DAMIEN
“Okay, Mr. Montero, on her next set of contractions you are going to place your hands here and here.” She guided my hands in the right position to pull our son out.
I’d never been so nervous in all my life. I had killed men point blank and never had an adrenaline rush quite like this before. Pumping wildly through my veins and straight to my heart. Feeling as though it could beat right out of my chest. Things moved pretty fucking quickly after that.
“Push, push, push, push,” Louisa guided. “Good. And relax. Okay, you’re doing great, Amira. Are you ready to meet your son? Here we go again. Push, push, push, push,” Louisa called over and over, nine times in a row, the number of stars in our constellation.
I would never forget the look of pride on Amira’s face when I held our son in my arms for the first time.
“He’s so perfect, Amira. Just like you.”
“Just like you,” she joked back, giggling, “he couldn’t just come in like his sister, could he?” She eyed him in my arms. “No, you had to be stubborn just like your daddy.”
I tried to listen to everything she was saying, but I was beyond enraptured by the little person in my arms. It was the first time I’d ever held a baby. My son. This would be a day I would never forget. A day that would change my life and make me a better man. Everything about it was slowly imbedded into my memory, becoming just as much a part of me as my family.
The loves of my life.
Like the constellation box still burning by our makeshift bed on the floor. Even with the light coming in, the tiny stars danced around the room. My whole life brought me, us, to this moment in time where nothing else mattered but the lives we were creating out of our love for one another. The love that had withstood the test of time.
I saved Amira.
She saved me.
Our daughter saved us.
When he started fussing, I brought him closer to my face, murmuring in his ear, “Shhh… it’s me, Julio. I’m here, shhh... I’m here. I’m always here.”
“Julio?”
I nodded, shifting my gaze to Amira who had fresh tears falling out of her eyes. “Julio?”
“A solid name to carry on for another good man.”
She smiled, thinking about her father. “Julio Perseus Montero.”
I crouched down beside her, nuzzling into her hair and neck. “Te amo, Amira Montero.”
She sniffled, “I know.”
We spent the next few days getting adjusted with our new family dynamic. Andromeda loved her brother. She loved getting up with him. Helping Amira with anything and everything while Rosarío assisted in between. My father did his best to help as well. We weren’t father and son by any means, but we were a family, and I knew we’d eventually get there too. He earned my respect with what he did for my girls, and in some ways, that was far more valuable than my love. Which he was slowly earning as well.
A few weeks later, after everything had settled down, we finally had people over who were anxious to meet Julio. From my coworkers, to Amira’s old friends and coworkers, to some of Andromeda’s friends and family. The ranch was full of people, everyone gathered around—talking, laughing, enjoying the beautiful day while Sunday football played on all the screens in the house.
“How’s it feel to have your balls owned by a woman?” Bossman questioned from behind me, catching me off guard.
“You son of a bitch,” I laughed, quickly turning around. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Instantly jerking back when I saw he was with Noah Jameson, who was holding hands with some pretty young girl I’d never met. “So, I take it you’re not here for a fucking piece of cake?”
“Afraid not,” he replied.
“Alright, come on in,” I addressed, nodding to the door of my home office.
They followed me in, and Amira caught my guarded expression from across the foyer. She was standing in the living room with Mama Rosa and Andromeda, surrounded by a group of people ogling over the new baby. Her eyes tore from mine to Noah’s, and then the girl he was obviously protectively hovering over.
She cocked her head to the side, silently questioning what was happening, I grinned and winked at her in reply. Trying to ease her anxiety for what the fuck was going on, even though I hadn’t a clue what that was either. I was about to lead them into my office to discuss whatever bullshit they were trying to involve me in, but everyone turned around and glared over at us.
Not us.
Them.
I guess from an outsider they looked out of place, Noah was covered in tattoos and Bossman was dressed in a backward ball cap, cargo shorts, and a t-shirt that read, ‘Zero fucks given.’ All of them seemingly walking in to welcome the baby. It wasn’t until they started whispering that Amira and I locked eyes again, both of us confused by what just happened.
The girl who was with them, still holding onto Noah’s hand gasped loudly. Snapping my attention back to her.
“What the fuc—” The look on her face rendered me speechless.
She looked like she was about to faint. Her petrified expression glued onto something behind me. I slowly spun, following her stare that was fixated on the television screen in the living room.
“Oh fuck!” I muttered to myself, realizing right then and there my guests weren’t looking and whispering at the men who’d walked in with me. It had nothing to do with Bossman or Noah.
They were consumed on the girl.
Whose pretty fucking face was plastered all over the screens in my house with the big, bold lettering spread across the top of her photo that said…
MISSING.
The end.
For Damien and Amira.
It’s only the beginning for…
Noah Jameson & Skyler
(LOST BOY is a Spin-off Standalone Contemporary Romance)
Releasing July 24, 2018: TURN THE PAGE TO SEE LOST BOY COVER
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