Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
“It puts a slight downer on things that I don’t have the blessing of all the people I love before taking this big step,” said Ella. “Stupid, right?”
“Not stupid. They will pull their acts together eventually. Even Luka.”
Ella sure hoped so. He wasn’t being a total ass. He’d taken to texting her twice a day to check in and see how she was doing. He also called her regularly, his overprotective nature on hyperdrive due to her pregnancy. But he refused to acknowledge that Viper was her child’s father.
She’d asked Luka how he’d like it if she acted this way toward his partner. He’d merely stared at her, his expression one of total incomprehension. In hindsight, she shouldn’t have tried appealing to his sense of empathy—it was too detached.
She didn’t want there to be a rift between her and Luka, but that could potentially happen. Because how could she ever pick his side—despite being his anchor—if he made any kind of move against Viper?
Neither male would go down easy in a fight. Blood would be spilled, and both were the type to keep battling until someone was dead.
Viper wouldn’t end Luka’s life—that would risk ending hers. But Luka might not pay him that same courtesy. And if her anchor somehow succeeded in killing him, Viper’s brothers would seek revenge by executing Luka and his entire lair.
She didn’t want any of them fighting. Didn’t want to see any of them dead—not Viper, not Luka, not the Black Saints.
She also didn’t want her mother or aunt to put some kind of hex on these particular celestials, but it could very well happen. Melodie and Jocelyn were visibly pleased by the pregnancy. They just annoyingly acted as though the child was an immaculate conception.
Whenever Ella mentioned Viper, they would either lapse into silence or quickly change the subject. It was ridiculous, but at least they were welcoming toward the baby.
“Do you regret telling Mom, Jocelyn, and Luka about you and Viper so soon?” asked Mia.
“No. It wouldn’t have mattered when they found out, they were always going to react badly. And why should I have to hide something that brings me happiness?”
“I almost didn’t tell Joe about Dice when he asked if I was seeing anyone yesterday. But I’m done keeping it secret to pander to other people’s feelings. Still, I didn’t expect Joe to flip. Even more shocking was his admittance that he’d ended the fling because he’d thought I’d protest.”
Yeah, it transpired that—rather than simply ask Mia if, like him, she’d come to want more—Joe had decided to test her by putting a stop to the fling to see how she’d react. While it seemed nuts, it did explain why he’d recently acted like a jilted lover.
“At least he acknowledged that he should have manned up and handled things differently,” Mia continued. “I feel bad, because it must have stung him to realize I didn’t care for him the way he did me. I hate that I hurt him.”
“Him being upset didn’t entitle him to turn into a complete jerkoff. It wasn’t as if you’d done anything to make him believe that you two were building a relationship.”
Mia nodded her agreement. “I’d had boundaries firmly in place. We hadn’t gone on dates or done any romantic stuff.”
“I wish I’d been there to see Dice give him a dressing down.” Apparently, the seraphim had gone almost nose to nose with Joe, who—struggling to stand his ground in the face of all that badassery—had gone from mouthy and snarly to silent and unsure.
Ella went on, “Dice was right that Joe expects a lot when it comes to you. He expects you to want what he wants, feel how he feels, chase after him when he pulls away, and put up with his shit. He always expected to be the center of everything for you.”
Mia sighed. “I know. He always pressured me to cancel plans I had with others. He never had anything nice to say about any guy I got involved with. That Dice is one of the Fallen just gives Joe an excuse to piss and moan. I really hope he doesn’t take too long to fix things.”
Ella went to speak, but then Viper teleported into the room. She felt her mouth curve. “Hey. Didn’t think you were coming until later.”
His lips canted up. “I managed to shuffle some things around so I could come sooner.” He inclined his head at Mia and then crossed to Ella, staring down at her with a possessive gleam in his eyes. “How are you and Peanut doing?” he asked, dropping his gaze to her belly as he gave it a light rub, practically brimming with masculine contentment, like all was right in his world.
“We’re okay.” A smile warmed her chest as she heard Viper’s voice float into her mind as he babbled sweet greetings at their baby, whose mind stirred and fluttered against theirs. Something that never failed to fill her with wonder. “I’m almost done packing the last of my stuff.”