“About time you told us, so we could act like we didn’t know. No wine all of a sudden—come on,” my mom said with a laugh, then embarrassed me by pointing to my boobs in front of everyone. Including the secretary of defense.
“¡Bebé!” Alejandro’s mom was overwhelmed with joy, tears hitting her eyes, which had my husband blinking back a few of his own after she hugged us both. “Gracias a Dios.”
More hugs and happy tears all around. And then Alejandro’s father pulled a cigar out of nowhere like it’d come from a magician’s hat.
Sheesh. They really did know why we were having this party tonight.
“I can’t wait to be a big brother!” Chase shouted later that night, sitting on top of Alejandro’s shoulders, fist pumping. “Daddy has to have more kids, too! We can be one big family. The bestest!”
Trevor smirked. “Let’s leave the sibling business to your mom and Alex.”
“Too busy saving the world to meet a girl?” Chase grinned, and everyone within earshot laughed.
“Don’t forget doting on me every five seconds as if worried I might break,” Eden added, resting a hand over her stomach. She was pregnant with Beau’s (a.k.a. Zander’s) baby. She’d decided to turn something awful Beau had done into a miracle, and it seemed being pregnant was healing her from the inside out.
I admired her so much. She was finding strength in the aftermath of what had happened.
And our babies would be born close together. New beginnings, side by side.
I turned to find Hollis coming back after stepping away for a call from her father. “I actually have to cut out early, I’m sorry.”
Reed looked up from where his puppy had curled in his lap. “She’s probably off to stab someone with cutlery.”
“That’s Carter, not me,” she shot back, grinning. I had no clue what they were talking about. “Besides, hopefully there’ll be no stabbing involved. More of a recovery mission.” She leaned in closer. “Remember the artifact I offered to use to get us into the auction? It got lost in the chaos, and my dad finally got a fix on the location, and he wants it back.” She stood by Reed and scratched behind his dog’s ear.
“Traitor,” he grunted in response to Ranger’s moaning from her attention.
“Could use an assist. You in, Jason?”
“I told you not to call me that.”
“Why don’t you like your first name?” She stopped petting Ranger, and Reed shifted the puppy from his lap. He wagged his tail all the way over to his second-favorite human (probably, secretly first), Chase.
I ignored their grumbling back-and-forth while looking on at Chase dropping down to hug Ranger. He was standing with Alejandro, Ryder, and his dad as they talked about something.
Alejandro caught my gaze. “I love you so much,” he mouthed.
To which I mouthed back, “Te amo mucho.”
My Spanish was a work in progress, but I had an excellent teacher, who rewarded my hard studying with orgasms on a nightly basis.
“Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.” At that comment from Hollis, I turned to face her again, finding Reed scratching his jaw, an agitated stare pointed her way. “Sorry again for bailing early.” She pulled me in for a quick hug.
“Can you tell me where you’re going?”
“Safer if you don’t know.”
Of course she’d say that.
Her gaze dropped to my stomach and a flicker of a smile crossed her lips. She leaned in and whispered into my ear, “It was that night, wasn’t it? He got you pregnant before the auction.”
She lifted her head, shooting a knowing smile my way despite me not confirming she was, in fact, correct.
“Well,” she said, gaze bouncing between me and Reed, “off to my next adventure.” She shifted her wavy hair to her back while tossing out, “Be seeing you around, Jason.”
“Yeah, sure.” He mock-saluted. “Don’t die or anything.”
“That’d give you too much joy. I wouldn’t dream of it.” She winked, then hugged me one more time before leaving.
