Meanwhile, their parents were upstairs making up for the weeks they’d missed out on while Devlyn was healing. I swear Gator was on a mission to knock up my best friend again.
I’d been in New Orleans for a month, and nothing had happened. No one was stalking me; no one had made an attempt on my life. No one even cared that I was here.
Except for Rian.
He was one of my father’s men, and he was wonderful. He went with me everywhere, never leaving me alone. But it wasn’t suffocating like I thought it would be. He knew how to stay out of sight for the most part, but he also knew exactly when to be by my side.
Rian had made it clear, not in a creepy way, that he was attracted to me. From the moment I met him, I’d noticed the way he looked at me. Devlyn encouraged me to take the step, to see what could happen.
Unfortunately, my heart was still stuck on the asshole who walked away. Twice!
I stared at the little angel in my arms.
“Don’t ever let a man worm his way into your heart.”
“I take offence at your choice of phrase, Miss Delany.”
I smiled up at Worm. “Just trying to protect my goddaughter from heartache, Worm. It’s not my fault your road name is an insect that wiggles its way into places it doesn’t belong.”
“Ah, but see, the dirt is where worms belong. It’s their natural habitat. Our ecosystem depends on them.”
“And does the Bourbon Kings’ ecosystem depend on you?”
He smiled warmly. “Very much so.” He leaned over and lowered his voice. “None of them would be alive if I weren’t here to reel them back in.”
I chuckled, and the baby startled in my arms. Her eyes opened wide, and I realized who I was holding: the oldest of the pod, as Dev fondly called them.
She had Devlyn’s eyes, but there was a sparkle there that was different. You could already see a little of her crazy father in them. I smiled at her and then looked in the direction of the other two.
Maybe New Orleans wasn’t so bad. Maybe I could make a life here. The chances of me having a baby of my own were small, but here I could help Devlyn and Gator raise their babies.
The sound of boots stomping down the stairs filled the room, and we all looked toward the back entrance as my best friend and her husband walked in.
“What?” she asked, her hands on her hips. I smiled and looked down at the baby.
“Your mama thinks we don’t know what they were doing upstairs. But we’re not stupid. And she’s not quiet.”
“Morgan Delany, do not corrupt my children,” Devlyn said, walking toward me.
I put my tongue between my teeth and blew a raspberry at her. The sound of her laughter filled a crack in my heart.
I’d missed her so much.
“Where is Loverboy?” Devlyn asked, and I rolled my eyes at her.
“Would you stop? I told him I wasn’t going out today so he’s outside watching the street.”
“The best way to get over a man—”
I held my hand up to stop her. “It didn’t work with Gunner; it’s not going to work with Rian. Besides, he’s one of my father’s men. His loyalty would never be to me.”
“You’re never going to let him go, are you?” she asked, a sad smile on her face.
“Would you let Gator go?” I asked. “If you lost him the way I lost Jude, would you be able to move on?”
“We haven’t even been together a year,” she argued.
“And Jude and I were together less,” I reminded her. “But he’s it, Dev. As much as I wish I could move on, he’s the only man I want.”
