Page 97 of The Devils' Darling

“What did your dad get you?” I ask.

Dom shrugs. “I think he forgot. It doesn’t matter. It’s not a big deal.”

I can see it kind of is, though, and I feel bad for my friend.

We all sit and watch as he unwraps them. He thanks us for the watch and gun, and then unwraps the giant dildo and laughs. He holds it up and wiggles it up and down. “What am I supposed to do with this thing?”

Mackenzie throws him a cheeky wink. “I can think of a few things.”

He arches his eyebrows. “Oh, yeah?”

The sexual tension simmers in the room. It’s been too long, and we all know it. We hadn’t wanted to push things, though—not with her still grieving and Tino with his head injury. My hand’s been getting way too much use for the past couple of weeks.

Mackenzie shares that same secretive glance with Tino again.

“Actually,” she says slowly, “there is one more gift.”

She takes a breath, and it hits me that she’s nervous. What’s she got to be nervous about?

She continues, “I’ve got something else for you, and I really hope it’s a good birthday present.”

Dom looks as confused as I feel, and I’m glad I’m not the only one who has no idea what’s going on. Tino does, though, I can tell from the tiny smile that tilts the corners of his lips. The son of a bitch. How did he get special insight?

“What is it?” Dom asks.

She licks her lower lip and then glances over at me too. “I guess you could say it’s a present for all of you.”

She pulls a small box from the back pocket of her pants. It’s about the size of a box for a bracelet, and she hands it to Dom. He takes it with a confused smile, and then sets about removing the lid.

Dom freezes, his jaw dropping. He stares down into the box and slowly reaches in and plucks out the item it contains. He holds it up for the rest of us to see. It’s a pregnancy test with the word ‘pregnant’ clearly showing.

I feel like my eyebrows just flew off my head and someone punched the air from my lungs.

For a moment, no one says anything, and then Dom stands and grabs Mackenzie. He kisses her mouth and swings her around, lifting her off her feet, before setting her back down again.

“Holy shit!” he cries. “You’re pregnant? Seriously, you’re pregnant?”

She laughs and nods. “Yes, I am!”

He squeezes her tight. “That’s amazing.”

I’m still stunned. “Are you serious? We’re going to be dads?”

A flutter of worry goes through me. A dad. How do I even know how to be a father? It’s not as though I ever had a good example of one. What if I don’t know how to do this? I know one thing for sure, though—I’ll never hurt my child. I’ll never beat them and make them fear me. I’ll never lock them up as a punishment. I’ll be a safe place for them to come, and I’ll protect them with every cell of my being.

“Yes, and I’m going to be a mom.”

Her blue eyes fill with tears, but I can tell they’re tears of happiness.

I glance over at Tino. He’s grinning. He already knew, the fucker. That’s what all their shared little smiles and glances were about.

“This is the best fucking news I’ve ever heard,” Dom says.

“Is it?” she asks. “Are you sure?”

“Of course!”

She speaks with a warning in her tone. “It’s not going to be easy. There’s my epilepsy to consider. It will be a high-risk pregnancy.”

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