my own fear of him leaving me. Being done with me. Ready to move on.

  Sitting at Maeme’s, I was letting my imagination run away from me. Nothing was working as a good enough distraction. So, when Sebastian returned early from Kentucky and came to Maeme’s to get me for a Derby party they were having at his house, I decided to go. Anything to get me out of my own head. My emotions were on overload.

  I’d come to the conclusion I was sensitive because of my hormones. Storm hadn’t meant anything by his questioning. He was right. There were gaps in my past that I couldn’t fill in. I had once wanted to so badly. I’d even dreamed that I had a dad out there who wanted me. He’d come for me after finding out I existed and take me home with him. Give me a family. That fantasy had long since died though. It was one from my childhood. Like the one where he would swoop in and rescue me. Beat up the bad men who had been hurting me. In the end, I dealt with it myself. At least I had gotten away.