His Secret: Book II of The Unexpected Babies Duet Read online

  HIS SECRET

  T.O. Smith

  For Riley, my reason for everything that I do.

  I love you.

  ©October 2020. T.O. Smith. All rights reserved,

  No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design: Tiff Writes Romance

  Editing: Tiff Writes Romance

  Proofreading: Tiff Writes Romance

  ASIN: B08F9P5KZC

  Paperback ISBN: 979-8672770727

  Hardcover ISBN: 979-8496009652

  O N E

  “Logan, I need you to tend to the patient in room 409.” Dr. Wayne instructed as he stepped out of the same room. I nodded and moved towards him to get the patient’s folder. Dr. Wayne handed it over to me as he filled me in on our new patient. “He’s a Marine – gunshot victim. He was sent here back home from overseas to finish his treatment plan.” He informed me. “This is his hometown, so this is where he will be until he is released.”

  “Got it.” I told him as I pocketed my phone. I had been checking in with London about my son, Cyrus, when Dr. Wayne had come out of the room. Cyrus had been acting a bit out of it all day. I hadn’t wanted to leave him at London and Hunter’s, but I couldn’t afford to take time off of work no matter how much I wanted to be at home to take care of and coddle my little boy.

  I didn’t bother to look at the patient’s file as I strode towards the room. I was simply going in to introduce myself and let him know that I would be his nurse for the rest of the evening. Since Dr. Wayne had just come out of the room, the patient should be fine for a couple of hours.

  I knocked and waited for the patient to call out a come in before I pushed open the door.

  “Hi, I’m your nurse until seven this evening. My name is Logan -” I looked up, my eyes widening as they locked on Bryce Jennings - the father of my son.

  I felt all the blood drain from my face, leaving me a pasty, white color. My heart stuttered in my chest, my mouth running dry.

  This wasn’t happening.

  “Logan?” He asked a bit incredulously as he sat up in his hospital bed. “Holy shit, you look great.” He admitted.

  He wouldn’t be saying that if he saw all the stretch marks covering my stomach and my hips from bearing his child.

  His child that he had no idea still existed.

  I had gone to Bryce when I was about nine weeks pregnant to let him know that I wanted an abortion. I figured it would be the best for both of us. There had been a hell of a lot of sparks between us when we were teenagers, but we couldn’t get along to save our lives. Then, on top of that, Bryce would have been graduating high school in a few weeks, and he had plans to join the military.

  He was going to give that all up if I hadn’t gone to him about the abortion. I couldn’t let him do that.

  I knew Bryce hadn’t liked the idea, but he had agreed because he was a firm believer in a woman doing what she wanted to her body.

  I had never gone to have the abortion, though. It had been a lie so that he could follow his dreams without the added burden of a baby.

  My mouth opened and closed as I stammered for something to say, but I was at a loss of words. I was panicking. My heart was hammering extremely hard in my chest as I stared at him. I was absolutely terrified.

  He had no fucking idea that he had a four year – almost five-year-old – son.

  “Is it that much of a shock to see me?” He asked me, a smirk twisting his lips.

  That smirk had once made me swoon at his feet, even if we were in the middle of a huge argument.

  Now, it just made my stomach twist with nausea.

  Bryce didn’t handle being lied to well, and I knew the moment he found out about Cyrus, it would be absolute hell.

  A knock sounded on the door, and I looked behind me to see Macie step in with the hospital phone in her hands. She shot Bryce an apologetic smile before she returned her attention to me. “Sorry, I know you’re with a patient,” she apologized, “but the baby-sitter is calling. She’s bringing Cyrus to the emergency room. He just started throwing up, and he won’t stop.” Macie informed me.

  “Cyrus?” Bryce asked, his tone dropping an octave. “Baby-sitter?”

  I quickly snatched the phone from Macie, worry for my son gripping my chest. I moved to leave the room, but Bryce stopped me.

  “Stop!” He barked, making me halt in my steps. I swallowed nervously as Macie quickly ducked out of the room, sensing the tension in the air, leaving me alone with Bryce.

  I tightened my hand around the phone that I was holding.

  “Take a seat and answer that phone call.” Bryce snapped at me, his tone not allowing any room for an argument. When I didn’t move, he narrowed his eyes at me. “Sit the fuck down, Logan.” He ordered.

  I flinched at his harsh tone as I put the phone up to my ear. I shakily sat in the chair next to Bryce’s bed, doing my best to ignore his intense gaze locked on the side of my face.

  “Hey!” London exclaimed when I answered. “Hunter and I are bringing Cyrus to the hospital.” London told me. I squeezed my eyes shut, worry for my son making it hard to focus on anything – like calming my heart rate. “He started throwing up. We can’t get him to stop, and his fever is rising rapidly.” She informed me.

  Fear gripped my chest, and I squeezed my eyes shut, drawing in a shaky breath. I knew I should have just called out of work. I would be with Cyrus if I had – not up here stuck in a room with his father that had no idea he existed – until today. There was no doubt in my mind that Bryce now knew.

  “I’m coming down to E.R.” I told her. “I’ll have all of the paperwork filled out by the time you guys get here.”

  “Okay.” She told me. “And Logan?”

  “Yeah?” I asked, doing my best to keep my voice from trembling.

  “Hang in there. Cyrus is a strong kid.” She assured me.

  At that moment, I wished that I were as strong as my little boy.

  I hung up, my hands shaking as I did so. Bryce gripped my arm as I moved to stand up, stopping me from leaving the room. I kept my gaze trained on the floor, too afraid to look up and meet his gaze.

  I knew that he knew. Bryce had never been stupid. He would have quickly put the pieces together, especially since Cyrus was named after Bryce.

  “Bryce, please.” I begged him, not meeting his eyes. “I have to go fill out the paperwork for Cyrus.”

  “Look at me.” He commanded.

  I slowly dragged my eyes up from the floor, meeting his deep blue ones. I flinched at the rage in his eyes. “We will be talking, Logan, and when we do, you better be prepared to tell me the full fucking truth, because if I find out you lie to me even once – and believe me I will find out – I will make your life a living fucking hell.” He swore, his eyes narrowed at me in warning.

  I nodded as my throat closed up with tears. I could already feel my world crashing down around me at a rapid pace, and I was helpless to stop it all.

  Once Bryce released me, I wasted no time in scurrying out of the room.

  ✤ ✤ ✤

  London went back home with Wolfe once I was able to get Cyrus into a room in the ER, but Hunter stayed back with me for emotional support.
As soon as Dr. Griffin came in and managed to get Cyrus stabilized and his stomach settled, Hunter turned to me, his face stern and his eyes filled with worry for me. “Something’s wrong.” He bluntly stated.

  I cringed. Was it so easy to tell that everything in my life suddenly felt like it was being ripped apart?

  “He’s back.” I whispered, casting my eyes to the floor.

  “Who?” Hunter demanded.

  I looked up at him, tears filling my eyes. Hunter’s eyes widened in alarm. I wasn’t a very emotional person. After everything I had endured in life – first, my parents and then my brother – I was pretty much closed off.

  “Bryce.” I choked out. Hunter clenched his jaw. “He’s back, and he fucking knows about Cyrus.”

  Hunter’s eyes widened in shock once again. “Woah, when did Bryce get back?” He asked.

  “He just got back.” I informed him. “He’s up on the third floor. He received a wound overseas.” Hunter sucked in a sharp breath. I was honestly shocked he didn’t know considering I knew he and Bryce kept in contact. A friendship like theirs didn’t deteriorate just because of distance. “I’m sure he hasn’t had time to contact anyone yet. But you guys were calling me when I was about to introduce myself, and shit, Hunter he - he put the pieces together.” I told him, barely holding myself together.

  Cyrus groaned, and I reached out to gently run my fingers through his dark hair – hair that was the same color of his father’s – gently soothing my baby boy back to sleep.

  “You knew you couldn’t keep Cyrus from him forever.” Hunter quietly reminded me.

  I nodded. I knew that as well, but fuck, I had been hoping like hell that I could avoid it at all costs.

  Hunter gently squeezed my shoulder as he stood up. “I’m going to go see him.” He informed me. I nodded. “I’ll try to calm him down before you guys talk. If I don’t, you’re going to leave that room ripped apart. Bryce doesn’t take betrayal well.”

  I knew that as well.

  “And you think you can calm him down?” I demanded a bit angrily. I remembered enough about Bryce to know that once all of this was confirmed for him, I would be thrown into the seventh circle of hell. “You’ve been betraying him, too, Hunter.” I reminded him.

  Hunter shrugged. “I’ve known Bryce since the first day of Pre-K.” Hunter said calmly, not seeming bothered. “I can handle him.”

  With that, he walked out of the room, leaving me to my thoughts.

  ✤ ✤ ✤

  B R Y C E

  I looked up as Hunter strode into my room without any kind of knock or warning that he was barging in, which was honestly completely Hunter style. I rolled my eyes at him. “How did you find out that I was back?” I asked him as I sat up, wincing as I tried to move my leg into a more comfortable position.

  Fuck, how long does it take a fucking gunshot wound to heal?

  “Logan.” He bluntly answered.

  I arched an eyebrow at him as the thought of the woman who had lied to me all of those years ago made rage swirl in my chest. “I didn’t realize you two were close.” I commented, clenching my jaw.

  He had to have known about Cyrus.

  Hunter carelessly shrugged at me as if none of this was a big deal. I angrily clenched my fists. “London and I took in her son when she had him so that the states couldn’t take him away from her.” Hunter told me bluntly, dropping the bomb that he had also been hiding my son from me as if he was talking about what the fuck he had eaten for dinner. Rage roared through my veins, practically making me see red.

  "My son.” I corrected angrily, clenching my fists. “You fucking knew?” I demanded, wanting to hit something. “What the fuck, Hunter?!” I roared.

  He was supposed to be my best friend. Goddamn, we had known each other since the first day of fucking Pre-K. Why the fuck did he think it was okay to hide something this big from me?

  Cyrus was my child, too for fuck’s sake!

  “Chill.” Hunter snapped back at me. I narrowed my eyes at him. If I weren’t stuck in this damn bed, I would have punched him – or worse. “I know what she did was wrong, and believe me, numerous times I tried to fucking get her to tell you that she was pregnant and that she had your little boy, but she fucking refused to. It wasn’t my goddamn place to tell you, Bryce.”

  “Like hell!” I barked. Hunter narrowed his eyes at me in a silent warning to watch myself, but I didn’t heed it. “I should have fucking known, Hunter! I can’t fucking believe that you dared to keep this shit from me!”

  “It wasn’t my fucking place, Bryce.” Hunter repeated calmly. I hated that he was so used to my outbursts that my rage didn’t even affect him anymore. I knew Hunter well enough to know that if I had tried hitting him, he would have quickly swung back, giving me the fight that I was itching to have.

  “You, London, Logan – who the hell else fucking knew, Hunter?!” I shouted at him.

  “Just us.” Hunter told me as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “She kept it as much of a secret as she could. She didn’t want to risk it getting back to you.”

  "FUCK!” I shouted, thrusting my hands through my hair.

  Who the fuck did she think she was? Did she really think she could just go on with her life and keep Cyrus a secret from me?

  Why the fuck did she lie to me about that damn abortion?!

  Hunter sighed. “Look, just when you talk to Logan about all of this, go easy on her.” Hunter said, sitting in the chair beside my bed. I growled low in my throat. Go easy on her. I snorted. Like hell.

  “She’s gone through hell and back to provide for Cyrus on her own.” Hunter told me. I shrugged. I didn’t give a fuck what she had gone through for him. Every hardship she had faced was her own damn fault. If she hadn’t lied to me, she would have had the support that she needed.

  “She busted her ass through high school to graduate and work to provide Cyrus with everything he needed. She refused to allow me and London to buy anything for him. When she graduated high school, she got up the money for a lawyer so she could get her rights to Cyrus back, and then she got an apartment and busted her ass through college to get her associate’s degree in nursing.” Hunter told me, as if that was supposed to do anything to lessen my anger or change my mind about the traitorous, lying bitch.

  “She wouldn’t have had to do any of that if she had just fucking told me.” I snarled.

  Hunter stayed silent, knowing I just wanted to think for a moment.

  She thought she could keep my son from me – that she could just tell me about him at her damn convenience? My son had been deprived of a father.

  She had deprived me of being a dad to my son.

  “I’m marrying her.” I informed him as I glared up at the ceiling.

  “What?” Hunter demanded, looking at me as if I had officially lost my mind.

  Hell, maybe I finally had.

  “What I just fucking said.” I snapped at him, hating having to repeat myself. “I’m fucking marrying her. She’s got no fucking choice. I lost the entire experience of her being pregnant; I lost the experience of the birth; and I lost almost five years of my son’s life.” I snapped at him.

  “Hold on.” Hunter said, shaking his head as he tried to wrap his head around what I had just said. “You’re fucking serious right now?”

  “Dead.” I snapped at him.

  And I was. I didn’t give a fuck how Logan felt about it.

  “And you really think she’s going to agree to this?” Hunter demanded a bit angrily. I clenched my jaw. “Logan is a lot more headstrong than you think. She’ll never agree to this shit.”

  “Hunter, I will drag her to that fucking courthouse kicking and screaming if I have to.” I warned him. “She brought this shit on herself.” I reminded him.

  “Marriage is fucking outrageous.” Hunter stated in his very own blunt way.

  I shrugged. “If I don’t tie her down while I’ve got the chance, she’ll just run off again, Hunter. I remember
her well enough to know that.”

  Logan had a problem with not dealing with the shit life threw at her, and I knew that if she were given the opportunity, she would run as far away from me and the situation at hand as fast as she could. And she would take my son with her.

  Like hell was I allowing that to happen.

  Hunter sighed. “I just hope you know what the fuck you’re doing.” He admitted as he shoved his hands through his hair, shaking his head at me.

  I shrugged, not bothering to say anything else on the matter.

  Logan, you’re going to fucking pay for keeping my son from me.

  T W O

  L O G A N

  With cautious steps, I walked into Bryce’s hospital room with Cyrus on my hip. As much as I had wanted to avoid the situation, I knew that I couldn’t. It was time for me to own up to the decisions that I had made.

  And I knew that Bryce wasn’t going to make it easy for me.

  Cyrus was holding my phone in his hands, watching his and Wolfe’s new favorite show: Clifford. It was such an old cartoon, but those two loved that show. It was so easy to please Cyrus.

  I just wished it were as easy to please his father.

  Bryce looked up as I walked in, his eyes locking on Cyrus in my arms as he did so. He drew in a sharp breath, taking in how much Cyrus looked like him. Cyrus was practically the spitting image of Bryce. I had always known that, but actually seeing it with my own two eyes was enough to make my throat close up with tears.

  I should have just told Bryce from the very beginning that I never really got that abortion – should have let him make his own choice.

  “Hey, Cyrus, will you be a good for Mommy and sit in that chair and continue watching Clifford?” I asked him gently, drawing his blue eyes up to mine as I pointed to the chair near Bryce’s bed.

  He nodded at me, so I set him down on the chair beside Bryce’s bed. I pressed a kiss to the top of his head. I pressed my hand to his forehead, checking to make sure that his fever was still gone and that it hadn’t decided to come back.