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She went easily, and though her tears didn’t abate, neither did her demands for her momma. Kane lifted Sherra in his arms and only then did she realize that she was shaking, hard shudders of reaction, fury and fear quaking through her.
Sherra wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face against his neck as she let the tears free. She cried for the past, the betrayals, the losses, the child they had never known. The bitterness flowed from her in deep, gulping sobs as she held onto him. Her support, her heart.
Chapter Sixteen
The Terrible Tylers converged on the property within hours. Six brothers, along with their father, John Tyler, and their uncle, Senator Samuel Tyler. It was pandemonium and Sherra completely understood why Merinus was always so reluctant to have them all at the estate at the same time. The next morning, after her required visit to see Doc Martin, Sherra understood why. They were hardheaded, stubborn and opinionated. Every one of them had their own idea of how things should be handled and every discussion turned into a war of words. But they all loved Merinus, and they were all determined they were now there for the duration to be certain she was protected.
“This isn’t good, Sherra,” Tanner commented from beside her as they both stood in the doorway of the spacious formal dining room and watched the debates rage with a sense of growing horror. “They’ll end up killing each other. ”
Sherra snorted absently. “It could save us the trouble. ”
Tanner chuckled at that, the amusement in the sound causing her lips to curve as well.
“Watch how they hover over Merinus and Roni. ” He nodded to the group of men, including Callan and Taber.
Merinus looked as though she were in mortal pain as she attempted to come to her feet. Immediately, at least half a dozen of the men jumped to help her. Thinking they were otherwise occupied, Roni attempted to escape. They weren’t having that, either. For the time being, the two women were trapped in the middle of testosterone protective hell. Thankfully, Kane had listened when Sherra had bared her teeth and snarled that she would kill the first man who attempted to “protect” her.
“Those poor women,” she breathed out roughly.
Tanner turned his gaze on her then. His oddly striped black hair fell over his brow, the gold strands that grew through it matched the amber color of his eyes. They were an odd, eerie amber, almost glowing in his darkly tanned face.
He had worn contacts and colored his hair while they were in hiding, so Sherra was used to seeing a much more toned-down version of her brother. Now, he did nothing to hide who he was, and did everything to make up for the years he had been forced to conceal his true nature.
“So when are you going to tell Kane you’re pregnant?” He shocked her with the question, keeping his voice low so that only she heard, but the laughter in his voice made her want to hit him. Sherra stiffened. She had only learned the truth herself an hour before, during the exam Kane had ordered after they had dragged the assassin off to a holding cell. Thankfully, her mate had been busy securing the estate and hadn’t been with her during the visit. Doc Martin was as confused by the pregnancy as Sherra was. According to him, somehow the hormone raging through her body had begun to repair the break in her fallopian tubes and heal the surgery he had performed years before in preparation for the fertilization of her womb. He had scratched his head and mumbled vague phrases that made little sense to her other than the fact that Breeds were enigmas and he needed more help.
“No answer?” Tanner smirked when she stayed silent.
“Shut up, Tanner,” she growled. “Give me a chance to get used to it myself. ”
She couldn’t believe it. It was more than she had ever prayed for. She winced as she watched the two women in the dining room fighting to breathe as the men fought around them, discussing their protection and ignoring their attempts to escape them. She prayed that wasn’t a glimpse of her own pregnancy in the coming months. They would make her crazy.
“Tell them. ” He nodded into the room with a chuckle. “They’ll help you get used to it. ”
She was starting to regret his return. His helicopter had landed just ahead of the Tylers’, carrying him, Merc and Simon Quatres. Cassie had been loaded quickly into the machine to rush her to her wounded mother’s side. Dash and Elizabeth had completed their mission, stilling the most dangerous threat to Cassie’s life. The small family would go into hiding after Elizabeth’s recovery though, Tanner had reported. Cassie, and now the child Elizabeth was carrying as well, would all be in danger until the world came to grips with the new species now inhabiting it. And it didn’t look like that was going to happen anytime soon.
“Tanner, go find someone else to torture and torment,” Sherra finally ordered him as her gaze caught Kane’s and she looked upstairs slowly.
She needed to share the news with him, to see his face when she told him he was going to be a father. To exorcise the ghosts of the past.
As Kane turned to his father, a sudden shrill whistle pierced the room. All eyes turned to Merinus, widening in surprise as she stared at them in fury.
“Enough, dammit!” she yelled out to the room of men as Roni jumped to her feet and pushed Taber’s hand aside so she could move to the other woman’s side. “We’re pregnant, not wounded and definitely not in any way incapacitated. Get over the he-man crap now. ”
A stunned silence filled the room as she punctuated her words with a hard smack to the back of her youngest brother Gray’s head when he started to argue. It wasn’t a small sisterly pat.
“Now. ” Merinus adjusted the shoulders of her maternity smock as she gave them all a narrow-eyed look. “I’m sick of all of you. I want a glass of milk, a pack of Oreos, and some peace. You can argue amongst yourselves all you want to, but Roni and I have had enough. We expect our milk and cookies in my room immediately. ”
The two women moved for the doorway when a set of twins rose to their feet as though to stop them.
“Sit back down, assholes,” Merinus snarled. “Before I make good on my threat to shoot you all. ”
They sat down, though indulgent smiles crossed their faces.
“Better escape yourself, Sherra,” Merinus muttered as Tanner stepped back to allow the women to pass. “You’ll be next. ”
Sherra grunted, her hand caressing the butt of the weapon still strapped to her thigh. “I won’t just threaten to shoot them,” she muttered. “I will. ” She gave Kane a look of warning. She received a wicked, daring smile in return. A smile that sent her pulse rate rocketing and her pussy creaming in anticipation.
Merinus and Roni moved quickly past her and headed to the elevator at the far end of the entryway. Merinus was evidently playing it safe for the time being. As she turned back to Kane, Sherra wondered how he would handle attempting to protect her. Surprisingly enough, the thought of Kane hovering over her and their child didn’t bother her so much. Those brothers of his would have to go, though.
