Page 29 of Echos and Empires
Alex and William entered a moment later, their expressions grim. Alex flopped down on the couch beside Emma, his usual playful grin nowhere to be seen. William remained standing, his arms crossed over his broad chest as he surveyed the room.
“We heard about the meeting,” William added. “We know he’s here.”
“Who’s here?” Bash growled.
Liam paced the length of the room, his fists clenched at his sides. “The bastard’s been making moves, consolidating power. He’s got half the damn island under his thumb already. Fucking vitamins my ass, what else is he really doing?”
Chris sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We knew this was a possibility. Warrington’s always been a snake. But we can’t just rush in without a plan.”
Bash remained silent, his mind racing with possibilities. Victor Warrington was a thorn in their side, a monster who already tried to threaten their peace once, but somehow had a tie to this island. The man was a master manipulator, always scheming, always looking for ways to expand his influence.
Bash took hold of Emma’s hand, his thumb gently caressing her knuckles in a soothing motion. He wasn’t the best at offering comfort, but he hoped the small gesture would remind her that he was there for her, no matter what.
The room had erupted into chaos, with everyone talking over each other in increasingly agitated tones. Liam and Chris were locked in a heated debate, their words sharp and clipped as they argued about the best course of action. Alex and William looked on in confusion, trying to make sense of the situation.
“Enough!” Emma’s voice rang out, cutting through the noise like a knife. The room fell silent, all eyes turning to her in shock.
Bash stared at her, his heart swelling with a fierce pride. Even in the midst of this madness, she remained a pillar of strength, refusing to be cowed by the mounting tension. Her hazel eyes flashed with determination as she stood, squaring her shoulders as if preparing for battle.
“I know you’re all worried about Warrington,” she began, her voice steady and calm. “But arguing amongst ourselves isn’t going to solve anything. We need to approach this rationally, come up with a plan that doesn’t put any of us at unnecessary risk. Besides, it sounds like only two of you have the information and the rest of us are in the dark.”
Liam opened his mouth to protest, but Emma held up a hand, silencing him with a look. “I know you want to protect us, Liam. But rushing in without thinking things through could be disastrous. We need to be smart about this. You’re acting like Alex.”
“Because Warrington almost killed you,” Liam snarled, his blue eyes damn near glowing as he pulled his glasses off.
Alex leaned forward, his brow furrowed in concern. “I resent that, by the way. So what do we do? We can’t just sit back and let him take over the whole damn island.”
William shifted his stance, his muscles rippling beneath his shirt. “We gather intel. Find out exactly what he’s up to, who his allies are, what resources he has at his disposal. Then we come up with a plan of attack.”
Bash spoke up, his voice low and gruff. “And in the meantime, we keep Emma safe. She’s our priority, above all else.”
The others nodded in agreement, their expressions fierce and determined. Bash felt a surge of pride, knowing that these men would lay down their lives for Emma without hesitation. She was the glue that held them together, the light that guided them through the darkness.
Emma sat back down beside him, her hand finding his once more. She leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder as she let out a shaky breath. Bash pressed a kiss to her temple, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the TV. “For always being there for me.” She cleared her throat. “I wasn’t done!” She shouted over the noise again as the others returned to their conversation, and this time, Bash was the one to go still. It wasn’t like Emma to shout at anyone.
Emma took a deep breath,trying to calm the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach. She wished Ranger was here, his warm presence always a soothing balm to her frayed nerves. But he was likely out back, chasing a butterfly or reveling in the warm sunshine.
She would have to face this moment alone.
It shouldn’t be terrifying to tell the men she loved that they were going to be a real family, but she couldn’t help but suddenly worry that their desire to share her would snap with a child in the mix. Something she’d worried about when she was up late at night, but never dared to voice out loud.
“I went to the doctor last with Alex. They thought they knew what was wrong, but I decided not to do anything until the tests were run because I didn’t want to rock the boat if something wasn’t real.”
She looked around at the five men who had become her entire world, their faces etched with concern and anticipation. How could she even begin to put into words the news that would change all of their lives forever?
“Are you okay?” Liam’s fury vanished in an instant, his eyes going soft with worry. “What’s going on?” He turned to Alex. “Did you know? I thought it was a UTI?”
“I didn’t know a fucking thing. I was asked to leave.” Alex’s usual charm was not present.
Come on, Emma. You’re making this worse. They probably will only be excited. Stop stalling.
Bash’s arm tightened around her, his solid strength a comforting anchor in the midst of her turbulent emotions. She leaned into him, drawing courage from his unwavering support even if he didn’t know what he was supporting. Chris stood before her, his intense gaze locked on hers, silently urging her to speak. Liam, Alex, and William all watched her with bated breath, their postures tense and alert.
Emma licked her dry lips, her heart hammering against her ribcage. “I... I went to see the doctor this morning for a follow up,” she began, her voice trembling slightly. “They ran some tests and... and they confirmed something.”
“Emma now is not the time to decide you’re afraid to tell us something,” Chris urged, the worry so damn thick in his voice she couldn’t help but drown in a wave of guilt.
