Page 95 of Protected By the Convicts
“That’s very sweet of you,” Hannah began as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She grabbed hold of Sersie’s arm when she started to falter. “But what I meant is that you can go home, without worrying about leaving a child behind. I know you don’t want kids—”
Ren turned so swiftly Hannah jumped back and likely would have fallen had Sersie not been holding onto her.
“Don’t want kids? I never said I don’t want children. I do. I just don’t want them on Narkos. But it appears we have no choice.”
Ren wanted kids? “You do have a choice,” Hannah said, numbly. “I won’t have you stay here for a child you don’t want.”
“I’m staying, Hannah. Decided that the moment Foley told us you were returning to Narkos. I told him to give me a quota and put it toward the unit as a whole. Maybe one day they’ll give our entire unit—which includes you and our child—permission to leave, but until then I’m staying.”
“You really did that?”
“Before I knew about the baby. Before I realized you didn’t want me here.”
“I want you, Ren! But I don’t want you to grow to resent me or this baby. I don’t want you to hate us because we can’t leave, because you can’t leave if you stay. They may never let you leave if you pass up this chance. Rules changes. Managers change.”
“That’s why you didn’t want to return. . .” Ren said, realizing what she’d done. “You thought we’d leave if you were stuck on Veenith, that we would simply forget you in time.”
“Fuck,” Vaughn said as he headed out of the bay.
Hannah felt so overwhelmed. There was a lot to consider.
“Sha’vi. You have your answer. We’d rather stay and work on Narkos to be with you than be anywhere else without you.”
Hannah ran into Ky’Li’s arms and hugged him. Beautiful green eyes found Vaughn, questioning him one last time. The moment Vaughn opened his arms, she sailed into his embrace. She breathed in his musk, her body thrumming with memories, with the very feel of his lips against her neck. It had been too long since he’d held her. Her entire body felt alive and complete at long last. Ky’Li was right. Home was wherever they were. . . together, all of them.
“I’m staying with you, Princess, and with any children we have, whether they’re genetically mine or not. Your children will be mine too.”
“You’ve worked harder than anyone to leave here, Ren. It’s too great a sacrifice.”
“The sacrifice would be losing you. I’m staying.” Ren glanced at the others but didn’t need to wait for them to acknowledge. He read them so well. “We all are.”
“Are you all sure about this?” she asked. “Being stuck here for the rest of your life. With kids that won’t have what you had. No school, maybe no other kids to play with.”
“Enough already, sha’vi. We stay or leave as a family. The rest we will figure out.”
Ren sank his hand into her hair, cupping her head. “I suppose we’ll just have to make more babies, so this first one has other kids to play with. It could be fun, Princess,” he said with the most amazing lilt to his voice. Lighthearted, optimistic, so very non-Ren, and yet the sentiment, the heart in his words, were all Ren.
Hannah smiled, more relieved than anything.
“We’ll educate the kids,” Sersie added. “Vaughn and I will teach them math, chemistry, and biology, and Ren will focus on math and physics.”
Hannah wiped the tears forming in her eyes. “And you, Ky’Li. . . What would you teach our children?”
“How to protect themselves. Sons, daughters, it does not matter. They will learn how to fight, how to stalk the enemy, and how to survive. The rest will come from you.”
“The rest?” she asked.
“Learning how to be strong, to stand up for what is right. . . How to love, sha’vi.”
“How to love. . .” Hannah repeated as her eyes met Vaughn’s once more. She mouthed the wordsthank you. That smile of his, genuine, full of hope and happiness, would stay with her for the rest of her life.
Vaughn leaned forward and captured Hannah’s lips. “Welcome home, Hannah. I’ve been waiting for you for a lifetime.”
Her eyes glided from man to man. “Thank you, all of you.”
“For what, sha’vi?”
“For making me believe in love, for making me believe I could be so happy, even in a place like Narkos. I have everything a person could possibly want as long as I have the four of you and this little one.” She patted her stomach and then Ren’s hand overlaid hers.
Hand after hand followed until all four of her men were holding her, holding her child,theirchild, telling her in no uncertain terms that they were and always would be a family.
* * *
