Page 109 of Ruthless Beasts

"Everyone made it out just fine." I sat on the step outside of my home next to Ace. "You guys good?"

"Mercer was shot." My heart stopped, and he stared straight ahead, like delivering that news didn't affect him at all. I rose to my feet, needing confirmation that he was okay, but Ace grabbedmy arm, pulling me to the step. "He's fine. It was a graze to the arm. But I was fucking terrified, Adam. I thought for sure for a moment he would die right there at my feet and I'd live through another nightmare. My heart wouldn't survive something like that again."

I plopped back down, burying my face in my palms. "That's too fucking close. It should have been an easy job. He was a frail old man, for Christ’s sake."

"Yes, but the part you forgot to mention, he created their organization. He was the original crime boss before he handed it over to his brother."

"I… fuck. I didn't know."

"We were careless with our need for revenge, and it almost cost us. This can't happen again. We're about to be a family, for fuck's sake. What are we doing?" He turned his eyes on me, the heat in them burning, and I couldn't tell if it was still adrenaline or anger.

"No more," I promised. "We kill him off and we stop this life."

"Is it that easy?"

I glanced at his hand, coated in dried blood. He hadn't even been inside to clean up. Had he waited out here for me this whole time? "It's going to have to be. We can't raise children in this life."

He shook his head and sighed. "You know, when you brought her here, you were trying to save her."

"I was." There was no doubt about that in my mind. She would have been in a much worse position had she remained with her father or married into the Accardo family.

"No, she saved us. Look at us. Look at how fucked up we were. We slaughtered a church full of people just to make a point of power. And now? Now we're thinking of leaving the life of crime because of her. A fucking girl with the enemy's child in her belly."

I turned so fast I could have gotten whiplash. "Watch your fucking mouth when you talk about my wife, Ace. I'd hate to pick between you and her."

"That wasn't what I meant, and you know it. I love Belle. You know that. I was only saying, who would have thought that a single girl, despite the circumstances, was what we needed to grow and become whole again?"

Love.

A pit formed in my stomach at the word my best friend used so freely, but I'd yet to say. I should tell her. I knew in my heart that I felt nothing but love for her, but my mind was afraid to let that admission slip.

"I didn't realize how much we needed her," I admitted before I knocked my knee to the side, hitting his. "Come inside; get cleaned up. You reek of blood."

"I've smelled of worse," he grumbled, but still, he stood, following me into the house that smelled faintly of chocolate chip cookies and comfort.

We found them in our bathroom upstairs, with their bodies submerged into the oversized jet tub. Belle's body was nestled between Mercer's thighs and his head was leaned back, eyes closed. Her head was resting against his chest, and they just looked so fucking peaceful that for a swift moment, I was jealous that it wasn't me with her in the tub. I let the jealousy pass, knowing that Mercer in this moment needed it more.

That was how this had to work, how sharing her needed to be. A compromise and to recognize that there was no room for jealousy or favoritism among us. She cared for us all the same. She made that clear every damn day. She looked toward each of us for various reasons. Each of us were special in her beautiful green eyes.

I kept my steps quiet, not wanting to disturb Mercer. Still, Belle's slitted eyes opened wider, falling on me. I pointed to Mercer, while whispering, "I just- I wanted to check on him."

And I did. I needed to see with my own eyes that he was okay. That if Ace was this torn up over what happened, that he was at least whole. Belle made a motion like she was throwing back pills and chasing it with water and I nodded my understanding. She probably forced him to down some painkillers. I could kiss her for that alone. We weren't known for taking care of ourselves. Hell, we could barely take care of each other either. We needed her in our lives to keep us on track.

I grabbed a fluffy towel from the shelf, looking long and hard at the plate of half-eaten cookies that laid on the floor. I met her gaze, and she smirked. "We were hungry."

"Yeah, I can only imagine why." I sighed before reaching into the water and wetting my fingers. I brought my wet hand up to her cheek, wiping away the smear of blood that I knew had been from Mercer's arm. "Bet you got this playing doctor, didn't you?" Her whole body turned a pretty shade of pink. Yeah, it was exactly as I thought. I knew how the adrenaline crash worked, knew the desire to sink into anything you could to relieve some of that pressure you felt inside. "Let me help you up, baby. Then I'll get him to bed."

He really was out cold. He rarely slept this soundly, but I was glad she got him to take the potent stuff. I reached my hand out, offering it to her. She took it, pulling herself up, and I was there, stabilizing her as she stood in the water before lifting her leg and stepping out.

Fuck.

Her body was mesmerizing. The curve of her stomach was so fucking enticing that I wanted to forget about my best friend and take my wife to bed, show her every way I appreciated the curves she so effortlessly flaunted.

"Pregnancy looks good on you."

Her soft voice floated over me. "Nothing seems to fit lately."

"We'll buy you anything you want; you know that, baby. Just ask." I opened the oversized towel, and she stepped into it before I closed the material, cocooning her body.

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