Brawn - Laurann Dohner [85]
“We have to inform the father of the baby, Rebecca.”
“No.” Becca shook her head. “It’s my baby.”
“We have to. Your dad will find out at some point and you know that. He’ll go after him. You said so yourself. He needs to be warned at the very least. Would you like us to bring him here to give you the opportunity to tell him in person?”
Becca shook her head firmly again. “We have nothing to say to each other. I can’t stop you from telling him but if you do, I don’t want anything from him except to stay away from me.”
“You blame him for what happened?” Trisha’s face paled. “He was a victim too.”
“I know that and that’s not why I don’t want to see him. Just tell him I don’t want anything from him but for him to stay away. I was stripped of the choice to come here or not. Please don’t force me to see him too. Please?” Becca hated that tears filled her eyes. Hormones and the fear of what would happen were making her highly emotional and taking their toll. “Don’t I have enough to deal with already?”
Trisha hesitated, looked uncertain, but then blew out a breath. “Let’s go look at the baby and check you out. We’ll worry about that first and the rest later. Why don’t you go inside and strip everything off? I’ll be there in a minute.”
Becca nodded grimly and stepped into the exam room. She shut the door the second she was alone, leaned against it and closed her eyes. They were going to tell Brawn and her father the truth. The thing she’d worked so hard to avoid was a total bust. As in I got busted. Damn. Damn. Damn. She put her hands over her stomach and rubbed. The baby moved and she knew at least one thing was right in her world.
Flame frowned. “You know who the father of her child is?” He peered at Trisha, waiting for an answer.
She nodded. “Don’t tell anyone who the father is until he is informed first. Hell, this information is considered completely classified so he’s the only one you tell. You heard her. She won’t tell him herself. I need you to do it, Flame.” She glanced at Pink. “Not a word to anyone about this. We’re the only ones who will know besides Justice when Slade calls him.”
Pink nodded.
Flame hesitated, looking grim. “Who am I going to go give the happy and shocking news to?”
Trisha glanced at her husband before addressing the Species male. “Find Brawn. He was forced to share a cage with her when he was kidnapped and they shared sex. This is going to be…” Trisha sighed, at a loss for words.
Slade put his arm around her. “Difficult for all.”
“Son of a bitch,” Flame cursed. “I think I know where he is. I heard some of the females discussing something this morning at breakfast, before I left for my work shift. I’ll go now.” He spun, noticed Pink’s shocked expression and totally understood that emotion. He stormed toward the doors.
* * * * *
Brawn danced closer to one of the females, happy to be distracted. He’d spent another sleepless night, a day with too much paperwork and hoped he’d wear his body down enough to rest. Breeze grinned at him, bumped her hip against his and her hand curled around his arm.
“Thank you.”
“For what?” He spun her, dipped her body until her hair nearly reached the floor and yanked her upright.
“For agreeing to come with me. Isn’t this fun?”
He had to admit it beat staring at walls. “Yes.”
“You’re taking me to dinner later.”
He hesitated.
“You are. I learned a new saying. All work and no play makes males boring.” She chuckled. “Or dull. Either way you need to have fun. You are grumpy and snarl at everyone.” She leaned into his chest and peered into his eyes. All humor fled. “I worry about you. We’re friends. You’d do the same for me.”
He couldn’t refute her words. He nodded. “I am aware.”
“Do you have nightmares?”
He forced his gaze from hers. He dreamed but he wouldn’t admit about what. He inched back so space was between their bodies.
“You’re not sleeping well.” She patted his chest through his