“Why are you?” Katrina frowned, tilting her head.
Becky looked down at the plastic bag that could hold her future and felt tears burn the back of her eyes. “Sloan can’t get me pregnant.” Her eyes lifted, looking directly at Katrina. “It’s only natural for him to wonder if I cheated on him, and I can’t bear for him to even think that. I need to know first.”
She had gone through that very thing when she got pregnant with Frankie with her ex. He had accused her of cheating, and when Frankie was born, he demanded to have a paternity test to prove he was his. She had been so humiliated and pissed. She wasn’t a cheater, though she couldn’t say the same thing about her ex.
Katrina was silent for a long moment before walking over and sitting beside Becky. “I get that.” She wrapped an arm around her and gave her a hug. “But I don’t think Sloan would ever think you cheated on him, Becky. And neither would anyone else for that matter. But how else could you be pregnant unless that doctor did the unthinkable.”
Becky honestly didn’t think Sloan would accuse her of cheating, but wonder. How could he not? Old fears from a shitty past lingered making her question everything. And ‘the how’ was something Becky had given a lot of thought to. There were only two explanations that made any sense, and both terrified her. One she could live with, even though they were both a shattering violation of her body.
“I had my eggs frozen when Frankie turned five,” Becky said, then shrugged. “I knew one day I would want another child, hopefully a little girl, but I didn’t want another man after dealing with my ex-husband. Freezing my eggs was one way I could still have that someday without a man attached. I never imagined meeting someone like Sloan.”
“Do you think this doctor used your eggs? But why? How?” Katrina asked, the shock evident on her face.
“I don’t know?” Becky looked down at the bag, then back up to Katrina. “And it’s driving me insane not knowing.”
“You need to tell him, Becky. Give Sloan some credit. No matter what, he loves you.” Katrina hugged her again.
“I will, but I want to know for sure first and—” Becky’s words died off as a memory swarmed through her mind.
“And what?” Katrina’s voice softened as she stared at Becky.
“He doesn’t want kids,” Becky whispered, remembering last Thanksgiving when she’d brought it up and his reaction.
“Yeah, well, a lot of guys say that and then turn around wanting a whole football team. And in Sloan’s case, it would be a whole Warrior clan.” Katrina gave her a sad smile. “Why don’t we first see if we’re worrying for a reason?”
“He’s also a proud man who may not want to raise another man’s child.” Becky shrugged, then wiped a tear from her eye. “And there will be talk. People wondering whose child it is. What happened? Did she cheat, or worse? I can’t put him through that, Katrina. I won’t put him through that.”
“Stop it!” Katrina’s angry voice actually startled Becky. “It’s an innocent, no matter how it happened or by whom, and you know it. That’s what these Warriors do, Becky. They protect the innocent. And I’ll send a thousand fire ants down someone’s pants if they even look at you weird.”
Becky chuckled, even if that was the last thing she wanted to do, then gave Katrina a sideways glance. “You can control ants now?”
“I’m sure if I focus hard enough, I can.” Katrina stood, helping Becky to her feet. “Go take the test, Becky. It’s the only way you are going to know.”
Nodding, Becky started toward the bathroom, then stopped. “What if I am, Katrina? What if I was...what if that doctor...” Becky couldn’t even bring herself to say the words. “How will Sloan look at me? What will he do?”
“He’ll look at you the same way,” Katrina said, but stayed where she was, and Becky was glad for that. If Katrina hugged her again, Becky might not let her go. “And as for what he’ll do? He’ll find that son of a bitch and kill him in ways that would probably scare us. Plain and simple.”
Becky squeezed her eyes shut and nodded, but a sob still escaped. She walked into the en suite bathroom, closed the door behind her, then doubled over, still clutching the bag against her stomach as she silently sobbed.
She really didn’t need the test.
Deep in her soul, Becky already knew she was carrying a child, and it broke her because she knew it couldn’t be Sloan’s.
Sloan watchedBecky head upstairs and continued staring after her. The fear in her eyes, the fear she tried so hard to hide from him was fucking destroying him, and he didn’t know how to deal with it. For the first time in his life, he didn’t know what in the fuck to do.
“You good, boss?” Blaze’s voice pulled him back to the present.
“Yeah.” Sloan turned his focus back to Blaze. “What did Katrina mean when she said you’d fill me in?”
“She was at Riverside Pharmacy picking something up for Becky,” Blaze said, his eyes darkening. “Her brother approached her after being warned not to. Fucker obviously likes living dangerously.”
Sloan frowned, but not because of Katrina’s brother. He’d asked Becky earlier if she needed anything, and she’d told him no. Turning his attention back to Blaze, he continued listening in silence while making a mental note to ask Becky about it.
“He told her the Iron Drakes are trying to form again,” Blaze continued not realizing that he had just informed Sloan of something he’d already heard.
“That’s not news.” Sloan glanced toward the stairs. “We’ve been hearing talk on the streets for a while, but nothing has come of it...yet.”
“Yeah, well, from the fear I saw in Katrina’s eyes, this is more than street talk. She knows this world more than we ever will.” Blaze said with a curse, running a hand through his hair. “He told her that if it hasn’t happened already, there will be a price on both their heads. They’re next in line to take over the Iron Drakes because they’re Samuel Drake’s blood. Doesn’t matter that the bastard is dead.”