Purrks of the Job: Paranormal Ex-SEAL Surprise Pregnancy Mafia Romance (Chicago Catastrophe)

by Anya Nowlan

  “Father, what is the meaning of this?”

  His fury turned to surprise when he noticed the woman next to Dornan.

  “Diamond? What are you doing here?”

  So he knows her. Maybe she’s his cousin or something, why else would Dornan bring her along? And what the hell kind of a name is Diamond?

  Dornan didn’t seem at all concerned by River’s anger as he launched into an explanation. He didn’t sound particularly welcoming or warm in any sense of the word. Which probably made sense, considering he was one of the most feared crime lords in the whole nation.

  No reason to expect him to be nice to his sons when he specialized in terror and anguish.

  “I’ve been talking to Dyson and he told me you’ve been acting like you might be in heat. Seeing you for myself, I can tell he wasn’t kidding. You practically reek of it.”

  Wait just a goddamn minute. River is in heat? I slept with a tiger shifter while he was in heat?

  But the surprises just kept on coming, leaving Kate little time to process what she was hearing. A sinking feeling entered her gut nonetheless.

  “So I decided to fly in with your bride-to-be. Diamond’s parents are excited to finally start planning the wedding.”

  Kate’s world ground to a halt. She searched River’s expression for a look of shock, but it just wasn’t there.

  He started walking from the closed-off foyer into the living room, with Dornan and Diamond following, increasing Kate’s chances of being spotted. Keeping low, she scurried back to her room as quietly as she could, her head pounding with a single, shocked thought.

  He’s getting married!?

  Twenty-Four

  River

  A soft creak from the top of the staircase made River turn his head and strain his ears. There was no one there now, but there could have been a second ago. Tuning out his father, he focused on the sounds of the second floor and heard what had to be Kate’s door closing.

  Was she listening? How much did she hear? Shit.

  If Kate happened to catch the part of him being in heat, he was going to be in trouble. He had no doubt she was aware of how relationships worked for tiger shifters, seeing as she’d been in deep in the shifter world for a while now, and she was not going to be happy about River marking her as his mate without her consent.

  Seeing as how she insisted she didn’t want anything to do with him, it was not going to go over well. He wouldn’t even be able to really defend his actions. They were inexcusable, at least to Kate.

  I know she’s going to use it as another excuse to pull away from me.

  “River? Are you even listening to me?”

  With a sigh, River resolved to put his thoughts of Kate aside for a moment. But just for a moment. Another compelling problem needed to be resolved and Dornan Royce was not the kind of man to be left waiting.

  “Yes, father. I’m listening. It’s just nothing I haven’t heard before. We’ve discussed this.”

  He could see Dornan’s whole body stiffen at what the man was sure to consider in insolent response. But River wasn’t a kid anymore and he was done letting his father influence his choices.

  Showing up here with Diamond in tow, Dornan must have thought River would accept the life his father had planned out for him, no questions asked.

  His father had been very pleased when River founded the Crimson Claws after being discharged from the Navy. Dornan thought it signaled a more profound change in River, that he was finally going to be what he wanted – an obedient son following in his father’s footsteps, instead of a rebellious kid looking for a better way.

  River hadn’t felt like correcting that assumption at the time, opting for a strategy of not rocking the boat, and he was paying for it now.

  Dyson’s role in all of this was not lost on him. His brother hadn’t wasted any time in informing Dornan of River’s heat, only enforcing what River had heard from Talon. It was obvious Dyson was gunning to take over the Claws and he was going to use every available opportunity to distract and undermine River.

  With a family like mine, who needs enemies?

  It wasn’t exactly surprising. Dyson had always been ambitious and eager to please Dornan. If he managed to become leader of the Claws, it wouldn’t only be a way to show their father that he was better than River. He’d also be able to take control of a powerful, well-organized and extremely profitable organization without having to do any of the groundwork.

  He’s going to turn my own men against me and then reap the rewards of my hard work. That sneaky bastard.

  River folded himself into an armchair in the living room as his father paced around, probably working himself up to a tirade. Diamond was leaning against a wall near the foyer, pursing her lips and looking around the room in an evaluating manner. She looked just like he remembered, only her hair was even longer.

  Throwing a glance River’s way, a soft purr echoed in her chest, with flecks of gold in her eyes. Any other time, River’s tiger might have purred back. But not anymore.

  She’d always been a beautiful woman. She didn’t hold a candle to Kate, though. Not in River’s mind.

  “I am not going to marry Diamond.”

  That stopped Dornan in his tracks. Even Diamond looked shocked, her pouty lips rounding in an O-shape.

  “What did you just say?”

  Sighing, River looked at his security guys, who were standing around uncomfortably but not wanting to interrupt their conversation by asking to leave.

  “Gunner, Thane, Max, you can go. You should not have left our guest unattended for so long.”

  The men didn’t wait around to be told twice. Thane and Max returned upstairs and Gunner disappeared in the direction of the control room, housing the feeds for the security cameras and a stash of weapons.

  “I want to be the one to choose my mate. This whole matchmaking thing belongs in the past. I’m sure Diamond will agree.”

  Instead of talking to River, Diamond turned to Dornan, her brown eyes glittering and her upturned nose scrunching with anger. River remembered the look well. He had been on the receiving end of it many times back when they were dating. If he could call it that.

  Now there was a relationship that was destined to go up in flames. River wasn’t keen on a repeat. They’d been ‘destined’ for one another almost since birth, and for a while before his time in the Navy, River had allowed his father to talk him into getting to know her better.

  The problem was, behind that pretty face and carefully toned body, lived a shallow, vapid mind that had never enticed River even the tiniest bit. If he were being honest with himself, Diamond was probably a big reason why he finally decided to try and put the life the Royces were designed for behind him.

  And yet here he was, faced with it once again.

  “Did you bring me here to humiliate me, Dornan? You can be sure my father will hear about this!” she snarled, even though everyone knew she was all growl and no bite.

  Still daddy’s little girl. Some things never change.

  Dornan instantly looked apologetic, the expression looking alien on his weathered, square-jawed face. He wasn’t usually one to ask forgiveness, not when his problems could be solved with a bullet instead.

  “Daniella, I’m sorry, it looks like River has lost his mind and his manners. We’ll figure this out, don’t worry.”

  No one called her Daniella, except for her dad, and now Dornan. Being her father’s most prized jewel and her penchant for everything expensive earned her the moniker ‘Diamond’ early on in life, way before River had even met her.

  He had been dumbstruck when he was invited over for a family dinner and heard her father address her as Daniella.

  Suddenly, River couldn’t help but feel bad for Diamond. She had been dragged here, probably lead to believe it was going to be some romantic reunion, only to be rejected. River hadn’t thought that she still had feelings for him, considering their explosive breakup. Her reaction told him there was still something t
here, from her side at least. She’d always been more invested in their union than he had…

  There is only one woman on my mind right now, and it definitely isn’t Diamond…

  “I’m sorry you got dragged into this, Diamond. I had no idea you were coming here, or that I should be getting ready for a wedding. I can only tell you that there will not be one.”

  Not for you and me, anyway, his mind was eager to add.

  Dornan threw his hands up in irritation at River’s words, bringing his fist down on one of the end tables a moment later. There was a growl deep in his throat as he stared daggers at River.

  “This was always the plan, River. Don’t pretend you’re just hearing about this now. The Royces and the Montgomerys have always been allies and it’s time for us to become family, once and for all.”

  The Montgomery family had been running a considerable part of Boston’s underground for generations, their reach and notoriety only surpassed by the Royces. The two clans had decided to band together instead of working against each other a long time ago, opting to avoid a costly turf-war.

  The arrangement had been extremely profitable for both parties and the idea of unifying the families had been floating around for a while.

  When River and Diamond started spending time together, the idea only picked up speed. But then they broke up and River joined the Navy, and he had thought the whole thing ended at that.

  He should have known plans were still being made behind his back. Once his father got something in his head, it was hard to get the man to change his mind.

  River hoped this particular situation would be an exception. It would have to be, really. There was no other way to play it.

  Obviously sensing both River’s unwillingness to budge on the subject and recognizing Diamond’s growing annoyance, Dornan did his best to salvage the situation. His voice was even and calm, but that didn’t fool River. His father was still very much pissed off.

  “I can see that I’ve caught you off guard, son. I did try to call you after arriving in Chicago, but you must have not gotten my messages,” he ground out, clearly not meaning a word he was saying. “We’ll have dinner later, after you’ve had a chance to get… comfortable with the idea.”

  River could tell staying civilized was killing his father, so he just smiled, not wanting to involve Diamond even further in their family drama. She had earned that much respect at least. After all, as much as he had put up with her, she’d also had to tolerate him during their time ‘together’.

  “I’m sure we can resolve this misunderstanding,” he replied, getting up from his seat and walking towards the door, passing by Dornan and Diamond.

  With a huff, Diamond furrowed her perfectly arched brows and crossed her arms, accompanied by a clink as her many bracelets slid together.

  “You are still as handsome as I remembered, but don’t think that’s going to get you off the hook for being such an ass. I better get a welcome worthy of a woman like me when I return,” she said, brushing past him on her way to the door.

  She put some extra sway in her hips when she walked out after opening the door. Diamond climbed into the black SUV waiting out front. When the door slammed shut behind her, River let out a relieved breath.

  One down.

  Standing in the foyer, River waited for Dornan to catch up as he held the door open for his father. There was a snarl on Dornan’s lips as he stomped towards River, adjusting the lapels of his expensive suit. The veins in his neck were bulging, a sure sign he was seconds away from flying off the handle.

  “You better get your head on straight, boy, or I’ll make sure you regret it. And don’t think I don’t know about Kate Walker. We’re going to be talking about how to handle her, too,” he growled, before passing him without giving River a chance to reply and conjuring up a smile for Diamond already waiting in the car.

  And now I only have the mother of dragons left to try and reason with, River thought with a sigh as he closed the door in front of him, readying himself for a conversation with Kate.

  On the bright side, if she kills me I won’t have to spend an entire evening bickering with my father.

  Twenty-Five

  Kate

  Heavy steps coming up the stairs made Kate stop her pacing. Her nausea was coming back with a vengeance, but that wasn’t going to stop her from confronting River.

  Get over it, she told herself and her stomach.

  It got in line well enough for Kate to stand up straighter as she heard the steps approach with determination.

  “You’re relieved,” his familiar face boomed outside the door.

  She could hear Thane and Max leaving before there was a knock at the door. River didn’t wait for her permission to open it, stepping inside before she could even say anything. He looked serious, even a little wary as he remained standing near the door.

  “Don’t you knock?” she spat, her bitter disappointment bubbling up immediately.

  “How much did you hear?”

  So he knows I was listening. That saves some time.

  “Enough to be seriously pissed off. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were in heat. I never would have…”

  She didn’t get to finish her sentence as River stepped forward, eyes burning with intensity as he cut her off.

  “You never would have what, slept with me? Well, guess what, it’s too late to take it back. We are both adults and we made a decision to follow our instincts. You keep trying to downplay this thing between us and I’ve had enough of it.

  “I know it was irresponsible of me to have sex with you while in heat, but I could never regret it. If you were being honest with yourself, you might come to the same conclusion.”

  For a second, Kate was speechless. She was expecting denial, an explanation, maybe even an apology, but he had turned the whole thing around on her instead. The way he said he didn’t regret anything made her think.

  Do I regret it, especially in light of what I’ve found out? Or is that how I think I’m supposed to feel?

  Her growing queasiness didn’t help with her confusion. Backing up from him and sitting down on the bed, she tried making sense of the whirlwind of emotions inside of her. River remained standing by the door, watching her silently.

  For her, there was more to take into consideration than the fact that River had marked her as his mate. There was also the very real possibility she was pregnant with his child. Her life didn’t have room for a baby and neither did River’s.

  But she would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t already feel protective of the new life inside of her.

  “I can’t be your mate, you know that, right?” she asked softly, looking up at him.

  Her anger always seemed far too eager to peter out around him.

  River walked over, sitting down next to her. He looked worn down, and she noticed there were small red splatters peeking out from under his collar, like he had cleaned up hastily and missed a couple of spots. But whatever he had been up to this morning wasn’t important right now.

  They needed to figure things out, once and for all. Letting out a sigh, River grabbed her hand in his. She didn’t fight it.

  “I’m not trying to trick or force you into anything. Yes, I knew I was in heat and I knew I shouldn’t give in, but you were too much of a temptation. I’ve never met anyone like you before and the effect you have on me is maddening. I couldn’t resist you. That’s the truth. You don’t have to be anything you don’t want to be.”

  “And you do?” she blurted out, frowning.

  He didn’t answer, his expression growing grimmer.

  His huge palm was warm around her fingers and she couldn’t help but lean into him as they sat there, side by side, trying to untangle the web they were caught in. Caught off guard by River’s confession, she didn’t know how to react. Being angry at him was easy, because then she didn’t have to deal with her underlying feelings.

  This is absurd. We’re practically strangers. I
can’t have feelings for him. It wasn’t that long ago that we were trying to kill each other.

  Snatching her hand out of his, she got back on her feet. This wasn’t who she was – rash and emotional. She weighed all possible outcomes, she calculated the odds, she didn’t jump into things without considering every aspect. It was what had kept her alive all these years on the job.

  “You don’t even know me. And I don’t know you either, for that matter. This is nothing but physical attraction.”

  River let out a mirthless laugh, eyeing her as she paced around the room, fighting against the churning in her stomach.

  “How can we get to know each other if you keep pushing me away? I’m not asking for eternity here. Forget about the whole mate thing and talk to me like a person. You might even surprise yourself once you let go of the walls you’ve built around you.”

  It was true that Kate had been keeping everyone in her life at arm’s length, but it was the only way she knew how to live. She had tried opening her heart again, but the potential for pain was too great for her to really make herself vulnerable enough to let something lasting and serious develop.

  If she had to go through something like losing David again, she might not survive. Leaping into battle against shifters, taking out impossible targets – that she could do, no problem. But really sharing herself with someone was too scary.

  Especially when life could rip that person away from you at any time. It had happened before, it could happen again.

  River being in heat aside, there was something else he had conveniently forgot to mention. Maybe he really was overcome with desire and wasn’t thinking straight when they had sex. She had heard the heat made shifters irrational, bringing out their primal side and making them act more on instinct than rational thought.

  But that didn’t excuse him betraying the woman he was already in a relationship with.

  Kate had dealt with many a scorned woman in her time, and if there was one thing she learned, it was that if he cheats with you, he’s going to cheat on you. Feeling anger bubble up inside her again, mixed with a wholly irrational sliver of jealousy, she narrowed her eyes at him.