Meow Or Never: BBW SEAL Shifter Surprise Pregnancy Romance (Chicago Catastrophe) (17 page)

T
roy slammed
the door behind him with more force than he had intended.

“We can’t go back to your place, that’s the first place River would have put under surveillance after you dropped off the map,” he argued as Hailey sat down on the couch in the safehouse.

They’d been going through the same argument throughout the entire drive and he was nowhere close to being done with it. She was being stubborn and willful and while it made him want to toss her over his shoulder and carry her to the bedroom, it was also equally as enraging.

Did she not understand what kind of danger she’d be putting herself into if she went anywhere close to her apartment? There was no way River didn’t have a million guards around that place, with Culliver being the first guy there.

“Or,” Hailey countered, holding up a finger, “he figured I wouldn’t be stupid enough to return to my apartment with assassins on my tail and didn’t bother.”

“No, it’s too dangerous, there was to be another way.”

Troy paced around the living room, desperately trying to come up with an alternative plan. One that didn’t place Hailey in harm’s way, yet again. He briefly considered going on his own, but he knew Hailey wouldn’t go for it and he wasn’t keen on splitting up, anyway. Nothing good had happened when he’d left her behind before.

He didn’t want a repeat of the Morrison situation.

“You know we don’t have a choice. We’re almost home free, we can’t give up now.”

Hailey moved to his side, giving him puppy-dog eyes as she grabbed hold of his arm and forced him to stand still and look at her.

“We can at least scope the place out. You can smell if there are shifters around. We won’t go inside unless you give the okay.”

“I can’t believe I’m even considering this,” Troy muttered under his breath.

She could make me walk into fire and think it’s a good idea.

“You said it yourself, we can’t keep running. We can do this, I know we can,” Hailey assured him, slipping her hands around his waist and giving him a squeeze.

Feeling her body against his was so nice. Almost automatically, his arms went around her gently.

They could be a family, somewhere far away from Chicago. No more hiding, no more danger. Just the two of them, raising their child and enjoying their life together.

Troy’s lion purred at the mere thought.

It was the life he hadn’t even known he wanted, and now he was desperate to have it all, white picket fence included. Hailey deserved a future where she didn’t have to look over her shoulder all the time and their child deserved to grow up in a stable environment. Hell, maybe even
he
deserved some of that.

Sure, there were risks involved in retrieving her research, but the rewards were far too tempting. And ultimately, it was Hailey’s decision. It was her plan, he just had to make sure it went off without a hitch.

“We’ll go tomorrow night. But any hint of something being off and we’re out of there.”

Hailey hugged him tight and let out a little squeal.

“We’re so close,” she whispered excitedly, her brown eyes glimmering up at him.

Her seductive scent swirled all around him. With Rogers no longer around, there was nothing to stop them from getting lost in each other, leaving thoughts of peril and an uncertain future behind them.

If we die tomorrow, we might as well enjoy tonight.

Troy took Hailey’s face in his hands and stared into the eyes of the woman he would do absolutely anything for. Hailey covered his hands with hers and smiled up at him, warm eyes filled with emotion.

Troy brought his mouth down on hers, feeling at ease as soon as he tasted Hailey’s lips. The world could go to hell around them, but as long as they were together, he was happy.

Her body melded against his, her hands moving to lock behind his neck. Supple breasts pressed against Troy’s chest, and he slid his hands up Hailey’s sides to brush over them, eliciting a small gasp from her.

His tongue darted into her mouth as he gripped her tighter, the urge to claim her rising inside him. Lifting her up off the ground, he set his sights for the bedroom. Hailey smiled against his lips, her heartbeat accelerating.

“I like where this is going,” she murmured.

* * *

T
roy and Hailey
spent most of the following day lying in bed, talking about their plans for the future.

He loved every minute of it.

How had he managed to live so long without her by his side? It seemed an impossible notion now.

“How can you be so sure it’s a boy?” she asked as Troy pressed his ear against her stomach, listening for the heartbeat.

“I’m an Alpha and this is my firstborn. That’s just the way things go,” he shrugged, pulling away to plant a ring of small kisses around her belly button.

“That is so weird,” she commented, after she stopped giggling. “I definitely need to educate myself on shifter society.”

“There’s plenty to learn. And we don’t have a Doctor Spock,” he chuckled.

The day had sped past much faster than Troy would have liked. Before he even knew it, it was getting dark outside.

He got up on one elbow reluctantly, looking at the dewy face of Hailey. She looked so happy. He hated to change that, but if they were committed to making it work, they had to go.

“Guess we should get going soon,” he said with a resolute sigh.

Hailey was out of bed and in the bathroom, brushing her teeth, in a flash. Troy groaned, plopping back.

“Could you be any more enthusiastic about this? We could be walking straight into a trap.”

She popped her head out, mouth foaming.

“Cheer up, we’re almost at the finish line,” she mumbled around the toothbrush.

Troy pushed down his anxiety. What Hailey had said last night did make sense. With Rogers’ escape, the Crimson Claws’ resources were split. They couldn’t afford to stake out every place connected to both Hailey and Rogers without their regular operations suffering greatly.

If there was one thing River hated, it was losing money. That much Troy knew.

Troy willed himself to hope for the best, which was something he was not used to, seeing as planning for the worst was what had kept him alive all these years.

I’ll make this work,
he told himself.

It took them about thirty minutes before they were both ready to leave. Hailey was holding the keys to her place and pacing anxiously near the door as Troy retrieved his car keys.

A sinking feeling formed in Troy’s gut as they left the safety of the apartment and strode into the elevator. They rode down to the parking garage in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

I hope we’re doing the right thing,
Troy mused as the doors spread open and they stepped into the damp basement.

Their steps echoed on the concrete as they made their way to Troy’s truck.

The drive over to Hailey’s apartment building was mercifully short. Neither of them spoke throughout the entire drive, though Troy kept sneaking glances at Hailey. She looked mesmerizing with the street lamps flooding light over her features.

Every nerve in Troy’s body was on edge. He just wanted to get this over with and have Hailey back at the safehouse where he could be sure she was out of danger.

After parking the car at a safe distance and cutting the headlights, he scanned the surrounding darkness with practiced thoroughness. Any hint of motion that shouldn’t be there, anyone looking a little
too
relaxed, the glint of a scope…

“So?” Hailey asked quietly after a while.

“There doesn’t seem to be anyone lurking about,” he acknowledged, but he still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his gut. “That doesn’t mean we don’t have to be careful.”

She nodded and they got out of the car, walking casually towards the multi-story building.

Every cell in Troy’s body was humming as they stepped inside. He guided Hailey towards the stairwell, not wanting to get boxed into an elevator if things weren’t as they seemed. Keeping his body in front of Hailey’s, he stalked up the steps, his ears trained on every sound he could pick up.

When they made it to her floor, he got out of the stairwell first, checking for anyone who seemed out of place. The hallway was empty and he could hear nothing emanating from behind Hailey’s door. It seemed they were all clear.

Looking a little
too
good.

Hailey pushed in after him, standing on her tiptoes and pointing at her door inquiringly. Troy nodded and she got her key out. With soft steps, they walked up to her former home and she slid the key in the lock, turning it slowly.

The door opened and they slipped inside, with Troy still keeping in front of her, just in case. They didn’t turn on any lights and Troy didn’t need them anyway. Hailey’s place smelled different than he had remembered. The scent of rose and lavender was almost overwhelming, making him scrunch up his nose.

This isn’t right…

Beneath those aromas, something familiar jumped out at him, something that made his lips pull back in a snarl. He reached back to grab at Hailey’s arm, trying to shove her out the door, but she had already closed it behind her.

The light in the living room switched on and shadows gave way to a tall frame standing in the middle of the apartment.

Culliver grinned at him, eyes burning yellow and a glint of metal reflecting from his hand.

“So glad you could stop by,” he said, teeth bared.

H
ailey sucked
in a shocked breath at the sight of Culliver. She stepped back, flattening herself against the door. Troy stood before her, shielding her with his body.

No, not him. Anyone but him!

Fear mixed with anger as the reality of what was happening sank in. Culliver seemed to be alone, but the gun he was aiming at Troy’s chest gave him all the leverage he needed. Hailey had never felt such hate before as she did now for Culliver.

A hot terror settled in her chest with the realization that this bastard now held Troy’s life in his hands.

“No one thought you’d be stupid enough to return here, but I had a hunch you would be,” Culliver said, his slimy voice making bile rise in Hailey’s throat.

He had a huge bandage stuck to the back of his neck and his jaw was slightly purple, but other than that, he looked all too ready for action. Damn shifters and their accelerated healing.

“Step away from the door,” he ordered, waving his weapon at them and nodding to the side.

Troy stepped forward, still firmly in front of her.

“Let her leave and you can do whatever you want with me,” he said, holding his palms up.

“No!” Hailey immediately objected.

She couldn’t possibly let him sacrifice himself for her. She wouldn’t allow it. Culliver would probably torture him to death.

Blinking back tears, she realized she could no longer imagine her life without Troy in it. Not only was he the father of her unborn child, he was the only man she’d ever met that managed to make her weak in the knees and keep her on her toes at the same time.

With him, she felt loved and wanted and free to be exactly who she was. He challenged her, made her laugh, made her feel appreciated and important. All she wanted was more time with him.

It terrified her to think she might not have it.

“Don’t worry, I don’t plan to take him up on that,” Culliver assured her, a nasty smile stretching his lips. “I have no interest in letting you go, honey. Now get in here.”

“Come on,” Troy muttered to her and Hailey nodded bravely.

With a growl, Troy strode from the hallway into the living room and Hailey followed closely behind.

“I am going to enjoy this,” Culliver sneered, picking up a pair of handcuffs from the coffee table beside him and tossing them at Troy.

Pure horror flashed across Hailey’s entire body. Whatever Culliver was planning to do, it wasn’t going to be pleasant. As soon as Troy put those handcuffs on, Culliver would have complete control over the situation.

Culliver waved his gun at Troy, licking his lips while nearly bouncing on his feet. He looked giddy with excitement and it disgusted Hailey.

“Put one around your wrist and let’s take this party to the bedroom. You can attach yourself to the bed post and watch me show your girlfriend the time of her life,” he said.

If he keeps talking I might just vomit.

She could read the situation easily enough. If it weren’t for her, Troy wouldn’t hesitate to go for Culliver, bullets be damned. She was a liability for him. If they wanted any chance of getting out of the situation in one piece, she’d have to do something to allow Troy to make a move without worrying about her.

Hailey slowly and carefully reached her hand out, hoping Culliver didn’t notice the gesture. She placed a finger on Troy’s lower back and traced an arrow pointing downwards, praying he got her message.

Troy gave her just the slightest nod, his whole body shaking with the loud growl emanating from his chest.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion after that, but almost simultaneously at the same time. Or at least that’s how it felt to Hailey, with adrenaline pumping through her veins and making her ears hum.

“What are you waiting for?” Culliver thundered as Hailey suddenly threw herself on the ground behind Troy.

As soon as she was down, Troy rushed forward with a fierce roar. A gunshot echoed through the room, followed by a loud crash as Culliver landed on her glass coffee table with Troy on top of him, breaking through it.

Sharp shards went flying everywhere. Hailey squeezed her eyes shut, yelping. When she opened them again, the men were rolling around on the ground, growling and snarling at one another, fists flying.

Glass crunched beneath their clothes as they thrashed around, each trying to gain the upper hand. Hailey got to her feet, looking for a way to help Troy. Culliver’s gun was lying on the floor, but with how close he and Troy were at the moment, she wouldn’t dare fire it in fear of hitting the wrong target. She wasn’t even sure if she could get to it without Culliver lunging for her.

If he got his hands on her, she knew that Troy would be effectively paralyzed out of fear for her and their child.

She was left to anxiously stare at Troy and Culliver fighting, her heart thumping in her ears.

Culliver used his knees and hips to launch Troy off him, sending him tumbling into the couch. Next, he got on all fours as his shape began to twist, face elongating into a muzzle and spine curving into a feline shape right before her eyes. Troy followed suit, morphing into a giant lion with a speed that made Hailey’s head spin.

Her living room looked absolutely tiny all of a sudden, with two huge beasts pacing on each side of it, teeth bared and claws sinking into her carpet, pushing furniture out of their way with their sheer size. Culliver’s fur shone under the overhead lighting, bright orange contrasted by deep black. Troy shook his impressive mane, golden eyes glowing dangerously and tail twitching.

Troy pushed himself forward, the muscles in his hind legs bulging, and flew at Culliver, flattening the tiger under his considerable weight. Culliver tumbled over to one side, swiping wildly at Troy, who brought a heavy paw down on his opponent’s face.

Culliver howled in pain. When Troy lifted his paw, Hailey could see deep, bloody gashes covering the whole right side of the tiger’s face. Culliver somehow managed to right himself and get back on his feet, roaring loudly. Putting all is weight on his hind legs, he lifted his front paws and sank them into Troy’s shoulders.

Troy’s growl shook the room as he struggled to break free of Culliver’s grasp. Hailey’s hands flew over her mouth as she watched on, unable to help the man she cared so deeply about.

Culliver can’t win, he just can’t!

Troy whipped around under Culliver’s claws, jerking his spine from side to side and spraying the surrounding furniture with blood. The tiger lost his grip and tumbled backwards and Hailey couldn’t help the victorious yelp that escaped her throat.

She had seen enough gruesome death for one lifetime, but in that moment, with Troy’s life on the line, a dark part of her yearned for more. She wanted to see Culliver ripped to shreds, so he could never threaten her future with Troy ever again. So that he could never hurt another innocent again, like her parents or the countless other people whose lives he had ruined.

Troy got low to the ground and leaned back on his hind legs before charging forward, sinking his teeth into one of Culliver’s front paws. He yanked his jaws back and dug his heels into the ground, pulling the leg right out from under the tiger.

Culliver’s paw bent at an unnatural angle and he cried out, desperately trying to get back on his feet. The lion suddenly released his bite, but just as the tiger was scrambling to get up, he crashed into the animal, pinning him down. In a blur of motion, Troy’s bared teeth clamped down over Culliver’s trachea.

Even from where she was standing near the hallway, Hailey could hear the sickening crunch that followed.

Troy gave the tiger’s neck a couple of more shakes for good measure, before pulling his bloody mouth away and turning his golden eyes to Hailey. Blood dribbled from his maw and his breathing was heavy, his tail swishing from side to side. The sight would have been absolutely terrifying, if she hadn’t known it was Troy underneath all that primal, animalistic power.

Culliver slowly faded back into his human form and so did Troy, groaning softly as his shape folded and morphed. Hailey turned away from looking at Culliver’s maimed and lifeless body. The man was dead, marked clearly by the fact that his body was turning slowly from the tiger to the human again, the shifter leaving his shell.

Hailey focused on Troy instead. Just moments ago she had wished for the Culliver’s grisly death, but now that Troy was no longer in danger, her bloodlust quickly dissipated.

She ran to Troy, carefully wrapping him in a gentle embrace, avoiding the gashes and bite marks marring his body. Indescribable relief flooded through her, making her tremble slightly, even as tears sprung to her eyes at the sight of his injuries.

“You’re alive,” she gasped.

Reminded of how bad Morrison had looked after his fight and how quickly he had recovered, she took in a deep breath and managed to calm herself a little. Troy’s wounds would heal, and she would be by his side as they did.

“I’m okay,” he said softly, swaying slightly on his feet. “We need to get out of here, someone has probably already called the cops.”

In a nice building like Hailey’s, that was a given. They didn’t need to get hauled into a jail cell right now, not when they were this close to making their future a little brighter.

“You’re
not
okay, but I’ll take it. Just one more thing,” she replied, rushing to one of the potted plants on her windowsill.

She dug her fingers into the soft dirt and pulled out a memory stick, holding it up so Troy could see. He gave her a weak thumbs up before glancing at the destruction all around her.

“Good thing you’re going to be relocated, because I’m pretty sure you’re about to get evicted,” he commented, chuckling.

“This place would have been too small for three anyway,” she answered with a smile, grabbing his hand and yanking him towards the front door.

Hailey was perfectly fine with the notion of never having to come back here.