Meow Or Never: BBW SEAL Shifter Surprise Pregnancy Romance (Chicago Catastrophe)

by Anya Nowlan

  I can’t take this, she thought, tears welling in her eyes.

  Needing to remind herself there was more at stake here than her righteousness, she got out her phone and dialed her mom’s number. The woman picked up almost at once.

  “Hailey, honey, I was just thinking about you,” her mother’s soft voice flowed into her ear.

  “Hey, mom. Just wanted to check in, see how you and dad are doing,” Hailey said, imagining her mother in her office, surrounded by those motivational posters she liked so much.

  “Oh, we’re fine, I would rather hear about how you’re doing!” she said, just like all moms tend to say. “You sound a little tired, honey.”

  It was just like her mom to worry about her after all she and dad had been through. Hailey’s thoughts drifted back to that awful night at her parents’ office, and her hand holding the phone started to shake. Her father’s arm had only just healed, too. It was all way too damn fresh, no matter how hard she tried to put it out of her mind.

  “I’m good, just have a lot of work to do,” Hailey answered, hoping she sounded convincing.

  In that typical mom way, she’d sensed from across the city that something was wrong. Hailey wondered if she would have the same kind of superpowers when she became a mother.

  If I ever become a mother, she reminded herself.

  “Do you want me to get dad? He should be around here somewhere,” her mom offered, and Hailey could hear her chair squeak.

  Tears sprung to Hailey’s eyes in earnest now. Her parents were the kindest, most loving people she’d ever met and she would do anything to keep them safe. She had to end the call before she started all-out blubbering, and taking to her father was a surefire way to guarantee that.

  She still felt irrationally guilty every time she looked at his face, even though the bruises had mostly faded. Her parents were just a tool to the Crimson Claws, a way to get to her. If she weren’t their daughter, they wouldn’t be in the danger they were in now.

  “No, that’s okay, I have to get back to work anyway. We’ll talk more when I get home, okay?” she asked, making her voice as cheerful as she could manage.

  “All right, honey, bye-bye.”

  Hailey sighed deeply and opened the folders in front of her.

  Hailey got back from lunch feeling even worse than before. Sitting at her table, she felt like nothing had changed for the better and every step forward took her two steps back.

  Why did I order seafood at what was definitely a pizza place?

  She shot a quick text back to Troy, hoping talking to him would get her mind off things. Mulling over what to say took way too much time, but she finally pressed the send button.

  Not yet. How’s your quest for purpose going? she typed, hoping the little jab at Troy’s expense didn’t come across too harsh.

  Hailey didn’t get much time to ponder that, as her desk phone rang. She picked it up, wondering which one of her clients it could be.

  “Hi. Did you get the flowers I sent you?” a chillingly familiar male voice asked.

  It didn’t take a genius to figure out who the caller was. Tired and slightly nauseated, Hailey’s patience was definitely wearing thin.

  “Look, Culliver, I’m flattered, but…” she started before cutting herself off. “No, you know what, I’m not flattered. You’re a heartless jerk and you work for even bigger jerks and I don’t want to get to know you. In fact, I wish I didn’t know you at all!”

  The line was silent for a couple of seconds, giving Hailey plenty of time to think about what a bad idea pissing this guy off was.

  “So you got them,” was all Culliver had to say.

  Hailey slammed the phone down with a frustrated cry. She had a feeling this wasn’t the last she’d heard of the man. He didn’t strike her as the type to give up easily if he wanted something.

  Whatever. I’ll deal with him later, she thought.

  Hailey buried herself in her work, shutting everything else out. It wasn’t until Laura knocked on her glass door, coat in hand, that she looked up to see the office empty.

  “It’s half past nine. Go home, you look like you could use some rest,” Laura said with a kind smile.

  “I will. See you tomorrow, Laura,” Hailey responded, running a hand through her hair.

  She turned off her computer and gathered her things, slightly sad to see she had no new text messages, but too tired to dwell on it. Her feet dragged as she took the stairs down and all she could think about was falling into bed.

  Cool air hit her face as she exited the building and she breathed in deeply. Her fingers fumbled in her purse trying to find the car keys, thoughts already fixed on crawling into bed. Crossing the street and running her eyes over the parking lot, she noticed a figure standing next to her Volkswagen.

  Not tonight… not tonight…

  The closer she got, the more her stomach sank.

  It was Culliver, and he was holding another bouquet of flowers, even more lavish than the previous one. This time, he’d gone for red roses.

  I should have called in sick today, she thought with a sigh.

  Hailey briefly considered going back inside, but decided to face the man head-on instead. Maybe he’d get the message better face to face. There were other people getting into their cars in the parking lot, so at least she wouldn’t be alone with him.

  Besides, running away from her problems had only gotten her in deeper so far.

  “Good evening,” Culliver said as Hailey got to her car, his wide smile unsettling for some reason.

  He stretched out the hand with the flowers, pointing it towards her.

  “These are for you.”

  “I thought I made myself clear over the phone. I’m not interested,” Hailey replied, frustrated.

  How deluded can a person be? Like I’d go out with someone who threatened my parents’ lives.

  “I think it would be in your best interest to give me a chance, Miss Molloy,” Culliver argued, frowning.

  “You aren’t owed a chance. I don’t have to go out with you just because you feel like I should,” Hailey countered, shoving past the man to get to the driver side door, annoyance brimming within her.

  Culliver threw the flowers on the ground as his lips thinned into a grim line. Hailey quickly scrambled into her car, not at all interested in seeing the man angry.

  “You’re going to regret this, Miss Molloy. I urge you to reconsider,” the man demanded, his fist hitting the front of her car.

  Now this was the Culliver she remembered. He looked like he was getting tired of playing nice. And she knew what could happen when Culliver got to that point.

  Hailey turned her key and started the car, hands shaking a little. She revved the engine, trying to get Culliver to step back. He stared at her through the windshield for a moment, his face a mixture of anger and disappointment. Then, he started towards the passenger door and Hailey slammed down on the gas.

  No way she was letting him get in the car.

  Culliver jerked away at the last minute, narrowly avoiding getting ran over.

  Hailey’s heart pounded as she sped off, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

  Guess I’m not sleeping tonight after all, she mused, thinking how easy it would be for Culliver to track down her address.

  He probably knew it already.

  Nine

  Troy

  Troy popped a couple more Advil, hoping it would quiet his pounding head. The sunlight streaming in through the windows seemed far too bright, making him squint.

  Dempsy’s men had not been exactly happy to find their boss’ throat ripped out with Troy standing over the body. He had to break Drew’s arm and crack Bo’s skull – no easy feat, by the way - before they backed off and let him explain.

  But not before a couple of them got a few good punches in.

  Troy could have told the guards up front their boss’ time was over, but he couldn’t be sure how they’d react. Their utmost loyalty should always be to t
he Crimson Claws, but after a long time in Dempsy’s service, some of them might have challenged Troy, or at least tried to warn their boss.

  He couldn’t take that chance. Not if he wanted to walk out of there with the mission firmly accomplished.

  The primary target always comes first, Troy ran through his personal motto.

  No client cared how many henchmen you took out, only that you got the job done. Possibly starting a brawl with the guards would have been too risky and given Dempsy time to get away.

  After all the excitement of last night, Troy had been too beat to even check his phone when he got home. He grabbed it now, thumbed it and brought up the notifications. He was more than glad to see Hailey had sent him a response. Despite his pounding headache and the aches and pains he endured, it brought a smile to his lips.

  Just as Troy was about to reply with an invitation to go out again, there was a knock at his door. It resounded right through his head.

  Two unannounced guests in as many days? Aren’t I getting popular all of the sudden?

  He sniffed the air, catching the scent and recognizing it more easily this time, as it was fresh in his mind.

  Jay was back.

  With a grunt, he rolled out of bed, taking his sweet time in his dingy one-room apartment to straighten up and stretch. Getting his bearings didn’t come as easily as he would have liked after a fight like that.

  And, frankly, he could remember far more enjoyable wake-ups lately. Like with Hailey by his side, all curled up, soft and inviting.

  Another job already? Troy wondered, his lion perking up at the possibility of more violence.

  He opened the door, all set to give the man a status report or accept another job, but Jay seemed totally uninterested in conversation.

  The man didn’t even bother with a greeting. He was staring at his phone as usual. Troy frowned as Jay thrust an envelope in his arms and walked away. Troy turned the paper over in his hand, brow still furrowed, until he noticed River’s insignia.

  The letter ‘R’ with three claw marks running through it, on one of the corners.

  “Nice you see you too, man! Say hello to the wife and kids for me,” Troy hollered after Jay, who flipped him the bird over his shoulder.

  He closed the door and went to sit down on the edge of the messy bed, ripping the letter open.

  A personal message from River? I must be doing something right, Troy pondered, anxious to find out what this was all about.

  You have proven yourself. It’s time to take the next step. Dempsy’s sector is yours, Lieutenant Sellen.

  Troy read the three sentences over and over, expecting the words to reveal something new each time, but they did not. To say he was surprised would be an understatement. Killing Dempsy had effectively been a job interview, and he’d passed.

  Well, shit. Didn’t see that one coming.

  How his new subordinates were going to feel about that, he could only speculate. It was going to be a tough job, no matter what, with the big boss killing off whoever he felt like and all. It seemed no one was safe. That was bound to make people anxious and anxious people tended to make bad decisions.

  More importantly though, anxious people responded well to a commanding presence, and Troy had that in spades.

  There was no time to waste. Troy gathered his coat and car keys and headed to the casino. He better get to work, unless he wanted to end up like his predecessor.

  For a brief moment, he considered calling what had happened in with some people who would be more than curious to hear about it, but he decided against it.

  They don’t have to get updates on every little thing, he decided.

  He’d wait until he had something useful, like shipping routes or the names of their Mexican contacts. Seeing as he now had unfettered access to the Bridgeport crew’s operation, that shouldn’t take long.

  Before long, Troy was in his trusty truck, zigzagging through traffic with the radio turned up. Getting caught at a red light a couple blocks down, his mind wandered from work to Hailey, as it often tended to do lately. He could still remember her laugh, as clearly as if she was sitting right next to him.

  Shit, I haven’t gotten back to her.

  His idea to ask her out again would have to be postponed, taking his sudden promotion into consideration. His mood fell considerably at the thought of that. Troy got out his phone and typed up a response.

  I think I’m getting there. How’s your day going? I’m assuming you keep getting distracted by thinking about me.

  An annoyed honk from behind told him the light had turned green. He hit send before accelerating, turning on to the familiar road that led to the Twin Rivers Casino.

  The place looked closed, but he knew better. Troy banged on the door for a while before a surly looking man with his arm in a makeshift sling came and opened it. From under the bruising, Troy could recognize Drew. He looked at Troy with thinly veiled disdain and Troy in return gave him his best smile.

  “What are you doing here? Come to take us all out?” the man asked.

  Troy could smell the guy’s fear, hidden behind his disgust and anger.

  “Shut up and let me in. Dempsy was a liability and I was just doing my job. I answer to River, not to you,” Troy said, a silent challenge in his annoyed gaze.

  The man eyed him for a couple of seconds before getting out of his way. Troy headed straight to Dempsy’s office, pushing the door open confidently. There was a damp, rust-colored stain on the carpet, but everything else was already spick and span.

  Guess I was right about the stain.

  Culliver was sitting at the table, typing something on the computer. He shot up from his seat when he saw Troy enter, a snarl forming on his lips.

  “Calm down,” Troy uttered with a dismissive wave. “I’m here on official business. Now call in everyone who isn’t already here. There’s something we need to discuss.”

  Troy stood on the small stage on the casino’s main floor, set up for the occasional live performance, and looked down on what used to be Dempsy’s crew but was now his. A couple of the guys were regarding him with open scowls, but most just looked bored and eager to get on with their day.

  The Crimson Claws weren’t a daycare, no one expected to get their hand held. Everyone knew that if you fucked up, you had to pay the price. That was their reality. Loyalties were fluid and friendships temporary, especially during a shaky time like this. There would be no tears shed over Dempsy’s demise.

  They’d forget about Dempsy, but they wouldn’t forget about the man who took him out.

  “You’re probably all wondering what’s next, now that Dempsy is gone. Don’t worry, it’s business as usual. River has already appointed a replacement. Say hello to your new lieutenant,” Troy declared with a grin, meeting one pair of eyes after another.

  “You?” Lucky demanded, incredulous and visibly annoyed.

  Troy gave him a look and then glanced at Culliver, fuming at the door, arms crossed. Lucky had been the head of Dempsy’s detail, while Culliver was his right-hand man. He’d already dealt with Culliver’s initial reaction, much the same as Lucky’s now.

  There was practically steam coming out of Culliver ears. Neither of them could be happy that Troy had taken over when they were the ones hoping to go up next and claim the position left vacant by Dempsy, with Culliver being the likely favorite.

  Hell, that’s what Troy had assumed before getting River’s message.

  He had to show strength and determination or these guys were going to walk all over him.

  “Yes, me. You had someone else in mind?” Troy asked, looking at the man pointedly.

  Troy hadn’t really spent a lot of time with Culliver, but his dislike for the man had been almost instant. He was boring and petty and had no sense of humor whatsoever. He had this quiet, seedy air about him that was almost palpable.

  “I got the command to take over from River this morning. The decision’s been made and if any of you have a problem with
it, you’re welcome to step into my office. You all know what happened to the last guy who was sitting in my seat.”

  Culliver grew silent, probably not wanting to come off jealous or disobedient. Everyone was treading on the side of caution, the last thing they wanted to do was piss off River. Troy waited for a couple of seconds, but no one had anything else to say.

  “Alright, then. Get back to work. Culliver, I’ll see you in my office so you can get me up to speed on everything.”

  Troy could see the man grit his teeth, but all he did was nod. The crew scattered, getting on with their everyday business.

  My crew, Troy thought with some bemusement.

  He hadn’t been expecting this a year ago, that was certain.

  Troy strolled to his new office with Culliver trailing not far behind. When they were both inside, Culliver closed the door after him and stared at Troy as he got behind the large, glossy desk.

  For a moment, Troy thought the man might make a move. Culliver tensed, the muscles in his neck straining, but within a second he relaxed and conjured up a neutral expression. Troy was almost disappointed.

  “What can I help you with?” Culliver asked evenly.

  The speed with which his demeanor changed told Troy he needed to look out for him. He was just biding his time, waiting for Troy to slip up. Like the rest of them. No honor among thieves and cutthroats.

  “Whatever you think is most relevant. I know Dempsy really valued your input and I plan to, as well,” Troy responded, making sure to control his tone of voice and make it sound as neutral as he could.

  He would do well to keep Culliver in his inner circle. The man was more likely to let his hand show if Troy leaned on him and made him believe he needed Culliver’s help.

  Keep your friends close…

  But he also needed people who would actually try and be helpful. He thought back, running through the roster of Dempsy’s men and remembering which ones seemed to have their heads on straight and got their jobs done.

  “Call in Reaver, and Ace, as well. They’ve been here for a while and have a feel for the operation,” Troy said, picking Dempsy’s little knick-knacks off the edge of the desk and tossing them in the waste basket.