Finn (29 page)

“It’s true. He’s been rambling on for weeks, driving us fuc—I mean, freaking insane. Please, put us out of our misery.” Cooper temples his hands together in a begging motion.

“You realize I’ve been drinking, right?”

“Better for us. You’re lubed and primed.” Nate wiggles his eyebrows.

“Gross!” I swallow the rest of my wine and go sit in the chair, getting out my violin.

“This is completely unscripted. Join in when you want.” Declan starts strumming his guitar, and the others join in.

I listen a few beats and then start to move my bow, jumping in on the rhythm. It only takes a few chords before we’re somewhat in sync as Declan starts the vocals. I get lost in the music. When the last chord is played, I take a deep breath before opening my eyes. The heat of everyone’s stares sears my skin, but I focus on the man directly in my eyesight, cuddling my sleeping niece.

His eyes are literally glowing. He gives me a lopsided grin that sends a surge of pride all the way to my bones. The sound of soft clapping rises in the air, but I can’t pull my eyes off him. He mouths ‘I love you’, and my chest tightens.

“I have no words, man. That was the shit. Couldn’t picture it, never thought we’d mesh with the sound of classical strings, but she’s fucking talented,” Nate exclaims excitedly, slapping Declan on the shoulder.

“Told you guys.”

“We’re calling the label tomorrow.” Blake waves his phone in the air. “Charlie recorded it.”

“That’s it. I’m taking my girls home before you have a chance to corrupt her.” Finn stands, bringing Winnie closer to his chest. “And this one has school tomorrow. It’s been a big day.”

“Look at Black being domestic. I’m pretty sure pigs are flying somewhere.” Gabe chuckles, and Harper elbows him, causing him to topple over the back of the lounger. His beer goes everywhere, and he hisses a string of expletives as we all laugh at him.

“When I found it, I knew. Not denying it, asshole,” Finn responds and walks into the house.

Suddenly, with a child in his arms and his friends surrounding us, my heart threatens to burst. All the things he said to me in the pool replay in my mind.

Marriage, babies, the future… I picture it all. And I want it more than anything.

Finn

T
his is a cluster fuck of epic proportions. I read over the notes in the file and glance around the room, seeing the same expression on everyone. James’ face is actually twisted into a fierce scowl, his eyes burning. I’ve seen this look a few times in my life, and it sends a chill to my bones. It means he’s trying to work the pieces of the puzzle out in his head, and it’s not going well.

The Louisiana Senate Election is in seven weeks, and Governor DeSantis is heating up the race. Even in the face of danger, he has been vocal on his stance on many issues that cause strife in his state, and he hasn’t backed down. People on both sides of politics are starting to listen closely, and he’s now made more enemies, specifically on his gun control and public assistance stance. We haven’t faced any real threats since the break-in at his residence, which was a month ago.

But today, we’ve received intel that puts him, his family, his staff, and their families in danger. Not to mention, there were boxes delivered to the houses of his parents, siblings, and his office that contained messages and pictures of graphic violence. Some even included pictures of the riots in the cities where racial tensions exploded among civilians and cops.

The threats are no longer quiet. These sick fucks have now spread their fear in order to influence DeSantis to change his stance or drop out.

He’s a strong, powerful man, but he contacted James with heavy anxiety, ready to do what it takes to protect those he loves. We all agree; if he steps away and bows to the bullies, it will send a message of weakness.

“So what do we do now?” Robbie questions his dad.

“We go in strong. I’ve got a flight out tonight, and we’re meeting with the entire staff tomorrow. I called a few friends and hand selected the local and federal guys I want in on this. There are some pissed off people in Louisiana right now, with me coming in and leaving them in the dark. They feel slighted with a chip on their shoulders, so unfortunately, I’ve got to do some schmoozing to smooth feathers. Our guys who have been undercover are coming out and are going to be known as private security from now on.

“Once we get everyone settled and on the same page, we’re going public. DeSantis is going to keep his current travel and rally schedule. His press people are scheduling a conference in two days, and we’re going to leak the threats, hoping to get the average everyday citizen on alert. Your assignments stay the same for now. Each night while I’m away, we’ll have an early evening video conference call. So far, we know this is one group of radicals. I have no doubt we’ll find them and shut them down well before election day.

“Let’s keep everything else business as usual. We still have tons of other clients to keep satisfied.”

The meeting breaks up, and I follow Robbie to his office, closing the door behind me.

“What’s your take on this?” I cut right to the chase.

“I think Dad’s giving us what we need but holding something back regarding the assholes doing all this. Not sure what, but I’m going to let this play out without pushing hard.”

I narrow my eyes and look at my friend skeptically. It’s obvious his mind is a million miles away. His voice is clipped, and his face is furrowed in a scowl. The vein on his forehead pops out as he shuffles papers around his desk unnecessarily, never raising his head.

“Anything on your mind?” I probe, already knowing the answer.

He blows out a breath and scrubs his hands down his face. “Ember’s pregnant.”

The news hits me like a blow, and I take a quick step back. Robbie’s going to be a dad. Surprise turns into happiness, and I move to his side, slapping him on the shoulder. “Congratulations, man. That’s great.”

He gives me a side eye and throws a pen across his desk. “Thanks.”

“Whoa, thought you wanted this?”

“I do. I want kids with Ember more than anything in this world, but it’s going to be a long seven months.”

“Seven?” I repeat curiously.

“Yep, we went to the doctor this morning. She’s almost ten weeks.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Well, besides the fact that she claims she didn’t know, but had been feeling off for a few weeks, we’ve been on the bike, we’ve been drinking, and I’ve fucked her like an animal. All the time, we didn’t know she was pregnant. She swears she’s had no signs.”

“So is she okay?”

“Oh, yeah, she’s over the moon. She started crying when the doctor confirmed what she expected. Me? I was a fucking mute, sitting there dumbfounded.”

“Okay, so you were in shock.”

“I acted like a dick. When the doctor went to get the sonographer, I questioned why she didn’t tell me her suspicions. She started crying harder, saying she didn’t want to see a look of disappointment on my face. The only thing she wanted was to tell me herself she was having our baby and starting our own family.”

“Man, you have to go easy on her. It’s not like she has a lot of experience in this area.”

“I hurt her. She wouldn’t even hold my hand during the sonogram. It was internal, so we only got to hear the heartbeat, but it filled the room, and I swear my own heart hit the floor. It was the most soothing sound in the world. Ember tried to be strong, but tears fell down her cheeks the whole time. I really hurt her feelings.”

“So what the fuck are you doing here? It’s time to grovel like you’ve never groveled before. That precious woman, who’s now carrying your child, is at home upset. Get your ass to her. Leave your protective ego in the dust and make sure she knows how much this means to you. Don’t let her think for even another second you’re upset with her for doing what she thought may protect your feelings. Think about it, man. If she suspected she was pregnant and turned out not to be, you’d have been devastated.”

His face twists and understanding washes over him. He jumps up so fast, I tumble into the wall. “You’re right. I need to go. I’ll stop by Dad’s office on the way out. Do me a favor and don’t say anything to anyone besides Presley. After the supreme dickhead I was this morning, the last thing I want is to steal her thunder. She’ll probably want to have a party to announce it.”

“I’ll make sure Presley keeps her mouth shut,” I confirm, letting him know I’m solid.

He gives me a chin lift before he disappears out the door, leaving me to my own thoughts.

Ember’s having a baby.

Robbie’s going to be a dad.

My chest tightens with a deep ache, and I sit down absorbing the news. The ache turns into a burning, and I hit my chest, trying to ease the sting. Then it hits me; I’m envious. I’ve never been jealous of any of my friends’ happiness, but in this moment, I want what he has.

“Presley, I’m here,” I yell from the living room, so as not to scare her.

“In the kitchen, sweetie.”

I throw my cell, wallet, and keys on the small table next to her purse and see she’s framed another picture of us and put it here. I’m pretty sure it’s from our last trip to the winery, the weekend after Raven’s party. This time, we went with a group, but this picture was snapped when neither of us were looking at the camera. It may be one of my favorites.

The smell of garlic flows through the apartment, and my stomach growls in appreciation. I walk in the kitchen and stop dead, watching her stir something on the stove in one of my t-shirts. She’s recently showered, her hair still damp, hanging in loose waves. The scent of her body wash and shampoo lingers in the air.

Desire sizzles and spreads like fire through my veins. My dick swells and thickens, straining against my shorts. Ideas of how to get her naked and beneath me flash in my head.

Her face lights up when she catches me staring from the doorway. Sometimes, her beauty hits me so hard that I physically ache. My adoration for her runs so deep, I can’t put it into perspective.

Looking at her now, smiling at me with such devotion, and thinking about my conversation with Robbie this morning, I can’t wait. I need her now.

I stalk over and switch off the stove without a word. Her eyes flash with surprise as I lift her effortlessly into my arms. She latches onto me, framing my face with her hands, before leaning in and biting gently on my bottom lip. Our mouths fuse together, our tongues fighting for control. Urgency takes over, and it’s a race to get inside her. I withdraw enough to remove both our shirts then go back to kissing her. Silently, I thank God she is naked underneath. Her taste, her smell, and the feeling of her chest against mine flames a fire already searing in me.

I shuffle us across the room until her ass hits the edge of the table, and set her down, moving my hands to undo my shorts and strip them off. Our mouths never break contact as she scrapes her nails lightly down my chest and cups my cock. It leaps in her hand and starts to throb.

Animalistic hunger flows through my veins with the need to get inside her, but I force myself to slow down. One arm holds her up while the other slides between her legs, finding her wet and slick. She groans into my mouth when two fingers glide inside. Her body jolts, and she bucks her hips into my hand.

“Baby, I can’t wait. I need your pussy now.”

“Yes!” she practically purrs, pumping her hand up and down my dick.

I remove my fingers, cover her hand with my own, and lean back to watch myself slide in. My eyes lift to hers, and I almost blow at the passion and hunger in her stare. She licks her lips seductively and moves back slowly, giving me the perfect view of her tits as she spreads out on the table. I follow her down, thrusting slowly as I suck one of her nipples into my mouth. She arches her whole body into mine, scraping her fingers against my scalp. Her hips swivel against mine, angling me deeper. She whimpers and all control snaps.

I pound into her hard, as my mouth sucks and nips across her chest and up her neck. Her cries grow louder as I drive into her. The table beats against the kitchen wall, fueling my energy, need consuming me.