Page 133 of Vicious Little Games

“You need to call Daddy and stop him,” she says. “One of them has my phone.”

“Okay,” I agree. “Hold this,” I tell her, handing her my gun so she can watch my back while I make the phone call. “Our guards will be back in a second, so don’t shoot them.”

“I won’t,” she replies.

“Cole, where the fuck is Cass?” Dante answers.

“She’s with me. She’s fine. Inessa and three Russians are dead. We’re in a warehouse storage area inside the club.”

“We’re almost there,” he says. “Stay right where you are in case an ambush is waiting outside.”

“Okay,” I agree before he hangs up on me. Our three guards come through the door and Cass lifts the gun in case anyone follows them.

Over my shoulder, I quickly tell them, “Dante wants us to stay put. He’s coming with backup.”

“Good. That’s good,” Cass says, lowering her weapon as the guards move in to position so we’re covered on all sides while they keep an eye on the door.

Her light green eyes are still a little too wide, her face too pale. She’s probably in shock.

“Fuck, I’m glad you’re okay,” I tell her as I cup her cheek and press a soft kiss to her lips, not caring if the guards see it. “That could’ve gone so much worse.” I lower my voice to add, “Bullshitting them about being knocked up by me so they would hesitate was fucking brilliant.”

“It wasn't bullshit, Cole,” she replies softly.

“Oh, you got me good, Cassie. One of your best lies. My heart literally stopped beating in my chest. I mean, could you imagine the look on Dante's face if he heard I got you pregnant?”

Removing my palm from her face, Cass places it on her belly and whispers, “This is your baby. And I’m going to keep it.”

“What?” I hear her speaking words but none of them are making any sense. Maybe she hit her head…

“Why do you think I wanted to date men and have an arranged marriage so fast? I'll keep it up until I can pick someone to blame it on if none of them want to get married right away.”

In order to blame the pregnancy on some other man, she would have to…

“No. No! You are not going to sleep with a bunch of random men!” I tell her.

“It’s not a big deal. I have to find a fall guy.”

“Jesus, Cassie. No, you don’t.” She’s been dating men to pin a baby, my baby on them. “This is...you are savage as shit,” I say with a chuckle.

“I know. And I need to do it soon, before I start showing any more than I already am. I also need to see Dr. Gates too to make sure everything is okay.”

“Cassie, are you serious right now? You’re really pregnant?”

“Yes. But I won’t tell anyone it’s yours. And if you don’t keep it down, the guards will hear us.”

“Are you crazy? You’re…I’m this baby’s father. We can't pin this on someone else!”

“Well, we can't tell Daddy. I tried to convince you to give up and go back to New York, but you wouldn't listen because you just have to beat me…”

That’s why she kept pushing me away, telling me to go to New York? She was trying to protect me? God, she’s ridiculous. And I love her so damn much.

“Screw the competition. I haven’t gone back to New York yet because I don't want to leave you!” I explain to her.

“Me?”

“You drive me fucking crazy, woman. I've been jealous as shit and angry that you kept pushing me away to date those assholes, like I could never be good enough for you. But I'm not going to let you give up on us. I know you'll give in, eventually.”

“So cocky...” she huffs with a roll of her eyes.

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