She remained silent for a few seconds before reaching across the table and taking my hands in hers. “Okay, let’s find out if you’re pregnant first. We’ll go to a walk-in clinic and keep this between us for now.” She hesitated. “And if you are, you can decide what to do then. But no matter what your decision is, I’m behind you, Alina.”
A few tears spilled down my cheeks and I slipped my hands from hers to use the napkin and wipe them away. That was when the bell above the door dinged and I glanced up to see Connor walk in. He stopped, eyes scanning the room.
There was an obvious quiet of voices as gazes turned to him. He had that effect, like he owned the room. It was also that he appeared kind of scary with the intensity that oozed from him.
His eyes landed on me and he strode toward the table.
“God, the way he looks at you is really hot,” London murmured. “That man loves you something fierce.”
Connor stopped at the table. “London.” His eyes briefly flicked to her before they were back on me then his hand cupped the back of my neck. He bent and kissed me. It was gentle and made my pulse race and my toes curl. He pulled back. “Do you want more coffee?”
It took me a second because I was surprised for two reasons he didn’t want me to leave with him and it was his sister’s coffee shop. She could very well walk in at any moment, and there were numerous people around.
“Ah, yeah, sure.”
He asked London and she told him what she’d like then he went up to the counter. I noticed Rylie’s cheeks heat up and her eyes grow wide, looking rather flustered as Connor gave his order.
London leaned forward, her voice lowering. “We can go to the clinic before your shift. You’re working tonight?”
It was Saturday and Avalanche’s busiest night. “Yeah.”
“Okay, I’ll pop by and take you. See if he’ll drop you off a little early.”
Connor came back with three coffees and set them on the table then pulled up a chair and sat beside me, his thigh brushing mine. He lifted my coffee and sipped before sliding it toward me. I loved that he still did that.
Connor slid the other coffee to London and said, “Sorry I shot you.” I’d just taken a sip of my coffee and choked on it. “You suffered at the hands of Vault because of me. I’m sorry.”
London half smiled. “Thank you, but we both know it wasn’t you who did that, but the drug. A drug my father formulated. So, we’ll just call it even.”
“Done,” he replied. He pushed his legs out and crossed his ankles and I melted because he was completely calm, although there was a slight tension between his eyes.
If I were pregnant, would he leave? He was improving and handled being with Danny well enough. He was in a different place than he was when he’d been adamant about not having kids. But if I mentioned it, there was the risk of him leaving.
God, I didn’t want to keep this from him.
I pressed my hand to my stomach at what could be growing inside me. It wasn’t just a baby. It was hope and possibility. Connor had loved kids more than anything. Could he get that back if we had our own?
“Are you still not feeling well?” Connor asked, frowning. He nodded to my hand resting on my belly.
London’s eyes widened and she quickly grabbed her coffee and stood, her chair scraping on the hardwood floors. “Listen, I have to go. Kai said he’ll be back today and with my crazy school schedule, Saturday and Sunday are the only days we have to spend together. Thanks for the coffee, Connor.” She put her phone in her purse.
I mouthed “thank you” while Connor’s attention was on her. She smiled. “See you later.”
“You sure you’re okay?” Connor asked. He sat up, leaned into me, his hand reaching for mine on the table.
His eyes shifted to my throat and there was no chance he didn’t see my pulse because it was throbbing erratically. “Yeah.”
“You weren’t sick this morning?”
I didn’t want to lie so I skirted around the question. “I’m fine.” I forced a smile and leaned in and kissed him. “Was your ride good?”
“Yeah.” He nodded then gestured to the shop. “So, this place is my sister’s?”
Connor and I sat for a half hour with customers coming and going, chatting quietly with our coffees. There was a constant alertness about him, and I noticed the way he positioned his chair was so he protected me from the door and kept his visual clear.
But he was in his sister’s coffee shop.
And the demons were losing.THE DOOR SLID closed on its tracks and I locked it, before dropping my purse on a glass oblong table and walking into the warehouse. Our place was over three thousand square feet, open concept except for the two washrooms and three bedrooms, one of which Kai used as an office. The walls were brick and the ducts and pipes were exposed in the fifteen-foot ceilings.