Page 143 of The Road Less Traveled By

“What time is it?” I ask as I rub my eyes. The sun isn't even shining yet, so it must be early in the morning.

“Like three a.m., but get up. Liv has gone into labor, and Tristan just called me.”

That gets me right up.

“She’s early! She’s not supposed to be this early!” I shout as I clamor out of bed.

“I know, but she and the baby will be fine,” Vince says as he passes by Nellie and Poppy in their beds, still sleeping soundly. Vince and I got another dog—a boxer named Poppy—about two years ago. She and Nellie are the best of friends, and it’s been nice having two sets of pawprints in the house.

They’re the best dogs ever and have their own corner in our room. It’s all decked out with dog beds, toys, and anything else theycould need. There’s even a small water bowl in case they don't want to get up and go downstairs at night.

I burst out of bed, throw on some sweats, a bra, and a hoodie before Vince grabs the car keys from where they sit in our room, and we head out the door.

“Are you driving, or do you want me to call Emerson?” I ask.

“Don’t wake him up. We’ll be fine,” Vince says as he opens the car door for me.

Emerson, Chris, and Duncan have stayed on as part of our security team. There’s obviously no need for my entire house to be guarded all the time, since Ralph is still in prison. I haven't had any other situations like that one, so Vince handed the reins over to Emerson.

Vince no longer makes the final decisions regarding my safety. Technically, I do. Emerson is my head guard, and Vince isjustmy boyfriend.

But he still likes to butt in during conversations about my safety, which I don’t mind, because he still does this shit for a living. He and Nico still run their company together, but Vince is more hands-off than he used to be. He doesn't take cases anymore. He has finally put down roots, and the two of us have been enjoying our lives together.

He still works, helping Nico train the new men, but when it comes to me, Emerson has taken over. I couldn't be happier. I’ve trusted Emerson since I met him that first day outside my house, and I know Vince is super close to him, too.

It all works perfectly, our little unit.

“Are you ready to become an aunt?” Vince asks as he drives the car out of the gate and onto the road.

“I am, I think!” I say nervously, because what if I immediately hold the kid and it starts crying? What if it can tell that I’m kind of afraid of it?

Well, I probably shouldn’t call it an ‘it’.

“Are they at the hospital already, or did Tristan waste time texting us while Liv was having contractions?”

Vince only chuckles, knowing that’s something Tristan would do. “I think they’re at the hospital already. His first text came in around one, but I didn't hear it. He left me like a hundred voicemails talking about how if I’m not there to protect their kid, and if you missed your sister’s birth, he would kill me.”

“That sounds about right.”

Tristan never lets anyone forget that Vince is a bodyguard. Well, hewasa bodyguard. Anytime we go out in public, he always asks Vince to sweep the area. It has become a running bit.

My brother is the goofiest motherfucker on the planet, and he’s going to make a wonderful father.

Twenty minutes later, we’re rushing into the delivery unit to find Teags sitting in the waiting room by herself.

“Teags? Where is everyone?”

My best friend lifts her head from her phone. “It’s just me. My mom is in the room with them. No baby yet.”

Vince presses a kiss to my head. “Go, Bree. I know you’ll want to see Liv. I’ll keep Teags company.”

“Yay me,” my best friend says. “Is Nico with you guys, at least? I really wanted to ask him a few things.”

I raise my eyebrow at Vince, and he only shrugs. Those two are weirdly friendly with one another, and I don’t think I’d want to be a fly on the wall for any of their conversations. They seem…peculiar, to say the least.

I push through the doors and head into Liv’s room, only to hear her breathing heavily.

“Livvy?”

---