Lucian
“Good morning, Luc,” Cindy chimes as I approach her desk. I raise a brow, wondering why she is so chipper. Usually, she requires a few cups of coffee to get to that level. When I get closer and notice Sam sitting in the chair to the side of her desk, I have my answer. Apparently, they’ve both benefited from my decision to drive myself to work this morning.
“Good morning, Cindy. Morning, Sam. Everything going okay?” Cindy nods and actually gives me a thumbs-up. This unusual morning cheer is beginning to give me the creeps. I have a feeling it has something to do with sex and that I do not want to think about.
“Everything’s good, boss,” Sam answers. “How’s Miss Lia doing?”
I know I have a sappy, whipped look on my face, but I can’t bring myself to care. Fuck it. They all know by now that she owns me and I have no problem with it. “She’s good. We’re fine,” I add. I know they’re probably wondering after the way I rushed out in a panic the previous day when Lee called to let me know about his conversation with Lia.
“Oh, Luc, that’s great,” Cindy beams at me. “I’d love to see her more. Can’t you talk her into working here with us?” Sam laughs softly under his breath at Cindy’s suggestion. I think he’s been around Lia enough to know how she would balk at the suggestion. When I’d taken it upon myself to deposit money into her checking account and resign her employment with Date Night, she’d been so pissed off. She’d busted into my office and insisted on working to pay me back. Cindy had unfortunately picked that moment to tell her that I was looking for a new housekeeper and Lia had seized upon it immediately. I hadn’t wanted her cleaning my apartment, but I had certainly become addicted to having her there and had been willing to do whatever it took to keep her.
When Cindy clears her throat, I realize I’ve been standing in a daze without answering her question. Sam is still smirking at me, which makes me want to do something evil in retaliation. “Lia has her hands full right now with finishing her degree. I’m not sure what her plans are beyond that, but we’ll see.” Turning to Sam, I try to keep a straight face as I say, “Marcus is going to be out this week since his wife had a baby yesterday. I assured him that I could spare you to cover for him.” I literally have to bite my lip now to keep from laughing. Marcus is the head of security and almost obsessive about his job. Sam has no problem with the job, but he knows well that Marcus will call and text him every hour on the hour to double-check that things are being run as he wants them. Marcus is a likable man and I love the attention to detail he gives his work. Unfortunately, covering for such a perfectionist is a real pain in the ass, as Sam well knows.
To his credit, Sam’s only reaction is a few rapid blinks of his eyes before he gets to his feet. “No problem, Luc, I’ll get on down there now.”
I clap my hand on his shoulder in appreciation. “Thanks, Sam. I’m sure Marcus will express his thanks soon…very soon.” Sam throws me a disgusted look over his shoulder before telling Cindy goodbye and walking toward the elevator.
When he’s gone, Cindy looks at me and shakes her head as if I’m a misbehaving child. Hell, that’s exactly what I am in this instant and we both know it. “Kevin was supposed to cover for Marcus, wasn’t he?” she asks dryly.
“Yep.” I chuckle before going past her to my office door. “I saw an opportunity and I took it, Cindy. You can’t hold that against me.” Her laughter follows me into my office before I close the door behind me.
I take a seat behind my desk and quickly get lost in emails and phone calls. It’s a relatively quiet morning for a change. Aidan flew out last night to woo a potential partner. Their software would be a perfect fit with ours and I’m counting on him to finalize the deal. I’ve already made the initial technical pitch, but Aidan is the man I send for the socializing aspect of the business. He is the closer for Quinn Software, and he’s damn brilliant at his job. Even with the latest distractions concerning Cassie, I know I can count on him to put his focus where it needs to be until the ink dries on the contract. He will, of course, visit Cassie on the way home and the fucking bastard that I am will hope her improved mental state has stalled and nothing else has changed.
I own the guilt I feel for the part I played in that night eight years ago, and even though I know I need to forgive both Cassie and myself, I don’t know if I ever will. I feel lighter after unburdening myself to Lia, but I’m far from ready to forget. I may be able to move past it somewhat with time, but I’ll never fully be able to grant myself absolution, so it’s very unlikely I can give that to Cassie, either. Without Lia in my life, I fear I would have eventually descended into a pit of bitterness and self-loathing that would have eaten away at my soul until there was nothing left. If the fucking cocaine didn’t kill me first. I had called Aunt Fae’s doctor friend on the ride to work this morning and made an appointment for later in the week with him to discuss a plan for battling my addiction. I won’t let my demons take me away from the woman I adore, no matter how hard the battle to get free of them may be.
As my mind turns to Lia, I think of our upcoming appointment this afternoon. It seems that we have both been hesitant to find out if she is pregnant ahead of her doctor’s appointment. Maybe we’re afraid of the answer. It’s so final—one way or another. Not knowing is easier to deal with. Despite the love between us, past events and horrors plague both Lia and I. She’s an embattled woman with the spirit of a warrior.
My phone buzzes a moment later and Cindy says in a puzzled tone of voice, “Max is here to see you.” When he comes through the door, I understand her confusion. My normally immaculately dressed lawyer is wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and boots. He also looks like he hasn’t shaved yet. Hell, I hate to even ask if he’s showered. I lean back in my chair and wait for an explanation. I think I deserve that much when my employee and friend shows up looking like a poster from America’s Most Wanted.
He literally falls into a chair in front of my desk and drops his face into his hands. “I need the day off.” He finally looks up.
“Obviously,” I reply, not attempting to hide my amusement. “Are we talking the flu here or something more dire?” Going by his appearance, I’d put money on the second. He’s just usually so…neat for lack of a better word.
“It’s that fucking woman,” he snaps. “I swear you and Lia have ruined my life. I used to have some kind of control, but she’s chipping away at that bit by bit. I might as well just go ahead and gift wrap my balls because that’s next.”
I find myself choking back a laugh, remembering I’d had almost the same thought last night. It seems that suddenly my friends and I are afraid of women turning us into pussies. I don’t bother sharing that tidbit with him. He’s too deep in denial right now. I’ve been there, so I know the signs well. Even though I know the answer, I ask the question anyway just to be an asshole. Fuck, sometimes even I get off on that. “So, who are we talking about here? Have you met someone new?”
He shoots me a look that says he knows I’m screwing with him. “When would I possibly have the time or the energy for that? I’ve been too busy babysitting Lia’s crazy friend!”
“What’s she done now?” I sigh. “I trust she stopped just short of actually shooting Jake?” Rose was beginning to give new meaning to the whole “woman scorned” thing. I can’t imagine how her ex-boyfriend ever got brave enough to dip his dick into another woman. Maybe he didn’t know what she was capable of at that point. I certainly hadn’t.
“She called me last night and was upset because Jake had been threatening her.”
I start laughing. I can’t even fathom Rose as the cowering little woman. Of her and Jake, she’s solidly wearing the pants—and carrying the firearms. I’m just surprised that Max actually fell for the damsel-in-distress routine. The man would have his own mother crying for mercy in the courtroom for fuck’s sake. “And she had some proof of this?”
“She got a text message from him while I was there—or from someone at least. I told her that we would go get
a restraining order against him this morning.”
I look him up and down before asking, “You’re going like that? Aren’t you afraid they’ll assume you’re the one after her?”
He ignores my jab at his appearance. “I called her this morning to see what time she wanted me to pick her up and she told me that she just can’t do that to him. She wanted me to come over so we could talk about it. I was actually going to do just that when it hit me. She’s playing me. When I bailed her out of jail the last time, the cops said Jake was terrified of her. They had a big laugh over the whole thing. Said he was screaming for them to keep her away from him. So, why would he have suddenly gotten up the nerve to piss her off further? It just doesn’t make sense at all.”
I shake my head, unable to believe he’s sitting here saying something so unbelievably stupid. She’s completely done some kind of mind-fuck on him. “Man, you need to get it together. Double-check to make sure Jake isn’t actually bothering her, which I highly doubt, and then either jump or cut ties.”
“Jump or cut ties?” he asks. “What in the hell does that mean?”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Aidan would pick up on that in a minute. I forget that Max takes things more literally than Aidan. “It means that you’re obviously attracted to Rose. Either embrace all of that crazy and see where it leads or walk away. You and I both know that if you wanted her out of your life, she would have already been gone.”
Max gives me a disgusted look before snapping, “For fuck’s sake, Luc, I’m not the Godfather. I can’t just make people disappear at will.” We both know he’s full of it. Max is like ice when he wants to be. I’ve seen him in action many times through the years. He is civilized and diplomatic—until he isn’t. The fact he hasn’t said enough to Rose to have her cursing him and going in the other direction lets me know he doesn’t really want her gone—even if he isn’t ready to accept it yet. He’s playing the game that she started and maybe he can’t stop. A part of me had wanted to run when I’d met Lia as well. Denial will only get you so far, though. Max is fraying at the seams, and if Rose is as smart as I think she is, then she knows it. Checkmate, my friend, I want to say, but I wisely keep it to myself. He wouldn’t believe me at this point anyway. He’s grasping at straws as he feels his ironclad resolve wavering. He’s afraid to become involved with her and it’s more than the fear of her unsettling love of guns. It seems that no one within my inner circle is capable of loving easily. We all have our demons and Max appears to be struggling with his. It could be that Rose is what he needs right now. It sure as fuck wouldn’t be boring.
“I’m the last one to give advice,” I begin, “but try to see beyond the smoke screens where she’s concerned. I realize she looks a certain way, but then acts in a completely different manner. That much alone is enough to confuse the hell out of anyone. She’s been there for Lia though which tells me something about who she is.”
“I’m not looking for what you have, Luc,” he protests weakly.
“Neither was I, Max, but I wouldn’t change it. I’m not saying that you need to ask her to marry you, but why not just let it ride for a while. How about not pissing her off, though. I don’t want any bomb threats because of you.”
Max cringes and gets to his feet. “I’m going to head home and change clothes. I’ll be back in a few hours.” When he reaches the door, he gives me a pained look and adds, “I would appreciate if you didn’t telling Aidan about this. He’d enjoy it way too much.”
I grin and nod my agreement before he leaves. I’m afraid Aidan has no room to heckle someone else for loving a crazy woman.
Chapter Five
Lucian
“Lucian, haven’t we discussed you waiting in the lobby while I examine my patient?” Dr. Kay has her hands on her hips, with her lips pursed in mock frustration. Lia laughs softly from her perch on the examination table. I feel like a boy being scolded by his teacher, which I’m sure is her intent. I don’t let it cause me to back down though.
“I’m here to give Lia my support,” I say confidently, prepared to stand my ground. Lia asked me to stay with her and there is no way I’m leaving.
She turns to study her patient, not content with taking my word for it. “Lia, would you like Lucian to stay or wait outside? The choice is yours, no matter what he says.”
Lia extends her uninjured hand toward me and I clasp it in mine. “I want him to stay please,” she answers clearly.
“Oh, all right,” she grumbles, but I can tell she’s fighting a smile. “You just sit over there to the side and stay out of the way then.” I give her my most charming grin, before doing as she says. I have a feeling she could bodily toss me out if so inclined. She begins laying out the tools to remove the cast on Lia’s wrist while quizzing her about her health since her last appointment. She thumbs through Lia’s chart then asks matter-of-factly, “Have you taken a pregnancy test or had your period?”
Lia begins blushing furiously before she finally says, “No, to both questions. I…or we would like to have that checked today.”
“Of course,” Dr. Kay says, not making a big deal out of it. “I’m going to ask my nurse to collect a urine specimen from you while I’m getting the rest of the tools ready to remove your cast. She can do a pregnancy test and have the results in a few moments. If the test is positive, we’ll do some blood work to check your numbers and go from there.” Lia shifts nervously as Dr. Kay opens the door and motions for her nurse. I stand automatically when she starts to leave the exam room. “Lucian Quinn, don’t you dare follow her to the bathroom!” Dr. Kay stops me in my tracks. I hadn’t really thought about what I was doing. Now, I feel myself flushing just as Lia had moments ago. I drop back into my chair and hear Lia giggle as she walks down the hall. Without looking up from what she’s doing, Dr. Kay says softly, “Your mother would be so happy to see this side of you.”
Surprised, I look at her in shock. My parents have been gone for so long that sometimes it’s easy to forget they had friends who missed them as well. Dr. Kay and my mother grew up together so she has known me all my life and been my doctor for years. I trust her completely, which is saying a lot. “I love her,” I find myself admitting.
“I could see that from our first meeting. I’m here for you both,” she replies just as Lia walks back into the room. I stand and help her back onto the table, receiving a smile of approval from Dr. Kay. In a surprisingly short amount of time, Dr. Kay has removed the cast from Lia’s now pale wrist and is massaging it. “Your wrist will still be tender and stiff for a few weeks, but normal mobility should return soon. Now, have you had any further issues with headaches since your last visit?”
“I’ve felt fine,” Lia assures her. I had downplayed to Lia how concerned I was when the doctors discovered she had swelling on her brain after her attack. Luckily, they were able to treat it with medication and were not forced to surgically relieve it, which could have caused more complications.
Dr. Kay makes a note in her chart. “That’s excellent. At the first sign of anything unusual, I want you to contact me. Even if it’s just a minor headache. I don’t expect any problems, but it never hurts to be overly cautious for a while.” As she is finishing her instructions, her nurse walks back in and hands her a slip of paper. I know it has to be the pregnancy test results. A quick look at Lia and I can see from her expression that she is wary. Dr. Kay looks briefly at the paper before sticking it in the chart. “Congratulations, Lia and Lucian. It looks like you’re having a baby.”
I feel as if I’ve had the breath knocked from my body and Lia doesn’t look much better. “I’m pregnant?” Lia asks shakily. “Are you sure?”
Dr. Kay shoots me a look that plainly says, get your head out of your ass and show your girlfriend some support. Putting my own anxiety aside, I get quickly to my feet and go to Lia. I take her hand firmly in mine and smile reassuringly as she looks up at me.
“Your pregnancy test is positive, so yes, I’m sure. You will stop by our la
b on the way out and have blood drawn so we can check your HCG levels for confirmation. Do you have an OB/GYN doctor?”
“I've never really had even a family doctor,” Lia replies, looking embarrassed.
I see Dr. Kay’s audible swallow before she says briskly, “No worries, dear. I can recommend a colleague of mine, Dr. Sitton.”
“Lia will need a female doctor,” I find myself blurting out. Lia squeezes my hand, hopefully in gratitude, while Dr. Kay just looks at me in amusement. Yeah, I’m a possessive man who doesn’t want another male touching my girlfriend and I don’t give a shit who knows it.
“Dr. Julia Sitton is a wonderful physician and I believe you will be very comfortable with her, Lia.” I smirk at Dr. Kay’s emphasis that the OB/GYN is female. If she thinks to shame me for my caveman tendencies, then she’s going to be sadly disappointed.
When we walk out the door of the doctor’s office, Lia is clutching my hand like a lifeline. I study her face and note she looks dazed and terrified. It makes me wonder why I’m so calm and composed. I had panicked for a few moments after Dr. Kay told us the news, but then something flipped inside of me, and I felt strangely centered. It was probably a case of shock, pure and simple. I open the passenger door of the Range Rover and help her up into the seat. When she just sits there, I lean over her to buckle the seatbelt before closing her door and going to the driver’s side to get in. Instead of starting the car right away, I ask, “Are you all right, baby?”