“I acted rashly, but it was only because I was afraid that they’d come after you,” he said.
Lori sat on the bed and wet her lips. “You didn't even ask me if I’m pregnant.”
He thought about telling her that he didn't need to, but that would only freak her out more. So instead he nodded and looked her in the eye. “Are you?”
“...Yes.” Lori wrapped her arms around her middle. “But you should have asked me before kidnapping me.”
Clifford sighed. “I imagine the police will be here soon. Your sister doesn't seem like the type to let something like that go.”
“If I had my cellphone I could call her. I doubt she’ll call the police right away though. Jazz has always had bad experiences with the cops.”
Almost as if on cue, at that moment the door flung open. Clifford tensed as he jumped up and whirled. It was only his sister, Natasha, but she glared at him as though wanting to rip his head off right then and there.
“What the hell? I just got a call from the matriarch. You freaking kidnapped a human?”
“Not kidnapped,” Clifford tried to protest.
Natasha glowered at him and then turned to Lori. “Come with me. I’m taking you home. And you, Cliff, you’ll be lucky if all your convictions aren't overturned and all the innocent people you helped stay out of jail aren't tossed back in!”
“That isn’t how the law works.”
“Did I ask for your opinion?”
Clifford glanced at Lori, then took Natasha’s arm and pulled her out. His sister hissed under her breath and nearly ended up punching him, but he released her just in time. In a low voice, he explained everything that had happened. By the time he was done, her face was pale and both hands were pressed over her mouth. Just his luck, though, that as soon as he was finished his mother and niece, Serena, came charging up the stairs. Well, Serena charged. Hayley looked more or less like she always did, as though this was a very amusing situation.
“Before you start, he’s actually got a good reason,” Natasha interrupted as Serena opened her mouth.
Clifford explained again. By the time he was done, even Hayley looked concerned.
“So, you’re saying that the girl is pregnant?” Hayley said, grim-faced.
Clifford nodded. “She just found out herself. Didn’t even have time to tell me. Bauman is watching us both. The fact that he was able to get into her apartment and my office is worrying. I know that I might have overreacted, but if I didn’t act, he could have killed her. I told Lori a bit about what happened, but I don’t want her to know about the feud between our clans, okay? She’s going to be under enough stress as is.”
Serena dug her hands into her chestnut-brown hair, the same color as her bear. “You were really stupid, Uncle Cliff. Regardless of the circumstances, you should never have kidnapped her. You know as well as anybody the backlash the clan might face over this. It doesn’t matter if you’re technically part of another clan, Grandmother adopted all of you into this one. With the tensions that are going on right now… I have to go call her and explain what’s happening. Maybe she will be able to fix this mess.”
Clifford didn’t miss the glare that she sent him. He rubbed his eyes, not looking at any of the women. He knew exactly why they were all so mad at him. Even if his mother was starting to grin again, as though she had gotten a puppy for Christmas.
“I couldn’t wait,” he stated again. “Not with that madman out there.”
“I’m going to talk with her.” Natasha headed for the guest room. “And she’s not staying with you, Cliff. She’s going to come over and stay with me on my side. This is terrifying enough without having to deal with you.”
Clifford frowned at his sister. He opened his mouth to state that it was an offensive statement, but Natasha disappeared before he could. Hayley patted his shoulder and grinned.
“So. My second grandbaby is finally on the way, huh?”
Clifford sighed.
Chapter Three
“Of course you can come visit me.” Lori rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the pounding ache there. On the other end of the telephone line, Jasmine made an unconvinced harrumphing noise.
“What’s your address, then?”
Lori sighed. “I don’t know right now. Call the matriarch, she’ll know. Or I’ll text you in a bit. I’m just really tired right now, Jazz. I need to sleep. The baby is taking up all of my energy,” she added. “I’ll talk to you later.”
She hung up before her sister could protest. Lori let out a deep sigh and shifted on the couch, stretching out. It was very true that she was tired. Mostly she was tired of having to defend Clifford against Jasmine. Because yes, technically he did kidnap her. And she wasn’t so convinced that it was completely necessary. The whole thing about Mark Bauman and the threat on her life seemed so… overdramatic. On the other hand, she couldn’t see how anything less would cause Clifford to lose his head like he had.
Unless this was some sort of crazy plot, with goals unknown.
There was a knock on the front door and Lori considered pretending not to hear. If it was Natasha again, she was going to go crazy. On the other hand, maybe it was Hayley with another batch of cupcakes…
“Come in,” she called.
Serena entered. The young woman looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes and a strained look on her face. She still smiled at Lori, though. “I just wanted to see if you were okay and if there’s anything I can do for you.”
“Well, I’m kidnapped and there’s a madman who wants to kill me so I’m not exactly okay.” Lori grimaced when Serena flinched. She sat up and patted the seat beside her. “Sorry. I’m on edge is all.”
“You have every right to be.” Serena slumped into the couch. “I’m going to talk with my uncle and get your sister out here soon so that you can both be assured that this ‘kidnapping’ was just a panicked response to the threat. Obviously, we don’t want you to leave, but you can if you really want to.”
Lori hummed and shook her head. Not when there was a madman out there who wanted to kill her. But that line of conversation was only going to make her freak out, so she cast about for something else.
“So how does this all work? I know Clifford is the matriarch’s nephew, but he’s part of a different clan?”
“Hayley’s father was the alpha of a clan over on the east coast. They were essentially a mafia group. Small, but rich and deadly. The Bauman clan and the Boones were rivals. Hayley ran away, and between the police and Bauman, her birth clan was utterly destroyed. Bears are generally matrilineal, meaning that all of Hayley’s children technically are part of her birth clan. Even though she was adopted into my grandmother’s clan.”
Lori nodded, frowning as she followed along with what Serena said.
“My mother was the matriarch’s oldest daughter. She mated to Natasha and Clifford’s older brother. He was born when Hayley was sixteen,” Serena added. “And then he and my mother got together when they were fourteen. I was born the next year. My mother was only fifteen. Too young to be a mother, really. When she was alive she loved me, but I know that she resented me, too.”
One of Lori’s hands drifted to her stomach. Would she resent her baby? Fifteen was very young. Far younger than her own age period. Lori’s face melted into a frown. She was a few years older than Serena, who herself was barely twenty.
“What happened to your parents?”
Serena shook her head. “Car crash. It’s nearly impossible for a shifter to die in something so pedestrian, but they both were killed. And since I’m the only daughter of the only daughter of the matriarch, I’m going to be the next matriarch. And I’ll be honest, the idea can be very terrifying.”
Lori let out a low whistle. “I bet. Especially when you have an uncle like Clifford. He seems like he likes to control everything.”
“No, that’s not Uncle.” Serena shook her head. “The most frustrating thing he does is bring home all these women. He’s talked about w
anting to find his mate, but all he’s looked for is a curvy figure that he can—"
She cut off, eyes widening as she looked at Lori. A swirl of jealousy rose in Lori’s chest, but she tried to shove it away. Why the hell should she be jealous? So what if he had hundreds of women at his place? They clearly didn’t mean anything to him and besides that, she was here now. Not that it made much of a difference. After all, an accidental pregnancy didn’t bind people together forever. That was just stupid.
“I’ve made you angry,” Serena said, face going bright red.
“No,” Lori replied at once. “I’m mad at Clifford. Because the only reason he hired me was so that he could seduce me. If I wanted to be a prostitute, I’d be one. I didn’t take the job just to…”
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. When she accepted the job, she certainly had enough fantasies about sex with the boss. It hadn’t happened at all the way she had imagined it, though. He was nothing but professional during the workday. At night, though, once it was time for them both to leave…
Lori ran a hand through her hair. It was stringy and greasy. Ugh. Jasmine would never let her hair get into this messy state. But then Jasmine’s hair was long, black and thick. She had a scalp that belonged in a shampoo commercial. Lori’s hair, shorter, a bit thinner, and more of a matte black than glossy, was not her crowing feature.
“Thanks for stopping by,” she mumbled, glancing at her feet. “I need to talk with Clifford, though. He’s been holed up in his study all day and I just…”
Serena contemplated her for a moment before nodding. She stood and offered a small smile. “I’m going to be making lasagna tonight if you want to come for supper.”
Just the thought made Lori’s stomach turn, but she nodded. “Thanks.”
Lori saw Serena out, then hesitated. It would be much easier not to interrupt Clifford. To just wait until he came out and talk with him then. After all, if he had the door closed all morning, he had to be doing something important. It wasn’t like he’d be watching porn at a time like this.
The thought of him sitting at his desk, a hand wrapped around his impressive girth, grunting as he pleasured himself made something tighten inside of her. Lori swallowed hard as she allowed herself to indulge in the image. Her breasts tingled and she glanced at the window to make sure the blinds were shut before squeezing them. The pressure relieved the tingling, but an ache started in her core. Her eyes drifted shut as she imagined herself entering his study to find him like that, and then kneeling between his legs to take him into her mouth and—
“Did I hear Serena’s voice?”
Lori jumped and dropped her hands. She whirled to find Clifford standing in the doorway. Heat rushed into her face, and she knew with her pale complexion she was soon going to look like a tomato. The urge to go to him and rub her body against his made her step back. This was certainly not the time nor place for that. She was pregnant and needing to figure out what her next step was going to be. Not fantasize about more sex.
“Yeah, she was here,” Lori said quickly. “But she left. I, um, I need to talk to you.”
Clifford nodded. The first few buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing his smooth chest. There were dark circles under his eyes, too, and Lori bit her lip.
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Um…” What was it she needed to talk to him about again? “I was just wondering how long I have to stay here. I mean, you did say you were going to get me a bodyguard, right?”
Clifford nodded. “My friend, Tristen. He ought to be here soon. He’s in the navy, so he has a few hoops to jump through before he can get time off. But he won’t be too much longer, I don’t think. Please be patient. I know that you didn’t ask for any of this.”
“No. I didn’t.” Lori suddenly found her eyes burning. Stupid pregnancy hormones. “I never really thought about being a mom before. I mean, I thought about it, but I never wanted it. I thought I’d freak out more about being pregnant. It still feels unreal. But I knew as soon as I suspected I might be pregnant that I couldn’t give the baby up. My sister is a shifter and her experiences in foster care… I would never put my child through that.”
Clifford took her hand. It felt so nice that she found herself leaning towards him.
“I know what you mean.” His voice was a deep rumble. “But I want you to know… I’ve always wanted to be a father. I didn’t imagine it in these circumstances, but you’re not alone. I want to be a part of this baby’s life.”
Rich, impressive man. Solid, grounded, knew exactly what he wanted out of life. Yeah. He was dream husband and father material. Lori’s lip started to tremble and she sank into the couch. As great as Clifford was… she couldn’t marry him just because she was pregnant. He wasn’t asking her, besides. But with his mom and sister, he had more support than she did. He wasn’t the kind of guy who would completely cut her out, right?
I’m a screwup. I have been all my life.
“Lori? Are you okay?” Clifford touched her shoulder.
Lori shook her head. “No. No, I’m not.”
He stared uncertainly at her.
Both of her hands clasped over her belly. Through the confusion of everything that had been going on lately, she hadn’t thought much about the future. But here, now, in this lovely house and knowing that Clifford wanted this baby… the choice was obvious. So logical. Tears began to pour down her face.
“I want what is best for this baby.”
“We both do.”
Lori glanced away. This was going to be hard enough. “I’m not what’s best for it. My life, my personality… I wouldn’t know how to be a mom. I’d screw up like I do with everything. So, I want… I want to make arrangements for you to have full custody. I want to be in this baby’s life, but I can’t be the one who is responsible for it.”
The words were ripping her heart out, but she knew it was the best for her child. Clifford didn’t say anything until she clasped both hands around his.
“Please. I want what is best for it.”
Clifford’s shoulders sagged. After a moment, he nodded. “I’ll start getting the paperwork ready. If that’s what you really want.”
It wasn’t. But it was. Lori nodded. It was what she wanted because it would be best for the baby. Everything else? She could endure.
Chapter Four
Clifford didn’t have huge grounds like a billionaire like Isaias Durant did, but his property was sizable enough. As night fell one day, he took Lori out to walk around. She was spending a lot of time stuffed into the house and it was clear that she was going just a little bit crazy. When they stepped outside, he could see her tension melt away.
“So…” Lori smiled at him. “Just how rich are you, really?”
“Rich enough.” Clifford winked in reply.
Lori arched a brow.
“A man needs some mystery. But I am very good at what I do. I have my own law firm, I am highly successful, and I take on more clients than just the clan. Actually, everything I do for the matriarch is pro bono. The clan isn’t very wealthy, not compared to me, and I—"
“Wait a second.” Lori frowned at him. Her head tilted to one side, and the way her cheeks puffed out as she tried to figure out whatever was confusing her was so adorable that Clifford had to fight not to kiss her. “Wait just a darned second. Serena is the matriarch’s granddaughter.”
“Yes.”
“And she is that way because your other brother married the matriarch’s daughter.”
Clifford opened his mouth to correct her, since shifters didn’t marry. They mated, which was a far more emotionally intimate connection than the piece of paper that humans bound themselves with. But it didn’t seem to be relevant at the moment, so he simply closed his mouth and nodded.
“But you’re the matriarch’s nephew. Did your brother marry his cousin?”
“What? No. Well… no. I’m not blood-related to the matriarch. However, since she adopted Mother and her chil
dren into the clan, we are thought of as her kin. She’s my aunt in the same sense as a godmother or godfather. It’s an honorific title and it was her obligation to help me and my siblings as we grew up. But we were never treated as though we were blood kin. After Jackson married Annamarie, we all grew much closer. The matriarch sent me through law school.”
Lori rubbed her temples. “This is confusing.”
“I suppose it can be when you’re not used to our culture.”
“You can say that again.” Lori shook her head. “I thought that my childhood was weird enough.” She snorted. “Okay. So maybe that’s not a great comparison. Your mom seems a bit silly, but she’s nothing like my mom was. Escaping a gang life… that’s badass.”
Clifford slipped his hand into hers. There was an underlying tone to her voice. Something sad and longing. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Her brow creased and her shoulders hunched. Had he said something wrong?
“Serena told me that her mother loved her but resented her because she was so young when she was born.”
Clifford nodded. Even at his relatively young age, he had been able to see that. Annamarie had only been twenty-two when she died. Serena had been seven, and Natasha had taken her in. But Natasha was older than Annamarie had been, and had gladly taken on the responsibility of caring for a child. She hadn’t had to, she had made the choice herself.
“My mother didn’t bother trying to love me. I don’t know why she even decided to keep me, if I’m honest. Maybe she was trying to have something to fit in, a trophy that she could wave in other women’s faces and state that she was part of the Feminine Gang too.” The sadness weighed heavier in Lori’s voice as her head bent. “She didn’t bother being a mom. As soon as Jasmine got her own place, she took me away from her. Never looked back. Jazz… she was too young, but she was determined. She wanted to give me the best life and she knew I wasn’t going to have it with our mom. And Mom? She never fought it.”
The Bear Shifter's Baby Page 2
