Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 130159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
“No.” Beck shook his head. “We all know, especially her. I’m ready. She’s ready.”
Seth reared back. “She told you that?”
“Yeah.”
“She wants to get married and have babies right now?” He still looked skeptical.
Beck nodded. “She said just that while you were in the john.”
Seth blew out a breath and started pacing. “And it’s my fault since I’m the one who can’t get over my shit.”
“Listen, I’m not assigning blame; I’m telling you how we feel. Besides, you can’t be surprised after seeing the longing on Heavenly’s face when she looked at those babies.” Beck waved a hand at the window.
“Do you honestly think I don’t want to give her a child?”
“I think a part of you would like to. But the thought of bringing another baby into this world terrifies the fuck out of you.”
“It does,” Seth barked, then paled as if unable to believe he’d spilled the bald truth.
Sympathy squeezed Beck’s heart as he clapped the big guy’s shoulder, leaned in, and lowered his voice. “You have to know this time will be different. You won’t be the only father, Seth. I’ll be here to help raise, love, guide, and most of all, protect our children. Trust me. If anyone tries to harm our family, they’ll have to get through you and me. And so help me God, I will unleash a hailstorm of bullets and die gladly before I’ll let anyone harm any kid you and I create with Heavenly.”
Seth didn’t respond, simply sent Beck a burning stare. Did Seth not believe him? Understand him? Or did he just struggle to have faith?
“That’s a promise.” Beck gripped Seth’s shoulder. “And I never break a promise. I will be there every day, every step, no matter what.”
Cooper still didn’t speak, merely seemed to absorb his words. Beck had no clue what he was thinking.
“Okay, guys. Raine is dressed and…” Heavenly shuffled into the hall, her words trailing off as she eyed them both curiously. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, angel.” Seth approached, cupping her cheek and stroking his wide thumb over her bottom lip. “We were just talking.”
“About what?”
“Babies.” Beck jerked a thumb toward the glass.
Her eyes widened. Yeah, she understood. “You were? And?”
“Nothing new.” But that didn’t mean he was giving up.
He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from beating some sense into Seth’s thick skull. It wouldn’t do any good. It wouldn’t move him to make a decision faster. But at least he’d listened. All Beck could hope now was that Cooper took his words to heart. At the very least, he’d given Seth food for thought.
“Raine, Hammer, and Liam’s lives are about to be turned upside down—in a good way.” Seth changed the subject, his tone edged with experience.
“Funny you should say that.” Heavenly bit her lip. “Raine is really nervous. I tried to reassure her that everything was going to be fine and that her insecurities were just a hormone drop, but I think you two could help cheer her up.”
“We’ll try,” Beck assured. “If we can’t convince her she has nothing to worry about—”
“Hammer and Liam will,” Seth finished Beck’s thought as he banded an arm around Heavenly’s waist.
“Thanks,” she murmured.
Beck trailed the pair down the hall, eyeing Seth’s possessive hold on their girl. The sight was encouraging, but Beck was afraid to read too much into it. Still, he wasn’t going to stop encouraging Seth to fully commit to their future. The three of them belonged together. Somehow, he had to convince the stubborn prick that, if he did, life would be perfect.
When they reached Raine’s room, Heavenly stepped inside and grinned at her bestie. “I’m back, and I brought a couple of sexy men with me.”
“Sexy men?” Raine shook her head. “Send them away. I don’t even want to look at a man right now.”
Beck wasn’t surprised. She looked pasty—a sign she’d lost a lot of blood during delivery—and completely exhausted. But she should be okay in time.
Beck rounded the bed and kissed her cheek. “How are you feeling, princess?”
Seth squeezed her hand. “Hell of a morning, huh?”
She arched her brows at them. “Yeah, it was a hell of a morning after pushing not one but two, cantaloupes out of my vajayjay. How do you think I feel?”
Beck slanted her a wry stare. “Probably the same way you look, like shit.”
“You did not just say that!” Heavenly gaped at him in rebuke.
“What? She does.”
“Your bedside manner sucks,” Raine bit out.
Beck ignored her retort. “What’s your hemoglobin?”
“I don’t know. Ninety-eight point six.”
“That’s your temperature, princess.” Beck sighed. “Where’s your doctor?”
“She left to catch the next baby, I guess. This place is like a factory,” Raine groused. “If you came to play twenty questions, don’t. I’m tired, and I have so many stitches down there”—she pointed to her vagina—“my pussy must look like Frankenstein, not that I can see it around this.” She jiggled her post-delivery belly.