Page 20 of DeLucas After Dark

“Why would you? She’s pregnant, not on her death bed. Unless her doctor found something?”

I pinch my lips and clench my teeth. “I have to trust Sloane’s word that the doctor hasn’t.”

“Are she and Tácito keeping secrets from you?”

“As if Tácito would keep something this big between them.” I scoff at the thought. “She refuses to let me or Tácito meet her doctor, and she won’t let us attend the appointments.”

“But you have a way around her.”

“She’s pregnant,” I grit.

“What about Ethan?”

“She’s pregnant,” I say more viciously than the last time.

“What the hell does that have to do with you staying on top of her and the baby’s health?”

“I… can’t fucking say no to her.” I hang my head, not wanting to see my brother’s response. “When I voice my very reasonable objections, she rubs her belly and I become a pussy.”

“I hate to break it to you, man. She’s always had that ability, and you’ve always been a pussy for her.”

I glare at my brother for exposing the secret only I should know.

“That’s why it took so long for the two of you to lock her down.”

“Yeah, but it’s different now. Tácito bending to her every desire isn’t new. He would let Sloane get away with murder for a smile. Not me. She had to work harder for it and was unsure about her power over me. Not anymore.”

“It was bound to happen.”

“But why now? You know the woman demanded that we promise not to force Ethan’s staff to disclose anything about her appointments or her doctor to us? And she did it with the confidence of a dictator.”

Sansone shakes his head. “Sloane is usually so level-headed. This is a big moment for the family. Why doesn’t she want you at her appointments.”

I glare at my brother, hating that he’ll find out what lengths I’ve gone to in the past. “She says she likes her OBGYN and doesn’t want to find out they’ve met in some freak or unfortunate accident one day.”

“Still not following.”

“She’s gotten it into her head that I’ll kill anyone whose seen her naked.”

“Except for Tácito, of course.” Sansone covers his mouth, but unholy amusement shines from his eyes.

“Of course.”

“And I’m sure this is a product of pregnancy brain and she has nothing to worry about.”

I avert my gaze and study the Douglas skyline. From this vantage, I can see the Luxe Locations headquarters.

My silence prompts Sansone to needle me some more. “But she probably has a woman doctor, so no man is looking where he shouldn’t.”

I clear my throat and search the office for a bar. Because Sansone hasn’t lived here long enough, my search comes up empty. “I may have told her I don’t care what gender her doctor is. Once they’ve seen heaven, they must die.”

“Val!”

“You’ll understand when you find your woman.” I glare at my brother who is enjoying this way too much.

“You’re hopeless.”

I shrug as another idea comes to me. “I guess I could compromise and blind the doctor after the baby comes.”

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