Royal Mess (Devil's Knights 2nd Generation 3)

I had slept for over six hours. I guess I really had been exhausted.

After I shoved my feet into my slip-ons, I opened the bedroom door and looked down the hallway both ways. “Which way was it?” I whispered.

“She lives.”

I jump back and clutched my hand to my chest. “Oh, my God!”

“Easy, Royal,” Marco laughed.

“What the heck are you doing hanging out by my door?” I demanded.

Marco leaned against the wall across from my door. “I was walking by.”

That was a likely story. “Where were you walking by to?” I demanded.

He nodded to the door just down the way. “My room.”

I wrinkled my nose. “I told you I didn’t want to be anywhere near you.”

“I didn’t tell you to pick this room. If I remember correctly, I offered to show you the other two rooms. One of which happens to be a whole floor above here.”

My eyes traveled the length of his body and back up. He was dressed in a pair of gray sweatpants and a maroon long sleeve t-shirt. And bare feet.

The cold, hard mafia boss was gone and had been replaced with laidback and almost approachable Marco. Almost.

“Well, maybe the third-floor room doesn’t sound too bad, after all.”

Marco laughed. “You’re going to make the staff clean this room and get the other one ready for you?”

As if he cared what his staff had to do. But I did. “Well, no. I guess I can handle staying here.” I leaned back and looked to make sure there was a lock on the door. “Yeah, I can stay here,” I muttered when I glanced at the lock.

“Making sure you can lock yourself in?” he drawled.

I pulled the door shut behind me. “You can never be too safe, right?”

“I suppose not.”

I looked down the hallway.

“Can I help you find something?”

“A big fat cheeseburger with a side of sweet potato fries would be nice.” I looked the other way down the hallway. “And maybe a few episodes of Golden Girls to watch while I chow down.” I didn’t ask for much, right?

“Uh, well, I can help you with the food, but I don’t know about the Golden Girls.” He nodded to the right. “The chef is on call and can have your food for you in ten minutes.”

“Oh, no,” I gasped. “I don’t want to do that. Just show me to the kitchen and I can make a peanut butter sandwich or something.” A chef who was on call? I really was living in a different world.

Marco shook his head and pulled out his phone. “She’s awake. Loaded cheeseburger with sweet potato fries.” Marco paused. “Yes, make it two.” He ended the call and shoved the phone into his pocket.

“Two?” I squawked. “I can’t eat two cheeseburgers.” I could try, but I didn’t know if it was actually possible. My stomach growled, and I laid a hand on my bulging bump.

Marco chuckled. “I don’t know about you not being able to eat two, but the second one was actually for me. I haven’t had dinner yet, either.”

“What?” Did he take a long nap, too? “How did you skip dinner?” Skipping dinner didn’t happen often for me. Especially since I got pregnant. This little baby made sure of that.

Marco pushed off the wall and held out his hand to me. “I was busy working.”

I looked down at his hand.