He laid his hand on her stomach. “Holy crap.” Terror filled him now.
Failure already wasn’t an option, but this just cranked the stakes up to 11.
She laid her hand over his, playfully smirking. “Guess you’d better get shit done and get your ass back here fast before people think something ‘untoward’ happened, huh?”
He pulled her in for another kiss. “God, I love you so much.”
She tipped her forehead against his. “I love you, too. And I’m chaining you to this goddamned compound once this bullshit is over. I might think about letting you leave when they’re in their 20s or something.”
He laughed, pulling her into his arms. “Believe it or not? In that case, I might be more than happy to let you.”
They made love twice more and were both dressed when Badger returned. They were sitting against the base of the same tree, his back against it and her in his lap.
Badger got out and walked over. “Eh, still has his entrails, looks like.”
“I didn’t castrate him, either.” She reached up and stroked his chin. “But I gave him another reason to get shit done sooner.”
When she started to stand, Badger reached out to help her up. His gaze went wide with shock when his hand grasped hers. “Bloody hell, Peyton!”
He smirked. “Yeah, I know. I didn’t think about it until it was too late.” He stood and pulled her into his arms, kissing her. “Sneaky mate.”
She smiled. “Your sneaky mate.”
“Damned right.”
“Not to be rude,” Badger said, “but we should get goin’. And can we please tell Beck that yer okay? He’s takin’ it damned hard.”
Peyton sighed. “Send him and Nami home. Tell him whatever excuse you want. Drive them to the airport and break the news to them on the way. Prime them both that they cannot tell anyone. And tell them about Jake, too. But absolutely do not tell Joaquin. If all our Enforcers suddenly seem to be acting relieved, Prime orders or not, it’ll fuck the plan.”
“Will do.”
He kissed her one last time. “Love you, baby.”
She nuzzled his nose. “Love you, too. Come back to us.”
He nodded. “That is my plan.”
He watched them leave, the taillights fading into the dark, cursing himself for not noticing she was fertile before going to town with their reunion.
Goddammit.
Just what he needed—to be more vulnerable.
Fuck. Me.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Mateo
Mateo and Carl were alone with the kids because Da’von was at school, and Brianna was out running errands for Badger that he’d asked her to do. Mateo had just sat on the couch to eat his sandwich when the doorbell rang.
Goddammit! Carl was back in the nursery trying to get the kids to sleep for their post-lunch nap. Aisling had left early with Martin this morning to help him settle some stupid and not critical situation over in Orlando. Badger had called personally and ordered them to go deal with it.
Before the visitor could ring the bell a second time, Mateo dropped the paper plate holding his sandwich, leapt up, and rushed to the door, putting his eye to the peephole. He didn’t recognize the older man standing there, but then he saw Badger’s truck parked at the end of the drive and caught sight of Duncan standing farther down the driveway, on a phone call.
Well, if Duncan’s with him, he must be okay.
With one hand on the butt of the handgun holstered in his back waistband, Mateo unlocked and opened the door. “May I help you?”
