Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Sensing his woman was getting worked up, Viper placed a calming hand on her shoulder. “I shouldn’t have to point this out,” he said to the others, “but it ain’t good for a pregnant woman to be stressed, so maybe you can dial shit down.” It was a pressing suggestion.
Melodie pulled in a breath and made a visible effort to dig for calm. “What happens when he’s decided he wants to head on back to the upper realm, Ella? Where does that leave you?”
“Not a chance would I ever go back there,” Viper told her. “I wouldn’t leave Ella and our baby for anything.”
Ella carefully placed the ultrasound picture on the table. “It’s a little fuzzy, but … ”
Melodie carefully lifted it, her face softening as she greedily soaked in the image there. She reluctantly passed it to Jocelyn, whose gaze warmed as she stared down at it. Jocelyn held it up for Belinsky to see, and the legion took a long look at it.
Exhaling heavily, Melodie reclaimed the image and then gently set it on the table. She rubbed at her neck. “I’m happy about the baby, sweetheart. Children are always a blessing. And I want to be happy for you. I just … ”
“We’d prefer that you weren’t going to shack up with one of the Fallen,” Jocelyn finished.
“I would never have guessed,” Ella deadpanned. “So you’d rather I was a single parent?”
“Yes. No. Ugh.” Melodie shook her head hard as if to clear it.
“I would,” claimed Jocelyn. “Setting aside that he’s a fallen angel, he’s also a biker. They’re all the same. Misogynistic. Irresponsible. Reckless. They only care about their ‘brothers’ and being ‘free’.”
Mia frowned. “Oh, and you would know this how? Do you hang with bikers? Have you ever spoken to one until now? Or are you just babbling clichés?”
“You can feel however you want to feel about me being a celestial and a biker,” said Viper, his voice deadly calm. “What you won’t do is make me turn away from Ella. I’m here to stay. You might as well accept it.” Viper personally doubted that would happen here and now, though.
Catching Viper’s eye, Luka unfolded from his chair and plucked at one cuff. “You and I should chat,” he said, tipping his chin toward the living room. “In private.”
Ella stilled. “Luka—”
“It’s fine, baby,” Viper assured her, having already anticipated that the legion would want to talk with him alone. “Stay here.”
Ella pinned her anchor with a look. “If you hurt him … ”
“I won’t, but I am going to make my feelings clear.” Luka indicated for his guards to remain in position and then strode out of the kitchen.
Stay here, Viper telepathically ordered his brothers. He followed the legion into the living room, finding him stood in its center—feet planted, arms folded, expression alive with fury.
Luka snarled. “The only reason I haven’t ripped your throat out is that—much as it pisses me off—I can see that Ella cares about you. Why she does, I don’t know. She can do a fuck of a lot better than you. She deserves a lot better than you.”
“I’m not gonna argue that,” said Viper.
“But you’re gonna be a selfish fucking bastard and stick around.”
“You’d rather I walked away and left her to raise our baby alone?”
“There wouldn’t be a baby if you’d protected her. But you didn’t. You scrapped the condom and didn’t care about the consequences, just as you don’t care that you being in her life endangers her.”
Annoyance tap-danced all over Viper’s skin. “You’re making assumptions, and they’re bullshit.”
“What’s bullshit is you having the fucking nerve to stand here and act like I’m not entitled to disapprove of your presence in her life,” Luka clipped, getting up in his face.
Viper felt his jaw tighten. “Having you in her life puts Ella at risk to some degree. You didn’t walk away from her. That make you selfish as well?”
Luka pressed his lips tight together. “There’s a difference. I protect her. You don’t. The strix … it was no coincidence that she happened to be around when they attacked your brother. She got caught up in that because she’s with you.”
“And they died for trying to harm her, so I did protect her.”
“But you didn’t have the balls to tell me the truth when I turned up at that scene. You kept silent while she blew smoke up my ass.”
“Because she didn’t feel comfortable telling you about our relationship—and that, Belinsky, is on you.”
“Me?”
“You’re her anchor. Someone she should be able to trust to always have her back, no matter her choices. But she didn’t trust that you would in this case. And she was right not to, wasn’t she? She’s the injured party here, not you. Not her mother. Not her aunt. Ella.”
Luka snapped his mouth shut, something wriggling beneath the skin along his jawline.