Page 53 of Hap

I smile. “I can show you.” I pull out my cell and get the video up that Star recorded, loving that it is now viral on the internet. Hap watches, his lips twitching into a smile, but when he catches my sister heavily pregnant, his smile falls and his eyes come to me.

“She’s fucking pregnant,” he snaps.

“Yeah, and it has been for a while,” I point out.

“Fucking should have cut his fucking balls off and made him choke on them,” he spits. “And I’m sorry, but your sister is a cunt,” he seethes.

I cup his jaw. “Look at me,” I say softly. His furious gaze lands on mine. “Right now, I couldn’t give a shit. They deserve each other. Even my mother can fuck off. My dad, on the other hand, I think he will like you.” I smile softly. “This humiliation was just entertainment.” I snort. As I press my lips to his, he growls and pushes me back against the wall, deepening the kiss.

“Ahem! There are children around!” Queenie sings loudly as she passes with a tray of food. I swear all that woman does is cook and look after the babies. I don’t know how she does it all.

Hap breaks the kiss, groaning as he rests his temple on mine.

“I can’t wait until all this shit is done so I can have you in our own fucking home whenever I fucking want,” he huffs.

I laugh. “Well, that won’t happen, because at some point we will have a baby spoiling it for us,” I point out.

“Our son.” His grin deepens.

I nod. “Our son.” I’m still getting used to the fact that we now know what we are having. “When do you think we will be able to go back to your house?” I ask.

“Our house,” he asserts. I roll my eyes, but he holds my jaw firmly, forcing me to look at him. “Do not roll your eyes at me. It’s our house. Ours. Do I need to remind you what you are to me?” he asks, trailing his lips along my neck.

My eyes flutter closed. “I wouldn’t say no,” I whisper.

“Little eyes!” Queenie yells, walking past us again, carrying more food.

My eyes fling open. “Where does she come from?” I ask, laughing.

Hap gives me a swift kiss before he hands me back my phone. He takes my hand in his and leads me back down the hall, where apparently Queenie has cooked up a dinner to feed an army.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

ALINA

2 weeks later

Things hadn’t really seemedto change at all. The guys were still chasing up leads, trying to find Eugene. I had learnt more and more about the story behind it, and I felt awful for what Elsie and Scar had endured. I was missing work, and Becky had been amazing by keeping me updated as much as she could, but there were clients that Becky had said were demanding a meeting. Their divorce was getting messy, and they wanted me there to sort it.

I hadn’t told Hap that I was going into the office. I figured I would just get ready and then spring it on him. Probably not the right way to go about it, but I figured it was better this way than trying to hash it out with him. Thankfully, I have a black wrap dress that can accommodate my growing bump. I slip on my favourite pair of black stilettos and grab my purse, deciding to leave my hair down, which is unusual for me, but I didn’t have a lot of time left until I had to be at the meeting, and I wanted to make sure I gave enough time to hash this out with Hap before I go. I take one last look in the mirror and take a deep breath.

“Damn, I wish I could have a stiff drink for courage,” I say to myself before I walk out of the room and down the hall, my heels clicking along the hardwood floor. Keeping my shoulders back and my head high, I evoke my bad ass bitch mentality, like I always did for work.

“Woah, looking stunning!” Star compliments me when she spots me. I give her a wink. Hap is sitting on the sofa, and as he turns his head in my direction, his eyes sweep me from head to toe, heating every part of my body as he does.

He stands and stalks towards me, his eyes never leaving mine. “No,” he states. It’s the one word that I knew would leave his mouth.

“I wasn’t asking for your permission,” I counter. “I have a meeting to get to at work, and it’s important. I’ve had too much time off. There is only so much I can do from here,” I argue.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass if it’s the fucking king and queen of England that needs a divorce right now. No client, no fucking job, is worth risking your life,” he states firmly, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I will go straight to the office and then come right back here again. I won’t deviate from the route. You can come with me if you like and wait in the truck. Or send someone else. I don’t care, but I am going to this meeting. I still have a business to run, and I still need to earn money,” I protest.

“No, you don’t. I earn enough for the both of us,” he states.

My spine stiffens. “Oh no, he didn’t!” Star heckles from the other side of the room.

“I don’t want your money. I want my own money. We are not in the year 1945; I earn my money, I work hard for my money, and I enjoy my job. Just because I’m pregnant with your child does not mean you get to tell me what I can and can’t do. Even after I’ve had this baby, I will go back to work. I’m not surewhen or how many hours, but I will be going back to work,” I say through gritted teeth.

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