Mate For Hire: For Hire Series - Book 3

by Tressie Lockwood

  Her cell phone rang. She had changed the number and only given the new number to Janessa and her mom. Sure enough it was her sister calling.

  “Hey, girl, all settled in?” Janessa asked her.

  “As well as can be expected, I guess. I don’t have much, and I haven’t unpacked any of it yet.”

  “Thinking you made a mistake and want to come back?”

  Lachelle sighed. Her heart ached. “I haven’t made a mistake, and yes, I want to come back. But I won’t. Not yet.”

  “I understand, and I sure miss you.”

  They had agreed not to talk about Gerard or the shifters if possible. Lachelle considered telling her sister about suspecting she was pregnant, but she preferred to find out for sure first.

  After shooting the breeze for a while and avoiding anything important, she ended the call with her sister and got back to making her cottage livable. When she had avoided long enough, she drove thirty miles to the city and purchased a pregnancy test.

  At home, she hardly ate or slept as she waited until the morning. The test had indicated it was the best time to check if she was pregnant. Heart in her throat, she went through the procedures and watched for the plus or minus sign like a hawk.

  “All this time, I hoped,” she muttered to herself. “Now, I’m faced with having a baby that’s only half human. How in the world would I be able to raise him or her alone, without them?”

  Tears filled her eyes. The plus sign practically jumped off the stick. She was pregnant with Gerard’s baby.

  Chapter 14

  Gerard caught Kelly’s hand as she ran it across his thigh and shoved it away. She flounced from the bed and stomped across the room. “Every time I try to touch you, you push me away!”

  He lay down on his back and stared up at the ceiling. Outside the bedroom window, the moon shone brightly. Nocturnal animals stirred. He heard every one of them, but they didn’t tempt him to venture out. Even the sky didn’t call to him to fly. His wings lay somewhere inside his body. Then again, maybe they didn’t exist in this dimension until he willed them to appear.

  What does it matter?

  “Gerard,” Kelly shouted. “Are you listening to me?”

  With effort, he focused on her. Even as he tried to order his thoughts, they wouldn’t settle down. He knew it was Kelly and nothing more. The flimsy nightgown with the low cut at the bust made no sense, her bare feet, and the pout on her pink lips and so on.

  “It’s been weeks,” she griped. “We should have adjusted by now. Soon everyone’s going to be questioning why we haven’t had a baby. We haven’t even slept together, and when I try to get into bed with you to start something, you get all defensive. I know I’m not the problem. Look at me.”

  He didn’t speak. After the initial look at her, he rolled over on the bed and faced the window.

  Get up, Gerard.

  He blew out a breath and managed to get to his feet. At the window, he climbed onto the sill.

  Behind him, Kelly shrieked. “Can’t you use the door like a normal person? I hate this! I thought it was going to be different. What am I here for, and how do I—”

  She cut her words off, but he didn’t care whatever it was she intended to say. Dropping to the ground, he thought his wings would come out. They remained hidden. Instead, he landed hard. Pain shot up through his ankle. He welcomed the sensation. It brought stimulus to his brain.

  One of Declan’s men appeared before him. “Sir, if you’re going out, may I escort you?”

  He should have thought his man, but inside they didn’t belong to him. He still saw them as belonging to his brother. Sure, his people, but that was all.

  “Alone,” he said simply.

  “Sir, I can’t let you go out alone. I’m one of your personal guards. It’s our duty to…”

  The man nattered on. Gerard wondered why he asked to escort him if he was going to do it anyway.

  He left the homestead grounds and looked up at the sky as he walked. The desire to fly wasn’t there, but he wanted to want to fly. It made no sense. No, the fact was, he wanted the simplicity of his life back—before he had found and loved Lachelle.

  Wincing in agony, he stumbled and fell against a tree. The guard rushed up to touch his shoulder.

  “Sir.”

  Gerard pushed fingers in his hair and flattened his back against the tree. The sharp bark bit into his skin through his shirt. Good. He shut his eyes and concentrated on breathing.

  Declan. He was the answer. Gerard needed to go see his brother and demand he come back to take over. This life wasn’t for him. Living in Declan’s house and pretending he was the king turned Gerard’s stomach. He despised solving every day disputes and deciding on the economical affairs of his people. The meetings with the elders bored him to tears. He couldn’t care less about what cabin was built where and who was bonding with whom.

  Gerard looked up at the guard still babysitting him. “You drive?”

  The man stood at attention. “Yes, sir, of course.”

  “Drive me to my brother.”

  “Uh, but, sir. We could fly—”

  “Drive me.”

  “The visiting hours…”

  Gerard glared at him, and he snapped his teeth together.

  “Yes, sir. Let me gather a few other men to accompany us.”

  After what felt like an eternity, Gerard stood outside the prison where Declan had been transferred. As suspected, the humans dragged their feet, but the elders had recently arranged for a human lawyer who agreed to cut through the nonsense. Gerard had been told it wouldn’t be long for his brother to be freed. He’d hardly heard a word of the detail. All he knew was that Declan wasn’t there now.

  He gazed up at the building and breathed in. His brother’s scent filled his nostrils. No doubt, Declan already knew he was near. “I’m breaking in.”

  “Sir, if you do that, we’ll be blamed. It’ll make it harder for Declan to get out.”

  “He can break the lock.”

  The man scratched his head. “I meant legally.”

  “I’m breaking in.”

  The man groaned. “Of course, sir.” He turned to his partners. “Figure out how we can cover this before he leaves.”

  Gerard left them to their plans and destroyed every lock he came to. An alarm went off somewhere. He wasn’t sure where the rest of his men were or what they intended to do to make sure the humans didn’t know it was a dragon who entered the prison. All he cared about was seeing Declan.

  When he rounded a long corridor inside the building and scented his brother’s cell at the other end, he picked up the pace. All of a sudden, all the cell doors opened. Prisoners poured into the corridor. People shouted and threw trash. Declan moved past all of them.

  At the end of the row, he looked into the cell on the left. Declan sat cozily on his bunk, one knee raised as he leaned on it. He smiled at Declan. “Hello, bro.”

  “I wanted to see you.”

  Declan chuckled. “I wanted to see you too, but we talked on the phone a couple days ago. Visiting hours start tomorrow morning at nine.”

  Gerard didn’t know where to begin sharing his thoughts.

  Declan rose and place a hand on his shoulder. “You look horrible. I’m going to be honest. You look like you’re dying. That’s impossible, isn’t it? After all, you’re with your mate.”

  Gerard bit down on his jaw.

  “You haven’t been eating, have you?”

  “Uh…” He couldn’t recall the last time or what it tasted like.

  “Alright, let’s be straight with one another. We’ll go up to the roof where we can be alone. I’m sure I can count on my—uh, your men—to keep this madness going until we’re good and done.”

  Declan led him up to the roof, and they sat down on the edge of the building, legs hanging over the side. Gerard considered that if he fell off, and his wings didn’t open, he might be looking at a broken leg, especially in his weakened state. He didn’t welcome that lev
el of pain.

  “If you’re not going to admit something is wrong with your logic, Gerard, I will.”

  “I’m here because you needed me.”

  “In the position of king, you mean? Yes, that’s true, but next to Janessa and Bannon, you are the most important person to me. I can’t stand seeing you in pain. And you are in pain, brother. It’s tearing you apart to be without—”

  “Don’t say it. I cant…”

  “Yeah, you can’t. Something not right about that. I’ve got my suspicions, but I wanted to keep them to myself until I got out of here and knew better. I thought you could hang on. It’s starting to look like I might not have that long. I won’t let my brother die as I’ve lost our parents.”

  “I made the only decision I could. I abandoned her. I couldn’t do it again. It’s not right. I can’t live without—” He refused to even think her name. “And I can’t live with knowing I let Kelly almost die alone.”

  “You’re a good man in an impossible position. But you can’t live at all broken like this.”

  Gerard started to speak, but his brother held up a hand to stop him.

  “You want me to be the king? Then I’ll pull rank. End it with Kelly. Put the blame on me. She’s alive and well. I’ll always make sure she’s taken care of, fed, safe, housed. But leave her, Gerard. Leave her and go find your true mate—Lachelle.”

  Chapter 15

  Lachelle shook her head, grinning. “That’s for a girl. I’ve already told you, I’m having a boy, Malcolm.”

  He didn’t seem all that ready to relinquish his suggestion. “But it’s cute.”

  “For a girl,” she emphasized. “You’re impossible. I drag you along shopping with me for baby clothes, and you’re getting into it more than I am.”

  While he checked the cart, sorting through the items they had piled into it, Lachelle noticed the older woman looking at them with an appreciative smile on her face. The woman wandered over and patted Lachelle’s hand. “You’re a pretty young woman, and your husband is handsome. I just know your baby will be adorable. Good luck.”

  Lachelle bit her tongue, amused. “Thanks.” She didn’t bother correcting the woman to tell her that Malcolm wasn’t her husband. Nor was he the baby’s daddy. It was no one’s business. Besides, she and Malcolm had started dating a few months ago, before she started showing. Now that her belly had grown bigger and she couldn’t hide it with big clothes, she let him in on her secret. Other people assumed as well, and she let them to keep life simple.

  What surprised her most was that Malcolm took her news in stride and even assisted with the preparations. She wished every day that she could forget a certain someone and come to love Malcolm. Maybe with a little more time she would. He was a sweet and supportive person.

  “You can always have another baby,” he suggested, wriggling his eyebrows.

  She snorted. “I better focus on getting this one out of the oven first.”

  The two of them hadn’t slept together. At first, she suspected he might be gay since he didn’t push, but she noticed the looks he cast her way and changed her mind. He was being a gentleman, another plus for him.

  “Should we have dinner at your house or mine today?” He held up a onesie in neutral lime green. She nodded in agreement.

  “Um, I don’t know. I’m not feeling anything formal. I have a serious craving for pizza.”

  “A normal craving for once. They’re the only way I can tell you’re pregnant. I mean other than the belly. When my sister was pregnant with my two nieces and one nephew, she complained of swollen ankles and aches and pains. You never complain.”

  “Mm.” She didn’t commit to a real comment.

  “If you tell me where it hurts, I can give you a massage. I got good at rolling a tennis ball on her back and across her shoulders. I promise it helps.”

  “Her husband didn’t do it?”

  “He works all the time,” Malcolm explained. “I never thought I’d miss taking care of her the way I did, but when he was transferred they had to go with him. I’ve thought about moving to be nearer.”

  “But you said you’re not a big city man. They’re in New York city, aren’t’ they? You could make some big bucks in your field there.”

  “Money isn’t everything. Family is.”

  “And your family is there.”

  He hesitated. “I could have one here—of my own.”

  She leaned over a bin of discounted baby toys and books. It was too soon to think of Malcolm in that way, marrying him, making him her baby’s stepdaddy. The fact that the baby was half dragon shifter was an issue—a huge one. For all she knew, Malcolm could run for the hills as soon as she told him the truth.

  How could she explain to him that her pregnancy was just the way Janessa had once explained it to her. The dragon shifter’s healing abilities kicked in during pregnancy and took away all negative symptoms. Carrying Gerard’s baby was an amazing breeze, and if she weren’t so heart broken, she would enjoy it.

  Then there was the problem of what would come at birth and after. Would the baby burst out of her like some alien? Was there a special ritual to keep her safe during delivery? Would the baby be like Bannon and remain human unless his daddy awakened him? Was it okay if that side of him stayed asleep all his life?

  She had so many questions. At the same time, she owed it to Gerard to tell him about the baby. Not to mention getting advice about the raising of such a unique infant.

  Talking to Gerard might stir up emotions—for him and for her. She was starting to feel calmer, sometimes even content. If he was the same, she didn’t want to mess things up for him. He deserved happiness after so much tragedy in his life.

  Yeah right, Lachelle. Like you’re such a big person that you want him to be happy with Kelly.

  She moaned, and Malcolm rested a hand at her lower back. “What’s wrong? Are you tired? We’ve been here a long time. Let’s get you home.”

  “I’m fine. Just thinking.”

  “Thinking about what?”

  “Um, nothing.” Because he still looked worried, she decided to pretend to need the rest. “You know what? I am tired. Let’s order in and watch a movie. I can put my feet up.”

  He brightened. “Great. I’ll pay for the pizza, and I have a surprise. I bought some of that readymade dough, and I can make some chocolate chip cookies for dessert.”

  She grinned. “What would I do without you?”

  “You won’t need to find out. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Her heart sank, and she kicked herself that she couldn’t dredge up love for him. Sure, she liked him a lot, and she might even say she felt affection when she thought about him. More and more, she thought about what she would say if he ever asked her to take their relationship to the next level. What would she say if he asked her to marry him?

  I’m not the same as I was a couple years ago.

  Before Gerard, she was desperate. She didn’t mind admitting it. Having a baby was priority number one, and she didn’t care who she had to bribe to get one. Now, the little one growing in her belly was her world. She would protect him, but at the same time, it terrified her to raise him alone.

  “Maybe I’m still desperate but in a different way,” she muttered.

  Malcolm was just about to shut her door after he assisted her into the car. “Did you say something?”

  “No.”

  He shut the door, and she watched him pile their purchases into the trunk. What couldn’t fit there, he placed in the back seat. She should slow down. Her money wouldn’t last forever, and babies were expensive.

  A short while later, they arrived at her cottage. As she waddled to the door, Malcolm’s hand didn’t stray far from her back. He held out a hand. “Here, let me unlock it.”

  “It’s okay. I can do it.”

  “Lachelle.” He wiggled his fingers, and she shook her head at him, laughing.

  “Fine. Go ahead, crazy. I’ll play the helpless preggo woman to make you
feel better.”

  “So ungrateful,” he teased.

  They joked some more as he unlocked the door, and just when she would have stepped inside, a strong wind blew her hair into her face. She reached up to brush it away, shivering. A shadow blotted the bright sunlight, and she froze.

  Malcolm’s mouth grew slack, and his eyes widened at something behind her. She didn’t have to ask to know what was there. Slowly, she turned around. Her heart stopped. Gerard stood a few feet from them, a silent giant.

  He was thinner and paler than the last time she’d seen him. His hair needed a cut and his jaw was covered with a coarse messy beard. This was the Gerard she’d fallen in love with, rough around the edges, barefoot, worn clothing. At the same time, he didn’t exactly look well, as if the last months of struggle had taken their toll.

  Gerard’s silver eyes bore into her, and she realized Malcolm still rested a hand at her lower back. She tried to inch away without him noticing just in case Gerard started something. He’d always had trouble keeping control of his emotions when it came to her.

  “G-gerard,” she breathed.

  “He’s one of them,” Malcolm said. To his credit, Malcolm didn’t sound disgusted, more like awe and a bit of fear. “You know him, Lachelle?”

  Malcolm really didn’t know who she was.

  “I…”

  Gerard’s gaze slid down her body and halted on her protruding belly. “You’re pregnant.”

  He stormed forward. She stumbled backward a pace, and Malcolm, not knowing what Gerard intended, jumped in front of her. Gerard brushed him aside like a flea, almost as if he didn’t see Malcolm. The big guy spread long fingers over her belly, and the baby leaped inside her womb. Could he tell it was his daddy?

  Gerard’s gaze rose to her face, shock in the beautiful eyes. “It’s mine.”

  “How can you tell?”

  “He’s…the dad?” Malcolm stumbled over his words for a few moments. She couldn’t make out what he said until he took in a deep breath and blew it out. “Then, you’re the one. You’re the ex-cop that was in the news that time. I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it. I figured it was all happening so far away. As long as none of it came to our town, we were fine.”