Cage

“Over by the backdoor. He is obsessed with looking out the window right now.” I walk off, letting her continue her rush around the kitchen.



Ah, there he is. The day that Nathaniel Gregory Reid was born was one of the best days of my life. Not because he is my child, no. Because the girl that has grown to be a sister to me not only gave birth to him, but she beat her demons and won in order to do so. Plus, it helps that the handsome little thing is named after his favorite uncle.



“Nate! How’s the handsome baby boy today?” He turns from his window gazing and gives me a big, drooling smile. Scooping him up, I hold him close to my body, just enjoying the feel of his little body next to mine.



“Here’s his bag. Snacks, sippy cup, and his paci. Diapers, wipes, and all the other things you might need. His appointment is with Dr. Shannon. You know how to get to the pediatrician’s office, right?”



“Yeah, Izzy. I have this. I also have to go, or we will be missing that appointment. Want to trade cars so you don’t have to switch out his seat?”



“That’s fine, and Greg… thanks.” She leans up and gives me a kiss on the cheek before smothering Nate in love. I might have even seen the poor kid begging me with his eyes to get him out of here. Uncle Greg to the rescue.



We make it to the doctor’s office with minutes to spare. Getting Nate out of the car and into the office is the easiest part; trying to get my dog tags out of his mouth is a whole new issue. I know Izzy hates it when he does this to Axel, but damn, the poor kid is miserable. He goes from happy as hell to screaming in two seconds. I hate seeing little man in pain, so I know it has to kill Izzy and Axel.



Walking up to the sign in desk, I smile at the pretty little blonde. “Hello, I need to check in Nate Reid to see Dr. Shannon.” She looks up at me, eyes wide, and I swear drool forms. I hate reactions like this. Yes, I am a large man, but damn. “Miss? Nate. To check–in.”



“Oh, right. I’m sorry.” She makes a few notes, looking up at me a couple times before blushing and almost shoves her head through her monitor. “Do you have your son’s insurance cards? We just put a new system in, so we need to make sure they match.”



The sharp pain that always comes crashing through my system at just the thought of having my own child never seems to dull. One day.



“Nate’s my nephew. His mother, Izzy, didn’t leave the cards, but I can assure you nothing has changed with their insurance.” Since this little chick is still drooling, I’m guessing it’s a safe bet she didn’t hear a damn thing I just said. Looking down at her nametag I get ready to help her focus, scanning the basic script ‘Lauren’ before addressing her, “Lauren, darlin’?” She blinks a few times, and then finally gets with the program. She checks Nate in, and instructs me to have a seat to wait for someone to call us. Joy.



Following her instructions, I take Nate and plop down on one of the hard chairs in the waiting room. Jesus Christ, these things must be made for women or extremely small men. Adjusting Nate to make sure I can at least keep him happy and silent for the moment, I dig my phone out to send a quick text to Izzy to let her know we are here. Nate once again decides my tags make the best teething toys. Izzy can kick my ass, but there is no way in hell I will take those from him now that he is happy. Hell no.



Thirty minutes later and a soaked shirt, tags, and Nate, someone calls his name. “Nate Reid?” I hear the voice off to the side. Looking up, it’s now my turn to swallow my tongue. Holy shit. It’s been a while since just by looking at a woman knocked me on my ass. This is no ordinary woman. No, this woman screamed sex.



Her hot pink scrubs mold to her body as though custom made just for her. Maybe a good six inches under my six-foot-three, with legs so attractive that even her horrible uniform can’t hide it, and tits… fuck me, those tits, huge. I have to force my tongue from darting out to lick my lips. Once I can finally remove my gawking eyes from her chest, I look up and meet the high arch of one dark brow and mocking blue eyes. Shit.



“Mr. Reid?” Damn, even her voice is sexy as hell. Low, raspy and even my dick takes notice.



I clear my throat before trusting myself to speak. “Cage.”



“What?” Huh? Damn… what did I just say? Cage. Smooth, real smooth.



“Not Mr. Reid. I’m the uncle, Greg Cage.” I feel like the teenage boy that just got his first boner for his best friend’s mom. Could this get more awkward?



“Alright, Uncle Greg Cage, and how is this little guy today?”



I go to answer her, but before I can get the words out, Nate makes an odd sound deep in his throat. I register Nurse Wet Dream’s gasp, and I step back right before Nate covers my whole body with his vomit. Way to help a man out, Nate.



After a ridiculously long and very uncomfortable doctor’s visit, Nate is finally ready to leave. Izzy is going to freak. Double ear infection. The doctor explained that’s the reason Nate so lovingly decided to cover me in his baby barf. And to make matters worse, I had to help hold the little guy down while the nurse stabbed his chunky little thigh with an antibiotic shot. I haven’t seen the sexy as sin nurse since the doctor handed me Nate’s prescriptions and walked off. I don’t even realized that I don’t know her name until I am walking Nate and his puke back out to the car. Well, Nate isn’t rocking the foul smelling shit anymore.



Deciding it’s best not let Izzy know just how sick Nate is, I drive down to the office to pass the little guy off to his father so that I can go home and shower. At least this way, if Sway comes out to attack me, I can protect myself with the shield of baby throw up.



“Ohhhhh!” I hear squealing like a damn pig before I can even climb out of Izzy’s car. It’s laughable that I think I might be able to avoid Sway. I swear that man never works, just sits by the window, and waits for someone from Corps to walk past or drive up.



“Gregory, get your fine ass over—THE BABY!” And now, I have Sway in all his glory running towards the car. How a man as round as him can run on four-inch heels without busting his ass is beyond me.



“No, Sway. Calm your ass down right now.”



“Gregory, why are you all wet?” He pants, stopping as close as he can get without crawling into my body. I take a step back and shift Nate in my arms. Away from the deranged man.



“Would you please stop calling me Gregory? You sound like my damn mother.” Sway reaches out, again, to take Nate from me. “No, Sway. Not today.”



“But, Gregory!” He gasps and holds his beefy hand to his chest. Jesus.



“Got to run, Sway. You want to visit with the baby, then go attack Ax.” I can hear Sway clicking behind me across the parking lot. This man, woman, whatever the fuck… I might give him a hard time but he is hilarious. “See you around, Dilbert!”



Walking into the office never fails to give me a massive sense of pride. Pride in myself, and pride in my boys. Before joining forces with Axel and the guys, I was doing pretty fucking hot by myself, but the more clients I picked up, the more overwhelming things got. Plus, that was when Izzy was going through so much shit… I just couldn’t afford to be away that much. She needed me, and I will never fail another woman I love again.



Izzy and I have the best friendship. A lot of people think it is crazy, me being so close with a chick, but Izzy isn’t just anyone to me. She is my blood… even when we aren’t really. She holds just as big of a piece of my heart as Grace once did.



Damn, I miss Gracie.



“Hey, Greg.” I hear a voice call softly from behind the reception desk.



“Emmy. How’s it been around here, babe?”



“Everything’s fine, Greg. Axel is running around like a mad man though. I think he’s stressed about this weekend.”



“I bet,” I laugh, shifting Nate’s body in my arms, “Got to go drop little man off. Not staying, but I’ll see you this weekend.”



“Alright, Greg.” If I hadn’t seen her bust one of the boy’s balls over some shit, I would swear the timid little mouse is all weakness.



Shaking my head, I continue down the hall towards Axel’s office. I can hear him booming orders through the closed door. Shit, someone must have seriously pissed him off this morning.



“Wouldn’t do that if I was you.” Turning around, I catch Beck’s stoic face. Never good when this easy-going guy starts acting like a little bitch.



“Problem?”



“Yeah. About six and a half feet of pissed off. What the fuck is going on with him?” He reaches up and rubs his neck, another sure sign that Beck is stressing shit.



“My guess, the same thing that’s eating Izzy. With all the shit they went through, they are both afraid to blink until the wedding is over.” Damn shame too. Axel and Izzy don’t have the fairytale beginning that most couples as perfect as them deserve. It might have taken them a while to reconnect, but they are worried for no reason. Not one of us would let anything happen to postpone this event.



“That all that’s biting your ass today, Beck?”



“Just more shit with Dee. I don’t know why I try so hard, I honestly don’t.” Looking closer, I notice the stress weathered all over his body. He is vibrating with frustration, and it is not a good look for him.



“What’s the deal this week?” I ask, knowing damn well she has been giving him the run around for the better part of the last two years. I don’t think anyone really knows what happened, but they went hard and heavy, then Dee put the brakes on real quick.



“Hell if I fucking know. Looks like she is bringing some tool from her office to the wedding. I don’t know what the hell her issue is with just admitting we had something. I tell you this though; I am sick and tired of waiting for her to pull her thumb out of her ass.”



“Right. Not getting in that shit. You might be my brother, but that chick will always out rank you.” I turn and knock on Axel’s door, not waiting for his reply before pushing our way through. Drama between Beck and Dee is nothing I want to dip my toes into. Hell no.



“What d—” Axel barks out before he realizes who is in his office.



“Nice douchebag. Your son decided to decorate me with his vomit today, so it’s your turn. Love this boy, but I don’t like smelling like your woman’s tit milk.”



“Why do you have my boy? Where is Iz? Is she okay?” He goes to get up, as if he is going to run out of the office to check on his woman. Damn, he is turning into a fucking pussy.



“Calm down. Jesus Christ. What is going on with you two? You’re acting like a little bitch that just got her period, and she is on edge just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Nothing is going to happen, you feel me?”



He sighs and drops down heavy into his chair. “Yeah. I keep feeling like any second she is just going to disappear again, and nothing I do gets that image out of my mind. Not one damn thing.” He shakes his head, collects his thoughts, and looks back at me. Determination blazes in his eyes. “Give me my boy, and don’t cuss around him asshole.”