Page 57 of No First Kisses

“You can’t just tell a room full of cops that you’re gonna murder someone.” Linc shakes his head. “Come on, Dean.”

Dean, who’s been dealing with cops since long before any of us were born, raises an eyebrow at Linc and stares at him until the younger man looks away.

“Listen closer, boy. I said that I wasn’t going to kill him because of the hassle. That doesn’t mean I don’t wanna do it. Or that I wouldn’t do it if I absolutely had to. And no offense, but you wouldn’t be the one to catch me if I did.” He snorts. “I know more hiding spots in this state than you’ll ever encounter in your life.”

“Well, now that you’ve taken it creepy and my father’s not saying anything to tell you to knock it off, maybe we can come up with a plan?” Remy stares at Dean, then at his father, before looking back at me.

“Hey, I didn’t ask you to follow me. You’re all just nosy. I needed the chief to hear about Ortega because if that asshole tries to hurt Poppy, I’m gonna put a bullet in his head. I don’t care what kind of favors I have to call in. If something happens to her, there is no me anymore.” The words leave my mouth, and even though they just sort of slipped out, I don’t try and walk them back. Instead, I look directly at her father and make sure that he knows I mean every single one of them.

“Consider me warned.” Chief motions to the door. “Now get out there and do your job.” He nods at Dean. “Good to see you. Tell Andrea I send my love, and we’ll have to get together when these kids get their lives under control.”

Dean walks out without saying another word, and I watch him go.

“How many guns do you think he had on him?” Remy leans against the wall. “I counted three.”

“Two and a knife,” I counter.

“Three,” Linc sides with Remy.

“Three,” Dom agrees with the others.

Chief Townsend sighs. “You need to get up earlier in the morning to get one over on him. Dean’s carried four since the day he got out of the military, plus the knife you saw. One on his ankle, two under his vest in a double shoulder holster, and one on his dominant hip.” He opens his desk drawer and pulls out a bag of M&Ms. “Still got a lot to learn.”

“Remind me never to piss him off,” Remy says in awe.

“Nah.” I slap him on the back before walking out of the chief’s office. “You’d never fall in love with his daughter and then break her heart when she was a teenager. I used to have nightmares about him slitting my throat while I was overseas and then slipping out of the country before anyone could find him.”

Dom smirks before following me out into the bullpen, leaving Remy and Linc as the last to leave. “That’s… creepy.” He laughs. “But one time during my deployment, I swore that I saw Emma in the chow hall. I followed this woman around, waiting for her to turn in my direction, only for her to kick me in the balls when I got too close. That was embarrassing to explain, but hilarious at the same time because after that, I dreamed about Emma showing up and beating the shit out of me for following another woman. So, I feel ya.”

“Yup.” I nod, grabbing my gear before heading toward my office. “But I gotta tell you, it makes me feel good knowing Dean taught Poppy everything he knows. She may not be as good of a shot as Emma, but she’s got a right hook that’ll knock a man’s teeth out of his head. And that’s if she’s not using the brass knuckles her brother gave her.”

Yeah, I’m smiling like an idiot when I sit down at my desk, and the men I call brothers are staring at me like I’ve grown a second head. But what can I say? I’m absolutely crazy about her. I have been since the day she turned sixteen and said yes when I asked her out. Hell, she owned my heart before I knew I could give it to her.

All she has to do is ask me nicely, or grimace at me, and I’ll give in to anything she wants. That was before she was pregnant, too. Her, heavy with my child growing inside her?

She doesn’t even have to ask, and I’ll give her anything she wants.

A night with her extremely pregnant friend? Done.

Pizza topped with jalapeños and pineapple? Double done.

Helping coach the two of them through squats and practicing Lamaze breathing techniques? That was actually my idea.

Which is probably how I end up staring at a vagina that I never wanted to see.

21

POPPY

Nox stares at me like I’ve just told him that Santa isn’t real. Then he bolts from the living room like his ass is on fire, screeching at the top of his lungs.

“Uncle Logan!” he hollers. “Mom just peed herself and your woman’s going crazy!”

Parker hisses out a breath, her eyes wide and pain-filled. “They’re not going to wait,” she groans quietly, trying to keep her son from freaking out.

I have her little girl, Cassie, in my arms when Logan comes barreling in. “Please, please tell me her water didn’t break.”

He isn’t looking at Parker when he says it, either. His eyes are locked on me, like he’s afraid if he looks over, he’ll see something he shouldn’t.

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