Page 56 of The Devil's Pair

Briley stretched a bit, felt every muscle and tendon loosen and unravel. “Pretty great, actually.”

“Yeah?” Drake asked, looking at her carefully. “We weren’t too much?”

“God, no. Don’t you boys know by now that you’re never enough?” Briley ran her hands through her tumbled hair. “Icraveyou, both of you, even when you’re still inside me.”

“OK,that’sthe hottest thing we’ve ever heard,” Dux said. “Ever.”

“Ever?” She fluttered her eyelashes at them.

“Fuckingever,” Drake confirmed.

She reached up, kissed him and then his brother, reveling in being able to just touch them, whenever she wanted, however she wanted. She was hungry for them all the time, and she knew that she’d be gone soon, alone back at home and at work. But this time when they all parted, it wouldn’t be with a sick, sad crunch in the pit of her stomach; it would be with hope and joy, and knowing that they’d be back with her soon. It would happen with an eye on the future… a future that they’d build together, along with their children.

“As much as we’d like to go for fun scenario number three,” Dux murmured against her lips. “Wedohave some stuff to tell you, babe. It’s important.”

Right away, the warm, fuzzy, safe feeling dissipated. She hadn’t exactlyforgottenabout Wolf calling an MC meeting on short notice, but shehadmanaged to shove it down and aside, and focus instead on her own sudden appearance and big news.

That was over now, though. She’d told the twins about her pregnancy, and they’d come to an agreement, and they’d sealed it not just with a kiss, but with some mind-blowing, passionate sex.

And so the time had come to face what was surely not-great news. Maybe even terrible, terrifying news. But at least she was going to hear it here, wrapped up in the arms of these two amazing men.

“OK,” she said, fighting to keep the panic out of her voice. She wriggled around a bit, ended up with her head resting on Drake’s broad chest, her legs intertwined with Dux’s. “I’m listening.”

“So…” Dux paused, unsure how to start. “So you remember we told you about Crusher Alcott, over in Utah?”

“The MC monster that Michael’s taken up with, somehow?” she said. “The one that is incredibly bad news?”

“Yep. Buckle up, babe. This is quite a ride.”

And indeed it was. She lay there, mute and frozen, as they told her about Crusher and Darryl’s long history, and how they’d disappeared right under the nose of the FBI and some guy named King, who seemed to be some kind of black-ops badass. Briley certainly hadn’t met him, but she was already convinced that he was someone to be both respectedandfeared.

“And now,” Drake finished. “We – and that means us, Wolf, and King – all think that you’re definitely safer in Pennsylvania now than you are in Denver. If Alcott or Webber spot you, they have plenty of reason to want to hurt you. Back home, with your legal Annette Morris identity and withallpersonal and professional roads leading to her, you’re pretty much invisible. Wolf told us to get you safe and clear as soon as we could.”

“So… so you want me to leave?”

“We really don’t, darlin’,” Drake said softly. “We're not getting rid of you, atall. We're keeping you safe.” His large hand caressed her curved stomach. “Allof you.”

“Well,” she said brightly, trying to stay upbeat. “My return flight’s tomorrow at noon. Is that soon enough?”

They blinked, astonished. “Yourwhatiswhen?”

“Well, I didn't think you'd react like this – that you'd be this happy,” she faltered, taken aback at the thunderous look on their faces. “I – I expected you to just –”

“Just what?” Dux demanded. “Abandon you? Abandon our kid?Kids?”

“You just told me to go home,” she protested, indignant. “After what you just told me, I’d think that you’d bethrilledthat I’m leaving so soon.”

“OK, yes,” Dux said, more calmly. “Yes, we’re telling you to go back to Pennsylvania, but not, like,immediately. Stay an extra day or two.”

“But didn’t you just say that Wolf tell you to get my ass on a plane ASAP?”

“He did,” Drake admitted. “But that was before we knew about the babies, right? We need to sort a few things out and that takes some time, and I think we’d rather do it all in person, anyway, right?”

“It would be better to do this face-to-face,” she agreed. “But what will you tell Wolf?”

“That you’re staying in the house,” Drake said. “You’re safe here, we have great home security, and as long as you stay put, I don’t see how anyone can hurt you.”

“Are you sure?”

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