Page 85 of Married into the Mob
My brain couldn’t comprehend how he was holding me up with one hand and cradling the baby with the other. I pictured tentacles.
He lowered me to the mattress, and I caught the first glimpse of our child. A little girl with hair plastered to her scalp.
“Hello, my darling. Bet you didn’t think you’d arrive in a panic room.”
I held her close as another voice congratulated us. Not Treyton.
“No! I missed it. I was at my other grandchildrens’ births.”
THIRTY-TWO
ODELL
“Almost ready, Dellie?”
Hunter appeared in the bathroom holding our daughter, Brielle. I’d only been away from her for a few minutes and I’d missed her. I kissed her tummy and she giggled, a sound that was in sync with my heart.
“Yep.”
The phone bleated. Mine. It was a message from Uncle saying he needed to see me urgently.
Are you okay? Where are the guards?
I’m fine. Just sitting in my easy chair going through some things.
It was Sunday and we were headed to Flint and Tony’s for lunch. Sunday lunch used to be exclusively at Rudy’s before Flint mated, but now we rotated.
But I really need to see you today.
My belly jolted. Uncle and I had skirted around the subject of Draven and Stefan. If I tried to bring it up, he got upset and apologized over and over, and then I cried and we talked of other things.
I suspected Hunter was correct when he said I had put off talking about it because I didn’t want to hear what Uncle had to say.
And he’d chosen today to do it? I made a face as my breakfast almost made an appearance.
“What’s wrong?” Hunter lifted my chin.
“Indigestion.” I fibbed, not wanting to bring up the past, though if Uncle wanted to talk about Draven, the past was about to grab my ass and plonk it in a chair, demanding I confront it.
“Uncle needs to see me. Let’s take two cars to lunch so I can visit him on the way home.” I was driving again, and we’d reduced the number of bodyguards that crowded around me in a protective circle.
“Okay, but as it’s Sunday, we only have two guards.”
“One for each of us.” I doubted any enemies were on the prowl on a Sunday afternoon, but Hunter had had bulletproof windows installed in the Red Beast. Such a waste, but I was in love with that car.
Lunch was a loud affair as usual, and most of the noise came from the adults. But they were my family and I’d grown to adore them.
With a full tummy and a heart swelling with love, I set off to Uncle’s as my mate and daughter left for home, along with leftovers. Flint and Tony had taken cooking lessons and were now trying to outdo my mate and me. Ha! No chance.
Uncle was inside the cabin with the door open when I arrived, and I acknowledged the guards before striding in to him.
He was surrounded by papers, the folding file beside him.
“Thank you for coming, love, but I thought you should see this.” He said he’d been unsure about showing me, thinking the past was best left there, but decided I had a right to know.
“After I received a phone call from your aunt this morning.” He clenched his good hand. “I’d had enough.” His voice rose like that night when he told me about being married off to Draven.
He handed me some papers that were yellowing and smelled of mold. I crinkled my nose, not wanting to touch them, but he insisted I take a look.
