Chapter Thirteen

"You bitch!" her mother flew towards her the moment she opened her door to her. "How dare you get pregnant!"

Ria cupped her cheek as tears left her eyes. She backed away into her apartment quickly. "Please, mama."

"You've been a slut, haven't you?! Who is he?"

"It - It's not just one man, mama."

Her mother raised her hand to strike her other cheek. Ria backed away until the back of her legs hit the couch and she collapsed on top of it.

"You whore!"

"Mama, please…"

"Oh, why, Ria, why," her mother droned on repeatedly. "Why did this happen?"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"It should've been me," her mother said with a crazed look in her eyes. "I should've been the one to put a baby in you."

Fuck, her mother truly gave new meaning to insanity.

"Mama…"

"How dare you betray me!" her mother cried out.

"Mama!" Ria cried out as her mother raised a hand over her head again.

But it only fell to her side. "Oh, I'm broken."

"Please…"

Her mother glared at her. "Abort the baby."

Ria's heart thumped in her chest. "No, Mama, I'm keeping the baby."

"Abort it!"

"No!"

Her mother slapped her across the cheek. "Bitch!"

Ria covered her cheek, as blood dripped from her nose down to the couch. "Oh, God…"

She stalked towards the door, opening it. "Abort the fucking baby, Ria. Or I'll beat it out of you." Then her mother disappeared from her apartment.

She got to action right away. She sent messages to both Declan and Lawson and within seconds, they replied to tell her that they were on the way. Lawson showed up first, and he fetched her a glass of water while speaking to her calmly. Declan showed up next and he sat beside her and told her to think about revenge.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Ria cried. "My mother is absolutely insane."

"She's not setting one foot near you, I swear it," Declan said. "I'll have my men guard you 24/7."

"And we're going to get that restraining order," Lawson said.

"What am I going to do without you guys?" Ria said.

"Remember what I said? I want to live and breathe you, Ria. You're the only one for me," Lawson said to her.

"Really?"

"Fuck that crap," Declan said. "I'll fuck you until you brand my name into your skin."

Ria laughed. "Oh, you two."

"Are you hearing this clown?" Lawson said. "I know you feel the same way for me."

"Please," Declan said. "If anything, she's probably wet for me now."

"Well, Ria? Who do you love more?" Lawson asked Ria.

"Obviously, it's me. There is no other man who fucks her as good as I do," Declan challenged.

"Look, guys," Ria started.

They stared at her expectantly.

"I don't know how to say this," Ria said. "But I love you both."

❃❃❃

Lawson placed a blanket gently over Ria's shoulders as she snored lightly, and he brushed the back of his hand on the side of her cheek. She stirred a little and he smiled at her sleeping face before he straightened his back. Fetching some champagne from the coffee table in front of the couch, he uncorked it and poured some into a wine glass for himself. He looked and saw two other wine glasses on the table. As Lawson poured the champagne, he stared at Declan who was on the other side of the room, in front of the ceiling high windows.

"Why are you standing all the way there?" Lawson asked him. "Don't you want a glass of champagne too?"

"No, I don't want it," Declan said, body stiff.

"Why are you so tense?"

"I'm not tense, you dimwit."

"Then come over for champagne already," Lawson said. "Or are you acting like this because you're attracted to me?" And a corner of his lips lifted.

"What?! No!"

"I've been wondering why your hand was shivering like that the other night when I helped you light up."

"Shut up."

"Are you attracted to me, Declan?"

"Wha - I - As if! You piece of shit, I - "

Lawson erupted into laughter, covering his eyes with one hand. "You ARE attracted to me. Fuck, this is pure gold."

"I'm not, you fucker!"

Lawson put his glass down on the coffee table and stepped to the side of it, approaching Declan. "Oh, is that so?"

"Stop there," Declan ordered.

But Lawson stopped before Declan. "I always knew there was a faggot in you," he told Declan and stepped forward, but Declan moved aside, and they circled each other slightly.

"Something tells me that you're missing a good punch. That night not enough for you?"

"What have you been dreaming about, Declan?" Lawson said as they circled each other again. "Your mouth around my cock?"

Declan gritted his teeth. "I swear, if you continue speaking, I'll shatter all your teeth."

"What are you hoping will happen between us?"

"I don't fucking hope anything will happen," Declan said. "I love Ria."

"Yes, and so do I," Lawson said, his back facing the window. "But Ria is not giving you what you want, am I right?"

"Ria is not giving you what you want either," Declan said.

"She's been treating us like fuck buddies, so if anything happens between us, it's completely fine, right?" Lawson said as he moved, circling Declan with a half-smile. Declan circled him in the other direction and their gazes seared into each other. They continued to circle each other, Declan's teeth still gritted, Lawson with an amused smile on his face. As they walked in circles, Lawson reached out with one hand to touch Declan's cheek but Declan's hand shot up and shove it roughly away.

"Don't you fucking dare touch me!" Declan said.

Lawson didn't say anything. Instead, he continued circling Declan, who calmed down slowly. Lawson lifted both hands up to cup his cheek again but Declan raised both hand to shove his hands away.

"Lawson, I fucking swear - "

"Then why are your pants bulging?" Lawson asked with a dark chuckle.

"You motherfucker," Declan said and Lawson circled him.

Reaching one hand out, Lawson lightly grazed his fingers on Declan's jaw as Declan breathed heavily. He rubbed on the scruff of his cheek before his thumb inched towards his lips, stopping at the corner of it. Then he dropped his hand to his side with a mocking smile.

"I can see you don't want this," Lawson laughed, his back facing the window again. "Right?"

"I'll murder you - "

"You don't have it in you."

"Oh, yeah? I'm a mafia boss. I can kick any ass, get my hands on anything I want, and fuck all the women I could ever want!"

"It's amusing that you think you can do that when you can't even handle how you feel when you're around me - "

Something in Declan snapped and shoved Lawson up against the window, his mouth crashing onto his. Lawson sucked in air deeply as he kissed Declan back fiercely with all that he had. Declan had his neck cupped in both hands while Lawson dug the back of his head into their kiss as it roughened up, teeth grazing on lip, and lip grazing teeth. Declan bit into Lawson's lower lip and a moan ripped from his chest as he invaded his tongue into his mouth. The window rattled as they kissed hard until they were out of breath, and Declan's hand gripped onto Lawson's suit to yank it to the side with one fast pull.