“My doctor confirmed yesterday.I’m eight weeksalong.”
I shoved out of the chair and swept her into my arms.“Just when I think you’ve given me enough to keep me happy forever, you shock the hell out of me with something I never even dreamedabout.”
Yve whispered in my ear.“You’re going to be a daddy, and Ican’twait.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, the wave of emotion threatening to overwhelm me.“I promise I’ll never be anything like my father.Our son or daughter willnever—”
Yve pressed a finger over my lips and her whiskey-colored eyes were serious when they met mine.“I know.You’re going to be an amazing father.You’ll never let yourself beanythingelse.”
I wrapped my arms around her and gripped her tight.My whole life was in my arms, and it was agloriousone.
“We putting some ink on this asshole today, or what?”Con asked as he walked into thelobby.
“Fuck off, Leahy.We’rebusy.”
Yvegiggled.
Somehow, Con knew something monumental was happening in that moment, and he backed off.“Let me know when you’reready.”
When he disappeared, I stared into Yve’s eyes.“I love you.With everything I have, and everything I am, Iloveyou.”
“I know.I love you,Lucas.”
We held each other for long minutes in the lobby of Voodoo Ink as I thanked God for letting a bastard like me find his happily-ever-after.
Rix
“Let’s see it,duchess.What do you want inkedonme?”
Valentina, soon to be mother of my son, handed me a sketch pad, and I stared down at the drawing on the page.Simple.Strong.Perfect.
“It’s a coronet.Fit for a duke andduchess.”
“I’m not the one who should be royalty here, though,” Itoldher.
She shook her head.“That’s where you’re wrong.You’re the best man I’ve ever known, even when I thought you were ...someoneelse.”
I knew what she was talking about, and hearing those words meant a lot.My woman was the daughter of a judge and had been half dating a cop, but she’d fallen for a man she thought was a criminal.If taking that risk wasn’t a sign of true love, I didn’t know what was.It had killed me not to tell her the truth, but I would protect her at my own expenseeverytime.
And now she was giving me the greatest gift ever—our baby.A family of my own.Something I’dneverhad.
“You probably deserve better, but damned if I’m ever letting you go to lookforit.”
Valentina met my gaze.“How could I deserve better when I already have the best?I love you, Beauregard Hendrix, and don’t you dare ever question meonthat.”
I looped an arm around her waist and pulled her toward where I sat on the chair so I could whisper to her belly.“Mama’s fierce, and that makes us the luckiest men in the world.”I glanced up at her.“And we’ll never forget iteither.”
Her lips curled up into a beautiful smile.“It goesbothways.”
“Then bring on the ink.I’m ready.Ready for every damnthing.”
Bishop
All week,we’d had friends in here cementing their bonds with ink, and something about it struck me as poetic, not that I was a romantic kindofguy.
I’d been waiting my turn.Delilah had volunteered to help Eden with the drawing, and I couldn’t wait to see what she’d come up with.Like Con, I was starting to run out of real estate, but I was determined to make whatever mark Eden wanted to put on me fit in perfectly.I trusted my sister’s hand, and I knew itwould.
Eden wasn’t getting hers done for quite some time because she was carrying our little boy or girl.We’d decided not to find out because we were both rebels like that.We also hadn’t told her father yet, and I expected the mob boss would have something to say when he found out.Not that it mattered much because Eden was mine and that wasn’tchanging.