Cindy slumped into Bill, as if the hope of grandchildren had kept her upright and now she had nothing to stand for.
“I’d like to tell you that your daughter was forced into this situation,” Eve said, struggling to help them understand. “It was not her choice. She was kidnapped. And she could have done anything she wanted to those babies, but she kept them safe. Even in her death, she held on to give those babies a chance. I’m so thankful for that.”
Eve covered her mouth briefly to compose herself.
“I’m not sure how this pans out. I feel like we’ve got a lot of ground to cover, but I lost my dad earlier this year, and my mother hasn’t been a part of my life for a long time. These two babies could really use a set of grandparents. I know that might not be what you need or want right now, but it’s my goal to stay in contact with you. And at some point, God willing, those babies will consider you family. They’ll know that your daughter saved their lives.”
Eve sat back, and Beckett took her hand again.
Bill set the paper down and rubbed Cindy’s back. She began to sob, and Bill wrapped her in his arms.
“I’m so very sorry for your loss,” Eve said after a moment. “Your phone now has my phone number, and I will always answer your calls from this point forward. I’m also adding you to the approved list to see the babies. Please feel free to go whenever you’d like.”
Eve stood, and Beckett followed her back across the lobby.
“Wait,” came a voice from behind them. “We’ll see the babies.”
She turned to see Bill still rubbing Cindy’s back, but looking at her. She nodded. “The next visitation begins in two hours. That’s when we can see them.”
She and Beckett continued to the elevators, and as soon as the doors closed, he pulled her into a hug. “You know you’re amazing, right?”
She hugged him back, the steel walls of the elevator reflecting them. “I can’t believe they’re mine…What are we going to do?”
“That has to be a mind trip,” Beckett agreed. “You’re probably in shock.”
When the elevator opened on her floor, she let go of Beckett and showed him to her room. “It’s crazy,” she said as she unlocked the door. “And they are so, so tiny. I feel like I can’t breathe when I’m not looking at them. Anything can happen.” She put the card key on the dresser. “I’ve got two hours before I can head back.”
“They’ll be great. Their mother is stubborn and a fighter. You wait and see.” Beckett sat on her disheveled bed.
“But they’re partly their father’s. I can’t believe I’m tied to that man. It’s such a violation.” She felt her insides squirm.
“He’s dead. And those children will be like you. You’re going to raise them.”
She sat next to him. “I killed their aunt.”
Beckett shrugged. “I used their half-brother to blow up their father. I think we should stay away from that family tree.”
“Does anyone else have a claim on these children? I don’t want his family crawling out of the woodwork.” Eve kicked off her shoes.
“I don’t think there’s much of that family left, and unless you put him down on the birth certificates, there shouldn’t be much way to trace.” Beckett kicked off his own shoes.
“I put you.” She turned to face him. “As their father, I put you.”
Beckett’s jaw fell open a bit. “Me?”
“Yeah. You.” Eve crossed her arms in front of her, watching his reaction.
His face softened. “Me.”
In an instant he was off the bed and kissing her face, then her lips. She couldn’t even get her arms around him. They were pinned to her chest.
“I thought maybe you wouldn’t…want me as the dad. For a dad. You know what I mean?” He grabbed a handful of her ass and freed her hands with the same motion.
“We’re married. Of course it’s you,” she said. “Teddy’s middle name is Beckett. And Mouse’s is Anna,” she added softly.
He held her for a moment, scarcely breathing.
But after a moment, she looked up with a broad smile. “You ready for instant kids?” She put her hands on his chest.
“No. But are you? Is anyone ready for kids? I fucking doubt it. And baby, wait until you see—I’m making Poughkeepsie so goddamn safe God himself could take a shit with the door open on Main Street.” He spread his arms wide.
“You should put that on the town sign.” Eve kissed his now-frowning lips.
“Seriously? You want to be a wise ass? I have ways to deal with that.” Beckett pulled her to him using the button on her jeans. As soon as they were undone, he yanked them down her legs, kissing her once she was bare.
“Is this a bad time?” He looked up at her from his knees.
She pulled one foot from the jeans that were like ankle handcuffs and set it on the bed behind him. “No. It’s just what I need. Now.”
With that she pushed his face between her legs. His laughter tickled as he took his time with her, using his fingers in wicked places and his tongue that knew just where to be. Soon she was whispering his name over and over. When she was at the very tippy edge of that wave of release she craved, he stood.
He wasn’t laughing now. He was a predator, deadly. Her favorite man to fuck. He tossed her on the bed and before she could laugh, he entered her. He took her roughly and usually she was able to push back, but this time he held her down. She was close, so close she saw white, when he pulled out again.
She growled with anger and the loss of him.
“On your knees. Quick,” he commanded.
Evidently she wasn’t moving fast enough, because he grabbed her hips and flipped her, pulling her into a kneeling position. And then he was fury. With her hair in one hand, he used his other to alternate between spanking her ass and grabbing her breast, pinching the nipple hard. He was a warrior for her. When she came it was tension, then release.
She’d barely finished when he repositioned her again, this time on her back. He licked her, adding three fingers, deep and knowledgeable. What he could do with his mouth had her arching her back, toes curling until she came again.
And she knew he wasn’t done. She kicked his shoulder until he stumbled backward, landing on his back. She was off the bed and standing over him in no time.
“Hang on,” she told him. She landed on him hard and used every muscle she had to become a vice for him. She spun and rocked backward so he could see her ass while she grabbed a handful of him, rocketing him to his orgasm.
He sat up, and she slithered off of him, taking his dick in her mouth, still pulsing with ecstasy. She traced him with her lips and pinched his nipple to match.
He grabbed the back of her neck. “Fuck! Damn it, Eve. Jesus, that was so good.”
She kept him in her hand as she finally put her head on his shoulder. His fingers went between her legs as well. They lay together, just breathing on the floor of the hotel.
“I was supposed to let you nap.” He kissed her forehead.
“I needed that more. You have no idea. Best stress reliever ever.”
She sat up and he followed suit, eventually helping her to her feet.
“I brought some clothes for you,” he told her.
“You are my freaking favorite right now.” Eve walked to the bathroom naked. When she looked over her shoulder, Beckett was biting his lip.
“You’d do the world a favor if you stopped wearing them all together,” he said. “Let me run to the car and get your stuff. Get started, and I’ll meet you in there.”
Halfway through her second shampoo, he got into the shower behind her. They took turns washing each other’s backs with the hotel washrags, and then he turned the water off and held the curtain open for her like a door.
“So, Ryan has the eggs, or what?” She got dressed quickly, all business again.
“Yeah. He’s storing them somewhere for you. But keep your expectations low—all the transfers and stuff can’t be good.” Beckett pulled his shir
t over his head.
“I can be back in there with them in ten minutes,” she said, looking at the clock. “We got to roll.” Eve put her shoes on but then looked up at Beckett. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for giving me a chance,” he said. “For not killing me when you wanted to. For treating my brothers as your own. For being the best mother those babies could have. For being my partner when we get to Poughkeepsie.” He took her hand and pulled her in for another deep kiss.
A few days after the most exciting day Poughkeepsie had seen in quite a while, Livia and Kyle sat on the floor at Livia’s house, building with monster-sized Legos. Mode had been mercifully untouched by the destruction, so Kyle was just back from work to pick up her son. And as it did on most days, her arrival turned into a visit. She had propped JB up between her legs, and Livia watched as Kellan kept busy with his own tower. Emme had her nose buried in a book, surrounded by stuffed animals.
“You know, we’re thinking of moving,” Kyle announced as she clicked a red block into place and smoothed a hand across JB’s head.
Livia was immediately sad. “Really? The other night was just too much? Are you going to use the house Beckett got in Hawaii? I mean, I totally understand but—”
“Yeah, across the street from you, the Andersons are moving,” Kyle interrupted. “So I was thinking, you know…”
“Oh. Oh! That would be fantastic. Holy shmoely. We could be sister wives!” Livia reached over and hugged Kyle around the neck.
“That’s just disgusting. Jesus,” Kyle said. “We’re sisters, and that’s enough. Keep your wifely parts in your pants.” But she did hug her sister back.
“The cousins will be right across from each other. It’ll be great!” Livia said. “Oh, now I went and moved you in in my head. What if the Andersons are being fickle like last time? I’ll start being the worst neighbor ever so they have to leave.” Livia smiled at her sister, which seemed to loosen something inside of her.
Kyle’s next revelation sort of bubbled out. “I’m pregnant. Again.”
Livia felt her mouth drop open. “No way! Congratulations. That’s the best ever. Wow! Are you nervous?” She hugged her sister again.
“Of course. That’s why I’m not going to tell you for a few more weeks.” Kyle rolled her eyes. “Except I seem to have stopped being able to keep the secret. What if I jinxed it?” She went pale.
Livia shook her head. “That wasn’t bad luck, sweetheart. It was biology. And we don’t believe in jinx stuff here. You know that.”
JB whimpered and Kyle picked him up, standing and starting to rock in one motion.
Livia stood as well. “You’re a natural.”
Kyle smiled. “That’s because you keep popping out vagina fruit.”
“The miracle of birth.” Livia tilted her head in Emme’s direction.
“I’m sorry. I forgot.”
Emme piped up, “My mommy say vagina is the name for girl parts, and they are very special.”
Livia closed one eye, afraid of what her sister would say next.
“Mommy has a very special vagina,” Kyle agreed. “I’m not surprised that she’s so proud of it.”
“Put my nephew down so I can slap you.” Livia readied her hand.
“I will not.” Kyle used JB as a shield, and he started laughing every time Livia pretended she was coming with a slap.
Soon Emme was mimicking her mother, and Kellan did his best as well. The whole room giggled, then held their breath, waiting for JB to laugh again with his little dimples showing. They must have played this game for almost ten minutes. Livia got a brief snippet on video to send to the guys.
Then as quickly as it began it was over, and JB began making sad noises instead of happy. Kyle took him into Livia’s kitchen and popped him in the high chair as the whole crew followed, the older children suddenly needing a snack as well.
Livia opened the cabinet and pointed Kyle toward an assortment of jars as she moved to find something for her own children. She shopped for JB like he lived there too.
In a moment, JB was happy again with his prunes, Kyle moving quickly to keep up with his searching mouth, and Emme and Kellan had settled at the table to trade goldfish back and forth.
Livia touched her sister’s arm. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll always be here for you. I hope this will be wonderful, but you’ll never feel pain alone.”
Kyle’s eyes filled up. “Who said we needed a mom to know how it’s done anyway?” She pulled her sister in for another hug.
Epilogue
Seven months later
Beckett held Mouse while watching Teddy toss all of his food on the floor. Gandhi ate it quickly, wagging his little stump the whole time.
He rubbed his hand over his face and sighed. “Dude, at least you’re helping,” he told the dog.
Teddy started laughing as Gandhi jumped up to see if Teddy had any more food on his highchair tray. Beckett held Mouse more tightly as she started laughing at the dog too. When Eve came in from the grocery store, the twins were still giggling.
A smile appeared on her face as soon as she heard them. “What’s Daddy doing in here? And that stinky dog?” She unbuckled Teddy and lifted him from the chair.
“That dog is a goddamn hero. I would have been crying real tears if he hadn’t just cleaned up all of Teddy’s food.” Beckett puckered up as Eve came in for kiss. She also kissed Mouse, who squealed.
“Crying? How far we’ve fallen, Mr. Taylor.” Eve was soft. God, she was gorgeous. They were both exhausted—like boot-camp crazy stupid exhausted. The laughing was far less prevalent than the crying. These days, it felt like something was always crying. Sometimes he really wanted it to be him.
“No way. Running an empire is far easier than keeping these two happy.” Beckett positioned Mouse in her bouncy chair and pointed it at Teddy. He trotted out to the driveway and grabbed the bags of groceries, handing them off to Eve who unpacked while he went to get more. When the car was finally empty, his phone buzzed. Cole was texting.
You coming for the final walk through?
S^ure t2#hin5g
He double-checked with Eve, who nodded at the calendar hanging on the newly painted wall. The rebuild from the fire had been fairly swift. The crews from Beckett’s organization had put extra zeal into making things right for the boss and his new family.
“I know,” she said. “Tomorrow the twins have their checkup, but today is your date with your favorite girlfriends.” She winked at him when he growled at her teasing. “I drove past a few of the properties on the way home. The latest two renters look good—kids playing in the yard. It was great. Shark checked in too. His daughter is settled in school.”
“More of the dream clicking into place. That’s great.” Beckett spanked her hard on the ass, which made Mouse laugh. “They’ve been hitting the sauce or something,” he said. “Can’t stop cracking up.”
Eve bent over a little so he could smack her again, making the kids giggle. “They’re overtired. If only I could explain the importance of naps in a way they’d understand. Next up they’ll start throwing stuff.”
He gave her one last smack. “You sure this is okay?”
“Yes. Go. You’re already late. I got this.”
He kissed her one more time before locking the door and heading over to Brothers’ Legacy.
When he arrived, Cole and Blake were leaning against their respective cars, waiting for him. He got out, smiling because it was broad daylight and he was meeting his brothers. He missed Mouse right that second, and wished his lumbering form was here. He belonged. But still, life was good: no one shot at him, Cole didn’t look like he’d been praying for Beckett’s soul all night, and Blake was standing in the fucking sunshine.
“Look at this!” he yelled as he approached. “You beautiful bitches.”
They pounded each other on the back, and Blake reached over and looped his finger around the pacifier ribbon Beckett had mistakenly left clipped to his shirt.
/> “Hardcore criminal no longer.”
Beckett winked before popping it in his mouth. “I’m never afraid of a little prosthetic nipple.”
Cole jangled the keys. “Are we ready? Let’s see what all this hard work and ball busting got us.”
“Father Bridge, your language!” Beckett taunted his brother in a high-pitched voice around the pacifier.
Blake put an arm around each brother as they walked to the entrance. “Oh, how the tables have turned.”
They paused to take a selfie in front of the sign: one with Beckett’s pacifier, one without.
“I feel like I should be carrying you brides over the fucking threshold,” Beckett told them, laughing as Cole and Blake pretended to jump into his arms. But when they finally made their way in the foyer, they quieted.
There were still a few things that needed to happen, a few more curtains, and the molding was missing in a few places, but other than that it was a goddamn dream come true. In an instant, Beckett had chills. The interior had everything it needed to run a professional facility, but it was homey. The door clicked into place behind them, and the air was thick with possibilities. They strolled down the corridors, looking at the rooms, touching doorframes and light switches. Classrooms and offices were off a main hallway, giving the kids separate space from their living quarters. It was here that they’d learn a skill, learn how to apply for a job, how to dress for an interview, maybe knit.
Beckett finally stopped and pounded his chest with one fist. “I feel like I should have found this for us then. Back then I should have packed you guys up and found a place like this for us.”
Blake nodded and put his hands in his pocket. “I feel the same way. Like if I’d been able to be in the sun, I could have found this for us.”
Cole looked from one face to another. “We were kids. We did the best with what we were given. And because we were failed, we learned what was needed.” He stepped into one of the offices and shuffled through a few folders on the desk. “Here it is. So I was at work, right? And I get a call from McHugh. He asked me to come down to the station, where I find a punk kid in one of the interrogation rooms looking surly.”