Sins (Havoc of Sins #3)

Chapter 21

Kenna

I leaned my hot, sweaty forehead against my arm as I emptied my stomach for the third time that morning. I heard a sympathetic whine behind me and, with what little strength I had, patted Leal on the neck.

“I’m okay,” I reassured them both. “Apparently, the baby doesn’t want food today.” I tried to will myself to get up. “Food is overrated, anyway,” I lied and closed the lid. I plunked my body heavily down on the seat. Both boys inched closer. “Can you get me some water?” I pointed to the sink and Zhar hopped up and did a spin. “Close enough.” I leaned down and kissed his head as Leal moved in for some love. “For two scary dogs, you guys are very big babies.”

My phone buzzed on the counter, and I knew my time to let myself feel like crap was up.

Harris: Ready to head over when you are. Having drinks at bar in the casino, no hurry.

Kenna: Sounds great. I’ll make my way down.

This was one of those moments I wished I hadn’t insisted I keep my bigger clients. I glanced in the mirror. The person who stared back at me was pale and worn out. “Christ, I look terrible.” I quickly washed my face and re-applied my makeup, then brushed my teeth, pinched my cheeks, and stood straight. “You’re fine,” I reassured myself. “Okay, boys, let’s go see the lord and master.” I headed down to Grim’s office to drop them off.

The elevator ride made my stomach turn, and I had to fight with my head to override it. Jesse greeted me as I stepped out, but I noticed he shot me a worried look. I gave him a little wave instead of my normal cheery good morning.

I knocked on Grim’s door and stepped inside. He was on the phone. I took the boys inside as he hastily hung up from his call.

“You okay?” He studied my face.

“I’m fine.” I forced a smile. I knew better than to give Grim a reason for me to stay in the penthouse all day. “Just a late start today.”

“Maybe you should’ve stayed in bed.”

“Grim,” I closed my eyes and fought back the prickle of sweat that shot across my forehead, “I have a job to do, clients who need me, and bills to pay.”

“Bills?” He raised an amused brow but backed off when I didn’t react with my normal feistiness. “Fine.” He squinted at me. “You sure you’re feeling all right?”

“Yes.” Leal bumped my hand, and I swung my heavy head to smile at him. “I have to meet Harris, and then we’re heading over to Indulge.” He nodded but watched me carefully as he crossed the room to where I stood. He used the back of his hand to feel my forehead. I pulled away, but he steered my head back in his direction.

“What are you not telling me?”

I leaned up and kissed his lips. “That I love you.” I winked and slid out of his hold.

“Kenna.”

“Bye, Grim.” I rushed to the door. “Bye, boys.” I blew them a kiss and avoided his glare.

I hurried down the hallway, past Jesse who hit the button for me like a gentleman, and I sank into the wall when I was finally alone.

Today was going to be hard.

I spotted Mr. Harris in the bar, but the smell of a shrimp platter on its way to the private poker room had me flying into the employee’s bathroom. The place still spun when I finally got cleaned up and back out onto the busy floor.

Come on, Kenna . I smacked myself back into gear and greeted Harris and his friends.

“You look pale,” he whispered as we made our way outside where the fresh air felt wonderful on my sticky skin. “Fun night?”

“If your idea of fun is vomiting every thirty minutes on the dot, then, sure, fun night.” He looked concerned. “I’m almost two months pregnant.” I rubbed my stomach, and his face morphed into shock then excitement.

“Well, shit, Kenna, that’s fantastic!”

I laughed lightly. “It is, but this kid is determined for me to be skin and bones. It doesn’t like food.”

“My sister was the same way. Sorry, that’s got to be rough.” He looked at the time. We were to meet some friends of his who were in town for a poker tournament. “If you don’t want to go, I’m sure we can handle this on our own.”

“And miss all the fun?” I tried to sound upbeat, but even I could hear my fatigue. “I’m known to be stubborn at times.”

“You?” He laughed, and we hurried to join the others for the short walk to Indulge. We were almost there when I heard my name called.

“Kenna!”

I shielded my glasses and saw Jayden approach us.

Harris snickered next to me. “I’ve never liked that guy.”

“Get in line.” I excused myself and walked toward Jayden. I didn’t want a client to hear anything about the Potens or that Jayden had been let go from his job at the hotel. I knew my security guys were around, and I also knew Jesse was probably getting a phone call from one of them at that moment. “Jayden.”

“We need to talk.”

I crossed my arms. “Why?”

“You’re all that with the Gates family.” He made a face. “I need you to get my job back.”

“I can’t do that.”

“No one will touch me. No one will even hear me out. They just know I was fired from Indulge, and that’s enough for them not to give me a chance.”

I shook my head. “What your father did was not the Gateses’ fault.”

“Maybe not, but it’s not mine either.”

Jason stepped out of the sea of people and made sure I could see him if I needed him. He had a phone up to his ear. “Look, Jayden, I’m sorry, but I can’t?—”

“But you can.” He grabbed my elbow, and Harris and his friends stepped forward, but Jason got there first as I ripped my arm free. “We’re just talking, for fuck’s sake,” he snarled.

“You’ve always had a problem with boundaries, Jayden.” A movement behind him caught my eye, and I felt my blood pressure drop. Sonny. I looked back at Jayden and wondered if they both planned this little encounter. “It may have been your father who blacklisted you, but your inability to treat a woman with respect would have brought you to the same end.”

“Move it along,” Jason warned him.

I went over to face Mr. Harris and his friends, embarrassed at what had happened.

“Hey, man,” Harris called Jason over, “I think Ms. Lodge could use a day off. Could you please escort her back to Secrets?”

“I’m fine, really,” I protested and felt mortified at the whole situation.

“I insist, Kenna.” He stepped close. “I’ve seen enough to know you aren’t yourself. You’re a fabulous host, but I think you’re an even better person, and therefore I’m pulling rank and saying you need some time. We’ll be here once you’re feeling better.”

I felt unbelievably tired and was thankful for his kindness. “Thanks.” I turned to Jason who looked pleased I didn’t put up a fight.

By the time we got back to Secrets, I felt dizzy and disoriented. I stopped in the lobby and held on to the back of a chair.

Jason didn’t know what to do, poor guy. “Miss, can I get you something?”

“I’m going to head to the kitchen to get something to eat. I think I’m just hungry.”

He walked me there and seemed more than relieved when Dale took my arm.

“Oh, shit,” he looked me up and down, “don’t tell me that’s food poisoning on your face.”

“What are you doing here?” Was I that confused? “Why aren’t you at Indulge?”

“Darling, this is like my sister kitchen. They can’t do without my advice. I repeat, what’s going on, babe?”

“I’m so very pregnant and need something I can keep down.” I fell onto a stool and buried my head in my arms on the counter. I heard him tell Jason he could go, but I had no idea if he did.

“Crackers.” He poured some into a bowl and set them next to me. “That’s what my mom gave me whenever my stomach was hurting.” I heard him whisper to someone, but I didn’t care enough to listen.

I eyed the beads of salt that layered the white cracker and felt my entire body heave.

“She’s over here,” I heard Jason say, and a moment later, Grim was peeling me off the counter so he could look at me.

“Hey,” his tone didn’t match his stern but worried expression, “what’s going on?” I flopped forward, too tired to care anymore. I welcomed his homey scent.

“She said she can’t keep anything down.” Dale’s voice seemed to come from a distance.

“Chicken.” Grim rubbed my back tenderly. “Protein’s a natural anti-nausea. I would’ve already told her that, if someone hadn’t been hiding things from me. Come on, sweetheart.”

In the next moment, I was swept into a pair of strong arms as the room went black.

It took great effort to peel my eyelids open. I squinted and looked carefully around. I was in Grim’s bedroom at Secrets. The room was almost dark with just a small glow of light from his bookshelf to give it a soft hue. Zhar made a sound then disappeared out of the room, leaving me with Leal, who had tucked himself against my side. He faintly snored, and I almost laughed.

“Hey, boy.” I gently patted his head. As I lifted my arm, I was shocked to find I was hooked up to an IV. What the hell did I miss?

“You’re alive.” Grim was suddenly in the doorway, arms crossed, looking powerful as always. “It only took you two days to come back to me.”

“I’ve been out for two days?”

He moved into the room and sat on the bed next to me. “You have hyperemesis gravidarum.” I pinched my brows, confused as to what that meant. “Which means it’s not just the baby making you sick. This is more than ordinary morning sickness. So, for now, we are to watch you closely, and get your body strong again with this.” He pointed to the IV fluids. “And if you continue to lie to me,” he glared, “and not eat, then I’ll be forced to handcuff you to our bed until you go into labor.”

“I bet you’d love that,” I teased, but he didn’t find it funny. “Sorry. I thought if I told you, you’d force me to stop.”

“I would have.”

“Grim,” I pulled his hand so he’d come closer, “all of this is very new, and I’m not used to being less than a hundred percent all the time. So, I tried to muster through it. I wasn’t going to wimp out.”

“Kenna.” He shook his head, but I held up a hand.

“No, wait. Honestly, how was I to know I had hyper-whatchacallit?”

“Hyperemesis gravidarum,” he carefully pronounced.

“Yeah, that. Anyway, I see now that ignoring it isn’t going to work.”

“Doc says it happens sometimes during pregnancy, and it can be serious if we aren’t careful. You need to eat better and take some meds he recommended.”

“I’m thrilled for this little guy,” I rubbed my tummy, “but there’s so much going on, and sometimes I forget that it’s just—" My eyes flooded, and I fought hard to keep the tears back.

“Just?” He caught a tear as one escaped.

“Just not me anymore. I’m so used to being in survival mode, or on the defense, that I think I can handle it all.”

“You’re strong, Kenna. No one can say otherwise, but you need to lean on me now. We can get through this together.”

“I know.” I sniffed and lowered some of my walls that had shot up. Leal huffed and eyed us both, clearly unhappy to be disturbed by our conversation. “Are they always this way with you when no one’s around?” I stroked Leal’s head.

“We have our moments in private.” He rubbed Leal’s ear, and Zhar jumped up for his share of the attention. They were similar in appearance, but Zahr was slightly lighter and a lot more of a baby than Leal who tries to play the big brother role. “I’ve always tried to keep them at arm’s length because they need to know who’s the boss. They are, after all, a security tool,” he shook his head, “then you came along and made them into big babies.”

“Loving them isn’t going to make them any less protective.”

He cleared his throat. “Loving them, especially in public, shows vulnerability.”

“A vulnerability in you or them?”

He thought for a moment. “Both.”

“Is that why you—” I stopped myself when I suddenly felt exhaustion sweep over me.

I eyed Grim, who had stopped rubbing. “Say it,” he ordered.

“Nothing.” I decided not to say what was on my mind. He reached over my head and wiggled the handcuffs. “Fine. It just occurred to me that you haven’t shared the news about us to Jenelle.” I eyed him. “Have you?”

“Not exactly, but?—”

“But you insist I wear the iceberg that hit the Titanic.” I held up my ring.

“You don’t like it?”

“Of course, I love it,” I reassured him, “but it makes me think you want her to find out through me, instead of through you.”

He didn’t like that; his face turned to stone. “Are you calling me out?”

I sighed. “Maybe I am.”

He cocked a brow, studied my face, then something came into his eyes.

“What?”

“You should eat.” He changed topics so fast it made my head spin. He quickly left and returned a moment later with a tray. There was chicken soup, with homemade bread, and a chocolate treat. I was pleased that my stomach didn’t turn at the smell. “If you can eat this, I’ll allow you to leave the room. Once I get that IV removed.”

“You can’t hold me hostage, Grim.” I draped the napkin over my lap, secretly happy he took care of me.

He gave the dogs a command, and they jumped to their feet and stood by the door. He tilted my chin up and brushed his lips over mine. “Watch me, sweetheart.”

I pretty much ate everything, except the bread had proved to be a little more than I could handle. The soup was spot on. I could feel the calories bring my body back to life, my headache finally subsided, and the cobwebs were cleared away. Once a lady came and removed the IV, I cautiously showered, brushed my teeth, then pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a tank. I didn’t have much energy after that to dry my hair completely, but I did a little.

I eyed the pups and wondered if they’d let me pass. “See, I ate.” I showed them the tray, and they just stared. “Okay, umm…” I held up some of the bread. “Who wants a treat?” Again nothing. “Really?” I spotted my phone and thought about calling Grim, but something hit me. I remembered a command he’d used once. I straightened my shoulders and used the best Grim voice I could muster. To my absolute delight, they stepped away from the door and waited for me to lead the way. “Well, shit, look at me go.” I couldn’t help the grin.

The suite was quiet other than the sound of the rain pounding against the window. I squinted at the angry sky that rumbled with its warning to stay indoors. Monsoon season was in full bloom, which meant we had to be ready to hold some events inside. I shook off my constant need to be in work mode and rested my forehead against the cool glass.

Voices drew my attention, and I headed down the hall to where a light was on. Thunder clapped loudly, and I swore I felt the hotel shake.

I peeked inside the massive living room that could fit three of my suites inside and saw Grim in front of a flat screen TV. He was spread out on the couch, and to my surprise he was in sweats, a t-shirt, and a ball hat. The best part was he held a beer by its neck. Then I heard a curse and saw Jesse in similar attire with a fist raised at the screen. He sat in an armchair across from Grim and nursed his own bottle of ale.

I grinned as I came up behind them. “So, this is what you two do when you’re not on duty?”

Jesse dropped his feet to the floor, nearly spilling his beer, but Grim just raised one of his sexy brows and clucked his tongue.

“And how did you get by the boys?”

I couldn’t help but let him have a full-on gleeful smile. “You’re not the only one who can give commands, baby.”

“We’ll see about that.” He matched my grin, but it turned into a scowl when Zhar trotted out and flopped on his bed on the floor. “You had one job to do,” Grim threatened.

I glanced at Jesse. “I like this side of you.” He smiled and raised his beer. “I promise I won’t tell a soul that I saw you in something other than a suit.”

“It’s not often I let anyone see me without a suit on,” he huffed.

“You should.” I studied him until he blushed and considered who I knew that would be a good match for him.

Grim pulled a knee up and patted the couch for me to sit. We hadn’t had a lot of downtime together, and I liked the idea of just hanging out. “You’re looking better.” I curled up in front of him, and he pulled me to his chest then drew a blanket over me.

“I’m feeling much better, thanks.”

He kissed the top of my head. “Good.”

“You like baseball, Kenna?” Jesse tipped his beer toward the TV.

I sighed and thought about the last time I watched a game. “I liked when Max Kepler came to town. He had dinner with me and some friends.”

“Kepler,” Jesse’s face lit up, “from the Minnesota Twins?”

“That be him.”

He whistled, clearly impressed. “When was he here?”

I did the math. “Three days before you guys came home.”

“Clearly, we got back just in time.” Grim slid his hand between my thighs under the blanket. “I don’t need any more problems.”

“He was very nice but not my type.” I looked up and kissed his jaw but flinched when a crack of thunder filled the room. Zhar yelped, and Grim reached down to pat his head. Though Leal didn’t show any nerves, I did notice him slink into the room and lie under the table close to his brother.

Jesse’s phone lit up, and he studied the screen. “Huh.” I felt Grim turn to look at him. Jesse held up a finger. “I’ll be right back.”

I shifted in his hold to see him better. “Let me guess. Something to do with Sonny?” I watched his throat contract as he sipped his beer. His tattoos moved like they were real.

“Sonny hasn’t been seen for a few days.” He traced a finger down my neck. “We’re just making sure it stays that way.”

“And what about Simon?” I couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy. He just wanted a simple life. “How’s he holding up?”

“I went to visit him the other night.” That was news to me. “He knows what’s expected of him now.”

“I still can’t believe he’s Brick’s brother.”

Grim shook his head. “It’s a bunch of mind fuckery, right there.”

I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Do you think Simon’s a bad guy for not saying anything about Brick or that he worked for the Potens? Like, do you think he’s still a trustworthy guy?”

Grim set his beer on the table and tucked a hand behind his head, making his sexy muscles flex. “How do you feel?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I like Simon. He’s always been nothing but kind to me. I think maybe he was given a shitty deal due to his father. He didn’t have much of a chance of getting what he really wanted out of life. Maybe he will now.”

He nodded. “I agree with that.”

“I’m a little worried about him, though, I thought maybe he’d reach out and touch base, but he hasn’t.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he growled, and I could see the truth written all over his face.

“You told him to stay away from me, didn’t you?”

“I did.” He didn’t miss a beat.

I leaned back when he reached for my hand. “Why? You just agreed that he was given a shit life.”

“Just because I agreed doesn’t mean I want him around my soon-to-be wife.” He flipped me around and was suddenly on top of me. He kissed my chest, collarbone, and neck. I closed my eyes, loving how he felt on my skin. “We need to purge our world of all things bad and start to rebuild with people we can trust.” His breath was hot against my skin. “But,” he leaned up and looked down at me, “if I thought Simon was truly bad, he’d already have his bones broken into little pieces. I’d have chopped him up and spread his bits around Vegas. So be happy for that.” I shivered at his words, and he smirked, clearly enjoying my reaction.

“Grim,” Jesse said, “We need to handle something.”

“Understood.” Grim kept his eyes on me. “Hey, Minnie.”

“Should I leave, or can I watch the show?” Minnie swooned. Jesse must have called her to stay with me.

“My girl needs her rest.” He kissed me. “Don’t leave. Promise me.” He glared at me.

“And risk you getting mad at me?” I wiggled my brows at him, but he wasn’t having it. “I promise.”

“Good.” He kissed me hard then left.

Minnie swept across the room and dropped into Jesse’s now vacant chair. She dug into her bag. “I come bearing comfort.” She pulled out my childhood panda bear.

“Oh, my God. Did you get him from my house?”

“Yup.” She grinned with shiny pink lips as she tossed him at me.

“Mr. Bamboo!” I caught my beloved stuffed animal and drank in his musty scent. “Thanks, friend.”

“Anything for you.” She snagged Jesse’s beer. “Now, what are we watching, because as much as I love a man in tight baseball pants, the sport itself does nothing for me.”

“Hey, Min?”

“Mm?”

“You seem happy.”

Her smile told me I’d hit the nail on the head. “Since Brick found out about Simon, it’s like something’s lifted off his shoulders. He’s back to his old self again, the guy I fell in love with all those years back.”

“I’m really happy for you both.”

“Thanks.”

I frowned as something wiggled its way through my thoughts. “Do you think love can work if you don’t fully know the person?”

“You worried you and Grim won’t make it?”

I rubbed Mr. Bamboo’s ear while I thought. “I think I always questioned romance books when the couples fell in love so easily.”

She snorted. “You guys hardly fell in love easily, Kenna. You fought your way there.”

“That’s true, I guess.”

She muted the TV and looked at me. “Look, girlfriend. Sure, things happened fast, but look how much you two have grown since. Neither of you wanted anything more than hot sex. You fought like tigers then practically tore each other to pieces. If that ain’t love at first sight, I don’t know what is.” She laughed and smacked her knee.

I had to join in her laughter. Then her face turned serious.

“Really, though, I don’t think a wife was ever on Grim’s radar. I don’t know when that happened. You’ve both been through some horrible stuff over the last while. Heartbreak like that can be more than a person can endure. Yet here you are, on his couch, knocked up and glowing.” She pointed at my belly.

“It’s just so fast.” I chewed my cheek again then forced myself to stop.

“Can I tell you something?” I waited for her to go on. “Jenelle made a move on Grim last night, and he didn’t exactly put her off.”

My blood burned instantly, and I felt it go through my body like a heatwave. I tossed the blanket off. “The fuck you say?”

“That. right there,” she grinned suddenly, “that fire you have in you right now to kill someone, that’s love, girlie. And I’ve never, ever seen that in you before.”

“You fucking suck.” I sat back and took a breath, then gave her a look of death.

“Why, yes, I do. Quite well, actually.”

I threw a beer cap at her, and she laughed.

“If Brick and I can weather a decade-long storm, you can handle this one.”

“I guess.” I settled into the couch and mulled over her words while she flicked through the channels. We settled on a comedy, and before long, I drifted off to sleep, content to be there with my best friend.

I spent the next two days mostly in bed and slept like the dead. A few times, Laurel came in and checked on me with a tasty morsel of food to tempt me. She also brought reassurance that what I was feeling now was normal. Of course, she had the doctor come in to back up her words.

Once I was back on a high protein diet in the morning, everything felt normal again. The tiredness was still there, but at least I kept my food down without the help of the IV.

Grim was in and out and seemed extra stressed. I finally got it out of Laurel that they’d been combing through Cameron’s files and had flushed out another member of the Potens. He worked in the accounting department at Indulge. I knew I needed to give him the space he needed to deal and process what that must mean to them.

The day finally came when I was able to join the world of the living. “Decaf, please,” I grumbled to the barista and wished I could have my normal caffeine kick.

“Nice to see you back up and kicking.” I turned and hugged Morgan tightly. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” I kissed his cheek. “What have I missed?” We walked toward a table and took our seats.

“Well, now, let’s see. Vinni was talking to some dude at Minnie’s the other night, and Trigger came up and smoked the dude in the jaw. Guess he’d been stealing. Thought Vinni was going to shit himself.”

“Sienna mentioned that even after all these years, Vinni’s still terrified of Trigger.” I laughed. “I mean, I get it, but Vin’s mafia.”

“It’s ’cause Trigger’s quiet. It’s always the quiet ones people fear the most.” Morgan rubbed his long beard. “I’m glad you’re doing okay. Couple of us are going for a desert ride later, see if we can scrounge up some trouble. Maybe round up a couple of Stripe Backs.” His grin made me happy. He looked past me. “I see this is my cue to leave.”

Huh?

A hand slid around my neck, and I had to contain myself when his aftershave found my nose. He tilted my head back and kissed my lips.

“Who let you out?”

“Your mother.” I grinned against his kiss. “I’ve missed you.”

“Good.” He kissed me again and indicated to Morgan to stay put. “I have someone who wants to see how you are.” He nodded over Morgan’s shoulder, and I saw Yen Hong waving at me from where he stood with some friends. “Do you feel up to company?”

“I really do.” I grinned and felt a little more life pour into me. “Thanks.”

“Meet me for lunch at one up in the suite.” He offered me a hand and grinned. “I want to see you eat.”

“Sure thing, boss.” I winked, and he gave me a look that shot straight to my core.

Minnie was right. We got this.

Later that night, we gathered outside near the pool at Tess’s burlesque house. Trigger was in full swing in front of the barbecue. The house was pretty much at max capacity. I was proud of Tess; she’d taken on her mother’s business and made it boom. It was the perfect fuck you to that awful woman. Not many people would be able or even want to run a place like this and make a go of it. It had been close to bankruptcy at one point, but Tess pulled it back from the dead.

“Why you gotta judge?” Rail’s voice drew my attention, and I chuckled. He and Brick were always at it. “So what if I’m into foxes?”

“It’s weird.”

“It’s not weird. The furry community are wild and let me explore a whole different side of my sexual desires.” He looked at Morgan. “You get me, right? I saw you leave the other night with that mink.”

“The fuck?” Trigger grunted, and Brick’s face lit up.

Morgan shook his head. “She came on to me. One look at her and I was out of there. You’re on your own with this kink.”

“Good.” Rail shrugged. “More tail for me.”

“Literally,” Tess jumped in, and Trigger let out an unexpected laugh. Trigger’s laughter had always been rare. I’d noticed, though, that as he got older, he was loosening up a little. I was glad he allowed himself the odd moment to appreciate things around him. He took more time to enjoy family these days. It was really nice, and the joy it brought Tess couldn’t be overlooked.

I made my way over to Grim where he sat with Elio by one of the fire pits. I reached over his shoulders and slid my hand down his chest. I nearly purred at how he lit up my body.

“Tess told me there’s a room open upstairs,” I whispered, and he drew my wrist up to his lips and kissed the inside of it softly. “You can blindfold me, and I’ll be completely at your mercy.” His arm slipped back, and he caught me around my waist and pulled me to his lap. I could feel how much my idea excited him.

“Oh, sweet girl,” he kissed my neck, “you’re already at my mercy.”

“I suppose I am,” I muttered without thinking, and he chuckled at my confession.

“I miss my wife,” Elio grunted. I’d forgotten he was there. That was what Grim did to me; he made me forget the world was there.

Minnie cleared her throat, and I peeled myself off Grim to look up at her. “Kenna,” she said loudly, trying to get everyone’s attention around us. The crowd died down—well, everyone but Rail, his voice suddenly clear in the silence.

“Then she wiggled her long, fluffy tail over my lips as her front claws dug into the flesh of my ass and…” He trailed off and his eyes widened when he realized we all heard his words.

Brick gave an exaggerated shudder as Rail flipped him the bird then left. “Go on, Min,” he called.

“Thank you, baby.” She grinned and shot a disgusted look after Rail. “Kenna, we know you’ve gone through a lot lately, and we thought maybe you could use a little pick-me-up.” She reached into a bag and pulled out a light green gift bag with yellow tissue paper exploding from the top. “I know it’s a little premature, but…” she handed it to me, “I don’t care.” She beamed.

I pulled the paper out and peeked inside. Then a smile burst across my lips as I pulled out a little stuffed baby Panda made by Jelly Cat. “Oh, Min!”

“I know it’s early, but you need a little excitement in your life. Well, the right kind, and that starts with celebrating the little one. Now you both have something to snuggle when you need comfort.”

“This is the sweetest! Thank you.” I batted tears away and hugged her hard.

I felt someone come up next to us. “My turn!” Tess cheered. “This is from me and Trigger.” Trigger was hot on her heels, which made me chuckle. I ripped the paper away and opened the box and tossed my head back with a laugh. I held up a tiny Devil’s Reach leather vest and showed everyone that it looked just like theirs.

“Member by blood is a special kind,” Trigger grunted, and when he thought no one was looking, he swung his glance at Brick, who shared the same expression. If you watched closely enough, the guys shared a lot through looks.

“Thanks, guys. This is so thoughtful, and…” I pushed off Grim’s lap as I saw a giant giraffe head floating through a sea of partiers on the deck.

Suddenly, Rail appeared, holding the rest of the seven-foot-high stuffed animal. “His name is Melman!” he shouted over the music. “Ain’t he cute?” He stroked its neck. Then he fumbled awkwardly down a couple of stairs with it. He smoked several people in the head and back as he plowed through them without a care in the world. He proudly set it next to me. It was massive. “You should have heard the comments I got as I dragged him through the house. And you all thought I was the sick, twisted one?” He cocked his thumb toward the house. “Let’s just say this poor guy saw a lot more than he needed to.” He looked at Tess. “Who knew people were into stuffed animals too,” he huffed with a cough. “Anyway,” he grinned at us, “Melman.” He pointed at it.

“Well, ah, thanks.” I eyed the gigantic stuffed animal and wondered what it had seen in the last five minutes…and what it might have been exposed to even before that. I hugged Rail and gave the giraffe a pat on the chest as it stood with splayed legs listing slightly to the left.

“My turn.” Morgan handed me a box, and I pulled the top off to discover an old pair of brass knuckles with a year written on the side. “My dad gave them to me when I was born, and I’m not reproducing anytime soon, so it should go to the first in the family.”

Grim reached for them. “Damn straight, brother.”

I realized how special his gesture was and kissed Morgan on the cheek. “That’s pretty special.”

“This baby is the newest generation of what’s to come for the club. That’s what’s special.”

Trigger lifted his beer. “Agreed. To fresh blood.”

They all raised their drinks, as a flood of love warmed my heart. I had lost a lot over the past months, but I knew I had gained so much more.

“Kenna?” I turned to find Zara. She looked unsure of her welcome. “Can we speak?”

“Of course.” I looked at Grim, and he gave me a no idea glance. I stepped away, as I could see she was moments away from breaking down.

“Sorry. I heard you were all up here. I’ve wanted,” she closed her eyes, “to clear the air about my mother. Honestly, Kenna, I had no idea there was anything between my mom and Cameron. Truth.” She bit her lip. “The very idea has me spiraling. No offense.”

“None taken. I get it,” I assured her. “But, Zara, I don’t blame you for anything. We’re friends, and I am so glad you were there when you were because I don’t think I could have done what I did if it wasn’t for your help.”

“Yes, but?—”

“No buts, Zara. Dad was never easy. You of all people know that. You were invaluable to me when I needed the inside scoop on possible clients. I won a lot of them because of you. Your ability to research at the speed you do is amazing. I hope you get to use it in your new job.”

“I will.” Her eyes softened, and I could tell she was relieved I wasn’t upset.

Her fingers entwined in front of her stomach. “How’s your mom?”

I sighed, conflicted on the topic. “Holding up.”

“Good. How are you dealing with it all?”

I ran a hand through my hair. “One day at a time. I have a lot to unpack,” I pointed to my head, “but I have a lot of support, so I’m lucky.”

“You are.” She looked at everyone chatting and laughing around us as they gave Rail shit about something. The guy was such an easy target, but I knew he loved every minute of it. “Treasure that, okay?”

“I will.” I leaned in for a hug. “Thanks for stopping by.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

I waved goodbye and made my way back to my family.

“Everything okay?” Minnie wrapped an arm around my neck.

“Yes.” I hugged my friend. “Today’s been a good day. I really needed this.”

“Good, because I have one last idea I think is a little wild, but…”