Page 96 of Unexpected Delivery

Gracie’s cries come next, over the monitor in the living room, and I freeze.

“I’ll get her.” Hael slides around the table, grabs a bottle from the fridge, unplugs the warmer, and takes it with him as he leaves the room.

“Briar, why don’t you help me bring in the rest of the gifts?” Calder asks.

Hayes comes up behind me and runs his hand up and down my spine. “We really don’t need to see this. We can go too…”

My head shakes.

I want to know what this is about and who that woman is.

Hayes continues to stand close to my back as Morris supports my front, and together, it feels like a wall of safety wrapped fully around me.

Easton finally lets Adam up and says, “Vernie, are you all set with those papers?”

“Two sets of each.” She slides them across the table, and Easton plucks them up.

“I need a pen,” he says, looking at Keir. The tall man procures one, and Easton takes it. “See, Adam, you could have saved us a lot of trouble if you had just stayed the fuck away. Now you’ve become my problem, so we’re going to handle this permanently. The first set of papers dissolves any rights you may have to paternity—not that I believe you’re the child’s father—but we are ending any delusions you might have here and now.” He grabs the tie binding Adam’s wrists and tugs his hands up onto the table before placing a pen in his hand. “Sign thefuckingdocument.”

Adam drops the pen and tries to scramble from the chair once more.

Keir takes over this time, and it’s not pretty. “I’ve already told you what I despise more than anything in the world. Do we need to revisit that conversation?”

My heart races. I know Easton plans to swap the test results, but what if they couldn’t gain access and that’s why he needs those papers signed?

“This is getting tedious,” Vernie says.

That old woman seems tough as nails, and I can’t help but wonder where Easton found her.

Keir uses his hand in Adam’s hair, pulling his head back at an awkward angle as he speaks directly into his ear.

Easton glances in my direction. “They always think they’re the biggest and meanest…until they meet someone capable of putting them in their place.” He shrugs and gets close to Adam’s face. “I will break every bone in your non-dominant hand if you don’t pick that pen up in the next three seconds. After that, I’ll have Keir stab you with it until your stance on signing those changes. Face facts, Adam. You’re no longer the most ruthless person in the room, and time is ticking.”

Adam snatches the pen, even though it’s awkward with his hands bound. He signs the top paper and slides it aside, using his palm, before signing the next sheet.

Relief washes over me like a tidal wave. But I’m also worried about what will happen when they release Adam and he calls the police. His family has money to throw at any problem, and I start to wonder if they even intend to let him go.

“You’re not done yet,” Easton says, collecting the papers Adam just signed. “This set is the business transaction we discussed on the way here.”

Adam starts to fight again.

“There it is…” Hayes curses under his breath. “This was never just about helping us.”

Easton laughs darkly. “I prefer to think of it as a bonus for being a good brother. Unless you’d like to refund the twelve grand for my flight? I’m only joking. Consider this my wedding gift to the happy new pack.” He gestures at his packmate. “Keir…”

Keir slams Adam against the table so violently, a crunching sound fills the air. Blood streams from Adam’s nose, and I finally decide that I’m done.

“I want to go upstairs with Hael now,” I say, burying my face in Morris’s T-shirt.

“Before you go, would you like to offer Adam any parting words?” Easton asks.

My head shakes. “No, just make sure he knows that if he ever puts his hands on a woman again…” I shrug. “I bet you can come up with scarier consequences than I can. I really want to hold my baby right now.”

Easton nods.

If I hadn’t experienced him firsthand, I never would have believed the twins when they said their brother was a full-blown psychopath.

Chapter Thirty-Five

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