Page 18 of Blackout-

“Well, what the fuck are you waiting for?”

Pausing for a beat, I glance around the house and take in all the toys that are haphazardly scattered everywhere. The sound of Eric and Robert’s laughter bounces off the walls as they chase each other around with the balloons. It’s chaos…beautiful fucking chaos.

Knowing I’m probably going to regret the words that come out of my mouth next, I turn to Riggs.

“How do you do it?”

Crossing his arms against his chest, he contemplates his response.

“We get a lot of help from her mother. If Mama Leone didn’t take them once a week, I’d never get it in. Well, that’s not entirely true. There’s always the shower. We do most of our sexing under water these days.”

Gritting my teeth, I shake my head.

“That’s not what I meant,” I grunt. “You got it, man, you got everything, and you make it work. How?”

Flitting his gaze to me, he suddenly becomes very serious.

“Are you asking me for advice?”

“Don’t make me regret it.”

“Man, I gotta document this somehow.”

“Just answer the fucking question.”

He remains silent for a moment before glancing at Lauren.

“You just do it,” he answers honestly. “If someone would’ve told me years ago, I’d be a father of three, I would’ve told them they were out of their fucking mind. I mean, you were there when I found out Lauren was pregnant, you watched me lose my shit.”

Yeah, I did.

It seems like it was just yesterday the little shit was rocking in a corner, fearing fatherhood. Now, here he is, owning the role like it’s what he was born to do.

“After Eric was born…” his voice trails and I’m caught by surprise as his face fills with emotion. Riggs sails through life with a smile on his face, ready to fire a joke on command. He doesn’t break. He doesn’t even bend. “Man, I never felt anything like what I felt when I held him. I knew I didn’t deserve him, that I’d probably fuck it all up but once he wrapped his little hand around my finger, I knew I never lived a fucking second until he was born. There’s nothing like it and as long as Lauren’s willing, I’ll keep having kids just to feel that love. I’ll populate the whole goddamn world.”

He turns to me and his expression grows serious.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t walk out that door every day with my fucking heart in my throat. I watched my woman get shot while she was seven months pregnant. I held my son for the first time, not sure he or his mother would survive, and I buried my best friend. A man doesn’t forget that. He wakes every day and chooses not to cower to fear, knowing if he does the enemy wins and fuck that shit. That Chinese cunt took enough from me. He doesn’t get to take this too.”

“Yeah?”

“Fuck, yeah.”

“Then how come it’s taking you so damn long to wife your Kitten?” I quip, elbowing him in the side. He punches my shoulder and my lips quirk before I fix him with a look. “I’m fucking proud of you.”

“Stop, you’re going to make me blush.”

“I mean it, Riggs, and if Bones was here, he’d say the same. You’re a great father.”

“Blackie,” Lacey calls, drawing my attention away from Riggs. My gaze settles on her as she rises to her feet, gently rocking the baby in her arms. “Come hold him.”

“Yeah, big guy, go hold the baby,” Riggs encourages, patting me on the back. “I just changed his diaper so he shouldn’t shit on you but if he does, consider yourself blessed.”

Fucking Riggs.

Chapter Eight

Lacey

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