Stolen To Keep (Stolen 2)

“Yeah, for now just know it was once worn by an artist you love.” He gives me a devilish grin.

“I love so many! Now you have to tell me,” I demand.

“Nah. I’m gonna make you wait until we get back to the house or your sister will keep you to herself all day.” I want to laugh and stomp my feet and demand he tell me because I know he’s right.

“Fine,” I give in and decide I can wait a few hours.

“Are you going to do this third marking you were talking about before we can go eat and calm my sister?”

“Maybe I already did.” He leans forward and kisses my stomach.

“Oh.” My eyes widen as I place my hand there.

“It might be too soon to have a baby, but I think we can sneak in a few adventures before our first little one gets here. But if she’s anything like her mama she’ll want to go on adventures with us.”

My eyes water when I think about having a little girl with him. “Adventures?” I ask.

“You have so many things you want to see. This island is our home, but I’m going to make sure you see the world and explore everything you’ve ever read about and wanted to see and touch for yourself. I want you to finish those books you started, Berkley. I want to take you to those places and give you inspiration. Maybe even I can give you some too.”

Tears leak down my face thinking of all the places I ever wanted to go. Knowing he’ll be by my side as we explore together is making every dream I ever wished for come true.

“I love you, Vaughn. It would be an honor to be your wife, to be a Warsaw.”

“I love you too, sweet thing. It’s an honor that you’ll have me.” He gives my stomach another kiss before standing up. “Let’s go celebrate with the rest of the family.” He takes my hand and his fingers tangle with mine.

“Is X celebrating with us?” I tease.

“I’m sure he’ll brood in the corner while staring a hole into Doc Lula.” I was thinking the same thing and I laugh because we all know something is going on there. I can only hope X doesn’t mess it up.

Vaughn sweeps me into his arms and I wrap mine around him. I lay my head on his shoulder as we walk to the main house to see the rest of the family. I’m sure we’re going to talk about what’s happened and what’s to come but I think all the darkness is in the past. Unless you count a brooding Xavier.

I’m getting my happily ever after and I hope X can find that too. He seems to need it most of all. I was stolen to keep but he needs to be stolen to love.

Epilogue

Vaughn

Two years later…

“Push, push, push,” Lula chants, and Berkley grits her teeth. “Okay, perfect, take a breath.”

“This is all your fault,” she groans, and I can see on the monitor another contraction is forming. “You couldn’t keep your dick out of me.”

I hear Collins smother a snort from behind me as she comes around the bed with ice chips.

“To be fair, I didn’t do it by myself.” I choke on the last word as her hand reaches out and grabs my forearm and her nails dig into me. “I’m sorry!”

My shout is drowned out by Berkley’s as another contraction hits her.

“This is it, Berk. One more big push and your baby is here,” Lula says from between her legs.

“Come on, sister, you’ve got this.” Collins holds her other hand as she coaches Berkley through the pain and I’m so thankful she’s here.

I wish there was a way for me to take this pain from her, or at least help ease the pain, but she wanted to experience childbirth without drugs. There’s no way I could have done it without being knocked unconscious but my wife is so damn brave.

We’ve been all over the world together and I’ve seen her fearless determination not to let anything stand in her way. I’ve seen a new side of her during this pregnancy that has shown me just how strong she is. When she came to me and said she wanted to try for a natural birth I didn’t try and talk her out of it, even though I was scared shitless.

These past two years we’ve had together have been the best of my life and I can’t wait to meet our baby. We didn’t find out what we were having because Berkley wanted it to be a surprise. Deep down I think she wanted to put off having to admit I was right for as long as possible, because I know she’s giving me my baby girl.

“Okay, the head is through. One more big push, Berk, this is it!” Lula says as she grabs towels and works under the blue cloth.