Delta's Baby Surprise (Special Forces Elite 1)

I waited for the detonation to take its effect.

The icy glaze covered his eyes and he huffed. “Why, babe? Why would you do this?”

“Because I’m in love with him, Jake. I deserve to be happy and Luke makes me happy. I want you to be ok with this. I want you to see what I see. I want you to be happy for me.”

He laughed so loudly a nearby bird ruffled his wings and flew over the pool. “Happy for you? You are talking career suicide and you want me to be happy?”

I shook my head. “The CYAs are only two days away. I promise you it’s going to be great. Luke is going to look amazing and the press is going to love him. He’ll do as much or as little as you want.” I leaned toward him. “Give him a chance, Jake. I swear you’re going to see a different side of him and the fans are going to love this.”

He pushed back from the table. “I warned you, Lex. I told you if you continued down this path I would reveal the truth.”

I looked at him with utter disbelief. “You won’t do that. It would destroy your career too. Stop bluffing and let’s talk through this like professionals. Luke Canton is my boyfriend and as my manager you have to work him into my career.”

I stood facing him with a new confidence. I felt as if I were suddenly channeling some part of Luke. This is exactly what he would want me to say. I had to stand up for myself. For him. For us.

“Prepare yourself. I am going to unleash all the secrets you have, babe,” he hissed at me.

“You wouldn’t. Stop with the idle threats.”

He pointed his finger at me. “It’s not idle. I have several top reporters on speed dial. There’s plenty of time between your big country house to my penthouse in the city to make those calls.”

“Then I’ll tell them about you,” I threatened. I was flush with anger. Raging mad. Desperate to stop him.

He spun on his expensive shoes. “You have no proof.”

“I need proof to tell everyone you’re gay?” I huffed.

“Yeah, you do. And it’s just going to be the ramblings of a ruined girl, trying to save her ass versus a well-established manager. No one is going to believe you, Lex.”

“It will ruin you. You can’t be gay in Nashville,” I sputtered. “No one will work with you.”

He began to walk through the house, but I was on his heels. “No proof. As a matter of fact, I’m offended you’re even saying this to me.”

“I know you’re gay. You told me. We’ve talked about it. I cried with you in your rundown apartment. You were afraid to come out to your parents. You couldn’t tell your friends. You couldn’t even tell the man you were in love with.”

His face seized in agony. “Shut up, Lex. You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m going to take my chances.”

“And risk the judgment? If there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that all you care about are appearances. You’ll die if I tell.”

He was at the front door. “And if there is something I know about you, it’s that you’re too weak to do what has to be done. You would never sell me out like that. Because as sad as it is, you still care about those memories. They mean something to you. Somewhere in that pretty little head of yours you think I’m still that guy from seven years ago. The one who met you because he had to take a girl to a country music event. You think a sliver of that guy exists. And you know what? He doesn’t. He’s gone, babe.

And what’s left is your soft heart. Your box of memories. And a girl who doesn’t have the guts to save herself.”

He closed the door. I closed my eyes. Everything he said was true.

Thirty-Two

Luke

My phone started ringing as I drove home from practice. Bye weeks usually gave me extra time in the film room. I had spent the past four hours watching the Wranglers. I was tired. My eyes burned. My shoulders ached. I was ready to get home and drink a cold beer.

I pressed the button on the steering well.

“What’s going on, Linc?”

“Have you heard the news? Where are you?”

“What news? I was in the film room all day. I can barely see straight.”