Page 12 of The Secret's Out

Griz glared at Zara and with Talon’s help, they moved Deanna out of the compound and into the car. Dodge, with the camera, climbed into the back of Griz’s four-wheel drive while Talon hopped in behind the wheel. Zara climbed into the passenger seat leaving Deanna and Griz to the back seat. Dodge leaned over the back seat to film Deanna resting her head on Griz’s legs. He ran his hand through her hair. I was lucky enough to see her soft smile.

The camera jolted around as the car moved. With Talon driving, I knew he would be swerving through traffic.

“I’m going to hurt you for this,” Deanna groaned, looking up at her man. Her hand came up and gripped his tee.

“I look forward to it, princess.” Griz chuckled.

“Zara,” Deanna screamed. “Oh, fuck, I feel like I want to push.”

“Oh, God,” Zara gasped.

“What?” Griz yelled.

“It means she’s close.”

“Kitten, will we make it to the hospital?”

“I need to push,” Deanna screamed. “Grady, you fucker, oh, God, I don’t want our kid born in our car.”

“It’ll be okay.” He nodded down at her. “Wildcat?” he asked in a panicked voice, a voice I had never heard from him before.

With wide eyes, Zara ordered, “Talon, pull over. Call an ambulance.” Once he did, she climbed out of the car, must have run around to Deanna’s side, because the door was flung open. “I need to take your panties off,” Zara said, her hands sliding up under Deanna’s skirt.

“Hot damn, girl action,” Dodge foolishly said.

The camera was then dropped and all I heard were voices.

“Shut the fuck up,” Griz growled. “Get out, get out now before I kill you.”

“Zara,” Deanna screamed.

“She’s crowning, the baby’s coming,” Zara yelled. “Push, Dee, push.”

“Come on, princess, you can do this.”

“Of...fucking...course...I...can,” Deanna bellowed.

In the next second, a baby’s cry was heard and my heart melted.

The video ended in the hospital, capturing Deanna, the hardest woman I knew, smiling sweetly down at her baby boy, with Griz standing protectively over them.

“Jose, come on, girlfriend,” Simone yelled. I opened my door and walked down the hall to see her waiting at the front door.

“Sorry,” I said and picked up my backpack from the floor just as we heard a door behind us open. Parker, looking sleep deprived, walked out of his room in nothing but boxers. I heard Simone sigh in appreciation. I would have also, but I quickly bit my bottom lip. He staggered his way to the bathroom at the end of the hall without a hello or anything.

“Damn, that man is fine,” Simone whispered. I gave her a tight-lipped smile and a small nod before I opened our front door and walked out. She was right though. Parker was fine. His body seemed as though it were etched from stone: hard and beautiful.

However, he was a mystery and I wasn’t sure what his life was like or if I wanted to actually know anything about it.

# # # #

It happened early that morning. Simone and I had gone to our class. During it, there was only one of Cameron’s friends taunting me. Coughing out harsh names and poking me in the back with his pen. Simone turned and glared at the guy, but she didn’t see the jabs, thank goodness, or else she would have made a scene. When the bell rang, knowing Simone had a class at the opposite end of the building, I quickly said goodbye and bolted from my seat and room.

The frigid air swirled around me, causing me to shiver as I rushed along the pathway to the building that held my next class. I gripped my backpack tighter in my arms against my stomach, wishing I had brought a jacket with me.

Unfortunately, I didn’t make it far before I felt someone behind me. My already hasty pace picked up another notch. Something brushed my back.

Please no.

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