“Nick?” I said, catching sight of the tattoo I’d worked so meticulously on the last few weeks.
Reacting negatively whenever hearing that particular name, Cooper immediately tensed. We watched as both fighters readied for the battle.
“Nick is one of the guys?” I asked Tucker who avoided Cooper’s glare.
“He’s a hardass. Takes a punch and keeps coming. The crowd loves him because he just bleeds and never stops. They call him the dragon. Nice tat, by the way, Aaron. Very popular with the girls in the stands.”
Hearing Nick was fucking other chicks and no longer planned to mess with his, Cooper lost interest in kicking ass.
“I love when you do a back piece like that, man,” he said to me while grinning. “You really shine. I should have had one done instead all of the smaller ones. I blame you for not suggesting it.”
“Shut the fuck up is all I have to say on that matter. You’re the one who keeps getting new tats. I told you to pace yourself, but no one listens to me.”
“I like my tats,” Judd muttered, focused on the impending fight. “I like how each one tells a story. Now, what the bald guy said. Shut the fuck up. I’m trying to focus.”
“He must be quiet the charmer in bed, huh?” Vaughn teased, causing Judd to nearly shove him off the bench. “Man, he goes an hour without fucking and what a bitch.”
Laughing at their bullshit, I noticed Cooper watching me.
“Things are solid?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“You got a girl, a baby on the way, and her sister living with you. A lot of shit. Just wanted to make sure you weren’t putting on a cool act for the world.”
“And you thought the best time to have a heart to heart was at an organized brawl with hundreds of people around us and these idiots probably listening?”
“Yeah, I figured we’d be less likely to cry and hug with an audience.”
Elbowing him, I smiled. “I’m good and thanks for asking. I know that couldn’t have been easy with your ferocious jealousy of my amazing sperm.”
“Fuck you. Farah is probably knocked up right this very second.”
“Or not. You have a good life and weak sperm doesn’t change anything.”
“I’m going to knock your face in.”
“Fight’s starting. Kick his ass later,” Tucker said.
We quieted down as the crowd roared to life. As I watched Nick stand casually in the middle of the cage, I now understood where he got the money for the tattoo. Having seen the scars on his back that were now covered by the dragon, I also figured he wouldn’t mind a few more from these fights.
When the first punch was thrown and Nick took it then barreled at the other fighter, Cooper hooted.
“He’s a wily fuck. Did I ever tell you that it took me a whole five minutes to get him to stay down? That might be a fucking record for me.”
“Yeah, you’re a hell of a fighter,” I said, refraining from the urge to mock his weak sperm.
Cooper knew what I was thinking though and glared at me. “You’re lucky your parents paid me to be your friend when we were kids or I would so kick your ass right now.”
“Shh,” I said, placing my finger to his lips. “Save your strength for another failed attempt knocking up your wife.”
Cooper grinned. “Laugh it up. My kids are going to kick your kids’ asses too.”
“Your kids?” I asked, returning my gaze to the fight where Nick wore down his bigger opponent by fighting past the pain. “I’ll believe that when I see them.”
Cooper looked ready to hit me when Tucker screamed like a girl next to him.
“My baby’s coming!!!!”
“Save your pillow talk for Maddy,” Vaughn said, rolling his eyes.
“No, she’s going to the hospital. The baby is coming. My little girl is coming. Shit, every way I say that sounds pervy.”
“You’re going to be a dad,” Cooper said, patting him on the back. “Let’s go break a few speed limits and scare some hospital staff.”
Ten minutes later, after roaring through town and flipping off a few patrol cars who would have chased had they not known the owners of those middle fingers, we arrived at the hospital.
Bailey was yelling at a doctor and threatening him with bodily harm.
“Don’t worry,” Tucker said, hurrying past his sister. “I already threatened him. He’s solid.”
“Oh, well, okay then.”
Tucker followed a nurse into a room while I joined Lark who looked freaked out.
“She was acting so normal and now a baby is coming out of her vagina. I hope we have more warning.”
“I love you too,” I said and she grinned. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Bailey’s been threatening people since we got here twenty minutes ago.”
“So you’ve had entertainment.”
Lark got up from her chair and curled up in my lap. “Tawny said we can get married with them in Vegas. She’s actually excited about it.”
Smiling, I looked at where Tawny stood with Judd. They both looked awkward in the hospital with all of the laboring women waddling by.