Page 136 of Root

“You’re saying it all wrong,” she says, shaking.

“I meant you holding me, the way you put your arms around me and held me.”

Her mouth trembles. “I think you do love me. What if I screw it up?”

“We’ll recover. Fuck, look at you, hot, sassy, sexy. Lots of tats and an attitude that’s ten feet tall. You do love me, right?”

“I’m so in love with you, you jerk, that I can’t stand it. I went to save both you and my brother. I’d go to battle for you, Rush. And I’d fight alongside you, but love is scary. I…”

“You just said you love me, Jessie. Fuck, like I said, don’t you want to be an aunt?”

She frowns.

“Nikolai knocked Rose up,” I say. “That kid’s gonna need us. Not to mention Dante.”

“Are you bribing me with a baby that isn’t here yet?”

“And Dante.”

She starts crying. I expected laughter, but she’s in tears, big, ugly sobs, and I wrap her tight. We sink down to the floor, and I just hold her until she stops.

“If I’m with you, what do I do?”

“Anything you damn well want, but there was a deal made with Lucy and Rose and there’s room for you. If you want it.”

“I don’t know what it is.”

“A way to use your skills. I love you, Jessie. Marry me, don’t marry me, but live with me, be mine and we can battle over who gets control of the sex toys.”

Now she laughs and rubs her head against my chest, hands resting on me, letting me hold her. “Do I get to put on a strap-on and peg you?”

“Fuck no. But I’ll get you handcuffs you can use on me.” I brush my lips over her red hair. “Stay?”

She’s quiet for a while, and my heart clenches.

“Stay, Jess,” I whisper against her hair and breathe her in. “With me.”

After a long moment, she looks up at me, blinking back anymore tears, and smiles. “Okay. I’ll stay.”

EPILOGUE

Jess

16 Months Later

“It’s good to be the king,” I whisper to the baby, “but better to be the queen.”

Violet looks up at me in her baby carrier and she cuddles into my breast.

Those big dark blue eyes and the dark, curling hair combined with the rosebud mouth makes her the prettiest fucking baby I’ve seen.

“Do not,” Rose says, smiling as she finishes polishing the chrome on the edge of the new bar top in Bunny Munroe, “steal my baby. Nikolai’s become attached.”

I roll my eyes. Daddy Nikolai is beyond enamored with the kid, not to mention his wife. And, as if by magic, the door opens and he walks in, dark, brooding, hot as he stalks up to me.

“Hey, pretty Violet. Daddy’s here.” His eyes cut to me as he takes the baby and carrier and puts it on, kissing the kid. “Jess.”

I give him a mock salute about as much as I dare to sass him, but he’s not looking. He’s focused on his kid and Rose as he pulls her in and kisses her as they both made ridiculous noises over Violet.

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