Page 26 of Talk Wicked to Me

She spent the next ten minutes cleaning him up and trying to sweet-talk him out of crying. She sat on the couch to nurse him. Wincing as he latched on, she closed her eyes, preparing for the discomfort of his sucking causing her uterus to cramp. Why did movies and books portray nursing as a beautiful, pain-free experience right after giving birth? The nurses said the cramps would subside, and it would hurt less as time went on and her nipples toughened up. That was something she’d never thought she’d hope for, yet here she was, begging her nipples to toughen up.

Brennan pooped again, and she changed him but forgot to hold the diaper over his penis for a few seconds, and he peed on her shirt. Babies should come with warning signs about such things. After she cleaned and changed them both, he finally fell asleep. Emerson unattached the bassinet from the Pack ’n Play and carried it into the dining room. She put Brennan in it and went to put the laundry in the dryer.

When she finally got back to her desk, she was too tired to focus. She carried the bassinet, with Brennan sleeping soundly in it, back into the bedroom, and when her head hit the pillow, she went out like a light.

Chapter Eight

THE FAMILIAR RUMBLE and roar of the motorcycle should have cleared Baz’s head, but as he turned down Tank’s driveway, Emerson was still front and center in his mind.

He parked among the other bikes, taking in the sea of Dark Knights on Tank’s lawn. He’d prospected the club at eighteen, had become a member at twenty, and had lived by the club creed his entire life. Love, loyalty, and respect for all. These were many of the men he trusted most. The men who would take a bullet for him.

Too bad they couldn’t fix the shit going on in his head.

Remaining on the bike, boots planted on gravel, he took off his helmet and set it in front of him to check on Emerson before greeting the guys. He pulled up their last text, and the picture of him holding Brennan stared back at him, bringing a rush of the very emotions he was trying to escape. He hated leaving them alone, which made no fucking sense. He’d only just met them.

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, the strength and surety of it telling him it was Tank before he even said, “We wondered if you’d show up.”

“Damn. That’s a tiny one, B,” Gunner added.

Baz looked up from the picture, meeting Tank’s serious dark eyes and Gunner’s lighter gaze. On some levels, the three brothers were as different as could be. At six four, with tattoos covering nearly every inch of his body, piercings in his nostril, ears, and nipples, with black hair and eyes to match, Tank was a mountain of a man, and intimidating as hell. Since falling in love with Leah and her girls, and welcoming Leo, though, he wasn’t quite as broody. Gunner, a former marine with short blond hair and tattoos from neck to fingers, had always been the playboy of the family, like their cousin Zander. But Gunner had settled down since he and Sidney had gotten together. Then there was Baz, who had been labeled the charmer.

He didn’t feel like a fucking charmer. “Being here is the only thing keeping me from going right back there.” He pocketed his phone without sending a text and climbed off his bike as Zeke and Zander headed over.

“The baby doc made it after all,” Zander teased. “Was Emerson pissed about all the work we did?”

“No. She was shocked, and a little uncomfortable that we’d gone through her things, but I think she appreciated our efforts. Thanks for your help. Where’re Maverick and Blaine?”

“They can’t ride today,” Zeke said. “How are Emerson and the baby?”

“They’re good.” Baz rubbed the tension that had been gathering at the base of his neck since he left Emerson.

“Cuffs said he reported back to you on the neighbor,” Tank said.

“Yeah, the guy’s seventy-eight and harmless.”

“What’s the deal with the baby’s father?” Gunner asked.

“They were already over when she found out she was pregnant, but she told him about the baby, and he didn’t want any part of it.”

Tank lowered his chin. “You want Cuffs to get on that?”

Baz shook his head. “No. The dude had fallen in love with another woman. He wanted a clean slate.”

“Then why do you look like you’re about to bust out of your skin?” Tank asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe because I’m so fucking drawn to her, and it makes no sense,” he barked. “She just had another man’s baby, and it’s not like she’s hitting on me. She keeps sending me away. But I feel connected to her, and to the baby. I never feel that way toward anyone.”

“You and Evie are pretty damn tight,” Gunner pointed out.

“We are, and I’m telling you, this is completely different.”

“You did deliver Emerson’s baby,” Zeke said. “That forges a bond like no other.”

“Doctors deliver babies every day, and I guarantee they’re not all walking around thinking about the mothers like I’m thinking about her.” Baz’s hands fisted with the admission. “I haven’t been able to get this woman out of my head since she blew into my office Friday afternoon. She’s right there. In every thought, like the wind when we ride, and I can’t fucking escape it.”

“Are you worried that something bad is about to go down?” Tank said.

“Not like that, no. I just want to be there for them every damn second. I want to make sure she doesn’t wear herself out, and keep them both safe.” He looked at his brothers’ and cousins’ scrutinizing gazes. “Tell me it’s fucked up. I’ve got plans, man. I need to get this shit out of my head.”