Page 184 of Savage Reign

She winced when another bout of pain hit her, and I worked to not squeeze her hand too hard. “How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Our baby is being stubborn,” she answered. “Why won't the little bean just come out already?”

I hated the misery I could hear in her voice. We had been here for several hours already, and she still wasn’t ready.

“I don’t know, sweetheart,” I answered. I wished I knew. Wished I could do something—anything. Hell, I wished I could carry the pain for her.

“Our little bean is probably just stubborn,” Maverick said calmly, coming back inside the room with a cup of ice. Killian followed him, looking like he was about to go out and kill all the nurses and doctors in the place. “This is probably Killian’s child.”

Mila let out a light, airy laugh when Killian’s scowl deepened. We decided it didn’t matter who the father of this child was. We all were, and we would protect this baby with our lives.

Mila rubbed her swollen belly with her free hand. “Probably.”

Another contraction must have hit because I could feel her squeezing the death out of my hand. “Sorry,” she said, releasing me.

I grabbed her hand back. “Squeeze away, angel.”

She offered me a grateful smile just as Killian took her other side. Maverick walked over to her and kissed her forehead. “Ice chips?”

“Yes, please.”

I watched Maverick feed her ice chips while Killian gently massaged her ankles. Our girl was surrounded by all of us, protecting her. And soon, we would have another person to protect. That weight on my shoulder grew heavier but in the best way possible. I would much rather live with someone to love, to protect, to dote on than to live for myself.

And I wouldn’t change any of it. I smiled when Maverick said something to make her laugh. Even Killian seemed lighter thanhe had in years. As for me… I finally felt like I had a purpose in life. That I was no longer just walking aimlessly around.

And all it took was four measly seconds.

Four seconds for me to take one look at Mila that first time and fall.

And how fucking hard that fall had been.

Mila noticed my eyes then. She turned to me and smiled.

“I love you,” I said.

Tears entered her eyes. She tightened her grip on me. “I love you.” Looking at both my brothers, she said, “I love all of you.”

And we loved her with everything in us. And we would continue to love her until the day we took our last breath.

The doctor came in then. A woman in her late thirties, Dr. Wong, was a no-nonsense doctor with an impressive list of credentials. And more importantly, she didn’t even bat an eye at Mila having three husbands. Which was good because I wouldn’t allow anyone to put down my girl.

“How is the mom-to-be?” Dr. Wong asked.

Mila offered a weak smile. “Good.”

Yeah, we both knew she wasn’t good, considering how pale she looked.

“Why is this taking so long?” Killian asked.

Dr. Wong barely blinked at him. “There’s no telling why. There are a number of reasons, and it is different with every woman. Perhaps the baby just isn’t ready to be out yet,” she said as her eyes moved to Mila. “If this is becoming too much, I can induce labor.”

Mila opened her mouth, then closed it, before looking around at us, her expression lost. “I don’t… I don’t know.”

Dr. Wong took a step forward, her expression calm and comforting. “Why don’t I just check on your progress? We’ll take it one step at a time. And I know this can be overwhelming, but I want you to know we are all here for you.”

Mila let out a small sigh and nodded. I hopped off the bed but stayed close to Mila’s side while the doctor did her thing.

Four hours later,Mila finally gave birth to a baby girl.

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