Tragic King (The Dominant Bastard Duology 2)

“Yeah.”

“Are you easily shocked?”

She snorted. “No.”

“Are you going home?”

“Yeah. It’s shift change.”

“Perfect. I’ll give you fifty grand, cash, to be my wife’s nurse until the kid is out.”

“Only fifty?” she said, laughing as if she didn’t believe him.

“Get down there without asking me another question and I’ll give you an extra ten.” He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a folded stack of bills.

Her eyes widened, but she said nothing and headed down the hall.

Minnow was going through another contraction as they walked in.

The nurse stopped a few steps into the room. “Oh. Hey, man. Is this going to be weird?” she asked Rodrigo.

He grinned at her, but looked tired. “Hey, Feng. Not unless it’s weird for you.”

“He offered me fifty grand, cash, to stay overtime. This can be as weird as it needs to be.” She winked at Minnow. “Your man used to beat me at parties, back in the day. We cool?”

“Yes, thank god,” Minnow grumbled. “Vanilla nurse was making me twitchy.”

The new nurse laughed. “She’s a nice girl, but green. I made a safeword joke the other day and she had no idea what I was talking about.”

“Her kink is leaving the lights on?” Minnow asked, giving a short laugh.

“Missionary in the dark would be kinky to her.”

“That would be kinky for me too,” Rodrigo admitted. “It’s been a long time.”

They hung out and talked for a while, joking about things they wouldn’t have discussed in front of vanilla people. It was helping Minnow relax, so at least he felt like he’d helped a little. He was a shithead for not thinking to do this beforehand, but he hadn’t been able to force his mind far enough into the event to go through details.

Severin watched them and struggled with his panic. He kept looking outside, wishing he could leave. He’d wanted her here, where it was safer for her, but the smell of the place turned his stomach. People kept walking past and glancing in. He felt like they were a sideshow. No doubt the other nurse was gossiping.

He hated how calm Minnow was. She didn’t voice her pain, even though he could see it, and in between contractions she acted as if they were hanging out in the living room. It felt like a moment where last words should be exchanged, but everyone was acting as though there would be a tomorrow for them. That she’d live and nothing would change.

“You know how to deliver a baby, right?” he finally asked Feng as Minnow’s contractions had fewer breaks between them.

“Minnow’s body knows what to do, Mr. Leduc. I know how, but the doctor will do the actual delivery.” The nurse scrubbed her hands in the sink and put on some gloves. “Let’s see what’s going on. Do you have the urge to push?”

Minnow shook her head no, but had given up clutching their hands to wrap her fingers in the sheets. She was so small and pale lying there. So helpless. She didn’t look very scared, but he was fucking petrified. If it was his kid, how was she going to push it out? He had a big head. What if the baby got stuck? What if there was no way to save them and they both died?

“Are you sure you don’t want a C-section?” he blurted.

Feng shot him a look of sympathy, but Rodrigo and Minnow were watching her rather than listening to him.

The nurse checked her. “You’re at ten. You’re good to go. Do you want to try pushing and we’ll see if the doctor needs to come in soon?”

“Wait!” Severin held up a staying hand.

Minnow arched a brow. “For what, Mister Leduc?”

“I’m not ready,” he admitted.