Ryan Renewed: New York Ruthless: Book 5

It’s been almost twenty-four hours since my blood tests and as each minute ticks by, I get more and more anxious. Lisa said a day to get the results and I’m holding her to it. I curl a strand of Conor’s hair around my fingertip as I sit on his lap watching a movie. Mikey and Liam sit on the sofa next to our armchair while Shane sits opposite.

I spoke to Hayden earlier and he is anxious to get the results of the tests as much as I am. I know that the brothers are worried he can’t be trusted, but I kind of like him. And although I’ve tried to convince myself that I’d be happy with either result, I am secretly hoping that he is my half-brother.

Apart from my husbands, I have no family of my own and sometimes I think about my younger brothers and what they would have been like. I know they would have grown into fine young men and I miss the relationship we should have had as adults – the one that was stolen from us by the psychopath who murdered them when they were just twelve years old. The fact that I have no siblings is even more pronounced because I spend my life with four brothers who would literally die for each other.

So I am feeling anxious too and I know my boys know it, which is why they’ve all taken time out of their schedules to watch movies with me this afternoon. I wonder if they are anxious to find out the result too. If Hayden is my half-brother then it impacts their lives as much as mine.

When my cell starts to ring they all look at me expectantly. I don’t get many calls so we all know this is probably the one I’m waiting on. Conor reaches for it and hands it to me. I see Lisa’s name on the screen and my stomach flutters with excitement. I climb off Conor’s lap and walk to the side of the room. It’s not that I want privacy, but I want a second to process the news before I tell them and Conor would hear every word if I stay sitting on his lap.

“Hi, Lisa,” I say when I answer.

“Hi, Jessie. I have your results.”

I suck in a deep breath. “Yep?”

“Yours and Hayden’s DNA is a significant match. You are half-siblings,” she says matter-of-factly.

“Oh? Wow!” I say as four pairs of eyes watch me intently. “Have you told him?”

“Not yet. I wanted to tell you first.”

“Can I tell him?” I ask her.

“Are your husbands with you?” she asks.

“Yeah,” I reply with a frown.

“Then it might be better if I tell him. I have a feeling you’re going to be busy talking about something else.”

“What is it?” I ask as my heart starts to race, but Lisa sounds happy, so it can’t be something bad, right?

“I have the results of your blood work too…”

“Already?” I interrupt her because she told me they would take a few days.

“Well, the first test I did was a very straightforward one.” She laughs softly and I feel my heart racing faster. “You’re pregnant, Jessie.”

I reach for the wall, placing my hand flat on its surface for support.

“W-what?” I stammer. “But I had a period three weeks ago.”

“Was it lighter than normal?”

“Yes. Quite a bit,” I recall my period at the lake house.

“Probably implantation bleeding. You are definitely very pregnant.”

By this point, the brothers are surrounding me as I take deep breaths. Is she mistaken? Because this feels like everything I’ve ever wanted and that doesn’t happen to people like me, does it?

“How long?” I whisper and a warm strong hand grips my shoulder but I don’t look around to see who it belongs to.

“Well, here’s the thing,” Lisa says with a soft sigh. “Your HCG levels are higher than I’d expect based on your dates that you gave me.”

“What does that mean?” I daren’t look up at my husbands but I feel their eyes burning into my skin anyway.

“It means you’re either further along than I thought…” she pauses.

“Or?” Dammit, Lisa. You’re killing me here.

“Or you’re about five weeks pregnant with multiple babies.”

“Multiple?” I whisper.

“Well, you both have twins in the family,” she chuckles. “Congratulations, Jessie. I’ll set you up an appointment with an OB-GYN I know, Dr. Stein. She’s amazing.”

“Thank you,” I whisper as my stomach flutters with so much nervous excitement, I feel like I might throw up.

She ends the call and I stare at my cell phone wondering if I just imagined that conversation. No. It was real. She said it. It must be true.

“What is it, Angel?” Conor asks and I look up to see it’s him with a hand on my shoulder. I look between his and his brothers’ expectant faces.

“I’m pregnant,” I whisper.

“I knew it! Peppermint tea!” Mikey yells with delight as he and Liam press me into a twin sandwich and they plant kisses all over my face and head, making me giggle.

“Careful, assholes,” Conor warns them good-naturedly and a few seconds later, the twins release me from their hug.

“I’m so proud of you, baby,” Liam whispers in my ear. When they step aside, Conor pulls me into his arms.

“Lisa thinks it might be twins too,” I say, still in a state of shock.

“Yes!” Mikey and Liam say together.

“You’re fucking incredible, Angel,” Conor says as he presses a soft kiss on my forehead. “And you just made us the happiest men alive, you know that right?”

“Yes,” I nod before I press my face against his chest and breathe in the scent of him.

A moment later, he releases me too and steps back to allow his oldest brother to take his place. Of all of them his is the reaction I’m most worried about because I’ve been so worried that he’s going to regret our decision. He slides his arms around my waist and pulls me tight to him.

“I love you so fucking much, sweetheart,” he says as he rests his cheek on the top of my head. “I can’t believe you just made us all a dad,” he chuckles softly and the sound rumbles through his chest.

I look up at him and smile. “I did, didn’t I?”

I lean against him and smile, becoming a mom and a sister again in the same day! I am the luckiest girl in the world.