Page 23 of Honor Me (Men of Inked 6)
babe. Not cool.”
“So you’ll do it?”
“Yeah,” he grumbled.
Victory was mine.
“As long as you’re sure?”
“I’ve thought a lot about it, Joe.”
“Okay. Are the girls ready to go?” He glanced down at his watch.
“Yeah. Want to help me get them and head over?”
It was Sunday—the first one since we’d been on lockdown with the threat against the entire family.
We climbed the stairs hand in hand, and I couldn’t help but think how lucky I truly was. My life was blessed. Somehow, with all the insanity we’d been through, everyone had come out alive. So far. Thinking back on it all, and there was quite a bit, I couldn’t believe that we’d survived, that our love had endured, and we’d grown stronger as a couple.
When we walked into the babies’ room, Gigi stood between the cribs talking to the girls. We watched at the doorway, peeking through the crack and listening.
“You two gotta be good. Daddy hasn’t spanked me, but he does Mommy, and I don’t want him to do it to you.”
Joe laughed softly, his body shaking against my back. I peered over my shoulder and narrowed my eyes. “We have to talk to her about this,” I whispered.
He nodded. “It’s kind of cute, though.”
“No. It really isn’t anymore. She keeps telling everyone how you spank me, Joe.”
“Okay, okay. We have time for a quick talk before we head over.” Joe reached over me and pushed open the bedroom door. “Hey, baby girl. Whatcha doing?”
Gigi turned to face us wearing her favorite pink dress that had lace frills around the hemline. She twisted her finger in her hair, twirling it around her knuckle. “Just talking to my sissies.”
“What did you tell them?” he asked, walking up to her before scooping her into his arms.
“I told them they have to be good, Daddy.” She peered up at him with the sweetest look—the one that usually got her out of trouble. I swear she learned how to bat her eyelashes and get her way from her aunt Izzy.
Joe sat on his knees, cradling Gigi in his arms. “You know I don’t spank Mommy because she’s bad, right?”
Her eyes widened and her tiny mouth fell open. “You don’t?” she whispered.
Joe shook his head and smiled sweetly. “No, baby. It’s not that type of spanking.”
Her eyebrows drew together. “There’s more than one kind?”
“There is.”
I glanced toward the ceiling and closed my eyes. There were embarrassing things, and then there were embarrassing things. Discussing your sex life with your kid was the worst kind of mortification. She’d probably be scarred for life. Someday, when she was older, she’d have a lot of questions that I still won’t want to answer.
“But Billy at school says his dad spanks him when he’s bad. So why do you spank Mommy?”
“It’s like a kiss,” Joe told her, pushing the tiny wisps of hair off her forehead.
“A spanking is like a kiss?” She stared at him and gawked.
Oh, God.
“It’s like a love tap. I just touch her butt softly. It’s not really a spanking.”
She placed her tiny hands on his cheeks and looked into his eyes. “So when you love someone, you touch their butt?”
“Only if you’re married.”
“I’m so confused,” she mumbled.
“Me too, Gigi,” I told her and laughed.
“No boy should ever spank you or touch your butt. Understand?” Joe’s lips were mushed together by her hands and the words sounded funny.
“Unless I’m married.”
“Right, but then, only if you want them to.”
“Daddy?” Gigi scooted closer to him, still gripping his face.
“Yeah, baby girl?”
“I don’t ever want to get married. I want to live with you and Mommy forever, and I don’t ever want to get spanked.”
“Your lips to God’s ears,” I whispered and sighed.
I hated her growing up. She was still little, but every day I could see her changing and growing, becoming her own tiny person. Imagining the day she’d leave home to go to college broke my heart.
“You never have to leave, Gigi. Daddy just wants you to be happy.” He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her. Her tiny lips found his and she laid a wet one right on him.
“I love you, Daddy.”
“Love you too, baby girl. Want to go to Grandma’s?”
“Yes!” she screeched and bounced in his lap. “Does that mean Papa spanks Nona?”
“You’d have to ask them, kid.”
That will make for an interesting dinner conversation.
Gallo Sundays
Joe
“Suzy get you to agree to the vasect—” Mike couldn’t even get the entire word out without turning white as a ghost.
Poor guy. I knew exactly how he felt.
“Yeah. I told her I would.”
“Now Mia’s asking me to get one. Suzy started a chain reaction.” He bowed his head and rubbed his face. “I don’t think I can handle it.”
“You made a living from people beating the shit out of you, and a tiny incision is going to scare you?”
His hand slid around to the back of his neck. “It’s my balls, dude.”
“Did you watch her give birth to Lily?”
“Well, yeah, duh.”
“Be happy she didn’t come out of your sac.”
He shuddered. “Fuck, man. Don’t put that image in my head. Do you know how long it took me not to have nightmares of her birth?”
“For a big man, you sure are a pussy, Mike.”
He gripped his chest and smiled. “I’ll embrace that shit all day long when it comes to my junk.”
“Thomas got it done. He said it’s not a big deal.”
Mike’s mouth fell open and he turned toward Thomas. “You let a doctor cut your nutsack?”
“Man up, Mikey.” Thomas didn’t even look him in the eye, just kept flipping through the channels of the television.
Mike narrowed his eyes. “You’ve all been brainwashed by pussy. What about you, Anthony? Are you still fully functional?”
“I have an appointment next week. Max asked right after Suzy. I think they made a pact to get us all under the knife,” he grumbled, tapping his foot nervously.
“I knew it.” Mike shot up from the couch. “I’m going to tell Mia hell no.”
“That should work out well,” I mumbled as he stomped off toward the kitchen.
Thomas glanced at me and laughed. “Mia’s going to kick his ass.”
“Rightfully so,” Pop added before returning his attention to his Sunday sports page in the newspaper.
“Get the hell out!” Mia yelled moments later.
“Baby, I won’t do it. It’s cruel and unusual punishment,” Mike told her.
I turned around, waiting for the fireworks to really start and to see if Mike would stand his ground. My money was on Mia.
“You know what’s cruel and unusual punishment, Mike?” She poked him in the chest, causing him to stumble backward. “Giving birth to your baby with a giant head and extra-wide shoulders.”
“Stop!” he said and closed his eyes. “I don’t want to think about it.” He waved his hands, trying to block her from poking him again.
“No baby should have a head as large as yours. I almost split in two when Lily was born. That’s some cruel and definitely unusual punishment. So get the hell over a tiny cut on your balls. I’ve had bigger paper cuts that you’ll have with a vasectomy.”
“Tell my dick that,” Mike mumbled, staring down at her finger still pressing into his chest.
“It’s your nuts,” Anthony yelled from the living room and laughed. “Dumbass.”
“Either you get it done or I’ll handcuff you to the bed and do it myself.” Mia narrowed her eyes at him.
I wouldn’t put it past her either. To be with Mike, she
had to be a tough cookie.
“I’d listen to the woman,” Suzy said, tossing the dishcloth over her shoulder. “She knows how to use a scalpel.”
“For shit’s sake.” Mike looked up to the ceiling and said a little prayer. “Fine.”
Mia smiled, finally moving her hand away. “Thank you.” She stalked away from him with a satisfied look.
He glanced at me and shrugged. Even the biggest man could lose a battle with a woman. Mike couldn’t use his muscles to intimidate her. He thought his balls were his own, but he quickly learned who really wore the pants in the family.
“The Cubs might just do it this year,” Pop said, pretending he didn’t hear a thing that went on.
“Keep dreamin’, Pop,” Thomas told him. “Hell hasn’t frozen over yet.”
“It better happen before I die.”
