Page 42 of Storm

“That’s fine. I just need a break,” I tell him.

Ezra jumps up, grabbing my bag from behind the couch, and throws it over his shoulder. “Come on, petal. I’ll put you up in my room with me.”

“Absolutely not,” I snap. “I’m not sleeping in the same room with someone who thinks kidnapping is… just, no.”

His face falls and I feel as if I kicked a puppy, but he has to know what he did was terrible.

“I needed to protect you.”

Tatum stands and slaps his friend on the shoulder. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow, buddy. Come on, Miri. I’ll carry your bag up.”

“Miriam,” Kevin calls to me. Lifting my head, I wait to see what he wants. “Would you forward me those emails you sent to my personal email?”

Nodding once, he comes close and holds his hand out for my phone. Glancing at Ezra with a raised brow, I wait until he begrudgingly drops my phone in his palm. He quickly types it in a note, then hands it to me, our fingers brushing for a breath before we disconnect.

I feel their eyes on me as I leave the room, following Tatum to the room I slept in two months ago. There’s a sense of familiarity when I stare at the bed after Tatum leaves me alone, but also so much disappointment in the men who changed my life in here.

Kicking my shoes off, I crawl on top of the duvet fully dressed and will away the ache still pounding through my head.

At least they know now.

CHAPTER 20

RICHARD

I can’t fucking sleep.

I’ve been laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling for the past few hours since everyone disappeared to get sleep. Victoria sent a text where I could pick my car up an hour ago, then a few more followed cursing all of us, demanding apologies, and to be compensated for her time. We “owe her that much”, according to her.

Knowing I’ll wire her money in the morning, my thoughts shift to Miriam at the end of the hall. I never expected to have her in this space again and I’m torn between being at ease with her here, but pissed this whole situation didn’t pan out the way I had planned.

I need my structure and expectations met. A pregnant, near stranger, holed up inmycabin is so far from what I thought would happen; I’m struggling to accept it.How the hell did this happen?Shooting out of bed, I rush downstairs to the office I have here where I keep my laptop. Because of my line of work, I make a habit of meticulously scanning and saving every document I’ve ever created, plus I back up additional copies on a separate hard drive.

Scrolling through the files, I findDelgado, Miriam,and open it. I know exactly what page to go to, and right there, the box is checked yes. She said she was on birth control and even lists the name of prescription.

Vaguely, I remember her telling me she was going to nursing school, so does this mean she’d know how to screw up her dosing to cause it to fail? I glance at the spot on the ceiling I know she’s laying above.

Deciding I’d rather ask her the questions instead of assuming, I close the computer and head up. I catch Kevin sitting in the kitchen in the dark, and Ishouldfind out where his head’s at, but right now I need answers.

The door to her room is silent as I push it open, and I’m only three steps in before I catch myself from tripping over a sleeping Ezra. I jerk my head up to see Miriam’s form laid on top of her bed with her face turned toward me. Pointing at the sleeping soldier, I wordlessly ask if she wants me to get rid of him.

“Leave him. He belly crawled in here and promptly passed out once he got settled. What’s one more night?” She sounds defeated at the end, turning her head away to focus on the ceiling. Just as I was down the hall, fighting for sleep to come for me.

Stepping over him, I fight the urge to nudge him with my toe, but who knows how he’d react being startled away. Even with her speaking in the room, his breathing doesn’t change, telling me he’s deep into sleep.

I sit on the edge of her bed, bending a leg so I can face her. “I have some questions.”

“You going to be a dick about it?”

I’m too tired to react, so I shrug. “Probably, but will you give me the benefit of the doubt and not take anything personally for the duration of this conversation? If we can have one, honest to God, adult conversation between the two of us, I won’t holdany truths against you if you don’t hold mydickishpersonality against me.”

“Sure,” she says without hesitation, closing her eyes. “Ask away.”

“You were on birth control.”

Cracking an eye open, she waits, but I stay silent. “That’s not a question, pen—Richard.” I don’t miss the way she catches herself from throwing another insult in my direction.

“I apologize. If you were on birth control, what happened that it failed?”

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