Page 25 of Risk (Gods #3)

W e’re in Kaden’s car, driving into Port Washington, where Zeus and Cam live.

We’re going for dinner. Gigi and Thea are staying the night at Elle’s, which makes things easier, not having the distraction of the girls running around.

Plus, if Zeus gets mad at me and Kaden, they won’t be here to see it.

Although he wouldn’t get angry in front of them, so maybe I should have asked Cam to have the girls here.

Too late now.

Ares and Ari, Lo, and my dad are going to be here as well. I figured telling both my older brothers and my dad at the same time would be easier than one at a time.

Three birds, one stone, right?

They know I’m coming because I want to talk about something—obviously, Cam knows the reason why, but true to her word, she’s said nothing. Not even to me about the fact that she knows Kaden is the father. I’ve not talked to her about it. She’s honestly the best.

I am worried that Ari might feel a little left out.

But I wouldn’t have told Cam if it wasn’t for the fact that I was freaking out, not thinking clearly and needing someone who had been in the same situation to talk to. Which I will explain to Ari.

Kaden and I have been in his car for just under an hour, and it’s been a fairly quiet drive. I’m nervous and stuck in my own head about how Zeus and Ares are going to react to the news that I’m pregnant.

I mean, it’s stupid because I’m twenty-five years old. But I’m also doing my PhD right now, and it’s not the ideal time to have a baby, let alone two babies.

I’ll still be doing my PhD. Kaden and I have talked briefly about it. I told him that I’ll still be going to school, and he totally encouraged it, said there was no way I’d be quitting it on his watch and that he’d be here to help me take care of the babies.

Yep. Still not used to saying that word. Babies. Two of them.

Christ.

I’m not sure how things are going to work with my job at the diner.

I can’t see that I’ll be able to waitress when I get closer to full-term.

From what I’ve read about carrying twins, I’m going to get big.

Massive, in fact. I’ll just have to see how things go.

I’ll tighten my belt, metaphorically speaking, and save money and figure things out from there.

I think what’s making me a lot nervous is how Zeus is going to react when he finds out that Kaden is the man who got me pregnant. I mean, he’s his best friend.

I know Kaden is nervous about that. It affects him mostly, and I don’t want Zeus to be pissed off with him or anything.

I might be a grown woman, but Zeus and Ares still view me as a little kid.

Their baby sister. And there is that unwritten rule men have about how you don’t mess with your friend’s sister.

Kaden pulls into the drive behind Ares’s car. I’m relieved that Ares and Ari are already here, so I don’t have to make small talk.

“Ready?” Kaden says, turning the engine off.

“Nope.”

He takes hold of my hand. “It’s going to be okay.”

“Yeah,” I say, not fully believing it. Then, it hits me. “Shit! Did you tell them you were coming?”

“No, I didn’t know if you’d want me to—”

“Oh my God!” I cover my face with my hands. “Everyone is going to wonder why you’re here—well, except for Cam! What do we do? Should I get out and go in and then you come or—”

“Beautiful”—he cups my cheek, turning my face to his—“relax. We’re here to tell them that we’re having a baby—I mean, babies together, so, yeah, they might be confused at first, but they’ll catch on pretty quickly.”

“What, so I’m just gonna go in there and announce it right away? No time to work my way up to it?”

“It’s not you. It’s us.”

I love it when he corrects me like this to remind me that I’m not having these babies alone. It soothes the worries inside of me.

“And, yeah, there’s no point beating around the bush. We’ll go in, sit down, and tell them.”

“What if Zeus gets mad? I don’t think he’ll hit you, obviously.”

The last time my brother hit Kaden was in a boxing ring, and it nearly killed him. It’s still crazy awesome how they’re as close as they are now.

“Sorry, that was—”

I’m about to say insensitive when Kaden says on a chuckle, “Funny. And, no, Zeus won’t hit me. He’ll probably want to though because I would if I were him. He’s gonna be pissed off at me, not you. But I’ll talk to him, and we’ll sort things out. We’ve endured and come through worse.”

He’s right; they have. But the slight tremor in his voice tells me he’s worried.

I’m shitting my pants with nerves as we get out of the car and walk up the driveway and the steps. I pause at the front door and take a deep breath.

I feel Kaden’s hand press on my lower back. I look up at him. His eyes smile at me.

Then, I steel my spine and open the front door, letting us inside.

The house is warm and welcoming, like always, and I can smell something delicious coming from the kitchen. Of course, my stomach rumbles. But depending on how things go, I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to eat what Cam’s been cooking.

I give Kaden a nervous look, and he mouths to me, We can do this.

Fuck. Okay. I’m a strong, independent woman.

I can tell my brothers that I’m pregnant and that I got knocked up on the night of one of their weddings by the other one’s best friend.

Shit.

The hand on my back urges me forward. Reluctantly, I walk into the dining room, which is where the voices are coming from.

Everyone’s in there. Zeus, Cam, Ares, Ari, Lo, and my dad. They’re all sitting at the dining table, chatting. They all look happy, relaxed. I’m not, and I’m about to change the mood in a big way.

“Hey,” I say to everyone and lift my hand in a wave.

For fuck’s sake.

“Hey, girl.” Ari jumps out of her chair and comes bouncing over to hug me. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever! Missed you.”

“Same.” I hug her back.

“Hey, Kaden.” She leans over and gives him a hug too.

I love how Ari doesn’t think it’s strange that Kaden and I arrived together. Considering he wasn’t supposed to be here tonight.

“Uh…” Zeus gets up from his seat and walks over to us. He hugs me and then does that manly handshake thing with Kaden that I will never understand. “Not that I’m not always happy to see you, Kaden, but I didn’t know you were coming, man.”

His eyes swing back and forth between us, and my heart starts beating out of my chest. His brows draw together, a groove forming between them.

“Did you guys come together?” he asks Kaden and me.

Before I even realize it, I’m spewing out, “I’m pregnant. With twins. And Kaden is the father. I’m keeping the babies, and Kaden is going to help me raise them.”

End scene.

Worst case of verbal diarrhea ever.

I did plan on that going differently. A lot differently.

But there it is.

To say Zeus looks shocked is putting it mildly. Ares is equally shocked. My dad looks happy, I think. Ari definitely looks happy. And Cam is giving an encouraging smile. My eyes go to Lo last. I need that expressive support that I know will be in his gaze, and he doesn’t let me down.

I don’t dare even look at Kaden right now. I’m pretty sure he was hoping to say something too.

It’s been minutes, maybe hours. Okay, seconds.

But they are dragging, and no one is saying anything. At all.

“So,” I say in an overly bright tone, clapping my hands together, “that’s what I wanted to tell you all. And I have, so I’ll just be leaving—”

I’m already turning when Zeus’s deep voice says, “Not so fucking fast. Sit down. Now.”

Shit .

What is it about big brothers that can make you feel like you’re still a little kid? Especially ones who practically raised you.

I glance up at Zeus. He doesn’t look angry. Just confused. Maybe a little hurt. And that makes me feel like crap.

On wobbly legs, I walk over to the table and lower myself into a chair at the end. Kaden takes the seat next to me.

I still haven’t looked at him.

I can’t.

Zeus lowers his big frame back into his chair and places his hands on the table. “So, let me get this right. You’re pregnant?” His fingers are tapping on the wooden top of the table.

I nod.

“With twins?” Ares asks, speaking for the first time.

I can’t get a read on his tone. There’s nothing there at all.

“Yes,” I answer.

“And I’m the father,” Kaden says in a low voice, also speaking for the first time since we got here.

Silence descends again, and all eyes are on us.

“How long have you two been seeing each other?” That’s Zeus.

I see Cam cover his hand with hers, stopping his fingers from tapping on the tabletop.

I glance at Kaden. “We haven’t. We weren’t. I mean, we aren’t. Together, I mean.”

“And yet you’re pregnant.” That’s Zeus again, and he’s sounding more and more pissed off as time goes on.

“It was one time. At Ares and Ari’s wedding,” I clarify.

The way Ares’s face screws up would probably be comical if I wasn’t ready to puke at any moment now.

“My wedding?” he exclaims.

“No. I mean, on the night.”

“That doesn’t fucking make this better, Artemis!” Ares exclaims.

Fuck. He’s either really mad or really disappointed in me. It’s the only time he ever uses my full name.

“How does it make it worse?” I edge out.

“I don’t know! It just does! My baby sister getting knocked up at my wedding is—”

“Night,” I reiterate. “It wasn’t like we got it on in the reception room. It was in my room at the hotel.” I really need to stop talking.

“That I paid for! And I don’t need to know the fucking details!” Ares all but yells.

“Take it easy, baby,” Ari says to him, putting her hand on his arm. Then, she looks at me and smiles. “Are you happy?” she asks me, and I couldn’t love her more in this moment.

I give her a real smile and say, “Yeah. I am.”

I feel Kaden’s hand press on my thigh beneath the table, and I glance at him.