Meow Or Never: BBW SEAL Shifter Surprise Pregnancy Romance (Chicago Catastrophe) by Anya Nowlan, Rory Dale Page B

relief, but it didn’t change anything. He was a part of something that represented everything Hailey hated.
    There were no candle-lit dinners in their future.
    If Troy was in charge now, that meant her parents’ lives were in his hands, though. So if Troy wanted to pretend they didn’t know each other, it was in her best interest to act the same. All she wanted to do was smack him, punch him, scream at him for leading her on to think that he was a good guy. Instead, she put on a cardboard smile and nodded.
    “Yes, and you are?” she replied stiffly.
    “I’m Troy Sellen, you’ll be answering to me now,” he said, eyes glued to her face.
    He didn’t lie about his name, at least, Hailey thought sourly.
    She crossed her arms and gave the man a withering look.
    “Is that so?”
    Troy took a step back and addressed the room.
    “Can you give us a moment?”
    Everyone filed out dutifully. He had a presence about him, that much was clear. Culliver lingered a moment too long, but an arched brow from Troy made him scatter.
    As soon as the door closed, Troy rushed to her side, speaking in intense, hushed tones, his hands on her arms. She shook them off immediately, hating the fact that she felt that same comfortable heat in her that she had before when he was close. It was all a lie.
    “Hailey! I had no idea you were our lawyer.”
    She barely heard what he was saying.
    “I can’t believe this. I went on a date with the man who’s holding my parents’ lives in his hands. I always knew I had the worst taste in guys.”
    She started pacing the room, feeling like she was starting to lose it. Troy looked like he had been slapped in the face. Served him right for punching her in the gut like this.
    I could be carrying this man’s baby! her thoughts oh so helpfully reminded her.
    She buried her face in her hands, starting to hyperventilate as she leaned against a wall.
    Troy gently grabbed hold of her shoulders and guided her to a small sofa. She tried to brush him off again but couldn’t find the energy. Her treacherous body responded to his touch way too eagerly.
    “Please, try to calm down,” he whispered, leaving her there for a second.
    He returned to hand her a glass of water and to take a seat on the arm of the chair.
    Hailey gulped it down, even though she wasn’t thirsty. Her hands were shaking.
    “Calm down? Why don’t you tell me what’s going on here, and I’ll take it into consideration then,” she spat, scorn dripping from every word.
    Troy ran a hand down his neck, looking torn. He seemed a little worn at the edges, like he’d been through a lot lately.
    None of your concern! Hailey reminded herself sternly.
    He wasn’t due any pity from her.
    “I took over from the previous lieutenant. I don’t know anything about your parents. Whatever deal Dempsy had with you, I wasn’t a part of it.”
    “There was no deal. He told me I either take your cases or something bad was going to happen to my mom and dad. And it wasn’t like your people left them alone before, they’re already paying you protection money.”
    Hailey was trying hard not to raise her voice. Claiming that she was ‘told’ to take the job was really underselling what the Crimson Claws had used against her, but she couldn’t bring herself to talk too much about it. Troy had been nothing but charming thus far, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t just like all the other bastards in the organization.
    If she crossed him, her parents could be left paying the price. It sent chills down her back, the thought that she’d shared a bed with a man like that. A man who had no qualms about ruining the lives of innocent, defenseless people.
    And he could be the father of my child…
    “I’m sorry for all that’s happened to you and your family,” Troy said, kneeling down and taking her hands in his.
    Hailey pulled them away, appalled he would even think it was okay to touch her. But in some deep, dumb part of her, she felt momentarily