Page 71 of Mountain Mens' Curvy Obsession

“What am I going to do?” I wonder aloud.

“For now, you’re going to rest,” Nico says, then plants a kiss on my forehead. I welcome the sweet heat of his lips as it spreads through my skull. “Take it easy. We’ll handle everything else. But as long as we’re upright and drawing breath, you will always be safe.”

It only makes sense that I tell them the truth now. There’s no point in hiding anymore. Not after everything they’ve done, everything they’re still doing for me.

“I know what caused the fainting spell,” I say with a trembling voice. “I’ve known for a bit now.”

Three pairs of wild green eyes find mine.

“What happened?” Chance asks me.

I exhale sharply. “I’m pregnant,”

Heavy silence falls over the room, so heavy, I can feel my shoulders caving in under the pressure as I try to read their faces, to understand their reaction. I can’t get a thing from their expressions. I don’t like this heavy silence at all.

“I had symptoms, but I wasn’t sure until I took a test a couple of weeks ago,” I add.

“You’ve known for two weeks” Booker gasps.

I try to explain. “I would’ve said something sooner, but I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it, what you’d say or do. I’m so confused already, what with my memory lapses, my Russian mob situation… it was too much. I thought I could just push it down to the bottom of the pile and deal with it later. But I can’t hide it any longer after what happened today.”

Nico kneels in front of me. “How are you feeling?”

“Good, and I’m going to feel better,” I say. “Doc Rollins prescribed some supplements and prenatal vitamins for me to take, but other than that, I’m good.”

“And the baby’s good, too,” he concludes, his gaze dropping to my belly.

“Yes.” I shudder under the blanket. “I didn’t want you guys to think I’m trying to… I don’t know, tie you down with a baby you might not want, or you might not be ready for—”

“Are you freakin’ kidding me?” Chance bursts out and stands up. I’m not sure if he’s angry or happy until he lets out a chuckle before he rushes to my side. “We’re going to be fathers! A baby is always a cause for joy, regardless of the circumstances.”

I give him a doubtful look. “Seriously?”

“Life!” he says, then gently places a hand on my lower belly. I can feel his touch through the plush blanket. “You’re growing a life in there, our blood. It’s wonderful news, Anya. I’m just sorry we’re learning this in the middle of a literal nightmare. But you, the baby… You’re the most important things to us.”

“I am?”

Booker scoffs and joins his brothers. “Anya, we’re in love with you. That much, you must’ve figured out by now.”

“I’d hoped so,” I admit. “I just… I just wasn’t sure where we stood. What you’d want from me in the long term.”

Booker kisses me, deeply, fiercely. And I feel every word he’s about to say before he even says it as I lose myself in the emerald pools of his eyes. “Anya, fate brought us back together. We thought you were gone forever and it pained us, thinking about what could’ve been. We have you here with us now. There’s no way you’re getting away from us ever again.”

“I will destroy anyone and anything that gets between us,” Chance says.

I believe him. Despite his jovial nature, I know he’s capable of terrible things to protect me. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, and it only makes me desire him more. I throw my arms around his neck and pull him in for a kiss.

“You’re not alone anymore,” he tells me as Nico lovingly strokes the back of my head.

“We’ve got you,” Nico says. “You and our baby.”

“Our baby,” I giggle as they let me sink back into my chair. “Sounds kind of weird.”

“It’s our baby. Doesn’t even matter who’s genetically responsible,” he replies. “We could do a test at some point, but only if you deem it necessary. We don’t really care.”

I shake my head slowly. “Well, neither do I. I care more about us surviving what comes next, which brings me to another, much bigger issue.”

The Hayes brothers sit back down on the sofa, their gentle gazes scanning me from head to toe as I gather the nerve to share the memories I recently retrieved. It was about something I couldn’t quite put together until I woke up at the clinic after having faced my worst fear.

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