LOGINThrough it all, I keep pushing.
The doctor's voice cuts through the room, urgent and steady, "The head's out, one more big push, Beatrice."
Atticus's hand is crushing mine. His voice is thick with panic and love, murmuring something I can't make sense of. My entire world is narrowed down to a single, desperate need.
I need to get this baby out.
I inhale a deep breath and everything inside me clenches, burns, and tears.
A scream rips out of me, raw and p
I glance over at my brother. Our eyes meet and I give him a small nod.He looks down atBeatrice, and his usual cocky smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth."When I first heard about you," he starts, "I didn't understand why and what had my brother so obsessed."His smirk deepens as he shakes his head, remembering their first encounter. "But the moment I laid my eyes on you I knew I had to have you, to claim you, and I wasn't going to stop until I made that happen."Beatricelicks her lips and I watch as her chest rises faster with every spoken word."You have my heart," he says. "Every broken, jagged piece of it. I know I'm not the easiest man to love. I'm rough and can be an ass and I always will be, but you saw something in me when no one else did."His teeth catch his bottom lip. "I may have put that baby inside you, but you created it. You gave me a son, our son. You gave me a life I never knew I wanted. You made me a better m
I don't care if he'sAtticus's child. The second I held him I knew he was mine too. Ours in every way that counts. No one, not a soul in the world, could convince me otherwise."Get some rest,Kathy," I tell her quietly. "Thank you for watching him."She nods, but just before she leaves, she pauses in the doorway. "Your mother would be so proud of you," she says, voice filled with emotion. "Of both you boys."The words hit deeper than I expect, cutting through me with a bittersweet ache. I swallow hard, my gaze drifting back to the baby sleeping peacefully in front of me.I make my way to our room, the door clicking shut softly. "Xavieris—"The words die on my tongue as I turn around to findBeatriceandAtticusnaked in our bed. He has her on all fours. He's behind her, his cock deep in her ass.The only thing on her skin is the gigantic rock sitting on her finger, shining bright in the dim lighting
She gives us both a smile that could stop wars and silence rooms. It's soft, a little shy, but full of warmth. When she reaches the bottom of the steps, Atticus gets to her first, pulling her in with possessiveness."Goddamn, doll face," he murmurs, voice low and rough. "I can't wait to rip this off you later."She lets out a quiet laugh and Atticus grins before leaning in to bite her bottom lip, hard enough to make her breath hitch.I take her hand and pull her in close, but instead of kissing her right away, I make her spin for me. She twirls slowly, that slit in her dress parting to reveal more of her thigh. My gaze drops, tracing over her curves, down to the perfect shape of her ass.I drag my eyes back up to her face, and when she stops in front of me, her cheeks are flushed. "You look stunning, angel."Her cheeks go even pinker under our combined stares. She glances between us and says, "I should go check on Xavier one more time before we leave."Before she can turn, Atticus and
SilasOne Year LaterAtticusand I stand in the entryway. The air feels thick with anticipation, the kind that hums low in your chest and makes every second stretch longer than it should.I glance down, brushing invisible dust from my black suit jacket for the third, no fourth time, smoothing down the fabric until it lies perfectly against my shoulders. I tug at my gold chain, making sure it's centered, then pat my inside pocket, just to be sure.My fingers brush over the small velvet box resting there, and my chest tightens with a mix of nerves and certainty. Everything I need is in that pocket and everything I want is upstairs, about to walk down those steps.Beside me,Atticusstands like a statue with his arms crossed over his chest, eyes fixed at the top of the staircase as though he can willBeatriceto appear faster.I walk toward the large mirror by the front doors, catching my reflection in the glass. The ma
Through it all, I keep pushing.The doctor's voice cuts through the room, urgent and steady, "The head's out, one more big push,Beatrice."Atticus's hand is crushing mine. His voice is thick with panic and love, murmuring something I can't make sense of. My entire world is narrowed down to a single, desperate need.I need to get this baby out.I inhale a deep breath and everything inside me clenches, burns, and tears.A scream rips out of me, raw and primal, echoing off the walls. My body feels like it's on fire and my lungs strain for air.And suddenly, it's gone.The pressure. The pain. The weight pressing down on me. It all melts away in an instant, leaving behind a strange emptiness. My body goes slack against the pillow, my breaths coming out in shaking bursts.A single, beautiful sound cuts through the silence and fills the room.Our baby's first cry.The doctor's face appears above the sheet, smiling,
Atticuslooks atSilas, eyes wide. "Fuck... her water just broke.""Get her to the birthing room."Silas's calm shatters into urgency, his hand gripping my arm as he guides me toward the hallway. "It's time, this baby is coming. I'll call the doctor."Atticusscoops me up effortlessly, his arm solid beneath me. I cutch him like a lifeline. Every step he takes reverberates through my body, my swollen bump pressed tightly against his stomach, the weight of it making me acutely aware of what's about to happen.The birthing room comes into view. It's the same roomAtticusspent long weeks recovering from his stab wound. But it's been transformed and everything I could possibly need has been laid out, everything ready for the arrival of our child.Silasis following close behind us, phone pressed to his ear, his eyes darting between me and the path ahead.I feel fragile and every muscle tenses. My palms are clammy and
SilasI sit behind my computer with next month's financial projections for Apex sprawled out across the screen. Line after line of numbers I usually dissect with precision. But today, they blur together, smearing into meaningless rows of black and white.I can't stop thinking about Beatrice.I lean
I slam my fist into his mouth, splitting his lip wide open. Teeth clack together. Blood sprays against my shirt. I pride myself on control. Pain should be calculated. But when it comes to the only thing I actually love in this world, that control shatters. The second Pete brought my brother into th
Where the hell is the peanut butter?I open the pantry and scan the shelves. Nothing. I move to the cupboards, opening one by one with increasing frustration. Where do rich people keep the damn peanut butter?The kitchen light flickers to life and I gasp, whirling around. Silas stands in the doorway
BeatriceI wake up before my alarm, heart racing with a strange mix of nerves and excitement. I can't believe I got the fucking job. The one job that will change everything for me. A grin stretches across my face as I sit up in bed, pulling the blankets around me like it'll somehow contain the happ







