Page 111 of Take The Risk

​I knew when Ty checked me and Lock into a hotel after her doctor’s appointment a week ago that Phoebe had been cleared for a little cardio-sexual activity.

​Granted, I didn’t think any of what I’d heard or unfortunately witnessed counted as “light” activity. I made a note to attend Phoebe’s next doctor’s appointment. Oh, yes, I was going to enjoy this, I thought with a shit-eating grin. Mentally, I catalogued all the dirty things I was going to recount for Phoebe’s doctors, ensuring each one had their seal of approval. Yes, indeed. Fun times for Alex were going to be had. I could just imagine Ty making good on his threat to find a vat of holy water to dump me in.

​Given the lovely predicament I’d landed myself in, I felt it was only right to get my kicks where I could.

​My hand dropped to my stomach. I tried to imagine the tiny life I now knew was in there. Looking at the picture clutched in my other hand, I tried to make sense of it.

I hadn’t been prepared for the doctor to tell me that the flu I thought I had was actually morning sickness. It had taken a full minute for me to grasp what he was saying. I was pregnant. When it did sink in, I had…flipped the fuck out. I was currently waiting for an official visit from Wade and probably a letter from the clinic gifting me with a lifetime ban.

​But seriously…how did I get here?

​Looking back, I tried to see where I’d turned left when I should have gone right. All I knew was when Phoebe was shot, my life had exploded right along with hers.

​The day I’d finally gotten back home, the day she was released, I’d found Preston had packed up all our things, had given notice on our apartment, and had bought a new condo across town. Oh, all with his new girlfriend.

​I’d gone to my sister’s place and spent the night trying to figure out where I could dispose of his body. I didn’t care about his new girlfriend. I’d already decided to break up with him, so the end was really mine. Still, he’d messed with my home, and I couldn’t let that go unchallenged.

​The next morning, things had gone from bad to the point that I was close to committing a felony.

​Showing up at work, I found Preston had Preston Senior fire me. I’m sorry, made my position redundant. I was the accountant for the entire architecture firm, so I didn’t know how they could get by without me doing their payroll.

​I’d taken great pleasure in storming into Senior’s office and throwing his severance package back at him. He’d been shocked, thinking little Alex Lane—and wasn’t he in for a surprise with my last name—was just some blond bimbo screwing his son.

​I was going to remember the look on his face when I told him I didn’t need his money.

​His scoff was followed by a threat that if I thought I’d get more money claiming something like sexual harassment or something like that, my stupidity was bigger than my tits.

​I stared at Senior, the footsteps of what I knew to be the security officers of the building coming heavily down the hall.

​Preston smirked, clearly pleased.

​I looked down my nose at them. “Oh, you poor, poor little boys. If you think I need you or your money, you’re delusional. Did you know the HR manager that hired me hated you two?” I had no problem saying this because I knew she was enjoying her life across the ocean. “Funny thing about treating your female employees badly. They’re far too willing to bend the rules if it means you’ll get your comeuppance.”

​“Your bleating isn’t going to get you anything.” Senior dismissed me.

​And you did not dismiss me.

​“Before you had my severance package drawn up, you probably should have checked my original employee file.” The file I’d convinced the HR manager to keep only on paper and in a file, not part of the electronic record. “And you”—I flicked my wrist at Preston—“you should have really known better.”

​“What is she talking about?” Preston’s mother spoke for the first time.

​“I’m talking about the fact my name isn’t Alex Lane. No. Lane is my best friend’s maiden name.”

​“What is the meaning of this?” Senior pushed to his feet, waving the security guards into the office. Guards who knew exactly who I was. Guards, who, instead of grabbing me and dragging me from the building, flanked me in silent support.

​“Do your jobs or I’ll have you fired!” Senior’s face turned purple.

​“They are doing their jobs.” I looked at my manicure in boredom. “After all, given I’m Alex Devereaux, you know, great-niece to Edith Devereaux, it means they actually work for me. Not you.”

​What happened after that was typical me, and I’d enjoyed every second of it until I’d crawled into bed at my sister’s. It was at night that the emotions of the last several weeks finally caught up with me (Preston and his idiocy not even registering), and I did the unthinkable. I cried.

​My sister, the little snitch, ratted my ass out, and the next morning I was pounced on by a furious Ty, Louise, and Cady-Jo (who was well aware I was watching her). I refused to leave, not because I didn’t want to go, but because I couldn’t let them win and dug in my heels.

​Ty, the shithead, had been prepared. Without hesitation, he started loading my stuff into his truck. They were under orders to drag me kicking and screaming back to Maplehurst, and Phoebe’s little army took their orders very seriously.

​To my credit, I only kicked once and screamed like six times. I thought any more would make me seem difficult.

​I’d thought I had it together those first few days here, and then it happened: ladies’ night. Wine, carb-loaded goodies, and merriment. Cady-Jo was coming for the first time since I’d…Well, we weren’t going to talk about that. When they’d all showed up at Phoebe’s, something about it just set me off.