We’d been at the compound with her brothers a couple months after being together, sitting around a table. Well, most of us had been.
“Country’ll kick Casper’s ass,” I commented, tugging Courtney, who was sitting on my lap, closer to my chest. Court, Carter, and Calvin glanced over at their brother who stood at the bar talking to Dusty.
Death chuckled from where he sat at the table.
“Why?” Carter asked.
“Doesn’t matter why, but it might be best to go save him,” I told them and then thought of the best way to distract Casper from Dusty. “Stracy,” I called, and the club girl swayed her hips over toward us with a smile. She placed one hand on Carter’s shoulder and the other on Calvin’s. “Hey, what’s up?”
“The guy at the bar talkin’ to Dusty. Can you get his attention and lead him back over here?”
She took a long look at Casper and smiled. “I don’t mind at all.”
We all watched her work her magic when she got to him. Dusty shot Stracy a smile and slipped off her stool to make her way into the kitchen. I didn’t mind that Stracy stayed at the bar a while longer talking with Casper now that Dusty was out of the picture and Country wasn’t staring daggers at my woman’s brother.
Torch appeared at the table. He bounced on his feet a couple of times, flipped a chair around, and straddled it while looking at Carter.
“You’re him, right?”
Carter smiled. “Depends who ‘him’ is.”
“You’re on the Wolves team.”
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“I told you, fuckers,” Torch yelled across the room before he up and left again.
Shock had my brows shooting high. “You play?”
“I do.”
“How’d I not know this?” I commented. “What about you?” I asked Calvin.
“Sports isn’t my thing. I’m studying to become a defense attorney in family law.”
“That’s a good job,” I said, and Calvin shrugged. “What about Casper?”
The siblings shared a look. Courtney shifted on my lap and told me, “He’s in between jobs at the moment, but he’d like to get into acting.”
“Good-lookin’ kid, I’m sure he’d get somethin’,” Death said just as Stracy and Casper arrived back at the table.
Stracy had Casper sit down while he looked up at her with stars in his eyes. Stracy winked. “I’ll come find you soon.”
He grinned. “Looking forward to it.” His gaze stayed glued to her ass as she walked away. He whistled low. “You guys must go through a ton of condoms.”
Chuckling, I shrugged and received a death stare from Courtney. I cupped the side of her face and kissed her soundly. Against her lips, I said, “Never had a taste for club pussy, little mouse. And now you’re the only one I want and need.”
She drew in a slow, shaky breath. “Good answer.”
She turned back to the table and leaned forward for a drink just as Casper said, “And tampons, if they all live here.”
I felt her still on my lap. I ignored what they were talking about and ran my hand up her back. “You good, little mouse?”
She stood up, her eyes wide as she backed up a step.
Worry seared into my gut. “Court?” I straightened up out of the chair.
“I… I don’t know how…. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? For what?”
She got close and leaned into me as she went onto her tiptoes and whispered into my ear, “I haven’t got my period, Dom.”
I turned to stone, and she went back down onto her feet, looking up at me, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.
My heart doubled its beat as I looked down at her stomach.
She was carrying my baby.
I didn’t know how since we’d used rubbers, but fuck, it was meant to be.
All along we were always meant to be.
I was going to be a father.
Lifting my gaze to her face, I realized I’d taken too long for it to sink in. Tears filled her eyes, her shoulder slumping as she took another step back.
“Courtney, what’s going on?” Carter demanded hard, and the room quieted.
My hand shot out to shut him up. I kept my eyes on Courtney. “I told you.”
Her head jerked back. “What?” she whispered.
“I told you, little mouse, that we were meant to be. Been holding off sayin’ it, and I’m gonna get into shit from the brothers for doin’ it here, but you gotta know, baby, you’re mine. I fuckin’ love you.”
A sob caught in her throat as her tears fell, and she pressed her hands to her belly.
“Carter, call Beth and tell her she’s gonna get grandkids sooner than she thought.”
“What?” I was sure all three brothers yelled.
“Dom, you can’t tell her yet. I need to make sure first.”
“I’ve got a test,” one of the girls called, and she ran off for it.
“Baby, come here.”
“Dom, this isn’t—”
“Court, come here.”
She sighed and stepped right in front of me. I tipped her chin up to me. “You want my kid?”
“It’s so soon,” she whispered.
“Didn’t ask that, little mouse. If it happens you are pregnant, will you be happy?”
“Will you?” I could see she was more scared about what I thought than what she thought herself.
“Thought I couldn’t get any happier with you in my life. Found out moments ago that I could.”
She swallowed thickly and nodded, pressing herself close. “I love you too, and yes, I will be happy if I am.”
With the test in hand, Courtney went to the bathroom. I’d never seen the brothers hang around like hovering flies until then as we waited close by for an answer. When Courtney walked out of the bathroom with new tears in her eyes and a smile, the room erupted in cheers.
I walked up to my woman, picked her up in my arms, and kissed the fuck out of her for making me so fucking ecstatic. My body hummed from it.
Thinking back on it, I knew that night I was going to put my ring on her finger and make sure every prick knew she was taken. She was mine.
Walking through the house, I found my woman not resting, not in the shower or the bath, but in the kitchen doing the dishes.
I wrapped my arms around her from behind. “Leave them, little mouse. I’ll grab them later.”
“It’s okay. It won’t take long.”
“Babe” was all I said, which had her laughing.
“It’s fine. Guess who called today?”
“Who?”
“Isla.”
I tensed. “You’re fuckin’ with me? What’d that bitch want?” She’d been cheating on Country back in the day, and he’d found out it was with a guy from another club. A club we hated. He’d been the one supplying her with drugs.
“How sorry she is and that she’s met someone who makes her happy. He sounds good for her. She actually sounded genuine. She wants to meet up one day. Knows I’m with you, that I should check with you before I say yes.”
“Do you want to?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe, just to rub in her face how happy I am. How good Country is doing now he’s with Dusty. Does that sound bad? Petty?”