Protecting His Pregnant Lover - Leslie North Page 0,15
when you were deployed. Then, after a while, I got used to the idea of being on my own through this and things got busy at the school and I just stopped trying to find you.”
He seemed to take that in a moment, then gripped her knee. The unexpected contact made her tingle. “How soon after I left did you find out?”
“About a month.” She shrugged, then took a deep breath, remembering those early days when she’d survived on saltine crackers and broth because of the morning sickness. “At first I thought I had the flu. Went to the doctor and everything. She suggested a pregnancy test, and well…” She held up her hands in front of her now bulging belly. “My periods have never been exactly regular, even with the pill, so when I missed one, I didn’t think too much about it.”
“Guess we were that one percent, huh?” he said, his thumb circling gently, absently against her knee, his voice low. She gave him a confused look and he said, “They always say on those commercials that the pill is ninety-nine percent effective.”
“Actually, it’s ninety-nine point seven percent effective, so there was only a point zero three percent chance…” She lowered her head and tucked her hair behind her ear. “But yeah. Guess so.”
The moment stretched out between them until she finally said, “I’m glad about it though. The baby, I mean. I always wanted kids.”
“Me too.” He caught her gaze and held it. “I’ll do my part, whatever you need.”
She nodded, still coming to terms with Levon being back in her life again and what that meant for the future. It was a lot to deal with at the moment and she needed time to wrap her head around it all, especially with this other thing popping up tonight with the gang. So, instead of blurting out something she might regret later, she changed subjects to hopefully something safer. “So, this new job of yours. Tell me more about it. I remember you saying it was a security firm?”
“Yep.” He inhaled deeply, letting her go as he leaned back into the cushions again. She missed the heat of his touch immediately. “We’re called the Southern Soldiers of Fortune.”
“The Southern Soldiers of Fortune.” Olive repeated, unpacking the full name. “And you guys are all former SEALs?”
“Yeah. They recruit from all over,” he explained. “But the threshold to join is high. Insane, even.” He laughed quietly at whatever memories this claim stirred in him. “Only the best are offered positions.”
From anyone else, she might have considered that a boast. From Levon, it was only the cold hard facts. Given his well-honed physique and knowing his determination and heart, she had no doubt that Levon Asher would be the best at whatever he decided to pursue. “Well, I’m glad you’re here, then.” Olive wasn’t sure why she’d whispered that, or why she wished he’d touch her again. “And not just because of… you know.” She gestured down at the baby. “But I still don’t understand how we ended up with gangs in Harper’s Forge. I mean, I’ve noticed some odd things lately around town, but hardly anything that bad.”
He exhaled slowly, then took the cup from her hand and stood, grabbing his own from the table in front of them. “Best get us refills before we start that conversation. It’s going to be a long one.”
“So,” Levon said as he settled in beside her a short while later, handing her back a steaming mug of tea before sipping his own, his expression grim. “The Reapers. They started in DC and are now trying to branch out and establish their drug smuggling routes in the area. That’s where Harper’s Forge comes in. Small town, tiny police force, direct access to major highways and within a few hours of the coast. Perfect location for the newest link in their supply chain.” At her startled look, he shifted in his seat, frowning down at his tea. “As an added bonus, no one thinks things like that can happen in places like this, so no one suspects what’s really going on.”
“How did your company find out about it?” she asked, her tone full of interest.
If Levon had thought it through better, he probably wouldn’t have told her about all this in the first place. He remembered how, back when they were in school, Olive was always reading some mystery book or watching some true crime show on TV. She loved this stuff. Too much.