by Anya Nowlan
How quickly his good mood vanished. The bed sank under his weight as he sat down on the edge of it, using all of his self-control to reign in the lion desperately clawing at his insides. He ran a finger down the caramel skin of Hailey’s arm, the touch of her warm flesh dampening his anger only by a hair.
Could it be that his feelings were one-sided? Was lust the only thing drawing her to him? The weight of those thoughts lay heavy on his chest, almost pushing away the knowledge of the very obvious danger Hailey was in now.
Hailey shifted a bit, her eyes fluttering open. She smiled when she saw him, but that was of little consolation to Troy. His turmoil must have been clear on his face as Hailey’s smile vanished almost instantly, replaced by alarm.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, quickly sitting up and scooping up the sheet to cover her. “Is it something with the case?”
“Were you ever going to tell me?” he demanded, feeling every muscle in his body tense.
Hailey looked confused before realization spread across her face. She glanced at the open laptop and sighed, burying her face in her hands. Troy waited patiently for her to speak, even though it was pure agony. She was quiet for so long he thought she might not answer him at all.
“I wasn’t at first. But after last night… I was considering it,” she admitted, removing her hands but still avoiding his gaze.
“You were considering it? This is my child you’re carrying!” Troy thundered, barely containing the growl in his voice.
Hailey looked up at him, eyes blazing, mouth opening to say something. Whatever she saw in his face stopped her short.
His heart was thundering in his chest.
How could she?
But he could answer that question way too easily for himself. Why would she, really? To her, he wasn’t exactly the kind of man that inspired trust at this point. He’d brought this on himself and he hated the fact that he knew this.
She looked away again, silent. A small tear rolled down her cheek.
Something inside Troy softened at the sight of it. She cared enough to feel bad, that at least meant something. He hadn’t meant to make her sad, but he needed answers.
“I know you think I’m just a criminal. But I’m also a man who cares about you. All the stories I shared with you, about my childhood, about who I am, they were all true. I’ve opened myself up to you like I’ve never done with anyone before. Have I not earned just a little bit of trust?” he said quietly, resigned.
Hailey turned to face him, eyes glistening.
“I do trust you, a little… Even though it’s utterly foolish of me. But that doesn’t change what you do or what you have done. Do you honestly think our baby will ever be safe once you claim it as yours?”
The way Hailey’s hand flew instinctively to her stomach as she spoke struck a chord with him. Of course her first instinct had been to keep her baby safe. He couldn’t blame her for that, no matter how much the fact Hailey saw him as a threat to their unborn child stung.
He took Hailey’s hand in his and kissed it softly.
“I understand why you made the decision to not tell me. I don’t agree with it, but I understand. I want to keep our child safe just as much as you do,” he muttered against her skin.
“You mean that?” she asked, clearly surprised to hear that.
“Yes.”
Hailey’s free hand moved to stroke his hair.
“I need you to know it was not a decision I made lightly. I feel like a weight has been lifted, now that you know. I think I might even be glad you found out,” she said with a brittle smile.
Troy grabbed her close, pressing his lips to her forehead, cheeks and nose before giving her a quick kiss. Even under these dire circumstances, joy blossomed in his heart.
I’m going to be a father.
The thought made him happier than he would ever have expected. From the first night he met her, he’d know that she was his. He would have never expected things to move so quickly, but hell, his life never took the slow lane.
Holding Hailey at arm’s length, staring into her eyes, as he said something he knew she wouldn’t like.
“Your trust in me is going to be put to the test sooner rather than later. I need you to pack up whatever essentials you might need. You have to leave Chicago.”
Hailey’s eyes widened before a stubborn expression came over her face.
“I am not going anywhere!” she exclaimed, yanking her hand out of his.
Can’t she just do as she’s told for once in her life? Troy thought with a sigh. But then again, she wouldn’t be the Hailey I know if she did.
Eighteen
Troy
Troy gave out a frustrated groan as Hailey jumped out of bed and started rummaging around her closet for clothes to put on.
With some barely there remorse, he remembered he had destroyed at least two articles of her clothing last night.
“Listen to me. For your own safety, you have to get out of town,” he pleaded, still sitting on the bed, watching her luscious body rush around the room.
He could never get tired of watching her sexy body. It was only made better by the fact that she was carrying his kid now.
Hailey picked his underwear up off the floor and threw them at him. He’d forgotten that he was still buck naked. Sheepishly, he pulled the boxers on.
“What does that even mean?” she demanded, wiggling into a pair of black jeans.
“I can’t give you any details right now. There are things I have to take care of first. You just have to believe me when I tell you that this is the best course of action,” he said, standing to move by her side.
She stilled as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
He didn’t want to freak Hailey out by telling her the Claws had put a hit out on her, not before he had a chance to get a plan in place to get her out of this mess. She was already stressed enough as it was, and that could not be good for the baby.
Our baby, Troy thought with an internal smile.
He put his other hand on her belly, rubbing softly, eyes fixed on Hailey’s face.
“All I want is you and the baby out of harm’s way.”
Hailey put her hand on top of his and let out a defeated sigh.
“What about my parents? I can’t just bail and not tell them anything,” she argued, but Troy could tell the war had already been won. “If I disappear, your people will go for them immediately.”
She’s right.
“You need to tell them to get somewhere safe. Go to a hotel, sign in under false names. Or leave Chicago altogether, if they can.”
“And when they ask why?”
“From what you’ve told me their lives have been in danger before. Will they really ask a lot of questions, seeing as what this town is becoming?” he asked, giving her a long look.
Hailey sighed, her brow furrowing. He would much rather see her smile, but right now, her safety was much more important than her happiness, no matter how bad that sounded.
“I guess you’re right.”
“If there was any other way…”
Troy wrapped an arm around Hailey and kissed the top of her head. She was still pouty, but she returned the hug, at least. Grumbling, she pulled away and got out her phone, taking a deep breath before tapping the screen and lifting it to her ear.
While Hailey was preoccupied, Troy got his own phone back out and dialed a number he hadn’t called in a long time.
“Troy?” a gruff voice asked after a couple of rings.
“Hey, Morrison. I need a favor.”
Oh, how he hated speaking those words. There was nothing quite as bad to a shifter like him than admitting that he needed help.
Troy and Hailey had been on the road for the better part of an hour, leaving the city behind. He’d been looking for the signs for a while now when he finally spotted a small carving on one of the surrounding trees, telling him he was on the right track.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it. Gett
ing Hailey out of sight was his first priority. Everyone else could wait.
Yanking the wheel just in time for another sudden turn in the muddy roads leading deeper into the woods outside of Chicago, Hailey gasped next to him.
“Sorry, baby,” he said, squeezing her hand for a moment, before putting both back on the steering wheel.
Troy was both happy to see Morrison again and dreading the reunion. Their last meeting had ended in a pretty severe disagreement.
“So who exactly is this ‘friend’ you are taking me to?” Hailey asked, fidgeting with the radio and still sounding annoyed.
He couldn’t blame her. She was going above and beyond, trusting him here, and he still hadn’t showed her his whole hand.
“You’ll meet him soon enough,” Troy replied with a small smile, pushing down on the gas.
“You are the master of vagueness,” Hailey sighed with a small eye-roll, crossing her arms in front of her.
She’s so cute when she pouts.
He could never say it out loud, though. She would probably murder him on the spot if he did.
Why do I find that attractive? he mused absently, pulling up to a small clearing.
“Is this it?” Hailey asked, craning her neck.
A log cabin stood in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by a wrap-around porch with two chairs and a small table out front. A man stepped out, of average height, broad-shouldered and very fit, despite being somewhere in his mid-fifties. He grinned at Troy, walking down the steps of the porch and to his car with the lightest of steps.
Troy couldn’t help but smile back. It had been way too long since they’d seen each other.
“This is it. Come on, I’ll introduce you,” Troy replied to Hailey, opening the car door.
She grabbed her pink duffel bag filled with clothes and toiletries and followed suit. They met Morrison halfway between the truck and the cabin. The sun shone brightly and the man squinted, accentuating the wrinkles around his eyes.
“Long time no see,” Morrison remarked, pulling Troy into a quick hug and clapping him on the back.
The man’s eyes shifted to Hailey and he looked her up and down, measuring her up.
“I’m guessing this is the favor?” he asked, cocking a brow at her.
From the corner of Troy’s eye, he could see Hailey’s spine straighten and her chin lift.
That’s my girl.
“My name is Hailey, thank you for asking,” she chirped a little too sweetly, holding out her hand.
Morrison chuckled before shaking it.
“Nice to meet you. I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine.”
Morrison earned a satisfied smile from Hailey with that comment.
Troy grabbed Hailey’s hand in his.
“I’ll get you settled in, then I have to go. You’ll be safe here. Morrison is probably the only person I trust right now.”
Hailey quirked her nose, looking like she had a million questions on her mind, but she kept quiet about them for now.
They entered the cabin, which looked almost exactly the same as when Troy had last been there. The furniture was handcrafted, all from wood and all by Morrison himself. A couple of pelts hung off the walls, more this time than last. Troy grinned to himself when he spotted a wolf in the mix that didn’t use to be there.
He gave Morrison a look and the man winked back. He’d always been gunning for one of those pesky Arctics…
Quilts were strewn about on the tired-looking couch and the smattering of chairs. Morrison pointed towards his bedroom, turning his attention to Hailey.
“You can stay there, I’ll take the couch.”
“No, don’t be ridiculous. I’ll take the couch,” Hailey protested.
Suddenly, Morrison stepped closer to her, taking a long whiff as he did.
“Hey, what the…” Hailey objected, jerking away.
Troy groaned, shaking his head. Morrison had one of the sharpest noses he had ever encountered. It was foolish to think he wouldn’t figure it out, even if he’d carried the smallest bit of hope that it would happen.
“Wouldn’t dream of making a lady who’s with child sleep on this lumpy old thing,” he remarked, backing away.
Hailey’s mouth gaped open.
“Did…did you just smell that I’m pregnant?” she asked, wide eyes darting from Morrison to Troy.
Morrison only shrugged.
“One of my many gifts. Your boyfriend here shoulda warned you.”
“Okay, enough with the tricks,” Troy said, shooting Morrison a disparaging look.
His lion growled territorially, the rumble echoing in Troy’s chest. Hailey was plenty freaked out already, he didn’t need Morrison meddling around and making it worse.
The man looked at him curiously, eyes lighting up as he put two and two together.
“She’s your mate, isn’t she? And the kid is yours?” he asked, incredulity mixed with a twinge of excitement. “If she weren’t, you wouldn’t be bothering with bringing her here.”
“I’m his what?” Hailey piped up, but was promptly ignored by both men, Troy only squeezing her hand slightly.
“Just keep her safe and your nose out of my business, okay?” Troy said, jaw tightening as he stared Morrison down.
“Don’t get salty, kid,” the man snarled. “You know you can count on me. You wouldn’t have brought her here otherwise.”
Troy nodded quietly. What he said was true. Troy trusted him and with good reason. Morrison had never let him down before and he prayed this would not be the first time.
He grabbed a confused Hailey into her arms, squeezing tight.
“I’ll explain everything when I get back,” he assured her once more, murmuring the words against her hair.
“Troy, what’s…” she started, before Troy cut her off by slanting his mouth over hers.
He kissed her, deep and primal, as she sagged against him. Knowing it would only hurt more if he lingered, he broke away abruptly and turned around without another glance in her direction, striding out of the cabin and slamming the door shut after him.
His lion thrashed against his skin, not at all happy that they were leaving their mate behind.
I am going to give her and our child a normal life, even if it kills me, he thought, gritting his teeth as he hopped into his truck.
And it just might.
Nineteen
Hailey
Hailey could feel Morrison’s eyes on her as she paced around the cabin, admiring all the pelts he had on his walls. Being a city girl through and through, she was fascinated, even if it was all a tad macabre. Morrison must have sensed her interest, not that she was doing much to hide it.
She needed something to take her mind off of the situation her parents were in, and the danger that Troy was getting himself into. Hell, the trouble Troy could have been getting all of them into…
“It’s okay to touch them, they won’t bite. Anymore,” Morrison said with a chuckle.
She tentatively reached out a hand, gently running her fingers over the grey fur of a wolf. It was a lot rougher than she had expected, and she glanced back at Morrison with a surprised smile.
“Wow.”
“I gather you’ve never touched a wolf before?” he asked, leaning against a wall.
That was a question Hailey never thought she’d have to answer. Then again, there was no shortage of surprises in her life lately.
“No. There are many things that are new to me.”
Morrison gave her an encouraging smile, gesturing towards the couch. He was a grizzled man, one who was obviously built for function. He sort of looked like what Hailey could imagine Troy once being like, later in his years. Big and powerful, but older and wiser.
“I can imagine. How long have you and Troy been together?”
Hailey sat down, strumming her fingers on her thighs, not knowing how to answer. Morrison joined her, leaving his spot by the wall. There was something formal and contained about the way he moved, like
he’d spent his life keeping his shoulders back and head high. It made her own spine straighten in response.
How was she going to explain her less than conventional relationship with Troy without it sounding totally insane?
They barely knew each other, yet here she was, pregnant and finding it harder and harder to keep her distance, both physically and emotionally. No matter how many times she reminded herself he was a ruthless mobster and nothing but trouble. That she was insane to trust him… yet she kept going back to him.
There was just something about him that made her trust him. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, she wasn’t yet sure.
Morrison gave her a knowing look, a smile hovering on his lips.
“That long, eh?”
Fighting the blush she felt creeping up on her cheeks, she looked away, even though Morrison’s comment sounded more amused than judgmental.
“It’s complicated…”
“When is it not? Double so when you’re dealing with shifters.”
Hailey perked up, studying the man’s weathered face. This was someone who knew a lot more about the shifter world than she ever could, and he seemed open to share that knowledge with her. He was the one who brought it up, even after Troy had told him to keep quiet.
But Troy wasn’t here right now, and she needed information. She had been fumbling around in the dark long enough. This was her chance to get some things straight.
It can’t hurt to ask, right?
“You mentioned before that I was Troy’s ‘mate’. What did you mean by that?”
Morrison gave her a long, appraising look before speaking. She tried her best to keep her composure under that studying gaze, but she got the feeling that there had been plenty of people who had cracked under that judging look.
“When you first met Troy, did you feel like you already knew him?” he asked, judging her expressions closely.
“Yes,” she replied instantly.
She didn’t even have to think about her answer, it just tumbled out of her mouth.
“And no matter what you did, you couldn’t stay away from him?” Morrison continued, leaning back a little.
