Page 45 of Cipher's Baby Girl
The baby? He knows about the baby?
"No," I assure him, my eyes glued to his bloodied hand. "You got here in time. I'm okay." I swallow hard and finally say the words aloud. "We're okay. Me and our baby."
His eyes drop to her stomach, a raw vulnerability running through him. "Our baby.” His voice is barely audible.
I nod, suddenly terrified of his reaction. Will he reject me again? Push me away? Tell me he doesn’t want our baby?
Instead, he does the last thing I expect. He gathers me into his arms with excruciating gentleness, one hand cradling my head against his chest, the other wrapping around my waist topull me close. His heartbeat thunders against my ear, fast and strong.
"I'm sorry," he whispers into my hair, his voice breaking. "I'm so fucking sorry, Baby Girl. For everything. For pushing you away. For making you think I didn't want you." His arms tighten around me, as though I might disappear if he doesn’t hold me tight enough.. "I was trying to protect you from me, and instead I left you vulnerable."
His hands are gentle now, so different from the lethal weapons they were moments ago. The contrast should frighten me, but it doesn’t.
I feel protected. Cherished.
"I thought you hated me," I admit, my voice small against his chest.
His grip tightens. "Never. Not for a single second." He pulls back just enough to look into my eyes, his own filled with a depth of emotion I've never seen there before. "I've been yours since the moment I found you. I was just too stupid to admit it."
This is everything I've wanted from him, everything I'd given up hoping for. But questions still linger.
"How did you know?" I ask. "About the baby?"
A shadow crosses his face. "Found the pregnancy test in your trash when I went to your room looking for something to cover you up at the club." His jaw tightens, a flash of that earlier violence crossing his features. "I thought it was Rash's baby at first."
Despite everything, I can't help the small laugh that escapes me. "Rash? Ewww. He's like a brother to me."
"I know that now," he says, smoothing my hair back from my face with gentle fingers. "He set me straight. Told me what an idiot I've been."
"He wasn't wrong," I say, but there's no heat in the words.
"No, he wasn't." Cipher's lips quirk in what might almost be a smile. “But if you give me another chance, I’ll never make that mistake again.” His expression turns serious, his thumb tracing the bruise forming on my cheekbone. "I'm never letting anyone hurt you again, Rose. You or our baby. I swear to you.”
The words "our baby" in his mouth send warmth flooding through me. For the first time, I allow myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, we have a future together. That maybe the broken pieces of both our lives can fit together to create something whole.
Outside, I hear the rumble of motorcycles—the rest of the Shadow Reapers arriving. But for now, in this moment, it's just us. Just me and Cipher and the tiny life we've created.
"Take me home," I whisper, suddenly exhausted as the adrenaline fades.
He stands in one fluid motion, lifting me effortlessly into his arms the same way he did that first night in the shipping container—rescued again, cradled against his chest like something valuable and cherished.
"What about him?" I ask, nodding toward Richard's unconscious form.
Cipher's eyes turn cold, that lethal focus returning briefly. "The brothers will handle him. He'll never touch you again." There's a promise in those words, dark and final.
As he carries me from the cabin, I see Ghost, Blade, and several other brothers arriving, their expressions grim and purposeful.
"I'm taking her home,” Cipher tells Ghost, his voice brooking no argument. "He's inside. Breathing, for now."
Ghost nods, his eyes softening when they land on me. "We'll handle it."
Cipher carries me to his motorcycle, setting me down with reluctance. "Can you ride?" he asks, genuine concern in his voice. "It's not ideal in your condition, but?—"
"I can ride," I assure him. "Just don't let me go."
Something shifts in his expression—vulnerability, tenderness, determination all mingled together. "Never again, Baby Girl," he promises, the words feeling like a vow. "Never again."
Epilogue: Rose
