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“Just don’t give her your back,” Carven muttered. “She’s likely to knock you out.”
There. At least Carven was on my side.
But it was Caleb who stepped forward, cutting across me to hold out his hand. “Caleb Banks.”
Helene shook it. “I know who you are,” she admired as she glanced at the others. “Nick. Tobias. I’m really sorry to hear about your father and your mom, Ryth. It was a shock to us all.”
Father.
Just the mere mention of that word swept me back into dangerous territory. “Was it?” I asked. “A shock, I mean. I just assumed you knew everything. After all, you are your father’s minion, aren’t you?”
“Vivienne,” London snarled, only more insistently this time.
“What?” I snapped, shooting him a glare. “It’s the truth, isn’t it? She and her father are the reason we’re here in the first place?”
“And the reason you’re still alive,” London added, scowling at me.
I hadn’t seen him this angry…not since that first night when he’d forced me into the car and driven me to the orphanage. But he was angry now, and disappointed. Pain cut through my chest.
“Yes,” Helene said. “When you put it that way, he is.”
Surprise flooded in.
“But he’s also your father, too,” Helene added, before she turned. “And Ryth’s.”
My sister just shook her head. “No, I already have a father. There’s no room for another one.”
Helene shook her head, opening her mouth to speak. But I didn’t want to hear what she had to say. Ryth’s mind was made up. She had a dad and by God, Helene needed to respect that.
“The baby.” I swiveled around, ignoring the woman who claimed she was my kin, and focused on the only one who mattered. “Tell me all about it?”
“It’s a girl,” she beamed.
The floor seemed to drop out from under me. My heart hammered and my mouth went dry. The fear I harbored engulfed me like a deadly storm. I glanced at London, but he was already striding across the space toward me.
Tobias shot us a glare, scanning the warehouse. “What is it?”
I tried to swallow as London’s hand settled protectively against my back. “We’re so happy for you, Ryth,” he spoke calmly while I fell apart in front of him. “I heard you have a place now. You can rest assured your daughter’s aunt here is going to spoil her as well as any aunt does, right, sweetheart?”
He turned to me. I couldn’t speak…
My breaths were racing. My mind was screaming.
“What is it?” Ryth whispered, her faint smile fading.
I shook my head, swallowing my fears. What if it’s a girl, London? What if it’s…
I couldn’t tell her that. I couldn’t ruin what little happiness she had. “Nothing.” I forced a smile. “I’m just so happy. We…” I glanced at Colt, then Carven. “We have a bit of a surprise ourselves.”
“You’re not?” Ryth whispered, her eyes widening.
Just like the terror that consumed me had left her alone. “Two of them,” I whispered. “By two different fathers.”
Nick shot Carven a sideways glance.
“We’re going to have babies at the same time?” Ryth burst into tears.
I looked down at my flat stomach, the bump barely visible. “Well, not exactly. But it’ll be close eno—”
