Page 58 of Custodian

Dex laughed at her, his irises lightening almost to the original hazel they were before he became ill. “You’re so damn pretty.”

Dex snorted, sitting on the side of the bed, “You’re the pretty one. All round and beautiful, growing our child.”

Dex bent down to press a soft kiss against her abdomen and Cali blinked back the tears in her eyes. “I love you so much,” she told him.

“I know. I love you too,” Dex replied, kissing her on her lips this time, but with equal gentleness. When he pulled back, Cali could see worry in his eyes.

“Cali, I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow,” he began.

Cali felt her loose muscles tense up. She knew where this conversation was headed. “Dex. We agreed on this,” she remined him.

“I understand your dedication to your liege. Trust me, I do. And I know Max is your priority. She’s my priority too. But she’s no longer the only one,” Dex said, firmly.

Cali placed her hands over her stomach, feeling Hitch kick happily. “I know,” she responded. “I’ll talk to her,” Cali promised.

As it turned out, she didn’t need to go in search of her liege, because after a much-needed shower, Max was waiting at their bedroom door.

“Have you two stopped fucking yet?” Max asked, smirking at Dex and Cali, where Dex had been giving Cali a goodbye kiss on the way out.

Cali pushed Dex out the rest of the way and dragged her friend inside instead. “Yes. We’ve finished. Not like you and the Captain weren’t trying to break some land-speed records yourself this morning,” Cali muttered.

Max laughed, not bothering to deny it, and eyed the bed dubiously, “I’ll sit over here, I think.”

Cali laughed as Max made her way over to the rocking chair in the corner. With only a couple of months left before Hitch made his appearance, they had begun to buy things and set up the nursery. Poor Axel had once again been forced to move rooms, as Cali and Dex claimed Darius’s old suite on the top floor. The room was large with an attached study that was perfect for the baby. It would also afford them all some privacy so when the baby cried half the night, the rest of the house wouldn’t be disturbed.

Hitch chose that moment to make himself known, “Easy there, my little man,” Cali crooned, running a soothing hand over the thumping fists and knees inside her. Max bounced up and placed her hands on Cali’s tummy, smiling with love and adoration as she felt the precious bumps. The kicks and jabs eventually tapered off and Cali smiled, thinking her baby was the best behaved baby in the whole world; he already listened to his mum. She knew it was total crap of course. If the little tyke turned out anything like her, they were all going to be screwed.

Max was pouting because Hitch had stopped moving and Cali knew her – and the rest of the softies in the house – loved feeling him move. Shifting gears so she wouldn’t become victim to Max poking her in the tummy to get Hitch moving again, Cali asked, “What brings you here?”

Max sighed, “Cali, I need you to do something for me.”

“Of course, Max,” Cali promptly answered her liege.

“Tomorrow, when we bundle ourselves off to war? I need you to stay here.”

“Yeah, right,” she snorted. Cali knew she and Dex had literally just had the same discussion but hearing Max telling her she couldn’t go, had Cali’s soldier instincts kicking in.

“I’m serious, Cali. You’re not coming with us.” Max’s voice suddenly belonged to the liege and not the friend.

“I won’t fight, I promise.” Cali asserted, running a hand lovingly over her sizable baby bump. She had less than ten weeks to go and she wasn’t exactly light on her feet anymore. But there was nothing wrong with her vitality production. And Max and her Order were going to need all the vitality they could get. She had already promised them all she would stay back and stay safe – no fighting whatsoever. But she fully intended to go and provide energy from the sidelines.

“You won’t fight because you’re not going.” Max’s voice was implacable.

Cali frowned, knowing Dex would be happy. But still, “Max –”

“Cali, listen to me.” Max grabbed her hand, her grip so tight she felt the blood cut off almost instantly. “You have to stay here. Do you understand? Youhaveto.”

Cali felt her hand tremble now as she laid it once again over her growing son, “What do you know? Max, what have you seen?”

Max shook her head, lips pressed tightly together for a moment, before she spoke. “Nothing … everything. Too little and too much. Your son – he’ll be safe. I swear to you, he’ll be born healthy and perfect – brave like his father, passionate like his mother, and cheeky like both of you.” She smiled warmly to Cali’s left, as if she could already see the small boy still growing insider her, before facing her once again, her face sobering. “But you need to stay here. Do you understand me? You must stay here.”

“And he’ll be okay?” Cali trembled.

Max nodded her head, her eyes bright. “I promise.”

Cali nodded, swallowing hard. “Okay. I’ll stay here. I swear.”

Max blew out a relieved breath, shoulders slumping, “Good. That’s settled. It also means you can be here to help Jazz settle in,” Max gave Cali a pat on the shoulder as she headed for the door.

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