Insatiable (Steel Brothers Saga #12) - Helen Hardt Page 0,18
us off the trail is to send us off the trail.”
“We have to try,” Ryan said. “You know that.”
“Of course I know that. Why do you think I’m with you? You need me. I’d do anything for this family. Everybody armed?”
“Always,” I said, echoing Joe’s response I’d heard so many times.
Talon had been in the military, and Ruby had been a police detective. Clearly, they could shoot. Joe said he had taught Ryan, but was he any good? Did he carry a gun?
“Yeah,” Ryan replied.
That answered that question.
“Of course,” was Talon’s response.
“I still think we should tell Joe what we’re up to,” Ryan said.
Talon shook his head. “He has enough on his mind. Let him become a dad. He deserves it.”
“I agree,” I said. “We can handle this. Everyone in this car loves Marj just as much as Joe does. Plus, his baby is premature. He needs to have his head in that game right now.”
“I talked to Melanie,” Ruby said. “There’s a good chance the baby will be fine without incubation. Babies have survived that are born at twenty weeks. Everything will likely go well, so I agree with Bryce. Let them have this time together.”
“Joe will be pissed,” Ryan said.
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “He will. But after he gets over his hotheadedness, he’ll realize we did what was best.”
“He needs to be with Melanie,” Talon agreed. “Besides, we don’t know what we’re getting into. This could be dangerous.”
“Said the new father of almost three,” Ryan reminded him.
“I’ve gone into many a battle,” Talon said, “and I’ve come out of all of them, even when I didn’t want to.”
Silence after that.
We all knew Talon’s story, how he’d tried to get himself killed in Iraq. Seemed life had other plans for him. Plans with a wife and kids.
Talon would come out of this alive.
We all would.
Including Marj.
She would.
She had to.
I needed her.
We drove in silence for another half hour, when all of our phones dinged with a text simultaneously.
From Joe.
He’s here. Four pounds even. Tiny but breathing on his own. Strong as an ox and gorgeous like his mom. He’ll be in NICU for a week or so. Expected to do fine.
We all sighed in relief.
“Won’t he be expecting us at the hospital?” I asked.
“It’s late. I’m sure he’ll expect that we’ll come see the baby tomorrow,” Talon said.
Joe was a father.
Wow.
Being a father was something that had enriched my life in so many ways. It would be great to watch my best friend enjoy those things for the first time.
“What’s his name?” I said.
“The text doesn’t say,” Ruby said. “You know, it’s funny. Melanie and I talk all the time, and she never mentioned any names they were considering. The few times I brought it up, she said they hadn’t decided.”
“We’ll know soon enough,” Ryan said. “He can’t be nameless forever.”
“Melanie was worried for so much of this pregnancy,” Ruby went on, “because of her age. I wonder if she was just trying not to get too attached to the baby, you know?”
“You have been spending a lot of time with Melanie,” Talon said. “That sounds exactly like something she would say.”
“Her pregnancy has been textbook easy,” Ryan said. “Nothing like Jade’s.”
Talon visibly stiffened in the driver’s seat. “Jade’s doing a lot better. She’s been feeling pretty good since that scare.”
Silence again.
Then, “Shouldn’t one of us text him back?” Ryan said. “Or call?”
“I’m driving,” Talon replied. “Jade will text him for us.”
I hurriedly tapped into my phone. “Wonderful! Congratulations! Welcome to fatherhood. Your life is about to change drastically, but you’ll love it. Love you, bro.”
“Text sent,” I said.
“Yeah, me too,” Ryan said. “I feel like we should call him.”
Talon kept his eyes on the road. “He’s busy. We’ll call him when we’re done with this.”
When we’re done with this.
Interesting choice of words.
This could very well be leading us to nowhere good.
Chapter Fourteen
Marjorie
No one would know.
Slowly I lowered the blade to the scar of my flesh. Tingles shot through me at the chill of the sharp blade against my skin.
Just a little cut…
Just a little, to relieve all this tension—
“What the hell is taking you so long?” Alex banged on the door.
Reality set in with a brick to my gut.
What was I doing? This was no time for my ridiculous self-indulgence. I had a job to do, especially if Colin had failed.
“Give me a break,” I said. “Haven’t you ever had a period before?”
“Yeah. And I take care of it quickly. You’ve got two more minutes before I knock