Primal Fury by Piper Davenport
Indigo
Two years later…
I set the stepstool on the floor of our brand new, blinged-out closet, and raised one foot just as Mina bellowed, “Mama!”
“In here!” My heart sang at the sound of her little voice, and I walked back into my bedroom to find her flopping onto my bed.
Jekyll had built us the most amazing home in Colorado Springs with six bedrooms, five bathrooms, a den, and a full basement that was perfect for a kid’s playroom. It also had an area that was unfinished, and Jekyll suggested we turn it into a place for my dad and his new wife if they ever got to the stage where they needed it.
Jekyll’s capacity for love seemed to multiply every day, and I was so proud to call him my husband.
“What’s up, Buttercup?” I asked, as Mina sat up and huffed. She was about to turn nine and her little girl attitude was always pegged to eleven.
“When’s Dad gonna be home?”
I cupped her chin. “In about an hour. Why?”
She shrugged.
“What’s going on in that brave and pretty head?”
“I need to talk to Dad.”
“If you have it in your mind that Daddy’s going to beat the crap out of someone for you, I’d stow that.”
She rolled her eyes. “No, it’s not that. He’s already scared Trevor’s dad so bad, all the boys avoid me now.”
Mina had a run-in with a bully and since it was illegal for Jekyll to threaten a minor, he threatened his dad instead and Mina was suddenly no longer harassed… by anyone.
“He’ll be happy to know that.”
“I’m not gonna have to move out, right?” she whispered.
“What? No! Why would you think that?”
“Because you’re gonna have a baby.”
“Which means, you’re gonna have another brother or sister.”
“But it’ll be your real kid.”
“Honey, you’re my real kid. Just like Bri and Leo,” I crooned, stroking her cheek. “Nothing and no one’s ever going to take you away from me and Daddy. We’ve got the paperwork that ensures that.”
“So you won’t stop loving me?”
“Holy crap, no way.” I lifted her chin to meet her eyes. “I love you with my whole heart and nothing will ever change that. And you know for a fact Daddy will protect all of us, so we always stay together.” I settled my hands on my belly. “This baby just multiplies the love, honey. And I know you’ll be the best big sister, ever.”
“But Bri’s the best big sister, ever.”
I grinned. “You’re right, she totally is. And now you’ll get the chance to be just like her.”
“I really like my room.”
“Oh, I get it,” I said, sitting beside her and wrapping my arm around her waist, pulling her close. “Your room is your room, baby girl. No one will ever make you give it up. It’s why Daddy built such a big house.”
“Where the hell is everyone?” Jekyll growled, stalking into the room.
“Daddy!” Mina squealed, making a run for him.
He caught her, lifting her high so she could wrap her legs around him. “Hey, Mouse. Did you drive your brother and sister away already?”
“Leo took a girl out and Brianna’s at Auntie Bellamy’s for a sleep over.”
This was my new hell. Leo was dating and using my car to drive them around. My only solace was that Jekyll was teaching him how to be an amazing and respectful human, and I embarrassed the hell out of him every day reminding him to use condoms. I did not need to be a grandma at thirty.
Leo was also making much better friend choices since Chucky had ‘chosen’ to move to Portland to start a new life. Jekyll had organized a chance for him to prospect for the Dogs of Fire MC out there, and from all accounts, Chucky was thriving.
“You mean, Mama and I get you all to ourselves?” he asked, hopefully.
“Only if we can have ice cream,” she bargained.
“I think we can make that happen,” he said.
“After dinner,” I added, and Mina hugged Jekyll again before he put her down. “Remember, Grandpa and Martha are coming over for dinner and you still need to clean your room. So, how about you go take care of that before we eat?”
“Okay, Mama.” She rushed off to do her chores, and I wrapped my arms around my man.
“You’re home early.”
“Last client bailed,” he said. “No refunds.” He nodded toward the door. “Mina okay?”
“She’s afraid the baby will change things.”
I filled him in on the whole conversation and he sighed.
“It’s good we can spoil her a bit tonight then, huh?”
“Very,” I agreed.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, stepping into the closet.
“I’m good.”
“Why is this stool here?”
“I needed—”
“Indigo,” he growled. “We talked about this.”
“I can get up on a stepstool without killing myself, Hyde.”
“I’d rather you wait and let me get you whatever you need.”
“I just need the Christmas bedding. It’s in the big box on the right.”
He reached up and pulled the box down. He was tall enough, he didn’t need the stepstool, and he carried it out of the closet, setting it on the bed.
“What’s this?” I asked, lifting a padlock out of the box.
“That’s the padlock I took off the door.”
“The door?”
Jekyll had mentioned he’d had to pick a lock or two to get to Mina and her friends, but I didn’t realize he’d held onto it.
“Yeah.”
“Why did you keep it?” I asked.
“Because one day, she’s gonna need it to remind her that I’ll do anything to protect her. But more importantly, that lock signifies she has the power over her life, and no one can ever take it away from her again,” he said. “No one will take it away from any of them.”
The rest of the girls were still at Walker House and getting the counseling and support they needed to heal. None of them wanted to be put into the adoption system, so they were welcome to stay as long as they wanted, particularly since the Howlers had done even more renovations (with more of Cliff’s money), and we had another ten beds.
“Oh my god,” I breathed out. “You are the best human on the planet.”
He chuckled, leaning down to kiss me, sliding his hands to my butt. “Back atya.”
“Thank you for being you.”
“That’s all you,” he said with a grin. “You make me who I am, baby.”
“I think we make each other,” I countered. “We’re a fucking good team.”
“Hell, yeah,” he agreed, kissing me again.
“I love you more than ice cream,” I said.
“That would be more of an impact coming from Mina,” he pointed out, and I laughed.
“This is true.”
He kissed me again, and we headed downstairs to get dinner ready.
* * *
Jekyll
“Push, baby,” I encouraged as Indigo let out a groan and pushed with all her might.
“We just need to get these shoulders out and you can hug your baby,” the doctor said. “One more big push and he’ll be here.”
I wiped Indigo’s forehead and kissed her temple. “You’ve got this, beautiful.”
She took a deep breath, and let out another grunt, delivering our baby boy into the doctor’s waiting hands. She cleaned him up, then set him gently on Indigo’s chest and I took in the miracle that was Gray Hugh Roberts.
“Oh my god,” Indigo breathed out, stroking his perfect little cheek. “We made that.”
I blinked back tears. “We made that.”
“BTS and Ed Sheeran made a baby,” she whispered.
“What the fuck?”
Indigo laughed. “Something Bellamy said a long time ago because she’s kind of stupid, but kind of right at the same time.”
“Well, that pretty much sums her up, so I’ll let it slide.”
A nurse came to Indigo’s other side. “We’re going to get his weight and height and finish cleaning you up, then we’ll give him back.”
“Okay,” Indigo said, reluctantly releasing Gray.
I followed the nurse to the other side of the room and once they were done poking and prodding him, they let me hold him for a few precious minutes. “Hey there, son. I’m your daddy. And you have the best mama on the planet. You have two big sisters and a big brother and they’re gonna love you almost as much as I do.”
I kissed his cheek and carried him back to Indigo who was already blubbering as I settled him to her chest. “Oh my god, there isn’t going to be another person in the world who will be loved as much as you,” she breathed out, kissing his cheek.
I smiled, kissing my wife, humbled by the beauty who had chosen me. I was blessed beyond reason, and I would never take that for granted.