Page 32 of Secret Twins for the Alien Dad

I want to hug my knees to my chest, but my bump is in the way. “You might’ve been better off if you’d never found me. Now you’re caught up in all my shit.”

He shakes his head. “You’re not alone, Myra. We’ll figure this out.” He flashes me a cocky smile. “I’m a pretty good investigator, you know. I bet I can find that missing comm-pad by the time the babies are due.”

In spite of myself, I chuckle. “Is that right?”

His green eyes crinkle mischievously. “Well, I found you, didn’t I?”

Sobering, he gives my hand another squeeze. “Seriously, you’re going to be okay. I swear I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure that you and the babies are safe and cared for.”

Something squeezes in my ribcage, and I give him a watery smile. Stupid pregnancy hormones making me cry at the most inconvenient times. “Thank you, Zair. It’s more than I deserve.”

“I should send you my comm-number,” he says, pulling out his pad.

“Right, good idea.” I pull out my own, too, and add his name to my tiny contact list. It’s really just Eva, my boss, and my doctors. I threw out my old one with all the people I knew in Glimner out of fear that it would be tracked.

He sends me a test message and the information for the hotel he will be staying at. Then, he gets to his feet. “If you need anything – anything at all – please let me know.”

I try to follow, but my belly makes things unwieldy. With a chuckle, he offers me a hand and pulls me to my feet. “Thank you,” I say as I walk him to the door. “For everything.”

He shakes his head with a smile. “I’m happy I can help.”

With that, he’s out the door, and I sit back down on the couch, trying to process everything that’s just happened.

16

ZAIR

“As you can see, sir, the light in this room is perfect for breakfast on a sunny morning. You’ve got the street view on both sides, park down the lane, school nearby. It’s perfect for a bachelor about town, such as yourself.”

I take another step inside the freshly painted apartment clutching a heavy briefcase. Yes, this one just might do. It’s the third one I've seen this week, and the most promising. Last week we looked at a cottage directly in Mother’s Village, but it was too far away from Myra’s job. A woman needs her sanity and her own money.

The second apartment had too many stairs. Myra wouldn’t want to be carrying two babies up and down all day long. Heck, I wouldn’t like it either. And it was too far from the school. She would want to be able to walk our kids there on her way to work.

No, this one is perfect. A second story, not too many stairs, but enough that I can see both sides of the street. If she and I ever need to make a quick getaway, this would be the perfect spot to scout our escape.

“Talk to me about the utilities,” I say while inspecting the refrigeration cabinet. It's a little small, but nothing's perfect.

“Flat monthly rate. Trash included.”

“I think this will do,'' I tell her, placing my hands in my pockets with a feeling of finality. Yes, this is it. I can see it now. A bay window opens into the second bedroom, perfect for a crib. I can see Myra, playing with our babies on the floor. Reading to them in the window.

Is it too much to hope it will be a boy? Honestly, thinking about Myra’s face, it doesn’t matter. A girl would look and sound like her and make me laugh if she picked me flowers or tried to braid my hair.

“There’s some papers you'll need to sign. The landlord asks for a month’s rent upfront–”

“I was thinking, I’ll just buy it.” I can practically see the Koltec signs in the realtor's eyes at the prospect. She checks herself with a deep breath before continuing.

“I’ll have to check if they're entertaining offers, but it shouldn't be a problem, Mr. Megadya,” she exclaims, rushing back down the stairs to speak to the owner. It just makes sense. If anything happens to me, Myra will be a lot safer if she doesn't have to worry about rent at all. At the very least, this apartment will be something she can count on.

There’s still the question of how to clear her name with Brev. Assuming, of course, that there’s not more to the problem.

It just doesn’t make sense, I remind myself, thinking back to my last night in Glimner. One thing keeps coming up in my mind. The only reason why Brev would go to such extremes over the comm is that there must be something on it. People don't usually use room comms unless they’re hiding a secret.

In the week and a half since finding Myra and staying in Marig, I've waited to hear from my mates. So far, nothing’s turned up. As far as anyone knows, the comm is still out there. I’ll need more than the mere fact of its existence if I aim to find it.

The reality is, I have no other choice. I’ll have to leave Myra and go back to Glimner. That’s the only way I can know for sure what happened to it and if she’ll be safe. The alternative is a life on the run. I won't have that for my mate or my children. Tonight, I need to find a way to tell her.

“Mr. Megadya, sign here please.” The realtor is back with the papers and a very eager landlord. “Shall we finish this at the lenders?”

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