“It’s yours I imagine,” I say.
Chantelle watches me with a shocked expression. Maybe it is hard to think about the man you are fucking becoming a grandfather when you are only twenty-two yourself. I cannot say I would know what that could feel like or the things that are circulating throughout her brain at the moment.
“Would it be someone else’s?” he hisses.
I smirk and shrug, knowing I am just causing unnecessary doubt where it does not belong. There are certain instances, like this one, that remind me he is my son and Malia’s brother, sometimes I need to be reminded of that and that he is not just a product of my estranged wife.
“Not that I’m aware of,” I say. “Your sister has been kidnapped and you think now is the appropriate time for a baby announcement?”
“No, I don’t think this is an appropriate time, Dad.”
He steps closer to the bed, nose flaring.
“But I know that once this sets in properly and you’re ready to rip off heads, Hazel will be worked into the ground. She’s not just your little soldier anymore, she’s carrying your grandchild.”
“I will keep that in mind. You can leave now.”
Donovan’s mouth opens and closes before he turns to stalk out of my bedroom.
“That was a little harsh, Nate,” Chantelle says. “He’s worried.”
I lean into her, catching her lips with mine. My hands leave her thighs and grasp her hair to bring her tighter against me. When our kiss deepens and she moans, I pull away, running my thumb across her swollen bottom lip.
“The panic caused by his missing sister intensifies whatever my worst-case scenario my son thinks will happen. You will learn quickly both of my children are quite dramatic, and he now has his own child to think about.”
I pull Chantelle’s forehead against mine with the hand that is still gripping her hair.
“What is going on in your beautiful mind, Little Bird?”
She pulls back with a frown.
“What? Like you don’t know?” Chantelle asks if I truly do not.
I shrug.
“You have adult children that are older than me and now a grandchild on the way, Nate,” she says with a frown.
My head tilts to the side. Only one of these things is recent news.
“Is my age beginning to bother you, Little Bird?” I taunt. “I’m forty-three and I can run circles around most boys your age.” I lean in close to her ear. “I certainly fuck better since you keep coming back.”
She sneers at me and pushes me back, pressing her long-nailed finger into my chest.
“You won’t let me leave!”
“I had my reasons for keeping you locked away in my tower,” I smirk as I press into her. “But it seems I have a selfish streak I did not know I had that just is not willing to give you up. Not even when the current crisis is over.”
“You’re not saying what I think you’re saying, are you?”
I reach down and grab her hand, interlacing our fingers.
“You, my Little Bird, are it for me.” I kiss each knuckle as she stares at me with both horror and intrigue. “And you’ll have to put a bullet in my heart if you ever want to be free of me.”
6
Liam
AftermyshowerIwas able to get a good look at my body and the damage it endured as a result of the explosion. Bruises cover my torso and back, scratches criss-cross my cheek, and a gash slices along the side of my head. Though I feel slightly better after cleaning off all the grime, the exhaustion is starting to take over. Due to my concussion, I can’t sleep. Besides, sleeping means wasting time that should be spent finding Malia.