“Kinda like you was about an hour ago.” Mozzi tittered.
Not at all humored, Coast side-eyed him through the pain. With one hand propping her up, she circled her extended belly and continued her deep breathing.
“The time for jokes is over,” she growled, hiking a brow as irritation bounced through her eyes.
“Aight. Where that big ass bag you packed?” He looked around the room.
“Downstairs in the closet by the front door,” she huffed.
Mozzi had to blow a fat one on the drive to the hospital. Coast screamed every six and a half minutes while clawing the leather interior on the doors and middle console. When they left the house, it was at least ten minutes between them, but they were growing stronger with each passing minute.
When they arrived at the hospital, Dr. Thorn already arranged to have her booked in a private suite, and Mozzi notified Bee and Audiemar. Coast’s room was quiet except for the soft, rhythmic beep of the machines she was hooked up to. Propped up in a hospital bed exhausted and sweating, she did Lamaze breathing as another contraction took over.
Beside her, Mozzi ran his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp and kissing the side of her head. A soft knock at the door caused them both to lift their heads. Coast was expecting a member of her family or Audiemar, but the beautiful, brown skinned woman who stepped inside dressed like she belonged in a courtroom alarmed her. She was composed and controlled. There was something familiar behind those beady eyes too.
“You lost?” Mozzi asked, pulling away from Coast as the woman let the door close behind her.
“No. I’m exactly where I need to be,” she replied calmly.
Coast shifted slightly in bed, and her face tightened into a grimace.
“Who the hell are you?”
“My name is Shalice. Sipes was my brother,” she revealed, sucking the air from the room with her statement.
The name hit Coast as hard as one of her contractions, and her jaw tightened.
“Why are you here?” Mozzi demanded.
Shalice didn’t look at him, which wasn’t an easy feat considering he had a powerful presence, and from a brief glance at his criminal history profile, she knew he was also fine as hell. Men like him came with good dick and a whole lot of baggage. His reputation preceded him. Shalice didn’t just do her homework within the judicial system; she wanted to know everything about Mozzi Blackmoor and anybody he dealt with.
“Because I’m that baby’s aunt,” she said simply. “Sipes is gone, and our parents are dead. I am the only blood relative that baby has.”
“Why are you here now?” Mozzi questioned, not trusting her one bit.
She had that same scandalous ass look as her brother, and he couldn’t pin it, but he recognized something about her. Finally, Shalice diverted her attention to him, unmoved. The way she assessed him was with both admiration and intrigue. Coast was a woman, and although Shalice wasn’t checking for him, she, like most women, were drawn to Mozzi. One look at him and you knew he was probably no good for you, but those magnetic eyes pulled you in anyway.
“I’m here to make something very clear.”
“Is that right?” Mozzi swiped the space under his nose with his thumb and first finger with a chuckle.
“That’s right.” Shalice didn’t back down, and Mozzi respected it. “I will be in his or her life.”
Mozzi snorted before releasing a humorless laugh and shaking his head.
“No, you won’t.”
“I’m not asking for permission.” Shalice’s dark gaze landed on Coast again.
This time, he stepped forward. His Eros cologne permeated the air, but Shalice didn’t budge.
“You’re not getting anywhere near my fucking daughter.”
“I don’t need to get near her… today,” Shalice clarified smugly.
Unlike her impulsive brother, she was strategic and calculated. Coast picked up on it immediately. She might have come in here trying to keep it official business, but she was basically threatening Coast.
“You talking about court?” Mozzi challenged.
