CHAPTER SIX

"Why didn't you tell me?" whispered Major, holding Elena on his lap. "I had a right to know that you were carrying my child even if you didn't want a relationship with me."

"I didn't want you to think I'd trapped you, Major. I wanted nothing more than to have a relationship with you. We never spoke of anything beyond those few nights, and we didn't really talk about contraception. I was on the patch, but it obviously failed. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, and then the way you protected me and your friends only made me love you more."

"Baby, I was falling in love with you, too. I'm sorry I didn't make that clear. I should have forced you to go to Louisiana so that you could be protected by my family."

"Protected from what?" she asked. "What's going on? I don't understand why that doctor would want me to lose a baby. I don't know that doctor at all. I'd never seen him before."

"We're not sure either, but we're going to find out. Did you notice anything strange when you returned to London? Maybe someone was following you or watching you while you were staying with Daphne."

"I didn't pay attention. I have to be honest. We went out a few times for dinner, we went to a couple of museums, but that's all."

"Does Daphne work?"

"No, not really," she said, smiling. "Daphne is a trust-fund baby. Her father is an Earl or something. She volunteers for a lot of projects and does some work with one of the auction houses. She has a degree in antiquities, which was why we connected in school and got along so well."

"So, she's not married?" asked Brix. Elena looked at him and smiled.

"No. She's divorced. She was forced to marry a man when she was very young. He was thirty years her senior."

"Forced?" frowned Brix.

"It's not my story, Brix. I'm happy to give you her number if you'd like to call her."

"I already have her number," he said confidently.

"Major?" said Cruz, walking toward him. "Let me get her vitals and get her settled in the back. She needs to rest and sleep if possible."

"Of course," said Major, standing to set her down.

"Come on, honey. Let me make sure everything is still perfect," smiled Cruz. Elena stared at him and sucked in a breath.

"Could you not do that?" she asked. Cruz frowned at her, tilting his head.

"Do what?"

"Smile at me. That is dangerous."

"We tell him that all the time," said Ally. "Good thing we're married, and we love his wife." Cruz just shook his head and gently led her down the aisle to the bedroom in the back.

"Is he really that good-looking to all of you?" frowned Sebastian.

"Good-looking? Honey, that doesn't even describe that man, and I can attest because I'm married to one sexy beast," said Gray.

"Me too," said Ally.

"But that man makes me think sinful, lustful, heated thoughts. Those perfectly white teeth, with that dimple in his chin and the little one at the corner of his mouth, and all that dark hair sprinkled with a few grays, his tanned skin. And he's a sweet guy! Holy shit," she said, fanning herself. "It's too much. Just too much."

"I don't see it," said Alistair, shrugging.

"I think that's a good thing," laughed Ally. "It's just proof that you don't have to be the biggest, most muscular, or fastest man to be the hottest."

"I wouldn't say any of that," laughed Brix. "Cruz is one of the fastest men I know. He was an amazing SEAL with an understated strength."

"One of the best," said Doc. "He was clever. Not just smart. Clever. Do you know what I mean?"

"I think so," laughed Ally, "but that only makes him hotter."

"Who's hotter?" asked Cruz, walking toward them. They all turned at the same time.

"You!" He jumped back, staring at them.

"What the hell have you people been talking about?" he asked.

"You," laughed Major. "Apparently, all the women think you're the hot one in the group. The smile, teeth, sweetness, intelligence, you got it all, brother."

"I don't have it all. I have good genetics. Besides, the only opinion I care about is my wife's."

"Which makes you all the hotter," laughed Gray, turning to look at a magazine in her lap.

"You're making me squirm," he grinned. He slapped something on the table, and they all stared at it. "This was pinned to the inside of her gown. I've disabled it, but I'm pretty sure it was a tracking device."

"Shit, I never thought to check for that," said Major. "Why in the hell did they want her? They wanted the baby gone, her disabled, and then someone was coming to get her. Why?"

"I think that's where you guys have to take over," said Ally. "I'm going to the back to sit with her for a while and make sure she's alright."

"Hey, Ally?" called Major. He turned to the others. "All of you. Thank you for coming. Thank you for being here."

"Don't make me flip you the bird, Major. I'm a lady. We're family, honey. That's what we do."

"Is everything okay?" asked Elena, watching Ally taking her blood pressure.

"Everything is perfect, sweetie. You're going to be great now. Where we're taking you is the safest place on the planet, and if I do say so myself, we have the best medical team our side of the Mississippi." Elena stared at her, but Ally could tell there was more she needed to know. "Ask me whatever you like."

"I know that Major said he was okay with this. He even said he was falling in love with me, too. But do you think that's him feeling obligated?" Ally laughed, clutching her hand.

"Elena, let me tell you about our family. It's a crazy family, and we're not all blood-related. A long time ago, a man by the name of Nine started this security group called REAPER. They were all former SEALs, MARSOC, Rangers, all types of special operators, or Special Forces."

"I understand," she nodded.

"I met my husband, Vince, while he was undercover. He'd been an FBI agent at one time. A human trafficker kidnapped his wife and daughter, had them addicted to drugs, and was using them within days. His daughter died, and then the kidnapper killed his wife."

"That's horrible," she said, shaking her head.

"It was horrible, but Vince was determined to find them. He'd formed an alliance with an unusual man," smiled Ally. "In fact, that man is part of our family now as well. Anyway, while Vince was undercover, he, Nine, and their team reconnected. They caught the man responsible.

"During all of this, I was working at a clinic and had taken care of a young girl who'd been abused by a local motorcycle club. Vince brought her in. He was dressed as this big, badass biker. At first, I was terrified because I'd been part of that culture at one time. Not willingly. But he came back a few days later to check on me. He was so concerned for me that he wouldn't let me take the bus home.

"Elena, I knew almost immediately that I was in love with that man. I'm not a very big woman, but he just made me feel like an elf. But I was safe, enveloped in his arms, in his masculinity. He brought me back to their compound and asked me to stay. Just like that. Three days, Elena. Three days is all it took for us to fall in love. Only a few weeks later, I was pregnant. Vince was amazing through it all."

"That's so beautiful," sniffed Elena.

"I'm not the only one, honey. All of the men and women at Belle Fleur have similar stories. We fall in love fast, hard, and forever. It's a common thread." She pulled the blanket up around her, patting her shoulder. "Now, I can see very clearly that Major loves you so much it hurts. The question is, do you feel the same? Can you leave everything you know and be his wife, his partner? Are you willing to have a career with our family, with our team?"

Elena looked at the woman and smiled, nodding her head.

"I've dreamed of nothing else. I just wasn't sure how he would feel about having children. I should have called him, and I'm sorry I didn't. Daphne tried to get me to call him. I'm glad she hacked into my phone," she laughed.

"She sounds like a good friend," said Ally. "Get some sleep."

"Ally? Thank you."