I nodded, my heart so full I could barely speak. Before I took Isa home with me, I’d been terrified of letting anyone close. Now I was standing here in love with this man as much as the little girl who’d brought us together.
Griffin brushed his lips over mine one more time, then took my hand. “Let’s go tell our girl she’s getting a sibling.”
As we walked out of the clinic together, I knew without a doubt that this was exactly where I was meant to be.
18
CROSS
Iwas working through a mound of paperwork in my office at Inferno when my phone buzzed insistently in my back pocket, jarring me. I’d been trying to get through this shit as fast as possible and get back to my girls, so the intrusion was extremely unwelcome.
Grunting in annoyance, I fished out the device from my back pocket. King’s name flashed across the screen.
“Yeah,” I answered, holding the phone to my ear as I stood and stretched.
“Cross.” His voice carried an undercurrent of something urgent.
Tension immediately coiled tight in my chest, anticipation sharpening my senses as I braced myself for whatever was coming.
“We’ve got eyes on Gavin. Recent movement confirmed. He’s holed up, trying to stay off-grid, but he got sloppy.”
A fierce surge of satisfaction flared inside me as I exited my office and took the stairs down two at a time. Finally. This was the first step toward ending it all.
“Where?” My voice came out gritty with barely restrained aggression.
“Outside Atlanta. Kevlar, Cruze, and Stryker are already rolling out. They left fifteen minutes ago. They’ll bring him in,” King informed me, his quiet authority leaving no room for doubt. “Figured you’d want to know now.”
I inhaled, the implications hitting me fully. Isa—my little girl—would finally be safe. Hannah wouldn’t have to constantly wonder if a threat to our family would suddenly appear.
“Appreciate it,” I muttered, already heading toward my bike parked just beyond the open bay doors. “On my way home. Gonna tell Hannah.”
King’s voice softened a touch. “Good. She deserves the peace of mind. Fill her in, but leave the details on our next moves vague.”
“I’ll handle it,” I promised, hanging up and shoving the phone into my pocket.
My mind was already spinning, and I quickly closed the bay door behind me and mounted my bike. The powerful rumble beneath me grounded some of the agitation swirling inside my chest as I tore down the road toward home.
Minutes later, I was walking into my house, the front door swinging shut behind me with a firm thud. My gaze found Hannah instantly, and tension immediately ebbed away at the sight of her.
She stood by the window, a slight crease between her brows as she stared thoughtfully into the backyard. The sunlight spilling through the glass made her blond hair glow softly, highlighting the gentle curve of her hips beneath her fitted jeans. My eyes tracked the lush swell of her body, desire sparking even amid the serious conversation looming ahead.
“Hey.” She turned as she heard me approach, her brown eyes softening immediately when they met mine. “You’re home early. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I closed the distance between us, and my hands found her waist automatically, pulling her into me. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
I slid one palm around to rest on her flat stomach, still in awe that there was another little life in there.
“Other than craving weird things like pickles and peanut butter? I’m fine.”
I raised a brow and opened my mouth, but she waved a hand to stop me.
“Don’t knock it until you try it.”
A chuckle rumbled in my chest, and I kissed her forehead before remembering why I’d come home early. “Just talked to King. They’ve got eyes on Gavin.”
Hannah sucked in a sharp breath, a mixture of relief and uncertainty flickering across her expression. “So…it’s really him? It’s almost over?”
“Almost,” I confirmed, tracing my thumb along her jawline, savoring the softness of her skin beneath my touch. “King already sent guys to pick him up. It’ll be handled.”
