Page 34 of Accepted Precedent (Love & Politics #3)
Mickey
I wake up to the alarm chiming on my phone and groan.
Leaving Evelyn and Andrew this morning is going to be fucking torture, but too many pieces of my plan are crumbling.
Under no circumstances should she ever have to see, let alone touch, a dead body.
Still, pride filled me as she recounted her experience.
Evie’s always been a strong woman, and I’ve definitely underestimated her—as well as Kristin.
Pressing a soft kiss to her temple, I whisper, “I’ll be back in a little while, angel. Call me if you need anything.”
“I’m up, I’m up. Where are we going?”
“Shh, no, love. Go back to sleep. I have something to take care of.” I brush the hair away from her neck and kiss the dark pink bruise I left with my mouth last night.
While I didn’t make love to her, I couldn’t help marking her as I washed away every drop of dried blood on her otherwise flawless skin.
She turns to face me. “Let me come with you.”
“You’ve done enough. Stay here and rest. I won’t be long.
” My phone vibrates with a text, but I ignore it, closing the distance and stealing a kiss from the woman I’m determined to spend the rest of my life with.
It buzzes again, and I reluctantly break away from her to check it. Her soft whimper has me regretting it.
Ned Collins
It’s been a busy night for me.
I have good news and bad news.
What’s the bad news?
I know why last night didn’t go as planned.
I don’t have time for a back-and-forth with him, so I call.
“Good morning, Mr. Gallagher. Your Project Snapped seems to have resolved itself. You’ll want to connect with the Blakes and Taylors.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I ask through clenched teeth at the mention of the Blakes. I spoke with Christopher at the gala, but I have a feeling he won’t heed my warnings.
“They are my clients, so I cannot divulge the specifics, but your brother is privy to it. I can confirm your plans for Jaclyn Taylor are unaffected.” I’m about to ask why Finn is involved when he adds, “But the reason I’m contacting you is because Mrs. McKinnon is why the man we hired didn’t make it to his mark last night. ”
“Spit it out, Ned! What happened last night?”
Evie tucks into my side, which would normally calm me. If her friend is responsible for why she had to remove a fucking bullet from a man’s skull, I don’t care if my brother is in love with Ileah—she’ll pay dearly.
“Again, it isn’t my place to say. This call is merely a professional courtesy. Your brother has more answers than I do, but so help me, if I clean up a fourth mess this morning, I’m raising my rates.”
I trace lazy circles on Evie’s back, and the more she melts into me, the more I’m able to relax. “What do you mean by four?”
“Call. Your. Brother.”
I huff a small laugh. “My apologies. I appreciate you contacting me. Thank you for the assistance earlier. We’ll speak soon.”
He mentioned three projects. The only reason my brother would have information I don’t is if he dared to meddle with Ileah and Tim McKinnon. Why is Ileah the reason Kristin had to kill Tim’s opponent? Why are the Blakes and Taylors involved? Why is everything I’ve worked for burning before my eyes?
As I try to piece it together, Evelyn’s palm on my cheek pulls me from my thoughts. “Hey, what do you need?”
“You,” I reply without a second thought. “I need you, angel.”
Moving my hand to her hip, keeping my palm on her belly, I will back everything I’m feeling. I fail, angry with myself for not protecting her. After sacrificing everything for me, she’s stuck in the crossfires.
“I need both you and Andrew, but we’re losing him,” I admit, my heart stuck in my damn throat. “Your sister…” I can’t bring myself to speak it. Instead, I explain, “She had to step in because of… unforeseen circumstances. But if I wasn’t selfish last night, none of this would’ve happened.”
“First of all, we aren’t losing anyone. Andy’s never been mine, and I don’t want him to be.
Second, all of that is bullshit, and you know it.
” She laughs softly against me, and I hold her tighter, kissing the top of her head.
“It wasn’t selfish. You needed time with him. I’ll never be enough for you.”
Between Kristin telling Andrew she feels inadequate, and now Evie struggling with feeling the same, something needs to change. I can’t lose Evelyn too.
“What are you talking about, angel?” I shift, tangling my legs with hers. “You’re more than enough.”
“It’s okay. I understand and embrace it. You and Andrew are… polyamorous? I don’t know what the right word is for what you two are. You hold enough space in your heart for more than one person. I’m okay sharing you, but you can’t have both of us at the same time… not anymore.”
I pull back to look at her. “Why not?”
“I don’t love him the same way you do.” Her soft smile reaches her eyes.
“But my sister does. She’s in love with him, Mick.
I can’t be intimate with a man I don’t love, knowing Kristin’s heart belongs to him.
Remember how Andy said sex is just sex? That’s all it was for the two of us, but it’s not fair to my sister to continue. ”
Everyone is hurting, especially Evelyn and Kristin. If I have to drain my entire bank account and liquidate all of my assets to free Evelyn and Andrew of their contract marriage, I’ll do it.
I reach for her hand, needing the promise I made with the ring I gave her. It’s missing. My chest tightens at the implication that she could be done with this—with us. “Where is your ring?”
“Oh, shit! I totally forgot! I took it off when it was snagging the gloves.” She scrambles out of bed and sprints to the bathroom, returning a few moments later.
Slipping it onto her finger, she climbs back into bed, and I sigh in relief.
“That was a close one. It would have ended up in a trash bag with the bloody pajamas!”
“Fuck, you’re adorable.” I pull her on top of me, breathing her in. “After I’m done, I’m taking you to breakfast. Then we’re going home.”
Evie straddles me, then pushes up with her palms on my chest. “Why do I think you’re going to tie me to your bed and never let me leave?”
“Who do you think you’re fooling? You love it when I tie you up.”
“Okay, fine, you caught me,” she teases, pulling her tee over her head and tossing it to the ground. I’m grateful last night didn’t dim her fire.
Sliding my palm up her chest, I pause at her heart, and she covers my hand with hers. A wicked smirk teases her lips as she lifts it higher to her throat. I squeeze gently and pull her to me until her lips are a breath from mine.
“I love you, angel. I’m done hiding in the shadows with you. I want you by my side… as my wife.” She kisses me, but there’s something sad with a hint of fear in it. As much as I’ll never get enough of her, I break our kiss to ask, “What’s wrong?”
She stills. “Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“I… No, it’s nothing. We just… We may have to stay in those shadows a little longer. I… I’m late,” she finally admits, pulling away from me.
Hope blooms in my chest. “Late? As in…”
“I don’t know for sure, it could be stress.”
“You’re pregnant? But weren’t you drinking last night?”
“No,” she insists, shaking her head. “I had the bartender make me a gin and tonic with extra lime, sans gin, so no one would question it.”
“You’re pregnant?” I repeat, softer this time.
“Yes, no, I don’t know.” She attempts to climb off me, but I hold her in place.
My mind can’t process it fast enough, and I ask again, “You’re pregnant?”
“Did I break you? I wasn’t going to say anything until I knew for sure.”
“No, love.” My heart grows three sizes and breaks at the same time—it’s a blessing, but the timing is absolute shite. “It’s mine?”
“Yeah, Mick,” she laughs, cupping my cheek. “It’s yours—if I’m actually pregnant. But maybe it’s a bad idea and we should… you know …”
My throat tightens. “Is that what you want?”
Evie shakes her head. “No.” Her single whispered word is the only sound in the quiet room.
I roll her into her back and settle between her legs. Evelyn could be carrying my child, but she’s not mine—at least not on paper. Neither of them will be. The temptation to claim my little angel, to rip off her underwear and slip my cock inside her, is overwhelming.
“You expect me to sit back and watch another man raise our child?” As much as I should resist, I slip her panties to the side and tease her clit with the head of my cock. “What do you want from me, love?”
“I want what you promised,” she rasps, gripping the back of my neck and pulling my lips to hers.
I slide inside her to the hilt in one slow thrust, eliciting a sweet moan from her. “I don’t fucking care what I have to sacrifice, you will be my wife, and we’ll raise our child together. You’re mine—both of you. Fucking. Mine.”