Page 63 of Mr. Kelly

“Are you watching me?” he asks, looking around our room.

“No.” There is no amusement in The Reaper’s voice. “We both play chess, but I’m several moves ahead. I’ve already learned about you, but you’ve just started to learn about me. The gifts are harmless. A token of mercy from me.”

The line goes dead as we look at each other. Assassins do hit differently. Andrea laughs, but it’s not one that comes from being amused. “This is exactly what I suspected.”

“You were right that we shouldn’t get involved, but I trusted your instinct before his arrival,” Teddy tells Andrea.

“What’s going on?” Delaney asks, looking at anyone who will answer.

I watch her as they fill her in with what they found. Delaney shifts on her bare feet as she looks at the box. Her black spaghetti strap nightgown stops mid-thigh and has a split. The neckline gives her cleavage although she’s not wearing a bra. She looks sexy. I’m not sure if Andrea picked her clothes, or if that’s how she normally sleeps.

Do they sleep in the same room? Have they had sex?

I giggle to myself because my brain is nosy as hell right now.

“Girl, you’re giggling, and I’m shook,” she confesses with a smirk.

“I believed him when he said we weren’t in danger,” I admit. Teddy kisses my temple as he hugs me from behind. “Besides, It’s never a dull moment with these two.”

Plus, the stuff I’m working through from being almost sold takes up the majority of my headspace. It was hard to entertain my family for almost a week while pretending it never happened.

“I guess since my newest patient is getting closer to this world, you’ve had plenty of time to adjust.” Her statement makes me giggle again.

It makes sense since she’d be our son’s doctor, yet I continue to allow Andrea to surprise me. I look up at him, but he hasa serious expression as he stares at Delaney’s profile. His face doesn’t tell me what he’s thinking. Andrea tucks his finger under her chin so she can look at him.

“Did he scare you?”

Delaney looks like she wants to pull her chin out of his hold but knows better. A moment simmers between them, as if they’re arguing with their eyes.

“I don’t know. I’ve been terrorized for weeks now.”

Teddy’s chest shakes with a silent laugh, but it’s Andrea’s laugh I hear.

“Don’t start shit with me so close to our wedding. I haven’t terrorized you, wife, but I can show you the difference.”

They aren’t cute words, his threat real, and he stares at her the way my mom used to stare at me if my sister got in trouble just moments before. I know that look. It’s a dare for you to make a mistake so they can strike.

“Andrea!” I say without considering who I am addressing.

His glare makes me jump a little so I reach for the best recovery I can find. “The baby kicked. I thought you’d want to feel it.”

I rub my belly to annoy my calm child. He kicks in retaliation. He just started kicking hard enough for Teddy to feel after the wedding. I smile at the memory. While I was excited by my son’s movement, just remembering that Teddy is my husband while he talks to my stomach for half an hour makes me giddy. It was a sweet moment that I’ll cherish forever.

Andrea’s face softens, and the smile I’m somewhat used to seeing now returns. His warm hand covers my belly, and I use mine to guide him. The baby kicks him and it’s an amazing sight to see his face light up. For a moment, his pure joy makes me forget that he’s a crime boss with a kidnapped fiancée.

“Fantastic,” Andrea says with a content sigh. I may have brought her a moment, but I was not a good enough distraction.He promptly turns and grabs Delaney by the nape of her neck, bringing them almost nose to nose. “I’ve allowed your request to wait until marriage. We start the moment the ring is on your finger. Don’t test me.”

He uses the same grip to guide her out without another word to us.That answers my question.

“Get out of their business, wife, and see what’s in the box.”

He steals a kiss that almost makes me throw the box, but he pulls away before I do any such thing. I pull off the little blue ribbon to find a plush yellow bear with “Baby’s First Bear” written on its belly. There is a silver necklace around the bear's neck. I leave it and pick up the note in the box. I’m surprised to see it typed, but realize that the assassin might be so private that no one is privileged to his handwriting.

“The necklace is for you so your Teddy is always close,” I read aloud. “Aww, that's cute, and I’ve always thought yellow was the happiest and therefore the best of all the colors!”

Teddy shakes his head again. “That damn man knew that. He just demonstrated that he knows you are pregnant, likes yellow, and calls me Teddy.”

“Wow,” I respond as I sit on the bed. “Creepy, but accurate.” I place my new little buddy on my nightstand. “I know you don’t want me to be impressed, but I expect you to give me this kind of energy.”

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