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Setting the boxes of alcohol wipes down, she stood there for a moment before a disbelieving snort escaped her. “What the hell just happened?”

The empty room offered no explanation, which was probably just as well because she wasn't sure she wanted one.

CHAPTER 9

Sloan held Becky's hand as they made their way through the compound toward the medical area where Slade and Dawn were set up. He felt a hell of a lot better after talking to his mate, which shouldn't have surprised him. He had a bad habit of keeping things to himself, something he'd done for longer than he cared to remember. Yet every damn time Becky managed to get him talking, he felt better afterward. Hell, it hadn't been that long ago he'd told her he didn't want her keeping anything from him, and here he was doing that exact fucking thing. Yeah, he needed to work on that.

“You nervous?” Becky asked as they passed the kitchen.

“No. Should I be?” Sloan grinned down at her.

“No, but what if you want a boy and it's a girl?” Becky bit her lip, obviously giving the question some serious thought. “I don't think we've ever really talked about it. Do you want a boy or a girl?”

“I don't have a preference,” Sloan replied without hesitation. “As long as it...sorry, he or she, is healthy and you both come through this safe, that's all that matters to me.”

“Same, although since I've already had a boy, it would be nice to have a girl. They have the cutest little clothes for girls.” Becky glanced up at him, her smile fading when she noticed his frown. “What?”

“If we have a little girl, that means boys are going to start coming around when she's thirty,” Sloan growled, his grip tightening slightly on her hand.

“Oh, Lord.” Becky snickered at his expression. “You sound just like Sid. He's already threatened every unborn and newborn baby in the area. Well, not the babies, but their dads. Apparently, if any of their sons come near his daughter, there's going to be hell to pay. It's ridiculous.”

“I'm with Sid on this one,” Sloan replied seriously. “And if we have a little girl who looks anything like you, there's going to be a whole lot of threatening and ass-kicking in my future.”

Becky started to respond, but suddenly frowned. “Wait a minute. Thirty?”

“That was a delayed reaction.” Sloan chuckled at the look on her face. “And yes, thirty sounds like a reasonable age to start dating.”

“Oh, Sloan, if we have a little girl, you have no idea what's coming.” Becky's grin widened. “She's going to have you wrapped around her little finger before she can even walk. You'll be giving that child anything and everything she wants.”

“Probably true,” Sloan admitted, knowing damn well she'd be right. Hell, he was already a sucker when it came to his mate, and if they had a little girl who looked anything like her, he was screwed. “Except when it comes to little shits sniffing around her.”

Becky laughed, and Sloan couldn't help smiling as they rounded the corner. His attention shifted when he spotted Kent heading toward them. The Warrior looked a hell of a lot better than the last time he'd seen him, which was a relief considering the shape he'd been in after being shot three times.

“Slade release you?” Sloan asked, giving him a quick once-over.

“Yeah.” Kent slipped his phone into his back pocket. “I'm meeting up with Bishop and Viktor after I run a background check.”

“On?” Sloan cocked an eyebrow, not liking how much he'd been out of the loop lately. He trusted his Warriors to handle whatever needed handling, but that didn't mean he didn't want to know what the fuck was going on.

“Some guy Dawn's dating,” Kent replied, his voice holding a low growl that didn't escape Sloan's notice.

“Oh, Danny.” Becky smiled at the mention of the name. “She told me about him. He sounds really nice. Why in the world are you running a background check on him?”

Sloan gave Kent a slight shake of his head, subtle enough that Becky wouldn't notice. “Wait for me in my office before you head out on rounds. I shouldn't be long.”

“Oh, for heaven's sake.” Becky rolled her eyes as she released his hand. “No need to pretend you're not about to discuss something you don't want me hearing. I'll go on to Dawn's office so you two can talk Warrior business.”

Sloan grinned as he watched his mate continue down the hallway. There wasn't much that got past Becky, and he wasn't foolish enough to believe otherwise. Once she'd disappeared around the corner, he turned his attention back to Kent.

“I want to know everything you find out about this guy,” Sloan ordered, his expression turning serious. “And I want you following Dawn tonight. Make sure no one's hanging around watching them or doing anything suspicious. The guy might be exactly who Dawn thinks he is, but until we know that for sure, I want eyes on him. We've seen how this shit can go sideways, and there's too much at stake to take chances. I'll text Bishop and let him know I've given you another assignment.”

“Sounds good.” Kent nodded, looking more than a little pleased with the change in plans.

Sloan studied Kent for a moment, noticing the eagerness he wasn't doing a very good job of hiding as he disappeared down the hallway. There had been a time giving Kent an assignment like this would've made him think twice, but the Warrior had been making some changes lately. He was still a pain in the ass at times, but the arrogant dickhead Sloan had once questioned bringing into the VC was slowly becoming someone he could depend on. He still had a ways to go, but Sloan was willing to give him the chance to prove himself.

Sloan hurried toward Dawn's office, opening the door to find Becky already on the exam table. Closing the door behind him, he made his way to his mate's side, giving Dawn a nod when she smiled at him. It was then he noticed the dress she was wearing and realized his text had probably interrupted her plans for the evening.

“Thank you for doing this on such short notice.” Sloan took his place beside Becky, slipping his hand into hers.