I checked Ty was OK for water and food then made my way out onto the porch, breathing so fast I was on the brink of hyperventilation. “Fine. You’ll be fine.”

The moon had risen high and cast light over the street. The house across the road was silent and dark, empty as usual, but down the street, Mason’s lights were on. Two cars were parked in his drive.

“Strange.” Not what I’d expected, given that he’d messaged me earlier and told me he’d be contacting colleagues online to drum up some opportunities nearby then going to bed right after.

A silent alarm went off in my head, but I forced myself not to read too much into it. I didn’t want to be that woman, even if I was a little nervous right now.

I squared my shoulders and made my way down the stepping-stone path and out the front gate, shutting it behind me. My skin crawled, but I kept the reaction under control—it’d been happening on and off whenever I got home late from work since the incident with Kieran and the fire.

It was just a feeling I had to get over. That or just deal with it.

I strode down the sidewalk toward Mason’s house, my frown deepening with each step. His Dodge shone by the light spilling from his living room window, as did the Audi parked next to it. Silver, and with a cute Barbie doll hanging from the rearview mirror.

“The hell?” I stepped up to the gate and placed my hand on the latch, nerves about my pregnancy reveal sinking into background noise. Whose car was this? And why were they over at Mason’s place at this time of the—

A shout rang out inside— female—and I jerked forward, opened the gate, and stepped inside. The front door was open, and the boxes were finally gone, leaving an empty path leading toward the staircase.

The rumble of an engine distracted me, and I turned just as a car squealed around the corner and roared up to the front of Mason’s house. The driver’s door sprang open, and Perry emerged, his hair standing on end, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans.

“What the hell?”

He ran up to the gate and kicked it open then hurried onto the path. He stalled briefly at the sight of me. “It’s mine,” he said, “and don’t you fucking forget it, you bitch. It’s mine.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“The baby,” Perry snapped, then turned and ran up the drive and into the house.

My eyes widened so much they hurt in my skull. How the hell does he know about it? No one but Peggy knows. What the fuck?

He couldn’t mean my baby. Could he? Screw this. I had to find out what was going on, and waiting out here wouldn’t help me.

I hurried inside after him, following the sound of voices from the living room—not upstairs. Not the bedroom, then. Thank god for that.

“You’ve got to listen to me, Mace. This is important, OK?” It was Tabitha’s voice.

What the hell was she doing here? And why was Mason even entertaining her in the first place?

“Leave,” Mason said, smooth and calm. In control. God, I loved that about him—he held back when he could easily lose his mind. I probably would have. “I’m going to call the cops if you don’t, Tabitha.”

“Call the cops?” Perry had entered the room. “And tell them what, huh? I want to know what the fuck is going on. Why did you run out on me, Tab? Why are you here?”

My curiosity got the better of me. I crept forward, peeking around the edge of the doorjamb.

Mason stood in front of his flat screen in the living room, his arms at his sides, massive hands balled into fists. He was perfect, as usual, tall and overwhelming, emanating power in a manner only he could. Thick shoulders, thicker neck, and sharp green eyes scanning from Tabitha to Perry and back again. “Both of you had better get the fuck out of my house.”

Tabitha stepped forward, closer to the sofa than to Mason, but away from Perry, who’d positioned himself behind the coffee table, directly across from the other man.

“I can’t,” Tabitha said and looked over at Perry. “I’m so sorry, honey, but I’m pregnant. And Mason’s the father.”

My stomach dropped. It was as if the earth had been pulled out from under me. I clung to the doorjamb, watching, barely breathing.