The Tempted Series: Collectors Edition

by Janine Infante Bosco

  “We’ll follow you,” Lacey says, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Good luck!”

  “Love you,” I call out the window and start the car. “Hang in there, Sunshine, we’ll be at the hospital in no time,” I tell her, steering the car with one hand and placing the other on her knee.

  “It’s still early,” Reina cries.

  “It’s okay,” Grace assures her. “This baby will be just fine, Reina.”

  My eyes meet hers in the rearview mirror, they’re red and blotchy from the tears she shed over her husband but still they shine back at me as she smiles.

  “Drive, Parrish, or we’re going to deliver this baby ourselves.”

  She didn’t have to tell me twice. I accelerated on the gas, maneuvered in and out of traffic with a brigade of Harley’s following me.

  “Is it supposed to hurt this much?” Reina wails in pain.

  “We’re almost there,” I tell her.

  “Shut up! You’re never touching me again, Jack Parrish. Never,” she shrieks, squeezing my hand and crushing my fingers with all her might.

  My lips quirk at the threat and she squeezes my hand harder.

  “I’m serious,” she says through her clenched jaw.

  “Sure you are, Sunshine.”

  From the moment I pull up in front of the hospital everything seems to happen in a blink of an eye. We’re ushered into a labor and delivery unit where I trade my leathers for a pair of scrubs. Reina’s doctor informs us she’s progressing fast, too fast for an epidural, and for a moment I believe Sunshine truly may never let me touch her again.

  I try to process everything, ingrain it to my memory, for this time I don’t want to forget a single moment of this child’s birth. I stare at Reina, brush her blonde hair away from her face and continuously kiss the top of her head as she clutches my hand and grips down.

  Her screams are muffled but I feel them down in my soul as our baby makes its descent into this world.

  “You’re doing great, Sunshine,” I soothe as the doctor and his staff work diligently to prepare for our baby’s entrance into the world.

  The incubator is turned on.

  With a clean blanket draped over her arm the nurse moves next to doctor.

  The doctor lifts his eyes to Reina, holds up one finger, then another and finally a third and commands her to push.

  I swallow the lump in my throat, knowing the next noise that’ll fill this room is the voice of my child’s first cry. I pray to whatever God hears me I can hear it loud and clear.

  I’m not one for prayers but while I’m at it I pray for the child that is about to be born.

  I pray he or she is healthy.

  Please be born free of a troubled mind.

  I pray he or she lives a long beautiful life.

  Please go on to live way passed me.

  I pray he or she never knows the ugliness of the world.

  Please don’t follow in your Daddy’s footsteps.

  Live.

  Love.

  And always find your sunshine.

  I’m just about to turn my attention to Reina and thank her for the gift she’s about to give me when the doctor lifts the tiny miracle Sunshine and I created together into the air.

  A strong pair of lungs lets out a shrill cry that echoes through the room.

  “It’s a boy!” The doctor announces.

  I hear him.

  My boy, I hear his cry.

  “That’s it boy, sing for Daddy,” I say with a smile, tearing my eyes away from my perfect boy to his perfect mother. “Sunshine,” I rasp.

  “We have a son,” she cries into my chest.

  “Dad, would you like to cut the cord?”

  I lift Reina’s head from my chest and press my lips to hers.

  “Thank you,” I whisper against her mouth. Two words.

  I wink at my wife and turn to the doctor, taking the scissors from his hand and cut the cord. They clean him, wrap him tightly in a blanket and place him into Reina’s waiting arms. I move to stand beside her and lean close to them. He’s perfect, absolutely perfect.

  “Welcome to the world, Daniel,” Reina tells our boy, rubbing the tip of her nose against his tiny one. I watch as mother and son bond for the first time and I feel a pang in my heart, the familiar dull ache for the boy I lost.

  Don’t you worry Jack; your old man won’t ever forget you.

  I bend my head and press my lips to my son’s bald head and stare into his precious face, watching as he yawns and struggles to open his eyes.

  “You,” I whisper to him as his eyes flutter open and he stares back at me.

  I don’t know how long the three of us stayed like that, wrapped up in each other’s arms blocking out the rest of the world, but I wouldn’t have minded staying like that for the rest of my life. The doctor had a different plan though, insisting they take Danny to the nursery as they moved Reina into a regular room. I guess it was a good thing they kicked me out or else I would’ve forgotten all about the people in the waiting room

  ’ve done a lot of shit in my life, committed a ton of sins and probably don’t deserve to be smiling like I am, but hell if it doesn’t feel good. I push the doors to the waiting room wide open and watch as every pair of eyes turn to me.

  My daughter.

  My right hand, best friend and future son-in-law.

  Grace Pastore.

  Her two daughters.

  Michael Valente.

  Anthony Bianci.

  Riggs and his Kitten.

  The three new brothers patched into my club.

  My family.

  Every person in this room is mine. They are all Property of Parrish.

  “It’s a boy,” I beam as the smiles spread across their faces.

  Together we mourned and now together we’ll rejoice.

  We buried one of our own today but gained another.

  God works in mysterious ways, he makes sinners become believers.

  Bonus Epilogue

  My boots pound the pavement of the seedy motel’s parking lot. I can’t wait for the construction to be complete on the clubhouse. I don’t know how the fuck Stryker and the boys have been living in this fleabag motel for the last five months.

  Resolving to fix their living conditions, I shake the thought from my head and focus on the reason I was pulled away from Reina and our son at four in the fucking morning. Just when Danny started sleeping through the night the phone rang and Stryker’s frantic voice filled my groggy head.

  I didn’t know what the fuck he was saying at first but then he calmed down and told me he found the girl he’s been banging in an alley way. I’ve been too wrapped up in my own life to pay much attention to my brother’s but after placing a quick call to Wolf I found out the girl, Stryker’s girl, isn’t just some tight piece of ass he hustled pool with, nah, our boy Stryker opened a whole fucking can of worms I tried real hard to bury.

  I don’t know what the fuck goes on with my men but they love that mobbed up pussy.

  “Parrish,” the cocky voice greets me as the man it belongs to steps out of the Maserati.

  “Spinelli,” I sneer.

  “I’m surprised you called,” he says, unbuttoning his suit and sliding a hand into the pocket of his tailored pants. Vic would be proud, his little protégé is fitting the bill of a mob boss. “But I’m happy you finally came around.”

  “I didn’t call you here to break bread,” I say, tipping my chin to the dingy motel. “One of my brothers found something that belongs to you.”

  His eyes narrow suspiciously as I lead him to the room Stryker occupies.

  “What could one of your men have that belongs to me?”

  “Your sister,” I reveal, closing my fist and pounding it against the door. I don’t have to turn around to know the air deflates from his lungs, I hear it.

  Stryker pulls open the door and I take in Satan’s soldier. I knew the minute I met the veteran turned biker, he was a force to be reckoned with. I pity the motherfucke
rs overseas he took down, almost as much as I pity the man responsible for the look in his eyes now.

  “Where is she?” Rocco demands from behind me. I watch as Stryker’s cold eyes turn to him. Stryker crosses his arms against his chest and barricades the door, sizing up the gangster before he turns that glare back to me.

  “What the fuck is he doing here?” he hisses.

  I open my mouth to explain when a guttural shriek sounds from the motel room. Rocco shoulders his way past me and grabs a hold of Stryker’s cut. Shoving him out of his way he enters the room and runs to his sister’s side.

  Stryker moves to lunge for Rocco but I reel him in by pulling on the back of his cut.

  “Get off me,” he shouts.

  Forcefully, I tug him back, my patience wavers as I lean over his shoulder and clench my jaw as I hiss the words that come out of my mouth next.

  “That woman wrestling her demons in your bed is Rocco’s sister.”

  So much for Satan’s Knights steering clear of the mob.

  Here we fucking go again…

  Bonus Chapters

  Illicit Temptations: Mikey & Nikki Valente

  Chapter One

  Nikki

  It’s been two years since Mikey and I decided to try for a baby. For those of you doing the math, that’s twenty-four months of negative pregnancy tests. Between the ovulation kits and the home pregnancy tests, Mikey and I should’ve bought stock in EPT. After the laparoscopic surgery to remove the scar tissue on my uterus caused by the endometriosis, my doctor was optimistic I’d get pregnant. Mike surprised me with an impromptu vacation to the Bahamas and we went at it like rabbits. Both of us were sure we made a baby and counted down the days until I could take a test. It was the first of many negatives and, also the first time I cried.

  For someone who wasn’t sure she wanted children to begin with, I was baffled by my emotions. When I first told Mikey about my condition, he was very supportive and we agreed to try but if I never got pregnant it wouldn’t be the end of the world. After six months of trying the old-fashioned way, my doctor put me on Clomid. My first cycle taking the fertility drug was unsuccessful, but he explained that it could take several rounds before it worked. I was hopeful and in the back of my head, I knew IVF was also an option. A very expensive option but, Mikey told me not to worry about it. If that was the route we decided to go, he would make it happen.

  It was obvious my husband would do anything in his power to make me happy. I knew I was driving him crazy and though he tried his hardest never to let it show, he dreaded the day I was due for my period as much as I did. Sex was becoming a chore for us. The moment I realized that we were treating this as a job, I knew I needed to reel myself back in. Without even discussing it, I decided if the Clomid didn’t work, then we were done trying. My husband deserved better than what I was giving him. He deserved the girl he fell in love with, the woman he married and not some stressed out imitation who checked her temperature on the twelfth day of her cycle.

  Keeping that in mind, last month I surprised him with a weekend in Vegas for his birthday. There was a car waiting in front of our house when he came home from work and we made our way to the airport. It was exactly what we needed. We spent the days soaking up the sun and alternated our nights between dancing and gambling. I got drunk for the first time in nearly two years and we both let go of everything weighing us down. We had the best time and the best sex. It was wild, messy and completely spontaneous. It was fun and reminded me of the early days of our relationship.

  I threw the ovulation kits out when I got home and canceled my OBGYN appointment, deciding I wanted to enjoy my husband again. There are plenty of children out there that need good homes and if adoption was the only way for us to become parents, we would love that baby just the same as if I carried he or she for nine months. But, not now. Now it’s about us. It’s about making him his favorite dinner on Valentine’s Day and giving him a blowjob, he’ll never forget as long as he lives.

  So, why am I sitting on the edge of the bathtub, staring at a pregnancy test, counting down the seconds until only one pink line appears while our dinner burns downstairs? Part of me doesn’t want to look fearing the results will ruin the perfect night I planned for Mikey. The other part, the voice inside my head that sounds so much like my father, is screaming for me to look, reminding me I’m a week late.

  That part wants to believe in heaven sent miracles.

  Blowing out a breath, I place my hands on my knees and force myself to stand. Keeping my eyes pinned to the offensive stick I peed on two minutes ago, I try not to get my hopes up. I tell myself, I can still salvage dinner and give Mikey a perfect Valentine’s day. I stop myself from imagining what Mikey’s reaction might be if I hand him one positive test after two dozen negative ones. I forget the rehearsed words, I’ve been dreaming of saying to him.

  You’re going to be a daddy.

  Instead, I close my eyes and reach for the test.

  A million smiles flash before my eyes.

  His.

  Mine.

  The tears I’ve cried and the ones he’s held back.

  “Please,” I whisper.

  Touching one hand to my flat stomach, I open my eyes and glance down at the test.

  One pink line sits parallel to another.

  Sure, my eyes are playing tricks on me, I blink.

  Once.

  Twice.

  Two pink lines.

  “Nikki!”

  I hear Mikey call my name from downstairs but, I can’t find my voice. I can do nothing other than stare down at the positive pregnancy test and cry. A moment later the door opens and, Mikey fills the frame.

  “Princess?”

  Tearing my eyes away, I lift my chin and stare at him in the mirror. Holding a bouquet of roses, he glances at the test in my hand and I watch the smile fall from his face. He lifts his free hand to his face and rubs the side of his cheek as he steps further into the bathroom. Dropping the flowers onto the vanity, he turns me around and wraps his arms around me.

  “It’s alright,” he murmurs against my hair.

  “Mikey,” I rasp, pulling back.

  “I know,” he says softly. “I know.” Bringing his hands to my face, he tilts my head back and presses his lips to my forehead. Carefully, he thumbs away my tears and moves his lips to mine. “It’s okay.”

  “No,” I whisper against his mouth. Reaching up, I wrap one hand around his wrist and lift the test to his chest. He drops his hands from my face and stares at me, trying to read the emotions in my eyes. Spotting a flicker of hope in his gaze, I watch him swallow before covering my hand with his. His fingers graze mine as he takes the test from my hand and turns it over. My heart hammers in my chest as he glances down.

  “It’s positive, Michael,” I cry. “I’m pregnant.”

  He continues to stare at the two lines expressionless before a grin spreads across his lips and he lifts his head.

  “You’re pregnant,” he says. “We’re having a baby!” Lifting the test, he brings it to his lips and places a kiss over the lines. A giggle escapes the back of my throat as I wipe my eyes.

  “I peed on that,” I tell him

  “I don’t care,” he exclaims, wrapping his arms around my waist. Drawing me against his chest, he buries his face in my neck. Nothing I could’ve imagined compares to this moment and for as long as I live I know I’ll always remember Mikey’s face as he placed his hand on my stomach and the hoarseness in his voice as he wished our son or daughter Happy Valentine’s Day.

  Illicit Temptations: Mikey & Nikki Valente

  Chapter Two

  Mikey

  She took three more tests after that and they all came back positive. After years of trying and praying, my wife was pregnant. I tried to mask my emotions, told myself real men don’t fucking cry and all that shit, but, fuck—there was nothing more beautiful than seeing those two pink lines. Being a father wasn’t something I realized I wanted until me and Nikki were f
aced with the possibility of never having a child of our own. However, as much as I wanted us to have a kid, I would’ve been content with a houseful of pets as long as I had my princess by my side.

  Still, I couldn’t help but feel some kind of way whenever we were around Anthony and Adrianna’s kids. Watching Anthony teach Luca how to jab on a Sunday, made it hard for me not to picture having a son of my own. I thought about the things I would teach him. I pictured little league games, trips to Yankee stadium and football tosses after dinner. All the things I missed most after I lost my own father. As precious as that vision was, seeing Nikki with her niece made me want to give her a daughter. I’d suffer through tea parties and ballet recitals just to see her have what Adrianna shared with her daughter Victoria.

  Suffering isn’t the right word. Having a daughter who loved me as much as Nikki loved her father, would be pretty fucking spectacular. The bond between a father and his daughter is unbreakable. Being a little girl’s first love is a big deal and filling her father’s shoes is almost an impossible task—take it from me, the guy who stole the heart of daddy’s little girl.

  Plus, if I had a daughter, I’d always be her first Valentine and that alone is just as special as teaching your son how to toss a ball.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Nikki says beside me.

  Forcing me out of my head, I turn to her and smile. I don’t give a fuck if people say it’s a myth or not, my girl is glowing.

  “Just thinking,” I reply, taking her hand. Lacing our fingers together, I press a kiss to her lips. “How do you feel?”

  It’s been three days since we found out. The next morning, she called her doctor and told him we had four positive pregnancy tests. He instructed her to go to the lab for bloodwork and upon our arrival to his office, Nikki also gave them a urine sample. Now, we’re sitting here waiting for the results, hoping they confirm the pregnancy.