her Feds.” The feisty brunette was endlessly creative.
“Ahhh, maybe not a prank.” Galen glanced at Vance.
“Our Sally is probably sharing our news.” Vance’s face lit. “We’re having a baby in around six months.”
“All right!” Pleased for the two, Saxon slapped Vance’s shoulder and shook Galen’s hand.
The rest followed.
Cullen cleared his throat. “Andrea and me—same thing. About the same time.”
“Well, the Deity of Reproduction is sure putting in the overtime.” Saxon gave Cullen a one-armed hug.
As the uproar died down again, Raoul eyed the fathers-to-be. “Did you get Z’s order for babies sooner than tonight?”
The fathers-to-be laughed and denied it.
“Or,” Saxon held up a hand, “did he maybe lock you in the second-floor private rooms until you’d accomplished the deed?”
“Hell, don’t give Z ideas,” Holt said. “Some of us aren’t ready for babies. Not yet anyway.”
“My thought, as well.” Marcus nodded at Holt. “We’d best avoid the second floor. If his Sophia is requesting playmates, Z will ensure she gets them.”
True enough. Saxon tapped the seat of the motorcycle as he considered. Because, in all reality, if tiny Sophia demanded something, he, too, would do his best to get it for her. She was the cutest imp he’d ever seen.
“A warning, men.” The Colonel crossed his arms over his chest. “If Z orders me to lock you in, you won’t be released until, as Saxon says, the deed is done.”
Grinning, Saxon joined in teasing the non-fathers-to-be and tried to ignore the nagging ache in his chest.
No one was giving him grief since he had no one to be locked in with. That was his choice, of course. He didn’t want to be hitched to anyone.
But, dammit, he loved babies.
“So, you and Ghost are pretty much living together now, hmm?” Gabi lifted her eyebrows at Valerie as they left the restroom and walked down the narrow hallway toward the bar.
Valerie had to laugh. Gabi was as curious as the rest of the group. “Pretty much, yes. I still have my apartment, though. It’s kind of like my security blanket, I guess.”
Gabi nodded. “Sounds like you found a good compromise. You’ll let it go when you’re ready.”
Valerie stepped out of the hall into the main barroom. Their group across the bar still lacked any men. Wimpy guys.
In the center of the room, the lone bartender was mopping up a puddle where the older couple had been sitting. They must have spilled a drink.
“Let’s avoid the wet spot,” she said and won a sputter of laughter from Gabi.
As they made their way around the side of the room, Valerie glanced through the wide opening into the room that held two pool tables and several people.
Valerie smiled at Gabi. “It’s been years since I played pool. I wonder if I could talk Ghost into a game.”
“Marcus likes—” Gabi’s brows drew together. “Is that girl old enough to be with those guys—let alone in here?”
Seated in a chair, the young woman was rocking back and forth, trying to stand. Once on her feet, she staggered sideways.
One of the pool players caught her around the waist and ran his hand over her breasts.
“Uh-uhhh. Don’t,” the girl slurred.
And…a girl, she was. Not twenty-one. Probably not even eighteen.
With a sinking sense of déjà vu, Valerie recognized Scott. Her mouth tightened. Time to call the—
Gabi yelled out, “How old is that girl, Wrecker? She sure isn’t of age.”
Scowling, Scott stepped away from the pool table. He spotted Valerie, and fury darkened his face. “You fucking bitch. Cheating on my friend with asshole Ghost, and what kind of a pansy-ass name is that?”
The other three men turned. One was Piers, the big Dom who’d tried to punch Ghost—and who Ghost had tossed out of the club.
Beside him was lanky Dogget. The pointed ends of his mustache dangled past his jawline.
Brown-haired, over-muscled Knuckles slapped his pool stick down on the table.
None of them appeared remotely sober.
From the bar room came the scraping sounds of chairs. The other women had heard Gabi’s shout.
“We gotta get out of here,” Dogget told Scott. “Get her out of here.”
“Shit.” Scott grabbed the girl with an arm around her waist.
“Uhhh.” The girl batted at his arm. Whether drugged or drunk, she was only half awake.
“We can’t let them take her away.” Gabi took a step forward.
“Gods.” Valerie tried to think. This was a train wreck about to happen. She turned and saw the other women gathered in the wide opening to the pool room. “Sally, call the police.”