Page 60 of Fearless Bond

“We will.”

“Good. Okay.”

“You’re so brave, Calvin. You’ve got this.”

I could deal with his father and ex myself. Calvin could hide behind me, and I’d send them where the sun didn’t shine with no return ticket. But I understood why Calvin needed to do it himself.

“I’ll be right by your side. And if things go crazy, we have all the bears of Beauville standing up for us.”

He turned in my arms and buried his face between my pecs.

Just then, tires crunched on the snow outside. Calvin straightened in my arms, his entire form vibrating.

I looked through the kitchen window into the yard.

What the hell? How did they get here so fast?

“Does your father travel with an armed security team?”

“What?” Calvin squeaked.

He hurried to the window, and we both watched as three men in black winter coats and dark sunglasses exited the luxury SUV that had just arrived. They surveyed their surroundings, then one of them opened the back passenger door.

A lanky man in tight leather pants and heavy combat boots stepped out of the vehicle. He wore a black woolen hat with the hood of his jacket pulled up over it. Large, mirrored aviator glasses obscured most of his face.

Calvin gasped next to me. “Shit. That’s Laure.”

Oh.I’d entirely forgotten about Laurel Riley.

19

BARCLAY

Calvin went to the hallway to put on his shoes and jacket. I followed him out.

Having the illustrious Laurel Riley in my yard was intimidating, his security entourage notwithstanding. I should have invited him in and offered him something to drink, but he was surely one of those folks who drank oat milk with their coffee. My fridge had never seen stuff like that.

I hovered in the background as Calvin walked up to Laurel, who took off his sunglasses, and they hugged. For a moment, it all looked friendly until Laurel glared at me over Calvin’s shoulder.

“That’s him?” he asked in a low, menacing tone.

Calvin stepped out of the embrace and gestured to me. “This is Barclay, my mate.”

My chest puffed up at the sure way Calvin introduced me. I offered my hand to Laurel, who reluctantly took it while his security team bored holes in my body.

“He certainly does look like a bear.”

“Be nice,” Calvin warned.

But it became obvious Laurel hadn’t come here to be nice. He put his hands on his hips, scanning Calvin up and down. “You’re really preggo? Did you do a test?”

“Yes, I really am.”

“You don’t have to stay with him just because of that, you know. You have options.”

“I know,” Calvin said with more patience than I’d ever have. “As I told you before, I want to be with Barclay.”

Laurel gestured to me without looking. “You know nothing about this dude, Cal!”

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