Page 33 of Keeper

“She won’t,” Alex says softly. “I can’t do it. Father will have to understand that.”

“When did you get so naïve?Father will have to understand that?Sorry, bro. You gave him your nuts in a mason jar and haven’t tried to take them back once. Why didn’t you say no?” I ask. “Why not stand up to him before we dragged this girl here to be your pawn?”

“And say what, exactly?” he counters. “I couldn’t tell him the truth, she’d have been killed.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe... fuck you? Works for me most of the time. Yeah, I do what I’m paid to do, I’m loyal to my family. But I’m not his bitch.”

Alex scoffs, pushing his dark hair out of his face. “Why do you care so much, anyway? What does any of this have to do with you?”

That’s the best question he’s asked all night, and I can’t think of anything but the fact that I want her for myself. So I deflect. “You know he’s making her take pregnancy tests every morning?”

His brows furrow. “Sullivan told me, yeah.”

So he just doesn’t give a fuck about what that would do to a woman? Good to know. Now I won’t feel bad when I claim her behind his back and do the job his bitch ass can’t do. “So what happens when you try, hmm? Is it just a wet noodle down there or...?”

“No. We don’t try. I haven’t touched her. I don’t think we’ve made physical contact at all since I put the ring on her finger.”

I’d think he’d just exaggerating for Morella’s sake, but I can see it in his eyes.

He needs the love of his life to know that he’s been loyal, because regardless of her flexing about Sully being a trophy wife, she’s scared of her. “So why not a threesome then?”

I’d probably light the whole house on fire if I heard they were actually trying that, but I have to know if they’ve considered it.

“It’s not about the sex,” Morella says softly. “Not really. I know his heart belongs to me. But she won’t carry his child. Neither one of us will allow it. And without that purpose, why fuck her at all?”

“Because she’s the most fuckable woman to ever walk these grounds.” Duh. Fucking prudes. “Do you plan on carrying his child one day?”

Because I have a story she might need to hear.

“No, and that’s the point. If I can’t, she can’t,” she says firmly. “One day, Alex will be in charge and none of this will matter. If Ephraim dies while I’m still young enough to have kids, that’ll be a different story.”

What a basket to put your eggs in. “Men like Father live to see a hundred. It’s our curse to bare as much as theirs.” I turn back to my brother and sigh. “He’s sending her for fertility testing. My guess is you’re next.”

His face pales, but he shows no other outward signs of caring. “Maybe something will come up with the tests, then. Something we can use to get out of this. Honestly, I can’t believe Father didn’t make her prove she was fertile before letting her come here at all.”

“He wasn’t thinking about it. He probably thought you’d breed her night one and this wouldn’t be a concern, but here we are.” I stand, slowly making my way to the door. “I get it, you two are in love, but maybe try and be a little more secretive. This right here is just disrespectful.”

And that’s coming from me.

“Your father is out of town and everyone else already knows,” Morella argues. “Who exactly are we being disrespectful to? The whore from St. Andrew’s?”

I spin back with an annoyance I’m not really entitled to, but I let her feel it anyway. “I’m the one who will be sent to get rid of you, Morella. Me. And guess who I’ve been tasked with to ensure stays happy and doesn’t try to leave?” It’s a lie, but fuck her. “Yeah. The pretty little whore from St. Andrew’s. Maybe stay on her good side.”

“If it’s your job to take care of her, then take care of her,” Morella snaps. “Youfuck her.”

“Gladly,” I respond with a laugh. “You think I’d hesitate to put a baby in that woman?”

Alex’s brain shorts out, it’s written all over his stupid face. But where I expect him to tell me no, he surprises me. “You’re a Creed. You’d do it? Even knowing she’ll be married to me and you won’t ever be able to claim your own child?”

Oh, I’d do it. But the second part to his question has me pausing. Could I live without claiming my own kid? It sounds like a problem for later me, because right now, I can’t focus on it. My dumb floppy-dicked brother is giving me the green light to fuck his fiancé. “Brother, I’d rock her world so good she wouldn’t give a flying fuck about you two horribly sneaking around.”

“You didn’t answer either of my questions,” he reminds me. “Can you keep it to just the sex? She’ll be married to me. You’ll have to accept it. Your son or daughter, or plural if it continues, will be my kids. You’ll have to keep up appearances at your parties, but you’ll need to wear condoms with absolutely everyone else. Can you handle all that?”

Him telling me what to do isn’t going to fly, but I’ll play my damn part for now. “If this is the road we take, I will be close to those kids, Alex. I’ll stay in my lane, but you won’t keep them from knowing their favorite uncle. And I already use condoms with everyone else.”

Morella and Alex have some silent conversation, then Alex nods, exhaling deeply. “Okay. Yes. Do it.”

“How do you know she’ll say yes?”

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