Scandalously Expecting His Child(77)

                Then damn Numair had called him after takeoff to tell him to                     come back, or at least not to go to Scarlett, and wait in New York until he told                     him he could see her. Numair claimed they weren’t finished yet, and that he’d                     jumped the gun.

                Numair insisted that they had yet to put on the finishing                     touch, what would have everyone willing to kill each other to keep Scarlett and                     their child safe.

                Now everything inside him snapped. “Finish this, Numair. Kill                     whomever you have to kill and finish it. And don’t say I have to wait again. I                         can’t. And even if I can, I already called Scarlett and told her                     I’m on my way. And I won’t disappoint her again. I won’t. Do you hear                         me?”

                After his last bellowed words, total silence ensued on the                     other side.

                Then he heard snickering. Snickering?

                “I think the gods of Olympus heard you, Lightning.”

                “I didn’t know you had it in you, Phantom.”

                Raiden frowned. That was Richard’s voice, followed by Jakob’s.                     What was going on here?

                “We made a bet whether Phantom would have the heart to pull                     your strings, Lightning.” That was Ivan.

                “I bet against him, said he couldn’t torture you a second more                     than you’ve already been tortured.” Jakob groaned. “Now I have to submit to                         his torture for a whole day. He’ll probably make me endure his                     company.”

                Rafael’s apologetic voice came on. “I tried to stop them. But                     you know not even bullets can stop that herd.”

                “It’s a send-off gift from all of us,” Ivan teased. “For the                     way you’ve abused us all during the past two weeks.”

                “You tortured me most of all.” Antonio yawned loudly before                     continuing, “Calling me one minute for updates on my role in the plan, and the                     very next minute with obsessions about Scarlett’s pregnancy. Do you know I slept                     on my feet during surgery today? And dreamed?”

                Raiden shook his head, not really taking it all in. “You mean                     there’s no finishing touch?”