Page 42 of Sacrifice the Knight (Checkmate 6)

“Of course not!” Stopping at the front door, she turns and fixes my collar with a soft hum under her breath. Her actions surprise me, and when she catches herself, I think they surprise her too. Laine was an abused girl not so long ago, hurt beyond anything I know, and stripped down until she was treated as less than an animal. She couldn’t stand to be in the same room as me or any other man, but she’s growing, changing, as Angelo helps her feel safe and her sister pushes her out of her comfort zone.

But the collar thing… that’s new.

“I’m so sorry.” She blushes. “I’m a little wired up.”

“It’s okay.” I take extra care not to touch her while she fixes my shirt. “Your sister has exciting news. Why didn’t they announce it yet?” I cast a glance out to the yard. “Looks like everyone’s here.”

“But not you, silly. Kane can’t do it without you. But now you’re here, and someone’s about to get shot, so hurry inside.”

I swing the front door open with a laugh and step through the crushing crowd. Cops, fighters, mechanics, school teachers, and about eleven billion kids ranging from zero to seventeen. I step through the crowds and come into the small living room to find Jay standing in front of his big brother like a security detail, and Kane standing in front of Jess as he does the same.

“Jesus.” I glance from the Bishops to the cops. The local PD has a reputation for being a little…stuffyin this town. Well, one of them does. But thatonejust so happens to consider Jess and Laine Lenaghan his little sisters, and now he’s staring at Kane like these are his last moments on this planet. “Is he actually gonna shoot?”

“Nah.” Laine pushes me through the crowd until Kane catches sight of me, then his tense stance relaxes as though my presence comforts him.

Fuck if I understand the relationship between us.

I mean, I get my side of it. I’m one of the oldest in the bunch. I was task force handler on the final case the three of us worked, so I guess I kinda considered the guys my little brothers in a way. Or like sons, maybe, despite the fact they’re not a hell of a lot younger than me. But when the team was disbanded and everyone was released, I can’t say I entirely understand their reasons for keeping me around.

I push myself on them because I love them, and I don’t want to go home to an empty house if they’re right here living a life I want to watch. But why they keep me around, I can’t be sure. It can’t be easy walking on eggshells every day, working extra hard to avoid certain topics around me. No doubt life would be more fun for them if I wasn’t around. But still, they don’t ask me to leave. In fact, they go out of their way to invite me in, to have me planted firmly in Checkmate Security and over for dinner as often as they can host.

Glancing around the room, I find all the usual faces. Spence stands with his back against the wall, watching the room and making sure he’s got control of the pending brawl. Soph sits on the kitchen counter with her laser focus on her man but her mouth full of appetizers. Jess’ best friends stand at the front of the crowd, her brothers right beside them. The fighters are here too, and fifty more faces buzz around the house that was once a war room for a drugs and sex trafficking case.

But now it’s a happy space, smiling faces, and excited hugs – except for that one stuffy cop.

“Alright.” Stepping out from behind her protectors, Jess lifts her hands as though to pull everyone’s attention. “Hello? Everybody, shut up!” The buzzing lessens but doesn’t dissipate completely. “Kane and I want to thank you for coming over. There are too many of us for a sit-down dinner, but the snacks are plenty, and the fridge is stocked with drinks, so help yourselves and throw your shit in the trash on the way out.”

“Get to the point, Jessica!”

Alex Turner – Chief of Police, stuffy cop, and one pregnancy announcement away from a heart attack – stands at the front of the pack despite the fact he’s notactuallyher biological brother. Jess’realbrother stands a few feet away with his girlfriend, holding Meg Montgomery’s baby in his arms, while the couple makes gooey kiss faces, and make their godson giggle the way he did for me in the diner.

“Fine.” Jess turns away for a moment, studies the space in front of her, then climbs onto the coffee table so she stands a couple inches taller than Kane. Then she telegraphs her announcement by cupping her belly. “Kane and I have something exciting to tell you all. But if anyone cusses us out or pulls a gun, I’m gonna lose my ever-loving mind.”

Finally, Luc’s eyes come up from the spitting baby. “Jess?”

“Kane and I are expecting.”

Alex leans forward as though she didn’t finish speaking. “Expecting… groceries? Cable satellite installation? A new car?”

Kane flashes a wide grin. “My fruits are in her loins, Chief.” I bite off a choking laugh at the ridiculous announcement. Of course that’s how he’d say it. “We had a scan, and it was confirmed. My swimmers fought the good fight and won.”

“A baby?” Alex’s face blanches. “You’re having a baby? You’re not even married!”

“Well… that’s just it. We’re gonna get married too.” Jess leans into Kane’s shoulder when he pulls her closer. Lifting her left hand, she shows off a shiny diamond ring and fans her fingers to make the lights above reflect off the stone. “I know you guys consider us girls babies, but it’s not true. I’m nearly thirty; I’m with the man I love, and this won’t be undone. So we hope you can get on board and be happy for us.”

Silence overtakes the room but for a mini-pig honking and picking up dropped scraps of food, Meg’s giggling baby as he smacks Luc in his stunned face, and Spence’s dirty chuckle while he shakes his head. “His fruit’s in her loin. Only that motherfucker.”

“When are you due?” Luc asks with a shaking voice. “How long have you known?”

“I peed on a stick a few days ago. Scans to confirm, and here we are.” Stepping down off the table with Kane’s help, Jess walks forward and waits as her brother passes Meg’s baby off to free up his hands. “We didn’t keep this from you, Luc. We peed; we made an appointment, and now we’re here.” Looking up at him through long lashes, she begs, “Don’t be mad about this, okay? This is a good announcement. This is exciting, so treat it the way it should be treated, otherwise you’ll break my heart. You promised you’d only ask me once, and if I said I was happy, you’d get on board.”

“I said that.” Clearing his throat, he nods and takes her hands. “I definitely said that. And I trust you.” He pauses as though he needs a moment before he can say the words out loud. “You’re gonna be a mommy?”

Jess nods with tears in her eyes. “I’m gonna be a mommy… twice.”

“Get the fuck out!”

Chuckling and swiping tears from her cheeks, she nods and reaches down to cup her stomach. “I mean, it’s not like we didn’t expect that. Stupid twin genes just had to come up here and tear me apart.”

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