Page 22 of Zin and Celeste: A Fortis Family Christmas

Chapter 10

He ignoredthe doctor who was lecturing him about not undergoing general anaesthetic to have the bullet removed and glanced at the door. Celeste and his son were on the maternity ward getting checked over, and he was here being lectured.

“Listen, doc, can you do it or not?” The doctor was youngish, probably early thirties and most likely a good doctor, but he needed to understand. “I don’t mean to be a dick, but my woman just gave birth to my son, and I need to be with them. If you knock me out, I won’t make it back to our cabin for Christmas. I can handle the pain, believe me, so if you can do it, please get it done or find me someone who can.”

Liam was guarding Celeste and Maddox and that in itself was driving Zin crazy. He should be the one watching over them, not some other man, no matter that Celeste liked him.

“Fine, I can do it.”

The man didn’t look happy, but Zin didn’t care. If it was up to him, he would have removed it himself, but Daniel had insisted it needed an X-ray to be sure the bullet hadn’t done more damage and he had voiced it in front of Celeste, the dick.

Zin gritted his teeth as the man dug around in his leg for the bullet. The pain was bad but nothing to what his Pixie had been through. He was in awe of her and loved her more now than he had before, and he hadn’t thought that was possible.

All the fear he’d felt had become real when he saw his son, but instead of making him want to run, it made him want to stay and face anything that came at them and protect Maddox with his last breath. They were his life now, and the love he felt for them was something he couldn’t understand before. Seeing all the other men with their kids, he’d thought he got it, but he knew he hadn’t until today. It made all the sacrifices they’d made so much more valiant. They were heroes in a way he could never have been.

The tinkle of metal hitting metal made him look up. “There, all clear, and the damage is minimal. You were fortunate. You’ll need to stay until the IV finishes, but you can do that up on the maternity ward with your wife.”

“Thank you, doc.”

“You’re welcome. The nurse will sort out your prescription for antibiotics and pain relief should you need it, although I doubt you’ll take it.”

Zin said nothing but did use the crutches the nurse handed him to get himself up to the maternity ward once he’d been discharged. Zack was handling the police and gunman at the resort, and he’d get an update when he got back. The power company had restored the power just as they were leaving, and he hadn’t stopped smiling as he’d accepted congratulations from his friends.

He rode the lift as he thought about his life. He’d never had friends, and even as a member of Fortis, he hadn’t allowed them to get as close as he wanted, not until Celeste had he really let them in, and his life had been richer for it. He and Roz had both benefitted from this family not always of blood. The debt he owed them was huge for what they’d given him—not just today but since they’d accepted him. It was one he was happy to owe because for the first time, he knew he’d pay it back at some point. When they needed him, he’d be there because that’s what family did.

When he got to the door, he saw Liam standing there and felt his hackles rise which was stupid. The man had never done anything wrong except perhaps show an interest in Celeste and that had only been to help Zin get his head out of his ass.

“Zin, feeling better?” Liam kept his hands by his sides.

Zin stopped and held out his hand, which Liam looked at cautiously before taking it. When he did, Zin looked him in the eye. “Thank you for coming and protecting them while I got fixed up and thank you for helping me see what a diamond she is.”

Liam grinned. “My pleasure, and congrats on your son. He’s a bruiser.”

“Bruiser?” Zin dropped the other man’s hand.

“Yeah, a big lad, strong and healthy.”

Zin lifted his head. Liam sometimes used phrases that the rest of them struggled with and him more so than the others. “Ah, yes, he is, thankfully.”

Liam held the door once he was buzzed in and went back to his post. Until they knew if the crazy shooter was involved in a bigger plot, they wouldn’t take the risk of leaving anyone unguarded. Will and Aubrey were currently on another level while Will had his shoulder sorted with Jack guarding them. That man took protective to another level, and his family and friends were everything to him and loyalty even more so. Zin knew he’d probably pulled some strings to get the police to back off from questioning them for now, and he appreciated it.

There would be time for that once they were settled and Jack probably had his team looking into it already.

Celeste was dressed in clean clothes and sat on the end of a bed with Maddox in her arms when he arrived. He leaned in and kissed her, taking her lips hungrily and pouring every fibre of the love he felt for her into it. He didn’t mean for it to be sexual, but the moment her lips opened beneath his, he felt that pull of desire he always did when he was around his Pixie.

Pulling away, he dropped one more chaste kiss on her lips and growled. “Pixie, don’t make me want you so hard when we have six long weeks to go before I can touch you.”

Celeste chuckled, and the sound reverberated through his body to his dick. “Firstly, I didn’t do anything but kiss you like I usually do, and secondly, nobody said you couldn’t touch me, just no sex until after my six-week check.”

“Yes, exactly what I said. Just you breathing makes me want you, Pixie.”

Celeste laughed and looked at their son. “Daddy is silly, isn’t he?”

Zin felt the word settle in his heart like it was meant to be there, and in all his life, he knew he’d never have a title he was prouder of than daddy. Perhaps husband would come close, but daddy was something he’d never considered.

“Sit on the bed.”

Zin did as she asked and held his arms out as Celeste placed Maddox in his arms for the first time. He weighed barely anything although he knew Celeste would argue that nine pounds wasn’t nothing. As his child wriggled his fingers and body and made little cooing noises, he fell in love even more. He swept his index finger down the downiest soft cheek and smiled when his baby boy turned towards it, looking for food. His little eyes fluttered open for a second, and he felt the connection so strong tears stung the backs of his eyes.