Griffin (Ruthless MC 3)

And when sasha X kasha asks if she wants to join them on stage to sing that song we’ve been urging her to practice ever since Red came up with this plan, she takes the mic and jumps right up on stage. Like she was born there.

She doesn’t even miss a beat when her mother and I join her and the sister pop duo on stage for the last verse and chorus.

She’s a born performer. And we’re something I didn’t think I’d ever have.

A happy family.

“We made her,” I crow to Red afterward, beyond proud of her performance.

“Yes, we did,” Red agrees as we watch O2 hug Sasha and Kasha and thank both them and the audience for coming out.

Then she leans over and whispers in my ear, “And guess what else we made, according to the pregnancy test I took last night?”

My chest contracts, then explodes. “We’re having a baby?”

She nods happily. And thank fuck for cardio or else I think my heart would have given out right then and there.

But after lots of kisses and telling her how much I fucking love her, I do have to point out, “Wow, Red, you will do just about anything to get out of period sex.”

She bursts out laughing, and man, when I say she’s the most beautiful, wonderful thing on Earth…

I kick myself again for the last six years. For letting pride take the lead and not just grabbing her up in my arms and declaring I loved from the start six weeks ago when I finally found her again.

I knew this woman would upend my life from the moment I saw her standing on that bar. But I didn’t know she’d heal my wounded soul. And give me all the things I didn’t know I should be praying for…a soul mate…children…a real life.

I was bored before I met her. But after marrying Boring Bernice, I’ll never be bored again.

“Can I tell Waylon?” I ask her a little later when sasha X kasha have left the party after signing autographs and taking lot of pictures with Little Olivia and Dr. Olivia—who both claimed to be their biggest fans.

“Just him, okay?”

“Just him,” I agree—only to hedge, “And, you know, Hades.”

“Boy, who else are you going to ask to tell…?” she demands, her voice filled with outrage.

She laughs and looks over to the section of the ballroom where the Reapers are having their own kind of party with bottles of whiskey and cans of beers they definitely didn’t get from the open bar. Reapers will be Reapers—which is why my event planning genius wife sequestered them off in the farthest corner the room.

But instead of guessing who else I’ll try to include in the news, the smile suddenly drops off her face.

“Where’s Hyena?” she asks me. “And the quiet guy, Des-E.”

Shit.

She scans the Reapers and her expression becomes increasingly upset. “And that really tall one—Vampire?”

We promised no more lies. So I tell her the only truth I can. “This is Reaper business.”

Red takes one look at my grave face and says, “Oh my God…I’ve got to call Allie.”

Then she rushes off to find her phone.

I don’t bother to stop her.

She’ll soon find out what I already know, and I’ll have to figure out how to fix my very last lie of omission. We’ll survive this. But as for her friend…

There’s no helping her….

Vengeance has her.