The Reed Security Relationship Manual: A Reed Security Romance Giulia Lagomarsino (good book recommendations TXT) 📖

acting a little weird, but it’s only because I’ve been trying to prepare for our own impending…birth.”

“Our what?” Brooke asked, glancing around the room. “Does anyone know what he’s talking about?”

Rocco grinned slightly. “You don’t have to hide it from me, sweets. I know all about your secret.”

“What secret?”

“The baby,” he said under his breath. “It’s okay. I know you’re scared about this, but you’re great with Evie. It’ll all be fine.”

She shook her head slightly. “I’m not pregnant.”

He huffed out a laugh. “Oh, come on. The signs were all there. You don’t have to pretend with me.”

“What signs?”

“You know, the anger about the marriage rulebook…”

I had a bad feeling based on the look on Brooke’s face. She wasn’t pregnant, and Rocco was about to get his ass kicked.

“So, you think that because you created a marriage rulebook, and I didn’t jump for joy over that, I must be pregnant.”

“Well…Cap said—”

“Whoa,” I said, holding up my hands. “Do not drag me into this.”

“You’re the one that said—”

“I told you it was either her period or she was pregnant. I never said I had confirmation. You always confirm.”

“Wait, so you’re not pregnant?”

“No!” Brooke shouted.

Rocco frowned. “But…I don’t understand. You’re always so chill about everything.”

“And you thought that making a rulebook for me to follow would just magically make me fall to your feet and do your bidding?”

He swallowed hard. “Um…not anymore.”

I rolled my eyes. This guy was fucking this up for all of us.

Brooke crossed her arms over her chest. “Did you ever stop to consider that I don’t like being told what to do all the time? It’s like you don’t even know me!”

“I do,” he said quickly. “That’s why I was so confused. You’ve never gotten upset like this before. I mean, you were electrocuted and barely cried. And when you were tear gassed…you just brushed that off.”

“Shut up,” I muttered.

“And then when you found out everyone was watching us have sex, you just spread your legs.”

“Because I knew you couldn’t help it! You’re doing this on purpose.”

He nodded. “So, if this had all happened without my knowledge, you would have been totally cool with it. Good to know.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t even think about it.”

“I didn’t say anything,” he said, holding up both hands.

The tension in the room was high, so Sinner pushed his way past us and raised his arms in the air. “I’m a daddy!”

Everyone else cheered, if only to ease the uncomfortable feeling swirling in the air. Susan ran off to get champagne, and we all started grabbing glasses as she filled them. I was laughing along with everyone else, when my eyes landed on Maggie. She was smiling, looking as beautiful as ever. She tilted back her glass and a grimace crossed her face right before she spit out the champagne.

Her hand slipped to her stomach and she shoved the glass at Claire. Her other hand flew to her mouth. My heart started pounding in my chest as she ran to a plant and threw up in the pot. I swallowed hard. Shit, I had done it. And when she looked up and her eyes locked on mine, I knew she knew it too.

“You!” she shouted.

The room got quiet and I slowly backed away, hands in the air to ward off the impending animalistic attack. I knew she would have this reaction. There was no avoiding it.

“Now, Maggie, just calm down.”

“Calm down? You want me to calm down?”

“Why does she need to calm down?” Sinner asked.

“Think about what you’re doing.”

Even as I said it, I could see her hand sliding into the back of her jeans. Oh God, she had a gun on her. I hadn’t quite prepared myself for that possibility.

“What’s going on?” Sinner asked. “Why is Maggie reaching for her gun?”

“Because once again, my husband has knocked me up.”

Sinner laughed, shaking his head. “That’s not possible. We had vasectomies together.”

He looked at me, but I couldn’t agree with him.

“Cap?” The pitiful expression on his face almost made me feel bad.

“Now, just listen—“

His face turned to rage as his nostrils flared in anger. “I stood by you. I held your hand as we walked into the unknown together. We were supposed to do it as a team!”

“Look, I know you’re upset.”

“Upset? Do you know what you did to me?” he asked.

“Um…I think you’re forgetting that I’m the one paying for his decisions,” Maggie snapped.

Sinner snorted. “Right, because you’ll have another baby. I feel so terrible for you. A man went down on me and snipped my manhood! I was walking around in pain for weeks!” His eyes flicked to me and then he glared at me accusingly. “You were faking it.”

“Sinner—”

“Holy fuck. You faked having man pains? You’re sick!”

“I couldn’t go through with it!” I shouted. “I knew I needed to, but it’s just not natural for a man to have something like that removed.”

He stared at me in anger for a moment. “I had that part of me removed! I thought we were in it together! V brothers to the end!”

“V brothers?” Rocco asked.

“Vasectomy brothers,” I said, rolling my eyes.

I heard a snort of laughter, but I couldn’t pay attention to who it was. I had two very pissed off people at me at the moment, and I wasn’t sure who to be more afraid of. While Sinner had the advantage of weight, Maggie had the advantage of…well, being Maggie.

I stepped back again, this time hitting a wall. I had nowhere to run. Sinner pulled out his pocket knife and flicked the blade open. “I think it’s time for a little payback. Without pain medication.”

I looked to Maggie, pleading with her to step in and stop him, but at this moment, it became perfectly clear that my greatest fear was coming to life. She already had my demise planned out in her head. Whether it was a pressure trigger in the morning or a gunshot wound to the stomach a week from now, I was going to die a