The Great Disapurrance: BBW Shapeshifter Surprise Pregnancy Romance (Chicago Catastrophe)

by Anya Nowlan

  Arlen grinned and shook his head.

  “The fact that you’re so worried about it only shows that you’ll be a great mom. And we’ll figure it out together. There’s no such thing as perfect parents, but we’ll do our best and that’s all anyone can really do.”

  Just the comforting tone of his voice immediately made Sienna feel better. His words resonated with her.

  Parenting wasn’t something one could learn beforehand. It was about thinking on your feet in difficult situations and doing what you thought was best for your child. And she didn’t have to do it alone.

  “I can’t believe you are so calm about this. I guess SEALs are probably trained on how to keep cool in stressful situations….”

  “I’m calm because I’m sure about the important things. I love you and you love me. Everything else is just background noise.”

  Arlen shrugged.

  Well, if I look at it like that…

  “There are still some obstacles we have to overcome,” Sienna reminded him, sobering the elated situation a little.

  Arlen frowned as if suddenly realizing that there was a whole world still out to get them. He stood and started pacing around the room.

  “You’re right. We have to put everything that could endanger us to rest before we can be a family.”

  “My father will be looking for me. He wanted me to give him an heir even before he knew I was pregnant. Now that he knows I’m already carrying a child, he will be desperate to get control of me. He was so furious when I told him I’d do anything to keep my baby away from him…”

  A dark cloud passed over Arlen’s face at the mention of her father.

  “Is Antonio the one who gave you the bruises?” he asked.

  Sienna fidgeted with the edge of the blanket she was sitting on, uncomfortable with the topic. Talking about Antonio made her feel weak, even after she had worked so hard to be strong. But if she and Arlen were going to be a family, they had to be open with each other about everything.

  “Yes,” she answered with a nod, her eyes downcast.

  Arlen let out a low curse before coming to kneel before her at the edge of the bed.

  “You don’t have to look so ashamed. He is a bastard, and it took a lot of guts to get away from him and start a whole new life. You are a brave, strong woman. Don’t let him make you doubt that. And as long as I’m alive, you can be sure he will never lay a hand on you again.”

  The conviction on his face took her breath away.

  Arlen was right. It was time to embrace her past. It made her who she was, despite how cliché that sounded. It hadn’t been easy to strike out on her own at only eighteen, leaving behind a life of wealth to make something of herself while hiding from Antonio.

  She decided, then and there, to use the awful memories she carried around as a source of strength, rather than a reminder of weakness.

  Arlen must have seen the change inside reflected on her face.

  “That’s the girl I know, the one with fire in her eyes,” he said, squeezing her hand.

  “So what’s our next move?” Sienna asked with a smile and newfound determination, albeit shaky as it was.

  “I think my best bet to square things up with The Firm is to finish my mission. And even if it weren’t, it’s still a good idea to take Holland out. You are still a loose end to him. No way he wants you spilling inside information about his crew.”

  “And he’s probably pissed he didn’t get the ransom,” Sienna added.

  “Okay, so we go back to our original plan. Kill Holland.”

  Arlen rubbed his jaw, looking ponderous.

  It would be dangerous, but it was the only way to make sure their future family would be safe.

  Thirty-One

  Arlen

  “I don’t like rushing into things, but I think we have to act sooner rather than later. Shadow Squad Three is still in play, looking to both bring me in and finish the job on Holland. We have to beat them to it and also not give them a chance to find us before we can finish this thing,” Arlen thought out loud.

  “Our best bet is to go check out that house he went to the last time we tailed him. If he always goes inside without his security, then that’s where we’ll have an advantage,” Sienna agreed.

  “There’s just one thing. You can’t come with me,” Arlen said, already bracing for an argument.

  “You can’t be serious!” she huffed.

  There it was. That fire he liked so much. And the same thing that could put her in jeopardy again.

  “I can’t put you in harm’s way, especially not now that you’re pregnant,” he replied, looking at her with pleading eyes.

  She had to understand his need to keep her and the baby safe. Even the thought of something happening to them made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He couldn’t live with himself if she suffered in any way again.

  “You yourself said I’m a brave, strong woman and now you want me to sit on the sidelines while you charge in to danger? How is that fair?”

  “I’m not really concerned with ‘fair’ right now,” he muttered in response, running a hand through his hair.

  Sienna’s jaw tightened and he could tell she was about to really let him have it.

  “My father made decisions for me my whole life. From whom I could be friends with down to what I was allowed to eat. Is that what I’m signing up for with you?”

  Damn.

  That was a low blow. For a moment, he was speechless. Sienna sighed and her expression softened.

  “I’m sorry, that was harsh. I know you’re not like him, but can you see my point? I think this is something we need to do together and I would like you to respect my wishes.”

  What could Arlen say to that? She wasn’t going to back down and he understood why she wouldn’t. Even though he despised the idea of Sienna being even in the slightest danger, he couldn’t cut her off from events that impacted her life just as much as they did his.

  The last time I left her alone…

  The memory was all too raw. It wasn’t something he wished to experience again.

  Fine.

  “I get it. We’ll do this together,” he relented.

  Sienna stepped up to his side and threw her arms around his trim waist, smiling up at him.

  “I know this is difficult for you, so thank you.”

  He grinned back at her like a dope. She definitely had him wrapped around her little finger.

  He didn’t mind.

  Arlen left his car out of sight and he and Sienna rushed to the building he had chosen as the one with the best vantage point. He had his rifle case in one hand, dug out from the cramped boot of the Camaro, and held Sienna’s with the other. It felt right to have her with him, even as a part of him still nagged about how unsafe it was.

  Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

  The sun had barely risen when they reached the rooftop. Sienna walked over to the edge and stared down at the mystery building Holland had visited while Arlen set up his weapon. He would feel much more comfortable with the whole thing if he knew what lay inside the house, but he couldn’t get close enough to get a better look without risking leaving his scent behind.

  “What do you think the chances of him showing up here again are?” Sienna asked with her back still to him.

  “I’m not sure. It depends on what business he has here, which we don’t know.”

  He could hear her sigh even despite the whipping wind and street sounds below. Their situation was really starting to take a toll on her, which couldn’t be good for her or the baby. The faster he got this done, the better for all of them.

  Arlen set the rifle up on its tripod and attached a silencer before walking over and giving her a hug from behind.

  “At least we can watch the sunrise together,” he offered, resting his hands on her stomach.

  Sienna covered his hands with hers and leaned against him.

  “That’s true.”

  They sat down toge
ther, watching the sky erupt in shades of pink and orange.

  “You were trained as a sniper when you were a SEAL?” Sienna asked after some silence, her head resting on his shoulder.

  “It was my role, yes. Not all SEALs get into the sniper program and from those who do, not many end up completing it.”

  “Could you be a little less impressive? You’re starting to make me feel bad,” she teased, poking him in the ribs.

  “I do have pretty great eyesight, so I kind of had an advantage,” Arlen added.

  He had never meant to brag, and back when he was in the Navy, he had felt being a shifter gave him a leg up over the others. The Navy seemed to go through phases of creating all shifter teams and then sprinkling them out between the units. Arlen had the misfortune of being in one of the latter solutions.

  Which was why he felt far more at home at The Firm.

  “Don’t minimize your accomplishments. I’m sure there’s more to it than eyesight.”

  That was definitely true. There had been plenty of candidates with 20/20 vision, as well as other shifters, who washed out quickly.

  Arlen didn’t have a lot of time to contemplate that though, as the sound of an engine rumbling in the distance got his attention.

  “I better get into position,” he said, getting up.

  Sienna ducked down under the edge of the roof while he got under an urban camouflage blanket and focused on looking through the sight. A black SUV appeared from behind the corner not soon after and pulled up in front of the house.

  Arlen held his breath as the doors open. Could it really be Holland?

  As soon as the man’s curly hair came into view, the tiger inside him roared, recognizing the opponent that gotten away. His men escorted Holland to the house, constantly getting in the way of a clear shot. The guys did a quick sweep of the surroundings before returning to the car.

  Arlen glanced at Sienna. She was still crouching near the edge of the roof. He gestured her closer and her eyes lit up when she saw the look of pleased determination on his face.

  “It’s him, isn’t it?” she asked quietly.

  Arlen nodded, smiling. But before he could get too excited, the sound of another car approaching reached his ears.

  “Someone else is coming,” he said with a frown, and Sienna immediately scrambled back to her hiding place.

  He got into position again, assuming it was just someone driving by.

  In this remote area? And this early?

  A town car came into view, rolling to a stop right behind the SUV. Holland’s goons hopped out, guns trained. The driver of the town car calmly exited the car and opened the door to the backseat.

  A tall, dark-haired man stepped out, adjusting the lapels of his suit and Arlen could hardly believe his eyes.

  What the hell is Antonio Marquez doing here?

  Thirty-Two

  Arlen

  After a quick but heated discussion, Holland’s men escorted Antonio to the front door, calling to someone inside before letting him enter..

  Didn’t see this one coming, Arlen thought.

  It was definitely an interesting turn of events, but ultimately, it didn’t change anything. Arlen was there to kill Holland, and that’s what he was going to do. If Antonio got in the way, that was his problem.

  He glanced at Sienna for a moment. Putting her father in direct path of danger… he wasn’t sure how well that would go over with her, even with their history. All he really had to go on was his gut at the moment. There was no time to spare on what could turn into a lengthy conversation and at the same time cost them the mission.

  Only one guard remained outside, standing near the house, while everyone else got back in their cars. Arlen steadied his breath and took aim, taking the wind direction and speed into consideration as he locked on to his target. He would just have to take care of the goons and draw Holland out in one fell swoop.

  His finger softly pushed down on the trigger and the shot rang out. It was more muted because of the silencer, but shifters would still be able to hear it easily. He would have to be fast, so they wouldn’t be able to track down their location by sound.

  The guard in front of the house went down, spilling brain matter on the green grass. Holland’s men jumped out of the car in lightning speed, while Antonio’s men were a bit slower. That left another four targets.

  Holland’s guys were wildly scanning their surroundings while Antonio’s men were huddled by their car. Arlen decided to take out the bigger threats first. One by one, no matter how fast they ran or where they tried to duck, Holland’s goons went down in a splatter of crimson.

  One of Antonio’s men tried to get back inside the car, but he was too slow. The last man standing tried to make a break for the house, but was mowed down mid-sprint. Arlen stared down at the bodies, unmoving on the lawn.

  It had almost been too easy.

  As a finishing touch, he took out some of the tires on the car as well, in case Holland tried to make a break for it.

  “It’s okay, baby,” he whispered to Sienna, who was staring at him wide-eyed after all those shots.

  Arlen focused his attention on the house next. He could see a curtain move, just for a second, before it was drawn. The carnage outside was hard to miss. Holland had to know all his men were gone, and he was probably huddled inside, calling for backup. Antonio was still in there as well, presumably doing the same.

  He threw off his camo and crawled over to Sienna.

  “The guards are down but Holland is still inside the house. And he’s not alone. Your father’s in there, too.”

  Sienna gasped and she started to stand to look over the edge of the roof, but he pulled her back down.

  “From all the shots, Holland could have pinpointed the rooftop we’re on. Stay low, we’re going down.”

  Arlen grabbed her hand and they awkwardly walked off the roof, backs hunched and knees bent. He left the gun there, needing his hands free.

  “What is he doing here?” Sienna asked from behind him, her tone incredulous.

  “I have no idea, but we’re about to find out.”

  Probably nothing good, he added in his thoughts.

  They ran as soon as they got off the roof, bounding down the stairs and to his car, which was parked out back.

  “Are you sure I can’t convince you to wait here?” Arlen asked, gently grabbing hold of her shoulders.

  “I’m sure. I need to see this through and I have to find out what my father is up to. And with me there, they might think twice about reacting too quickly.”

  We’ll see about that.

  She was determined, he had to give her that. Arlen hadn’t expected a different answer, but he had to at least try.

  With a sigh, he opened the trunk, picked up one handgun for himself and pressed another into Sienna’s hand. They had already discussed the possibility of having to rush the house, so she just took the gun and lay down on the backseat.

  “Hold on tight,” he said as he got in the front.

  He pushed down on the gas and away they went, rounding the corner and heading straight to the house Holland was hiding in. Arlen kept his head low, in case the man decided to fire on the car.

  It was why Sienna was in the backseat in the first place. They couldn’t just walk up to the house. That would make them easy targets.

  No bullets whizzed by as he got closer, driving right over the curb and onto the lawn, swerving to avoid the bodies there. He brought the car to a stop by the side of the house, away from the windows and immediately rolled out of his seat. Sienna was still hiding in the back.

  “Are you alright?” he whispered, making his way around the car and toward the entrance.

  “I’m okay.”

  “Stay here until I get a handle on things,” Arlen ordered

  For once, she listened.

  He ducked down near the front door, listening intently. There seemed to be two other people in the house besides Holland and Antonio, but one of the breathing
patterns struck Arlen as very odd. It was almost… mechanical.

  But there were more important things to figure out. Like how he was going to get inside without being shot. There was no doubt in his mind that Holland was armed.

  He focused on listening. Soon he could make out two voices, Holland’s and Antonio’s, arguing inside.

  Good. That meant they were distracted.

  Arlen carefully pushed the door open, not wanting to alert the men to his presence before he had to.

  Still keeping his body low, he crept inside, breathing deeply as he went. The smell permeating the house reminded him of a hospital for some reason. He could tell the mechanical sounds he heard before came from the back of the house, and it was accompanied by someone’s panicked breaths.

  The arguing, which seemed to be coming from the kitchen, only got louder.

  “Shut up, he’s already inside!” Holland yelled.

  So his presence had not gone unnoticed.

  “What are you, scared?” Antonio bellowed back.

  Hell yes, he is.

  Arlen had just taken out Holland’s security detail. Not to mention Holland got his ass handed to him the last time they fought. It would only be wise of him to be afraid of Arlen. The tiger inside was already gnashing its teeth, looking forward to a good old-fashioned Texas-style asswhooping.

  Arlen straightened up when he made it to the doorway leading into the kitchen and pressed his back against the wall next to it. From the sounds alone, he could figure out that Holland and Antonio were standing somewhere near the window, opposite of the doorway.

  Tightening his grip on his gun, Arlen whirled around and stepped inside the room, the weapon trained on Holland. Thinking fast, Holland grabbed Antonio and pulled the man in front of him, effectively using him as a shield. The gun Holland was holding flew up to press against Antonio’s temple.

  “Make a move, and I’ll blow his brains out.”

  Arlen grinned.