Until Nico (Until 4)

“What?”

“You heard me. I want you naked, spread eagle on the bed so when I get there, I can get my taste before fucking you.”

“Nico,” she breathes, but I can hear the hunger in her voice.

I’ve been out of town for three days. The whole time I was gone, all I could think about was the news we found out right before I left. Sophie had woken up sick a couple of days in a row. I had my suspicions, but there was no way to know for sure without her taking a test. On the third day, I said fuck it, got up, and went to the pharmacy near the house. I knew she was afraid to take the test after the last few times she had taken one and they’d come back negative.

I sat there with her in the bathroom, refusing to leave even when she peed on the thing. I knew in my gut that this was it; just like I knew she was my forever, I knew our child was growing inside of her. Those three minutes were the longest of my life. All I could think was, How the fuck can a piece of plastic that probably costs one

cent to make in China hold such an important message? When the screen flashed and the word ‘pregnant’ appeared on the screen, I looked at Sophie, who was staring at the screen in complete shock. The only thought in my head then was how much I fucking loved her.

“Holy shit,” she whispered, her eyes meeting mine. I could see tears beginning to form. “We’re going to have a baby.”

“We are,” I confirmed as I pulled her against me, burying my face in her neck. “I love you, baby. Thank you for giving us this,” I whispered against her skin.

“We’re having a baby,” she repeated, this time sobbing into my chest.

I pulled her face away so I could look at her. “You okay?”

“I’m scared, but so happy,” she cried and smiled at the same time.

“Me too, baby. But I know everything’s going to be perfect.” She nodded, and then she smiled a smile that lit her whole face—a smile that, even thinking about it now, makes me feel like king of the fucking world.

Knowing that Sophie is pregnant—fuck me, if that shit doesn’t make fucking her even hotter. I can’t keep my hands off her. I love knowing that my kid is growing inside her. After that shit with Cash’s ex and the kids going missing, I spent all my free time trying to get Sophie pregnant. Not that I hadn’t been on a mission before that, but knowing how short life is only made it that much more important. Next on the list is giving her my last name. Yes, I’m doing shit ass-backwards, but I don’t give a fuck.

“Babe, seriously—when I get home, you better be in bed, butt naked, and ready for my mouth,” I tell her, coming out of my daydream.

“You can’t talk to me like that and expect me to get anything done,” she cries, making me smile.

“You better hurry. You have a little less than two hours to get your shit done before I’m home and you’re mine. Besides, what do you even have at your old place that you could possibly need? The last time I walked into our bedroom, all your shoes, clothes, and other shit were spread from one side to the other.”

“I’m not that bad,” she says low, probably looking around the bedroom at the disaster she has turned our room into. “I have to get my suitcase and the stuff for Maggie’s wedding.”

“You need to just put that house on the market and stop saying the market’s shit. Who cares if you take a loss? You know I got you.”

“You can’t tell me to take a loss on my house,” she huffs.

“We’re not talking about this right now.” Every time we discuss her house situation, she gets upset. “Just get you’re shit and then be naked when I get to the house.”

“Maybe,” she says, but I can hear the smile in her voice and can’t help but smile too.

“Don’t fuck with me, Sophie,” I growl before gentling my voice. “How’s my baby doing?”

“Good. Making me tired, but good.” She sighs.

“I’ll have a talk with him when I get home.”

“It could be a girl.” She laughs. I swore up and down to her that it is going to be a boy, but something keeps telling me it’s going to be a girl.

“It’s not.” I smile.

“Love you,” she says quietly, making my heart squeeze like it always does when she says those words to me.

“You too, babe. See you soon,” I tell her, hanging up.

I’m about twenty minutes outside of Nashville when my phone rings. At first, I think about not answering it, knowing that I will be home soon, but I know that, if my friend Leo—a cop in Nashville—is calling, he probably has a job for me or needs my help with something. I reluctantly answer on the third ring.

“Yo, Leo. What’s up?”

“Mayson, I need you to meet me at your girlfriend’s house.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask, dread creeping up my spine.

“Look, I wanted to give you a heads-up. I don’t want you to get here and flip your shit. Therefore, I’m telling you now so you have time to calm down.”

“What the fuck is going on?” My adrenalin surges; he’s fucked if he thinks I can calm down before I get there when he starts a conversation out like that.

“I called Kenton. He’s on his way. Someone got into her house when she was inside.”

“Tell me she’s okay.”

“She’s fine. Has a couple scratches, a bump on her head, and she’s pretty shaken up, but she’s all right, man.”

Fuck, my heart is beating out of my chest. I press down on the accelerator, needing to get to my girl. “Put her on the phone,” I bark.

“Give me a second. She’s in the ambulance,” he says, and my fucking fingers feel like they’re going to make dents in the steering wheel.