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Chapter Twenty-Nine
Phoebe
His eyes shifted from me to the hospital room door at least a dozen times. I knew when Julian fidgeted, his mind worked overtime to come up with either an excuse or a delay. I didn’t have to guess which one he was currently concocting. If I could move without ripping my own crotch, I’d walk there myself. I couldn’t blame him.
But I was still me, and he was still him, and our relationship was still based on mutual torture.
So, I screwed with him.
“You’re so sweet to stay with me,” I said, running my fingernails down his arm. He jumped and caught his lower lip in between his teeth in confusion.
“Huh?”
“Instead of going after Iris. You’re staying with me. That’s sweet.” Holding in laughter at his widened eyes then smirking lips hurt more than half of my labor.
“I am sweet.” A devil’s smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. “I’m giving you ten more seconds before I bolt for an offspring mugging.”
Moving my arms, I wiped matted hair away from my eyes. “Do it and lose a testicle, Bale.”
“Why do women always threaten the boys when challenged?”
“Because men make the face you just made.” I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Just the threat of testicular violence makes men cry.”
“You need to learn to curb the family jewels talk in front of my daughter, wife.” Lifting himself from the chair, he dropped a light kiss on my lips before turning toward the door.
“Wait a minute…your daughter?” I glanced down at my still inflated stomach. “Don’t mind me. I was only a human hotel for thirty-one weeks and then tortured for over twelve hours.”
The smile faded from his face. “I’m sorry. It kills me you were alone.”
“I wasn’t alone. Ryker was incredible.” I rested my hand against my heart. “I knew you’d be here. That’s why I kept fighting everyone. I knew you’d come. Even if you didn’t.”
A slow breath soundlessly blew past his lips. “She is really beautiful, isn’t she? She looks like you. Just like I wanted her to.”
“It’s a good thing too, because guys don’t dig chicks with goatees and fucked up hair.” Ryker stood in the doorway with a bag of nacho tortilla chips in one hand and a super-sized fountain drink in the other. Neither one of us heard him open the door.
“Found the cafeteria, I see.” Julian smirked dryly.
Ryker smiled, his teeth coated with orange powder. “I needed food. Keeping my junk out of your wife’s hands for twelve hours wears a dude out.”
Lifting an eyebrow, Julian threw an amused look my way. “So, you make a habit out of threatening my family’s protruding parts?”
I flipped my middle finger at Ryker as my cheeks flamed. “It hurt, okay? I said a lot of things I didn’t mean.”
“I’m hoping the part where you threatened to end my life was one of them,” Ryker said, crunching down on a chip.
“I did not say that!”
Lifting his eyes to the ceiling, Ryker forced his voice an octave higher. “Yes, you did. I believe your words were…‘I swear to god, if you don’t get your skinny ass out there right now and find me something to shoot in this IV, I’ll fucking kill you right here.’”
I doubled the finger waves as Ryker stuck his tongue out. Chuckling, Julian backed away. “While this is entertaining, I’ve got another princess upstairs waiting for me.” He gave me a quick side glance. “I love you. Thanks for making me a dad.”
The huskiness in his tired voice stirred the constant pull toward him. “I love you too. Thanks for making me a mom.”
Julian calmly tipped his head in Ryker’s direction, his expression raw as he walked through the doorway toward our new life.
***
“Do you know who I am? I’m Chloe Michaels, asshole.”
