Forbidden Attraction: A Contemporary Romance Box Set

by K. C. Crowne

"Texas," she replied. "It's still warm down there, but I'm not used to running on the dry ground so much. Think it really messed up my step."

  "You're a strong lady. I'm absolutely positive you'll recover in no time."

  "I hope so. I'm supposed to be running another marathon next month."

  "Probably best to sit that one out," I said, reaching down to pull up the leg on her purple yoga pants."

  "Anyway," she said. "How are you? The last time I saw you, you were talking about setting up your own practice in Denver. Is that still in the pipeline?"

  "The wheels are turning on that," I said. "I've got a few things left to do, but I'm due to move into the new place in a few weeks."

  "Already?"

  "Yep. This is my last week here, unfortunately."

  "Aw, don't say that. Who am I going to go see next? "

  She grimaced at the thought.

  "At least tell me you'll be hanging around long enough to see Red Cherry?"

  "You bet I am!"

  "They're already setting up the stage."

  "No way! Already?"

  "Yep," Sabrina grinned. "Aw, man I used to love them when I was a teenager."

  Looking down at her muscular leg, I gently lay my hands on her and tipped her toes back toward her, stretching the calf.

  "How does that feel?" I asked.

  "Pretty bad," she winced. "Feels like a red-hot poker's being stabbed into my leg."

  "Okay, I'll ease off. I think you've ripped part of your calf muscle. Looks like you'll not be running any marathons for a while."

  " That sucks. But after the next one I'm supposed to be going to be running at one in Utah and then..."

  She was talking, but I couldn't hear a single word, because suddenly, as I leaned over the examination table, I was gripped by a sense of nausea. Then as soon as it came, it was gone.

  What the hell was all that about?

  Blaming the fact that I skipped my breakfast, and drank too much coffee, I ignored it and carried on examining Sabrina who was still gibbering on.

  "Have you ever run a marathon?"

  "No, I haven't. I'm more of a resistance girl."

  "Oh, you should. It's so great for general conditioning. But it's terrific for mental health too. You do yoga, right? Well, you'll love it. You really get that buzz because..."

  I stopped listening again because once more I could feel a rising nausea burn its way up my throat.

  "I'm sorry," I said to her. "I have to pop out for a second."

  Rushing out the room, I ran across the hall into the bathroom where Lucy was standing in front of the mirror analyzing the pores on her nose.

  "Oh, hey, Megan. I thought you were with a patient."

  I ignored her and ran into the nearest stall just in time to vomit into the toilet. It rushed out of me suddenly and violently, and left me sitting on my knees with my head spinning.

  "Oh, my God are you all right?" Lucy asked, stepping into the doorway.

  " I must have eaten something bad," I replied, dabbing my watering eyes with toilet paper.

  "Are you sure? It's not like you to be sick."

  "I know. I don't remember the last time I threw up like that."

  I leaned against the wall for a second and tried to breathe.

  "I have no idea where that came from," I said. "Honestly, I was fine and then suddenly bam, I thought my stomach was being turned inside out."

  "I know what you mean. I never used to be sick. Ever. Not until I had my son. I swear the morning sickness hit me like a train."

  She reached into her purse to hand me some chewing gum and I gratefully took it from her.

  "Hey! You're not pregnant, are you?"

  "No!" I laughed. "I couldn't be."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Pretty damn sure."

  But as the word burrowed itself into my head, I suddenly thought back to that one night with Jared. It had been almost four weeks since I'd seen him last, and although I hadn't had a period, I didn't think that was anything new. They occasionally were a bit unpredictable and seemed to turn up whenever the hell they felt like it. It had been that way since I was thirteen. Not to mention, I was on the pill.

  "Megan? Are you okay?" Lucy asked.

  "Yeah," I lied. “I feel better now.”

  She got back to her feet and walked out of the room, returning a few moments later with a cup filled with icy water from the cooler in the hall.

  "I know that look," she said. "You need to take a pregnancy test."

  She reached out a hand and helped me to my feet.

  Shit, I thought as I looked at my pale reflection in the mirror. This can’t be happening.

  Time seemed to move so slowly it almost stood still as I waited for my lunch hour to roll around. When it eventually came, I rushed to the nearest drug store at the end of the block and bought the most trustworthy, expensive pregnancy test on offer.

  When I arrived back in the building without my usual salad and coffee in my hand, and was instead carrying a small, secretive paper bag, Lucy guessed right away what I was doing.

  "You're doing a test, aren't you?"

  "No," I told her, hoping she'd mind her own business.

  But I wouldn't be so lucky. As I entered the bathroom, she was right behind me.

  "Do you really think you could be pregnant?"

  Once again, I was starting to feel a small swell of nausea in my guts. Taking the test out the bag, I stared at it for a while before ripping open the cardboard and sliding open the plastic stick.

  "That's the end you pee on," Lucy explained.

  "Yes. Yes. I know. I've seen enough movies."

  I entered the stall and locked the door.

  "You can go now!" I called out to Lucy as I sat on the toilet.

  "No, it's okay. I can stay if you want."

  "I don't."

  But she didn't budge. Instead, I heard her heels move over to the counter beside the sink where she sat and made herself comfortable.

  "You shouldn't have to do this on your own," she said. "When I did mine, I was just a kid. I had no one to sit with me as I waited for the result. It was the scariest two minutes of my life."

  I couldn't help but soften up to her. Maybe she wasn’t as horrible as I’d originally thought.

  With a tight grip, I lowered the test between my legs and felt the anxiety rise. When I'd finished, I pulled it back up, made myself decent and exited the stall. Lucy's eyes flicked to the test and said, "It's just two minutes."

  "It may as well be two years."

  I'd never in my whole life felt so impatient.

  Jumping up on the counter beside her, I held the test out in front of me and stared at the little window where the result would appear.

  "What are you hoping for?" Lucy asked.

  "I... I don't know."

  In that moment, I had no idea what I wanted. Sure, I'd thought about having a baby, but only when the time was right. When I was in a long-term relationship and stable at work. I sure as shit didn't want to get pregnant after a one-night stand when I was just about to move to a new city and start a new job.

  "I don't mean to pry but..."

  Lucy fidgeted with her nails and looked away from me.

  "Do you know who the father could be?"

  "It's not my ex," I said. "He always wore a condom. Complained about it every time. "

  "Jared?"

  She opened her mouth in shock and gasped.

  "Do not tell a soul!" I said to her.

  "I won't," she said. "Pinky promise."

  I looked into her eyes and gave her a faint smile. She might have been a pain in the ass and couldn't give a shit about her job, but I felt as though we were somehow bonded. As though I could trust her.

  “How long's it been?” I asked.

  “One minute thirty,” she replied, looking at the timer she'd set on her phone.

  “Shit. Seriously?”

  How could this be taking so long?

  “You know I
'm probably not even pregnant,” I said, trying to calm myself down. “I was just sick. No big deal. Probably ate some bad sushi or something. How long now?”

  “Twenty seconds to go.”

  “I can't stand this.”

  I held my breath and felt my heartbeat rise with every passing second.

  My hand around the test grew sweaty, and I was clutching it so tight it shook in my hand.

  Slowly, a single pink line began to form in the window, and I started to breathe again.

  Just a false alarm, I thought. Nothing to be worried about.

  But as I started to relax, a second pink line formed beside the first.

  No... No. No!

  Lucy's head rested on my shoulder as she looked down, her hands gripping onto my arms.

  “Oh, my God!” she shouted. “You're pregnant. You're actually pregnant!”

  I kept staring at the two pink lines hoping that somehow there had been an error or I was reading it wrong. But it was right there in pink and white.

  I’m pregnant.

  I’m having a baby.

  I’m going to be a mother!

  And with that final thought, the nausea rose inside me once again and I dashed toward the nearest toilet.

  Jared

  Three weeks had passed since I'd seen Ogilvy, but the anger hadn't subsided. I never thought I'd have to see that asshole again, let alone be accused of being a killer.

  The worst thing about it was knowing I had tried my best to help Marie. I'd loved her so fucking hard. Cared for her more than her parents ever did, especially her dad. But somehow, I was the bad guy.

  “You okay?” Jackson asked as he walked past my desk. “You've been staring into space for five minutes.”

  “I'm fine.”

  “You're thinking about Ogilvy again, aren't you?”

  “I can't help it. I wanna kill him.”

  “Don't let him get to you,” Dylan said over the top of his computer. “Remember, he's a grieving dad. His head will be all over the place. Deep down he knows you're not to blame.”

  “I can't believe you're rationalizing his actions,” I retorted, annoyed. “The guy's pretty much accusing me of being a murderer.”

  Lucas walked out of the kitchen chewing on a candy bar and said, “I'd offer to kick his ass for you, but I don't reckon I'll be able to get away with beating on a Senator.”

  At the front of the room, the buzzer sounded as the red light above the door flashed.

  “Looks like we've got a visitor,” Lucas said, watching the light.

  “I'll get it,” I replied, grateful for the chance to get up and stretch my legs.

  As I walked to the main door, the pain in my thigh burning, I wondered who it could be. We had dozens of clients, but on-site visitors were rare, and the office wasn't exactly a friendly looking high street store. You had to know where to find us.

  Typing in the code to the pad to the entrance, I curiously watched the door glide open. I wasn't sure what I expected, but it sure wasn't the little old Hobbit in front of me.

  Standing in the doorway with an envelope in his hand was old Burt Phillips. Despite his age, he still dressed like he was due in court in a gray suit and brown brogues.

  "Burt?"

  "Hello, Jared. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

  "You're not. Please, come inside."

  I motioned him inside and he entered at a snail's space, shuffling his feet as he struggled to walk. I offered him my arm to steady him, but he refused to take it. After what felt like forever, he fell into a seat at my desk and pushed the envelope over to me with his liver spotted hand.

  He looked like a decrepit old mummy underneath his suit, his skin papery and his eyes yellow. What little hair he had left was plastered down over his skull like cotton candy over a boiled egg.

  "What's this?"

  "I came as quick as I could," he said. "I've already given a copy to the cops, but I brought one here too. Thought you'd be interested "

  As I opened the envelope, a pen drive tumbled out into my hand.

  "My security guy put the video tape inside that stick thingmabob,” he said. “If you plug it in the computer, the tape will play on that screen up there."

  “Yes. Thanks. I'm familiar with how they work.”

  I pushed the drive into the USB socket of my computer and a moment later a file popped up.

  Behind us, the rest of the boys crowded around.

  "You get more footage?" Dylan asked.

  The old man nodded and licked his parched lips.

  Jackson took a bottle of water from the fridge and unscrewed it for him. Burt sipped thirstily like a baby bird and wiped his mouth.

  "Out the back of my house," he croaked. "There's an alleyway that leads down toward the edge of town where the road meets the forest. I've had my suspicion for years that people have been hanging around those woods."

  "Yeah, it's a popular place," Dylan said. "The kids are always throwing parties there."

  "These were no kids," Burt replied.

  I opened the file and a grainy image appeared on screen. Not quite as distorted as the last one he sent me, but not exactly clear either, it showed footage of a black car parked in the alleyway. For a long while, nothing happened. Then the driver's door opened and a figure in black emerged.

  "Wait until you see his face," Burt said.

  We all leaned in closer and I zoomed in, trying my hardest to figure out who I was looking at.

  "Right now," Burt said. "Blink and you'll miss it."

  The figure in black turned as quick as a flash then looked away again.

  "Wait," Lucas said. "Run it back."

  I rewound the footage a few seconds and watched again. This time, as soon as the figure turned its head, I slammed my finger on the mouse to click the pause button.

  For a split-second, we were all silent. Then we all reeled back as the face came into focus. It was slightly pixelated, but as the man turned his head, the light from a nearby streetlamp bounced off his face. There was no doubt who we were looking at.

  "Mario fucking Gianni," I breathed. "He's back in Station Springs."

  Behind me, the guys were raring to burst into action.

  "We need to find him!" Jackson yelled.

  "Right now."

  "We can't have him back here!"

  "I'm calling Sheriff Baxter."

  "Wait," Burt said as he raised his hand to silence them. "There's someone else."

  I pressed play and once again we all crowded around the screen as we watched the passenger door open. Out stepped another figure, this one taller and broader with more of a swagger. But this guy wasn't as smart as Mario, and stared right toward the light, his full face on view. At first, I was struck by how familiar he looked. Then I couldn't believe who I was seeing.

  "Holy shit, " I said. "You have got to be kidding me!"

  "Do you know that guy?" Lucas asked.

  "Know him? I’ve beat the shit outta him twice."

  As I stared at the screen, Billy's eyes met mine and I knew we had a problem on our hands. And so did Megan.

  Megan

  As the end of the day rolled around, I was still in shock. I went through the motions of treating each of my patients. Said all the right things, smiled, nodded, and acted as professional as I always did, but inside my head, all I could think was: Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

  Lucy had been extra kind to me after I'd gotten the result, and I had begun to see her in a whole new light. She'd even gone out to get me some green juice with ginger for the nausea. But nothing was stopping the panic rise within me.

  I've got to tell Jared as soon as I can. He has to know.

  I was too shocked to think rationally let alone plan what I was going to do. When my last patient of the day said their goodbyes, I stood standing in my office for a long while, just staring at the wall.

  "What the hell am I going to do?"

  Then another thought came to me.

 
I need to tell Ruby.

  She'd be so excited to hear the news and would probably start making a crystal dream catcher for the nursery. She'd be full of angelic predictions and stories of past lives, and that just wasn't something I could handle right now.

  I packed up my things and got ready to go home where the dogs would be waiting to give me a big cuddle.

  Down the hall, I could hear Lucy's raised voice and the clatter of a door.

  "Wait! You can't go down there!" she shrieked.

  I tore the door open and looked down the hall.

  "What the hell's going on?" I asked.

  But I got my answer in the sight of Jared blustering his way through the building.

  "Jared? What the hell are you doing here?"

  "I think you're in trouble."

  "What?"

  "Billy. He's in with the Mob."

  "What are you talking about?"

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone while pushing me back into my office. There was a crazed look in his eyes like he was a man on a mission.

  "Billy," he repeated. "You've no idea who he really is."

  "What the fuck, Jared? I don't see you for three weeks then you just bust in here gibbering about my ex and the Mob."

  "Look at this," he insisted, shoving his phone in my face. "Look who he's with."

  On the screen lay a blurry image of two men getting out a blacked-out car in an alleyway. On the passenger side, stood the unmistakable image of Billy. I'd seen that body tower over me. Seen it hold a weapon to my face. I wasn't in a hurry to forget it.

  "That man there," Jared said, pointing to the guy on the driver's side. "That's Mario Gianni."

  I couldn't take it in and just stared, stunned. I'd never seen Billy anywhere near anyone fro the Gianni organization, and I started to wonder just how well I really knew him. I knew he was a scumbag, but was he capable of being in with the Mafia? It seemed ridiculous.

  "It can't be," was all I could say. "Billy's an asshole, but he's not in the Mafia."

  Jared held me at arm's length and looked into my face.

  "When was the last time you saw him?"

  "When the cops hauled his ass off my lawn."

  "He's not been back since?"

  I shook my head.

  "Not as far as I've known, but I'm still at Ruby's. He’s out on bail last I heard, and I didn’t want to be alone in my house until I know he’s going to jail."