by T. L Hodel
“If I ever give birth,” Lana grumbled, and dropped her head back.
Poor thing. We were still ten weeks out from our due date and she looked ready to pop. Which she probably was. Twins rarely came on their due date. They were usually early. Which was exactly why I had to-go bags packed into every vehicle we owned. I even made my dad and Lana’s Nan put one in their trunk.
My angel’s lips curled as I pulled up outside Ashworth.
“Ugh, how come you don’t have to go to school.”
“I’m two days away from graduation,” I reminded her, “And you still have exams.”
After our discussion with the principal, which was more of an argument, until Preston showed Mr. Sampson a video of his granddaughter at the playground, Ashworth had become very accommodating. They even offered to let Lana take her final exams online. She declined, insisting she was no different than anyone else. Ever try telling a pregnant woman to calm down?
I jumped out of our new SUV–never thought I’d be driving one of those–and dashed around to help my wife get out.
“Come on, Baby,” I said, holding my hand out.
Her fingers wrapped around mine as she groaned and struggled to shuffle out. I watched her nose crinkle and felt my dick jump. Lana might not think she was sexy right now, but I though she was hot as fuck. Her skin was glowing, though she claimed it was sweat, and she smelled absolutely delicious. All I wanted to do was run my tongue all over her.
One loud oomph and a sharp tug from me and my sweet angel was on her feet.
“I hate this,” she cried, tucking her face into my chest to hide her tears. “I’m so fat.”
I cupped her face, turning her teary eyes up to mine while kissing her head, and cheek, and then the tip of her nose.
“You’re beautiful.”
This was my time to shine. The moments when I was the one thing she needed. There was nothing in this world that could compare to her gentle sighs or pretty smile. I didn’t need the promised land, or a spot in paradise, because taking care of Lana was my heaven.
“Hey,” Luke sauntered over and tipped his chin at the wet streak on Lana’s face, “Bad day?”
I shook my head. “She’s good, aren’t you, baby?”
“I’m hungry,” Lana grumbled in response.
I snickered at her grumpy tone. “I packed some snacks in your bag.”
“Pickles?”
“Of course.”
“And those granola bars I like.”
I nodded. “Got those too.”
“What about…”
“Don’t worry,” I placed my lips on her forehead and carefully passed her to Luke, “I didn’t forget the blueberries.”
And there it was. That happy little spark in her cheek that made my life worth living.
I leaned against the SUV and watched Luke guide her into school. A few months ago, I’d wanted to kill the asshole, and now… The three of us played a couple more times, but the more he came over, the closer we got, and physical attraction gave way to friendship. Luke was one of the few people I trusted to take care of my wife when I wasn’t around. Silas was too grumpy and Mase was… well… Mase.
My phone dinged, drawing my attention from my wife’s retreating form.
Mase: You coming?
Me: Don’t you have exams?
Mase: Got pulled out. Order business trumps school.
I could practically see his head shake while he mocked his father’s words. To say Mase liked rebelling against Lou’s rules was an understatement. I think he got off on jerking his old man’s chain.
Me: Why are you texting me?
Mase: Got no car remember.
Ah, yes I forgot about Lou’s conditions to his youngest son getting out of rehab. No parties, no late nights, and no driving were just a few.
Me: And you need me to pick you up?
Mase: You get a gold star.
Asshole.
Me: Give me twenty to swap out the kid mobile and I’ll be there.
Mase: Ten four, but hurry up. The teas getting cold.
My brows furrowed at my phone. Tea? Was Mase high again?
Thirty minutes later and I was standing in Oakleigh Manor staring out at the backyard with my head cocked in confusion.
What the fuck?
My eyes wandered from the little blonde girl–who I assumed to be Shelby’s sister–and over to Mase, sitting in a tiny pink chair with a big flowery hat on his head. Around the table sat various stuffed animals and a rather unamused Junior. Each one of them had a tiny pink tea cup placed in front of them on the table and what looked like a fake scone. The little girl walked over to Mase and tipped the teapot in her hand. Whatever she said caused him to throw his head back with a loud laugh and point at a stuffed brown dog.
Seriously, what the fuck?
With a shake of my head, I made my way to the backyard. Which I immediately regretted when Junior looked at me. The kid didn’t need to say anything, the warning was written all over his face. Run man. Get the fuck out of here while you still can.
Unfortunately, I didn’t see Finn standing by the bushes, holding a tray, until he called my name.
“Parker!” he jumped up and excitedly bounded over. “Look! I’m playing butler!”
Junior’s eyes met mine.
Well, you’re screwed now, may as well sit the fuck down.
“That’s great, Finn.” I tousled his hair and eyed the pink apron neatly tied around his waist. The Kessler house hadn’t seen this much pink in well… ever.
“You’re just in time for tea,” the little girl sang while waving at the one and only empty chair.
I glared at Mase’s smirk. Why did I get the feeling he’d planned this shit?
“Thanks,” I gave the girl a smile, “But Mase and I have to be going.”
“You heard the girl,” Mase barked back. “It’s tea time. Now sit the fuck down.”
Junior’s dark eyes mocked me.
Told you.
I don’t know how it happened, but I somehow found myself sitting at a tiny pink table with a big goofy fucker and an angry kid. The worst part was, I got a hat too.
The little girl, Mags, I’d learned, walked around pouring us tea while spinning tales of cats and dragons. Unlike her sister, Mags was a fierce little thing. Every time one of us tried to get up, she was on that shit. Harping on us and bringing out the tears. That puffy bottom lip and puppy dog eyes made me crumple quicker than a flimsy piece of tissue paper. The military should harness that shit. That little girl’s pout had the power to topple nations.
Mase and Finn seemed perfectly happy soaking in every word she said. Junior and I, though… I was pretty sure Junior was trying to plot a means of escape as well. So far I’d come up with one. Death. Either mine, or hers. At this point, I didn’t really care which. Hell, I’d jab one of the plastic forks in my own neck if it’d get this floppy straw hat off my head. I could see the gigantic blue flowers dancing in my shadow.
I’d never been so happy to see the sheriff’s name pop up on my phone. I put the phone to my ear and held my finger up, silencing Mags before she could pull me back into her web.
“Hello.”
“Parker,” Derek’s voice came across the line, “There’s been an accident.”
My heart stopped. “Lana?”
“No,” he said, allowing me to breathe again, “Her grandmother.”
That was a little better, but not much. My angel loved her Nan, and she was in no condition to have an emotional breakdown.
“Is she okay?”
Mason perked up at my question, eyes locking on mine as the smile fell off his face.
“The hospital wants to keep her for a couple of days, but she’s fine. Given Lana’s situation, I figured it’d be best if I called you.”
“I appreciate that.”
If anyone understood the instability of pregnant women, it was Derek. Paisley’s due date was last week, she was on bed rest, and Logan was pacing around the house losing his damn
mind. Lana’s recently grumpy mood was a delight compared to the shit he had going on.
“What happened?” I asked. I needed to know how bad it was. Besides, my angel would ask questions.
She was an impatient thing and wanted all the answers right away. I told her I wasn’t going to give her any information on the Order. Except for rituals like the bonding ceremony tonight, which she had to be involved in, she didn’t need to know anything. That didn’t stop her. It just made her more crafty. Slipping a question into casual conversation. Half the time, I didn’t realize she’d asked anything until I’d already answered. It was kind of hot, the way she could manipulate me. Probably why I bent her over every time she did it.
“She crashed her car into a tree outside of town,” Derek explained. “A farmer called it in. Do you want me to contact the school?”
“No.” Lana would need me to be there when she found out, and I wasn’t going to let her sit alone until I got there. Even if it would only be five or ten minutes. That was too long for her to be in pain without me to comfort her.
“I’ll tell her,” I said.
Well, Angel, it looks like you get out of school after all.
“One more thing,” Derek chimed in before I could hang up, “The backend of Gretta’s car was riddle with bullet holes.”
I stopped and shot Mase a glance, letting him know it was time to go. Ever since Greta heard the word ‘son’, she’d been acting suspicious. It was too easy to convince her to let Lana move in with me, and when we were in the principal’s office, she didn’t say a thing. Actually, she looked relieved when Preston threatened Mr. Sampson. I pocketed my phone and nodded at Mase to follow.
It was time to find out what Greta Crawford was hiding.
Chapter 26
Lana
Family was more than the people you were born into. It was love without bias. Knowing that no matter what you did, one person out there wouldn’t judge you. For most of my life, that group was small. Nan, Gramps, Harper and Sean. Then came Riley and Shelby. Two girls, who without knowing a thing about us, openly welcomed both Harper and myself.
Parker said I always saw the good in people, but it wasn’t always that way. For years it was just Harper, Nan and I. The Mason Kessler’s of the world made me leery and over protective. I judged people as harshly as they judged me, if not more so. If someone could destroy a sweet girl like Harper, the same girl they used to claim to love, then why should I trust anyone?
It was Riley and Shelby that taught me that it was okay to stop looking over my shoulder. That no matter how many Mason Kessler’s and Naomi Prescott’s were out there, I wasn’t alone. They’d be right there, to move heaven and hell with me. The daisy patches’ beauty didn’t come from one crooked flower with over sized petals, it came from the way the others gathered around. Holding it up high into the sun’s warm rays.
That was all I could think about as Parker guided me through the hospital, with his arm protectively around me. How he was the strength holding me up. Except, if I lost Nan, there’d be nothing to hold me up into. Parker, and my friends, were my daisy patch, but Nan was my sunlight.
I clung desperately to Parker as we rounded the corner to Nan’s room. The world around us stopped and every step we took thundered in my ears. Parker reached out and pushed on the door. I watched it slowly open, feeling my heart sink lower and lower. The deafening creak mingled with the beeps of the machines inside.
And then I saw her. My precious Nan, laying on a hospital bed, looking small and frail. My eyes followed the IV line running into her arm and skipped over the screen displaying her steady heartbeat. I’d been in this situation before. Eight years ago, on the third floor, visiting someone much younger than Nan. I’d hated seeing Harper here, just like I hated seeing Nan. No one should look that helpless.
I sniffed back a sob and swept the tear off my cheek. Now wasn’t the time to break down. I had to be strong for Nan. Parker’s fingers tightened on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring squeeze, and the strength to take a step closer. A step is all I got.
“Good lord child, I’m not dead.”
My face dropped as her brown eyes opened and rolled my way. Nan was just fine.
“You had me worried half to death.”
“It was just a little fender bender.” She waved her hand through the air, “Now wipe that grim look off your face.”
Was it wrong to slap someone in the hospital?
“Nan,” I sighed and waddled my way across the room to drop down in a chair. “You have to be more careful when you’re driving.”
“I’m perfectly capable of driving myself.”
“Obviously not,” I argued. “You crashed into the only tree on the road.”
Parker crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Gotta say, Greta, that does seem awfully suspicious.”
My lip curled at him. There was nothing suspicious about it. Nan was old and her eyesight was going. She probably thought a squirrel or something ran across the road. If he wanted to talk about suspicious crap, he should talk about his secret society, and the stupid ritual thing tonight. Bonding ceremony? What kind of name was that? I had to walk down some stupid aisle and get down on my knees in front of him. How the hell was my fat ass supposed to do that? I couldn’t even see my feet anymore.
I missed my feet.
“Lana.”
“What?” I snarled at Nan.
“Don’t you get snippy with me.”
“Don’t tell me what to do!”
Why was everyone always telling me what to do? The doctor was all ‘don’t eat this, rest as much as you can, don’t take long walks.’ And Parker was waiting on me hand and foot. I could take care of myself!
“Listen here, little girl,” Nan sat up and arched her brow at me, “I don’t care how pregnant you are, I’ll still whoop you.”
I blew out a huff of air, pushing my rage with it. “I’m sorry, Nan. I’m just so tired of being pregnant.”
Everything hurt. I was tired all the time, and it felt like I was carrying around an extra hundred pounds. Getting comfortable was no longer an option. When I did finally settle in somewhere, the babies would start kicking. That would make anyone grumpy.
I glared down at my phone when it dinged with the twentieth text I’d gotten today. And of course, there was Parker’s sister.
Parker sauntered over and knelt down in front of me.
“Don’t worry, Angel,” he said, running his hands over my belly in a way that helped me relax. “Before you know it, we’ll be holding our babies.” I smiled down at him as he leaned in and whispered, “You guys need to take it easy on your momma.”
He was going to make a great father. I honestly didn’t know if I could do this without him. While I was starting to hate being pregnant, motherhood terrified me. When they came out, I’d have to care for them, feed them, and teach them stuff. What if I screwed it up? I was about to have my own kids and I’d never changed a diaper. Parker was so sure of everything that it kind of made me less afraid.
I gazed down at him and pushed my fingers through his blond locks. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” He beamed up at me with the proudest smile on his face.
I might’ve attempted to fold my oversized body and kiss him, if Nan hadn’t ruined the moment by clearing her throat.
“What about me?”
I rolled my eyes. “We love you too, Nan.”
“Good, because I almost died.”
Groaning, I dropped my face in my palm.
The small stone building tucked away behind Oakleigh Manor was a little disappointing. My eyes ran along vines of ivy crawling across the aged walls, searching for hidden symbols or secret levers. Shouldn’t the Orders uber secret ritual place be bigger, or fancier? I wasn’t expecting dungeon walls with glowing torches and obsidian ravens everywhere… Okay, maybe I was. Maybe a couple pools of blood, some naked women, and robed men chanting weird phrases? Not this simple place in the middle o
f a clearing surrounded by trees. The way the moonlight shone down on it was kind of cool. It gave the place an eerie kind of ambiance.
“You ready, Baby?” Parker asked, placing his hand on the small of my back.
My lip curled. “I guess.”
He snickered. “I told you most of the rumors were bullshit.”
That he did. But I’d been imagining their meetings and stuff my entire life. I expected… more. With a sigh, I followed Parker through the arched doorway, down a small flight of stairs and around a corner. The only thing I saw were a couple of faded etchings on the wall. One of which looked a bit like a cross. Was this a church?
We passed a wall that had an old tapestry on it of the Virgin Mary.
Oh my God, this was a church. Things just got interesting.
My giddiness levels peaked when I saw a flickering glow casting shadows on the floor next to a room where everything was covered with thick black cloth. Piles and piles of stuff wrapped up in soft fabric and chains. Sparkling heavy locks made me wish I’d watched some lockpicking videos before coming. What kind of treasures would I find?
“What’s in there?”
The corner of Parker’s mouth twitched in the faintest smirk. “I have no idea.”
Uh huh. My gaze narrowed as I eyed him. He probably knew exactly what was in there. I bet it was secrets and stolen artifacts. What if it was something better? Like the answer to who killed JFK, or Jimmy Hoffa!
“In here,” Parker said, pushing open a large wooden door.
My jaw dropped. Along the pews lining the large room were eight black metal braziers. The fire crackling in each one cast a soft glow through the metal ravens carved in the braziers’ sides, making it look like birds were flying around. Up at the altar, where a priest would normally stand, were five robed figures, three of whom I recognized to be Louis Kessler, Dr. Creswell and Parker’s dad, Dean. Now this was what I was talking about!
“Do I get a robe too?”
Parker chuckled and nodded at three women standing in the back corner. “None of the wives do.”
Well, damnit.
“Come on.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the left, where Shelby, Riley, and Logan were waiting.