Thrash (34 page)
Authors: Kaylee Song
50
I stuck
my head into the hospital room and grinned at the couple. Cullen was dead asleep, and Layla looked like she was about to join him soon.
When she saw me, she smiled. My old friend was glowing.
She had a little bundle in her arms.
“You up for visitors?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
“Come on in,” she replied. She seemed so calm, so peaceful.
Nora shooed me forward, focusing on closing the door quietly while I tiptoed in.
“Who do we have here?” I asked as I looked down at the bundle in the white blanket.
He was incredible. His face was squashed and his skin was blotchy with jaundice and the stress of delivery. He was still incredible. Hell, he reminded me of Rage and I after that last fight.
He had that fighter’s spirit, too. Those little fists were bunched up to his face, refusing to stay inside the swaddle. He reminded me of a boxer in the ring, ready to take on anything that came at him.
He was a real Fire and Steel boy. We’d all have to work together to make sure he got it right, understood what made us who we were.
“What’s his name?” Nora whispered.
“Sean,” Layla replied. “Sean Michael.”
Those little eyes opened slightly, as though he recognized his name. Then they closed again, and he rooted for the comfort of his mother’s smell, snuggling into the crook of her arm.
Nora sighed, her eyes already longing for a little one. “He’s amazing, Layla.”
“Do you want to hold him?” she asked.
Nora looked hesitant.
“No, really, do you?” Layla laughed softly. “My arms are about to fall asleep. No one told me that holding a baby was going to be this hard. I’ll build the muscles, but not all at once.” She almost looked pleading.
Nora held out her hands, her eyes wide. “I’d love to.”
She took the small, purplish bundle into her arms and stared at him. She seemed enthralled with him. He shifted, his eyes squeezed closed, licking his lips. When he started sucking on his tongue, she giggled softly. He was sleeping, his eyes firmly shut, his body already snuggling into her, trying to find warmth.
“He’s beautiful, Layla.”
“He’s our future,” I added, feeling strangely dedicated to this kid that was not mine. “One we need to protect. I’ll do what I can to help us make a better one for him than we had.”
“We’re working on it,” Cullen said, his eyes bleary as he yawned. The man had been dragging ass for the last two weeks. Wrath and I had picked up his patrols and made him fill out paperwork and… uh, work with his wife. During the final days, Layla had gone from crabby to weeping a waterfall, and none of us had known what to do about it.
Hell, Layla had seemed pretty embarrassed herself.
Now she seemed happy. Relaxed. It was like she was getting back to her old self already. The look on her face whenever she looked at that little boy was humbling.
That was love.
Cullen seemed to be doing better, too. He was in shock and quick to grin. Relief stained every word that he spoke. I’d never seen him so raw and happy. Or so worn out.
We were all short on extended family. We were going to have to lean on each other.
Looking at Rage, I could tell that the future of the club was going to be a long ride together. A long, amazing ride and we were all in it together.
Acknowledgments
Laura:
You have been the best editor and friend a girl can have. Thank you so much for sticking with me, and Wrath, through it all.
James:
You are an amazing man. Thank you for all your kindness, your love, and your eternal patience. I love you so much.
Alex:
Thank you for being an awesome friend, writer, and accountability partner. You are amazing.
Lana:
You have been my writing buddy since day one. Thank you so much for talking me down so many times. I am so glad to have you in my life.
Jess:
I am so glad for you! Thank you for all that you do for the reading community.
Krystal:
You have been there for me when I needed you most. You do wonderful things for readers everywhere. Thank you so much!
To My Fans and Readers
: Without you I would have nothing. Thank you for reading.
About the Author
Kaylee Song is an emerging author of dark romance. This is Kaylee’s fifth book, and her third in the Fire and Steel Series.