Adela gives me a confused look, her freckles wrinkling as she scrunches her nose. “Someone crashed into you? When?" Oh, right. We didn't tell her any details.
I wave her off. “Part of the shit you didn’t want to know.”
Understanding dawns on her. “Right. Okay, yeah, let me talk to Ellen. It should play into the whole lost luggage thing.”
I nod, my eyes darting back over to the cracked door. I don’t hear the voice anymore. “Will…will you walk with me back to the guest house?” Was it Ellen who was reporting on us? I suppose she could have been informing Vander or his dad of our arrival—though I would have assumed that would have been the guards’ job.
She gives me a grin. “Got too used to Jo protecting you? You need a strong lady to make sure you make it back to your pack okay?”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “What can I say? I need your Mama Bear instincts.”
“Come through here though. I’m not sure why that back door was even unlocked.” She motions to the door I came in through with her head, and then steps aside so I can follow her. This door leads to a kitchen, where a jar of peanut butter sits opened with a spoon sticking out of it.
“Just ignore that,” she laughs nervously, opening one of the double doors that leads to the back yard.
I hold my arm out for her to take and shoot her a smirk. “Ignore what?” There’s something about Adela that makes me feel like a protective big brother—or, what I’m assuming that feeling would be.
She laughs, taking my arm and patting it. “I missed having you around, Hayden.”
“Missed you too, Addie.” I sigh, running a hand over my hair. I need to ask her about Vander’s family, and why someone would be reporting on us. “Hey, so about Vander’s family…”
“Yeah,” her expression falls, “I can’t tell you a lot because I don’t know. We met at boarding school, and he was…he was somature. Already working for his father while still in high school. Before I got pregnant…all the secrecy, all the deflecting, it kind of made things…exciting. Romantic. Now, though, it’s…” she shakes her head, blinking away tears. “Nobody will say anything business related if I’m in the room. Like I’ll walk in, and they’ll just…stop talking. Or I’m told to let the men ‘handle their business’. The trip he and his father are on right now? They left two days after they picked me up from Thornfield and haven’t been back yet. It just keeps getting extended.”
Protective anger stirs in my chest on behalf of Adela. That was almost a week ago. “He just left you here by yourself? While you’re carryinghischild, and due at any time?”
Grimacing, she shrugs. “His work is very important, or so they tell me. They do what they can though. They supply me with a phone, a car, and make sure I get the best prenatal care—all my needs are met.” Her words almost sound like they’ve been rehearsed, and there’s a hollowness to them. “So well met in fact that I don’t doubt that Bertrand or Ellen have already reported back that my ‘cousin’ has come to visit me.”
Okay, so I don’t think they’re on to us, but now I’m worried about Adela.
“Addie, if you’re in trouble—”
Her eyes widen as she looks around, and shakes her head vehemently. “No.” Then, she takes a step back, putting space between us. “No. I’m fine. I’m being perfectly well taken care of, though I do appreciate your concern.”
Her words have turned more formal, less relaxed as her hand returns to her belly. That, combined with the fact that she had a burner phone already at her disposal, and her rehearsedwords about the father of her child, has me worried. “Adela.” My voice is probably more serious than she’s heard it, because she stutters to a stop, looking at me with a perplexed expression. “You would let us help you, right? If things weren’t…good? You know Jo would—”
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” she says quietly, then looks at me like she hopes I didn’t hear her. We reach the door of the guest house, and before I can open it, she’s backing away. “I need to talk to Ellen about the suppressants. Just…be careful while you’re here, please. You’re safer in here than you are out there but…” she lets out a frustrated huff, “nowhere is safe. Not really.”
Then, she leaves without looking back, and I frown after her, watching the little beta I’ve grown to love like a sister make her way back to the main house.
forty-one
Sam
Something about this place makes me uneasy.
Maybe it’s the casual wealth being displayed like it’s normal to have a fully functioning miniature house on your property. Or maybe it’s the fact the bed is barely big enough for two of us, let alone five of us.
It’s nothing I have any place to complain about, given that Adela gave us refuge when we would have otherwise been fucked.
Hayden got back from the main house only a few minutes ago, voicing his concerns about the pregnant beta. Thank gods Jo is asleep on the king sized bed in the other room, or else she’d probably be storming the house right now, demanding Adela spill the whole story.We have enough to worry about right now without adding her to the mix.
Jo might hate me for it, but I have to put her first at all times.
“Do you think she is in danger?” Kole asks, his brow furrowing as he glances at the closed door of the bedroom. “Lisichkawill not stand for it.”
West shakes his head. “As long as she’s pregnant, she won’t be in any physical danger. I can tell just by looking, these are the kind of people who value lineage and blood above all else. As long as she’s carrying this guys’ precious heir, nothing bad will happen to her.”
“Yeah, and what about after?” Hayden mutters, crossing his arms. “She seems to at least realize she’s in some kind of weird situation. I mean, they won’t even talk about anything business related while she’s in the room.”
