pdf - Eye of the Storm.PDF (24 page)

"Sis, I may know you're having, um, intimate relations with Ren, but please don't keep reminding me of it." He shook his head. "I still see you in footed, pink bunny pajamas, playing GI Joe and Barbie going to war."

She leaned over and kissed him again. "And you sat right down on that floor and played with me even when all the other brothers picked on you. I love you, Stuart Allen Walsh. You are the best brother in the whole universe."

"Love you, too, sis." He stroked a hand over her back. "Now go and ask Lacey. We can leave tonight. I'll get us a suite. It's too early for tourist season, so there should be rooms."

* * * *

"Sis? Where's Lacey? We need to hit the road and get back before the storm hits."

Distracted, Keely ignored her brother's question as she watched him load the last of the packages into the back of the Hummer they'd driven to Couer d'Alene. His skis were already strapped on top. She wondered if she'd ever wear half the clothes she'd just bought. In four months she'd need a maternity wardrobe.

She'd been shocked when the doctor informed her she was pregnant. It was routine to make sure a new patient wasn't pregnant before putting her on birth control pills. The pregnancy test showed positive. The doctor drew blood to be sure, but he wasn't betting against the results. Neither was she. Her nausea and lack of her usual hearty appetite had been early signs of her pregnancy. This morning she had full-blown morning sickness for the first time. She placed a hand over stomach where her and Ren's baby was even now growing. The doctor had given her a prescription for maternity vitamins, a book on what to expect from pregnancy, and an appointment for three months when she'd have an ultrasound.

"Yo, earth to Imp." Tweetie stood toe-to-toe, his face so close she could count the pores on his nose. "What's wrong? You've been weird since last evening after your girls'-

day-out."

Keely answered his earlier question, not sure she wanted to blurt out she was pregnant to her brother. Lacey knew, since she'd gone to the doctor's office with her, but Quinn's wife had promised not to say anything to anyone. God, she wanted her mama.

She needed Ren, but she was scared how he'd react.

"Lacey's coming. She went to get us all something to eat and drink for lunch on the road, so we wouldn't have to stop." She glanced at the small diner where her friend had disappeared. "She should be back any time."

"That's one answer. Now what's wrong with you? You look paler than ever, and were harder than normal to get out of bed this morning. I don't think shopping usually takes all that much out of you. You have more energy than that stupid fucking pink-battery bunny."

"I'm pregnant."
Well, hell.
She turned away from the shocked expression in her brother's eyes to watch Lacey cross the narrow street to the Hummer. She had several sacks and a drink carrier.

"You're what?" Tweeter grabbed her arm and turned her toward him.

"You heard me. Here's Lacey. She knows since she was with me at the doctor's. I'd like to keep it just among us until I can get the nerve to tell Ren." She blinked away the tears gathering in her eyes. "Shit, he's going to be so mad."

Tweeter pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back. "Keely, he'll be … well, I don't know what he'll be, but don't worry about it. You've got me—and the parents and the brothers, we'll help."

"I know." She blubbered into his ski jacket. "But he'll think I did it on purpose, and I didn't. How the heck did I know I was so frick-fracking fertile that a few missed days of pills and I'd get pregnant?"

"Shh, sis. I know you didn't plan this. Ren won't think it, either. And, if for some reason, he's mean about it, I'll kick his ass for you."

She snorted as she laughed. "I can kick his ass myself. I love you, Tweetie. Thanks.

I'm just riding some hormonal roller coaster here. I'm already getting morning sickness.

The doctor said he'd never seen the like."

"Then he hasn't met Mom. Remember what Dad said about her pregnancies? She was sick from day one and cried at the drop of a hat." Tweeter helped her into the front passenger seat. "Hey, Lacey, hand me those and hop in the back seat."

"Sure. She told you, huh?" Lacey glanced at her tear-stained face before handing Tweeter the food, which he placed on the console. He placed the drink carrier in Keely's lap then fastened her seat belt. "I'm glad she did. Ren will kick all our asses if anything happens to her. He threatened Quinn on that very topic and that was before the pregnancy."

Lacey got into the back seat and then leaned around Keely's seat. "I got you a turkey sandwich—mild and good for sensitive tummies—your Pepsi and some milk. You need to start to eat healthier for the baby. But I figured you needed the Pepsi for an emotional boost. Did you take your vitamin?"

"Yes." She looked at her brother as he settled into the driver's seat. "Tweetie, don't say anything to Ren or the guys, I need to tell him. It's bad enough I told you before him."

Before Tweeter could answer, Lacey patted her shoulder. "No, you needed to tell Tweeter. Ren would never get upset about that. He'd be more upset if you kept it a secret.

Early pregnancy is full of potential problems, and we need to be ready to handle them.

Thank God, we have a helicopter. Next trip to the doc we'll fly, it'll be better than the long drive. Now eat some of your food and then take a nap. Tweeter and I can handle the driving."

"Yeah, sis. You did your share on the way up. You do look whipped."

"I am. I didn't sleep much and then I was sick this morning." Really sick and that was with nothing in her stomach. She hoped she got over this fast, but after Tweeter's mention of the stories her Dad had shared about her Mom's experiences, she wasn't going to hold her breath. A call to her mama was definitely on her to-do list.

She found the packet marked turkey, removed half of the sandwich, and took a small bite, chewing it thoroughly. It landed okay, so she took another bite. With each bite, she felt better. By the time they hit the outskirts of Coeur d'Alene, she'd eaten half the sandwich and drunk the carton of milk.

Her brother shot her a smiling glance. "That's my girl. Now recline the seat and take a nap. I turned on the seat warmer so you won't get chilled. We'll be home before you know it."

"Ren and the others are home," Lacey said from the back seat. "Quinn just texted me.

Ren is stomping around like a dyspeptic bull because we're gone. Quinn said he chilled him out. Didn't say how, but knowing my hubby he probably told Ren he was acting like an ass."

Keely choked on a sip of Pepsi. Coughing, she gasped. "Quinn really wouldn't say that, would he?"

"Oh hell yeah." Lacey chuckled. "Quinn has always gotten away with more than the other men, except maybe for Trey. Ren needs someone to stand up to him and prove he isn't a god. Remember that, Keely. He'll respect you more—and won't take advantage of you. Don't let him make you feel guilty because you needed clothes and girl-time—and with the news from the doctor, he can't blame you for needing to seek medical attention."

"Yeah, sis, he'll blame me. He'll say I should've flown the doc to Sanctuary,"

Tweeter said around a mouthful of his sandwich.

"I won't let him pick on you, Tweetie," Keely said. "He can yell at me and then I'll probably cry and…"

Lacey laughed. “…and he'll beg your forgiveness on hands and knees, 'cause I can't see Ren handling your tears at all well. The more macho they are, the harder they fall, sweetie. Look at my Quinn. My two pregnancies had him apoplectic for nine months and he was flat on his back during my labor with empathy pains."

"I just hope Ren wants the baby." Keely shoved her trash in the empty sack. "I do, but he's used to being alone and…"

"I told you the family would support you, sis." Tweeter reached over to stroke tears off her cheek. "Stop crying, Imp. You're killing me."

"Ren will be fine with it." Lacey sounded confident. "The days before he left to go after Trujo he was walking on air. He loves you, sweetie. Don't doubt that. And it's time for him to become a father. Remember, he has a few years on you. He sowed all his wild oats. He's due to settle down and start a family—with you."

As Lacey continued stating her opinions on what Ren might or might not do, Keely closed her eyes. She hoped Lacey was correct, but she was so emotional at the moment she couldn't think about any of this logically. She'd just have to wait and see what Ren said. Maybe she'd let him release some sexual tension first and then in the afterglow while they cuddled she could just slip it in.

As she nodded off to sleep, Tweeter said, "Shh, Lacey, she's asleep."

* * * *

"Someone is trying to run us off the road." Tweeter's voice was grim, and for good reason, there were thousand-foot drops off the roads in this area of the Bitterroots.

She turned in her seat and watched another large off-road vehicle approaching them from the rear at high speed. "He's coming fast, Tweetie."

"I see the fucker. Hold on." Tweeter took evasive maneuvers in an attempt to keep the attacker from getting a direct hit on them.

Keely felt under the seat and pulled out a semi-automatic machine pistol. She checked the magazine and found it fully loaded with armor-piercing rounds.
Ya-hoo.

Flicking off the safety, she lowered her window. "Where should I aim? Think the vehicle's armor-plated like ours?"

"No, it's a definitely maneuvering more like a street vehicle rather a military-equipped like this one. Go for the engine block, sis."

"Get me a shot, Tweetie. Stay down, Lacey. Once I start shooting, they'll shoot back and they might also have armor-piercing bullets. The seats will help stop those." A white-faced Lacey bent over in the back seat, lowering her profile.

"Fuck, sis, with the way you shoot, they'll be dying and frying and too busy to shoot back."

"Let's hope." Keely released her seat belt, braced herself against the wild movement of the Hummer as Tweeter continued to weave the vehicle, then turned in her seat. With her back on the dashboard and her feet planted against her seat back, she lowered the window to a cold blast of air. Her shot selection was limited; it all depended on Tweeter getting the assholes to come up on the passenger side and not the driver's. Plus, she'd have to take her shot right before the bastards attempted to ram them.

Keely waited as Tweeter used every defensive driving trick in the book. The pursuing vehicle attempted to counteract Tweeter's tactics, but failed. The pursued usually had the advantage in that they knew where they were going, the pursuer had to guess. It didn't take long for her to realize with the way the road curved, she had a better chance of shooting the bad guy's engine from the driver's side of the Hummer. She hit the window button and rolled her window up.

"Sis?" Tweeter kept his eyes on the road and the mirrors. "What's up?"

"Driver's side will get me a kill shot. So once I'm set in the back seat, go right, left, right on my mark. I'm gonna take them out on one of the upcoming curves." She climbed into the back seat after tossing the gun over first, then assumed the same braced position on the rear driver side and lowered the window. She kept an eye on the curve of the road and when Tweeter had the best chance to hug the mountainside of the curve, she shouted,

"Go for it."

As Lacey prayed next to her, Tweeter performed the series of swerves. The pursuers followed Tweeter's evasive actions, but there was enough of a lag time that she could see an opportunity for a shot. The other driver's slower reaction time and less-than-adequate equipment would kill him. "One more time, but sharper, Tweetie."

"Can you get them?"

"Yeah. Give me a few more patterns." The pursuing driver lost control in his attempt to follow them and struggled to regain it. The way the guy drove bothered her. Why hadn't he tried to ram them? He had several opportunities before Tweeter had turned up his level of evasion. That was odd. "Wonder who they're herding us to?" she muttered under her breath.

And bottom-line, who in the heck cared? The pursuit vehicle was the enemy and she had a "baby on board" to protect. She leaned out the window, bracing her body the best she could. She ignored all distractions and concentrated on her shot.

The less-stable street vehicle weaved crazily in the cold and wet conditions, not built for the kind of tactical maneuvering the driver was forcing upon it. In mere seconds, she imagined the shot in her head, plotting trajectories and planning where to hit the engine to do the most damage. If she could she would also take out the driver. Engine first though.

Had to stop them.

"Last chance, sis, then we lose the S-curves." Her brother's voice was cool, controlled, his confidence in her made her smile. Any other man would have been screaming at her to shoot.

"Gotcha—go, go!"

Tweeter swerved right toward the edge of the road, to the point they were on the shoulder and shooting up gravel, road salt, ice and snow, then he jerked it to the left, then just as quickly back to the right. Keely took her shot as the pursuer attempted to follow to the right and failed. Her first blast of shots took out the engine. Smoke and steam billowed, but the driver didn't slow.

"Watch for it!" Her brother, accomplished driver and all around strategist, used his rear view mirror and positioned the Hummer to give her another shot.

The damaged vehicle still pursued, but not as fast as before. She switched to single shot and sighted down the barrel. For a split-second the steam coming out of the engine died down and she saw the raging gaze of the driver. With Tweeter holding the Hummer steady, she placed her shot in the middle of the driver's forehead. The pursuit vehicle—

now without a driver to steer through the curve—crashed through the guard rail and disappeared over the side of the mountain. No one could survive the thousand-foot drop.