Forever, стр. 75

Although I want to get back to South Carolina, I’m not going to rush Eva. I can tell she needs some time.

“Well, in that case, I really want to sit in your arms and breathe for a moment,” she says.

I scoop her up from the stool she’s on and start for the bedroom. “Then a bath it is,” I say and place a kiss on her forehead as she wraps her arms around my neck.

She rests her head on my shoulder as I carry her through the apartment. Once in the bedroom, I head straight into the bathroom. Placing her on her feet, I note the lost look on her face.

So much has changed over the course of one night. I can’t blame her for needing a few days to process it all. I’ve come to learn how much both Cage and Rose mean to Eva in the time we’ve been together.

“I got that,” I say when she starts for the hem of her T-shirt.

I pull the fabric over her head and toss it aside. Needing to have my hands on her to remind myself she and the baby are okay; I place my hands on her hip and draw her closer. With the gesture she comes back to me from wherever her mind has her.

Eva turns her pretty face up and gives a shaky smile. I hope to have a son because if my little girl ever looks up at me with this much hurt in her eyes, I’m going to kill the motherfucker that placed it there.

I’m already standing in a long line of brothers who want to put Pop to ground. The need to sooth Eva’s hurt and my own anger consumes me. I dip my head and seize her lips for a tender kiss.

“That has been the best part of this awful week,” she says with a catch in her voice as I pull away.

“Come on, let’s get this bath going and then I’ll get the rest of your clothes off,” I say and kiss her forehead.

Once the water is running, I go for her favorite bubble bath. I noted a while ago she favors this one. It’s a citrus scent.

I make a note to pick up some more as I turn to her and pull the tie of my sweats she has on. Her belly comes into view. Not firm from the pregnancy yet, but still a reminder of the seed inside of her.

As I tug her panties down her legs, I can’t help but get hard at the thought of her carrying my baby. If someone would have told me all of this would have happened when I woke up four days ago, I would have put a bullet in them for being a lying fuck.

“What are you thinking?” Eva says as she runs her fingers through my hair.

I look up from my crouching position. As exhausted as she looks from the events of the last few days, she’s still concerned about me. I don’t deserve her, but I’m sure as fuck going to cherish her now that I have her.

“The last two days have been the longest and most eventful days of my life,” I reply.

Eva gives a small laugh. “You can say that again. I think I’ve learned more about the club in the last few days than I knew from the time Mom married Cage.”

I stand and strip out of my sweats and T-shirt. When I’m naked, I walk Eva over to the bath and cut off the water before helping her in and stepping in behind her. I sit and place my hands on her waist to guide her to straddle my thighs as she sits in my lap.

“This is nice,” she says as I pull her against me so we’re chest to chest. She gives a small breathless laugh. “We won’t be able to do this once my belly starts to pop.”

“We’ll make do. Nothing can keep me from having my arms around you,” I say, tightening my hold and kissing the top of her head.

We’re silent for a moment. Our bodies relax in the water. For a moment, I think she’s fallen a sleep until she lifts her hand and starts massaging my beard with her fingers.

I take her hand and kiss the palm before I let her return to her massaging. I close my eyes and revel in the feel of just being still and knowing my woman and child are in my arms. They’re safe.

“He had her locked away in that house like some precious doll or something. Now that I think about it, it was sort of weird,” she says to break the silence.

“She’s always been precious to him. So I guess it’s not that weird.”

I hold back from telling her I’d probably do the same thing Cage did to keep her safe and to hold on to hope. I’d do everything in my power to keep her alive if I had to.

“I want to be angry at him. At both of them, Cage and Mix. While we were at the hospital, a few times I did feel some anger, but then I’d look at Daddy and it all went away. I’d rather the lies than to never be able to see them again. Does that make any sense to you?”

“Yeah, darlin’, it does. You have a right to the way you feel,” I reply.

“I mean, he stayed. Cage wouldn’t leave the hospital until he knew I was okay,” she says and sniffles.

I noticed that too. He looked concerned the entire time we waited for Eva to be seen. I could feel the relief come off of him when I let everyone know she and the baby were going to be okay.

I always knew Cage cared for Eva and Sal. However, tonight really showed how much of a father he is to them and how deep his love for them runs.

“Love will do