by Leah Holt
Sneering, Nico dragged his hand over his jaw, shaking his head in disagreement. “You know it doesn't work like that. Make this easy on yourself, and your girl.”
“Nico, I'm fucking pregnant, you can't do this. I'm not his property, I'm not for sale, so like I said... GO. FUCK. YOURSELF.” The last few words came out clear and solid, his face dropping in anger.
Straining my ears, I listened for sirens, for any sign that this would end long before it turned from verbal to war. But my ears were empty, the street was empty, no one was coming to stop this.
Swiping my hands over my jacket, I felt for my phone, but it wasn't there. Slapping a fist against my leg, I realized that I had left everything at home. We had only planned on grabbing lunch up the street, we weren't going to be gone for long.
Fuck! Dragging my nails through my hair, I looked around wide-eyed, searching to see if anyone else was calling for help. My eyes were met with a different form of silence, the quiet stare of onlookers.
I couldn't believe that not a single person had pulled out their cell, or made any attempt to end this before blood was spilled.
Then again... Why would they care when it isn't their problem to begin with, right?
Quinn took another step in, closing the space between them. “If you want her, you know you'll have to go through me first. Is that something you really want to do?” His shoulders snapped square, jaw cocking to the side. “Did you forget what happened last time, or do want me to refresh your memory?”
A crackled, raspy voice shot out from the crowd. “Hit him high, kid, watch the feet!” And old ragged man stood on the stoop of a building, arms jabbing into the air. “They didn't call you the Killer Q for nothing.”
Who the fuck is that?
Killer Q?
Quinn didn't look back at the man, but he obviously heard him, and let his words filter in. His jacket slipped off his shoulders, falling to the ground. Cracking his knuckles, he twisted his neck, snapping the muscles loose.
Nico looked like a raging bull, his face contorted, mouth curving up. “I'm going to enjoy this,” he said, lifting his hands to his face.
In one quick jerk, Nico launched himself at Quinn. His hands slapped the air, jabbing at the shadow of my man. Ducking, Quinn dipped to the side, his body turning out as his elbow drove in hard.
Excitement charged my body, and it was intense. We all have a dark side, and mine was antsy to watch Nico get what he deserved.
A loud grunt fell out of Nico's mouth, his chest heaving wildly to regain the breath that had just been lost. Growling, he charged Quinn again, wrapping his arms around his neck.
Quinn dropped to one knee, his face growing red, eyes starting to bulge. The excitement that had been riding me hard, turned into horror. Turning into the crowd, I started grabbing people's collars, screaming for someone to call the cops.
But it was as if they were all mesmerized, enjoying the fight in the street.
“Someone, anyone! Please!” My head rocked on my shoulders, looking with desperation for anyone who would listen to me.
Mumbling behind strained breaths, Quinn still spoke with command. “Are you ready, Nico?”
“Fuck you.” Pulling his wrist harder, Nico tightened his grip.
Snapping his head back, Quinn nailed him in the nose with the back of his skull. Sweeping around, he hit him with a solid shot to the jaw. Nico scurried backwards, blood spilling over his face, pouring from his nose to the ground.
Wiping it with the back of his palm, he smiled red. “You're dead.” Leaping forward, he tried to kick Quinn, but failed.
Quinn spun on his heels, blocking the blow, and shoving forward with a knee into Nico's stomach.
My heart was racing, muscles shaking, and the air was becoming harder to find. My chest was burning with each breath I took, sweat had started to bead up on my forehead, and a deep sensation filled my gut.
The fight went on, the two men beating on each other like they were taking turns to see who hit the hardest.
“Quinn!” I yelled, holding the bottom of my belly.
My cry went unheard, getting swept away by the hoots and hollers of the people circling them. Bracing myself on the telephone pole, I screamed again. “Quinn!”
A warm trickle started to flow down my thighs, it was light and slow, but the water started to pool beneath my feet. Shock began to hit my system, a cramp sparked in my lower back, digging in and slipping around to the front.
“Qu—Quinn!” Slumping against my shoulder, my knees grew weaker, the clear fluid now turning pink as it picked up speed and seeped faster.
This can not be happening... Not now, not right now!
Every feeling that hit my body, every muscle that torched with pain; I knew, I knew what it was.
“Quinn, the baby!” That time my call for help was heard, his face flashed white, eyes hardening.
His nostrils flared out, mouth turning down. Shooting forward, he swung in the air, missing Nico as he swerved out of the way. Nico suddenly had the upper hand, jumping onto his back and pulling him to the ground.
With his legs curled around Quinn's waist, he tugged his arms up over his head, pinning him in position.
Quinn let out a painful grunt when his arms were yanked up and displaced in an unnatural position.
The whole fight was going too far, and right now there was one place we needed to go. It wasn't the restaurant, it wasn't to the police station... I needed the hospital.
Turning to a man beside me, I grabbed his arms. “Do something!”
But he just stared at me like I had heads growing from my shoulders. “Me? What the hell am I going to do, look at those guys. They can handle it themselves.”
Fuck! What is wrong with these people?
I couldn't just stand by and let this happen. Nico had Quinn pinned, neither one were really moving. They were just laying on the ground, groaning and grunting as they struggled against each other.
If Nico let go, Quinn could shift around, and he knew that. So he kept him there, the two of them locked in some strange ground hug on the pavement. I could hear Quinn struggling to breathe as Nico put more pressure around his torso.
I have to do something.
Another cramp scaled over my stomach, lurching forward, I held my belly. Slamming my eyes shut, I rode the contraction out. As my muscles loosened, I opened my eyes slowly, flicking them back to Quinn.
That's it. If no one else will help...
I'll do it myself.
I wasn't sure where the strength had come from right then to walk into the middle of a brawl like that, but I did. The crowd around me gasped, women covered their mouths, men tried to grab my arms and hold me back.
But I had been pushed to my limit, and there was no way in hell I was having this baby right there on the sidewalk. Nico had fucked with my life for long enough, I was going to do something.
Stomping into the center of the circle, Nico had only half a second to set his eyes on me. My lips had curved down, brows dipping in. I was fucking pissed.
As I watched his black pits fix on my face, my foot lifted high, the heel hovering directly over his forehead.
“Fuck you, Nico.” Slamming my foot down, I crushed his face, twisting my heel in hard.
I can't lie, that moment made me happy as hell. And seeing his reaction, the stunned expression before my foot slammed down...
It was pure bliss.
His hands unlatched, freeing Quinn, and zipping up to hold his head. As I stepped back, Quinn rolled out, and jumped to his feet.
Our eyes met, his smiled, mine said finish this we need to go. Backing away, I cupped my arms around my belly just in time for another round of fierce squeezing in the muscles.
Climbing onto his chest, Quinn let his fists fly, punch after punch came down in loud beats. As Nico's arms fell to his side, Quinn stood up, and started to step towards me. A second thought rushed through his eyes. Turning back, he kicked him one last time in the ribs, then pulled t
he crumpled note from his back pocket.
Opening it up, he stuffed it into the collar of Nico's shirt. “Never again. This is done, it's over.”
“Quinn,” I said, pulling his eyes back onto me. “We need to go, it's time.” Curling into my knees, I moaned in pain.
“Taxi! Taxi!” he yelled, waving his arm wildly around. Running into the street, he stopped one as it was driving by. “Come on Babe, I got you.” Lifting me to my feet, he helped me into the cab.
The crowd was still gawking, their voices fading away as the door closed and the taxi moved on.
“We need the hospital now, hurry.” Quinn laid my head in his lap, rubbing my shoulders, and brushing my hair.
Looking up, I drew my hand over the thick stubble on his jaw. “Killer Q?”
Shaking his head, he chuckled. “Yeah, that was my name a long time ago. I was a bad ass, what can I say?”
Laughing, another cramp hit my stomach, making me curl into a ball. His eyes looked panicked, hands protectively tugging me in.
And right then I knew our life would be fine.
We would move on, we would grow old together, we would love forever.
Because love doesn't break when it's true, love doesn't stop when someone threatens it.
Love was forever, Quinn was my forever.
Chapter Twenty-One
Quinn
“Hey, how's she doing?”
Looking up at Mia, she rubbed my back. “She's good, tired, but good.”
“He's adorable, Quinn.” Holding her hands against her knees, she leaned over and stared down at Riley with small tears resting in her eyes. “Wow, I can't believe how big he is.”
“Yeah, nine pounds. Doctor called him a linebacker when she held him up.” Smiling down at my son, I ran my fingers over the bottom of his feet and touched each toe.
Laughing under her breath, Mia brushed the side of his face. “It's no wonder your mommy was so uncomfortable, you're already half her size.” Her voice was gentle, speaking in a high tone. “How long has she been out?”
“An hour or so, you can wake her if you want. She'd love to see you.”
Shaking her head no, Mia looked over at Cadence sleeping in the bed. “She needs the rest, I'll let her be.” As she looked back down on Riley, she asked, “Can I hold him?”
“Absolutely, Auntie Mia.” Picking up the small bundle, his head curled into my forearm, arms tucking in as his feet pulled up to his chest.
Coddling him for a moment, I held him out for her to take. “I never held a baby before, do I have him right?”
“Yeah, you're good, don't be afraid, I heard babies bounce anyway.” Smiling, I ran my hand over his head, completely awestruck.
That was my baby, my little guy.
When I was growing up and started getting into fighting, my mother was a fucking mess. And back then I would give her hell for it, I was annoyed, embarrassed by the way she acted.
She used to tell me that I could never understand what she was feeling, that the love she had for me went beyond anything else in this world.
I of course would roll my eyes, storm out, and sometimes tell her she was being dramatic.
Then in the very moment that Riley took his first breath of air, I finally understood. It was like being smacked in the face and stabbed in the chest.
It was love, unconditional love.
There was absolutely no way that anyone could ever grasp the emotions of their parents to the full extent. Of course you know your parents love you, that they would go to the end of the earth to make you happy and give you everything they possibly could.
But when you feel what they tried to explain, it changed everything.
I called my mom right after Riley was born, and the first words I said to her was that I loved her, and I was sorry. Because I finally understood the love she spoke of, the protective nature to want to keep your baby safe.
I loved my son so much it literally hurt.
Mia rocked him gently while she sat in the hospital chair, humming a melody under her breath. Raising her eyes to mine, she smiled. “So you're really in this for the long haul then?”
“Of course,” I said, trying to figure out where she was taking our conversation.
“You're a good guy, Quinn, and Cadence deserves the best.” Leaning in, she nuzzled Riley's cheek, speaking in her new found baby voice. “Yes, she does, your mommy deserves the best.”
“I love her, Mia, more than I could ever put into words. And we have a family now...” Dropping into the chair beside her, I laid my head back. “A family, wow, it's crazy he's finally here.”
“I'm just really happy you're committed, Cadence needed this, she needed you.” Her fingers ran up over Riley's jaw, tracing his eyebrows and down the bridge of his nose. “So what happened?”
“What happened with what?”
“The fight?”
“Ah, you heard about that?” Tilting my chin up, I looked over at my sleeping beauty. Her eyes were closed tight, blanket tucked in around her shoulders.
“Yup, I sure did. I know this is the big city, but word still travels.”
“What's the word on the street then?” Turning to look at Mia, I couldn't stop the grin from hitting my face.
“Well, from what I heard, you got into it with ass-face.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Tapping my finger in the air, I asked, “By ass-face you mean Nico, right?”
“Do you know another ass-face? Does he have a twin?” Giggling, the baby jerked in her arms. Mia snuggled him tighter, hushing his soft cry.
“The only thing that matters about that fight is that he's not going to bother us anymore, that I know.”
“What makes you say that? I mean how could you know for sure, he went months before that little mess, what if he does it again?”
Shaking my head no, I let my gaze fall to the floor. “Not this time.” Picking at the arm of the chair, I spun the tip of my finger into a small knot of the wood. “Cadence made sure of that.”
Cocking a brow, Mia tilted her head. “And how the hell did she do that?”
“Let's just say he knows how she feels now. That girl is one tough fucking woman, and she proved it.”
“You guys better keep that talk child friendly, I don't want my son's first word to be douche-bag or something.” Cadence stretched her arms high above her head, reaching into the air as she yawned.
“Hey girl, how ya feeling?” Mia asked with a smirk.
“Exhausted.” Rolling to her side, she cupped her chin.
“Get used to it. With the size of Riley, it looks like you're going to need to grow more tits, like a cat or something. How the hell do you plan on feeding this beast?.”
Cadence laughed hard, shaking her head. “Well he'll have to make do, that's all I got to say about that.”
“But seriously, Cadence, he's beautiful.”
“Handsome,” I said, holding my hand in the air. “My son is handsome, his mother is the beautiful one.”
“Alright tough guy, he's handsome.” Eyeing Cadence, Mia veered her stare and rolled her eyes.
“I saw that, don't get sassy now.” I gave her my best stern face, holding my jaw firm, brows raised in reprimand.
It didn't work, both women started laughing, and not just a soft giggle. The two of them were laughing so hard they couldn't breathe. Cadence started to cough, patting her chest with one hand. Mia's head fell back, lips opening wide.
“You want him, Cadence?” Standing, Mia was still trying to catch her breath.
“Absolutely.” Coiling her arms around our son, I watched her face light up with joy.
There was an extra twinkle in her eyes, a spark that hit and exploded as she looked down on our son.
Her smile was contagious, hitting her cheeks at her ears. Instantly, Mia and myself were smiling along with her.
And as she spoke in a low voice, whispering quiet love notes to our baby, I finally felt complete.
My heart
had been hers, she owned it.
And now Riley owned it too.
This was my family, this was my forever.
This was what living was all about.
Epilogue
Quinn
My heart was in my throat, beating against the lump I couldn't swallow. The collar of my suit was contracting around my neck, squeezing like a fucking boa constrictor. I wanted to take in a large breath of air, but I couldn't.
Jamming a finger into the ring, I tugged the material away, trying to loosen its grip.
“You alright, man?” my cousin, James, asked. The suit he wore was identical to mine, except his vest was teal.
Mine was charcoal black, over a black button-up with a bright white Calla lily pinned in the small breast pocket.
“Is your suit tight too? I swear this one's out to suffocate me.”
“Relax, you're just nervous.”
“Nervous? I don't get nervous, you know that.” Chuckling under my breath, my eyes shifted awkwardly around us, never meeting his full on.
“Oh no? So the fact you're sweating like a damn pig right now, and moving your hands around like you're coming down from a drug-induced high means what?”
“Fuck you,” I said with a grin, jabbing him in the arm with an elbow.
The music began to play, everyone's heads turning to follow the song to the arch at the end of the garden.
Okay, so I lied. I was nervous as fuck.
The flower girl skipped down the aisle, tossing handfuls of white petals. The guests all cooed at her, giggling softly at how she threw the petals like she was throwing a ball.
Smiling, I couldn't stop from laughing myself.
The bridesmaids followed her, their teal gowns flowing like water up the path. Mia winked at me as she took her place opposite of James, the best man.
It was the perfect day for a wedding. The sun was shining brightly, not a cloud in the sky. Birds were chirping to their own music in the trees, the occasional one dive bombing the crowd, and gliding into the bushes that lined the edges.
Did I say it was a perfect day?
Because it was, it was my wedding day.
Watching the aisle, I waited anxiously to see Cadence. The whole wedding thing had been another nightmare. Nothing like what we had been through, but bad enough.
