They’re planning on coming to town when the baby is born. My dad is still healthy enough to travel, but my guess is if he chooses not to get treatment, this’ll be the last time he comes to visit.
The plane taxis to our gate, and my leg is thumping double time with the urge the break out of here. I texted my brother before we took off, telling him that it was on time, and he said he’d be waiting at the curb.
With my woman.
I lick my lips with anticipation, hoping we have the condo to ourselves for a few hours so I can show Layla just how much I missed her. Nothing sounds better than stripping down and holding her to me. There’s no better feeling in the world than having a naked Layla in my bed. It’s not even about the sex; although, when we get naked, that’s pretty much inevitable.
The fasten seatbelt sign is off, and I’m up and hunched over in the tiny aisle as the people filter from the plane. Once in the airport, I power walk past the baggage claim and through the sliding glass doors.
My eyes scan left, right, but I don’t see the Rubicon. I check my phone. I’m ten minutes late. Maybe they drove around and are coming back—
“Blake!”
I whirl around toward Axelle’s voice.
She’s stepping out of an old Jeep Wrangler. That’s Killer’s car. Why the hell is he picking me up?
“Hey, kiddo!”
She runs up to me, and the closer she gets, the clearer I can see the panic in her eyes. “It’s Mom. She’s in labor.”
My heart drops into my stomach, adrenaline floods my veins, and my hands fist at my sides. “What!”
“Come on. I’ll explain in the car.”
We jog to Killer’s Jeep, and Axelle jumps in the back while I hop in the front. “Talk. Now.”
“I was home and Braeden was waiting for mom to get home.”
“Home from where? Why wasn’t Brae with her?”
“I don’t know. But he got a call from some guy who said he was with Mom and she’d gone into labor.”
I turn my body around as much as I can and face Axelle. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“Mom went into labor at The Venetian, and some guy she was having coffee with took her to the hospital.”
My eyes squint so hard they twitch. Anger settles deep in my gut as I make a mental list of who I’m going kill first: Braeden, then this asshole who has my woman, and then after Layla’s finished birthing our baby, she’s got some fucking explaining to do. Why the hell didn’t she stay with my brother as I fucking asked her to?
“Don’t go there, man.” Killian’s voice calls over to me even though his eyes are on maneuvering us through the Vegas streets. “She’s with your brother now. I’m sure she can explain.”
He’s right, but that doesn’t change the fact that I want some fucking answers.
“Oh my God, we’re having a baby!” Axelle’s high-pitched squeal and her grip on my shoulder ignite my excitement.
Fuckin A. We’re having a baby. “Drive faster, Killer.”
“Got it.” He lays heavy on the gas and soon we pull up to the emergency entrance of the hospital.
My heart pounds in my chest to the point that I’m dizzy. It wasn’t long ago I walked through these same doors the day Sadie was born. How Jonah held himself together through that, I’ll never know.
We all jump from the Jeep and jog to the front desk.
“Layla Moorehead. She’s in labor. We’re her family.” Axelle’s practically jumping.
“Hey, you can’t park your car there,” a security guard says and moves toward us.
The front desk nurse glances up at us. “Room 323, Labor and Delivery.” She stands and leans over the desk. “It’s right down—”
“Thank you!” Axelle calls out her gratitude from behind me as I’m halfway down the hallway.
“Hey, the car!” The security guy must be talking to Killer.
I hear him toss the keys and the sound of them hitting the tile floor. “Here, keep ’em!”
Axelle and Killer catch up to me as we zigzag our way through the hospital, following the signs and arrows that lead us to Labor and Delivery.
We rush up to another desk with a young nurse sitting behind it. “Hi, I’m Blake Daniels, here for Layla. I’m the father.”
Her eyes brighten. “Oh, yeah. They’re expecting you.” She hits a few keys on her computer. “You can go on back.”
“Thanks.” I turn to Axelle, who nods, a huge grin on her face. “This is it, kiddo. We’re having a baby.”
She nods again and claps her hands. “Okay.”
I kiss the top of her head.
“A-Axelle?” A man’s voice calls from a small couch in the waiting room.
We swivel our heads in unison toward the voice.
Older guy, dark hair, decent size. He takes a tentative step toward her, his eyes wide in shock. I can’t explain why, whether it’s the eerie way he’s staring at my girl, or the strange familiarity of his face, but tension scents the air.
She leans into me ever so slightly. “Do I know you?”
The man blinks a few times and moves closer.
“Stop right there.” The low growling command comes from Killer, who’s now flanking Axelle on her other side.