Page 53 of Lying Lainey

With everything finally mixed together, put in their respective dishes, and placed in the oven, I was left with thirty to forty-five minutes for them to cook. Grabbing my cell phone, I set the timer and turned to look at the sliding glass door that opened out onto a brick back patio. Feeling like fresh air might be nice, I pulled the door open to check the weather and smiled at the slightly cool but pleasant feel. Whoever picked out clothes for me had only grabbed the softest and comfiest things to wear, so I would be more than warm enough in my yoga pants and fleece pullover sweatshirt. Tater scrambled to get to his feet, bolted out the door heading right for the large span of grass, and got in a vigorous roll. I’d never had a pet before, but I was quickly seeing the appeal the more time I spent around Tater-Tot.

I curled up on one of the lawn chairs when my phone vibrated in my hand. Glancing down, my stomach dropped when I spotted the message was from the Syndicate. It shouldn’t surprise me that they would check in with me after I fell off the radar for three days. Since I’m positive they watch my house, they would know someone came to get clothes and things for me. Part of me wanted to ignore the message and let this day be one of blissful ignorance, but my fear of them thinking I’ve turned my back on the job had me swiping my thumb over the screen to unlock it.

Ms. Caddel,

Due to the fact that you were given a dose of our specially formulated medication that removes all suppressant and scent-altering drugs, we assume you have gone into heat as is typical for this medication. Another side effect of this medication is increased fertility, so we strongly suggest that you be aware of this and get a pregnancy test done in the following seven to ten days.

If you find yourself with child, know that you are not permitted to terminate the pregnancy due to the chances of it being an Omega are fifty-fifty. In the event you do not wish to raise this child, we will happily take the baby into our care the moment it is born. We do not wish for the child to be put in the system as you were.

twenty-two

Lainey

Horror at the idea of some strange syndicate taking any child, let alone mine, was met with dread at the idea I might actually be pregnant. Kids hadn’t been on my list of things I wanted to have happen in my life, but if it were to happen, I would never allow it to end up in the system or with some creepy-ass criminal organization. No, I would either figure out a way to protect that child myself or find a family I vetted and approved of to raise them.

What did that mean for the guys? Would I have to tell them? Should I tell them? Did they even want kids? How the fuck did I end up in this situation?

Dropping my phone, it clattered to the brick as I pulled my knees up to my chest, resting my head on them. Memories of my childhood raised in the group home flooded my mind. I remember the feelings of confusion when I went to school and people asked me about my family, parents, siblings, and other things people typically had, but I didn’t. Before and after the group home, I was a kid who had no one out there in the world looking out for me or even giving a shit if I was being taken care of. One thing I was eternally grateful for was that the group home I lived in was one of the best. I’d been well looked after, fed, clothed, and sent to school until Trent came along.

That’s when my life turned to shit. Nothing was normal or had a routine to it. I was forced to learn and adjust to Trent’s rules. He brought me to the place the bad kids went, showed me the terrible things that people would do to them, and warned me it would be my fate if I didn’t do things right. That was the first time nightmares filled my dreams, tormenting me with all the possibilities that could happen if I fucked up. It’s sad to say that I was one of the lucky ones. I didn’t have to suffer the fate so many others did until my first heat. That’s when Trent took it upon himself to teach me what it took to be a real woman as he helped me manage my heat. He’d kept me to himself the first day, then brought in others the next since I was his to use in any way he saw fit.

What is it they say about trauma? You either spend your life running from it or running toward it. I suppose I managed to fall in the middle of that. I’d been running from the girl that event happened to, but at the same time living in a similar world, using all the lessons Trent taught me to get the job done. Now I might be faced with choosing what to do with a child in this whole mess. I’d never seen what it means to be a parent other than on television, and we all know that’s so realistic.

Once more, my phone started vibrating, informing me that it had been thirty minutes. Clearly, I’d been trapped in this mental spiral for far longer than I’d realized. Somewhere during that time, Tater-Tot had climbed up on the lawn chair, curled up at the end of it, and kept me company. When I moved, his head popped up, and he watched me intently as if he understood I wasn’t doing well. Standing, he walked up, rested his head on my knees, and gave a soft whine, so I reached out to stroke his head, reassuring him as much as he was reassuring me.

“I suppose there’s not much I can do about it right now, can I? There’s no way to know if I’m pregnant or not until the end of the week. Thankfully, though, they have those rapid tests so I can find out pretty quickly,” I murmured as my hand moved over his velvet-soft fur. “Guess I should check on brunch. We don’t want it to burn after putting in all that work.”

Tater hopped down and waited for me like he knew what I’d said, making me smile. Back in the kitchen, I found Kerian peeking in the oven. He jumped as he heard the sliding door open and gave me a guilty look. “It just smelled so good… figured it had to be nearly done.”

“Actually, the timer just went off, so if you think it looks cooked, then let’s pull them out and double-check,” I informed him.

Without a second thought, he grabbed a hot pad and set the dishes on top of the stove. Leaning against him, I held onto his arm as I peered at the food. The quiche looked perfect, and the French toast bake bubbled happily but appeared to be done. I grabbed a knife from the drawer and nudged Kerian with my hip to move out of the way. He decided it would be better to slide me in front of him, rest his hands on my hips, and watch what I was doing. I tested the middle of the quiche just to make sure it was done and grinned happily.

“I’d say we’re good to call the others,” I announced.

Kerian wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest as he kissed along my neck. “I think I might like to keep you to myself for just a minute more if that’s all right with you?”

For the men who can talk so dirty to also be unfairly skilled at whispering sweet nothings into a woman’s ear is just wrong. It’s like they can cheat at life, making us swoon and fall into their arms before they ravage us in the bed, bringing out the primal nature of a good fuck. I let out a groan as I twisted in his arms so I could look up at him.

“And if I said no?” I questioned, truly curious to know what he would say.

“Then I would accept that choice and text the others to come and eat,” he answered.

Slowly, I slid my hands up his chest, then twined them around his neck, pulling him down to me so I could kiss him. “I think I can spare a minute.”

Kerian moved us to the left, away from the stove, and hoisted me up onto the counter, all while never breaking our kiss. He wedged his way in between my legs as his hands grasped my ass, pulling me closer. This was the sort of kiss you see in the movies, and let me tell you, it was just as fucking magical as you think it would be. It felt like I was the only person in the world to him right now, and he was in no rush to let this kiss end or to leave this moment we shared. Yet with all wonderful things, they must come to an end, but even though he leaned back from the kiss, he didn’t pull away.

“Do you like dancing?” Kerian asked, catching me off guard with how out of the blue the question was.

“Aah…” was about all I could manage to get out as my brain tried to find that answer.

Kerian chuckled and kissed my nose. “Let me try that again. Lainey, I would love to take you out tomorrow night and go dancing. Would you be at all interested in doing that with me?”

“Did you have a type of dancing in mind?” I inquired.

“Well, I’ve been taking dance lessons for the past few years, and so far I’ve learned the waltz, tango, salsa, foxtrot, two-step, swing, and I’m currently learning the cha-cha,” he answered.

My mouth popped open. “Holy shit, when in the hell did you find time to learn all that?”