The Sin Trilogy Bundle: A Necessary Sin, the Next Sin, One Last Sin

by Georgia Cates

  His hands find mine. We lace our fingers together.

  I know when he’s close because he releases my hands and hugs me tightly, pulling me down harder while thrusting with his hips. His face is pressed between my breasts. “Uh! I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  He groans when he spasms inside me. Once. Twice. I lose count of how many times I feel it.

  I don’t come but I don’t need to. This wasn’t about sexual gratification. It was about getting as close as possible.

  I hug tightly, so I can feel his skin against mine. I’m wrapped around him like a tangled mess I never want to be freed from.

  “I’ll always do what I must to protect you and our babies. Lie. Steal. Cheat. Kill. Whatever it takes. You never have to question the lengths I’m willing to go to for you or our children.”

  “I know.”

  This isn’t The Fellowship way. It’s the Sinclair Breckenridge way. When he loves, it is without limits. There is no boundary he won’t cross for our children and me.

  * * *

  It’s the first of the month. The house is officially ours. It looks like a tornado visited and dropped hundreds of moving boxes throughout the place but we don’t care. We’re spending our first night here anyway, mess or not.

  “I want to have everyone over for dinner after we get things together.”

  “Who is everyone?”

  “Your parents. My sister. Our best friends.”

  Sin looks skeptical. “I’m not filled with high hopes for getting Leith and Lorna in the same house.”

  Those two are giving me fits. “I know. There might need to be some trickery involved.”

  I’m carrying the box containing my toiletries to the bathroom. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m taking the things I’ll need at bedtime to the bathroom for later.”

  He reaches for the box in my hands. “No, you’re not. Hand it over.”

  He’s completely overreacting. “It’s light.”

  “You’re almost six months pregnant with twins. You have no business carrying anything.”

  Granted, my bump is no longer a bump. My tummy is probably the size of a regular pregnancy about a month further along. But it’s not yet a decent prop for a carton of ice cream.

  “Good grief. It probably doesn’t come close to weighing ten pounds.”

  “I don’t care how light it is. You could trip. You know your balance isn’t its best right now. Let me or one of the brothers know if you need something moved.” He’s referring to me falling at Stirling Castle, which had nothing to do with the pregnancy. It was totally footwear and weather related. He would have slipped too had he been in those boots on that wet cobblestone.

  “Fine. I need my lightweight box of toiletries taken into the bathroom.”

  “Happy to.” I follow Sin, feeling useless. “Want it on the counter?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “I’d like your input on something. I’m thinking of keeping the flat. We’re thirty minutes from Edinburgh here, which is great since we wanted to get out of the city but there could be times when I need to stay in town. I thought it might be a good idea to hang on to it since the location is prime.”

  Makes total sense. Thane keeps an apartment in the city as well. “I don’t see why not.”

  “I’ve also been thinking of something else. I don’t mind Ellison living here with us but she might enjoy having a place to herself. If she wants, she can live in our flat.”

  It’s a very nice idea. And generous offer. “I’m sure she would enjoy living in her own place.”

  “If she decides to stay at the flat, she can still come out and stay with us whenever she wants.”

  “I’m betting we won’t be able to beat her off with a stick after the twins arrive.” Her excitement is beyond ridiculous. She couldn’t be more excited if she were the one about to give birth.

  “If we’re here and Ellison’s there, I might have to call on Jamie to play a more active role in her life.”

  I’m not opposed to that, and I suspect she wouldn’t be, either, but I don’t have a lot of confidence in my husband’s matchmaking skills with his best mates.

  “Maybe you should let me handle that. You didn’t do such a great job encouraging a match between Leith and Lorna.”

  “Leith is the one who fucked that up. I had Lorna on board. She would’ve married him right then and there if we would have had an officiate on hand.”

  Leith was never going to accept Sin being the one to suggest he take Lorna as a wife. I can see it clearly now since everything is out in the open.

  “Is Lorna still planning to go to work at the gentlemen’s club when it opens?” Sin asks.

  I’m not a fool. Topless dancing isn’t the only thing that’ll be going on in that club. I won’t allow her to work in an environment where it would be so easy to fall back into her old ways. “She says she is but it’s not going to happen if I have anything to do with it.”

  “Lorna does what Lorna wants to do. No one stops her.”

  The whole thing is so transparent. “She’s doing this as a reaction to what Leith said. He called her a whore so she’s going to behave like one. How soon does the club open?”

  “Maybe a month or so, depending upon construction.”

  “Then we have time to talk her out of it.”

  “Good luck with that. Lorna can be a real hard-ass.” Good thing I’m a bigger one.

  “Westlyn and I can talk some sense into her.” We have to.

  “Speaking of jobs, I’ve been thinking about mine lately. I’m kicking around the idea of sending someone else to law school to replace me as solicitor,” Sin says.

  I like this idea a lot. “I’m all for it.”

  “I’m juggling three positions. Husband. Leader. Lawyer. Father to two newborns will soon be added to that list. It’s a lot. My position as leader is growing by leaps and bounds every day. It’s interfering with my role as solicitor for The Fellowship and that’s not beneficial to the brotherhood. But it’s interfering more with my time at home. I think it’s best to head it off now rather than later.”

  I know the perfect person to take his place. “I think it’s a wonderful idea. You should offer the position to Linsey. She’s already familiar with the job and she’s driven. She would be great at it.”

  “You think?”

  Without a doubt. “She’d be an asset to The Fellowship.”

  It would be beneficial for the other women to see a female in an important role such as solicitor. It might inspire them to shoot for higher goals.

  It doesn’t escape me that all decisions being made now are in preparation for Sin to take over. I’m not ready for that. I don’t want to sour this happy time by thinking about this right now.

  I take his hand and pull him toward the door. “I couldn’t choose which color paint I liked best for the nursery so they rolled on samples of my two favorites. We have to choose the one we like best so they can paint tomorrow.”

  We examine the samples on the walls of the room our babies will soon occupy. I went with gray, just as I planned. “The one on the right looks too lavender.”

  Sin laughs. “They look the same to me. Both gray.”

  “One’s more on the purple side while the other is more green.”

  He stands behind me and puts his arms around my tummy. Won’t be long until they’re completely stretched to encompass my roundness. “Whatever you say, Bonny.”

  My doctor said he wanted me to make it to thirty-seven weeks. That’s thirteen weeks away. Not long. “We’re going to have babies soon.”

  “That’s what they keep telling us.”

  “Two little people are going to be sleeping in this room in just a few months. They’re going to depend on us for food and shelter and safety. And love. Lots of it.”

  “You’re the one they’re going to depend on for food.” Sin pats his chest. “They’ll get nothing from me.”
r />   The thought overwhelms me. “Two babies needing to nurse at the same time. How do you even do that?”

  “Two babies. Two breasts. I bet we can figure out something.”

  I hear a ringtone in the sea of boxes. “That’s my phone but I have no idea where it is in this mess.”

  Sin finds it and passes it to me. I don’t recognize the number. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Bleu. It’s Brooke.” The widow of Callum Drummond, one of the brothers killed during a raid on The Order several months ago. “I bet you can guess why I’m calling.”

  “Your baby must be coming.”

  “Aye. My water broke about an hour ago and I’m already dilated four centimeters.”

  I look at Sin with wide eyes. “That’s wonderful. Everything is going well, then?”

  “They say it is, but I’m scared and alone. I know it’s a lot to ask––and I’ll completely understand if you can’t––but I’d love for you to come to the hospital to be with me.”

  I’ve spoken with Brooke on several occasions since Sin’s swearing-in but I was not expecting to be asked to attend her baby’s delivery.

  Sin vowed to personally take responsibility for Callum’s family. He died by Sin’s side. As Sin’s wife, the duty falls to me if Callum’s widow needs someone to be with her while she gives birth. I can’t tell her no.

  “Of course I’ll come. I’ll be there within the hour.”

  I end the call and look at Sin. “Brooke is alone. She asked me to come be with her.”

  He looks as surprised as I feel. “Is that a good idea? It might make you want to back out of having these two.”

  “Ha-ha. Very funny.”

  I’m not sure I need to see all of that so close to my own delivery. “There must be dozens of women she could’ve asked. Why me?”

  “The women of The Fellowship adore you. I’m sure she considers it an honor to have the wife of her leader attend the birth of her child.”

  Maybe, but it still feels weird. “She has no immediate family?”

  “No. She and Callum were both orphaned when they were children.”

  And now she doesn’t even have her husband. It must be horrible for her. “She has no one.”

  “Not true. She has her Fellowship family. We’ll always be here for her.”

  There’s one very honorable thing about The Fellowship. They take care of their own.

  I need to change. I can’t go to the hospital wearing a T-shirt and yogas. “Will you call Sterling while I get dressed?”

  “You can’t go to the hospital alone. I’m going with you.”

  “What will you do while I’m with her? I’m sure it’ll be hours.”

  “I’ll sit in the waiting room. I can catch up on reading since I haven’t had as much time for that lately.” He waggles his brows at me.

  “Her water is broken and she’s four centimeters so maybe it won’t be a long time.”

  “The pregnancy book says normal progress is a centimeter an hour for a first-time mother. We should be looking at a delivery about three in the morning.”

  I guess he would know. I swear he’s a walking, talking pregnancy encyclopedia. And I think it could possibly make him even hotter.

  * * *

  “Thank you for coming, Bleu. Ye’ll never know what it means to me that ye’ll be here for the birth of my daughter.”

  My heart melts. “Ah! A baby girl! Have you chosen a name yet?”

  “I still don’t know. I decided it would come to me when I look at her face.”

  “I’m sure it will.” Maybe that’s what Sin and I should do since we can’t seem to agree on anything.

  “Do ye have names for yer babies yet?”

  “We have a few we’re thinking about but nothing definite.”

  “Still haven’t found out what they are?”

  “It’s a mystery.”

  “I don’t know how ye can stand not knowing, especially with two of them.”

  It’s really not been that difficult. “I was forced to learn patience at an early age.”

  Brooke grabs her abdomen and begins breathing deeply. “Another one already. They’re coming much closer.”

  She’s hurting so I think it’s safe to assume she doesn’t have an epidural. “Nothing for pain?”

  “Don’t need it. Women have been having babies forever without anesthesia. I can too.”

  Baby number one was breech on the last sonogram. Of course there’s time for him or her to turn but as it currently stands, it looks like the only anesthesia choice I’ll get is spinal versus going to sleep for a C-section.

  “Have they checked you for dilation since you called?”

  “Aye. Up to six.”

  That’s two centimeters in an hour. “You’re making great progress.”

  “I know. The nurses are a little concerned about how much bleeding I’m having.”

  She needs reassurance. “I‘m sure they’ll keep a close watch on it.”

  “Where’s Sinclair?”

  “In the waiting room.”

  She’s beaming. “I’m so grateful ye came to be with me. Thank ye.”

  “You’re family. We want to take care of you.”

  Four hours after my arrival, the doctor places a screaming baby girl on Brooke’s chest. She’s wrinkly and bloody, looking around through squinted eyes. Simply beautiful.

  “Oh, look at her, Bleu. I can’t believe she’s finally here. I think she’s the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen.”

  “She is lovely.”

  Brooke strokes the top of her head. “She has Callum’s dark hair. I was so sure she’d take after me and have bright red.”

  “Think of it as a nice reminder of your husband when you look at her.”

  “I hope she looks like him.”

  Five minutes pass. Ten. Thirty and Brooke’s placenta hasn’t delivered. I’m not sure that’s normal.

  “We’ve given it plenty of time,” her doctor says. “It should have released on its own so I’m going to remove it by hand. The nurses are going to take yer baby to the nursery now.”

  No way that’s going to feel good without an epidural and after having a seven-pound baby pass through. “You can hold my hand if you’d like.”

  She shakes her head. “I don’t want to hurt ye.”

  I remember the way Harry would talk to me when a nurse would poke me with an IV. “Just breathe. In deep and out slow. Try to not tense up. It’ll be over in a minute.”

  But it’s not. The extraction is becoming more aggressive. And bloodier. I’ve never seen so much blood in all my life.

  Brooke’s yelling. She’s no longer tolerating the pain. It’s too much for her.

  The doctor sighs. “Even manually, I can’t get it to deliver. The only option we have is to take ye into surgery to remove it.”

  Her eyes grow large. “I’ve never had surgery before.”

  I move out of the way so the nurses can prepare Brooke. She’s frightened. It’s my job to calm her. “It’ll be fine. They do this every day.”

  “Ye have to promise ye’ll take care of my baby if I die.” This is fear talking.

  “You aren’t going to die. All they’re going to do is put you to sleep and take the placenta out. It’s not a life-threatening procedure. The doctor is going to take wonderful care of you.”

  “My baby has no one if I don’t make it. I need ye to promise ye’ll take care of her for me.”

  Another thing I can’t say no to. “Of course I will, if the need arises. But it won’t. You’re going to be fine.”

  The staff comes in to take her to the OR. “Dream up a great name for her while you’re snoozing. She’ll need one soon.”

  Brooke grins. “I’ll do that.”

  I go to the waiting room to sit with Sin while Brooke is in surgery. “That was intense.”

  “Then the baby’s here?”

  “Yes. A girl. Seven pounds, eight ounces. Nineteen inches long.”

  “Mom and baby a
re both well?”

  “Baby’s fine, but Brooke had to go to the OR for the doctor to remove the afterbirth. She’s never had surgery so the poor thing was scared to death. Made me promise I’d take care of the baby if she died.”

  “Damn. That is some serious fear when you start saying things like that.”

  “I know.” I feel so sorry for her.

  I lean over and place my head on Sin’s shoulder. Between the move into the new house and being here five hours past my bedtime, I’m exhausted. “You predicted three o’clock. She delivered at 2:12. Not bad.”

  He wraps his arms round me and pulls me close. “I should have made some kind of bet with you.”

  “I wouldn’t have bet against you. You’ve done too much research on this pregnancy stuff for me to ever think I know more.” I yawn. “Sorry.”

  “Close your eyes. Take a nap if you’re able. I’ll wake you when Brooke’s out of surgery.”

  He doesn’t have to tell me twice.

  Chapter Twenty

  Sinclair Breckenridge

  “You’re with Mrs. Drummond?”

  “Aye.”

  I nudge Bleu’s shoulder. “Wake up, Bonny. Doctor’s here.”

  Bleu straightens in her seat. She pushes her hair from her face. “Everything went all right with Brooke?”

  The doctor sighs before beginning. Uh-oh. That typically isn’t a good precursor. “There were some unforeseen complications.”

  “But she’s okay?”

  “Mrs. Drummond had an undiagnosed placenta percreta. That’s a condition where the baby’s placenta grows deeply into the muscle of the uterus. The degree was extensive. The placenta had grown into her organs. Her bladder was nearly taken over by it. I’ve never seen a worse case.”

  He said undiagnosed. Shouldn’t they have seen something like that on her ultrasound?

  “How do you treat that?”

  “Hysterectomy and corrective surgery for the involved organs. I called a general surgeon to assist but Mrs. Drummond had excessive bleeding in the meantime. That blood loss led her body to develop a condition where the blood clots abnormally. The disorder resulted in the formation of a life-threatening clot. I’m very sorry. She didn’t survive.”