Epilogue

One year later

Ryan’s barbecues used to be a monthly thing, but that was when everyone was single and the firm was their life. Now that every last one of them had coupled up, and some had families of their own, it was difficult to make it out to Dripping Springs every month, so it was turning into an annual thing.

Simon almost hadn’t let Lacie come today. She was about to pop. But as he looked over at his woman sitting in the passenger seat, enjoying the scenery as they passed out of the city, he could only hope she was right in this. If she went into labor today, there wasn’t any way he’d risk driving all the way back to the hospital they’d preregistered at, where their normal doctor could deliver the baby.

She looked so happy. He reached over and placed his hand on her swollen belly, as always, in awe of her gestation abilities. The fact she was growing a tiny human inside her, as he sat there doing nothing but driving a damn car, was fucking incredible.

He pulled into the driveway of Ryan’s house, a cabin he’d built some rooms on and updated with all the solar and wind-powered shit so he could stay off the grid. He and Krista had made this bachelor pad in the woods a home, and there was a time when Simon envied the easy relationship they shared, but not anymore. Their daughter came toddling out to greet them.

Simon remembered when Lauren first learned to walk and how Ryan had freaked out every time she went into their gym, afraid she would get her finger stuck in the treadmill or pick up a weight and drop it on herself. It had been cute, but Simon knew the gym was a dangerous place for babies. He knew he would never allow his child to ever go in the gym.

Holding the giant bowl of broccoli salad Lacie had made in one hand, he twined her fingers with his other and led her around to the backyard, where tables were set up and everyone was already there.

As the cheers greeted them and all the women got up to coo at Lacie, steering her off to the drink table, Ryan came over to shake his hand in welcome.

Simon had never felt so at peace with his life. Finally, everything had a place, and everything was in its place. He had no idea all it would take to make things fit together was Lacie.

“Hey, man. Glad you decided to make it.” Ryan was looking at Simon but talking about Lacie. “I know it’s hard this close. Anything could happen.” Unease twisted in his gut, but it was a sort of ever-present discomfort that accompanied his every thought regarding Lacie’s pregnancy. Anything at all could happen.

“Yeah. She told me I was being ridiculous.” Simon shrugged.

Ryan laughed. “So glad you found someone you’ll actually listen to.”

Simon’s glanced at Lacie, who’d gotten a glass of punch and was seated, talking to Krista, Mia, and Paige. She was laughing, and her posture said she was as relaxed as she could be, slumped in the chair with a pillow under her back. He’d been worried about her yesterday when she’d insisted on all the chopping for the broccoli salad. They’d almost argued about it, but she was determined, so he’d helped. Seven heads of broccoli, two bunches of celery, an onion, grapes. Who the hell chopped grapes? They were already bite-sized for Christ’s sake. But whatever. He’d rolled his eyes and helped so she didn’t have to stand as long.

Convinced she was okay, he started making the rounds, greeting each of his men in turn.

Quinten and Valerie stood next to the beer cooler with Slade and Jordan. Simon looked around for Deena Rae but noticed she wasn’t here. His eyes fell on Lacie as he spoke, still watching her for signs of discomfort.

“Where’s Deena Rae?” He grabbed a beer and opened the top before taking a pull.

“Inside throwing up. She can’t stand the smell of meat cooking right now, and it’s pissing her smooth off.” Slade was grinning like a lunatic, and Simon couldn’t help the cock of his eyebrow. “Yeah. She’s pregnant. About two months along.”

That would put a damper on her working, but Simon didn’t voice it because Deena Rae would try to rip off his ball sack for even suggesting she wouldn’t be able to do something.

“How’s she taking it? Excited?” He chose to focus on something besides Deena Rae ripping off his testicles, although he couldn’t imagine Deena Rae painting a pink nursery for anything either.

“Sometimes. She would never admit it, but I think she’s terrified.” Slade spoke softly around the neck of his own beer bottle. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”

“You excited?”

“Fuck yes. I can’t wait.” Slade clinked the neck of his bottle against Simon’s, and Quinten joined in before they all had a congratulatory drink.

“I just finished the paperwork for Ryan’s big announcement. It’s gonna be epic.” Quinten broke his silence with a shit-eating grin. His brother had been lording this big secret over Simon’s head for a month, and it had been pissing Simon off. At least he would get to learn the big secret. Finally.

“I’m gonna go see what the others are clustered over there talking about.” Simon made his excuses and continued his rounds.

Jason stood with his arm around Miriam with Nick wrapped around his leg as they talked to Jordan and Evan by the dessert table. Evan was shoveling cookies in his mouth like they would disappear if he didn’t eat them in the next thirty seconds.

After a round of handshaking and back-clapping hugs, Simon started making fun of Evan and the cookies.

“Sorry,” he mumbled around a mouthful. “We’re about to go to Mom and Dad’s for a couple of weeks and she can’t cook to save her life.”

“She hired one, dumbass. Dad’s got to eat.” The brothers and their wives were planning a trip to Montana to visit their parents on a horse ranch, and Simon wanted to see these two city dudes—one a gamer and the other a Harley-riding vet—on a horse so bad it almost made him stupid. But alas, a trip to Montana wasn’t on his agenda.

“Why did your parents decide to do that again? Move to Montana and raise horses?” Simon couldn’t believe he didn’t know the answer to this one, but it was killing him.

Evan answered. “Mom’s a project gal. And Dad has too much money and likes spending it on Mom’s projects. For the last few years, her project has been horses.”

Jordan shuddered, and Simon knew the guy had spent some time up there before he’d taken the job with them. “You not a fan?”

“Do you know how much they shit? And it has to be shoveled every fucking day.” He reached for a cookie. “When are they going to let us eat?”

“I’ll go say something to Krista.” Simon laughed as he made his way over to where Krista was sitting next to his wife. They were talking in hushed murmurs, and Simon got a sudden sense they were telling secrets. Did everyone besides him know about this legal paperwork Quinten had drawn up?

“Jordan’s hungry.” His stomach growled, and he feigned sheepishness as Krista and Lacie smiled indulgently.

“Gotcha, Sarge.” Krista got up and clapped her hands, instructing everyone to sit at the table set up with the food already on it. “Boss says it’s time to eat!”

Lacie seated herself between Bonnie and Simon, Simon’s hand clamped possessively on her thigh, nestled under her massive belly. She couldn’t help but admit his touch relaxed her. There was something about today, a tense aura of expectation. Lacie was afraid to admit it to Simon, but she really thought today was going to be the day. She felt weird.

For one thing, she’d been having light contractions all morning, off and on, nothing regular or the least bit painful. She also wasn’t hungry in the slightest but managed to pull off putting a miniscule amount of food on her plate for appearance’s sake.

She could only hope Baby Pierce would wait until after the barbecue. She hated to not come, since it had sort of been a big deal for Krista and Ryan, what with their big reveal today. Simon was going to love it. She knew the little boy’s fate from the job where they’d first encountered the senator and his evil ways had been an uneasy question in Simon’s mind in the years since they’d worked it. He’d initially been targeted because he didn’t really have a home to go to. He was walking to his aunt’s house when he’d been picked up. Simon didn’t talk about it much, but when they’d gotten the news about Jonas finally being sentenced to the federal facility for the criminally insane, he’d opened up to her and spilled the entire sordid tale of Jonas—his stalking of Bonnie, his father’s perversions—and it had all made Lacie nauseous as well as proud that he’d been the one to put the guy away.

“What have you and Zack been up to?” Lacie questioned Bonnie while she spooned a giant spoonful of broccoli salad on her plate. “You’re not pregnant, too, are you?” It seemed like the entire firm was about to get hit with the pregnancy bug. Must be something in the water at the offices making everyone super fertile or something.

Bonnie blushed and lowered her head. “We’re still undecided about babies. Zack has a thing about not being able to see his kid.”

“But I can hear you telling all my damn secrets,” Zack muttered from her other side, winking in the direction of Lacie. “My spidey senses are in working order.”

“Which is what I keep telling him. He’ll be able to know so much more about a baby than I will, just based on that alone. Like, he can smell fear and shit.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “But no, we’re not pregnant. We’re talking about a business venture.”

“What?” Simon reacted a little too loudly from her other side, and a pang contracted her gut. This one was harder, like someone squeezed her belly. Hard. Lacie ignored it and sipped her punch. “You’re leaving?”

Bonnie sighed. “Not tomorrow, Simon. We’re just talking about Zack using some of his skills and the technology he’s developed to start up an accessibility thing, to help other people use the technology that is so sight-based.”

Simon grunted, but Lacie patted his hand on her thigh. He’d get over it once he thought about it a while. “That sounds like a great thing. Let me know if I can help in some way.”

Quinten sat across the table, cutting up meat on Nick’s plate. “I’m gonna miss you guys.” He wasn’t fooling anyone. Every person at that table knew Quinten had a soft spot for Nick.

“We’re only going to be gone a week. It’s not like you haven’t gone a week without seeing him before,” Jake pointed out.

“Where are you going?” Lacie asked, feeling out of the loop as another twang hit her belly. This one a tad sharper. Oh God. It was happening.

Simon looked at her funny, and she schooled her features, flashing him a bright smile.

“We’re going to visit my brother and his fiancée in Mystic.”

Quinten flinched at the name of the town and murmured, “Creepy-ass town.” Louder, he told Jake, “Take a rosary or something.”

“Sorry I’m late, guys.” All conversation stopped as V walked into the back yard holding a giant aluminum pan. The spicy scent of buffalo sauce hit Lacie and she felt like she was going to puke.

He looked different. After the case was over, he’d had his implants taken out of his head, which was good. V was growing his hair back over them, which covered up some of his tattoos, and he was working on removal for the ones on his face. It was funny, the more the tattoos on his face faded, the more his striking Asian features stood out.

“Veasna!” Amber went running up to him, Dex following to shake his hand. Bonnie excused herself from the table and threw herself into his arms.

After he’d helped Bonnie escape from Jonas, they held a bond Lacie could understand. After her own ordeal, she could definitely get it, even if Zack was pivotal in Bonnie’s ultimate rescue. If V hadn’t let Bonnie loose, who knew where she would be now? Lacie shook her head.

“Okay, everybody here? I wanted to make an announcement.” Ryan stood as V set the pan of hot wings on the table in front of Lacie. She cringed as her stomach twisted. She could get through this. It was so hot, she was dripping sweat in awful places, but she just needed to get through another hour or so and then they could go home. Krista got up and opened the door to the house, letting out a tall, lanky, blond teen. A gasp of surprise rippled through the table. Even if Lacie had never seen him before, a lot of these people had. “Today, it’s official. We’ve adopted Toby, the kid Krista saved from the senator.” Ryan hugged the kid close to him, and Lauren launched herself into Toby’s arms.

Simon had frozen next to her. Lacie leaned over. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you peeing yourself?” It was hot, and she was sweaty and hadn’t really noticed the increased moisture, what with V’s appearance and the news about the adoption. But sure enough, one swipe of her hand down there and she was totally wet. Now that she knew that, it was all she could notice.

“I guess my water broke?”

Quinten heard from across the table and rose from his chair. “Sorry to steal your thunder, Ryan, but it looks like we need to get Lacie to a hospital.”

Simon was as white as a ghost.

Simon held Lacie’s hand and one of her feet as she pushed and yelled her way through another contraction.

“You’re doing amazing, baby.” He was almost as breathless as she was; just watching her strength was punching him in the gut. He felt each contraction, and not just because her body reacted to each one—either her hand squeezing the hell out of his fingers or her leg pushing against the hand holding her foot—but because they hurt her. And what hurt Lacie hurt Simon.

She was so damn beautiful. Her hair was sticking to her face where it had come down from its braid, and her skin was flushed. The noises she was making were a lot like the noises she made when he made her come so hard she saw stars. He’d never seen anything so damn gorgeous in his life. His woman was giving birth to his baby.

She’d never told him what they were having, and he played along for the sake of her happiness. Lacie seemed to relish keeping him on his toes, and he enjoyed seeing her devilishly secretive smile.

But now, she was hurting, and he would do anything to get this baby out of her so her pain would be over.

“Just a couple pushes, Lacie, and we’re there. Mr. Pierce, the head is crowning, if you’d like to see.” Simon looked down and was surprised to see an enormous head of black hair sticking out of Lacie. She grunted out a scream and squeezed everything Simon was holding her with, but he was stuck watching this surreal vision as a head with a face scrunched up in an expression of abject misery slid out from between Lacie’s legs.

“I see it, Lace. It’s here.” Simon’s words were whispered, but as he looked at her face, she managed to give him a tired smile before her face twisted in pain once more.

He was beside himself. He wanted this to be over for her so he could hold her, but he couldn’t take his eyes off what was happening near the doctor. A fucking baby was coming out of his wife. He watched her move around it as she pushed and contracted. A living human being, slimy and tiny, came out of his wife.

Simon was lightheaded. He couldn’t feel his hand. A strange, disembodied feeling overtook him as he watched the baby slide out, the doctor flip it—her—and slap her back before handing her over to the nurses, who were waiting with a blanket.

“Congratulations. She’s healthy.”

She.

Another, stronger wave of dizziness stole over him, and he grabbed Lacie for balance.

“A girl?” He tore his eyes away from the baby who had her mouth open and looked like she was ready to scream. “We had a girl? And you knew? I have a daughter?”

The screams started, and Simon found it in him to disengage himself from his wife, the most beautiful girl in the world, and go to his daughter. He touched her around the nurses as they cleaned her and swaddled her, a little rough for his tastes, and shooshed her. “It’s okay, baby girl. Daddy’s here.”

After a lot of shooshing, the nurses finally stopped him. “Sir, she needs to cry. Clear the fluid out of her lungs.”

Okay. He would allow it. This once.

Sometime later, he had allowed visitors in to see baby Grace and give well wishes to the mother. He managed to wedge himself into bed next to Lacie while she held Grace to her breast. He couldn’t speak. He simply held her, resting his head on her other breast, and watched the process.

It was fucking amazing. His woman was making babies. Feeding them with her body.

“What are you thinking?” Lacie’s quiet voice soothed him like nothing else.

“So much,” he admitted. “You’re the most perfect human being in the world to create her. Baby Grace. I’m thinking I have so much more to live for now. I’m thinking your breasts should be erotic, yet you’re using them to feed our child and letting me lay my head on them. I’m thinking I don’t ever want to hear her cry again, and I’ll do everything in my power to not let it happen.” He stopped at her quiet laughter. Looking up at her, he saw exhaustion pulling at her eyelids.

“I’m thinking she’s got you wrapped around her little finger already.” With that proclamation, her eyes fell shut and he laid there, watching his wife sleep while she fed their baby.

Fucking amazing.

Lacie had changed his life so much. She had changed the way his company worked—more vacations, less stress, less on-the-job drinking. She had changed the way he lived, helping him pick out a modest house for them to move into. She had changed his perceptions of things. Now, instead of getting stressed and needing to get laid, he went home to his wife to get laid. It was entirely different from the one-night stands he’d had in the past, a mutually beneficial giving and receiving of pleasure. She had changed everything about him. Almost.

He still had control issues, but with her help, he was discovering there were some things beyond his control and some things he simply didn’t need to control.

It was freeing.

He’d initially thought a relationship with Lacie would be an echo of his past, but instead he’d found something real, something stunning.

He’d found love.