Once up, Fleur grinned at Amelie and copied her pose, sitting up and stretching her legs out with crossed ankles. “Watcha doin’?”
Holding back a grin, Amelie said, “I was talking to Auntie Scarlett but now I’m glad to have you with me.”
Fleur snuggled into her side and Amelie looped an arm about her shoulder. They were silent for a bit but Amelie gave Fleur a chance to speak. Her daughter wasn’t typically shy about asking for things, but emotionally, she was sensitive to nuances.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?” Amelie smoothed her hand over the surprisingly black hair on her daughter’s head. Neither she nor Roan had black hair in their family tree.
“Do you think my daddy will come back to keep the bad man away from me?”
Amelie’s hand stilled. After today, she should have expected this question yet felt wholly unprepared how to answer.
“He doesn’t have to stay if his work is busy,” Fleur rushed to add.
Work was the excuse she and Scarlett used once Fleur was old enough to understand about having a mommy and a daddy as her friends did. Leaning over to kiss the top of her daughter’s head, Amelie thought long and hard on what to say. She finally settled on, “I think if he could, he would.”
It was the best answer she could think of. Lying to Fleur didn’t sit well with her but the truth was too much for a child her age to understand. How did you explain that a parent who was supposed to take care of you had tried to kill you before you were born?
Besides, if Fleur let the truth slip to the wrong person, they could end up homeless. Fleur nuzzled closer against Amelie, voice drowsy as she said, “He’ll come.”
Her fictitious daddy or Roan? Neither boded well for Amelie.
Chapter 6
“Saedra’s been hinting around for a while and I’ve finally located a place I think will work.”
Sulen leaned back in his seat and eyed Garik across the table in the night club. He should have known there was more to his fellow assassin wanting to meet in such a noisy venue. The music alone had him cringing. “She wants a place to raise a family?”
Garik nodded and shoved his untouched drink aside. The dark interior of the corner they occupied couldn’t hide his grimace. “I’ve put her off long enough since I ended my contract with the Guild.”
Smiling, Sulen held up his bottled drink. Like Garik, he was leery of consuming unpackaged food and drink they didn’t witness being prepared. “She has you by the balls.”
Garik’s upper lip curled in a snarl as he snapped, “She’s pregnant, idiot.”
Liquid spilled on the table as Sulen slammed his drink down. “You’re shitting me?! That’s...great...bad?”
It was no secret Garik’s bonded mate wanted kids and Garik had been hesitant to take the next step in their relationship out of fear until he could end his commitment to the Guild. At first, the agreement to wait a few months hadn’t been an issue but it had been four years since Garik ended his role as a lone assassin.
Clearly, Saedra had grown impatient and now wanted to start their family. Moving to a place geared toward a peaceful, relaxed community made perfect sense. With its regimented structure and high rise buildings, this place didn’t feel like a home and even Sulen knew that.
“It’s...good. Unnerving,” Garik admitted.
Sulen understood. Both of them had committed to their life as assassins and until Garik bonded, Sulen never thought beyond what he’d do if he ever left the Guild. As Gerelins, it was almost coded in their genetics to seek out a bond mate.
“I need you to go there first and make sure it would work for us.”
The words came out of nowhere. Sulen blinked and wondered if he’d consumed too much alcohol though he was only on his second drink. “What?”
“I can’t leave Saedra and I don’t want her going and getting her hopes up if it’s not what I need.”
The explanation made sense in a way. Except. “How am I supposed to know what you need?”
They were peers, not close friends. Sulen wasn’t sure Garik had any friends. Just hundreds of favors owed because the former assassin was one of the best to have ever done what they did.
And walked away from it all without a backward glance. For love. Sulen still found that hard to believe.
“I need you to see if it’s a safe and secure place. Make sure that the information I’ve received is accurate before I get Saedra excited about moving there. Going myself isn’t an option since I refuse to leave Saedra alone.”
If Garik got information saying the place was safe from one of his contacts, Sulen was willing to bet the place was more than good enough for a newborn baby with an over the top soon-to-be overprotective father.
“Where?” he asked, taking a healthy drink as he tried to imagine the dark-haired man across from him cradling a baby. The image refused to form. Garik was ruthless, coldhearted and a stone cold killer. Men like them didn’t do families.
“It’s a Gerelin colony on Covard.” Garik slid him a folded square of paper. “Only Gerelins can live there along with their bonded mates and children. A few exceptions are made for certain professional roles.”
Sulen tucked the paper in his pocket without reading it. Gerelins were cautious when they left their world. Their deep-seated need to protect a mate after bonding was notorious and meant they took their mates’ safety seriously.
Throw in the assassin background and Sulen understood how strong Garik would feel about confirming the new home for Saedra. A colony filled with men from their home would most definitely look out for Saedra and her child if Garik wasn’t present for some reason. Curiosity got the better of Sulen. “I’ll do it.”
Garik rapped his knuckles on the tabletop and stood. “I had no doubt. When you find a bond mate, you’ll be surprised at what you’d do for her.”
Sulen choked on the drink he’d swallowed. “I have years left in the Guild.”
Garik slapped Sulen on the back on his way out. “You never know. I didn’t.”
Coughing to clear his throat, Sulen waved Garik off on the bill and decided to stay to finish his drink after Garik left. He didn’t have a current assignment so the trip wouldn’t interfere with his schedule.
This would be interesting. Sulen couldn’t imagine the type of place that would meet Garik’s standards while being what Saedra wanted. She didn’t seem like the type who’d want to go live in a fortified prison. He huffed a laugh at the thought.
***
At the entrance to the community center, Amelie hid a smile as Scarlett went to her knees and fluffed the edges of the skirt on Fleur’s dress for the fiftieth time. When she stood, Scarlett must have noted the amusement on Amelie’s face anyway.
“Shut it, Amelie.” A glare accompanied the order.
Amelie struggled to contain her laughter. This wasn’t the first time they’d come to the annual party but it was the first time Fleur wore a dress Scarlett had picked out. The two of them had decided to dress alike and Amelie had to admit the deep purple color was flattering to them both.
It brought out Fleur’s black hair and green eyes, showing the signs of the beautiful woman she would grow to be. On Scarlett, with her blonde hair and blue eyes, it turned her classic beauty into a shining jewel worthy of stares.
“Shut it, isn’t very nice, Auntie Scarlett,” Fleur scolded, hopping from one foot to the other in excitement.
Scarlett pursed her lips, shooting Amelie an arched look. “You’re absolutely right, Fleur. Your mom brings out the dark side of me.”
Used to her mom’s and aunt’s antics, Fleur giggled and held each of their hands in one of hers. She danced in the middle between them. “I wanna go inside.”
“That’s the deal,” Scarlett said, moving forward to push the door open.
Inside, the décor of the large rec room had been created to look like a ball room. Shining Night was the theme. In Amelie’s opinion, the committee had outdone themselves compared to the previous years.
There must have been a bubble machine set up on a sensor because an explosion of bubbles greeted them when they crossed the threshold. Fleur squealed and marched her feet in place, then spun around with her arms in the air. Her head jerked left and right as she tried to take in all the sights.
Scarlett and Amelie laughed at her delight. Fleur was old enough to enjoy the celebration more this year and her exuberance amused Amelie to no end.
“Let’s take her on a walk around or I’m afraid she’ll strain her neck.” Scarlett had to raise her voice to be heard over the music.
Together they hugged the perimeter and allowed Fleur to stop and start at her leisure. Most of the people here knew them and had welcoming smiles as they lifted their cups in greeting. Stations set up for kids with activities were pushed off to one corner. Fleur ran straight toward the booths.
Scarlett and Amelie followed at a slower pace. “What do you think?”
“It’s nice. Very nice,” Amelie said, her gaze in awe as much as Fleur’s. “You all did a wonderful job, Scarlett.”
“Thanks, Ame.” Scarlett glowed and had every right to since she had been on the planning committee. “I think we did great. It’s nice seeing it all come together.”
They neared Fleur and the kids’ area. Her daughter was already seated and happily scrawling images with her finger on a huge digital display mounted to the wall. The colors were...imaginative. She exchanged a look with Scarlett and they both snickered. Fleur’s artwork did not reflect a gift in that direction but they’d never say such to her.
“I should make sure she eats before she’s fully engaged. I’ll never be able to pull her away if that happens.”
A brief silence ensued. Neither of them were going to be comfortable leaving Fleur alone after the incident at the learning academy three days ago. Their home here had always been safe but having a stranger approach and question her daughter left them both guarded. More so because the man’s face hadn’t been clear in the vid and security had been unable to identify him.
Madame Tessa assured Amelie the authorities were involved and wouldn’t stop trying to discover the culprit.
Scarlett waved Amelie off. “Go fix her something and bring it over. I’ll keep my eye on her.”
Amelie blew out a soft breath, her shoulders easing. She gave Scarlett’s arm a quick squeeze of thanks and turned to find where the food station was located.
When she found it, the elaborate arrangement and variety of food left Amelie stunned. She stared at the over laden table. There were meats on wooden sticks, vegetables on spiral shaped skewers and row after row of cookies and tarts as well as mini palm-sized dishes.
“Nice, right?”
Amelie jerked around. Standing beside her was Ezra and Tula from the garden center. “Hello, Amelie!”
Amelie hugged them both. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
The community event was for everyone but tended to favor a younger crowd. The late hour also prohibited some of the older members of the community from attending.
“We wouldn’t have missed this. It’s our opportunity to keep up on what’s going on around us,” Ezra said.
Amelie’s face hurt from smiling so hard. If it wasn’t for them, she wouldn’t have discovered her unknown before passion for gardening, her ability to run a business and her desire to create something for her daughter to see and respect.
“I’m glad you came. I don’t get to see you anymore.”
Tula patted Amelie on the shoulder. “When we walked away from the business it needed to be a clean break. Otherwise, we would have stuck our noses in every little change you made.”
They all shared a chuckle.
“How is your lovely little girl?” Tula asked.
Excited to share about Fleur, Amelie fell into conversation about her daughter and all of the mischief she got in to. Taking Fleur to work the first year after her birth had allowed the couple to grow close to her daughter too.
Their conversation grew animated and they hopped from topic to topic until Tula said, “Well, I think we’ve monopolized you long enough. Thanks for indulging an old couple with your time. I’m sure you’d rather be dancing or having a good time.”
Amelie glanced around and noticed that the crowd had grown. The space was filled with laughing people and children raced about while adults looked on indulgently. She spotted Fleur shrieking and running amongst the crowd. Scarlett held up her skirt up with one hand giving chase. Both wore bright grins.
“I better grab some food. I have the feeling my child is going to get cranky soon if she doesn’t eat and all this running catches up to her.”
They hugged their goodbyes and Amelie fixed a plate with a little of everything. Fleur was a good eater but could choose to be picky. Amelie nibbled a few things for herself along the way to avoid a headache from all the music and excitement.
“Amelie. I didn’t expect to see you.”
Every muscle in Amelie’s body froze. She turned slowly and the little food she ate twisted and knotted in her stomach. “Roan? What are you doing back here?”
Tawny hair was ruffled about his head in a sleek new cut that emphasized his features. Thick brows slashed over sharp green eyes that eyed her from head to toe. Amelie recognized the unwanted gleam of attraction in his gaze and grew uneasy.
“Ambassador Trigodor is doing a goodwill visit for a week. As a part of his team, I’m expected to accompany him.”
There last run in had nearly resulted in a disastrous result. Swallowing, Amelie casually glanced over his shoulder searching for Scarlett and Fleur. They were on the other side of the room, kneeling on the floor and focused on something she couldn’t see. Amelie let out a slight sigh of relief.
“Pay attention to me, Ame!”
The snap in Roan’s voice caused Amelie to jolt. She looked at him and shivered. Apparently, his temper had only grown during their years apart. She had no idea why he seemed to have a weird obsession with her. “What do you want?”
He lowered his tone and looked around to see if anyone was paying them attention. They weren’t. Nothing in his demeanor gave off the angry energy she could see visible in his narrow-eyed gaze.
“I want what you took from me.”
She flinched then stiffened her stance. Amelie had no idea what he was talking about. “I don’t have anything of yours, Roan.”
He pounded his fist onto his open palm. “You do!”
“I’m not listening to you.” Amelie made to turn away, fear drumming at her chest.
Roan grabbed her arm and spun her around to hiss, “I know, Amelie.”
Amelie tried to twist her arm away but his grip was tight, the nails gouging her tender skin. “Let me go, Roan.”
He leaned forward and whispered harshly, “If you won’t give me my daughter, Ame, I’ll be forced to take her.”
He knew about Fleur! Amelie didn’t know what to make of his frightening demand. He had to be out of his mind if he thought she’d agree. His presence here suddenly made sick sense. “Did you go to my daughter’s school and try to take her?”
The very thought left Amelie ill. She wouldn’t trust Roan within feet of Fleur.
“She’s mine too.”
Amelie shook her head, trying to make sense of what he was saying. “You didn’t want a child, Roan. You attacked me while I was pregnant.”
His face contorted with dismay and an odd display of pride. “That’s before we learned Aviana had a biological defect. She can’t have kids and wants one desperately.”
Glad Fleur was with Scarlett on the other side of the ballroom, Amelie leaned forward with her chin thrust up. “Listen to me and listen well. You’re mad. You can’t just show up and demand I give you my child.”
“Our chil
d, Amelie,” he corrected, gloating. “I did a little checking before we arrived and I know she’s mine. When the Gerelins learn you’ve been lying to them all this time and living here illegally under a false relationship, they’ll make you leave.”
Her heart stuttered. This was her home. Fleur was loved and treated kindly here. Her daughter thrived and now Roan was threatening to snatch that away from them. So typical. So selfish. She fumed silently.
He must have taken her lack of a response for victory because his eyes gleamed with malicious pleasure. Amelie straightened her shoulders. “I’m sorry for whatever issues you and your wife have but you can’t have my daughter.”
“Who’s gonna stop me?” he sneered and eyed her up and down as if she was worthless. “I’m the right hand to the ambassador now. People respect me. You’re still just a nobody.”
Lips firmed, Amelie leaned forward. Her days of buckling under Roan’s opinion of her were in the past. She matched him glare for glare. Nobody was touching her daughter or taking her. If all she had was the cloak of protection Scarlett’s lie gave her, she’d use it. “My mate won’t let you.”
Rearing back, Roan let out a huff of disbelief. “What mate? I asked around here and no one’s seen this imaginary man.”
Shivering and worried how much he truly knew, Amelie didn’t back down. “He has to be gone a lot for his job. Staying here gives us a place to be when he’s in between work.”
“You’re lying!” Roan clenched his fists and his narrowed gaze blazed.
“I’m not!” Amelie blasted back vehemently.
Doubt flickered at her assurance. Then he regained his composure. “I’ve checked. No one’s ever seen this mate. Nor have they ever heard of him. I’m willing to bet he doesn’t exist.”
With that, Roan ripped the silk scarf from her neck. He seemed surprised to see the two scars representing bonding marks there. “I can’t believe the lengths you’ve gone through to steal my child.”
His indignant attitude stung. If she didn’t know better, she’d believe he was some injured father figure in all of this.
Claiming His Unexpected Baby Page 4
