Twice the Malone

by Roberts, Laylah

  Opening the door, though, it didn’t give her the same sense of home it used to.

  “You sit down, I’m going to get you some water and maybe something to eat. I don’t know what diet you’re on but maybe you need to up the calorie intake.”

  “I’m not on a diet. I feel queasy. I don’t feel like eating. All I want to do is sleep.”

  Except she hadn’t been sleeping well lately, her dreams filled with two sexy cowboys. Only, the dreams started off sexy and ended with Maddox staring at her coldly and calling her a whore, a bitch, telling her she wasn’t good enough for them.

  He never said those things, of course. But her brain had warped what he had said.

  “Scar! Scar!”

  She looked up to find Margo standing over her, staring down at her in concern. She handed her a bottle of water. “Oh, sorry. Zoned out.”

  “You do that a lot.”

  “I know.” She remembered how Beau and Maddox had brought her back to reality.

  Stop thinking about them.

  “Maybe you should go to the doctor. I’m worried about you. You’re not eating, not sleeping, and you just fainted. That’s not normal for you.”

  “I’ll be okay.”

  “Something more happened than those two assholes walking out on you without saying goodbye, didn’t it?”

  “They’re not assholes and yeah.”

  “Okay, spill.”

  Scarlett knew she couldn’t keep it to herself anymore. So, she told Margo everything between sips of water.

  “Wow.” Margo just stared at her. “That’s one hell of a coincidence, you ending up in bed with a guy that bought some land out from under your boss.”

  “I know.”

  “You don’t think he was telling the truth about Richard?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve been seeing Richard in a whole new light.”

  “About time, the guy’s a jerk. You put him on a pedestal, and he doesn’t deserve it. So, what are you going to do now?”

  “Um, nothing? Maybe find a new job.”

  “You’re just going to let them think that you fucked them so you could get info for your boss?”

  She winced at those words. They made her sound awful.

  “That Maddox has some nerve accusing you of that. What a jerk.”

  “I can see why he thought it.”

  “But he wasn’t even on Richard’s radar, right? He didn’t know Maddox bought that land.”

  “He didn’t know he’d bought the land. But he had been complaining about a guy trying to block him, whom I’m guessing was Maddox.”

  “But he never told you his name?”

  “No. But Maddox didn’t know that.”

  “Fuck.”

  Exactly.

  “Well, maybe you could prove your innocence by becoming a double agent.”

  “Um, what?”

  “Get information on Richard for Maddox.”

  She gaped at the other woman. “I can’t do that!”

  “Why not? If he’s guilty of what Maddox said, then maybe there’s some proof in his office. Get it, take it to Maddox and voila!”

  “Voila?”

  “Yeah, you end back up in a cowboy sandwich. Hmm, I wouldn’t mind being the meat in a cowboy sandwich,” she said wistfully.

  “Margo!”

  “What? I’m jealous is all.”

  “What makes you think I’m interested in being that meat again?”

  Ew, did I just say that?

  Margo shot her a look. “Don’t try to kid me. I know you, the reason you’re so upset is that you liked these guys. You just have to figure out if you like them enough to fight for them.”

  * * *

  Maddox stared into the glass of scotch.

  “Much as you might hope otherwise, it doesn’t hold the answer to all your problems,” a raspy voice told him.

  He looked over the bar at Patty. He huffed out a breath. “Didn’t think it did.”

  “Not that I’m complaining or anything, but you’ve been here a lot lately.”

  He grunted.

  “I’ll take that as my cue to leave you alone.” Her gaze went over his shoulder. “Alec. Don’t see you here much.”

  “Been busy.”

  “I heard. Congrats on your boy.” She shuffled away and his oldest brother sat.

  “What do you want?” Maddox snarled.

  “Haven’t seen your moody ass in a while.”

  “So, you came looking for me? Heard of a phone?” Maddox asked.

  “I have, and yours is off. What’s going on? This over that girl you and Beau were with a while ago?”

  Maddox stiffened.

  Scarlett wasn’t a girl. She was all woman. Gorgeous, sweet, and submissive. Or so he’d thought.

  “She means nothing.”

  “Yeah? That why you’re here? Drowning your sorrows.”

  “I’m here because I wanted a drink. Alone.”

  Alec sighed, leaning his elbows on the bar. “You know what I’ve learned over the years?”

  “Nope, but I’ll pay you five hundred dollars not to tell me.”

  Alec sighed. “Why the fuck do I keep trying with you assholes?”

  “Dunno. You’re a slow learner?”

  “Maddox, life is too short to be bitter and twisted. And it’s way too fucking short to be without the people you love.”

  “That’s it?”

  “I know that girl meant more than you’re trying to let on.”

  “Oh, yeah? You psychic now? She was a one-night stand.”

  “We both know that’s not true. If you want her, go find her. Don’t let some past bad experience stop you from being happy.”

  “She’s a liar. She pretended not to know who I was. She slept with me for information.”

  “If she’s guilty of all that, then why are you here wishing that you weren’t? Why is Beau walking around with a face like someone shot his dog? Did you give her a chance to explain?”

  His jaw tightened.

  “Course you didn’t. Because you’re a pig-headed Malone. Maybe you and Beau need to talk to this girl. Hear her side. Then the two of you can move on.”

  Alec left before he could reply. But he was wrong. And Maddox wasn’t going near Scarlett.

  Because if he did, he was very afraid he’d scoop her over his shoulder and carry her home.

  * * *

  “Hey, Charlie,” she greeted the evening security guard at the Stanson building.

  “Scarlett, what are you doing back here?”

  “I left my phone. I’m so forgetful at the moment.” And her queasy stomach and light-headedness weren’t getting any better. In fact, they were only getting worse. “Can I go on up?”

  “Sure thing. The boss is in the office, but no one else is around.”

  Damn it, she really didn’t feel like seeing Richard right now. He was part of the reason she’d left without her phone. He’d asked her to work late, and she’d been in a rush to catch the train before the weather broke.

  Now, she was going to have to take an Uber home.

  When she got to her office, she opened the drawer, pulling out her phone. Then she tiptoed back across the room.

  “You must have found something on him!” Richard’s voice broke through the gap in the door and for some reason she froze. He sounded agitated.

  “I don’t care how rich his family is, I want dirt on him. I want to make sure he knows crossing me isn’t something I will tolerate. Why the fuck did he even want that land?”

  Is he talking about Maddox?

  “Get me something to use on this asshole or you’re fired.”

  She made herself move away from the door. She didn’t know for sure he was talking about Maddox, but she was scared he might be.

  What should she do? Beau hadn’t answered any of her texts. Should she call him? But would he answer? Would he listen to her? Especially when she didn’t know that Richard was talking about Maddox.

  After she
got home and had taken a hot shower to warm herself up after getting caught in a downpour between the Uber and her apartment building, she grabbed her phone. She sat and stared at it, indecision plaguing her.

  The buzzer to her apartment rang before she could figure out what to do. Knowing it would be Margo, since she was bringing over dinner, she let her up.

  “It’s so wet out there.”

  “We could have had a raincheck,” she told her as she took the Chinese food from her, setting it down on the table.

  “No way, missy. You need to eat. Jesus, Scar, have you lost more weight?”

  She shrugged, even knowing she had. None of her clothes fit. “I just don’t feel great. All the time.”

  “You need to go to the doctor.”

  “You know I hate doctors.” She’d had a bad experience with them as a kid when her parents had died.

  “You’re going to make an appointment and go,” Margo said sternly. “Or you’ll waste away to nothing.”

  “Not like I can’t afford to lose a few pounds.” She tried to make her voice sound teasing, but Margo didn’t look impressed.

  And her ass tightened as she remembered how Maddox would’ve reacted if she’d said that in front of him. She wouldn’t be sitting comfortably.

  No use thinking of him.

  “I can’t believe that dick made you stay late. I hope you told him you need overtime pay.”

  Of course she hadn’t. And Margo knew that.

  Margo sighed.

  “Something interesting happened, though. I left my phone and then snuck back into the office to snoop around, but Richard was in there. I heard him on the phone, talking to someone.” She recounted what she’d heard.

  Margo paused, a forkful of food halfway to her lips. “You think he was talking about Mr. Broody Moody.”

  She’d started calling Maddox that, while Beau was Mr. Happy Chappy.

  “I think he might have been.” She pushed the food around on her plate, just the smell of it was making her stomach roll over. “Do you think I should try calling Beau to tell him?”

  Margo wrinkled her nose. “He probably won’t answer.”

  “I think I need to do some snooping. I need to find out what’s going on.” She didn’t want anything to happen to Maddox, even if she was upset with him.

  She managed to eat a couple of spoonfuls of chicken fried rice before the nausea kicked in and had her jumping from her seat and racing into the bathroom.

  She slammed onto her knees, knowing she’d be bruised from that later, and leaned over the toilet, vomiting up everything she’d eaten that day. Which wasn’t much.

  When she was finished, she flushed and sat back against the bathroom wall. A glass of water appeared in front of her, and she looked up into Margo’s concerned face.

  “Scar?”

  “Yeah,” she rasped before taking a few sips of water.

  “Is there any possibility you’re pregnant?”

  11

  “I can’t be. I’m forty for God’s sake.” Scarlett pulled at her hair in agitation.

  “So? Women have babies at forty, Scar,” Margo said calmly. After making sure Scarlett was okay, she’d taken off to grab her a test, racing out in the freezing rain to get it.

  But the thing is, Scarlett was anything but okay. She was freaking the fuck out.

  Pregnant?

  Nope. Not happening.

  “I . . . I . . . but they used condoms.”

  “Condoms aren’t fully effective.”

  “It shouldn’t just happen from one night.”

  “How much sex did you have that night? And by that, I mean how many times did they come inside you?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Just saying maybe that one night is a normal person’s month worth of sex.”

  Shit. She wasn’t wrong.

  “Don’t freak. Just take the test. Then we’ll know.”

  “Right. Silly to freak out over something that probably isn’t even true.”

  Although now a part of her was disappointed at the thought that maybe she wasn’t pregnant.

  Oh, you’re an idiot.

  Moving into the bathroom, she peed on the stick, setting it to the side. “Start timing.”

  “On it,” Margo called back through the door. Scarlett pulled up her pants and washed her hands. Then she opened the door.

  Margo stood there, staring at the timer on her watch.

  “What am I going to do if I am?”

  “It will be all right, Scarlett. I’ll help you.”

  But Margo wasn’t even here half the time. Oh, Lord. What would she do?

  “Okay, time.”

  Scarlett turned back and picked up the stick. The edges of her vision went black.

  Pregnant. She was pregnant.

  With a baby.

  Of course with a baby, you idiot. That’s what being pregnant means.

  “Scar! Scarlett, stop freaking out.” Margo took hold of her upper arms and shook her sharply. “Stop it!”

  It was then that Scarlett realized she was practically hyperventilating.

  “Breathe, damn it.”

  “I . . . I . . . I . . .”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  “I know, baby,” Margo said gently, steering her into the living room and helping her sit. She took the stick and handed her a glass of water. Her hands shook.

  “But . . . but . . . how did this happen?”

  “Well, when a man sticks his penis—”

  “Margo! This is serious.”

  “I know, but you’re freaking out, and you don’t have to.”

  “Why wouldn’t I freak out? I’m going to be a mother. I know nothing about being a mother. I’m on my own. How will I support my baby? I have barely any savings. Babies are expensive. I can’t . . . I can’t do this . . .”

  “Of course you can. You’re the most capable person I know. And you’re not alone. You have me. Even if the baby daddy doesn’t want to help, I’ll be here for you. Always.”

  Something else occurred to her.

  “Scar, it will be all right. You have this. We’ll start making plans. You can cut back in some areas, save money for when the baby comes. Also, the baby daddy, whoever he is, has to help, right?”

  “Yeah. Right. But the question is, who the hell is the baby daddy?”

  Margo’s mouth dropped open. “Well. Fuck.”

  Scarlett couldn’t have put it better herself. She groaned, leaning her head in her hands. “What am I going to do?”

  Margo sighed. “Make an appointment with your lady doctor first. You probably need special vitamins and an ultrsound and stuff. How far along could you be?”

  “About eight weeks.”

  “Right. She might be able to do something about the nausea too.”

  “No needles,” she said, freaking at the thought.

  “I’ll go with you, okay? But Scar, you really need to get in contact with those cowboys, they need to know.”

  She rubbed her hands over her face. Damn, she was so tired. And stressed. That couldn’t be good for the baby.

  “I’ll tell them but first . . .” She bit her lip, thinking it all through.

  “First, what?”

  “If Richard was talking about Maddox then I have to warn him.”

  “Right, so you can do that when telling him about the baby.”

  “But he won’t believe me without proof.”

  Margo shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Scar.”

  “You were all for it before.”

  “Before I knew you were pregnant.”

  Well, Scarlett didn’t see what difference that made, other than to make it more important that she convince Maddox and Beau that she could be trusted.

  No, this was the best plan she had. First, she’d find out what Richard was up to. Then, she’d tell them about the baby.

  * * *

  This was her chance. />
  Richard had just left to go out of town for the night. And she had the offices to herself. Of course, she ran the risk of someone catching her, but most people had already left for the day.

  If someone looked on the security cameras, they’d see her, but she figured being Richard’s assistant, she could just claim that he’d called her and asked her to grab something for him. Plus, Charlie liked to sneak off for a smoke break about this time.

  She’d wing it. It would be fine. Nothing would go wrong.

  Nothing could go wrong.

  Oh, Lord. Nausea bubbled in her stomach.

  She crept into the office and started searching through his drawers. Nothing. She turned on his computer. She didn’t think there would be anything there that would immediately stand out. She searched through the different folders. Nothing. Nothing.

  Then she saw one that just had some initials.

  Fuck, there was a passcode.

  She put in one. Rejected.

  Nerves had her shaking. Another code. Nope.

  The third code was his birthday. It worked. Fucking hell. What an idiot. She searched through the files, a growing feeling of dread developing in her stomach.

  Holy. Fuck.

  What kind of idiot would keep this all on his work computer?

  The sort of idiot who was an egomaniac and thought he’d never get caught. He had photos on here, images she didn’t even begin to understand, although she recognized a couple of people. One of them a very prominent politician getting head from a woman she guessed wasn’t his wife.

  Realizing she didn’t have time to go through all of this, she brought up her personal email and sent the file to herself.

  It was so huge though, it was taking forever.

  Come on. She knew that Charlie would be back soon and she had to get this done.

  Finally, it showed that it had loaded, and she hit send closed everything down. Shoving the chair back, she stepped into her office right as the door opened. Freezing, she stared as Richard walked in.

  Oh, God. He’d caught her. Charlie had seen her and called him.

  She was dead. So dead.

  “Forgot a file I needed,” he said.

  Shit, had she turned off the computer? Why couldn’t she remember? She needed to stall him until the monitor went to sleep, or he’d go in there and notice.