Page 64 of Shark’s Rise

“What the hell?” I demanded. “LV what?”

“Lonely vagina syndrome,” Elijah explained.

Grant barked out a laugh. “Her vagina isn’t lonely, asshole.”

“Because you’re the one keeping it company?” I rejoined.

“I have not. Fucked. Her. Now stop.”

“But you want to.”

I grabbed the chance to add my own censuring finger at Elijah. “Not helping.” As I lowered my arm, I turned back to Grant. “At the risk of being glaringly obvious, the woman is married, man. To Abbigail’s brother. That’s a no-fly zone.”

“Jesus,” Grant spat. “Don’t you think I already know—”

“Just making sure,” I countered. “Shit! You could have any woman in this city. Move on, okay? Call LuLu. Do something else. Do someone else. Just not Rio Gibson!”

“I’m not an idiot, Bas.”

“At the risk of repeating myself…just making sure.”

“I wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t do that. She’s in love with her husband.” He rolled his eyes. “He’s all she ever talks about. Trust me, my ears practically bleed from hearing about the guy all the time. You guys are so far off base, it’s comical.”

“But you’re not laughing.”

I hated admitting Elijah was completely right about that, but it didn’t negate the point. Grant looked as far away from “laughing this off” as a basketball player who’d just snapped his ankle.

“Can we just change the goddamned subject?” the guy finally bit out.

I pulled in a long breath. Upon letting it out, I blurted, “It’s a boy.”

Both my friends froze completely.

Then stared.

Then broke into wide, joyous grins.

I mirrored their stares. “I’m going to have a son,” I said at last, rubbing the back of my head. “Can you fucking believe it?”

Grant was the first to react, tackling me with his hug. His arms were around me before I could dodge him. Elijah surged up from the side, making it impossible to escape the group affection. Disgusting. Messy. That was what I should have thought but was too happy to care. We all laughed at the ridiculousness of it. The scene itself—but best of all, the reason for it.

“Congratulations, man!” Grant smacked my back with hearty gusto. “Tell Abbigail we said so, too.”

“And everything looks good?” Elijah’s query clearly came from his soul, since he’d been through this before. “All the measurements and weights…the crazy stuff they check?”

“Yeah.” I clapped him on the shoulder and pinned him with a meaningful stare. “Everything is just as it should be for the boy’s gestational age.” I smiled. “All systems go.”

“Do you guys have names picked out yet?”

“No. We haven’t even begun that string of arguments yet.” I laughed, knowing Abbi would want some family name I would hate, and then I’d cave…and so it would go.

As if reading that exact thought in my mind, both men laughed as we all settled in across the sofas.

“So, let’s actually talk about business, yes?” I proposed. “As in, how we’re dealing with these goddamned maritime pirates. Where are we with the whole mess?”

“Dude.” Grant sent over a look as if I’d just asked them to help me pick out new underwear, not a plan for dealing with the scumbags who kept taking our shipments hostage. “I’ve been making marinara sauce and pesto pinwheels for the past five weeks. Ask me how to chiffonade basil, and I got you covered.” He sprawled his hands along the tops of his thighs. “But these modern-day Bluebeards have definitely taken a back seat to babysitting your pyromaniac sister-in-law.”

“Wait…what?” I countered, staring at him in complete disbelief. “What did you just say?” I demanded. “Explain.”