Billie’s jaw clenched like she was grinding her teeth, then she unzipped her puffer coat and let Angelo slide it down her arms. When he shifted out of the way, all I could focus on was her. Her belly. Her pregnant belly.
Holy shit.
Darkness swirled in my vision, and my whole body broke out in sweat. My ears rang, my mouth went fuzzy, and then it all stopped.
Crap. I fainted.
fourteen
BILLIE
Raised voices woke me at some point the next morning. After Rhett had fainted on seeing my belly, I’d decided to take the coward’s route and scurried away to a bedroom while pleading exhaustion from the trip. No one had argued, so I had to assume they were glad to see me go.
I’d avoided eye contact with fucking everyone and all but sprinted into the spare bedroom to hide. Then I’d fallen asleep—because it was late as hell—and hadn’t even woken up when Angelo came to bed. He’d definitely slept in here with me, though, because for one thing, that side of the bed was rumpled. For another, Brenda had warned us that Big Noise had installed several surveillance devices while setting up the recording studio in the basement. No members of Bellerose knew about them, and we weren’t to let on. But it was the only way Brenda could convince the band to come here instead of the fishbowl of the content house.
So Angelo and I had to commit to the act. Which meant sharing a bed.
Bleary, I rubbed my eyes and pushed myself to sit up. The shouting was loud enough it could have been right outside the door, but after a moment, I realized it was downstairs. The walls were just that thin. Good to know.
“…seriously want us to believe that’s your baby?” Rhett was shouting. Ah shit, it was about me.
“…don’t really give two shits…” Angelo wasn’t yelling back, but his voice was firm. “…nothing to do with…”
I slid out of bed and quickly changed into a warm, oversized knit sweater and leggings. Winter was awesome for covering up. Not so awesome for all the Christmas decorations appearing across the streetlights and in store windows. Nothing like a bit of Christmas cheer to remind you that your life is a bucket full of balls. And not the good kind.
I hurried from the room, needing to get downstairs and defend myself before shit got worse. If that was possible.
Angelo was insane. So was Brenda. Fucking insane.
Huffing a deep breath, I raked my fingers through my tangled hair and made my way out of the bedroom. Other than the yelling in the living room, the rest of the house seemed empty. Out the window over the stairwell, I could see some blanketed horses in the field nearby, which was nice.
I could see why Brenda had sent them here. It was soothing to be in nature. Or I used to think so, anyway. Now I created chaos simply by existing in this space with so many men I’d mistreated. Whether by my own choice or not, the damage was done.
Conversation ground to a halt as I entered the room, and I nervously bit the edge of my lip. Every eye was on me, and I still couldn’t meet anyone’s gaze. Except Angelo’s. He knew what he’d dragged me into, but he also didn’t care.
“If you’ve got something to ask me, Rhett,” I said quietly, “then you can ask me.”
The silence between us was suffocating. Then Rhett pushed his chair back with a loud scrape against the hardwood floor.
“Fuck this,” he snarled. “And fuck you, Billie Bellerose.” He stalked closer, pausing only when he was right beside me, leaning in to make sure there was no mistaking his next words. “Jace was right about you all along. I should have listened to him.”
The pure venom in his voice made my knees weak, but he didn’t stick around for a response. The house shook as he slammed the front door, and I flinched like he’d physically struck me.
In his absence, Grayson and Jace exchanged a long look. Then Gray sighed heavily and rose to his feet.
“I guess I’ll make sure he’s safe,” he muttered in a resigned voice. “Play nice.” That warning was directed at Jace, who ignored him entirely.
Gray shook his head, then crossed over to where I stood frozen near the doorway. I braced myself for more hatred, but instead, he wrapped his arms around me in a gentle hug.
It was unexpected enough that I nearly burst out crying.
“I’m glad you’re safe, Prickles,” he said quietly, “and well. But you owe me a conversation.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice. He was absolutely right; I owed him a whole lot more than just a conversation, but my hands were tied. Especially since Brenda couldn’t confirm where the Big Noise surveillance was set up. And now that Angelo’s father had taken control of the company, Big Noise cameras were actually Ricci cameras.
Gray accepted my silence, kissing my cheek before following Rhett out of the house.
“Billie,” Flo said in a weak voice, “could we talk? I need to tell you—”
I shook my head, a flash of ice-cold anger filling me. “No. I have nothing to say to you, Flo.”
Crestfallen, she just accepted it, hanging her head and picking at the frayed tear in her jeans. “That’s fair,” she murmured. Then she got up. “I’ll… just go… um… check on Gray and Rhett.”
She took off before I could realize that meant being left in a room alone with Jace and Angelo for the first time in almost nine years. Fuck.
Jace narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously. “Why?”
I looked at his collar, not brave enough to meet his accusing glare. “Why what?”
Jace shook his head, then looked from me to Angelo and back again with a suspicious glint in his eyes. “Why don’t you have anything to say to Flo?”
I wet my lips. He had me there. If I admitted that she’d set me up… let me get abducted and tortured so badly I thought I would actually die… then I’d also be admitting that I hadn’t willingly gone back to Angelo because I was pregnant with his baby.
And we were being watched.
I couldn’t forget that crucial part. No way in hell were those cameras unattended, no matter what they’d assured Brenda.
“She knows why,” I mumbled, keeping it vague, then changing the subject. “Look, before you go ranting about us being here, you should know that it was Brenda’s idea.” Sort of. “So if you want to yell at anyone, it better not be me.”
Jace stared at me for a heavy moment, then flicked his gaze down to my belly. “Is it Rhett’s?”
Fuck. I swallowed and just shook my head. What else could I even say?
Jace’s lips twisted like he was trying to decide if I was lying. Then he sighed. “He won’t believe that without a paternity test.”
“We’ve already done one,” Angelo replied, his eyes on me. “My father required one. I can get a copy if Rhett wants confirmation.”
Jace’s lip curled in a sneer. “Because we trust your family doctors so much.”
Angelo rolled his eyes. “Christ, Jace, it’s been nearly a decade. Get over yourself; we’re all adults now.”
Jace bristled with anger and indignation, and I groaned to myself.
“You know what? You two can deal with this yourselves,” I muttered. “I don’t have the energy to get between you today.”