I have been pacing the living room back and forth. My nerves are so bad. Zander is just staring at me. He even tries to tell me to calm down. When I go to argue, he gives me a look that I know I shouldn’t cross. Fallon stands and asks if I’d like to join her and Avery in the kitchen. I agree, thinking it might take some of my mind off what’s going on in that office.

We enter the kitchen, and Fallon excuses the cook. We all sit, and they start drilling me. Fallon starts first.

“How are you, truly?”

“Besides the morning sickness, I don’t know. I feel like I’ve lost all control, of my body and now my sanity.”

Fallon laughs. “Pregnancy will do that, but the men in this family will do that, too.”

Avery jumps in. “But they’re worth it. Zander’s a good man. You’re very lucky to have him in your life.”

I let out a little laugh. “Good man? He won’t leave me alone.”

Fallon says, “Zander is a good man. He’s strong, confident, and he would never let anything happen to any of us.”

“I’m sorry, I meant no offense. I see you are both close to him…”

Fallon interrupts me and says, “We are close to him, we love him very much, and I don’t like seeing him hurt.”

“Hurt?”

“Yes, Murphy, hurt. You have done something I never thought I’d see. He has been hurting over you. That man would do anything to have you and that child in his life. Do you think it is easy for a man like Zander Stern to throw himself at a woman the way he has with you? He even threatened this family with going to war against us over you. Zander is our protector, but now he threatens our family.”

“Why? I never asked him to do that.”

“For you, Murphy. Do not presume to think that Zander is a man to throw threats like that around easily. You don’t realize how much you own him.”

“I don’t own him. He is free to do as he wants. I see you two both look and talk about him like he is some kind of fierce god, but he’s not; he is just a man. And men always show their true colors.”

Avery looks shocked, but Fallon laughs, then says, “You think you know men. I know your story, Murphy; you don’t know shit. All you know is the absence of men. Zander is not a god, none of them are, but they are family. Zander will not abandon any one of us, and that now includes you. Whether you like it or not. I watched you the other night. I saw the disgust in your eyes at what Zander did to that man. But that is not the man in the living room right now. He did what he did to protect you, but what he will do to love you is totally different.”

Avery nods and says, “He’s not that scary man you saw with us. He is kind and gentle, and he loves fully. He is funny and sarcastic. Plus, he is, like Fallon likes to say, sex on two legs.”

That lightens the mood, and we all laugh. “He is that. I don’t think I’ve ever met a sexier man in my life.”

Fallon wiggles her brows, then gets serious. “So, what are you going to do? Liam and Gabriel filled us in on what’s going on with Catherine. I hope whatever it is, it ends the feud between Zander and Catherine.”

“I don’t know. I never saw myself married, but then again, I never saw myself pregnant either.”

“Zander will love the baby, he already does, I’m sure,” Avery says.

I’m about to answer when Vin comes into the room and says that Catherine wants us to return to the living room.

We all enter the living room and I see my mom standing by Catherine. Fallon and Avery go to their husbands. I’m still standing, scared to move. My mom begins first.

“Murphy, we both talked things over and decided that it is for the best if you marry Zander.”

“Mom, I can’t.”

“Oh, you will, Murphy. Catherine will let you keep fifty-one percent of the casino. You will remain in control of it. They will also offer you protection from whoever comes after you. In return, you will marry Zander and raise your child as a Stern.”

I see Zander's face lighten up, he looks happy. But I’m pissed. How could she do this to me?

“I won’t do it.”

Mom walks straight to me. She leans down and whispers in my ear, “You will do this, Murphy. In life, we sometimes do not have an option to do what we want. This is the only way, Murphy, don’t you see? I am protecting you, like I have always done. Now it’s your turn to protect your child.”

I look at her and know she means it. My mother has never been a stupid or a rash woman. So, if she believes this is necessary, then it is.

I say in a low voice, “Fine, I’ll do it.”

Catherine says, “Good, now we need to prepare for a wedding.”

I practically shout, “NO! You want me to marry him, then fine, I’ll marry him, but I’m not pretending for a bunch of people I don’t know. You want this to happen? Okay, but I will do it here, right now, and I will not waver on this.”

I look at Zander. “Take it or leave it. But I will not pretend we don’t know what this marriage is for. I will be your wife, but in name only.”

Zander swallows his drink in one swallow, then fixes another. Then he tells his mother, “Make it happen.”