Page 137 of Devil's Dilemma

I grin and roll her back. “Mel, darlin’. Just saying goodbye like I promised to do.”

“You will come back?”

One time another man told her goodbye and never returned. “You can bet you’re fuckin’ life on it. I’ll be back later today. If I’m delayed, it will be tomorrow at the latest, okay? You stay here at the club. Vi’s going to talk baby shit with you.”

“Demon and Vi are pregnant too.”

“Yeah, how about that? They kept that quiet for a while.” They’d announced it last night. Vi’s three months along now, so our babies will only be a couple of months apart.

Mel’s more awake now. “Jay’s over the moon. She’s already offering to babysit. Hmm,” her hand is exploring, “someone’s woken up horny.”

I’m as hard as a fucking rock, but that’s normal around her. “Shit, Mel. I’ve got to get going. But hold that thought, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

She gives me one more rub to torture me. I put my hand over hers and lift it away. “I’m sorry I’ve got to go, but there’s this special part…”

“I know, I understand, Ro. It’s just…” Her face falls and she bites her lip.

“I’m coming back,” I tell her again, “and soon. I’ll pay you back for making me spend the whole fuckin’ day sporting a hard-on. You just think how you’re going to deal with that when I get home.”

Having made my threat and suggestively waggled my eyebrows to make her giggle, I kiss her, then pull down the sheet, putting my lips to her stomach where my daughter is nestled inside. “See you soon, baby girl. Be good for your mom.”

Mel chuckles. “Right now, she can’t be anything else. It’s when she gets bigger that she’ll give me grief.”

Neither of us can wait until she starts to move.

“Don’t lift anything heavy, don’t…”

“I know, I know,” she sighs, and grumbles. “I’ve got another four months of you nagging me to be careful, haven’t I?”

“It gets worse. You wait, Mel,” I threaten. “I’ll…"

She gasps, puts her hand to her stomach.

“What is it?” I’m leaning over her, my face taut with concern.

“She moved. I swear. She moved.”

I place my hand where she’s just had hers. For a second nothing happens then… I feel a faint fluttering under my palm. “Is that her?”

“Yeah. I think it is.”

My fucking God. I’ve just felt my baby move. All of a sudden it makes what I’ve got to do more imperative. But I’m reluctant to leave now, when my daughter’s just nudged my hand.

A hoarse whisper sounds from outside my door. “You in there, Ro?”

“Go on,” she says. “We’ll be here when you get back.”

“Iamcoming back to you.” I hold her gaze with mine.

“I know you are.”

I stand, look at her one last time, then sliding my gun into my cut and taking my wallet and keys off the stand, exit the room.

Mace is standing outside. “Ready?”

“Let’s do this.”

“Archer’s expecting us,” Mace tells me as we descend the stairs, keeping our voices down. It’s four am and most of the brothers are sleeping. “Got everything you need?”

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