“Excuse me, Mr. Sullivan? The doctor would like a word with you.”

Parker looked at his mother-in-law. Ashleigh Marquez, Aunt Ash, gave him an encouraging smile.

“It’s okay, Parker. See what the doctor wants. Angie’s safe. I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered.

He had a hard time letting go of his angel’s hand. She stirred when he moved away, but her mother stepped in and murmured soothing words until she was peaceful once more.

Waiting for him in the corridor, the doctor waved him into a small room and shut the door.

“How are you holding up, Parker? Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay. How could I be?”

She grimaced at his vehement response but nodded.

“What have the tests shown? Is my wife going to be okay? And the baby?”

“The ultrasounds have been good. The baby isn’t showing any signs of distress. There’s also no sign of internal bleeding. Your wife was properly belted in. Her blood pressure is elevated, and we’re taking steps to bring those numbers in line. She’s receiving oxygen and IV fluid replacement. Car accidents can be scary, but Angie is a strong girl. We’ll keep her until she’s stabilized.”

He and Alex with Duke’s help concocted a car accident story to explain what happened. Encountering a mule deer on a dark road that ran through an area of trees, brush, and shrubs was a bit of bad luck. No need to mention anything else.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“She needs to rest and stay warm. We’re continuing to monitor the baby. Strong heartbeat and normal movement. This really is the best possible outcome, Parker. Unless something changes, you’ll go home and carry on as before. The baby will come when ready.”

“Doctor, this may be the wrong time to ask but the baby. Is it a girl?”

“Oh, how delightful.” She chuckled. “Your wife said you might ask and that I was to laugh in your face and say shame on you for not having faith.”

He laughed and took a deep breath. It was the first emotion aside from panic and anger that he’d felt in hours.

“Thank you, doctor.”

She shook his hand. “I have the best job imaginable. Bringing new life into the world is a rush and an honor. I see many couples, Parker, but you and Angelina are special. She’s told me things. Women things. Not everyone gets to say they have loved their spouse from the cradle. I read romance,” she quipped. “And I like a good Disney movie or a rom-com like everyone else. You two are a Hallmark movie wrapped inside a historical romance with Disney-esque magic and destiny thrown in for depth. When you ask what you should do, my answer should have been to just keep on doing what you’ve been doing. The very best thing any father can do to ensure his children’s happiness is to worship their mother the way you do your wife. That’s a powerful legacy that not all children have. Love is everything.”

There was a real possibility of him crying if he stood there any longer. Ducking his head to hide the emotion he knew was on his face, he muttered a grateful, “Thank you,” once more and then hurried back to Angie’s room.

She licked her lips and smiled at her mom. Ice chips were her new favorite thing.

“Where’s Parker, Mom? Where’s my husband?”

“Now, sweetie, just relax. He’s right outside, talking to your doctor. I saw her when the door opened, and she was smiling, so I’m not worried and neither should you.”

Angie frowned at the IV bag hanging on a pole. Her eyes followed the line delivering fluids to her body. She always bruised from needles, and she didn’t doubt for a second that this one was going to leave a mark. The band around her belly to monitor the baby’s heart rate was uncomfortable, and her back ached.

“Mom,” she whined. “Being uncomfortable woke me up. I have to move. Sitting like this is killing me.”

Her mother didn’t give a good goddamn if moving triggered the fetal alarm. She simply pressed the call button, waited for the nurse’s voice, and quickly informed them that unless they wanted to deal with an alarm, somebody better get in here and help Mrs. Sullivan into a more comfortable position.

Two people dressed in hospital scrubs came bustling in seconds later. They helped her shift onto her side and even rubbed her back to ease the ache. She liked the team of nurses. They were labor and delivery veterans with tons of experience who knew how to keep things light and easy.

They checked her vitals and took extra pains to manage her comfort level. Angie rubbed her baby bump while clutching her mother’s hand. She was ready to give up on being comfortable when Parker came back into the room.

His first facial expression was worry. When he saw her smile, it changed to relief.

“I want that doctor fired,” he joked. “She laughed in my face. On your orders, madam,” he said with an abundance of teasing and a wink.

“Hold me,” she demanded.

He wasted no time moving in close. Perched with one hip sitting on her bed, she curled as close as she could and rested her cheek on his shoulder.

“Can I get you anything, baby girl? Something to drink? Eat?”

Hmm. She wondered if saying yes would expedite her release. She woke up feeling better and just wanted to go home, see Snooki, and curl up on the sofa with Parker. Not feeling especially hungry or thirsty, she went with the safest option.

“May I have some tea? Decaf black or herbal. Whatever they’ll let me have.”

She saw her mother speak quietly to the nurses, and then they all left. Parker chuckled.

“Guarantee they come back with high tea fit for a queen.”

She smiled. Her mother had a way of getting what she wanted.

He gathered her close and kissed her head. “I’m so sorry, Angel. This was all my fault.”

She exhaled heavily and shifted until they could look at one another.

“None of this was your fault. Weeks ago, I started worrying that I was the easiest way to get to you. And I had a bad feeling about my bodyguard. Knowing all of that didn’t stop what happened.”

“It’s not over, honey. Not by a long shot. I think what happened tonight was just the beginning.”

“I know,” she murmured. “And we’ll face whatever comes, together.”

He kissed her softly.

“Where’s Snooki?” she asked.

“Duke was worried about her getting thrown around in the car, so he took her to Dr. Hunter to make sure she’s okay.”

“She saved me, Parker. I swear she did. When she yipped, and I looked for her, she was practically handing me the gun.”

“And she led me to you.”

“What?”

“Yeah. When we found your car but no sign of you and blood everywhere, I started to lose my shit until I heard her barking. She let me know where you were and kept yipping so we could follow her bark. It was extraordinary. I owe the ratty fuzzball a big one.”

Angie giggled. Parker owing the dog was too delicious for words. Sometimes, paybacks were a bitch.

And then she sobered. “There’s something you aren’t telling me. I’m okay, Parker. Really. Just say it so I can stop worrying and imagining. Is my brother all right?”

“Alex is fine. He’s working the matter as we speak. But there is something. You aren’t the only one here.”

“You mean, in the hospital?”

He nodded, and a grave shadow moved across his expression. “It’s Domineau.”

She gasped and searched her husband’s face. “No!”

“Yes,” he growled. “Someone beat her up. Duke told me they tried to take her too, but just like you, she’s a Justice gal and doesn’t take kindly to being manhandled. She put up a hellacious fight. Becca returned home and scared off the assailant.”

“Is she going to be okay?”

“She needs some dental work and has a couple of stitches. I think she has a broken rib too, but I may have imagined that. You girls are going to have to look after her.”

“Can we not talk about that part yet?”

He grimaced. “There might not be time to dance around the issue.”

“I know. But there’s only so much I can handle, and right now, I just want you to take me home. Tomorrow will get here soon enough.”

Meghan and Carmen went about the twin’s daily routine with very little comment. After Alex left with Duke hot on his heels, they fed them and did their nightly bath. While Carmen puttered, she sat on the floor and gave the babies a relaxing massage—more for her than for them.

Aiden was feeling the love tonight. He snoodled into her, and cooed, “Mmm ma ma.” She almost cried.

They got both babies into bed, and only then did she stop to breathe. Carmen melted away. She had Paulie to deal with.

Around midnight, she heard a car in the driveway. Rising from the sofa, she went to the wet bar and poured two drinks. They were in her hands when Alex stepped through the door. He looked like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.

She didn’t speak and chose instead to tell him how she felt with her eyes. He came straight to her for a hug she couldn’t return because of the glasses in her hands.

“We should talk,” he muttered.

Yeah, they should, and they would, later. First, she had to take care of her mate. “Sit,” she told him. He dropped onto the sofa and groaned. She pressed the drink into his hands and sat beside him with her body turned his way. He had her full attention.

He looked at the tumbler of whisky and turned it in his hands. Then, he held it up, and said, “To Justice.”

She touched his glass with hers and nodded. Her throat was too tight to say anything.

When ready, he shared an unbelievable story full of twists, turns, coincidences, and betrayal. Meghan was shocked to learn that her father was quietly involved. At the end, she knew without asking that he’d be leaving and soon.

“Dad will need help wrangling everyone. We have plenty of room and keeping the family in one central location will help with morale and security.”

“I always wanted to run a bed and breakfast,” she gently teased until he smiled. “Don’t worry.” Her tone was reassuring and confident. “We all know what we signed on for. You have my full support.”

He finished his drink and suggested she do the same. Then he took her hand and led her upstairs to their bedroom. From there, he made love to her long into the night. She held him in her arms as he fell asleep.

Meghan had no idea what the next days and possibly weeks would bring, but she knew one thing. She loved Alexander Marquez with all her heart and soul. He chose her, and by god, she was going to make him proud.

Kelly watched Roman while he talked to the head of their security team. She chewed a nail and fretted. The wonderful day they spent with their close friends had ended with drama, death, and an ambulance. Her fiancé wasn’t happy about any of it.

An antique clock she’d found at an estate sale in New York that Roman went out of his way to have shipped to their Arizona home sat across the room on a side table. She picked up the slow, rhythmic tick, tick, tick. Each sound represented a second of time. An eye blink. Every fraction of each second was precious—something today’s events had driven home with frightful accuracy.

Tick, tick, tick.

Profound, soul-shaking fear engulfed her each time she thought about Angie. What she went through was unfathomable. And Domineau, oh my god. Domineau. How were they going to explain to Matty that his first, best friend was hurt?

“Shit,” she whisper-muttered when a nail ripped off from her incessant chewing. Hoping to release some of her barely restrained anxiety, she shook out her hands and rubbed them on her thighs.

Roman’s body language caught her attention. His spine was rigid. He looked sculpted in stone. Each angle hardened and sharp. The shoulder holster he put on as news of the attacks reached them was accentuated on his back. The leather straps against his white shirt had an ominous look.

“Pfft, ominous,” she quietly mumbled. Really? Ominous? Her lover was rocking a gun for an accessory, and all she had was the word ominous?

The man he was talking to was one of the nameless, nearly identical security people who followed them everywhere and kept watch. She’d noticed this guy before—plenty of times. He was hard to miss due in no small part to the undisputed fact that he looked like Shemar Moore’s stand-in.

She heard a few words, but none were comforting. When the two men shook hands, Kelly sat forward with expectation. She shoved her hands under her legs to stop her trembling and jerking movements.

When they were alone and the security system armed, Roman turned and sought her eyes. She returned his gaze but wasn’t able to mask the worry in her expression.

His dark eyes were so intense that it felt as though the fierce stare pierced her soul. The wide space between them filled with his life force. An honest to god shiver of awareness rolled through her whole body.

She sat, unmoving and barely breathing, as awareness overtook her. She felt separate from her physical self and had the sensation of drifting through space as her spirit was drawn to him.

His warmth invaded her soul when he embraced her in this out-of-body moment. Kelly melted into him. The connection between them was strong, deep, and invincible. This was where she belonged and all she’d ever need.

Without saying a word, he called her to him. She stood and went—her eyes never leaving his. When she was standing before him, the slow smile that moved his lips communicated raw satisfaction.

He didn’t say anything and looked at her for a long time.

“It’s here,” he said bluntly. “Things are in motion that cannot be stopped. This isn’t optional. I’m involved.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “You’ll need to make a decision. Right now.”

“What?” She blinked rapidly. Confusion made her wobbly.

“It can’t be helped, Tesoro. Here it is. Do you stay here or go home? Either way, you’ll be protected around the clock. And,” he added gravely, “regardless of where you are, I have to tell Liam.”

She inhaled sharply and was about to disagree when he put a finger on her lips.

“There’s no debate. This isn’t a discussion. We’re in the eye of a shitstorm, Kelly. Liam is your brother, and technically, he’s my boss.”

She scoffed at the characterization. Liam and Roman were incredibly close, and the paycheck was more symbolic than necessary. But if Roman wanted to play the boss card, she didn’t have much room to argue.

“Okay, fine.” She was grumbling and didn’t care if it made her come off like a kid. “But he can’t get involved. I need to handle Matty my way.”

He stroked her face. “Honey, it’s not just the boy. Liam genuinely cares for you as a person, and not just because you share a bloodline. You can’t be nice eighty percent of the time only to shut him out when the remaining twenty percent doesn’t happen the way you want.”

“He tries to take over.”

“And my cara mia is strong and confident enough in herself to stand up to him when needed. If you want him to see you as an equal, you have to treat him that way first.”

Blowing a raspberry to indicate her agreement, she wrinkled her nose nonetheless.

“He’s an odious, controlling blowhard. Even Rhiann says so.”

Roman chortled and smirked. He adored Liam’s wife. “Well”—he scoffed—“if Rhiann married him knowing he’s a dick, that must mean he has some redeeming qualities.”

“Whatever. We can stand around and spar about my brother from now till the Tuesday after the end of time, but we both know neither of us will budge.”

He nodded and half rolled his eyes.

She put her hands at his waist. It helped steady her emotions. “Let’s get back to this decision. The one you say has to be made right now. I want to stay here, Roman. Not just for moral support. I have to consider Matty. He loves Sam, Ginny, Liam, and Rhiann, and he loves all his buds at preschool, but he’s emotionally bonded to Domineau and Bella. I can’t take him away from them. Especially not Domineau. Not when she’s in a bad way.”

“I fucking hate that this thing touches him. Touches any of the kids. It’s not right. And this is Matthew we’re talking about. He’s going to insist on seeing Domineau. What if he’s traumatized?”

His concerns made her pause. He had a point. But the power of Justice lay in the family’s ability to stand strong and united during tough times. Plus, she knew this conversation or one similar was taking place all around Bendover tonight. This wasn’t the time to wander off into the woods alone. Strength in numbers.

Before she could respond, he answered his own question. “I suppose that’s where Bella comes in, huh? They take care of each other.”

“I’m glad you see it too,” she said lightheartedly. “Those two create an energy or reconfigure like one of Matty’s crazy toys. You know”—she laughed—“the car that becomes a giant robot thingy?”

“Robot thingy?” Roman teased. “You mean from his growing collection of Transformers crap?”

Her answer was an exasperated huff. She was never going to calmly accept the endless parade of stuff available to Matty. A big part of her clung to the belief that kids should be outside more than inside; create stuff from imagination and ingenuity instead of tearing open plastic to get at a toy; and read. Kelly was an avid fan of reading. To her, every stupid boy toy in Matty’s growing arsenal of shit took him away from those other things, and that bothered her.

Roman regarded her with his assessing gaze. He put a finger beneath her chin and lifted until he was right above her upturned face.

“You might want to consider who’s behind Matty’s new fascination. This time, it wasn’t Liam or me. Or even Rhiann.”

“Who?”

“Alex.”

Kelly frowned. “Excuse me?”

“Yeah. He got Matty’s little tribe a shitload of the break apart robots. He says the process of manipulating connected parts to transform one object into a second functional object requires the skills used with a Rubik’s Cube. And chess.”

“Did you just school me using Alex as a talking point?”

He grinned. “Ah, indeed I did. How’d I do?”

One Alex schooling begged for another. She gave him her best dry look, and said, “Alex would want me to stay. Less for him to worry about if we are all in one place.”

“I’m glad you said that because if you’re staying, you and Matty will be housed at the Villa. All signs point to Duke leaving with us, which will cause a ripple of concern. Bundling the family under a single roof will make those who leave breathe easier. Cristián Marquez is taking the lead.”

Hearing that spurred her quick response. “Oh. Awesome. Maybe I can help. Matty is self-regulating, so I can lend a hand with the diaper patrol.”

“I love you.” Roman sighed. “I love you so damn much.”

She hugged him around the middle and pressed close. “Do we have tonight?”

“Yes.”

The one-word reply hung in the air. He didn’t say anything specific about when they’d leave, so she assumed that once daybreak came to Bendover, almost anything could happen.

There was only one thing to do. Kelly took Roman’s hand and led him forward. “Let’s go upstairs.”

He slung an arm around her shoulders, and they climbed the stairs together.

At what point did she stop pretending that throwing up three times in one day was nothing but a reaction to stress? Especially considering her morning puke fest happened long before the drama started.

Heather looked in the bathroom mirror while considering the answer. She looked like certified hell. There was a white-tinged line around her mouth—a result of struggling to keep the contents of her stomach where they belonged—and unless the mirror was warped, her eyes had a sunken quality.

She rinsed her mouth one more time and straightened for a last look. Nothing changed. Even though she still looked like warmed up, picked over crap, hiding in the bathroom wasn’t the answer.

Her slippers—she and Bella had matching fuzzy bunnies—made a squeaking sound as she walked. Just the left slipper. Step and squeak. Step and squeak.

She went to Bella’s bedroom and peeked around the half closed door. A crescent moon night-light gave the room a calming glow. Her slumbering daughter looked peaceful huddled beneath the magical unicorn bedding that Brody went nuts over and insisted she needed. He was such a softy where Bella was concerned. He didn’t spoil her too much, just a little.

Georgie’s head lifted, and the dog looked at Heather. She put a finger to her lips so he’d know it was okay to stay curled at Bella’s feet.

As Heather crossed the upstairs loft on her way to the stairs, she heard Brody’s voice. He was on the phone talking in a low murmur. If she continued downstairs, he’d cut the conversation short, so instead, she quietly sat on the top stair and let him finish. His low tone made it impossible to overhear, and truthfully, she didn’t want to eavesdrop.

The story he’d shared after returning home from a Justice emergency meeting was mind-boggling and hard to follow. Heather wasn’t completely ignorant of the scope and seriousness of Brody’s military past. They’d been in the same PTSD therapy group for years. She knew more than a little about all of that, just like he knew way more than even her parents did about her issues. Healing separately but together was a key that unlocked doors. Yes, their whole relationship started strangely and progressed just as oddly, but that was what they both needed. But, as the expression goes, that was then, and this was now.

As a couple, they were solid as a rock, and if you’d asked her yesterday, she’d have firmly asserted that they could handle anything life threw their way. Boy, talk about simplifying.

A rogue powerbroker with dirty hands, scary resources, and an unlimited reserve of madness was hell-bent on destroying anyone who might throw a grenade into his presidential ambitions. Reaching for the ultimate prize—being awarded leader of the free world—and feeling deserving of the position were an aphrodisiac cocktail. The more this guy chased the ultimate power, the more dangerous his greed became.

Brody quietly explained in a deathly calm voice that, in a way, the filthy ambassador had each of them by the balls. Even if they wanted to blend into the scenery and stay quiet, the guy wasn’t going to stop. This meant they had no choice but to strike. He’d asked for it, and Justice intended to ram that asking for it right down his throat.

The unspoken subtext involved Brody’s participation. He wasn’t an original Justice team member, and they never considered he might be drawn into the work done by the agency. He trained security and therapy dogs. That was it. As a matter of fact, he’d removed himself from the military-esque training some of his canines received when guns and explosives were involved. It was better for everyone for him to avoid those situations.

That was then, and this was now.

His call ended. She could see his reflection in the glass doors of an antique cabinet that was in her sight line. He put the phone on the table next to him and stared at it. Heather stood and slowly descended the stairs.

Step and squeak. Step and squeak.

Brody looked at her as she walked across the front foyer. She put out her hand. When he took it, she silently pulled him with her to the kitchen table. With a heavier than usual sigh, he sat and shrugged.

Heather understood. He was being swept along by something he couldn’t ignore or control. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

She stroked his back, quietly asking if he’d like coffee.

“Yes to the coffee. Decaf, please. And also yes to a drink. Whatever you pour will be fine.”

Her eyes glanced at the wall clock. It was tomorrow, and at some point, he’d need to sleep. She knew what to do.

Reaching for the entertainment system remote from a bowl they kept on the kitchen island, she pressed a series of buttons and filled the air with soft, soothing music. On her way to the butler’s pantry minibar, she dimmed the island lights.

Keeping it simple, she poured two smallish snifters of brandy and walked them to the table. Brody was staring into space. She set the snifters down and went to make coffee.

The beauty of a single serve coffeemaker was that everyone could have what worked for him or her. He wanted decaf, so she went about filling a mug with his favorite unleaded coffee, and at the same time, she fished an herbal tea pod from the basket on the counter. Within three minutes, she was handing off hot drinks and taking a seat at the table.

He sipped the brandy in silence. She’d barely dribbled any into her snifter and mostly swirled and inhaled the intoxicating aroma, taking tiny, occasional sips. When he found his equilibrium, he’d say something.

It wasn’t until his drink was gone and he’d had a mouthful of coffee that he finally spoke.

“I’m going with them. I have to. They probably need my, uh, unique skill.”

That sound? It was her stomach bottoming out as his words hit home.

He met her questioning gaze with a hard expression. “We’re going in hot and off radar.”

“What does that mean exactly?” Heather actually gulped when she asked the question.

“In blunt terms, it means south of the border—far south—a handpicked team of around a dozen Justice loyalists and everything possible which that scenario implies. We kick down the back door. This one is total rogue commando. It’s the only way.”

She didn’t understand—not fully—but she was putting together a pretty dramatic depiction in her mind of what he meant. She’d watched enough movies and TV with secret militias and strike forces to have some idea of the situation he faced.

“And what’s the end game, Brody? What does kicking down the back door mean? Will that end things or make it worse?”

“Look,” he somberly explained. “A handful of guys, no matter how fearsome, don’t stand a chance in a frontal assault on someone wielding corrupt power. He’d squash us like bugs. The consensus is that going straight to the heart of his criminal empire and setting it on fire will hasten the end of this guy. Hopefully by his own network of fellow criminals. Drug cartels don’t generally like being outed.”

“And if they don’t take him out? Then what? Is that what you mean by unique skill set? Brody, is that why they need you?”

He didn’t answer. She was one hundred percent sure she was going to be sick again. “Sorry,” she croaked and sprang up on a mad dash to the downstairs powder room where she dry heaved and clutched her stomach.

Slumping to the cold tile floor, she leaned against the wall and met Brody’s shocked expression.

Breathing slow and deep, she mumbled apologetically, “I think this is my new thing. Stress puking.”

His expression went suddenly blank. He helped her off the floor and made her lay on the sofa while he tidied up. Within minutes, the downstairs was secure, and he was gently leading her to their bedroom.

“Get in bed,” he gruffly commanded.

She didn’t know why, but at that moment, she’d never loved him more. Offering a half smirk and a pat on the chest, she demurred by insisting she needed five minutes in the bathroom—to brush her teeth and put on her nighttime moisturizer. He countered with a bold observation that her refusal to do as he asked seemed like a demand for a spanking.

The laughter that rumbled up from her chest was a complete one-eighty from the seriousness. His blank expression changed to one of undisguised relief.

Teasing as she pushed off his chest and backed toward the bathroom, Heather made some silly faces and taunted him because right now, that was what he needed.

“I’ll tell you what …” She giggled. “In place of the spanking, how about if, when I come back, there’s crawling involved. And maybe some artful begging from my knees. I know how much you like the begging.” She wagged her tongue and brows, blew him a kiss, and dashed into the bathroom.

“Toothpaste and mouthwash, here I come.”

Brody watched Heather hurry into the bathroom and breathed a sigh of relief. The relief was quickly washed away by indecision. How much longer could he pretend? Pretend that he didn’t already suspect she was pregnant. The throwing up was making it hard to keep acting like everything was normal when it wasn’t.

Unless a miracle happened in the next twenty-four hours, his time was running out. He’d have to say something before he left, even if all he got out was the suggestion of a suspicion.

He glanced at the bed. What if things went south, and this was the last time they slept together? The heavy thought was sobering, but what was more sobering was his responsibility to Heather. She was everything. Without her, he wasn’t quite sure Bella would have happened.

Every moment with his fiancée and love of his life was sacred. Never more so than tonight.

Quickly stripping to his skin, he tossed the fancy bed pillows across the room and yanked the covers down.

His dick was hard and at full attention when Heather switched off the bathroom light and crawled seductively toward him. Her eyes shone with pleasure as she eyed up his wagging erection.

He smiled. She licked her lips.

If all they had was tonight, he intended to rock her world.