Page 34 of Cruel Love

He shakes his head. “No, he won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’d shoot him, and he knows it.”

I laugh. “Good point.”

Fox shifts closer to stand beside me. “Box is going to be great dad,” he says. “You are going to be a great mom. And I am going to do everything I can to make sure that happens.”

I glare at him. “Fox...”

“Caleb, there are two people in this world that I would travel to the ends of the earth and back for. One is Dani, that goes without saying. The other is you. We’ve fought together, bled together. You were my family when I didn’t have one. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt.” He cracks a smile. “And hey, when all of this is over, who knows? Maybe your kid will grow up with my kid. That doesn’t sound so bad, right?”

My lips twitch as the image creeps into my mind. “Sounds pretty neat, actually.”

He wraps a thick arm around me. “I want you by my side during a mission more than anybody else, but I’ll sacrifice that if it means protecting that future, Caleb.”

I rest my head on his shoulder, falling right where he wants me to. He’s right. Of course, he is. As much as I think I got this, I don’t. Being pregnant hasn’t quite sunk in yet. It will. It could at any time. I could freeze up and second guess my actions. That could mean life or death in battle.

“I need you to do me a favor,” he says.

I pull back to look at him. “Anything,” I say.

Fox withdraws a small stack of passports and IDs from his pocket. “Dani is heading toward the impound lot of Olympic Boulevard.”

“Why?” I ask.

“She’ll explain everything,” he says, holding the IDs out for me to take, “but I’ll feel better about it if you went with her.”

“Went where?”

His head tilts and I nod.

“She’ll explain,” I repeat. “I got it.” I study my own photo staring back at me from the ID and passport. “Whoa, these are well-made,” I say, admiring the handiwork.

He shrugs and puts the others back in his pocket, ones I assume are for him and Boxcar. “I’ll see you again soon,” he says.

I inhale a deep breath, my instincts bouncing like crazy. This isn’t right. None of this is as it should be. Feels so utterly hopeless.

“Take care of my husband, Fox,” I say. “Please.”

“I will,” he says with a nod. “Take care of my future wife.”

I chuckle, exhaling softly. “Sorry your engagement party got canceled.”

“Eh, we’ll reschedule it.”

“Did you end up proposing to her anyway?” I cringe. “Even with, you know… everything.”

He nods, his face blank. “I did.”

“What’d she say?”

“Not yes, I think.”

“Did she like the ring, at least?”

He laughs. “She did.”

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