The Strand Brothers Series: Complete Set

by Lora Ann

  “Whoa there, cowboy.” A small feminine hand met my chest. “What the hell has you in such a tizzy?”

  I looked down into the eyes of Shannon, the detective I’d had the privilege of working with, as well as sharing a few heated nights of passion. I attempted a smile, capturing her hand and bringing it to my lips. “Nothing my favorite redhead can’t fix.”

  “Cool your heels, bubba. I’m here on business.” She winked, letting me know the possibilities that waited once she was through with whatever case had brought her here.

  “Anything I can help with?”

  “Yes, actually,” she said, backing away and beginning to walk towards the entrance.

  I followed suit, matching my long strides to her shorter ones. While holding the door open for her, I examined her tiny yet firm ass in action. Casually, I adjusted my cock before we walked down the hallway. “So…how can I help?”

  “This is about Ari.” Her voice now held a professional tone.

  Fuck me. “What about her?”

  She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face me. “I’ve found her birth parents.”

  I seethed, “Who the hell are they, Shannon? I swear when I get my hands on those two.”

  She swallowed hard and glanced away. Before I could demand more information, Sofie joined us.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” Sofie said as she reached us.

  Shannon glanced sideways and answered, “You’re fine. How may I help you?”

  I was not so kind. Barely leashing in my wrath, I bit out, “What the fuck do you want, Sofie?”

  She squared her shoulders and stood firm in the face of my disdain. “You don’t ever speak to me like that again, Alex.”

  Shannon coughed to hide her giggle. Damn women. Sofie held out her hand towards Shannon and introduced, “I’m Sofie Fields. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

  “I’m Detective Shannon McLeary, and the pleasure is all mine. I believe I own at least three of your remarkable creations.”

  Sofie blushed. “Wow. I just never know who I’ll run into that knows my designs.”

  “You have amazing talent and a keen eye for color and texture,” Shannon gushed.

  “Thank you,” Sofie humbly replied.

  I stood there glowering at the woman who had ripped my heart out all those years ago and never gave it back. I thought some piece of it was still there to share with Shannon. Now, I wasn’t so sure about that.

  Before I could spout off more venom, Sofie continued, “Yes, well, I believe I overheard you discussing my daughter.”

  What? Daughter? “Who?” I inquired gruffly.

  Shannon pulled out her tablet, clicked on something and passed it over to me. I damned near dropped it when I saw what was on that screen. My eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and I knew my mouth was hanging open like a big mouth bass. As my eyes lit on Shannon, I managed, “Is this some kind of mistake?”

  “Afraid not, Alex,” she replied with a look of apology and pity in her eyes.

  Not what I wanted to see. I fucking loathed pity. Sofie had edged in next to me and covered her mouth when she read the screen. She hadn’t been fast enough. So her audible gasp with the “Bastard,” was loud and clear.

  “What did you just call me?” For the first time in my life, I wanted to harm a woman. No, that wasn’t right. Harm wasn’t what I was feeling. Shock. Rage. Bitterness. Sadness. Pain. I needed an outlet. Never, ever would I take that out on anyone, especially a female. A woman I had once loved with all my being.

  Sofie’s eyes met mine as tears trekked down her lovely cheeks. “It’s true,” she whispered.

  Something about the way she stood there so vulnerable made me react in a way I didn’t know I was capable of. Instead of railing at her or demanding she explained this debacle; I pulled her into a hard embrace and let tears fill my eyes.

  Shannon politely cleared her throat and added, “I’ll be in the waiting room when you’re both ready.” She reached over and removed the tablet from my hands. The only sounds I heard were her tiny heels clicking on the linoleum and my heartbeat spazzing at the revelation that had just been presented. Okay…maybe it had a little to do with the beauty in my arms, but I couldn’t let myself go there. This changed nothing. Abso-fucking-lutely nothing. Yeah, man, keep feeding yourself that bullshit; you just might believe it by next millennium. No matter how you looked at it, this was fucked up eight ways to Sunday. How the hell would I explain this to my family? Although, it did tie up some loose ends that had plagued me for some time now. A daughter. I had a daughter. Suddenly the hallway pitched and stars filled my vision. Last thing I heard was, “Omigod! Alex…”

  Chapter Two

  Sofie

  The last thing I had ever expected was to run into Alexander Strand when arriving at the hospital. Never mind the fact that he was now passed out cold at my feet. I knelt down, gently smacking his cheeks. “C’mon, Alex. Wake up,” I demanded.

  Before I knew it, there were several nurses and at least one doctor surrounding us. They hefted Alex onto a gurney, taking him down the hallway and through some double doors. What the hell had just happened? I understood the shock factor of the news he had received, but something told me there was more to the story than I realized. Detective McLeary joined me in the waiting room as I paced nervously. “Why don’t ya have a seat, Ms. Fields?”

  I made eye contact, having heard her gentle command in those few words. “I suppose you want some answers,” I offered, taking a seat.

  Her lovely brow arched as she replied, “I would appreciate you filling in the blanks, yes.”

  I nodded, ordering my thoughts. “Alex was my first love. Actually my only true love, if I were to be honest.”

  Well, that earned me a level look. Oh dear, she was involved with him. Crap! Instead of beating around the bush, I laid it on the line. “How long have the two of you been together?”

  Her eyes widened before she composed her expression. She was well trained, I’d give her that. She acknowledged, “I don’t think a casual affair is considered being together, do you?”

  That shouldn’t have pleased me like it did. “Hard to say this day and time,” I answered nonchalantly.

  “Touché,” she grinned. “I might like you once I know the circumstances surrounding Ari.”

  Ha! What a story to tell. After a few thoughtful moments, I decided to give her facts but not the entire story. Unable to bring myself to relive that, though I was fully aware I’d have to with Alex. With a big sigh, I proceeded, “Alex and I were lifeguards together years ago in Sacramento. Our summer romance quickly evolved into something tried but true. We were young but ready to face the world together. Until my father found out I was pregnant, planning to run off and marry someone ‘beneath’ me.”

  “So…Alex knew of his daughter?”

  I shook my head as tears streamed down my face. “No. He thought I had an abortion.”

  “Oh my God! Why would you do that to someone? Especially the man you loved?”

  Obviously Detective McLeary hadn’t meant to drop her professional exterior, but I’d shared something horrific about a man she clearly cared for. With every intention of facing her judgment, I grabbed a tissue from my purse and turned towards her. The gasp that escaped me rang out through the halls. Standing there in all his six-foot, three-and-half-inch glory was Alex, and he was furious. A hurricane of emotions emanated off his body as he glared down at me. Fuck! This was neither the time nor the place to be aroused by the Alpha male before me. Albeit, my body refused to listen to logic as my panties began to moisten. I crossed my legs hoping to find some relief.

  “What the fuck?” he spoke quietly. “You lied to me on top of all the other shit?”

  I swallowed the huge lump in my throat, nodding in response. Then a thought occurred. “How the hell else did you think we shared a daughter?”

  “I…I don’t know, Sofie,” he threw his hands out in exasperation.

  At that poi
nt, a nurse had joined our little party. “Mr. Strand, please. You need to rest.”

  “I know what my body can and cannot handle, thank you.”

  “But, sir, you’ve lost a lot of blood.”

  Alex snapped out, “I’m fully aware of that. Drop it. Please,” he tacked on at the end.

  I had to wonder just how much blood he’d donated to Ari. I knew he had, for we shared the same blood type. Still…on a visceral level he must’ve known there was a connection to the girl—our daughter.

  Shannon interrupted my musings when she stood next to him and calmly spoke, “Listen, Alex. You have a lot to work through. You need answers. I’m going to go do what I came here for. I’ll catch up with you later. Okay?”

  He leaned forward and tenderly kissed her cheek. There was no doubt in my mind or heart that he had feelings for the woman. I had to look away. Seeing him like that was more than I could bear. No matter what Alex thought he knew about me, I had never stopped loving him. Talk about pouring salt into a reopened wound. Dear Lord, I’m not sure I can endure this. Not realizing I had been lost in my own reverie, until a large, strong hand clasped my shoulder. I pivoted towards him as my breath caught with the awareness of how close we were to each other. My lower regions clenched with desire as I watched his eyes begin to dilate. The current racing between us was unmistakable. Let’s face it; we were no longer teens experiencing sexual chemistry for the first time. We were now adults, with knowledge of these things and where they led. Before I could react, he dropped his hand and put both into his pockets. “Alex?”

  “No, Sofie,” he said with authority.

  “Alright. I guess you want some answers.”

  “That’d be nice.”

  Once more, I collected my thoughts but was unable to speak. We were interrupted by a young nurse. “Mr. Strand, come quickly!” She began to run down the hall.

  I heard Alex swear profusely under his breath as he began to follow at a quick pace. Something told me this had everything to do with our daughter, so I followed closely behind.

  We rounded a corner where I stopped short. Instantly, I knew I was standing in the presence of Alex’s brothers. My God, they were as striking as the women that were next to them. One of them had long, gorgeous hair that any woman would pay top dollar for. It was tied at the nape of his neck and still reached the middle of his back. Which I was able to see, thanks to him being turned sideways. He was by far the largest of them all. His muscles were barely contained in his clothes. Holy wow! On tip toe, whispering in his ear as he leaned forward toward her was a curvy, breathtaking beauty—a pin up girl from years gone by gorgeous. She resembled Marilyn Monroe. I stifled a gasp with my hand, observing the love radiating between them. Quickly, I looked away from the intimate display. I took in the other couple and was surprised to see a woman so tall who wasn’t in heels. She wasn’t much shorter than the other blond male standing there, whose hair was about chin length and hiding most of his facial features since he was turned into her body. It was then that I noticed one of her hands was trapped by his at the small of her back. When he gave me a sideways glance, I could feel the sexual energy spark off of him. But there was no doubt it was all for the stunning woman in his arms. The powerful men before me were completely in love. I took a step backwards, knowing I didn’t belong there. These couples were awe-inspiring with how much love they emitted towards each other, though that wasn’t why I was suddenly uncomfortable.

  Both men kissed their lovely ladies before walking over to Alex, where they embraced him tightly. That was when I had grown prickly with the love surrounding me. Family. Something I had never had, yet craved. Before I could hightail it out of there, the petite, voluptuous woman halted me. “Hello. I’m Aimee Strand,” she introduced, holding out her tiny hand to me.

  I grasped her hand. “Hi. I’m Sofie.”

  The beautiful, tall woman joined us. “I’m Lacey Kincaid.”

  Oh, so she wasn’t married to the Strand brother whose arms she was in. Interesting. When I glanced down at her left hand, the spectacular Tiffany ring caught my eye. Engaged, then. The brothers looked over at us. I actually shrank back from the glower Alex gave me. I would have said something if the doctor hadn’t stepped into the hallway. He motioned us towards a room. Shit. That was never good when you were pulled into a private area of a hospital.

  As we all sat around a table, the doctor began, “Arianna is in need of another transfusion.”

  Alex stared hard at him. “You said the last one would help her,” he growled.

  His brothers instantly put their hands on his back for support. Poor doctor trembled a little from the sight. I couldn’t blame him. They were all formidable individually. Together, they were downright menacing.

  Alex continued, “Where do I need to go?”

  There was a collective gasp and then Aimee spoke, “Alex, you can’t give her more blood.”

  “The hell I can’t,” he grumbled, pushing away from the table.

  “Wait!” I yelled out, which brought every eye in the room to focus on me. Crap. I cleared my throat and proceeded, “I’m AB negative as well. I can donate.”

  That earned me a smile from everyone, but Alex. “No. I won’t allow it.”

  The biggest brother grabbed a hold of Alex’s shoulders and rumbled, “The fuck you won’t. She is Ari’s blood type. Have you lost your mind?”

  The doctor stood and approached the men. “Mr. Strand, please don’t stop this. Ari is in desperate need. I cannot guarantee that she can hold out for us to find another donor.”

  Alex’s glare held me in a punishing grip. “Fine,” he said through clenched teeth.

  The doctor pivoted towards me. “Right this way, Ms.?”

  I filled in the blank, “Fields. I’m Ari’s mother.”

  Simultaneously I heard two male voices.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

  “Mother fuck!”

  All the while the two women were standing there in shock. Mouths agape as they stared at first me, and then at Alex.

  Finally Lacey said, “Well, that will help, right?”

  The doctor answered, “Yes,” and then motioned for me to follow him out the door.

  I couldn’t leave that room fast enough. I felt the fiery arrows shooting from Alex’s eyes on my back as I left. God, how was I going to handle his wrath on top of everything else? I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Didn’t matter. My little girl needed me, and for the first time in her life, I would be there. I had searched sixteen long years to find my baby who had been stolen from me right after birth. No one, including her father, was going to keep me away now. If Alex thought he could deter me, he was sorely mistaken. Life had taught me many lessons, one of which was tenacity. Yes, Alexander remembered the timid, verbally abused teenager. He didn’t know the determined woman I was now. But he would, because I wasn’t going anywhere. If he didn’t like that, he could kiss my ass.

  *****

  The procedure went well. Luckily I was a regular donor, so my records were on file. That was how I knew Ari needed blood. The hospital had contacted me, but I was unable to make it right away due to being out of town. After receiving the message, I raced over with the documents necessary to prove she was my daughter.

  I sat in the room with Ari and just stared at the beauty before me. She had her father’s beautiful blonde hair, for that I was grateful. Mine was a mousy brown I had never liked. Sure, I highlighted it with blonde, but hers was all natural. She was absolutely gorgeous like Alex, too, where I was more of the girl-next-door type. I wondered if she had his stunning cornflower blue eyes as well. She’d been asleep since my arrival, but I hoped she did. My irises were amber brown. While that shade would be pretty with her golden locks, I’d always had a weakness for blue eyes.

  My hand was clasped around hers when I felt a flinch. I looked up at my daughter’s face, watching her eyelashes flutter. Suddenly my own eyes stared back at me. Wow, Ari was beyond breathtaking s
ick, I could only imagine how stunning she was healthy and glowing. She jerked her hand out of mine and hissed, “Who the hell are you?”

  Not what I was expecting. Then again she didn’t know me, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. “I’m Sofie Fields.”

  Her head tilted slightly as she studied me. “The designer?”

  Well, I supposed being a fashion designer had some perks. “Yes. The same one.”

  “No offense, but why are you here?”

  Before I could answer, a male voice said, “She just donated blood to you, Arianna. You need to be more respectful.”

  Oh Lord…Alex was in the room. I observed our daughter lower her eyes in a contrite manner as she replied, “Sorry, Alex.”

  “Not me, young lady. You owe Ms. Fields the apology.”

  Ms. Fields…not Sofie or your mother. Gah! I wanted to jump up and slap the man. I intervened, “Please call me Sofie.”

  Ari’s gaze met mine. “I’m sorry, Sofie.”

  I smiled and nodded. “Apology accepted, Arianna.”

  She shot me a nasty glare. “Ari. I hate my full name.”

  Alright then—note to self—do not use her given name. “That’s a shame. It is beautiful.”

  “Pfft…whatev.”

  Nice, so she was a sassy teenager. God, I had missed so much.