Tanner tended to shoo everyone off fairly quickly, wanting Devon to get her rest. He was a super-proud father, and he’d allegedly been a terrific birthing partner … albeit a little bossy and impatient, as if pushing out a child should be simple enough. Still, Devon only tried to kill him twice.
Levi’s mind stroked over Piper’s. You ready to leave?
Just give me one minute. Smoothing her fingers over the pink blanket wrapped around Anaïs, Piper said, “I wanna have a hold.”
Khloë cast her an annoyed look. “Not yet.”
“You’re hogging her,” Piper complained.
“I don’t care.”
Levi smiled as his mate crossed her eyes. The most tolerant of the females, Piper seemed to have more patience for Khloë than the others, which he and Tanner outright admired.
Asher giggled. “Koey’s a meanie.”
Piper nodded, her lips curling. “She’s a total meanie.”
“Among other things,” grumbled Tanner, shooting the imp a narrow-eyed look. Well Khloë had been driving him and Devon nuts, put-out that they wouldn’t let the imp take Anaïs home for overnight stays so she and the baby could ‘bond without interference.’
Tanner seemed a little terrified at the idea of his child bonding too closely with a woman who appeared to have made it her life’s vocation to irritate as many people as possible on a daily basis.
Anaïs stirred, making a fussy sound, but then settled again.
“Aw, she snuffled,” said Khloë. “Like a little piglet.”
Tanner’s eyelid twitched. “No, not like a piglet.”
“Like a big, bad hellpup,” said Khloë with an eyeroll. “Better?”
Tanner grunted and crossed to the sofa. “Hand her over to me.”
The imp frowned. “Why?”
“She’s my daughter. I don’t need a reason.”
“Can I have a teensy, weensy hold first?” Piper begged him. “Please? I’m leaving in, like, five minutes.”
Tanner took Anaïs from a whining Khloë and carefully settled her in Piper’s arms.
Piper grinned. “Yay, thank you.” Cuddling the hellpup close, she nuzzled her soft dark hair. The sight made Levi’s chest squeeze.
“Where are you heading off to?” Khloë asked her.
“The Underground,” Piper replied. “Levi’s fighting in the combat circle tonight. Larkin and I will be among the spectators.”
“Ooh, I’m so there,” said Khloë.
“Yes, please take her with you,” Tanner said to Piper. “I need a break.”
Khloë frowned at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Devon made a speculative sound. “I think it might have something to do with how you keep waking Anaïs to play with her—despite us reminding you over and over to never wake a sleeping baby—and then scrambling out of here when you can’t get her to stop bawling. Oh, and there’s the whole you drawing a you-know-what on Tanner’s face while he was napping.”
Khloë huffed. “I’m never gonna understand what you all have against baby hippos.”
“It wasn’t a—” Devon cut herself off and took a deep breath. “You know what, I’m not going to let you get me all worked up. I’m not. I’m going to stay calm. Serene. Placid—”
“Constipated.”
“Khloë.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, did the log finally leave the clogged pipe after all?”
Devon’s face flushed. “Stop it.”
“Wait, it hasn’t? Damn. I was hoping the right pooportunity would come along for you.”
A hiss slid through the hellcat’s teeth. “Woman, stop.”
Khloë wagged her finger. “Now, now, Miss Hissy, there’s no need to get all constipangry.”
“And it’s time we left.” Keenan hauled the imp off the sofa, ignoring her chuckles. “Come on, let’s leave them in peace before someone throttles you.”
“Yes, take her,” Devon urged, baring her teeth. “Take. Her.”
Feeling his lips quirk, Levi looked down at his mate. “Now are you ready?”
“Yup.” Piper stood, nuzzling Anaïs once more, and then handed the baby to Tanner. “Thank you for letting me come visit. Again.”
Once goodbyes had been exchanged, everyone left the new parents and their hellpup alone. Levi drove Piper and Larkin to the Underground while Khloë and Keenan followed in their own vehicle.
Arriving at the combat circle, Levi didn’t do his usual thing and immediately go backstage to ready himself for his upcoming duel. Instead, he escorted Piper and the others to one of the front spectator rows. The place was filling up fast, since the first fight would soon begin.
Levi gave her a quick kiss. “You good here?”
“Sure.”
“Stay with Larkin at all times.”
Watching her mate walk away, Piper rolled her eyes. The cloud of lethal danger that had once hovered over her might be a thing of the past, but he remained as protective as ever. Not that he shouldn’t. The demon world featured a lot of brutality, and there was always a possibility that people might strike at him through her … much like Enzo had done.
The entire lair had taken Enzo’s betrayal hard. Levi still stupidly condemned himself for trusting the Force member with her safety, no matter what Piper said. He also paid the shithead regular visits at the Chamber, as did Dez’s family, to punish the two males they held responsible for Dez’s death.