by Elena Monroe
“I called a priest. Don't worry. The Clave has one on call.” Khaos’ voice rang out and dragged me back to reality. The anxiety of being out of control was burning my body as I repeated the signs of labor in my head silently.
“A what? Why?”
Pulling into my driveway, I barely parked before I got out of the car and jogged inside to Abigail.
“Well, I can’t shout it now! I’ll call the guys and get an ETA.” I heard him shout behind me, but I wasn’t listening at all. The anxiety was ringing in my ears, making it hard to hear anything else.
6 hours later…
The only way I knew Abigail was in any pain was how hard she squeezed my hand, our scars lining up where we all cut our palms to give her our blood.
She did more than show me how even the ugly parts of me deserved love; she brought the wool down on my life and brought four fucked-up guys together again.
Same book, same damn page.
Everything about labor is stressful, even if you aren’t the one in the direct line of fire or even behind the trigger. Khaos’s mom kept repeating breathing remedies that I wasn’t doing alongside Abigail to motivate her but to calm myself down.
I needed all the support I could get between an Xanax pill and the shot of whiskey I had with the guys to celebrate the coming of my daughter.
Bo walked into my bedroom, where everything was happening, with a priest behind him and a scowl on his face.
“What’s this guy doing here?” Hiking a finger over his shoulder.
Our bed was about to be tainted with the mental image of my daughter crowning for longer than I would like. Preferably the same amount of time until the stitches heal, and we could get back to having sex.
Abigail looked worried and uncomfortable all at the same time, while grunting through another long push. “This isn’t great timing… I get it, but it never is when you realize you have something important to say.”
Khaos was behind his mother, who was between Abigail’s legs when I threw one of the extra pillows at him. “Everyone out! Priest, you stay, get your Bible out.”
Waiting for everyone to exit, I kissed Abigail’s knuckles one by one between my words. “Marry me. There’s no other way to say it.”
Pulling the box from my hoodie pocket, I put it in her hand, knowing she wouldn’t want me to let go of her hand. I watched her open it slowly, and her mouth fell open. She was sweating, covered by a sheet instead of a gown, and she still couldn’t be any more beautiful.
“Three stones? Jason, Grimm, Death?”
She knew without me even telling her, and it only cemented how I felt.
“You accepted me, all of me.” Turning to the priest, I gave him a nod to start whatever he needed to in order to bind us together.
Bo was still lurking in the shadow, and none of us noticed until he ripped the Bible from the priest’s hands. He tossed it behind after his eyes followed the priest out of the room.
“I’m ordained. We don’t need God being invited to watch. You ready?”
I was still stunned by everything happening, anxiety ringing in my ears, and a fullness to my life I hadn’t felt until I met Abigail, when I nodded.
Without the help of a Bible, Bo spoke, “Song of Solomon: Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Set me as a seal upon your heart. I pronounce you, Abigail Duffy and Jason Rothschild, man and wife.”
Bo only took a pause to breathe in new air, oxygen that wasn’t doused in emotion, before he exited the room. Khaos’s mom was still guiding Abigail to keep pushing when our lips brushed against each other, and a whispered, “I love you,” slipped from our mouths at the same time.
“Oopsie daisy,” Khaos’s mom said, and both of our eyes jerked her direction to make sure our little girl was okay. “She’s already running away. Strong willed.”
Abigail didn’t cry, didn’t let people see her as vulnerable and certainly didn’t showcase her pain, ever, but right now she couldn’t help it. The tears pooling at her lower lash line overflowed, and she was perfectly okay being this kind of happy.
Kissing her cheek, I whispered to her, “Daisy, that’s it.”
She looked at me, shocked in a way I had never seen, even when I told her I killed people for a living or was in a cult. “You read the books?”
“Of course I read the books. You highlighted Daisy, and she just said it. I don’t believe in fate, but that’s some shit we can’t overlook.”
Daisy Rothschild was born perfect.
Innocent.
Pure.
And most importantly, she was born a girl, so the Clave wouldn’t have an interest in her.
AMHERST SINNERS SERIES (college series):
❝When I hurt, I hurt everyone else. I'm a wrecking ball in a room full of hearts.❞ - Ollie
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SINNERS SPIN OFF NOVELLA:
❝Crazy bitch just wanted to hold hands while we were handcuffed...❞ - Hunter
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THE CELESTIAL SERIES (paranormal/urban fantasy):
❝I take it back, okay? You're just an asshole in an aluminum crown.❞ - Arianna
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THE 4H SERIES (new adult/dark romance):
❝My dad shoved religion so far down my throat I was deep throating crucifixes.❞ - Abigail
#1: ➜ shorturl.at/duNS0
#2: ➜ shorturl.at/dfrDO
#3: ➜ shorturl.at/eDOT7
#4: ➜ shorturl.at/cdgHJ
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