Deadly Addition (Hardy Brothers Security Book 9) Read Online Free Page B

why you were crying.”
    “Because her father was looking for her,” Emma said. “She was going to run again. Her father found her, and she ran to him.”
    Finn nodded.
    “The music was very moving,” Emma said, brushing a tear from her eye. “Mr. Edwards was watching. It was very emotional.”
    “Okay,” Finn said, conflicted. “So, you weren’t crying because of me?”
    “Of course not,” Emma said. “I wanted Laura with her pa.”
    “Her pa?”
    “That’s what people called their fathers back in the old … west.”
    “Ah,” Finn said. “She found her … pa … right?”
    “She did.”
    “Okay,” Finn said, rubbing the back of Emma’s head. “Everything turned out all right.”
    “Well, her sister still went blind, and her husband was still paralyzed, and she lost a baby to crib death,” Emma interjected.
    “This sounds like a horrible television show.”
    “It has a happy ending,” Emma said. “Like everything should.”
    “Everything?”
    “Everything,” Emma confirmed, searching his face. “As a matter of fact … .”
     
    “TELL me,” James prodded.
    “I can’t.”
    “You have to,” James argued. “I need to know.”
    “Can’t you just make love to me and let it go?” Mandy prodded.
    “I’m going to make love to you,” James said. “You’re going to tell me who is pregnant first. I can’t focus if you don’t.”
    Mandy reached down and wrapped her hand around her husband’s uninterested length. “Are you sure?”
    “Don’t do that,” James said, shifting his hips and moving so she couldn’t touch him. “I’m serious.”
    “I’m serious, too,” Mandy said, reaching for him again.
    James captured her hand. “No.”
    Mandy furrowed her brow. “You don’t find me attractive?”
    “Oh, I’m on to you, baby,” James said. “I always find you attractive. You’re trying to distract me now.”
    “That’s a horrible thing to say about your wife,” Mandy protested.
    “Only if it’s not true,” James said, grabbing Mandy’s hand and pressing it to his lips. “Who’s pregnant?”
    “What makes you think anyone is pregnant? I think you’re imagining things.”
    James made a face. “Okay, let’s think about this,” he said, grabbing Mandy’s other hand as it drifted to his waist. He flipped her over, pinning her hands to the mattress as he situated himself on top of her. An idea invaded his mind. “Did Jake knock up my sister?”
    Mandy stiffened. “James!”
    “Oh, I’m going to kill him,” James said, refusing to let Mandy up no matter how hard she thrashed beneath him. “He knocked up my sister.”
    “He did not,” Mandy argued, biting her lip when she realized what she said.
    James narrowed his eyes. “He didn’t?”
    “I can’t tell you.”
    “It’s not Ally,” James mused. “That leaves Sophie and Emma.”
    “James,” Mandy said. “I didn’t say it wasn’t Ally.”
    “You did so,” James argued. “That’s exactly what you said.” He wracked his brain. “Okay, so Sophie was outside of the bathroom with you. Emma was inside. Ally came back and said she had something. I’m guessing that was the pregnancy test. That means it’s either Sophie or Emma.”
    “I never said that,” Mandy screeched, trying to buck James off of her.
    James settled himself, holding his wife down without effort. “Emma was in the bathroom,” he said. “You said Emma was sick.” Realization dawned. “It’s Emma. She’s pregnant.”
    Mandy exhaled, sighing heavily. “You can’t tell Finn.”
    James fixed his gaze on his wife. “Emma is pregnant, isn’t she?”
    Mandy bit her bottom lip. “No.”
    “Mandy,” James warned.
    “She is,” Mandy admitted. “You can’t tell Finn, though. We promised.”
    “Isn’t Emma going to tell him?” Now James was worried for an entirely different reason.
    “She’s scared,” Mandy admitted.
    James let go of Mandy’s arms, leaning back and pulling her to a sitting position so he could look