“If there’s one thing I learned in life is that money doesn’t mean happiness. Living without you isn’t a life at all.”

  Tears sprang from my eyes as I rushed forward to crawl in his lap.

  “Of course I’ll marry you.”

  He kissed me with such tenderness I clung to him.

  “So now you want my money,” he said, though he sounded amused as he wiped the moisture from my face.

  “No. I’ll sign whatever prenup you want. I just don’t want Charles to have it.”

  He kissed my lips one more time. “What a pair we make. Me the dark, you the light.”

  “The yin to my yang.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said as I dropped my forehead to meet his.

  “If the FBI is involved, does this mean you’re free of suspicion?”

  He signed. “The investigation has changed gears. My new lawyer tells me I’m no longer a person of interest. They aren’t building a case against me any longer.”

  “And the SEC?”

  “Them too, not that they had power. But the evidence against Charles is substantial thanks to you.”

  “Not me. But that’s good.”

  “Yes, you, and it is.”

  Before he could say more, his stoic assistant’s voice put an end to our talk.

  “Mr. King, your two o’clock call is on hold.”

  She didn’t like me very much, especially when I insisted that he would want to see me even if I was unannounced.

  “I have to go and you do too,” he said, setting me on my feet.

  “Are we in agreement?”

  He cocked his head. “What am I agreeing to?”

  “A truce.” He narrowed his eyes, so I clarified, “Tonight. You and I will finish what we started.”

  A mischievous grin grew. “You know how I like to keep my word.”

  I grinned back. “As do I. And if we aren’t getting married, I guess we’ll live life in a sex-free zone.”

  “We’re not getting married now, Miss Glicks?”

  I hadn’t changed my mind, but he didn’t need to know yet. I tapped my chin. “I’ll see if you can convince me tonight.”

  He chuckled before steering me toward the door. “I have to take this call, but I’ll be thinking about you for the rest of the day,” he said, patting my ass as I walked off. “I’ll have a driver take you.” I frowned. “Don’t fight me.”

  I sighed and went for the coup de gras. “Think about this,” I said, lifting the back of my coat to flash my ass, which the thong I wore hid little.

  “Lass,” Kalen grumbled.

  I giggled. “Don’t be late.”

  Gabe wasn’t expected home early and I’d hoped to become very reacquainted with Kalen’s cock before he did.

  First things first, I had another errand to run.

  Lizzy had taken me to get my hair done and dropped me off at Kalen’s office, and I’d told her not to wait. Kalen wouldn’t budge on a driver, so I had to be creative as I got into the waiting car.

  “I need to stop at my building for a package.”

  My driver wasn’t pleased but bowed to my will. Only he wouldn’t wait in the car.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. I have my orders.”

  My lie was going to bite me in the ass if I didn’t think quickly.

  “Miss Glicks,” the doorman said. “It’s so nice to see you.”

  “You too. I hope your family is well.”

  “They are. Thanks for asking.”

  I nodded. “I was expecting a package.”

  He frowned because there wasn’t a package.

  “I don’t think there’s anything for you, but you can check.”

  Thank heavens. He waved a hand toward the storage room door behind the desk. When the driver went to follow, I said, “I think I’ll be safe right there. Besides, the room isn’t big enough for you too.”

  That was a lie, but my faithful doorman said nothing. What the driver didn’t know was that there was a door in the room that led to the elevators, which was where I needed to go.

  I hated doing it, but I didn’t want this guy to watch me gather lingerie I had planned for Kalen. No doubt he would share that with his buddies and have a laugh at my expense.

  Besides, Charles had been exposed. The threat was over. I’d be up and out of the apartment in less than five minutes. I just needed to get the garters that I’d worn the first night Kalen and I’d met. That and the box of lingerie he’d bought me that I hadn’t worn or packed. Hopefully, neither had been damaged during the destruction Charles had paid for.

  After sneaking through the storage room door and hailing an elevator, I hoped all went as planned. I’d brought my purse and had my keys ready when I got to my floor.

  It felt strange walking in, though the place looked as though nothing had transpired. Whoever Kalen had hired to clean the place had done a bang-up job.

  Mail on the counter caught my eye as I spotted an envelope with my name on it.

  It was postmarked and it had come from my former employer.

  “Well, well, well. It took you long enough.”

  This time I planted my feet as I lifted my head forgetting the letter.

  “How did you get in here?” I asked, only to buy time.

  “Kalen taught me, of course.” She spoke like it was obvious. “Hell, I wouldn’t be here if that man I’d known wasn’t back.”

  I didn’t get her meaning. “Back how?”

  “Kalen finally manned up and stole from his father. When I spotted those emails, I knew he remembered where he came from.”

  So she wasn’t working with Charles. It was a question I’d neglected to ask before I’d left Kalen.

  She flicked out a knife.

  “And you think if you hurt me, he’ll take you back.”

  “Hurt.” She scoffed. “Hurt didn’t work last time, lass. I’m going to kill yer.”

  “He’s never going to take you back if you do that.”

  “He will when he sees it was self-defense. I was only protecting him when I found out you’ve been stealing from him.”

  “You just said, he was stealing from his father.”

  She nodded. “But you’ve been taking money from his company. I have the emails between you and that Scott guy he’s been investigating. Interesting stuff there. I’ll show him all the messages between the two of you conspiring to pass off Scott’s kid as his.”

  A chill ran through me.

  “He’ll never believe it.”

  “But it will come from your phone. I have the program to do it. See, phones don’t care if your thumbprint or face is off a dead person.”

  I wished there was time to erase my phone, but it was too late. She lunged for me.

  This time I was ready and sidestepped her. I had the presence of mind to stick out my foot so she’d lose her balance.

  She tumbled forward, but rolled. She clipped my knee and I went down. The arc of the knife came ever so close as I bucked and fought as dirty as my father had taught me.

  It was a battle of wills as I used all my strength to keep the knife from slicing into me.

  I caught her chin with my fist and she seemed to sag. My mistake was I went to roll away. She struck and I saw stars. I didn’t give up, and this time caught her square in the face. Her eyes rolled as I rolled far away to breathe.

  Only with the adrenaline leaving as fast as it had come, I felt wetness just before the burn. She’d gotten me and the bleeding was coming fast as was the darkness.

  Forty-Three

  I paced the hall, leaving an invisible path in my wake as Connor leaned on the wall.

  Just as I suspected, he’d been innocent of everything. Having him here when I needed him most only proved I could always count on him.

  “She’s pregnant,” I blurted. I hadn’t told anyone yet, and with Connor at my side, Griff on the phone, both my brothers, whether by blood and not, now knew the truth.

  “Mac na galla,” Griff cursed.

  If he wasn’t my best mate, I might have kicked his arse for saying son of a bitch. But I knew he wasn’t using it like the Americans and it wasn’t directed at my mother or me.

  “Your security is shite.”

  I didn’t actually believe that.

  “Do I need to remind you the lassie gave him the slip? And he was two minutes behind her.”

  “Two minutes too late,” I grumbled.

  “How is she?” Griff asked as my brother held silent vigil next to me.

  “I don’t fucking know, Griff. If she dies… If my bairn dies…”

  “It’s on me.”

  My anger was misplaced, but I needed a damn target.

  “It’s on you,” I said, right before I hung up.

  “That was harsh.”

  I turned my fury on my other brother.

  “She was supposed to be protected.”

  I knew Keely was still out there.

  “And your cunning redhead went where she shouldn’t have gone alone.”

  “I know. But he should have anticipate—”

  “What? That your girl was a liar.”

  “She’s not a liar.”

  He gave me that look that said I should stop being stupid. “Clearly she lied.”

  “That doesn’t make her a liar. She probably had a good reason.”

  “Maybe. But that’s no reason to lose a friend over.”

  I nodded and blew out a breath.

  “I’m in love with her.”

  I needed to say it out loud and have the world understand how much losing her would kill me.

  “I get that. And congrats, by the way. Are you going to marry her?”

  “Yes,” I said it like it was a forgone conclusion.

  “Well, your money is in the bag.”

  I didn’t take his comment as spiteful. If I didn’t inherit it, my portion wouldn’t go to him. He had no stake in me getting the money or not.

  “I’d give it up for her.”

  “Better you than me. Besides, I won’t inherit anything either way. There’s not a woman in the world I’d marry or knock up.”

  There was something in his eyes that made me believe there was a lie in something he’d said.

  “Mr. King,” a nurse said.

  “Yes. That’s me.”

  “Your wife is awake.”

  I’d lied too, but it was the only way to ensure I’d be kept abreast of her status.

  “If you’d like to see her, follow me.”

  I turned to my brother. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t worry. Anything for my brother.”

  There it was again. A flash of something. I wondered if Charles had already spilled the beans.

  “Always.”

  Then I followed the nurse through the double doors, wondering if my wee bairn had survived.

  Forty-Four

  I had the uncomfortable sensation I wasn’t going to like where I woke up.

  And there it was, that damn beeping with a familiar form asleep in the chair.

  My left side ached.

  “Good, you’re awake.”

  A man in a white lab coat walked in as Kalen’s eyes blinked open.

  “How do you feel?” the doc asked.

  “Like a horse kicked me.”

  That had happened before.

  “About right. You’re lucky. The knife nicked your rib and hit your spleen. It could have been worse.”

  “How?” I asked, truly not seeing the benefit in being stabbed at all.

  “Well, if it punctured your lung, heart, large, or small intestines, you might not be with us now. Though the fact that you were found immediately after and the hole in your spleen was small was also a consideration to your recovery. We were able to repair the damage and not remove the organ.”

  “Our baby?” Kalen asked.

  “Baby is doing well. Probably groggy with the drugs we had to give you. But you’re not the first pregnant mother to need emergency surgery. Baby should be fine.”

  I sighed, but when I did pain lanced through me.

  “You’ll have pain, which we can manage. Though with the baby, we’d like not to use the harsh pain medications.”

  I nodded.

  “Good news is this was a laparoscopic surgery, so we can send you home in a few days, no more than a week. It will take four to six weeks to fully recover,” the surgeon said.

  He went on to explain the dos and don’ts as I chided myself for doing something so stupid.

  After he left, I said to Kalen, “Did they get her?”

  He nodded. “You were both out when they found you. They have her in custody.” Relief washed over me. “Your dad was right,” he added.

  “About what?” I croaked.

  “That you could handle yourself in a fight.”

  “He said that?”

  I never once thought my dad said anything nice about me to anyone.

  “He did.”

  Though I felt pride for a second, I remembered how I’d gotten myself into this mess.

  “This was my fault,” I admitted.

  “I know.”

  “Does Griff?” When he said nothing, I demanded, “Call him.”

  Kalen seemed reluctant to hand over his phone after he dialed.

  “Is the lass okay?” Griff asked, thinking it was Kalen on the other end.

  “I’m fine and I’m sorry. This isn’t your guy’s fault. It’s all on me. I put myself and my baby in danger.”

  “Aye, lass. I’m sure you have a good reason.”

  “Not a good enough one.” I blew out a breath I’d been holding. “I don’t know what Kalen said, but forgive him. This is my fault. All of it.”

  “It’s not,” Kalen all but growled the words. “Keely was my problem.”

  “He’s right,” Griff said. “We failed you there.”

  “And if I hadn’t gone up there—”

  “She would have found another way,” they both said almost in unison.

  “It doesn’t matter. I don’t want that guy fired or blamed for my mistake.”

  “Don’t worry, lass,” Griff said.

  “Promise me.”

  “I promise. Give the phone to Kale.”

  I handed it over.

  They spoke in Gaelic, but I could see the relief in Kalen’s face. I wasn’t sure what words had been said, but I knew him. He’d likely fought with his best friend because of me.

  I would end up spending that week in the hospital. I had complications with a fever and worry over my baby, but once I was released, it was back to Kalen’s penthouse.

  New orders for extended rest meant it was going to be a long month. I ordered Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land, games Gabe had never played.

  We spent fun-filled hours playing lots of games while I gave Ainsley time to be young and free, a secret between her and me.

  I wasn’t exactly on bedrest and did a little cooking when I felt well enough.

  Kalen, however, surprised me by cooking a few dinners himself.

  The only problem was I was back to being treated like glass. Our playful evening baths were long-forgotten as Kalen refused to touch me.

  He worried he would lose himself and get too rough and knock my stitches free. I wasn’t sure I believed that possible, but Kalen did. Thus nothing.

  “Why are you sad?” Gabe asked one day.

  Humans needed physical contact, or at least I did. Kalen didn’t hold me at night anymore. He was afraid he’d roll on my wounded side and cause me pain for which Tylenol was my only relief option. Every night he set a fort of pillows between us.

  “I miss the sun,” I said absently.

  Because I’d been the naughty one that hadn’t followed the rules, I did so now. I hadn’t left the apartment without Kalen and he worked all day and most weekends.

  “How about a picnic?” Gabe suggested.

  There was so much hope in his eyes, I said, “How about we have one now? You can help me and then we can sit by the windows.”

  He nodded frantically and his infectious smile cleared some of the clouds that hung over me.

  We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and leftover cookies Ainsley made as the sun warmed us by the windows and we watched the world pass by on the streets below.

  “They look like ants.” Gabe giggled.

  “And the cars look like yours,” I teased.

  “They do. That one looks like Da’s.”

  There weren’t many cars like Kalen’s. So I wasn’t surprised when the elevator opened and he stepped through the door in a mouthwatering suit.

  When did a suit become mouthwatering?

  My pregnancy libido was on red alert and did a meltdown when he came over and planted a panty-melting kiss on my lips.

  “Daddy is kissing Mummy.”

  Both Kalen and I froze and turned to look at Gabe.

  I wanted to cry, which came easy to me these days. My hormones were on overdrive, which explained the phenomenon.

  I wasn’t sure if it was him calling Kalen Daddy, not Da, or him calling me Mummy that had sounded so foreign.

  “Mummies get kisses and sons get tickles,” Kalen said, immediately tackling his son and making him laugh.

  “You’re home early,” I said.

  With his position, it wasn’t often he was home when the sun was still out.

  “I thought maybe we could go to the park and later, you and I could go to dinner.”

  “Park,” Gabe chanted.

  “Yes. Let me get changed.”

  I wasn’t exactly dressed to go anywhere. Why change out of your pjs when the prospects of leaving the house were nil?

  Kalen was halfway up the stairs when I told Gabe to go potty and get his jacket. It wasn’t yet summer and breezes could make days chilly.

  I took my time getting to our room, hoping he’d be dressed by the time I got there. I feared if I saw him naked, I’d tackle him in an undignified manner.

  He stepped into the room in only jeans with the button undone at the top.

  “See something you like?” he said, full smirk on display.

  “Are you ready to go?” Gabe said, running into the room.

  “Give me a minute to change,” I said, walking into Kalen’s supercharged closet. It was the size of the room I’d shared with my sisters back home.