“Don’t worry about me, Rocky. I can take care of myself.”
“I know that, you idiot. That doesn’t mean you deserve this particular brand of crazy.” One hand cupped the side of my jaw and she smiled wistfully. “I’m sorry about all this.”
“Me too.”
“If I leave within the hour, I can put a few states between me and them, but you should probably call your club. You’re going to need them.”
Rocky was pissing me off and she was so busy making plans that she didn’t even realize it. I followed her down the hall and back to our room. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
She turned with a frown. “I have to get out of here, Lasso.”
“I thought you were going to let me take care of you. Or was that just bullshit for a few more nights of fucking?”
She laughed but it was harsh and cold and bitter. “No dick is worth risking my life, Lasso. Not even yours.”
“Then, what the fuck?”
She sighed like I was the crazy one. “I heard you talking to your club friend. They don’t want this trouble any more than I do. I understand that, but now Genesis is coming after you, too, and they’ll be ready to fight for you. Me? Not so much.”
“And what about you?”
Her smile was sad when she told me, “I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can, but you don’t have to. I’m here, I’m a badass and I am your personal fucking protection.” She laughed and buried her face in my chest.
“You might be a badass, but we’re compromised.”
She was right about that and I didn’t know whether to kiss her, fuck her or marry her. It was the middle of the night, a stone’s throw fr
om Vegas, and I could do all three before the sun came up.
Chapter 11
Rocky
“We talked about this. It’s important that you keep your stress to a minimum, Rochelle.” Dr. Tipton gave me her best chastising smile as she took her seat beside the exam table.
“I’m working on it, Doc. But sometimes life conspires against me and it’s happening with alarming frequency these days.” It was the truth, but I knew she was right. I couldn’t let the stress get the better of me. “I’m open to suggestions.”
“Yoga. Some facilities even offer prenatal yoga, but the most important thing of all is to make sure you’re handling it in a healthy way.”
“Like sex?” The doctor smirked but I was sure she heard that question all the time. “That’s a good stress reliever, isn’t it?”
“It is,” she said, and I could hear Lasso chuckling in the chair next to her. “And it is a perfectly acceptable method of stress relief, provided you’re safe and you don’t ignore signs of pain or discomfort.” She stared at her chart before turning back to me. “How’s your nausea?”
“Still here.”
She nodded and looked down again. “You haven’t gained as much weight as you should, but your weight isn’t concerning. Yet.”
“Shouldn’t she have a bigger belly already?” Lasso had finally risen from the dead and asked a question since he’d demanded that I let him drive me to the appointment and then he just wormed his way into the exam room using the worried first-time dad routine. It worked like a charm.
“It’s also fine. One day you both will wake up and you’ll find it there. Don’t worry unless there’s something to worry about.” With a kind smile, Dr. Tipton washed her hands and prepared to let me hear my baby’s heartbeat for the very first time. “Ready?”
I gave a sharp nod. “And terrified. Is that normal?”
“It’s perfectly normal, Rochelle. Now, listen.”
I closed my eyes as the room filled with a steady thump-thump-thump in rapid succession, over and over again. Thump-thump-thump. “That’s…the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard in my short, miserable life.”