Page 62 of Surprise Baby for the Enemy

“When we get close to the estate,” Raleigh clarifies. She’s still refusing to look at me. “You could drop me off at the base of the hill, and then just… go.”

“Raleigh-”

Raleigh whips toward me. “If Thomas hurts you again, I will never forgive him. And there’s so much shit between my brother and me already that-” She flaps a hand, encompassing years of dysfunctional sibling relations. “Besides, if I hate him, that’ll make Clara upset. And on top ofthat, you’ll be hurt- or worse. I won’t allow that.”

She gives this speech with such passion that my chest aches a little. “It’s not like Thomas broke my nose just for the hell of it,”I say gently. “I double-crossed him. That’s still true, no matter what’s between you and me.”

Raleigh’s hazel eyes are sharp as daggers. “Then he can get over it.”

I let out a startled laugh, but Raleigh’s hand squeezes mine hard, urging me to take that more seriously.

“Despite what you tried to do, Morgan still died and Thomas still succeeded. And since then, have you put a toe out of line?”

It’s a little galling when she puts it like that, but I smile tightly in reply. Raleigh continues.

“The fact is that Thomas owes you for doing what you could to protect me from Silver. And now, you’re the father of a child that I am very invested in having and raising with you. Thomas may be my family by blood, but he’ll be the first to tell you that that’s counted for shit where Warwicks are concerned. If I’ve decided that you’re my family now too, and he doesn’t respect that, then he and I are enemies. If he attacks you, he attacks me.”

“Raleigh-” I start again, but I don’t actually want to refute her words this time. All I want to do is pull us over to the side of the road so I can make love to her all over again. But if we keep Thomas waiting much longer, he really will kill me, no matter what Raleigh wants.

“I’m not leaving, okay?” I say instead. “We’re not doing that again. If Thomas tells me to give you up, I won’t, and we’ll deal with whatever happens after that.” I squeeze her hand back, grounding us both. “Together.”

It takes us another two hours to get into the city and to the base of the hill that leads to the Warwick estate. If I want to leave, now is my last chance.

But I don’t, so we pass through the gate and continue up.

As we weave through a neighborhood filled with luxury homes that Thomas Warwick built for the elite of the county, I feel like I have a clock over my head that’s rapidly ticking down. Thomas already knows I’m here, I have no doubt of that. There’s no missing a bullet-riddled police cruiser in a place like this. But despite the eyes I feel all over me, I don’t see anyone out and about, residentsorWarwick members.

Just before we reach the top of the hill, just before the gates of the estate come into view, I pull the car off to the side and turn to Raleigh. Our wrists have stayed handcuffed for hours, and at this point it feels strange to let go of her hand, but we can’t approach the house like this. Reluctantly, I unlock the cuffs and toss them to the floor of the car. With my fingers and thumb, I massage the little red indents left at the base of Raleigh’s palm.

This isn’t the time and place for this, but I say it anyway, because it might be my only chance to.

“I love you Raleigh,” I tell her, holding her gaze captive with mine. “I love you. And if I get the chance, I’m spending the next several decades with you.”

“Not the rest of your life?” Raleigh says jokingly, though her hazel eyes are glassy and her eyebrows knitted. She knows why I’m saying this now, instead of waiting until I’ve taken her out to dinner or we’re tangled together in bed.

“My life might end up being pretty short,” I say, flashing her a wry smile. “So let’s not put it like that.”

Raleigh leans forward, cupping my cheek in her hand. “I will not let him-” she starts, but movement in our periphery makes us both whip our heads toward the windshield.

A woman in a crisp white button down and pencil skirt stands in the road several feet in front of us, sunglasses protecting her eyes from the afternoon glare of the sun. Her perfect brown arms are folded over her chest, her shock whitehair pulled up in a high ponytail, her heeled foot tapping impatiently.

It’s Iris Agostinelli, come to escort us inside.

I set my jaw. We can’t even say a proper goodbye in privacy now.

Before I can say another word, Raleigh throws open her door and jumps out of the cruiser. She goes straight for Iris, her mouth already moving.

“Iris, whatever you think is happening right now, it’s not-”

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Iris says stiffly. It’s impossible to see with the sunglasses, but I’m sure her gaze is on me alone as I get out of the cruiser and walk slowly toward her.

“Iris-” Raleigh tries, desperate, but Iris cuts her off with one raised, perfectly manicured hand.

“Thomas will see you in his office,” she says to me. “Justyou.”

Raleigh opens her mouth again, no doubt to insist that she’s coming too, but I’m the one who stops her this time. “It’s okay,” I say quietly. “Raleigh, I should talk to him. He needs to hear the truth from me.”

She turns wild eyes on me. There’s too much color in her cheeks, and her jaw trembles. She’s fighting hard to keep back her tears and rage, and I want to comfort her more than anything. But if I move toward her, Iris might shoot me just to satisfy her own simmering anger.

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