Page 17 of Bred By The Deputy
“Hi, Deputy,” she whispers as her head falls against mine. “I knew you would be here. Once they stopped us, I knew. We were almost out of town, but I didn’t think for one second you would let him leave with me. You came for us,” her voice is watery as she presses against me, clinging to me. Lifting her up and out of the car, I cradle her close, burrowing my face in her chest where I feel her heartbeat.
“Told you I would always come for you. I won’t ever let my girls go,” I rasp as I rush back to the Porsche, setting her inside gingerly.
“Girls? Oh, baby, you saw it! We’re pregnant! You think it’s a girl?”
“Yeah, darlin’, I saw it. Hope so. Would be so fucking lucky to have another you. Did he…did he hurt you, sweetheart?”
Pulling back, I take stock of her, making sure there is no damage. My hands touch her everywhere and she grabs them when they shake too badly to feel a damn thing. Tipping her face back, I growl. Rage boils inside me when I see the marks on her face. A bruise forming. He hit her. He put his hands on a woman, on my woman, who is carrying my child.
“I am going to fuckingkill him,” I roar, standing before she pulls me back down.
“No, no, please don’t leave me. It was nothing. I was being mouthy. Told him he had made a big mistake because my Deputy would come after me. I laughed at him. He just smacked me to shut me up. I am fine. Please, please, don’t leave me. Do not do something that would take you from me.”
Blinking down at her, I frown. It takes me a minute to notice her eyes tracking the scene behind me. Turning a little, I see men circling Acosta who is still on his knees. His gaze is locked on us, a look of pure hate and disgust on his ugly face. Standing, I promise her I will be back before I go to join the others, wanting to finish this.
“You put your hands on women? Pregnant women at that,” I add, shaking my head as if I pity him. Truth is, I do. Because he will never know what Della and I share. He could never understand the bond that began the moment she smiled and asked me about mashed potatoes.
“Pregnant? ThatPuntaspread her legs fast for you,” he snarks, spitting on the ground at my feet.
“Oh, we don’t talk about women that way here, friend,” Panic speaks before I can, landing a crushing blow to Acosta’s face, sending blood spraying. “Definitely don’t put hands on them. Here I thought we were just getting payback. Nah, now we get to end a bitch of a man who ain’t nice to the ladies. Ought to be a good time, I think, don’t you boys?”
“Oh, in case you weren’t sure, you’reneverleaving Driftwood,” Crush offers with his dark, twisted grin.
“Had no clue you plugged Disciple family, did you?” Panic stuns me. This was never a favor—they were going to find Acosta with or without me. He came to them instead. “That man you couldn’t buy was one of us in all the ways that count, whether he wore a cutte or not. This isabout us, Acosta. Not the Deputy. Because you hurt his woman, we will have a little more fun just for her sake. See you later, Deputy. This is on us not you. Take your old lady home.”
There are a lot of deciding moments in a man's life. When I joined the military. When I put on a badge. When I pulled Della over and forgot for a few hours I was an on-duty cop because I was busy falling in love with her. This is one of those moments. I can be a cop, or I can be a man. A man who does the right thing, just like Mrs. Murphy said I would do.
“See you later, brother,” I nod at the President of the Disciples, turning to go do the right thing. To take care of my girls.
Loading Della up carefully, I pause as I kneel beside her. Closing my eyes, I press my face to her tummy, saying a thank you, a prayer, a vow. I will protect them both for the rest of my life. At all costs, no matter what lines I have to cross or what rules I have to break. They are all that matter to me now, and I would give everything to keep them safe.
“Come on, darlin’. Let’s go home,” I tell her, kissing the slowly darkening bruise on her face, her jaw, her lips.
“I love you, baby,” she rasps, nodding her head as she beams up at me. “I was never scared. Because I knew, we knew, you would come for us.”
“I will always come for you, Della. Always. No matter what.”
Pulling from the road after I climb in beside her, I don’t look back. I don’t care what they do to Acosta. I would lie if someone asked me, I would protect this secret, those men if it came to that. Because they let me keep my word. They let me protect the most important things in the world to me.
“Baby,” she murmurs as we near the house, hands on her belly. “Will you do something for me when we get home?”
Turning to gaze at her, I smile immediately. “Yeah, darlin’. Whatever you want. What is it?”
“Will you make me mashed potatoes?”
Chuckling, I forget all about the bruise on her face, the man who put it there, and what might come of him. None of it matters. I nod my head, bringing her hand to my mouth to kiss each finger. Yeah, I will make her mashed potatoes or get her ice cream and pickles, I will do anything she asks of me.
Because I love her, and it took just one kiss for me to know it.
Chapter Ten
Della
Being pregnant is a beautiful thing.
Even with swollen ankles, morning sickness that lasts all day, and crying fits that come and go, it is so beautiful. Lying in the huge claw bathtub, my belly so big now that all the bubbles do nothing to hide it, I drop a sweet pickle dipped in the best ranch in town in my mouth. Moaning at the sweet, saltiness, I sink lower into the warm water, sated as can be.
Just passing the twentieth week, I have loved every bit of being pregnant. Dole spoils me rotten, gets me treats, rubs my feet, and is dutifully prepping the spare room as a nursery. Tonight, we’re going to town for the gender reveal with our friends and I am so blessed that he is letting me have all the little milestones that some never bother with.
