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CHAPTER TEN

Sean

AFTER FINDING THE name of the clinic Tara had went to from the sonogram, it was smooth sailing finding out everything about my girl. I’ve got an entire file I’ve spent hours combing through. Learning everything I can about her. I know she likes Irish food, but loves Italian. She broke her arm falling out of a tree at the age of five. She loves dogs, not so much cats. She lives in Milwaukee but grew up in Indianapolis. Her parent’s own a restaurant back home, and they have a lovely little secret I may be able to use to my advantage when getting Tara to accept her new life with me.

She also has a check-up scheduled for today, right now, just two rooms over from where I sit. I couldn’t not be here for it. Then again, there was still the sliver of doubt that Tara was playing me, and the child wasn’t really mine. For peace of mind, I’ve bribed the clinic to take a blood sample to test for paternity, and because I am impatient and the results will take time, I’ve also brought in help from the Italians.

Livianna has a gift. She can read people. With annoying accuracy, Livianna can observe a person for only seconds and tell if they are lying. For the last few months, she’s been coming to Eclipse with her husband/bodyguard Massimo and helping us to spot assholes who are working with Patrick and the Cartel to drug and kidnap woman. From my office window, Livianna can notice when the symptoms first hit a victim. If you don’t know what to look for, or aren’t paying close enough attention, it’s easy to miss the change. At a distance, the person just looks drunk. If you’re watching though, you can count the seconds from the time a spiked drink hits their lips to when they start stumbling.

Thanks to Livianna’s powers of perception, we’ve discovered that the Cartel is using a new drug. We don’t even know the name of it yet. Not officially anyway. Only the effects it can have. We called it “V”, for victim. Since the only people we have found to have taken it were unwilling victims.

Today, I’ve asked Livianna to use her skills in a different way. I’m ninety-nine percent confident that the baby Tara carries is mine. That final one percent has me hesitating. If, for any reason, the baby isn’t mine, then I’d be dragging an innocent woman into my life. Into the mafia. I may not be a good man, but I don’t hurt the innocent.

Right now, Livianna is in the room with Tara, she’s posing as a nurse. Pretending to do some tests while asking personal questions. She’ll be reading her body language and checking her pulse for spikes to determine if she is lying at all.

I’m excited and nervous as hell. She’s only been gone a few minutes, but feels like hours. Finally the door to the office I’m in opens. It’s Livianna and Massimo. The fucker wouldn’t let her come without him. I didn’t have a problem as long as he didn’t go into the room with Tara.

“So, what’s the verdict?” I ask impatiently.

Livianna smiles. “Unless she is CIA trained, you are without a doubt the father.” The breath I was holding rushes out of me. The final piece of my hesitation washing away. “She gave the date of your interaction as the conception date as well as appeared to be telling the truth that she hasn’t been with anyone else before or after in the past year.”

I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. I’m not sure I’ve ever smiled so big. It pleases me that she has not been with anyone else after me. If I get my way, and I always do, there never will be.

She is mine and soon she will know it too.

Killian and the team are already working on the necessary paperwork. Including fabricating a marriage certificate. I’ll be damned if we welcome our child into the world as a bastard. The Doyle Family connections and money are greasing the necessary wheels to get the paperwork fast tracked.

Now I just need to tell Tara. My girl is feisty and I know she is going to fight me. Should I have waited to marry her until I have seduced her properly? Probably. Will that thought change my mind? No.

She’s mine. I know it, and I need the world to know it. If she wants a wedding, she can have it. She wants it next week, next month, or after the baby is born, she need only ask. But from this day forth, my ring will be on her finger, and her last name will be mine.

Tara will soon learn the power she holds over me.

I can either give her the world or I can burn it to the ground. She need only ask. The only thing I won’t do, is leave her and our baby alone.

Livianna let’s me know the doctor is in the room with Tara now. He’s going to be doing another sonogram. I thank Livianna and Massimo, letting them know I can take it from here. I exit the room and make my way to Tara’s exam room. I clutch the little bear I brought as a peace offering of sorts. A gift for our baby so Tara can know I’m serious about our family.

I open the door quietly. Needing my presence to remain unknown for the moment. I want to savor the peaceful moment of looking at out baby for the first time before my hellcat pulls out the claws.

A quick, low, pounding sound echoes throughout the room. The doctor looks over Tara’s shoulder to me. He speaks so that Tara can assume he is talking to her when he is actually speaking to both of us. “Your baby has a strong heartbeat.”

“It’s still so fast.” Comments Tara.

“Yes. At this stage that is what we look for. It’s perfectly normal and signals strong vitals. It will begin to slow over the next few weeks.”

“Good. Good.” She replies. From my position at the door, I watch as she lays a hand on her barely protruding belly, just beneath her breast so as to cradle the baby without interfering with the scan.

The Doctor moves the ultrasound wand and turns the monitor to better face Tara and him. The grainy image pops up on the screen. It’s small but you can see the head and feet as well as what looked to by an arm.

Two arms and two legs.

Unfortunately the little one is too small to count fingers and toes just yet.

He’s beautiful.

“Would you like to know the gender?” The doctor asks while looking straight at me.

My eyes flick down to Tara while I shrug my shoulder. Letting him know that it’s up to Tara. I won’t interfere with whatever decision she makes.

“Oh. Um…No. No, thank you. I want it to be a surprise.”

“Very well. I’ll print out a copy of this so you can take it home.” He prints the photo and wipes the gel from her stomach. He lets her know she’s free to sit up now.

Tara leans forward and lowers her shirt back over her stomach. “Thank you doctor.”

“You’re welcome Mrs. McCarthy.” He says without thought.

She is preparing to slide off the table but freezes at his words. Shit. She caught that.

I step closer to her and allow myself to come into her field of view. A range of emotions flutter across her face. Confusing, excitement, lust, and then it all comes to rest on anger.

“What are you doing here?” She barks.

Ignoring her outburst, the Doctor hands me the printouts.

Tara reaches to take them from me. I’m quicker, and before she can grab them, I have them tucked into my inside breast pocket.

She glares at me but doesn’t say a word. My feisty little hellcat is too proper to rip into me in public. The fight will come later.

I grab her elbow to help her off the table. She tries to pull away but I don’t let her.

“Thank you doctor.” I reach out to shake his hand.

He accepts it and says, “have a great day Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy.”

I feel Tara’s back stiffen, again, at the sound of her new name.

Without saying a word I move my hand down to hers and hold tight to her fingers as I escort her out of the office and down to the parking lot. Just as I suspected, as soon as we are out of the building she gives a quick look around for an audience, before ripping her hand out of my hold. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Checking on my wife and child” I reply.

“Oh my god. You are insane.” She steps away from me and begins to pace back and forth. Only going a few steps one way before turning around and going back. “I had a one night stand with a lunatic. Great job Tara!”

“Relax sweetheart.” I say. Keeping my voice low and steady. “I can assure you I am of sound mind.”

“If you aren’t crazy than you’re stupid.” Her voice rising. “Do you not remember the NDA you had your minion make me sign after you threw me out of your club?” She moves closer to me. Her finger pointed at my chest. “Do you remember calling me a lying, gold digging, whore?”

I put my hands up in the universal gesture for surrender. “I didn’t call you that.”

“You implied it.” She’s yelling now. Her finger poking my in the chest for emphasis of her anger. “You made it clear what you think of me and our child. You wanted nothing to do with either of us. I don’t know what made you change your mind, but change it back. We don’t need or want you.” She jabs me one more time before starting to stomp away from me. “Kindly fuck off, and stay out of my life.”

I laugh. I know it’s not helping my situation. I need to keep her calm. Placate her until I can worm my way in.

But that’s not really my style is it?

“No can do honey.” The term of endearment just flows off my tongue without thought. I think I like. “My world is a dangerous one, and just by being associate with me you are in danger. We’re going to need to stick together from now on.”

She stops walking. Her hands curl into first. “What?”

“When my enemies learn I have a wife and kid they will hunt you down.” I take a few steps. Letting the gap between us close. “Like it or not. You need me, and I need my heir.”

“Hang on. Time out.” She says as she throws her hands up to make a “T” with them. “Take a step back. Wife?” Her head shakes back and forth. “I’m not marrying you. I don’t even like you.”

“Sorry babe, it’s already done.” Hmm…honey or babe. Not sure either is perfect. “The license has already been filed at the courthouse.”

“That’s not possible. I didn’t agree to that. I didn’t sign anything.” Her voice has gone up an octave. “That license isn’t legal.”

“You still don’t get it, but you will.”

“What don’t I get?”

“Rules don’t apply to me.”

She eyes me skeptically. “And why don’t they?”

“Because I work for the Doyle Irish Mob.” Her face pales. Good. She knows who we are. “If I say we are married. We are fucking married.”

Her mouth is open. Her jaw dropped in surprise. She tries to step back from me. It doesn’t work. For each step back, I take one forward. “Mob? Like the mafia?”

I don’t bother beating around the bush. “Yes.”

She takes a few more steps away from him. This time I let her gain a little distance. She won’t be going anywhere. Oscar and Rian are behind her, as well as the awaiting car that she has been unknowingly moving towards.

“I don’t want any part of your world. I like my life as it is. And I don’t want my child brought up in that kind of danger.”

“It’s too late for that sweetheart.”

Sweetheart? Yeah I like that one best.

She shakes her head and tears roll down her cheeks. “No. No it’s not. If you just leave. Go back to the city. No one needs to know. I haven’t told anyone. I won’t tell anyone.” She tries pleading with me. I see the fear in her eyes. The light stream of tears that has begun to fall.

“Tara…” I whisper, as I raise my arms again. Palms up trying to show her that I’m not dangerous to her. “As I said, it’s too late for that. Word has already gotten out that I have a child on the way.”

“But, but…” She grasping at straws and she knows it. “You…you…you said rules don’t apply to you. Doesn’t that mean you’re powerful or something? Can’t you do something? Make it go away. Make them forget or something?”

Her back hits the side of the car and she lets out a squeak of surprise.

“I am powerful.” I reply. She’ll soon learn.

“Then fix this.” She begs.

“There is one small problem with that.” I say, trying to ignore the hope that sparks in her eye.

“What, what is it?” She looks so hopeful I almost feel sorry.

I take one final step forward. Her chest nearly touching my own. I lay both hands on the car, one on either side of her head. Boxing her in. “I don’t want to.” I whisper in her ear.

“Please…”

“I like when you beg. I like when you do it on your knees waiting for my cock.”

She’s crying now. Full blown sobs. I wrap my arms around her, letting her burying her face in my chest. “There, there sweetheart. It won’t be so bad. You are to be my queen.” Then I do something I’ve never done before. I kiss her on the forehead. It’s not sexual, and it feels weird. Weird but right. “You’ll want for nothing.”

“What if I want to stay here? In my home, with my friends?”

I press my lips to her forehead a second time. “I’m sorry.” I take a small step back, making eye contact with Rian, who’s standing a few steps to the side. I give him a nod. He knows what to do.

Before she can form another sentence, Rian has the needle in her neck. I rush forward and scoop her into my arms as her legs give out.

“What did…” She can’t speak. She’s fighting the drugs. I can see the haze of unconsciousness creeping over her.

“Don’t worry sweetheart. It’s safe for the baby.” I assure her, as I take a seat in the car. Keeping her in my arms as we take off.