Free The Fighter's Secret Child (The Burton Brothers Series Book 3) by Leslie North

struggled with it.
    His tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth, and his concentration seemed fierce and total. Rachel had the place to herself—the Burton brothers had gone to the hospital to arrange bone marrow testing, and Alice and Avery had gone out shopping, saying Chaz needed a few things. Rachel had been too tired to argue.
    Now she answered her phone, expecting it to be Beck, instead a bright, familiar voice came on the line. “Rachel? That you?”
    She sat up. “Jasmine? Good to hear from you. Everything okay?”
    “Holding down the fort, but the apartment seems empty without you. How are things going? Do I need to hunt down that no-good Beck? Has he been causing you or that precious little boy of yours more pain?”
    Rachel had to smile. “Slow down, girlfriend. It’s a long story.” Rachel started into everything that had happened. She’d known Jasmine since high school. After Rachel’s mom had helped her slip away from Beck, she’d moved to Vegas.
    Jasmine lived there and Rachel went from looking for her own place to moving in with Jasmine. Rachel wasn’t sure how she would have gotten through the last couple of months without her help.
    There was a pause, and Jasmine let out a gusty sigh. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t be bashing on the guy without even having met him. I just keep thinking of all those nights you cried over him. I was starting to think MMA meant mean mega-asshole.”
    Rachel forced a small laugh. “He’s in getting tests done—him and his brothers. He’s going to be sore for a more than a few days. Chaz…well, I can’t say I know he’s going to be okay, but it’s a step.”
    “And you?” Jasmine’s voice dropped. “How are you doing seeing him again?”
    Wishing I could jump into bed with him. Wanting him so much my teeth ache. Rachel shifted the phone to her other ear. “The guy still looks like a hunk—how do you think I’m doing.”
    “Stay strong. Take an aspirin if you need it.”
    “How will that help?”
    “You tuck it between your knees and don’t let go.”
    Rachel laughed again—this time it sounded better to her. “I miss you, girlfriend.”
    “Yeah, well, you call if you need anything, okay? I can hop on a flight and be there in no time.”
    “I might take you up on that.” She hung up, but she wished Jasmine was here.
    Chaz finally got bored of his game, so Rachel took him into the kitchen to fix them both lunch. She found cans of soup, bread and cold cuts in the fridge, which now seemed to be stocked almost to overflowing. Earlier, a housekeeper had come by to make beds, do laundry and tidy up. Feeling awkward and in the way, Rachel had gone out to the patio. Chaz had wanted to go into the hot tub, but she kept him busy by telling him a story instead.
    Making sandwiches with a bum arm took more work and time than she’d ever known. But she managed to get something in front of Chaz. He ate three bites and gave a huge yawn. “You ready for a nap?” she asked.
    Chaz shook his head—and yawned again.
    Taking him into his room, she settled him under a blanket. He threw it off and sat up. She tempted him with his stuffed doggy, but that didn’t work, either. His eyelids were heavy, and Rachel knew the signs. He was headed for over-tired, cranky, and tears wouldn’t be far behind.
    Just when she was about ready to give up coaxing him into bed, she heard a car. The front door opened and voices lifted. Chaz bolted out of bed, heading at a toddling run for the living room. Rachel followed him.
    Alice and Avery had come back, along with the guys. The house was suddenly full of noise and talking, and Chaz was reaching up for Beck.
    “Hey, scout. What’s up?” Beck scooped up Chaz without effort. Avery took Chaz from him, producing an MMA action figure. Mason scooped him out of Avery’s arms and settled him on the floor, putting down a set of cars and trucks in front of him. Then Alice and Bryant were bending over him, Alice with story books and