by Beth Abbott
“Hey, we want none of that guilt talk!” Sara stopped Tulli in her tracks. “Firstly, both Alex and Drew have come through surgery really well, and will both be making a full recovery. Secondly, they weren’t there for you or your sisters, so regardless of whether you were there or not, they’d still have been helping people climb into the helicopter. The only person to blame is that asshole Castille, and thanks to Candy, he got what was coming to him.”
Tulli nodded silently. Both Alex and the other man, Drew, had been carrying Mischa when they’d been shot, so it wasn’t unreasonable to say that it was most definitely down to the sisters that both men had been injured, as nobody else had required carrying. But Tulli wasn’t feeling strong enough or confrontational enough to argue with Sara, especially not when the woman was only trying to help.
“Will their family members feel the same way?” She asked. “I’m really not feeling up to facing the wrath of an angry wife or mother.”
Sara smiled.
“I promise you, there will be no wrath for you to face.” She chuckled. “Knowing Candy, there will be plenty of food and drink, and a big family gathering, celebrating the end of a largely successful mission before some of the guys fly back home to the UK tomorrow.”
Tulli wasn’t at all sure that she liked the sound of a big family gathering any better than she had wanted to face the anger of a resentful loved one.
“Will it be Ok if I come dressed like this?” She asked, suddenly realising that she was still wearing the jogging pants and t-shirt someone had thoughtfully left on the bedroom chair for her this morning.
Sara frowned.
“What you’re wearing is fine.” She shrugged. “Unless you want to change into something else, of course. But we don’t do ‘dress-up’ for family affairs as a rule. Only for big social functions at Christmas and the like.”
Tulli blushed.
“That’s a relief.” She smiled. “It was going to be this, or the pyjamas Marcy left out for me last night. I haven’t had the chance to track down our bank accounts yet, so we haven’t been able to go and get any new clothes. Even if we find our belongings from before we went away, the only clothes we’d have left behind were the ones we didn’t like enough to take on vacation with us. They’d probably be at least two sizes too big for us now.”
“You don’t need to worry about clothes.” Gregor rushed to reassure her. “Sophia has said you can borrow whatever you like from her wardrobe to keep you going, and Marcy has already been in touch with one of the big stores to deliver a selection of basic stuff until you have the energy to select your own. They’ve promised to have everything delivered by this afternoon.”
Considering the immaculate way Gregor was dressed, Tulli wondered which store he was talking about, and what he considered to be the ‘basic stuff’.
Personally, she’d have been delighted with some jeans, sneakers and tops from Walmart or Target. Somehow, she didn’t think that was what he had in mind, and she just prayed it didn’t all arrive with designer labels.
“That’s very kind of you.” She smiled at him. “As soon as I can get access to our bank accounts, I’ll be sure to repay you whatever you’ve spent.”
“Tulli, you don’t have to repay me.” Gregor waved a hand in front of him, as though dismissing the suggestion. “It’s my pleasure…”
Tulli felt annoyance with him for the first time, at the arrogance of his dismissive gesture.
“Gregor, I appreciate your generosity in letting us stay here, I really do.” She tried to temper her words with a smile. “But please allow me to decide who pays for the clothes on our backs, if you’d be so kind. We may be homeless and seemingly penniless, but I’m sure there was money in my bank account when we left the country six months ago. It should be enough to cover any essentials we need.”
As long as Marcy doesn’t go shopping with the expectation that Gregor will be paying for everything, Tulli thought, keeping her fingers crossed in her lap.
She couldn’t help but notice the different expressions flit across Gregor’s face. Surprise, swiftly followed by annoyance, then maybe a touch of admiration, if she wasn’t mistaken.
“Tulli, it wasn’t my intention to take over. I simply asked Marcy to make some arrangements for you until you feel well enough to look after your family again.” He explained gently, staring at her with a sincere expression on his face. “It could take a little while to get access to your money and possessions, so until then, please accept my help and support. I promise, I will happily take your money when you’re able to repay me.”
Tulli doubted that with every instinct in her body, but knew it would be incredibly rude and ungrateful to argue, especially in front of Sara.
“Perhaps you could ask Marcy to keep a list of what she spends?” She suggested. “That would be a most satisfactory solution.”
And perhaps Tulli would ask Marcy to keep the spending to a minimum, the first chance she got!
“Of course.” Gregor nodded graciously.
“Ok, well, now that’s sorted, shall we go back and see what progress Joel has made with Mischa?” Sara suggested, looking between the couple strangely.
Tulli dragged her gaze from Gregor.
“I haven’t heard any screaming.” Tulli nodded. “That’s a good sign.”
She followed Sara out of the kitchen, and together they climbed the stairs, Gregor following closely behind them.
When she entered the bedroom, Tulli stopped short, amazed to see Mischa still holding Joel’s hands. Moreover, she was actually smiling.
“Tulli, come and listen to one of Joel’s jokes. Mischa loves them.” Lara held out her hand for Tulli to come closer.
As she approached the bed, Tulli could see that Mischa was listening intently to every word Joel said, and although she wasn’t making eye-contact with anyone, and she certainly wasn’t speaking, she definitely looked like she was understanding everything Joel said.
When the young man delivered the punch-line, Mischa squealed, and her face lit up with laughter.
“It’s amazing.” Tulli whispered.
“Do you think he can come back tomorrow?” Tulli glanced up at Sara and then Charlie.
Sara looked at Charlie first, waiting for his nod of agreement.
“I’m sure Tuck will be persuaded once he hears about Mischa’s progress, and Marcus will be more than happy if you can drive me here to check on the ladies.” She shrugged. “Does that fit with your plans?”
“Sure… I mean, yes, of course, I can bring Joel here again tomorrow.” Charlie blushed, his glance quickly going to Lara and then back to Sara. “As long as Tuck gives me the Ok.”
Tulli watched the way the man looked at Lara, and noticed with some interest the way Lara kept her gaze averted, even as her eyes seemed to lighten.
What the hell was going on around here? A little more than twenty-four hours ago they had been running for their lives from a Colombian cartel, and here they were, each of them becoming enchanted by the first kind and considerate male to cross their paths.
At least with Mischa, the connection didn’t seem to be a romantic one, so no hearts were at risk of being broken.
For her and Lara, Tulli wasn’t so sure.
Chapter 7 – Sara
As Sara climbed from Charlie’s car, she stood and waved at Joel as he grinned at her through the window. That kid was a blessing to his family and all who knew him, and she just couldn’t believe how amazing his visit with Mischa had been.
Sara turned to walk into the house, and wobbled slightly. Damn but she needed to sit down!
She turned the key in the lock and stepped inside, closing the door securely behind her. She glanced at the sofa in the den, no more than twenty paces to her left. Yeah, it was tempting, but she really needed a proper lie-down, and maybe forty or fifty winks, and while the sofa was comfortable for cuddling up with Marcus, she had all those extra pillows on her bed that she could snuggle up to when he wasn’t around, and they wer
e way more supportive than anything she was going to find in the den.
Deciding it would be worth the climb, Sara dropped her bag on the table, removed the phone which she tucked into her pocket, and hung her keys on the hook, before heading towards the stairs.
It was at times like these that she could really see the benefits of living in a bungalow or an apartment.
She’d managed to get two thirds of the way up from the steps when she felt a dull ache, low down in her abdomen.
“Baby, I get that you like being in the breech position, but I’d really appreciate it if you’d stop trying to force your feet out. You’re still not fully cooked yet!” She gasped, the pain not severe, but preventing her from taking another step. “Ok, I get it… you’re demonstrating that you are every bit as much a pain in my ass as your daddy, but could you not have waited until I was in bed?”
Sara turned her back to the stairs and leaned backwards until her hand touched the carpet. She gingerly lowered herself into a sitting position and then lay back, stretching out as much as she could to relieve the pressure the baby’s foot was placing on her pelvis. She braced her feet on the stair to stop her sliding all the way to the bottom.
This was the fifth or sixth time the baby had done this in the last week, and Sara was way past getting panicked about it. She just had to try and stretch it out and wait until the baby was ready to pull his legs back in. It could be a few minutes, or it could be an hour or more.
She glanced at her phone and noticed it was almost two o’clock.
Marcus would be home any minute to check on her and would be pissed to find her on the stairs. He would probably spend the afternoon fussing over her, pointing out all the reasons why she should give up work already, and stay at home.
Sara snorted quietly… like she was going to agree to that! She wasn’t quite seven months gone yet, and the thought of spending another ten weeks stuck in the house by herself sounded like Sara’s idea of hell on earth.
She liked people, and needed to be among them. Telephone and video chats were a poor substitute.
She pulled up Candy’s number and hit dial.
“Hey there, little momma.” Sara could almost see the smile on Candy’s face. “Everything Ok with you and Junior?”
“Not really.” Sara grimaced. “He’s trying to stick his feet out again, and I can’t walk until he pulls them back in.”
“Again?” Candy laughed. “Where are you. Did you make it home before he did it?”
“Oh, I made it home alright. I just didn’t make it all the way up the stairs!” Sara complained. “Another thirty seconds and I’d have been tucked up in bed. Instead, I’m likely to be still stuck here when Marcus gets home, as that’s likely to be any minute. He’s gonna freak!”
Candy chuckled.
“Tell him you’re trying out various positions to see what’ll be the most comfortable one to give birth in.” She snorted. “He’s a man, he’ll believe anything!”
“Unlikely! We’ve already read every book on childbirth ever published. Marcus is strongly advocating a water-birth!” Sara groaned, trying to turn herself onto her side.
“And what do you want?” Candy asked.
“I’m all for finding a surrogate to go through the birth for me!” Sara complained. “I don’t even mind if Marcus holds their hand all the way through it!”
“Honey, I think the time to opt for surrogacy is prior to conception.” Candy snorted. “By your third trimester, I don’t think it’s on the option list.”
“Well, shit! You’re supposed to be my friend! Why didn’t you tell me that before I got knocked up?” Sara grumbled.
“Umm, because you’re a doctor?” Candy pointed out. “I figured you would have realised the finality of your situation once you were pregnant, from all those fancy books they made you read in medical school.”
“Yeah, well maybe it all sounded like a good idea at the time.” Sara sighed, letting her head flop back onto the stair. “Anyway, I didn’t call to bemoan my situation, I called to check up on that boy of yours. How is Alex doing this morning?”
“He’s doing just fine.” Candy sounded relieved. “The pain meds are making him sleepy, but Sophia hasn’t left his bedside for more than five minutes, so every time he wakes up, he has the biggest smile on his face.”
“Aww, how sweet.” Sara smiled to herself. “You know, I just came from visiting with the sisters, and it seems Gregor can’t take his eyes of the oldest sister Tulli, and Charlie may be just the tiniest bit smitten by the middle sister. What d’you think of that? Three romances from just the one mission! Must be a new record.”
“Wife, why are you trying to matchmake while lying on the stairs?” Marcus’ voice made her jump.
“Gotta go.” She murmured into the phone. “Give Alex my love.”
She just about heard Candy sign off when her husband’s face started to come into view.
“Well?” Marcus leaned over her, so his face was inches from hers. “What the hell are you doing on the stairs, sweetness?”
Sara gazed up into his golden eyes and smiled.
“I was just wondering what the ceiling would look like with a mural on it.” She struggled not to giggle. “I mean, the plain white is just so boring. We could have someone do a Michelangelo on it, like the Sistine Chapel.”
Marcus continued to stare at her, his face a mixture of amusement and indulgence.
“You want a mural on the ceiling above the stairs?” He murmured.
“Yup.” Sara nodded. “Maybe a bunch of flying angels and some cherubs?”
“So, all our guests can come and lie on our staircase to admire it, hmm?” Marcus snorted.
“Naturally. It would be something of a talking point.” Sara agreed.
“I think someone is already talking about it, and frankly, I think she’s talking bollocks!” Marcus pointed out. “So, before I have her committed to the local asylum, how about she tells me why she’s really lying on the stairs. I nearly had heart failure when I saw you! If I hadn’t heard you giggle, I’d have been calling an ambulance.”
Sara reached up and cupped Marcus’s cheek, smiling as seductively as she could under the circumstances.
“Actually, I was waiting for you to get home, so I could seduce you into making mad passionate love to me on the stairs.” She pouted. “We haven’t done it here before.”
Marcus glanced down the stairs and back up.
“What? You mean we haven’t done it on the thirteenth stair yet?” He smirked. “Because I was pretty sure we’d done it on all eighteen, but if you’re saying we’ve missed one, then I’m ready to correct that oversight.”
Sara grinned up at him. Her husband was so predictable, and so sexy!
“I’m game if you are.” She agreed. “But you’re going to have to give me five minutes. Junior is trying to get out again, feet first. Once he gives up and pulls his legs in, I’ll be good to go.”
Marcus frowned at her, but his eyes were still shining with humour.
“That’s why you’re on the stairs? Junior’s giving you hassle again?” He asked, staring at her face, almost looking for signs of pain or discomfort. “Can you get up?”
Sara bit her lip, considering her options.
As much as she wanted to get off the stairs, the idea of getting frisky with Marcus anywhere, was playing havoc with her already overactive hormones.
Damn, why did pregnancy leave a woman so horny?
“I don’t think I can stand just yet.” She admitted, blushing as Marcus’ eyes narrowed. “So, if you wanna make out a little, y’know… that would be good.”
Marcus grinned.
“Honey, as much as I’d like to fool around right here on the stairs, there’s a very good chance that fooling around would lead to something else, and possibly end up with me flipping you over and taking you right here on stair thirteen!” Sara watched Marcus’ eyes dip down to where her ample cleavage was causing him the usual level of distraction. �
��As hot as that sounds, I think you’d be much more comfortable on the bed. Besides which, I don’t want Junior thinking I’d treat his momma any less than the lady she is, by just ravishing her on the stairs in front of all the servants.”
Sara snorted in a most unladylike manner.
“Ok, firstly, we don’t have any servants.” She pointed out, wagging a finger in front of Marcus’ nose. “Secondly, junior is in no position to judge whether his daddy is treating his mother like a lady or not. And thirdly, I really like the idea of being ravished on the stairs. Plus, if you take me as per your stated preferred method, you won’t have junior getting in the way. Sounds like a winner in my book.”
Marcus grinned, just as his free hand started to trace a path down her rib cage, and over her hips, until he was caressing her ass.
“Aww, is my wife feeling a little… needy?” He was teasing, and being extremely annoying about it.
Sara growled at him.
“I have hormones raging like a force nine gale!” She pointed out. “Now, either you satisfy them, or I’ll have to sort them out myself. There’s a number around here for a ‘rent-a-gigolo’, or something like that.”
She could see Marcus biting his lip, trying not to laugh.
“Well, I’d hate for you to have to go and find that number right now.” He said seriously. “Not when I’m here already, and willing to do my duty.”
“Then you better get on with it, buster.” She warned. “If you keep up with this ‘all talk and no action’, I may just have to get that number on speed-dial!”
“Well, we wouldn’t want that, would we.” Marcus stood up and leant forward, bracing one knee on the step above where her bottom was balanced. “Will you and Junior be Ok if I lift you?”
“We’ll be fine, but I’m not so sure about your back. I’m twenty-five pounds heavier than I was six months ago.” She reminded him. “Are you sure you’re not a little old to be picking up baby elephants?”
“Sweetheart, you are not a baby elephant.” Marcus grinned, slipping one hand behind her knees and the other behind her back. “You’re, at the very most, a medium sized rhinoceros. But lucky for you, I’m good for lifting up to adult hippo sizes, so you’re a piece of cake.”