Page 79 of Devil's Own: Roughneck

“She’s going to ICU?” her father asks. “That’s troubling.”

“It’s not ideal,” The nurse admits, “but at least she’s well enough to transfer out.”

“Her husband is at the NICU with their new daughters. Her mother and I are doctors.”

“Then I can probably get you both in to see her. Normally, it’s one visitor at a time.”

Dr. Brand looks around the room at the lot of us. “You really are a family, aren’t you?”

He’s not expecting an answer. Instead, I tell him, “Gia and I will head to the NICU desk to get news to Reap.”

Everyone else stands to walk to the ICU floor. They won’t be allowed inside, but there’s a separate waiting room outside the floor where they can wait for updates.

I hold my hand out to Gia, and we make our way to the elevators, stopping at the labor and delivery desk to find out what floor the NICU is on.

Once on the correct floor, we stop at yet another desk. “Jake Carr is in with his new baby girls. We have information on his wife.”

“Let me go get him,” a nurse behind the desk wearing butterfly scrubs says, and she stands. She scrubs her hands and arms with soap and a scrub brush under hot water, then dresses in a sterile blue gown. She has a cap on her head and booties over her shoes before she presses a button with her elbow and waits for the door to open.

After a few minutes, Reaper walks out of the NICU. He strips down before approaching us. “Brother,” he says.

“Came here as soon as we got news. They moved Dusty to the ICU. Her parents and Caitlin are with her now.”

He nods. Then he turns to the NICU nurse. “This is my brother. Can he come in and see his nieces?”

“He’ll have to wash up, but we’ll get him in with you.”

Gee squeezes my hand and I turn to her. “I’ll wait here,” she says. “Don’t worry about me.” She uses her head to gesture to Reap. “Be there for him.” I get what she’s saying. Be present for my brother. I can do that.

“Love you, woman,” I whisper then land a quick kiss to her parted lips before following Reaper and the nurse to the washing station.

I don’t know if they’re supposed to let me in there, but the hospital staff have been wonderful here, given the situation. The nurse and Reaper show me how to scrub my arms and hands. Then I pull on a sterile gown, a cap, and booties and follow behind them to see the girls.

They aren’t the tiniest in the room, which blows my mind. They look full-sized comparatively. Reaper stops at the first isolette of the two the nurse leads us to. “This is Ridley Jane. She was our firstborn.”

“Damn, she’s beautiful, Reap.” And she is. She has this golden skin tone and curly hair, just like her mom. Her eyes are closed. They have her hooked up to oxygen. There’s an IV line going through her heel.

She begins to fuss. But when Reap talks to her, she settles. “Hey, baby girl,” he says softly. “Daddy’s back. I told you I wouldn’t be gone long.” He sticks his hand through a hole in the side of the isolette with his finger pointed. Little Ridley wraps her hand around his finger, and by the look on his face, I know it’s the other way around.Shehashimwrapped around her finger.

While letting Ridley hold one of his fingers, he pivots to run his other hand through the second isolette, letting that little girl grip his finger, too.

“This is our second baby, Riordan. She has a few more problems than her sister, but she’s strong. Aren’t you, baby girl?” he says to his second daughter softly. “Daddy loves you, too, my sweet little Riordan.”

“They’re identical?” I ask. I knew they were twins, but I had no idea they if were identical. But again, as tiny babies, who knew?

“They’re identical,” he answers. “Doesn’t run in my family, so…” Now that I look at them, so beautiful, so precious… Maybe I changed my mind again about Gee and me having one of our own. No pressure. It has to be her decision, but damn, I want this, too.

24

Twenty-five years or half a beautiful life later…

Rough stalks into our bedroom with a look of intent clear on his face. He’s after one thing:me. Today is our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary and the club is throwing a party for us. It’s supposed to be a surprise, but there’s no way a party stays a surprise for long with this group. Although I’m supposed toactsurprised when we walk in, per Rough’s edict.

Like I wouldn’t.

I move up the bed from where I was getting up to make breakfast because as my husband stalks me, he shakes his head, growling like the predator he is. I shriek, laughing when he lunges. The hot skin of his bare chest sets me on fire while I move my hands over his body. He’s still a work of art, even after all these years.

His mouth slams against mine as he runs his hand up over my bent knee to reach the gusset of my panties, where he presses two fingers under the fabric, honing in onthespot right away. I moan into his mouth, whispering, “More.”

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