Page 41 of ForeverMN

I had wanted to hold this baby shower for Lux, not only to celebrate my sister in-law, but also to celebrate the journey it took for her and Silas to get to this point. Slow and steady was their motto while they healed separately from their pasts, as people, and also together as a couple. They hadn’t decided to get married, but were committed. I was just excited that our family was once again growing.

Lux hates all the attention on her so the shower was co-ed. My eyes find Ciaran standing across the yard talking to Matt and Erika, while holding our sleeping one year old boy on his shoulder. Our oldest son runs across the lawn with his cousin, Matt and Erika’s boy. They’re adoption went through shortly after our wedding, and the cousins are thick as thieves.

My gaze lands on the mother to-be next who is sitting in a chair, feet propped up and talking to Oaklynn. Making my way over them I sit down, huffing lightly. They both stop talking, eyeing me.

“What?” My brow lifts, feeling like I’m missing out on a secret.

“I was just telling Lux my news,” Oaklynn replies, smiling wide.

“What news?” I lean forward, my stomach fluttering with the movement.

“Kai caved at my last ultrasound,” She grins wider. “It’s a girl!”

, “No way! Congratulations!” I smile at her and lean over to hug her. Kai and Oaklynn were married a year after us, and took their time becoming parents. My bestie is expecting their first child in just a few more months, making Lux and Silas’ daughter just a few months older than Kai and Oaklynn’s.

“Well,” I bit my lip and my gaze slides to Ciaran again. He of course is already watching me with a knowing smirk. He knows I can’t keep the news to myself much longer. “In the interest of telling secrets…we’re having baby number three.”

“Stop it!” Oaklynn moves so fast to hug me. “We finally get to be pregnant together!”

I nod, biting my lip. “And we’re also having a girl.”

The scream of excitement from Oaklynn draws a few looks and laughs, but she is so happy. Lux sits up, moving slower than Oaklynn, until she can hug me as well. Tears form in her eyes. “Ugh, I hate crying. I’m so happy for us!” She laughs.

I hug them both. “What are the odds?”

Lux leans back and glances at us both with a smirk. “This generation of Rogue will be filled with strong women. I can’t wait to see how this will go.”

“Same,” Oaklynn laughs, the mischievousness in her eyes dancing brightly.

“To the girls,” I lift my glass of water to theirs in cheers. The future never looked so beautiful.

Ciaran, 16 years later…

“You can’t really expect this to work,” I shake my head, watching the man in front of me appear to crumble under the weight of his decision.

“Believe me, if this wasn’t life or death, you would be the last person I’d call,” Nash’s shoulder’s fall, his hands clasp together, and his head bows. “GO can only do so much. If we’ve been made, then I need him out before they find out who he is.”

“What makes you think they’ve found you?” My voice is hushed and the full impact of the situation sits heavily on my chest.

“It started small. Some of our members were missing, two have now turned up dead. No one knew who they were, or how to find them. They didn’t exist except inside GO.”

“What about his mother?” I question, my eyes touching on the one framed picture of a girl with honey-blonde hair and deep green eyes.

“She went off the grid,” His throat bobs and his eyes meet mine, filled with pain of loss, “She wasn’t ready to be a mom, but I wanted him.”

My gaze flickers over the apartment and I notice that there is barely any furniture, and besides the picture, there are no other additional touches to suggest a family lives here. Nash is already preparing to hide, to leave, in order to save his son. “What about GO? Are you abandoning it all together?”

His eyes lower and his head shakes, “GO will continue. But I need someone I trust to keep my son safe. Rogue is who I trust.”

My chest squeezes, knowing a father’s love and devotion. I would do anything for my children. I would give up my life to protect them if it came to it. My wife would be just as ferocious, if not more, when it came to her kids. My eyes meet Nash’s and he can see my resolve. There are no words. He called for Rogue, and of course I will accept it. “How old is he?”

“Twelve,” Nash replies, the pride he feels is evident in his tone. “I’ll get him.”

Nash leaves the room and returns a minute later, his son a step behind him. The child may be twelve but he looks like a young man. I can already see in his eyes that he’s matured beyond his years. There is a seriousness in him that most twelve year olds don’t have, that comes from trauma. Sucking in a breath I lower my head, ready to remain professional, “You need to tell him. He needs to understand that this is about his safety and that I am not his captor, nor am I, or Rogue, keeping him from you. He can’t come looking for you until he turns eighteen and I can no longer make those rules for him.”

Nash nods his head and turns to his son, kneeling before him. “This is the man I told you about. He and his family are going to keep you safe. I need you to go with him. I can’t leave if you aren’t protected, and if anything happens to you I will never forgive myself.”

“Why can’t I just go with you, dad?” The boy’s voice is firm even though his throat bobs with emotion. I’m impressed with him, and under different circumstances it would have been nice to meet him.

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