Hunter

New assignment

Hunter

After the kids graduated from college, Mason assigned me to work with Ryan at the casinos, installing updated security systems. We had to check to ensure no one could hack or disarm them. Ryan and Alex also got married, along with Jordan and Elena. Frazier was already married to Marissa, and they had their first baby, Dylan Michael Frazier, Jr. The family called the kid Junior for apparent reasons.

After checking the latest bug in the security system, Ryan and I had lunch while checking the monitors in the security room.

"How's married life?" I asked.

"It has its moments. Alex and I are trying for a baby." Ryan bit into his sandwich and chewed.

"Yeah, same here. Gail and I wanted to wait until we knew about my job."

Ryan glanced at me. "You've worked for Uncle Mason a long time, right?"

"I started working for Mason when I turned fourteen."

"I remember meeting you when I was nine. You told me never to hurt women, children, and animals."

I glanced at Ryan while chewing my food.

"I never understood why you would tell me that."

I wiped my hands and swallowed my food. "Because I was on the receiving end of an adult hurting a child. I didn't grow up in the lap of luxury. Consider yourself lucky. You didn't have my life."

"Money isn't everything. It just gives you more enemies to deal with."

I nodded in agreement because it was true. The more wealth you have, the more significant threat you have with other people.

We caught a guy on camera acting shady and left the monitoring room to contain the threat. Why do people always come to a casino to cause problems? It never works in their favor.

*******
Gail

With Hunter's new job, he wasn't gone as much. Mason still had him accompany him when he had business. Mason trusted Hunter out of everyone. It was a blessing and a curse.

The same could be said about the white stick lying on the bathroom counter. Hunter and I had been trying to conceive without luck. So, I took a pregnancy test when Hunter wasn't home. If it was negative, I didn't need to tell him anything.

I wasn't the only one having difficulty conceiving. Ryan and Alex were in the same boat, except they planned to take a cruise in a few months to relax.

I waited until the timer dinged and picked up the stick with my eyes closed. Okay, Gail. If there's one line, you eliminate the evidence so Hunter doesn't suspect. No harm, no foul.

I opened one eye and spotted two pink lines before opening the other one. I stared at the white stick with two lines. It has two lines. I snatched up the box and read the directions five times to ensure I read the results correctly.

One line meant not pregnant. Two lines meant pregnant. I had two lines. My eyes widened in realization. I had two lines! Holy shit!  That meant I was pregnant!

"Is there a reason you're standing in the bathroom holding a white stick?" Hunter asked.

I whirled around with widened eyes while holding the pregnancy test in my hand to find Hunter leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded. I thrust the test at him without saying a word.

Hunter took it from me and studied it before holding it. "Is this what I think it is!"

I nodded slowly.