Better (The Change Series Book 2)

by Melanie Jayne

  I sat against one end of the sectional with my legs stretched out in front of me and a frozen bag of peas tied to my knee. The old adage that day three was the most painful was proving to be true. I was moving slow, and I hurt everywhere. I was glad Rick required very little interaction from me. The morning had started with me sleeping through Forde getting up and showered. He’d woken me up to tell me it was time to get dressed.

  Leaning over me, he frowned. “I hate to make you get up, but Lay, I don’t like the idea of Rick being here, and you lying in bed in my tee and panties.”

  “I thought he was your boy?” I was trying to sound like I was a part of their world, but I must have failed badly, because he chuckled.

  “He’s my employee…and a friend, but I still don’t like the idea of my woman wearing next to nothin’ around him.”

  Hmm, possessive much? “I’m getting up, and since you have issues, you can figure out what I’m going to wear. I don’t want to cause you any worries while you’re off doing your superhero stuff.” I slowly sat up on the side of the bed.

  “Babe.” He wrapped his arm around me and moved in for a kiss. “Thank you for lightening my load.” He gave me his sweet smile. It made me want to pull him down on top of me on his big bed, but dammit that would hurt.

  It wasn’t a big deal to be dressed, and honestly, I wouldn’t have been comfortable being partly undressed with Rick in the other room.

  “So, you and Forde…?” Rick’s question brought me out of my thoughts.

  I bit my bottom lip as I considered how to answer. I dropped my head and looked at him under my lashes. “Yeah, me and Forde.” I figured I would be working with Rick at the office, and I didn’t see any reason to be vague. I mean, he’d put my belongings in Forde’s Lexus, and he couldn’t have missed his boss kissing me goodbye earlier.

  He smiled. “That’s good. Good for him, I mean. I don’t know about you.”

  “Why? Is it because I was a case, or because I’m not a super model like his last one?” I felt defensive, and that surprised me a little, getting feisty with a man I had just met. Suddenly, it was important that Rick like me and want me to be with his friend.

  He held up his palms in surrender. “Hold up girl. I meant no disrespect.”

  “Sorry, Rick. I’m, well, today is a little rougher than I expected. I think it’s making me grumpy.” I paused for a beat. “Please, go on.”

  “You did a lot yesterday. It’s probably catching up with you. What I meant is, well, the man is deep.”

  I wasn’t really sure what he was getting at, but I wanted to learn more so I nodded, quickly agreeing with his description of Forde.

  “He’s smooth in business. You know what we do at Limited, right?”

  “He’s told me some, but I think he was shielding me a little.”

  That made Rick grin. “I read your file. You didn’t grow up in a nice subdivision on the ritzy northside. You might not have been street, but you grew up around it.”

  Again, I nodded. I’d worked hard to stay out of trouble and away from it. Even with a mother like mine, I’d managed to keep my distance. “I tried to not see things. It was safer that way. I didn’t want any part of it.”

  The huge man nodded once. “The man doesn’t fuck around. That’s his reputation—you mess with Lucas Forde, and you won’t come out on top.” He gave me a hard stare.

  I read a lot into that look, and I swallowed hard.

  “The man has made a shit-ton investing his dollars. Hell, he’s made me plenty, too. But don’t ever forget that Forde is a predator. He’s just learned to cover it with the nice things.”

  Again, I nodded, but much more slowly. This was freaking me out a little.

  “The way he looks at you…” Rick pointed a thick finger at me. “You’re his. It’s decided. If anybody touches you, he’ll deal with them. Your job is to make sure you don’t put anybody in that position by mistake.”

  I shot him a puzzled look, uncertain about what he’d meant.

  “That means no flirting, no low-cut clothes that show off your body, but I don’t think you’re that type.”

  I finally found my voice. “I don’t know what you mean by he’s decided I’m his.”

  He gave me another hard look. “You might not understand it, but somewhere deep down, you get it. That’s why you’re here.” He restarted the movie he’d been watching and ignored me.

  I leaned my head back against the corner of the sofa and closed my eyes. I was here because I’d made a deal. He could keep me safe. I tried to hang onto that, but the truth kept seeping in. I was attracted to Forde. He was strong and self-assured. He was incredibly sexy, even more so when he was being gentle with me. I was in so much trouble. I ordered myself to stop thinking, or I might start to hyperventilate.

  I must have dozed off. I woke with a start when I heard voices.

  “She’s been out for about two hours. I think she’s having a rough day.” Rick was talking about me from the doorway.

  “She take the pain killers?” Forde asked.

  “Nope, only the over–the–counter stuff. I tried man, but she wouldn’t.”

  Rick was right. I’d had enough of living in a haze. “Hey, I’m awake,” I called out. “You don’t have to talk outside the door when you’re talking about me.”

  Forde walked right to me. He kissed me, and then scanned my body. “Hurting?”

  “A little.”

  “She hasn’t eaten anything. I can see what I can find in the kitchen.” Rick was still in the doorway.

  “Just order something and have somebody make a run.” Forde didn’t even look up as he knelt by my leg and started to unwrap the elastic bandage. “I should have called on my way home for the order.”

  “You probably had something else on your mind,” Rick threw over his shoulder as he left us alone.

  Forde ran his hand up and down my leg. “I don’t like this swelling. I think I’ll give the doc a call.”

  “It’s not that bad. Why don’t we wait another day?” I shifted so I could touch my knee.

  “She said she wasn’t sure about it. Damage can show up later, and I’m thinking that might be what’s happening here.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. “This might be more than Sprite can cure.” One side of his mouth lifted in a smile.

  “One more day, please, Forde?”

  “What’s going on, Lay?” He leaned back against the sofa.

  I bit my lip so hard I was surprised I didn’t taste blood. “My insurance isn’t that great. The deductible is really high, like thousands high, and it doesn’t cover extras. I’m not sure how I’m going to handle the bills from the last two visits to the E.R. I don’t want to pile on more doctor’s bills if I don’t have to.” I felt my eyes burning. I hated that I was in this position.

  “You don’t have to worry about that.” He looked at his phone’s screen.

  I lowered my legs to scoot closer to him to wrestle the phone out of his hand. “Forde, no.” I wasn’t going to let him pay my bills. That felt wrong and a little dirty to me. I made a swipe at his hand and missed.

  He glanced up. “I’ll give the bills to Vador to pay. He got you into this mess, he can damn well pay for it.” He gave an evil laugh.

  I could picture Forde giving Salvador Ulloa a handful of my medical bills. God, he probably would do it. “Forde, that’s insane.” I started to giggle.

  “Maybe you think so, but I’m going to do it.” He stood and turned his back to me.

  I listened to him make an appointment for me to see Dr. Lamb the next morning. He didn’t fuck around. He called the doc directly, and she answered. The man had power.

  I’d felt it when I’d told him the reason I had an obsession, his words, with Sprite. His eyes had filled with pity, and then frustration. For a moment, all of the oxygen had left the room.

  I’d been lounging on the sectional in the man cave after we’d unpacked my stuff on m
y second day here. When Forde brought me a glass filled with crushed ice and Sprite, he’d asked, “What’s your deal with this drink?”

  “My deal?” I tried to stall to think about how much to tell, how much would make sense.

  “Yeah, babe. You made a big deal about it when I brought you home from the E.R., and you guarded the only one in your fridge at the rental.” He’d sat next to me, his expression expectant.

  “This is going to sound dumb,” I’d warned. “You know how I grew up. There wasn’t money for doctor’s visits when I had a bad cold or an upset stomach.”

  He’d frowned.

  “My mom took me to the free clinic when I got really sick and needed my tonsils out, but otherwise, she told me that Sprite was medicine, and if I would drink the entire glass I’d feel better. I believed her.” I bit my lip feeling embarrassed at how dumb I sounded. “The weird thing is that when I think back to when I was little, it seems like I always did feel better.” I’d finished with a one-shoulder shrug afraid to look at him.

  “God, Layla, it wasn’t like I grew up with a ton of luxuries, but I saw a doctor when I got sick.” Forde had taken my hand.

  I’d looked up at him and had seen pity in his eyes. “Don’t,” I’d told him. “I turned out all right.”

  “I know that, and I know you’re responsible for most of it. I don’t like it; I wouldn’t like it for any kid.” His eyes had turned cold, frustrated.

  “I know. I don’t want that for anyone either.” I’d gripped his hand tighter. “That’s why I can’t forgive what Brian did. Stealing like that from people who have so little.” I felt the anger build again deep in my stomach.

  Forde had leaned closer and kissed the corner of my forehead. “I promise a better life for you, Lay, because you deserve it.”

  His response to what I’d told him had only cemented my opinion about him, that deep inside, he was a decent, kind man.

  After the appointment was set up, Forde sat down on the sofa next to my feet and started to kick off his boots. “Now, what I want to know is how the fuck Tony Alessi got my cell number?”

  My eyebrows rose. “Tony called you?”

  “His wife saw the story about your house on the news and was worried when you didn’t return her calls. Gotta locate your phone.”

  Christ, I hadn’t given a thought to my phone. Since the murder, I’d never been without it. Just another sign that my brain was really scrambled by Lucas Forde. “I’m not sure. It wasn’t in the stuff we packed yesterday.” I tried to remember where it had been when the shooting started. “I think it was on the coffee table when everything happened.”

  “I’ll call Detective Eames and ask if it was found. In the meantime, I’ll get you one from the office so you can take calls.” Forde leaned back into the soft cushion and began typing on his phone’s screen. When he finished, he rested his hand on my thigh.

  “Thank you, I can’t believe I haven’t missed my phone.”

  “We’ll get you covered. Anyway, Alessi told me Zoe was worried, and because she was, he came up with my number. Do you know much about his history?”

  “I think he was with one of those government agencies with initials, A.T.F., maybe? Zoe said they met when he was rehabbing from an injury.” I should have asked more questions, but I hadn’t wanted to seem too nosey when we were just getting to know one another.

  “Makes sense.” Forde shifted deeper into the cushions and pulled me closer to him.

  “He sort of has that badass thing too, now that I think about it. I mean, I’ve only met him twice, but both times, he gave me looks like you do.”

  He growled, and I swore his eyes were shooting lightning bolts. “What kind of looks?”

  “Not those kind, you idiot.” My stomach gave a little flutter at his possessiveness. “His wife is pregnant with the miracle baby. I mean, the kind of looks where I can see his brain analyzing what I say out loud and what I don’t and how it applies to me and those he cares about.” I rolled my eyes.

  One side of his mouth kicked upward. “A miracle baby, huh?”

  “I guess Tony was told when he was in college that he was sterile, and they hadn’t planned on having kids. I don’t even think Zoe wanted to get married. I know there was a problem with her ex-husband, and in her words, ‘Tony took care of that mess.’ So, Zoe turned up pregnant, and Tony insisted they get married. They’re both excited about the baby and seem to be okay with being married.” I had a dopey smile on my face. I enjoyed being around the two of them. I liked the way Tony looked at his wife.

  “You want kids?” he leaned in, his voice soft.

  “Yeah, I’ve always wanted to be a mother.” I frowned, because I’d thought that was what Brian wanted also.

  “Two, three, or four?” Forde’s eyes burned into mine.

  “What?” I sort of got lost in his gaze; his eyes had darkened.

  “Kids, with me, Layla. How many?” He spoke slowly, like I didn’t understand English very well.

  “Kids with you?” I whispered. God, I felt the air catch in my lungs. My head was spinning. We hadn’t even had sex. “Forde.” I felt my body shift away from his.

  He grinned. “I know, too fast. Sorry.”

  He didn’t look sorry.

  “If you could see your face when you say the word baby, well you’d understand.” He kept on smiling.

  I felt the heat in my cheeks. “Oh, uh well, I’m really happy for them.” I dropped my gaze. “So, you do want kids?”

  “With you, yeah.”

  “How many…with me?” My voice came out strangled. I didn’t want to feel this rush of excitement, thinking about a baby with Forde. Too soon, dummy, I reminded myself.

  “Four. I’d say all boys, but I imagine you’ll want a girl so you can do shit, like get your nails done together.” He acted like this was a normal conversation.

  “Four kids,” I repeated his insanity. “You know you can’t just decide to have a girl. It doesn’t work that way.” I had no idea why I was explaining this to him.

  “So you do want a girl.” He looked so pleased with himself.

  “And I hope she’ll be beautiful and sweet so that the boys will start hanging around when she turns fifteen. That will drive you and her brothers crazy.” I flashed a superior smile at the look on Forde’s face. No, he hadn’t thought about that. This was fun, so I continued planning. “She can’t be the baby though. You’d spoil her too much, and we can’t raise a princess. She has to be tough enough to succeed in the world.” I gave him my most sincere smile.

  He watched me while he mulled over what I’d said. “Good, we agree. If you want, we can start as soon as you’re healed.” Now, he was grinning wickedly.

  “Are you fucking nuts?” I screeched then lowered my voice. “We just met. It hasn’t even been a month. We can’t be trying to make a baby.”

  “Oops, I’ll come back,” Rick said from the doorway.

  I ducked my head into my chest as all of my blood rushed to my face.

  Forde, the fucker, continued looking at me, and said calmly, “Give us five, bro.”

  “Forde—,” I started.

  “Lay,” he cut me off. “We’d have nine months to get to know everything about each other. That’s plenty of time.” He raised one eyebrow. “Plus, I can’t wait to start the fun part, the trying.” He flashed a grin that was pure sex.

  I shook my head. “You’re crazy. I’m not sure I want my baby-daddy to be insane.”

  “Not a baby-daddy, Layla.” He wasn’t smiling now. “I’m going to be your husband.”

  I had nothing to say. I was speechless.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Tell me what I’m supposed to do with his declaration? Four kids—and a husband!” I was having lunch with Zoe at a cute bistro two blocks from Forde’s office.

  Zoe shook her head. “Take it from me, you aren’t going to win this fight. If Forde has decided you’re the one, well sweeti
e, you’re going to be married and have four kids.” Zoe giggled at my shocked expression.

  My eyes strayed to the man sitting two tables away, wondering if he too had super hearing. His distance gave the illusion of privacy, but I knew that he was prepared for anything that might happen. Forde was taking no chances. I was never alone.

  “How did this happen? I don’t get it, why me?” I was very average and Forde was, well… amazing.

  “I asked myself the same thing in the beginning with Tony. Even after I told him I wasn’t interested in doing a cougar challenge, he didn’t give up.” Zoe’s smile turned dreamy at the memories. “He was so hot with that dangerous edge. We met at the gym, and he could have had any of those young, firm girls who flocked around him, but he chose me. I mean he saw me, and that was it.”

  Zoe was striking with a quick wit, plus she was really smart. I could see why Tony fell for her. She was easygoing and made you feel comfortable, where he was intense, which was a lot like Forde. “It worked out for you. I mean you two are in love.”

  Zoe took a sip of her water with lemon and drew her eyebrows together. “I think your anxiety has to do with how sure he is, and that sets off all kinds of alarms. You feel out of control and maybe a little trapped?” She gave me a questioning look. “I know the harder I fought against Tony the more determined and creative he got.” She finished with a wink.

  “A gang just shot up my house a week ago.” I felt the tears filling my eyes. I shouldn’t be thinking about him like that. My life’s a mess, I shouldn’t even be considering getting involved with Forde.

  “I was walking with Tony’s brother, and we got shot at. Geno took one in the ass cheek,” she said matter-of-factly. “It happens.”

  I made a strangled sound. “I never thought I’d be in a place where I’d need protection from people trying to hurt me and my friends.” I glanced at my shadow. He seemed to be oblivious to my mini-meltdown.