A Warm Heart in Winter (Black Dagger Brotherhood 18.50)

You have a daughter. Some night, she may need help from a human. How’d you like him to treat her?

He went over to say hi to Lyric first, but that was not how it worked out. In the midst of all the pink frills of her crib, her sturdy little brother was holding on to his feet and doing some kind of baby pull-up thing with his chunky torso. The moment Z leaned over the rail, the kid stopped his infant-robics and shifted his eyes over, those peepers narrowing into an assessment that penetrated into places a grown-ass male would just as soon not have anybody go.

Much less a bag of carbon-based molecules that only had pooping and consuming down pat.

Except then the young started to smile. Instantly, that intensity was cut off and there was nothing but toothy grin—in spite of how ugly Z was with the scar that ran down his face. Then again, one of the things he liked about these young was that they had never not known males who had deformities. Their stepdad, Xcor, had a harelip they were well used to, so there was no scaring them with what was doing on Z’s puss.

Although on that note, one couldn’t be too sure Rhamp was going to be scared of anything. He was like his sire in that regard. Qhuinn wasn’t ever afraid.

“They like to switch cribs,” Layla said as she ruffled her son’s dark hair. “Rhamp insists on being in Lyric’s space sometimes. She doesn’t mind. I feel like he’s checking the crib rails to make sure she’s safe. It’s the funniest thing.”

“He’s right to look after her.”

“Well, she looks after him, too.”

“That’s as it should be.”

Z reached out and ran his forefinger down Rhamp’s chubby cheek. As the kid grabbed hold and squeezed, the compression was surprisingly strong. Then it was a case of tug… tug… tug… and all the time, the kid was cheery as he stared up. Even though Zsadist was a fully grown male capable of great violence.

“How do they know?”

As Z heard his voice hit the airwaves, he wanted to curse. He’d meant to keep that to himself.

Second time tonight. Maybe he needed to go see Doc Jane for some oral cavity Imodium.

“Know what?” Layla asked softly. “About who to trust, you mean?”

“People are dangerous. Especially to those who are weaker. And you don’t get weaker than a young.”

“Not everyone is dangerous. Look at you standing over the cribs of my young.”

He moved over to Lyric, and as soon as she saw him, she smiled, her eyes twinkling like stars in her baby face.

“You would kill to protect them,” Layla murmured.

“Damn right I would. They are my family, even though we are not of close blood.” As Z thought of those two human girls again, he was of a mind to try to strip his own damn memories. “Do you worry about them? Out in the world?”

“Not at the moment. Right now they are here, within my reach, every second of every hour. Later, though, I will. I imagine it will be similar to how I worry about Xcor out in the field. So many things can go wrong. A second can change a lifetime forever.”

Z rubbed the back of his neck. “I have to go.”

And yet he did not move.

“What consumes you, friend,” Layla prompted gently.

“I don’t like the vagaries of chance.”

“What’s making you think of fate tonight?”

“Nothing.” Just snowbanks. And children. And stabbings. “Nothing in particular.”

“Are you going to go see your Bella and Nalla? They were in the playroom last time I checked.”

He glanced at the Chosen. “Take care of yourself, and your precious ones.”

“I will. Take care of my beloved out in the field? I don’t know what I would do if?

??”