The Great Disapurrance: BBW Shapeshifter Surprise Pregnancy Romance (Chicago Catastrophe)

by Anya Nowlan

  The deep sincerity in his tone caught her off guard, at first. Dumbfounded, she stared into his grey eyes.

  Could he be feeling the same way she was? Did he want more, while also knowing this is all they had? Sienna could feel an ache start inside her.

  She wanted everything he’d just talked about, but not for pretend. She wanted it for real.

  But I guess today is all I get. I can at least make the most of it.

  She put on a smile, trying her damndest to make it look sincere, and kissed him lightly. They would have this morning together, in a house they had broken into, in the midst of deadly chaos. They had earned it.

  “Okay,” she said, limiting herself to one word lest all her feelings come tumbling out.

  Arlen’s eyes lit up as he gave her a quick squeeze before hopping out of bed.

  “You just relax, I’ll go to the store.”

  He rushed around the room, pulling on clothes. The excitement on his face was so genuine, she couldn’t help but giggle. Arlen gave her one last kiss before running downstairs. The front door opened and closed not long after.

  Sienna stretched her limbs with a long sigh before lazily rolling out of bed. She took her time getting dressed and combed the tangles out of her hair with a brush she found in the bathroom.

  For a second she felt bad for how she and Arlen were making themselves at home at someone else’s house, but she pushed those feelings aside. It wasn’t like they had a lot of choices at the moment.

  But she realized imagining herself living in a house just like it, with Arlen by her side, came way too easily.

  The thought made her slightly sad, which was not the point of their play pretend time at all. Busying herself around the house, she tried to put it out of her mind, placing things they’d moved around back in their place so they at least didn’t leave a mess behind.

  She made her way downstairs and was just doing the dishes from last night when she heard a soft rustle outside.

  Oh no. Did the neighbors notice me moving around?

  Arlen probably wasn’t going to be back for a while. Her thoughts grew panicky as she tried to come up with a plan.

  I could say I’m some distant relative, housesitting. That sounds believable, right?

  It could work. She just hoped no one had called the cops. Lying to a police officer might be a little trickier than dealing with a nosy neighbor.

  Sienna snuck up to one of the windows, gingerly moving the curtains. She couldn’t see anything at first, but as she craned her neck, she caught sight of the toe of a combat boot, just behind the corner of the house, before it disappeared.

  Sienna shook her head as she quickly closed the curtain. Could she have imagined it, her fear of getting caught causing her to become paranoid? She nervously moved the curtain again, and she could see a distinct shoe imprint in the soft dirt where she had seen the boot only moments before.

  Had The Firm tracked them down? Or had Holland sent his goons to capture her?

  For Sienna, the end result was all the same. She would be handed back to her father. But for Arlen, there was a difference. There was no doubt Holland wanted him dead, but to The Firm, he was a valuable asset. They wouldn’t kill him.

  “…unless I resist being brought in…”

  Arlen’s words echoed in her head. If he returned to find Shadow Squad taking her in, he would fight for her. She was sure of that.

  On top of that, he would be outnumbered. The thought of him injured, or worse, sent a new and far more powerful shard of fear through her.

  If it is Holland’s crew, they wouldn’t bother with stealth, she rationalized. That isn’t their style. They’d be in here in their expensive suits, guns blazing.

  Not knowing when exactly Arlen would be back, she chose not to waste time. Keeping him out of this fight altogether was her top priority. She had outrun her fate long enough and it had caught up with her in prime shifter form, no matter which faction it hailed from.

  Once a Marquez, always a Marquez.

  She stood by the front door, unlocking it.

  “I’m here. There’s no need for violence. Just come get me,” she called out in a loud, clear voice.

  She knew she would be heard. These were shifters, after all.

  The door swung open a second later and a huge man stepped inside, dressed ready for battle. His jet black hair was slicked back into a ponytail and his eyes were a peculiar mix of brown and yellow.

  “You are surrendering?” he boomed, as if talking to a brigade of soldiers, looking around and sniffing the air.

  “Yes. Take me to my father, right now,” she replied, stomach churning.

  More men filed in after the first guy waved his hand in a signal Sienna couldn’t translate. He obviously had no more interest in her, not uttering a word. His crew looked around the house before escorting her outside to a waiting van and Sienna kept her mouth shut, willing them to move faster so they could be out of there before Arlen got back.

  Thoughts of her father, thoughts she had long buried in her mind, came rushing back as she climbed into the back of the vehicle.

  This was one reunion she was definitely not looking forward to. But making sure Arlen had dodged at least one bullet made her feel a little bit better, at least.

  Please understand…

  Knowing Arlen, he probably wouldn’t.

  Twenty-Three

  Arlen

  Arlen drove right up to the house he and Sienna were commandeering, not even caring if he raised any eyebrows. They could find a new place to crash if they had to. Dealing with smalltime cops or curious neighbors was nothing after serving tours in Afghanistan and dealing with The Arctics, one of the leading shifter terrorist organizations, for years.

  He was in too good of a mood to bother with stealth. Grabbing his bag of groceries, he jumped out of the car. He was buzzing with excitement and more than looking forward to spending the morning with Sienna, before he had to refocus on the mission.

  As soon as he stepped out of the Camaro, the scent of shifter hit him like a sledgehammer. The bag he was holding dropped to the ground as he ran to the door, his body kicking into protection mode before his brain could catch up and all his training flying out the window as he rushed to see if Sienna was alright.

  No, no, this can’t be happening!

  His senses were telling him the house was empty, but he refused to believe it. She couldn’t be ripped away from him, not like this. He hadn’t even been here to fight for her. Arlen tore through the house in desperation and rage.

  I should never have left her alone, not even for a minute!

  Grabbing his head, he cursed himself. He should have learned from the last time. Sienna Marquez was a master of disappearing acts and he was the fool who’d left her alone.

  Had it been Holland or The Firm that got to her?

  Or did she leave on her own volition again?

  No, that couldn’t be it. There was a distinct smell of testosterone and shifter in the air. It had to be either The Firm or Crimson Claws.

  Either way, his time was limited. Both parties had made a deal with Sienna’s father, and once she was handed over, he wouldn’t even know where to begin in his search for her. He hoped it had been Holland, at least then he could tear through the men keeping her with no remorse.

  If his colleagues at The Firm had her, however…

  Arlen sprinted outside, ready to get back in his car and start by eliminating one option after the other. But there was an unexpected obstacle waiting for him, two men wearing Firm issue uniforms standing on either side of his vehicle.

  Syce Sorrenson and Devlin Rasker. Shadow Squad guys. If they were here, the rest of their team couldn’t be far. Or, and this was more likely, they had been the ones to pick up Sienna.

  That wasn’t good.

  “So Travis was right to doubt her,” one of them remarked to the other, arms crossed over his chest.

  “Doubt who?” Arlen demanded, barely holding it together, sl
owing to a walk as he came up to them.

  There was no point in trying to turn tail and run. If he had any chance in beating these guys, he’d have to go face to face with them. The Firm’s agents were damn good, Arlen was a prime example of that, but they hadn’t counted on dealing with a man trying to get his mate back.

  My mate…

  Being without Sienna was turning out to be even more unbearable than he had thought. He knew she wouldn’t be hurt, she was too valuable for that. But being carted off and handled like property was bad enough, even without violence being thrown into the mix.

  “You know who,” the shorter man responded, Syce, eyeing him with an expression of clear dislike. “The woman you’ve turned your back on The Firm for.”

  Devlin, the taller man, curled his lips into a snarl at that. The Firm’s operatives were nothing but loyal. If not to the company then at least their team. He would probably be acting the same way if he was in their shoes. How thoroughly love could change one’s perspective.

  And it was love, wasn’t it? It didn’t matter how determined he was to rationalize everything away. Yes, he was no good for her and they could never work out, but he loved her nonetheless. They were meant to be, regardless of whether it would actually work out. He had to get her back and these two were standing in his way.

  Bad move, he thought with a growl.

  They were standing on the driveway, with people passing by on leisurely strolls. It wasn’t the ideal place to have a confrontation like this, but The Firm rarely bothered with nuances like that if a job needed to get done.

  “I haven’t turned my back on anything. I questioned Spade’s judgment, this one time, and suddenly I’m a traitor?” he spat back, even though he knew there was no reasoning with these guys.

  Even hearing his words, he knew he’d think it ludicrous coming from anyone else.

  “It is not your place to question anything,” Devlin said.

  Arlen noticed the people walking about had turned their attention towards the scene unfolding. If things got any more out of control, which he had a feeling they would, someone was bound to call the police. He didn’t have time to deal with that.

  Syce gave his friend a look that said he better calm down, before turning back to Arlen. His tone was a lot less belligerent when he spoke.

  “Look, the girl is already on her way to being reunited with her parents. There is no need for this. Let us bring you in,” he reasoned. “You’ll get time in The Hole, tell Foster and Spade how sorry you are, presto-change-o, you’re all good. No one gets harmed.”

  “Yeah, her parents’ private jet is probably already landing,” the other guy added.

  Too bad Arlen was in anything but a reasonable mood. He was done wasting time by talking. And suggesting that he’d leave Sienna with people who had obviously hurt her? That wasn’t going to work.

  With a savage roar, he pushed forward, fist aimed at Syce’s face. As soon as it connected with the guy’s temple, he pulled his arm back, crashing his elbow into Devlin’s face next. Devlin had been ready to grab him from behind, but his feet scuffling on the ground had given his location away.

  Both of the men staggered back for a second before simultaneously lunging at Arlen, ignoring the pain. One set of arms grabbed him in a vice-like embrace as fists pummeled his head and torso. Arlen could barely feel the pain through the fury taking over his body.

  He jerked his neck back before head-butting the man before him, Syce, hard enough to break the guy’s nose. His opponent staggered backwards as blood gushed down his face and neck.

  Devlin released his grip so he could punch Arlen in the kidneys. Arlen’s lower back erupted in a wave of pain, but he boxed it away, thinking only of getting to Sienna as fast as possible. He whirled around and grabbed the agent by the neck, squeezing before lifting him off his feet and throwing him at his friend.

  Arlen’s tiger was thrashing, close to the surface, begging to be let go. The animal wanted nothing more than to finish off the guys lying on top of each other on the ground. Arlen took a deep breath to remain in control.

  These were fellow agents, doing as their superior told them. It wasn’t their fault they happened to stand in the way of a man desperate to get back the woman he loved. At another time, it could have been Arlen in their place, doing the same.

  He jumped in his car before the men had a chance to recover and sped off. Syce took a couple shots at the vehicle, but luckily didn’t manage to hit the tires. A bullet cracked through the back windshield and plowed into the roof, missing Arlen narrowly.

  “Shit,” he cursed, stepping on the gas.

  He had to be fast. Knowing that The Firm and not Holland had Sienna was useful, but disheartening information. His employers were very efficient, and he had no doubts that she was already on her way to her parents, like one of the agents had said.

  Unlike the Crimson Claws, The Firm didn’t mess around with their time or money. The window to intercept the trade was closing fast, and he was running out of ideas.

  Wait a minute, he suddenly thought. Sienna’s parents flew into town instead of having The Firm fly her out to them. That could mean they’re going to be sticking around for a while…

  Whatever security the Marquez family travelled with, it was bound to be easier to break through than The Firm’s defenses. He could just wait for Sienna to be handed over and take her back from her family instead.

  I might just have a chance, he thought, hope swelling in his chest.

  Twenty-Four

  Sienna

  “Target one acquired,” Travis said into what looked like a very high-tech walkie-talkie.

  Sienna bumped along in the back of the modified van, holding on to her seat. There was a man beside her and two facing her, with one guy driving. That meant Travis had only left two of his agents behind, in case Arlen returned to the house.

  She had tried to convince the squad’s leader that she and Arlen had decided to part ways and she didn’t know where he went. He wasn’t buying it.

  At least now, with her already in custody, Arlen could hand himself over without a fight. Then it would probably be time for that ‘extreme discipline’ he once mentioned. Thoughts of what that would entail filled her with anxiety.

  “What are you going to do with Arlen?” she demanded, staring Travis down.

  Travis didn’t seem like the type of guy who would respond to whimpering or pleading, but a show of strength might just intrigue him enough for him to engage with her. The slight smirk that appeared on his lips showed her a hint of a man behind the machine-like precision he displayed otherwise.

  She knew for a fact that her ‘demanding’ would only get her as far as Travis was going to allow.

  “Bring him in, give him a little reminder about obeying orders. Why?” Travis responded with an arched brow.

  “Could you… go easy on him? It was my fault. He changed his mind and was going to turn me in, but then I escaped,” she lied, hoping she was more convincing this time.

  “That’s a lie. And even if that were true, he should not have allowed you to escape in the first place. Orders are supposed to be followed immediately, not when you feel like it.”

  This Travis guy is a real barrel of laughs, she thought with a roll of her eyes.

  Mulling it over, she tried to come up with a different angle.

  “I’m guessing my father wants me delivered to him unharmed?”

  Her heart thudded wildly as she spoke of her father. It was unlikely Antonio Marquez cared much about her well-being, but he did have a reputation to uphold. He liked to keep up the image of a loving father, a great family man.

  Travis nodded, looking unsure of where she was going with this.

  “I can make that very difficult for you,” she said lightly, lips curling into a nasty smile.

  Not wanting to give herself too much time to think about the harebrained scheme cooking in her head, she charged into action. The crew must not have considered her as much o
f a threat, because she was able to leap out of her seat and throw herself at the half-empty bench opposite her, slamming into its metal edge and clonking her head in the process.

  She ended up sprawled on the floor of the van for a second or two before strong hands pulled her back onto her seat. Touching her throbbing forehead, she realized she was bleeding.

  I love it when a plan comes to… well, whatever this is coming to, she thought wryly, feeling the taste of copper in her mouth from a small cut to her lip.

  Travis looked at her like she had to be unhinged while the man seated next to her calmly opened up a Velcro-pocket on his vest and fished out a bandage.

  “Just a scratch,” he said to his boss, dabbing at her forehead before covering the wound with a Band-Aid.

  There were no mirrors around, so she had to take his word for it. Travis crossed his arms and moved closer, towering over her with a look that had to be designed for intimidation. Sienna squared her shoulders, ignoring her headache and determined to do whatever she could to keep the trouble Arlen was in at a minimum.

  “What was this demonstration meant to prove?” Travis asked, more annoyed than angry.

  “My father is a businessman first and foremost, and you can be sure he’s going to deduct every bruise from that paycheck you’re so eager to get your hands on.” Sienna pointed at her forehead before continuing.

  “This can either be me being clumsy, or you mistreating Antonio Marquez’s only daughter. You can take me to him, kicking and screaming, thrashing against every touch and fighting every restraint, hurting myself as much as I can.

  “Or, I could be the model prisoner, cooperating fully with your every demand. I think I could even convince dear dad to give you a bonus for how well you’ve treated me.”