All she was met with was my boisterous laugh as I picked her up, threw her on the bed, and fucked the weariness out of her.
“Hey,” Rowan kisses my lips, “what are you thinking about?”
“You,” I tell her as I’m brought back to the here and now.
Stepping back, she pushes my already placed hand harder on her stomach. “He’s in rare form today,” she says exhaustedly.
We’re cut off when the front door opens. Everyone claps when Damian and Soleil walk in, Sunny curled onto her chest.
Rowan looks at me, smiling, before grabbing Clover’s hand on the way to congratulate Soleil. “Let us see!” They mimic each other.
My island is the meeting place that everyone gathers around, picking at the food Clover graced us with, when a knock sounds at the front door. My head jerks to it, and my hackles rise. I feel Rowan’s eyes on me because she knows everyone who should be here is here…even Stephen, who now lives on the property, along with Weeks as a neighbor.
In slow motion, I stand up as Matteo walks to the door and opens it. “Wait, no one else should be showing up,” I call at him, as the last word leaves my mouth, a shot reverberates throughout the house, and screaming commences.
“Luca!” I hear Rowan calling.
“Into the panic room. Now!”
It’s mayhem as Thomas, Weeks, Damian, and I run out of the house, leaving Stephen to tend to Matteo.
We all run in different directions, but come up empty, until I spot Weeks dragging something… No, someonefrom the woods.
Running to him, I skid to a stop when I look down and see a small woman who’s wailing like a feral animal to get out of his hold. I don’t recognize her.
Weeks stops, gun pointed down at her head. “You’re fucking insane. I should shoot you right fucking now. You do have a death wish, don’t you?” He’s speaking to her like he knows her, anger oozing from him.
She leans her head up, pushing her forehead into the barrel of his gun. “You already killed my soul when you took Gabriela; might as well kill the body, Carlos.” Tears roll down her cheek.
“Holy shit.” I jump when I hear Thomas’ voice behind me, not realizing he was there. “Fucking baby mommas.”
Damian slaps his back to tell him to shut up.
“You got this?” I ask Weeks. I need to go check on Matteo and Rowan.
Not moving his eyes from her, he grits out, “Yeah.”
Needing him to say nothing else, I take off running to the house, Damian on my heels.
I’m greeted by a pool of blood on my entry floor, and Matteo is no longer there.
Breathing a sigh of relief when I see him sitting at the island, a rag on his shoulder. “Get the women.” He tells me, jerking his head toward the panic room. As Stephen pulls supplies out of his bag.
“Rowan,” I call to the door, knowing she could hear me, but I can’t hear her. “Everything is okay, baby. I’m going to open the door.”
Rowan and Clover stand over Soleil and Sunny, blocking them from view. Her hand cradles her stomach, trying to protect our son. Her eyes scan my body to make sure I’m okay before walking into my open arms. “It’s okay.” I rub her head.
Peering back to look at me, she asks, “Who was it?”
“Weeks’ baby momma.”
Her eyes widen. “What the fuck?”
“I don’t know, but Weeks has her now.”
Clover runs past us to Matteo. Her cry is loud when she sees he’s not seriously injured, a cry of relief.
Weeks took off with Selene, apparently that’s her name, notbaby momma,and everyone else followed suit, but not before Stephan hands me a velvet box, smiling at me and hugging me tightly. “It’s all yours, son.”
