Do Or Die [Nuworld 4] (30 page)

“You know nothing about this?”

“You think I took something from you?” His tone lowered considerably and his

grip on her hand tightened.

“Did you take my disc?”

“What disc are you talking about?” She cringed when he twisted her hand and she

could see the ends of her fingers turn white. “I haven’t taken any damn disc.”

“What’s going on here?” Andru asked casually and Gilroy threw Ana’s hand down

a little too roughly.

“I’m being accused of taking some disc,” Gilroy growled as his eyes devoured her.

“I simply asked if you took it.” Ana rubbed her hand as she snapped back. “How

about you, Andru, what do you know about the disc that was in my bedroom closet?”

Andru looked hard at her. Meeting his gaze she sensed the truth.

“Why, you son of a bitch. How dare you?”

She reached up to slap him and he grabbed her arm. “Mama knew you had it and

she asked me to bring it to her. It would have been returned before you used it this

evening.”

She twisted in his grip and lunged trying to get away but he held her tight. “You

gave it to Mama? Why didn’t you tell me she wanted it?” she hissed at him with fury

burning through her gray eyes.

Then, in the next instant, a surge of emotions hit her. Her expression froze and she

looked down at his hand holding hers. They weren’t her emotions. Images and

sensations jumped from Andru’s thoughts at her. It didn’t happen often, but when it

did it was strongest when they touched. Her frozen look of fury changed to one of

horror. She looked quickly from Andru to Gilroy and saw him look at her quickly.

“Gilroy?” she whispered. She looked back at Andru. “No. Oh Crator, no.”

Gilroy reached down and grabbed their hands, ripping hers from Andru’s. He

practically knocked her over in the act and he held her until she regained her balance.

Ana yanked her hand from his and backed up from both of them, breathing heavily.

“You had sex with Meah,” she said through clenched teeth. “And then you sent

Andru to…oh Crator…to abuse her like that. You son of a bitch.”

Gilroy got off his glider and moved to her in a single stride. He grabbed her by the

arms and she flung herself away trying to release his arms.

“Hold still, woman. Don’t try and get away from me.”

Ana quit struggling. Tears streamed down her face and her eyes burned into Gilroy.

“You cheated on me.”

“You’re one to talk.”

Her mouth fell open and she looked at Andru when his body tensed. “I’ve never

cheated on you. The only time I’ve ever had sex with another man other than you…you

made me do it.”

“I found the two of you asleep together with his arms and legs completely wrapped

around you.” Gilroy looked like he would hit her, and although Andru said nothing,

Gilroy sensed he was ready to jump. He was treading on thin ice. He backed away from

her and ran his fingers through his hair. “If it had been any other man I would have

killed him…dressed or not.”

“But it wasn’t anyone else,” Ana hissed at him. “He is my brother, my twin, the

other half of me. I don’t believe Meah is your sister.”

Ana shook uncontrollably and she balled her hands into fists. Her lower lip

quivered and more than anything she wanted to lunge at him, pound his face, beat him

without mercy until he begged for forgiveness. Both men took a step toward her and

she backed away from both of them.

“You keep away from me too.” She pointed her finger at Andru. “In fact, I don’t

ever want you to touch me again. You beat her…I saw the bruises the next morning. For

the sake of Crator, Andru, I’ve heard the gossip, but I never thought you had it in you

to treat another person like a…” she curled up her nose in disgust, “like a thing at your

disposal.”

“Ana,” Andru began.

“No.” Gilroy put his hand out to stop his lord. “Ana, I told him to do that. I found

him with you and told him he owed me.”

Ana threw her hands up in the air in complete bewilderment. “I can’t believe you

would do this,” she snapped at Gilroy. She turned to storm back into the house to find

her mama but then turned around again. “I’m sure you’ve listened to the disc and have

had your good laugh. But I guess the laugh’s on me. When she told me she lost her

virginity that night I assumed you took it, dear brother. Silly me. Gilroy, you took her

virginity, obviously something you enjoy. I sure would have loved to have seen both of

your faces while you were sitting back listening to two young women share their

intimate thoughts, when suddenly you hear that she only has eighteen winters.”

With that she turned again and stormed through the yard toward the house. Both

men stood frozen.

“Oh shit,” Gilroy breathed.

They slowly looked at each other and saw quickly that what Ana just said was news

to both of them. Andru stared at his lifelong friend for a moment longer then turned

and walked in the opposite direction. Gilroy suddenly felt torn. The anguish in Andru’s

face matched the expression burned into him from Ana’s face. He was as torn between

the two of them as they were with each other. And he’d been out of line. He saw it in

Andru’s face. A promise. He’d made a promise never to interfere with their

relationship. A relationship so intertwined that they could sense each other’s thoughts,

as he’d just seen. Andru was her other half. They wouldn’t survive without each other

and he’d just broken both of their hearts.

“Ahhhhh!” Ana’s scream pulled him from his dark thoughts. “Gilroy!”

He turned in time to see Ana frozen in mid-step with either arm oddly placed as if

trying to balance herself.

“Oh Crator!” She doubled over. “Andru! Gilroy!”

“My lady.” Gilroy was at his claim’s side in an instant. “What is it?”

Andru slid to the ground on his knees in front of her and grabbed her hand. His

face quickly contorted with pain. “Ride it out. You can do it.”

“It hurts…oh shit, it hurts.”

“Let’s get her inside.” Gilroy looked at Andru while lifting Ana into his arms.

“I’m sorry, Andru. And I hurt you so desperately, my lord,” she whispered and laid

her head against Gilroy’s powerful shoulder.

Andru still held her hand as he called Dr. Digo. His eyes were on her and he

stroked her hand with his thumb.

Ana continued to mumble as she squeezed her eyes shut. “There’s no reason to be

jealous, nothing for you to fear. Please, Gilroy. Please. I don’t want to lose you.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t,” Gilroy whispered into her hair.

Another pain hit her while they were climbing the stairs, and both men cursed right

along with her. Gilroy got her into bed while Andru paced their bedroom floor and

contacted their parents. The next few contractions made Ana scream and both men

were on either side of her holding her hands and looking desperately helpless.

“Okay, you two get out of here.” Tara barged into the room and replaced Andru on

the bed as he backed away slowly. “Are the pains coming quickly?”

“It seems like they are.” Gilroy was the only one to speak up.

“Did you call Dr. Digo?”

“He should be here any minute,” Andru said from behind her.

“Okay, let’s see if we can get you into something more comfortable during the

pains.” Tara looked up at the two men. “Gilroy, find one of her robes. Andru, go

downstairs and wait for the doctor.”

“No. I want him to stay here.” Ana squeezed her eyes closed as the pain started

rolling, tightening her uterus and then sending stabbing pain through her lower back

and into her legs.

“Ana, that’s not proper,” Tara said quietly as Gilroy came back to the side of the

bed with a long lavender cloth robe. “We need to change your clothes.”

The pain peaked and ran rabid through all of Ana’s rational thoughts. She gritted

her teeth at her mama and her eyes opened wide. “He’s helped me change clothes more

times than you have. I say he stays right here.”

Tara took the cruel blow without flinching. She had no immediate response

knowing there was truth in what her daughter said. This wasn’t a good time to argue

the situation. Ana was lashing out from the pain. Tara had to remind herself of that. Dr.

Digo entered the room and she backed away from the bed, quickly bumping into her

son. He put his hands on her arms and she looked up at him. He gave her a small smile

and squeezed her arms. “You’re a good mama,” he whispered, and she smiled back.

Dr. Digo turned and told everyone to get out of the room except for Gilroy. Ana

didn’t dispute the doctor’s instructions, much to Tara’s relief. Andru let her go and she

turned at the doorway to see him bend over and kiss his sister’s forehead.

“I’ll be right outside the entire time,” he whispered, but everyone in the room heard

him.

Ana calmed down after the doctor gave her some medicine, although occasionally a

loud groan could be heard through the door. It was well into the afternoon when Gilroy

finally left the bedroom with a small bundle in his hands.

“We have a son.” His face was drenched in sweat and his hair hung in black strings.

There was blood on his shirtsleeve but the bundle in his arms was clean. He smiled at

the Bryon family who quickly surrounded him. Andru, Tara, Darius, Beel, Torgo and

Syra crowded in to take a look at the bald, scrunched and blotchy red baby.

“What will you name him?” Andru looked up at Gilroy then back down at the baby

boy who was his.

“Darien…a combination of our papa’s names, Arien and Darius.”

Darius beamed, and Torgo slapped him on the back. “Good Crator, this makes you

a grandpapa, it does.”

“I’d say a pretty proud grandpapa.” Tara cuddled up to him and he wrapped his

arms around her as he stared at the child who Andru now held.

He couldn’t help but wonder if that child didn’t have more Bryon blood in him than

any other Bryon ever born. Andru kissed the child’s forehead and Darius saw his son

squeeze his eyes shut. It was a quick movement, one possibly no one else saw. But

Darius saw it. And Darius knew his suspicions were true.

“May we see Ana now?” Andru spoke quietly, as he transferred Darien back into