Tagged & Ashed (The Sterling Shore Series #2) (15 page)

The bartender walks over to finally take my order, and I smile as I say, “Can I get a bottle of water, please?”

He nods and quickly fills my request.

“Water?” Erica muses with a tilted head.  “The whole point of spending the night is to get wasted.”

I force a smile.

“I’m just not in a drinking mood right now.  Maybe some other time.”

My eyes flash over to Tag while he talks to the guy who bought all of my mother’s paintings.  The skinny, pale guy smiles and nods before walking away.  Tag’s eyes find mine, and I promptly look away before Wren joins him.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Tag is actually a little in love with you,” Erica says in a low, hushed tone.

My heart flutters and drops in one beat.

“I guess it’s good you know better," I attempt to say evenly, but the emotion in my voice gives me away.

“Oh, Ash, I’m sorry.  I didn’t realize how much you-”

“It’s fine.  I just need some air.”

“We’re outside,” she says in bemusement and I let a laugh out while holding back my tears.

She starts to hug me, but in her drunken haze, she accidentally staggers and bumps into me.  Her hands press against my belly, and her eyes widen in shock.

“Holy shit!  You’re pregnant!” she shouts.

Tag coughs and spews his drink all over the place, and then Wren’s glass drops from his hand to shatter against the patio.

“Damn it,” I growl while walking away.

Everyone - and I mean everyone - is staring at me as I try to make a hasty exit.  Billy rushes to be at my side, and he wraps his jacket around my shoulders as we head to the house.

“What the fuck?” he whispers.

“Everyone, please get back to the party.  It’s not like it’s something ridiculous to see a pretty, pregnant girl,” Melanie says to defuse the eyeing crowd.

The music starts playing again, and I keep my head down as Billy holds me tightly to his body.

“Damn it, why didn’t you tell me?” he growls.

“Because I didn’t want Tag to know.”

His breath leaves his lungs for a minute, and his face goes pale.  I’m praying we can get out of here before Tag comes to question me about it.

“It’s his?” he asks in a higher octave.

"Not
it
, Billy.  I'm having a boy.  And yes.  He's Tag's."

***

Tag

I don’t know if my heart is still working or not.  How the fuck did I miss the fact she's pregnant?  No wonder Carmen or Crystal - whatever her name is - thought Ash had a pudgy belly.  She’s fucking pregnant!

“You breathing?” Wren asks, his own face a little pale.

I shake my head as I watch Ash rush into the house with Billy at her side.

“Do you think it’s yours?” he asks, more reservation in his tone.

“I know it is.”

***

Tag

I’m sick as I head up
the stairs to find Ash.  How could she keep this from me?

I don’t know what would be worse - to find out it’s mine or to find out it’s not.

Taking a deep breath, I knock on her door that opens almost immediately with Billy blocking my path.

“You know I have to talk to her,” I murmur with a shaky breath.

His lips tighten, and he moves aside to reveal the sobbing girl on the bed.  He turns to say something to her, but then he walks out to leave me with her instead.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Ash?  I could have been there.  I could have been helping you through this, giving you money.”

She looks up, tears still pouring from her eyes, and then she shakes her head.

“Tag... it’s not yours.”

It feels like a knife has just stabbed into my back.  My heart sinks to the floor.  I feel hurt, broken… disappointed.

Chapter Nine

Getting Physical

Ashiara

“I can’t get over how absolutely adorable he is,” Shannon gushes.

“I know.  He’s amazing,” I murmur softly while staring down at my three-week-old son.

“I have to take him to Melanie's this weekend.  Right now, we’ve got a doctor’s appointment.  He’s had a rash I need to get looked at.”

“Any chance the father of the baby is ever going to know he’s the father?” she asks curiously, prying as usual.

“Not likely.  Besides, Tag doesn't want a kid or need a kid in his life.  He knows it.  One day he might thank me for this.”

“Or hate you,”
Shannon murmurs under her breath, making me tense all over.

“He already hates me.  You should have seen the look in his eyes the night I told him Trip wasn’t his.”

“Trip is an odd name for a little boy.”

The night Tag landed in the fountain flashes through my mind.  It was an adorable trip that humanized him.

“I think it’s cute.  So, what time is Billy coming to pick you up?”

“Any minute now.  What time are you going to be back?  I don’t like you being off without your bodyguards.”

“There haven’t been any calls, notes, or flower arrangements for a while.  This creep just stops and starts.  He’s apparently grown bored with tormenting me now.  Have you met Melanie or Wren yet?”

“No.  Billy and I are playing this really slow.  Right now, it’s nothing serious.  I haven’t even mentioned it to my parents - that’s how slow we’re taking it.”

“Well, I for one think you two are perfect for each other.”

Her long, red hair swishes as she drops her head back and smiles in delight.

“We’ll see,” she says.

***

Ashiara

“Well, Ash, I think he’ll be just fine.  Just change his diaper brand and see if that helps.  I’ll see you next week for the checkup.”

I nod as I walk out to the almost dark streets.  The car-seat weighs more than Trip, and I’m struggling to carry it down the street.  I don’t know why I didn’t grab the stroller.

I’ve lost too much weight, and I barely have any strength these days.

That’s what happens when your life gets as fucked up as mine has.  I'm still head-over-heels for a guy who is the father of my son, but he isn’t ready to be a father or a boyfriend.

Sheesh
.  Daytime television doesn’t have shit on my drama.

The walk to the car is exhausting and long, but there weren’t any other parking spaces available.  I smile in relief when I finally see my car, and I quickly fasten Trip in before walking around to my side of the vehicle.

Just when I’m about to open the door, I feel a sharp, piercing pain in my side, and I look down to see blood dripping.

I never heard the gunshot or the glass shattering.  All I can hear now is the sound of Trip crying as I turn to see a short, hooded figure running away - gun in hand.

***

Tag

“The baby is doing great, in case you were wondering,” Bity says as he props up against my desk.

“Why would I be wondering?” I mumble while feigning disinterest.

The truth is, I’ve been scraping together every bit of information I can about Ash and baby Trip.  He might not be mine, but I’m seriously considering going to her.  The jerk who knocked her up and left her alone needs his ass kicked.

I’m still just as obsessed, and she’s going to need someone to be there for her.  She shouldn’t have to raise him on her own the way Melanie had to raise Bity and Wren - and me, for that matter.

“I think Ash is getting too skinny.  She hardly eats, and I think it’s because she misses you.”

“Me?” I scoff in disbelief.

I wish that was true, but if she wanted me, she knows she can have me.  That’s the only reason I haven’t gone to her.  I know she’ll push me away.

I finally fucking fall for someone, and she doesn’t want me.  If she cared about me the way I do her, she wouldn’t have ended up in another’s arms the night after she left Wren’s wedding.

“Yeah, you.  Tag, you should know something.  As much as I used to hate you, I’ve gotten over it.  You’re different.”

“As are you,” I murmur, still trying not to let him see the pain I’m suffering through without her.

“Look. The thing is, Trip-”

His phone rings, and he glances down to pull it up curiously.

“Am I running late?” he asks to whoever is on the other line.

He grows deathly silent, no breaths even falling out.  I look up to see all the color has been drained from his face, and his jaw has fallen unhinged.

“What?” I prompt as he drops the phone from his hand.

“It’s Ash.  That son of a bitch shot her.”

I don’t know what hurts worse - my heart or my hand after my fist breaks through the wall of my office.

“Where is she?”

“Mom’s.”

Melanie's?  After being shot?  Why the hell isn't she in a hospital?

***

Ashiara

“Shannon, it’s just a graze.  He missed all the good stuff and just barely got my side.  I bleed easily, so that’s why there’s so much blood at the scene.  I swear I’m okay.  Stop worrying," I say over the phone.

I'm so exhausted right now.  Between the police reports, the quick move to Melanie's, and the hospital visit, this night has sucked ass.

“Stop worrying?” she shrieks in disbelief.  “That son of a bitch just tried to kill you.  If he wasn’t a sucky shot, you’d be dead!”

I sigh as I step out of the Princess room where Trip’s crib safely tucks him away.

“Look, I’m fine.  I’m at Melanie's, and I’m perfectly safe.  She has a lot of security on staff because of her own safety reasons.  That’s why I came here.  I’m going to stay here until they catch him.  The cops are taking it a little more seriously now.”

“It’s about damn time.  Where’s Melanie?”

“She’s in New York right now.  She was in the middle of a big deal when I called her.  She doesn’t know I was shot.  I just asked her if I could crash here for a while.  You haven’t told anyone, have you?”

“Just Billy.  Sorry, I sort of freaked out.”

Crap.
  My head drops back in exasperation.

“It’s fine.  Just get some rest.  I’ll be okay.  I swear, the president secretly lives here because the security is so tight.”

“Good.  Stay safe.  Love you, girl.”

“Love you.”

As I put the phone away, I hear the sound of voices chattering downstairs.  I'm sure it's just the staff, but I go to investigate anyhow.

Eduardo greets me with a smile and hands me a tray of delicious food.

“You need to gain weight, Miss Ashiara.”

I smile lightly, and then I hear a warm, familiar voice.

“Yes she does.”

“Hey, Billy,” I murmur while turning around, but my heart slaps my feet when I see Tag right behind him.

“What… um… hey.”

His face is stoic, giving nothing away as his entourage of black suits come to follow behind him.

“Come on.  You’re going to stay at my place.  I have just as much security, and I’ve set up a room for Trip,” Tag asserts while sending men up the stairs to my room.

I rush in behind them to grab my baby up with a swift, protective motion.  Tag follows as the men start tossing all my stuff into suitcases.

“Tag, I’m not going with you.”

“It wasn’t a request.  You’re not staying here.  Melanie's house is wonderful, but there are too many gaps here for someone to slip in unnoticed.  You’re coming to my place, and that’s final.  I’ll carry you kicking and screaming if I have to.”

Shit.  Shit.  Shit.  Think.  Think.  Think.

“The cops are on their way to talk to me some more.  I can’t go.”

His stern, take-no-shit face stays intact.

“I’ve already called them and told them to meet me at my place.  I also told them to be prepared to be thoroughly interrogated before they make it to my door.  From now on, you don’t go anywhere without an escort.”

Has he lost his damn mind?

“Tag, you can’t tell me what to do.”

He takes a step dangerously close to me, his eyes determined, his lips tensed.

“Watch me.”

***

Tag

After a long, silent ride, we pull up to my house.  Two dark suits walk toward me, and then they motion to the box to tell the man to open the gate.

“You really do have a lot of security,” Ash murmurs from the backseat as she strokes her son’s head.

I just want to hold her and tell her everything is going to be okay.  I had to tell her I didn’t think Melanie's house was fortified enough to keep her safe just to bring her home with me.

“You haven’t seen the half of it.”

She forces a smile, and I look away from the rearview mirror as we pull up in front of the house.  Seven men rush out to investigate the premises as I open the back door and lift the car-seat.

“I can get him,” she murmurs while strapping the diaper bag on.

“You look like you can barely hold yourself up, let alone a car-seat that weighs at least thirty pounds.  Has this creep stressed you out so much that you can't eat?  Why didn’t you tell me he was bothering you again?  I could have had Gary and Leo come back to your place.”

“He hasn’t bothered me in a while.  Today was the first time he’s done anything since before the benefit.”

“Then why have you lost so much damn weight?” I scold.

She looks away, her eyes refusing to meet mine.

“I’ve just been dealing with a lot.”

My eyes soften as I push my hand against the small of her back to lead her inside.  I’m sure it’s not easy to be a single mother.

Her mouth falls open as she stares around at the lavish surroundings no other girl has ever seen - well, no other girl I’ve been with, rather.  Melanie has seen my place, but she doesn’t count.

“Wow.  I see now why you don’t take girls home.  They might not want to leave,” she gushes.

That makes me almost smile, but my nerves rattle, too.

“Thanks,” I say with an uneasy tone as I lead her down to the living area.

Even too skinny, she’s still the most captivating girl I’ve ever known.

***

Ashiara

I almost cry when I see the play pin, crib, and various other things set up.  Not to mention, he has baby proofed the house.  Trip can’t crawl yet, so he went overboard with the baby gates placed in front of the fireplace and guards over the sockets.  It’s sweet though.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you were prepared.  Hell, your house is better equipped for a child than anything I've ever seen.”

He laughs lightly, and then he shrugs.

“I don’t know how long it’ll take to find this guy, and you’re staying here until we do.  So, for now, just get used to calling this home.  Don’t feel uncomfortable, please.  You can go anywhere you want to in the house, and I’ll give you the security codes.”

Home with Tag
.

It sounds so good.  It almost feels like we’re the family he doesn’t know we are.  I smile as he unfastens Trip and pulls him into his arms.  He grins as Trip’s lips bubble, and tears fall free from my eyes upon witnessing the moment I’ve only dreamed about - Tag holding his son.

“He’s cute.  He’s a hard sleeper, too,” he says while sitting down with him in his arms.

“You look like you know what you’re doing.  I was an awkward mess in the hospital when I had him.  Sadly enough, he’s the first baby I’ve ever held.”

Tag smiles, and then he looks up at me.

“I go to the children’s hospital every year at Christmas to pass out gifts to the kids who wouldn’t get anything otherwise.  Most of their families are broke from the outrageous prices they have to pay for cancer treatments.  In return, I usually get to hold a baby or two.”

More tears water up in my eyes.  How can this incredible man say he isn’t father material?  He’s more father material than most father’s I’ve met.  Do I just tell him?  Can I tell him?  He could be a good dad.

But would he want to be?  I couldn't bear Trip feeling unwanted or unloved.

“Um, can I use your bathroom?” I ask while fighting off the floodgates.

“Don’t ask to use anything, please.  I told you - my house is your house.  The closest one is in your room - through the double doors over there.”

My room?

Hell.  I don’t know why, but I assumed he would only have one room, and I was secretly hoping I’d be sharing a bed with him.