“Nothing will happen to you or either of our kids,” I declare, my voice rougher than usual. “We’re going to stay here until this shit dies down and Anthony and Jack can assure us both it’s safe for us to go back to Brooklyn.”
I lift my hands to her face, bend my knees as I cradle her face and stare into her framed eyes.
So ducking gorgeous my Kitten was.
Yeah, I said ducking.
We were having another Pea.
“I asked you to take a detour, you took my hand and ran. I asked you to fight your way back to me and Eric, you did it with vigor. I asked you to marry me, you said yes. I asked you to make another baby with me, you gave me another Pea. Now, I’m going to ask you to trust me, trust me with your life and the two we created together. I swear on everything I give a damn about, everything that matters, I will keep you safe. Are you going to take my hand and run with me one more time, Kitten?”
She lifts her hands to mine, her small hands close around my wrists.
“I’ll always run with you. I’ll hold on and swing right when there is an unexpected turn—”
“Detour,” I correct her, smiling back at my baby mama.
“I’ll run through every detour with you as long as you’re real with me. I promise you I can take it, I can handle everything you are and everything that’s thrown at us, but you need to trust that as much as I need to trust your capabilities of keeping us safe.”
“You got yourself a deal, babe,” I answer, brushing my lips across hers. I pull back, taking her hands in mine, placing her at arm’s length to fully take her in. “Fuck, I’m lucky.”
“Yeah, you are,” she laughs, dropping one of my hands to wipe at her cheeks. I tug her to my side and wrap my free arm around her, placing it on her belly.
“Well, that didn’t take long.” I pondered. “I think I have super sperm.”
She chuckles, turning her face into my chest, her laughter vibrating against my heart.
Music to my fucking ears.
I wanted more.
More laughter, less tears.
No fucking tears.
“Come on, Kitten, let’s shake things up at Casa Montgomery.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Let’s tell Lenore she’s going to be a grandma again,” I laugh. “Shit, she’ll probably deplete the liquor supply but it’ll be fun to watch,” I kiss the top of her head before placing my index finger under her chin and cocking her head back so her eyes met mine. “I love you, Lauren Bianci.”
I grinned to myself.
I knocked up Kitten again.
I was going to have two little rug rats.
If I was a believer, I’d look up to the heavens and ask Him to keep sending the detours my way because they keep getting better and better.
With my baby mama tucked into my side, the threat of doom somewhere flapping in the wind, we take off to the main house to rescue our ascot wearing toddler and break the news to the oil diggers that there would be another Montgomery heir to spoil with their millions.
Life was good.
Nah, it was fucking great.
I dare someone to take this from me.
I fucking dare them.
Chapter Thirty-Five
I glanced down at the photo staring back at me on top of the bar. It had seen better days; the edges were frayed and there were thick creases in it from folding it so many times throughout the years. It was my favorite photograph of my son. His innocent smile was as bright as the sun and his eyes full of joy. I used to carry it everywhere with me hence the tattered condition it currently was in, but as the edges wore I realized it was too precious to take with me everywhere I went. It felt wrong bringing him along with all the illegal shit going on, exposing him to the grit and mayhem. He was pure and innocent when he left this earth and that’s how he shall remain. Then there was always the nagging in my head that I’d drop the fucking picture, forget it somewhere and I’d lose him all over again.
These days I keep the photograph on top of my dresser and it’s the first thing I see in the morning but today was different. I made a promise to my boy at his grave, told him I’d bring him with me for all the good, and today was the start of the good. Today, my ass was marrying Reina, and it didn’t get any better than that.
I pour myself a shot, knock back the whiskey before folding the photo delicately in half and sliding it into the inside pocket of my cut, covering my heart. All my kids will be with me when Reina becomes my wife. Lacey would stand across from me, alongside my wife, and my boy would be in my heart. Then there was our kid tucked safely in Reina’s belly. Seemed like a perfect fucking union if you asked me.