Page 170 of Deceit

He does and I see my beautiful girl in a pink jumper with a matching binkie in her mouth. Her pretty blue eyes fix on me through the screen, and I feel the burn of tears at the back of my eyes.

Mills leans over and peeks his head in, and I scowl. “I don’t need to seeyou.”

“You look like shit, Lou Boo. When is the last time you’ve slept?”

“Probably as much as you do.”

“Yeah, but you need it more. I need to give you these kids back.”

My eyes narrow. “They’re not that bad.”

“Yeah, but I’m no father.”

I glance at Atlas. “She seems to like you well enough.”

“Because I have food all the time. Your daughter has me on a strict as fuck schedule.”

I wish I knew.

“It’ll be over soon.”

Mills gives me a weak grin. “I know. I got it, Ems.”

“I know you do, and I love you for it.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He disappears out of the frame, and it’s my daughter and me, along with more cooing and talking on my end.

She’s absolutely adorable, and I’m envious of my best friend who gets to hold, feed, and love my babies before I even can.

“Hey, I meant to ask you what can I get Marty for his birthday? You know him more than me.”

“What do you mean, you’ve known him longer.” A bottle shows up and Mills plucks Atlas’s bink out of her mouth to insert her milk instead.

“We don’t talk like that. You know how much he tries not to.”

“Marty loves you.”

“Marty is going to join Team Bishop when he finds out I’m daddy.”

“He would never hurt you. Especially when there are kids involved, and he’s a father himself.”

“Ugh, Stormi is going to want to do playdates and shit.”

“Good—“ I lean back in my chair and watch him feed my daughter. “—you could use the break.”

“Not fun.”

“I’ll find something for Marty. You just keep my babies safe.”

“Done.”

“And Mills?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you more than you’ll ever know, but if you get yourself killed, I’ll be the one to bring you back to murder you again.”

“That’s seriously not fucking reassuring when there’ll be a group of assassins with a target on my ass.”

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