Chapter Eight
Handle
The doc had bad fucking timing. Jesus, that kiss, one of the hottest kisses I’d had, shot straight to my cock. I was hard in seconds. Screw if it was bad for two lost people to get together. Screw the fact we both had pasts that messed us right the hell up. It was time to live in the present and for the future, and I wanted my future with Della at my side, in my bed, and inside her, in more ways than one. Needed her heart to beat right along with mine, because I fucking loved her.
The realisation rocked my body enough to lock it solid.
I knew spending the three months with her in Sydney, seeing her fight her demons, had me growing fond of her. Then the night she’d come to my room, a month before I’d left, caused my mind and body to become obsessed with her. I wasn’t fighting it any longer.
Mardella Kent was mine.
“Finn?”
Shaking my head, I met Del’s amused stare, and asked, “Huh?”
“I’m just going to the toilet,” she said, waving a stick in her hand. I helped her down, and she walked out, looking over her shoulder to see I was watching her leave. She gave me a small smile. I winked in return.
Leaning my hips against the bed, I asked the doctor, who was writing some shit down. “So you good with needles?”
Her gaze lifted off the paper. “I’ve had over thirty years practice and no one’s complained yet.”
Raising a brow, I stated, “Let’s hope it stays that way.”
“I’m sure it will.” She glared.
“Do you know if there’s any news about Elvis Kent?” Fuck, I hoped to Christ Parker had used Della’s last name for our brother.
“The nurse informed me he’s Mardella’s brother, but there’s been no news. He was involved in a drive-by?”
Holding her stare, I shrugged.
Her lips thinned, and she was about to say something when Della turned into the bay. Del paused for a second, then held out a stick in some baggie thingy to the doctor.
“Right, that will take a moment. Let’s get your blood work done. Sit back on the bed, please.”
I straightened as Della came over, and then I helped her up on the bed. The doctor came over with a tray in one hand and a tourniquet in the other. She wrapped it around Della’s arm, tightening it.
When I noticed Del started to pant out her breaths, watching everything the doctor was doing, I climbed up on the bed beside her. “Sweetheart, look at me and not at what she’s doin’.”
It took a moment, but she finally glanced my way. Gently, I took hold of her chin and ran my thumb over her bottom lip. “Pick mentioned the other night they needed a barmaid at their bar. Think it’s somethin’ you’d do?”
The doctor moved to grab the needle. Della went to turn back, but I ran my hand to the side of her neck, stopping her movement. Her body trembled. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, I saw moisture. Fuck.
“Baby, what you think? A barmaid? Though, I’d have to be there every night you’re on so no horny arsehole hassles you. If they did, I’d have to kick them out after I’d beat them senseless.”
She jumped, gasping when the needle slid in. Her bottom lip trembled, and if she didn’t slow her breathing down, she’d pass out.
“Nearly done,” the doctor mumbled.
Della went to look again, but I stopped her. It was time to play dirty. “Think after we find out about your brother, we gotta go somewhere to have a chat.”
“W-what about?”
“You and me.”
Her eyes widened. “W-what?”
“Darlin’, you gotta know after that kiss there’d be a you and me.” I glanced down to see the doctor slide the needle out after filling three tubes of her red.
“You and me?” Del mumbled, more to herself.
“Yeah, baby. But we’ll talk about that later.”
“All done,” the doctor announced, turning away with the tray.
Della finally smiled shakily. Shock passed through me when she flung her arms around my neck and hugged me close. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
“Mardella, you need to rest for a moment after getting your blood taken,” the doctor warned.
Della pulled back, a tear dropping from her eye onto her cheek as she looked at me. I quickly wiped it away before she moved to just sit beside me, taking my hand in hers.
It’d been me reaching for her, so to see her take my hand, it meant something, and I knew I wasn’t feeling it alone.
Looking to the doctor in time to see her turn to Della with a serious gaze, she lifted the bag that held the pregnancy test and said, “You are pregnant.”
Both Della and I tensed. Slowly, we turned to each other.
I knew she’d been with no one else but me. I glanced down at her stomach. She wasn’t even showing so she couldn’t be more than two months… which meant… fuck me, Jesus Christ. Holy motherfucking shit.
It was mine.
Della was pregnant with my child.
“But we used a condom,” I stated.
“They’re not always foolproof. It could have broken without you realising it,” the doctor said, but I only had eyes for Del’s wide ones.
I certainly hadn’t taken any notice afterwards. I’d been too strung out about the scene to study the used condom.
“Give us a sec,” I ordered.
“I think it’s you who needs—”
My gaze snapped to the doctor and narrowed. “Get the fuck out for a moment,” I snarled.
“Please,” Del added quietly. She cleared her throat. “It’s just a shock to us. We need to talk.”
“I’ll be right outside.” With a final glare to me, the doc huffed and walked out. Jesus, what did the doctor think I was, some scum who raped her and was gonna tell her to get rid of the baby? Fuck, I might be covered in tats, but I wasn’t a monster.
Slipping off the bed, Del watched me and seemed a little uncertain how I was taking it all. I stepped between her legs again, laid my hands on the bed beside her legs and moved in close.
“Right, you’d have to be about two months, which means it’s mine.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I-I, um, I…. God, Finn. I’m so sorry, I-I—” she growled under her breath. “I don’t know what to say, what to think… a baby, Finn.”
“I know.” I nodded. “It’s a lot to think about, but what I do know is that you should never apologise. Hell, the condom in my wallet was bloody old. It could be my fault.” I cleared my throat, cupped her cheek and admitted, “However, it’s happened. We’ll deal with it together. We made something so goddamn precious, darlin’. A baby. You and me did that on a night that meant something to the both of us.” She gasped. “Sweetheart, I’d never regret that night. What was in your head was devastating, but so fucking beautiful at the same time.” I pressed my mouth against hers for a moment. Her breath from her nose tickled my face since she was breathing heavily. “We’ll sort it all out together, Del. Promise.”
She blinked slowly. “W-what are you saying?”
Sighing, I rested my forehead against hers. “Time. We’ll need time, but know what I said before I meant it. There’s a you and me, Del, and all I’m askin’ is for you to accept that for now.”
“Finn….”
“Just answer me that for now. We can talk and take time to sort through everything else.”
“A baby.”
“I know.”
“It scares me,” she whispered.
“I know.”
Tilting her chin up, she pressed her lips against mine, and I felt the hope poured into that kiss. “There is a you and me.”
A grin spread across my mouth. “Fuck yeah.”
Apparently, the doctor had enough of waiting. She came back in and spouted off shit about testing, scanning, vitamins, and results. Thank fuck she wrote it all down because I didn’t take it all in. I was still in awe of the fact Della was carrying our baby.
Christ. A baby between Della and me.
It’d take a while, but I’d make sure my woman knew I wasn’t with her just because we found out she was knocked up. I’d decided before all that came to light she was mine. Eventually, she’d believe I’d been obsessed with her since day one, when I walked into that hotel room and saw her sitting on the bed, cowering. And then, with the way she’d stood up to us, wanting to be a part of the takedown of Jimmy and to get Melissa safe….
I’d fought it back then. I wasn’t fighting anymore.
I walked outta that room with Del’s hand in mine with a new outlook, and it was one filled with hope and love.
We made our way into the waiting room to find Dallas and Melissa still sitting where we’d left them. Del and I took our seats opposite them, and shit, it was comical how their gazes zoned in on our clasped hands.
“What’s goin’ on?” Dallas asked, looking at me.
“Yes, is everything okay?” Melissa questioned, her eyes drilling into the papers Della held in her hand resting on her lap.
“Not sure yet,” Del started, and then looked at me with a soft smile gracing her lips. “But we’ll work it out.”
“Damn right we will.” Dropping her hand, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and tugged her close, kissing her temple.
“I think I need to know what went on in that room,” Melissa said.
“I’m pregnant,” Del blurted right on out. At first, it surprised me she’d said anything, and from the stunned expressions on Dallas and Melissa’s faces, they were just as shocked. “I think about two months along, but we need to keep it quiet. We’ll make sure everything is okay first.”
“We?” Dallas grunted, looking from Del, to me, and back again.
“Yeah, brother.” I nodded.
“In Sydney?” Dallas asked. I nodded, my lips twitching. His face displayed multiple things at the same time. He took in how we were sitting, and he seemed glad for us. Then it changed to pissed—probably worried I’d fuck it up—and finally thoughtful.
“Lissa?” Della whispered.
“Shit, fuck,” Dallas clipped. “A baby.” He eyed Del’s stomach like there was an alien about to pop out.
“Lissa?” my woman called to her friend again.
Looking to Melissa, I saw she was still stuck in the stunned portion of the news. Then she blinked, cleared her throat and said, “But you hate children.”
Della stiffened. Opening my mouth to tell Melissa to back off, I closed it when Del’s hand came down on my thigh. “It’s okay. She’s right. I’m not fond of children, but…” Tears welled in her eyes, and her bottom lip trembled before she took it into her mouth and bit down. She sniffed. “I’m scared, Lissa. So very scared, but look at the man next to me.” It was my turn for my body to tense. Del wiped at her eyes and went on, “He’s seen it all, my ugly, my torment, and he’s taken it on. Beaten it, and showed me beauty.” Christ. “I tried to fight my feelings for him. I wasn’t sure if they were right, but I know, I know, Lissa, that they are, and they’re amazing and make me feel alive again. Then the news we’ve made a baby in a night where I’d thought I’d lost myself, but hadn’t, and Finn helped me see that…. I’m scared out of my mind, Lissa. Over this, if it’s real, praying it is, and then over the fact bringing a child into the world is the biggest step in life, yet I’m so willing to try. To reach out and grab hold, while doing my best at keeping it all.” She glanced away from her friend, who was crying while Dallas held her, to look up at me. “I want to try with you, if this is where you want us to go?”
Pulling her out of her seat, I sat her in my lap, curled her into me and kissed her gently. “This is real. No use prayin’ for it, sweetheart. We’re gonna have our ups and downs, but fuck, I’d fight to keep it all as we are now.” Another kiss landed on her lips as tears ran freely down her cheeks. “We’ll try together, and if I have any say about it, we’ll fuckin’ shine through it all.”
She wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in my neck. Then she mumbled, “We will. We have to.”