Page 25 of Zeus's Ruin

She shakes her head and wipes her tears away with the sleeve of her oversized sweater.?

“Get in here,” I say gruffly.My tone is too sharp, devoid of all the tenderness I’ve shown her since her infuriating ass moved in next door and I realized I’d burn the world to the ground for her and revel in the ashes.I take several steps toward her, eating up the porch between us.I grab her arm and practically drag her inside.She doesn’t resist.When I slam the screen door shut behind me, Sugar flinches and backs away.She’s never done that with me.

I take a deep breath, because I know I’m scaring the shit out of her, but I’m about to go fucking postal if I don’t get some answers.I gently place my hands on her shoulders.“Start talkin’, darlin’.”

She sniffs and clears her throat.“I didn’t want to bother you.”?

“What the hell is going on?You’re not acting like yourself.”?

“No?”?

“The Sugar I know doesn’t care if she bothers me.The Sugar I know loves to ‘bother’ me, to disrupt my peace and drive me fucking crazy every chance she gets.”I cup her face and slide my thumbs under her eyes, collecting her tears.“Talk to me, darlin’?Please.I’m going out of my goddamn mind here.”?

“I’m pregnant.”?

My jaw drops and I let go of her as if I’ve been burned.Fuck.Guilt and jealousy twists my gut.Taking a step back, I run a hand over my face, and rake at my beard.No.Fuck no.This is not happening.?

“Zeus?Say something.”?

“What the fuck you want me to say?That I’m happy for you two.Congratu-fucking-lations, darlin’.You, a rugrat, and my brother ...a happy little family.Everything you wanted, right?”?

“It’s not his.”?

I narrow my eyes at her.“You can’t know that.”?

“I haven’t let him touch me in weeks.”

“Bullshit.I know my brother, and I know he’s not letting you climb into bed every night looking like you do, not without taking what’s his.”

“I haven’t slept with anyone but you.Not since the garage.You guys were on that run for Vegas for a damn month and I’ve feigned period cramps ever since.It’s yours, Zeus.”?

“No.”I shake my head, run a hand through my hair agitatedly.“It can’t ...are you sure?”?

“You’re the father, Zeus.”?

Something in those words soften me, as if my whole life I’ve been waiting just for this.I reach out and tuck a blonde strand behind her ear.I’m gonna be a father.We’re gonna raise a kid ...only ...my brother will think this kid is his.He’ll be the one to raise him, and me?I’ll have to sit by and watch, while he takes care of the family that belongs to me.My woman.My kid.I cup her face and force her to meet my gaze.“He’ll kill us.He can never know, Sugar.You can never tell him.”?

Her hands come up to cover mine, her tiny fingers lacing with my own as tears of joy and sadness roll down her cheeks.“What if he figures it out?”?

My voice cracks and tears prick my own eyes as I say, “Then I suggest you go back to the clubhouse and fuck his brains out.”

“Zeus—”

“I know.”I swallow hard and kiss her forehead as she sobs.“Trust me, I don’t want to think of him inside you, claiming what’s mine.You are mine, Sugar.Always have been and always will be, but you gotta make this believable.Treat him real nice, darlin’.Make him forget I ever touched you, because if you don’t, you, me, and that baby of ours?We’re all dead.”?

My screen door creaks, and we both turn our heads to find Skip standing there, wide-eyed and slack jawed.He holds a six pack of beer in one hand and a pizza box in the other.The kid glances between us and then stutters, “I-I won’t s-say a word, Zeus.I-I s-swear.”?

I sigh, because one look at Sugar’s hand on her belly and I know what I have to do to protect this secret, to protect her, and my kid.??

“We can’t let him walk out of here,” Sugar says, her voice high and reedy.?

“I know.”?

The prospect throws his hands up in surrender, pizza and beer thud against my porch, the latter hissing as it sprays from the can like a struck rattlesnake.“Zeus.Come on, man.You know I won’t say a word.Think of the brotherhood.Think about where our loyalties lie.”?

“I am.”I grab my pistol from the coffee table and fire two bullets into his chest.He crumples to the floor on the threshold, and I take two steps toward him and lean over, digging my fingers into the pulpy wounds and pushing the bullets deeper as he screams.Blood bubbles up around my hands, acrid and metallic.The fear in Skip’s eyes is palpable.I can taste it.Shame.I actually like this kid.“Sorry, brother, but my woman is right.I can’t let you walk outta here with this secret.”

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