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something serious. A stomach virus that had been going on for almost two months seemed excessive. Secretly, she wondered if her friend was pregnant, but she was scared to mention anything to anyone. Obviously if Mandy wanted people to know, she’d tell them.
    “Hey, beautiful.”
    The timbre of her husband’s voice never failed to put a smile on her face, and his compliments never failed to color her cheeks with a blush.
    “Hey yourself,” she answered back, letting the enjoyment wash through her.
    He must have walked away from what he was doing because the sounds of the garage faded. “To what do I owe the honor of a mid-afternoon phone call?”
    She could tell by the smile in his voice that he was hoping to parlay this into a quickie, which they’d done earlier in the week, but this was serious.
    “Mandy. She’s puking again.”
    Immediately the whole tone of the conversation shifted, and Drew sighed. “I’m worried something is really wrong with her, and she’s not telling us. I mean, we don’t know much about our family, either Mom or our biological dad’s side. What if some sort of health problem runs there and she’s keeping it to herself? There’s no way in hell this can be the stomach flu.”
    Charity agreed. “But then we’d be calling her a liar, and what kind of asshats would we look like? It’s obvious she doesn’t feel well. She’s got dark circles under her eyes, she’s not eating much, and I caught her almost falling asleep at her desk last week.” Charity sighed. “Drew, I’m scared it’s something serious.” She left out her suspicions of a pregnancy.
    “Me too, baby, me too. We’ll get to the bottom of this if it’s the last thing we do. I’m not going to let her be sick and let her deal with this on her own. I’d never do that.”
    There was one thing the both of them knew. Mandy wouldn’t talk until she was ready, and waiting was the hardest part.

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Chapter Six

    D alton pulled into the gas station at the corner of Porter Pike and Louisville Road for three reasons. He needed gas, he desperately wanted a cigarette, and he was nervous as hell to ask Liam for a leave of absence from Heaven Hill. Truth be told, he was wavering, wondering if it was really the smartest decision he’d ever made.
    Getting off his bike, he stuck his debit card in the gas pump, selected his fuel grade, and filled up. Fuck, his shoulders were tight; hell, his whole body was tight. He had no idea what he was doing, all he knew was worry. Worry that everything could be pulled from his hands before he even got a chance to enjoy it. That must be what other men waxed poetic about; why they protected the women they loved with their lives. Thinking of losing them was scary, pushing them away was dumb, but watching them grow to hate you? He rubbed his chest. That hurt like a motherfucker.
    The gas pump kicked into the off position as he finished topping the tank. He hung up the nozzle and glanced around, making sure no one was waiting for his space. When he saw there were only a handful of other cars and bikes at this store, he stuck his hands in his jeans pockets and walked towards the front door.
    Once inside, he walked up and down the aisles, doing his best to kill time before his meeting with Liam. Could he really ask for a leave of absence? What good would it do? Part of him knew it was necessary; the other part didn’t want to let go of the protection he knew came with Heaven Hill. He was conflicted in the worst way and wasn’t sure what the fuck he was going to do. When he realized he couldn’t waste time in here anymore, he made his way to the front counter.
    “Can I get a pack of Marlboro Reds?”
    The cashier couldn’t have been much older than Tatum, but she gave him a smile that was years beyond her age and slid them across the counter with a wink.
    “Are you a member of Heaven Hill?”
    He’d met many girls like this over the years, and right now, he didn’t have the patience. “I