Chapter 28

Ariana

28

Amstaff booked me into a hotel room in the city center under a fake name. I don't mind. All I want to do is sleep and eat, anyway. I spend my hours flipping through TV channels and trying out every meal available on the room service menu. He calls me once in a while, using the hotel's landline, and gives me updates about the situation.

They're forming a joint task force: the FBI, the DEA, and the ATF. A couple of agents from the NSA are also joining them since it has become evident that the Black Hand poses a national security threat. The organization's days are numbered, and I know a lot of people will be able to sleep better because of it.

Sky, Raylan, and Kendric are still in jail, and I hate the idea of not being able to see them, but I'm still working up the courage to tell them about the baby. It's time they knew, and I have to be honest. I need to know where we stand and how far we're able to take this.

I'm having this child, there's no doubt about that, I just wonder if I'm having this child on my own or with the men whom I've fallen deeply and irreversibly in love with.

A sudden knock on the door startles me.

I quickly glance out the hotel room window first, my eyes darting and searching for anything suspicious. There's nothing. Traffic is slow and steady. I see only cabs parked across the street from the hotel and a concierge helping a customer load her luggage into the back of an executive limo. At least Amstaff booked me into one of the swankier hotels in Everton.

I open the door and recognize Sky's sister. "Shiloh!" I exclaim.

She's wearing a sling and a grey hoodie to conceal the bandages and bruises. The garage incident was brutal, but at least she's up and walking again, her black hair pulled into a tight bun and sunglasses covering her eyes. "Hey, hon," she says. Amstaff told me where to find you."

"Good. I've been on my own for a couple of days, and I'm going stir-crazy," I reply. "I'd hug you, but—"

"Nah, I'm cool," she says. "Everything still hurts."

"Come in."

She checks the hallway before walking into the room and I carefully close the door behind her. She takes a seat close to the window, and I offer her a can of soda from the fridge while I opt for plain water. I can't keep much down these days—the morning sickness works in a relentless loop with episodes of ravenous hunger and nausea—and I never know what state I'm going to be in when I get out of bed.

Take today, for instance; the mere smell of food turns me inside out.

"How are you holding up?" Shiloh asks me.

"Oh, I'm fine," I say, sitting in the chair next to her. "What about your mom? The shop? How'd all that work out?"

"It's going to be a doozy," she musters a tired smile. "There's already been an internal investigation opened into those SWAT officers. We were lucky because of our CCTV system. They didn't take that into account when they stormed the place. And now, they're going to pay through the nose for what they did."

"I'm still shocked and saddened by the whole thing." I pause and take a deep breath. "Was anyone else hurt?"

"One of our mechanics took a bullet in the leg, but he's going to make a full recovery, according to his doctor. And you can bet your ass he's suing the Everton PD for everything they've got. Those cops had absolutely no reason to shoot when they did."

"What about Spike and the others?"

Shiloh sighs deeply and takes a sip of her soda. "They're going to be out soon. Maybe a couple of more days. The cabal is closing ranks, and their lawyers are fighting ours at every turn. We're letting them think they're winning because there's a massive RICO operation that's about to burst wide open. The Feds and Amstaff are working hard to get it rolling as quickly as possible, but I understand why they're playing this waiting game. It's better to be safe than sorry with those pricks. It's why I wanted to come over and see you. I spoke to Sky."

"You did? Where is he? Raylan? Kendric?" My heart starts skipping beats again.

"County jail, but Amstaff reached out to a couple of his former rookies and asked them to make sure that our guys are kept safe. Apparently, the Black Hand keeps trying to gain access to them by whatever means necessary, but I don't know what their endgame is. It's not like they can kill them without making things worse for themselves."

"It must be about the evidence that my father had against them," I say, remembering that brief exchange with Troy from the other night. "They're desperate to get it before the cops do."

"Too late for that."

"How did they seem? Sky and the guys?"

Shiloh looks directly at me, her gaze softening. "You are head over heels for them, aren't you?"

"Can you blame me?"

"Not at all. I'm just surprised there's a woman on this earth who is able to see them and love them for who they are. They're a rare breed, and they're exceptionally good men. Honestly, I didn't think you, of all people, would fall the way you so obviously did."

I can't help but laugh. "Because they kidnapped me."

"Yeah, you're the poster child for Stockholm Syndrome."

"If I had a nickel for all the times I said that to myself," I mutter.

Shiloh gives me a persistent look, and I see the worry reflected in the deep, dark pools of her eyes. I feel like I'm closer to Sky when I'm with her. "How are you feeling, though? Have you told them yet?"

"Told them what?"

"Oh, come on, it's so obvious. Mom called it the minute she saw you, but we were too busy dodging those SWAT goons to mention it right then and there. You're expecting."

My jaw drops. "How in the world—"

"Women know. Especially Mom. That woman sees and knows everything before anybody else, trust me. Her gut is never wrong. When she senses something, it's usually true."

I gasp, my face burning red. "No, I haven't told them yet. I'm just waiting for the storm to clear. Praying that everything will be okay."

"Yeah, it's not a guarantee at this point. The Black Hand are slippery fuckers," Shiloh groans, rubbing her face. The exhaustion is showing. She is worn out, much like the rest of us, except she's also walking around with a dreadful injury. Her entire life has been disrupted, and her man is back in jail. It can't be easy. "I will tell you one thing, though, Ariana."

"What's that?"

"You'll never be alone again," she says. "No matter what happens, you won't be having or raising this baby on your own. You've got me, my mom. Hell, the whole of the Steel Knights ensemble is right behind you. Whoever makes it out of this hot mess is going to be there for you, you hear me?"

Tears gather and prick my eyes, and I press my lips together as I try not to cry. "I feel so alone right now, though."

"You're not. Get that through your head."

"Thank you. It means a lot."

"You're welcome. That's a Steel Knight baby you're carrying," Shiloh says. "We look out for our own. Always."

"I think I'm going to cry."

"Let it all out," she says softly, smiling.