Page 53 of A Forbidden Love (Fraser Crime Syndicate 3)

He’s driving up the familiar driveway towards the house. As we get closer, I see the large property in front of us. It has columns in front of the doors and large latticed windows that overlook a stone driveway. There are landscaped gardens beyond that. It’s suspiciously homely for a man like Kane, but he and Elena have been living here for a while now, which has meant my brother is spending less time in London.

Ryan stops the car in front of the door and cuts the engine. As we climb out, Elena appears on the porch, her smile wide. I glance at Ryan, who gives me a nod, and I rush towards her.

She throws her arms around me as I get closer. “It’s good to see you,” she says. “You can save me from your brother. He’s in a foul mood.”

She says it lightly, which tells me she doesn’t really need saving, but that she’s enjoying ribbing Kane. It would be a dangerous prospect for anyone else, but Elena is his wife, and my brother loves her. There are probably people surprised that Kane Fraser is capable of loving another person, but that just tells me how little they know about my brother. Kane is extremely loving to those who deserve it. He unconditionally loves his siblings and would fight for any one of us. He might be cold, but there is warmth to him too—if you deserve to be shown it.

“When isn’t he?” I smirk.

Kane steps out behind her. “If you’re all going to give me shit, I’m going to my office.”

Elena releases me and pokes him in the side. “Don’t be a bore.”

Kane’s mouth pulls into a tight line. “You’re lucky I love you.”

“I am,” she agrees, rolling to her toes to kiss him before turning back to me. “Zeke and Luke are out the back with Sariah and Bailey. My sister Letta is here too.”

She links her arm through mine and tugs me into the house. I twist to look over my shoulder for Ryan, but my sister-in-law doesn’t stop moving us, so I lose track of him.

Elena leads us to the patio doors, and I see my family gathered a distance from the house on a large patio area that overlooks the gardens.

We head over and I’m embraced by each of them as soon as we get close. I don’t know Letta, Elena’s sister, but I give her a quick hug too, before sitting down. The conversation gets under way, and I zone out, my thoughts going back to this morning’s sexapades with Ryan.

“Sariah’s pregnant.”

That brings me back to the conversation instantly. My eyes snap between Luke and my sister-in-law. Luke seems a little anxious, but he’s also happy.

Elena stands and throws her arms around Sariah.

“Congratulations. I’m so pleased for you both.”

Sariah beams. “It’s only early days yet, so we have a while to go, but we’re both excited.”

I glance back toward the house, wondering where Ryan is. My brothers made him and the other guards stay inside, which pissed me off, but I could hardly kick up a fuss, not without revealing the fact I’m sleeping with the man sent to protect me.

“While we are sharing news, we are also expecting.” Zeke grabs Bailey’s hand, slipping it into his.

My eyes flare. Is everyone pregnant? We all look at Elena.

“We are not pregnant,” she says instantly.

Letta, Elena’s sister, leans forward, grabbing a wine glass from the table. She lifts it in toast. “Congratulations all around.”

I don’t know much about what happened, but I know Letta was hurt badly by her husband—dead husband now. He hurt Elena too, so I guessed Letta’s ex died at my brother’s hand, though no one explicitly told me that.

My eyes stray to Elena. She’s wearing a cropped top today that shows her stomach, where the word ‘whore’ had been carved into her skin. Now, there’s a vibrant tattoo there, hiding the damage done.

Sariah leans forward, her hand slipping into Luke’s. “In other news, I think we might be a little bit closer to finding out who my father is.”

That interests me because my sister-in-law admitted recently that Declan Easton isn’t her father.

“I spoke to some of my mother’s friends who were around at the time I was conceived. They remember my mother being hung up on a man who was married. They didn’t think anything could happen between them, that the crush was one-sided, but I’m not so sure. It’s an avenue me and Luke are exploring.”

“Whatever you need to help with that,” Kane says, “let me know. I have resources we can utilise—under the radar, of course.”

“Well, I, for one, am thrilled at the prospect of becoming an auntie.” I can’t stop from beaming as I say the words. Babies are always a blessing, and to have two more in our family is amazing. “I’ll spoil both babies rotten.”

My mind drifts. What kind of father would Ryan be? Would I be a good mother? The thought of us with a baby makes me smile. I can’t help it. I want that dream. I want us to have a family and a home together. I want to be sitting here with my partner, instead of him being stuck inside like one of the staff.

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