Page 118 of Thick as Thieves
Tarron does not miss the gesture and gasps out in surprise.
Kellen looks around. “What? What’s happened?”
“You’ve not told them?” Jonno looks quizzical at me.
“I haven’t had a chance. I just got here,” I explain.
“She’s pregnant,” says Jonno bluntly. Honestly, my medical data is so public in this family. “So you need to look after her.”
Kellen steps back, what remaining colour was in his face draining out of it.
Tarron steps forwards. “My daughter, you wonderful girl, does Xander know?”
I nod with tears of disappointment in my eyes at Kellen’s reaction.
Tarron pulls me in for a huge hug. “He’ll definitely get better. There is no way he will leave you with his child on the way, no way.” He sits down and his whole body language has changed.
I look at Kellen, who’s standing stock still, his face blank, devoid of colour and emotion.
“Kell?” I literally croak out, terrified he’s going to go berserk again. My eyes plead with him, but he finally steps forwards, his face now ablaze.
“Oh god, I’m so fucking happy he knew. He’ll be alright. God, I love you, l love you, Kitten.” He’s kissing my face and holding me hard to him.
“Are you happy?” I tentatively ask him. “You looked weird?”
“Shocked. For a minute there I thought it was mine, but I know it isn’t.” He half grins, half looks sheepishly at me. “I should have known. Xander was different on the phone and at the dinner.'' He carries on kissing me, stroking my stomach. Then he drops to his knees, kissing the baby in my stomach.
“Hey, little one. We’re going to look after your papa.” His eyes are brimming with emotions. Jonno is patting him on the shoulder. They’re all fussing around me.
“James is on his way,” says Jonno quietly. “I rang him, Jude also.” He turns to Tarron. “Gabe and Levi are here with Tim. Are they okay to come up?” He’s taken control of the situation, and thank the lord someone has.
“Yes, send them all up,” he asserts. “They’re family.”
Everyone piles into the room. It ranges from chatter to silent and back again. Our news is shared. I’m kissed and touched, pregnant becomes public property again.
“I need a drink. Jonno, will you come with me?” I need some space, and I want to call in to check on the twins.
Kell looks at me and I mouth, “I need some air.” He nods, the worry dropping a bit from his face, and he sits with Tarron as I leave the room with Jonno.
I start as soon as we’re out of earshot of the room. “Do you know what happened? Kellen is not making any sense, and I don’t want to ask Tarron, he looks done in.”
Jonno tells the tale, from his perspective, about the dinner and the obvious committee to condemn me and Xander. How Isobel was ranting, spewing hate, and trying to get together with Kellen. How they’d brought a procession of men I’d supposedly ‘dated’ in to see Rowena. Spread a tale that the twins were in fact full term and I had lied about the conception date. I’d not even thought about that. How they made it look, and fit.
“I can’t believe they went to so much trouble.” My legs are buckling underneath me. How can people hate me so much? I know I never liked Isobel, but she did try to run me down, or at least maim me. I’m a reasonable person, and that is extreme.
“Isobel hates you, Kitten. Unequivocally hates you. And Xander, actually. She had a hit list and you and Xander were at the top. She was obsessed with Kell, completely obsessed, so much it consumed her.
“Her family forced her to marry so she didn’t look like she’d been left on the shelf when it was obvious Marcus wasn’t an actual contender. They needed the family name to be desirable. The man she was forced onto was also very wealthy. But the marriage was a disaster. He manipulated her, was a bully, mentally tortured her, and they let him do it. Her family never helped her. Too worried what the divorce would look like to the outside world.” He stops the tale, shaking his head at their inability to do the right thing for Isobel. “But I think it’s been going on for a long time. Her mother should have had her evaluated for mental illness earlier, but they were embarrassed about that as well. Rather than treat her, they let her get sicker and sicker.”
He pauses and looks at me. “I know you were pissed with me about the paternity test, but I knew someone would come. So I let him and Xander do it. Everything I do, Kitten, is to protect you. You know this. I knew after the Lauren online issues, and the fact there was so much shit about who the babies belonged to, they would think you lied about the term dates. So I let them do it. If I thought for one minute it would not have been needed, I would have told you and stopped them, you know this.”
I start to cry and he pulls me to him. “I’m sorry. I know you’re distraught over the betrayal, but I knew they would come. Too many people want things from you all, for lots of different reasons. We have to cover all eventualities. You were a target, and I needed to cover that.”
“What about the vasectomy?” I blub out.
He sighs. “That was all Kellen. He’s so fucking frightened. He thought he’d got lucky with James, and now with the twins. He’s convinced he won’t be again. He’s just not strong enough to take it. If something went wrong, it would push him over the edge, and he just couldn’t cope. He’d convinced himself if he came to you, you would lose the twins. He’s a mess on that front, but four kids, Evie. Could you imagine living with that fear?” Jonno sounds choked up for Kell. My brother and his big heart. He loves and protects us all. And he extends that out to whomever we all love. I love him for it.
“Did Tommy tell you about those girls? At Xan’s party? What they said. What they wanted.”
