Page 71 of Shark’s Rise

“Well, things weren’t so bad.” Pia laughed lightly and smiled coyly. “It was nice to get out and do something not soccer or work-related. And the movie was pretty good. Not sure I’ll be looking for the sequel, but it was kind of nice to be out among the living.”

Vela was still too busy dancing, and Bas too much her devoted audience, that neither of them noticed the woman giving up her mirth to a distinctly painful expression. I’d seen the look on Pia’s face before and had been tempted to ask about it, especially because it happened more frequently as Kaisan’s arrival drew near. But I also noticed how she always tried to hide it from Bas, so the timing had to be right. And this moment definitely wasn’t one of those times.

“All right, kiddo,” the woman declared, stowing her sorrow as swiftly as she’d exposed it. “Let’s get out of your aunt’s and uncle’s hair. I’m sure they want some time alone. Use your best manners, please.”

At once, Vela tamed the jumping beans in her blood long enough to pivot and face Sebastian and me. “Thank you for having me—and for letting me help pick my cousin’s name. I appreciate being part of your history.” She gave us both hugs and kisses and then turned to Pia, ready to leave. Her mother stood with her hand covering her mouth, tears filling her eyes. Pride radiated off her in waves so strong, I could feel them across the room. And very rightly so. She had an extraordinary child on her hands.

“Vela?” I called as the girl skipped toward the front door.

“Yes, Aunt Abbigail?”

“Come over anytime, okay? Even if your mom doesn’t need a babysitter. We love having you here.”

She came running back to hug me again. “Love you,” she said.

“I love you too, little lady. Next time we’ll make brownies, okay?”

“Deal!” She held her hand up for a high-five, and I couldn’t leave her hanging. “Brownies!” she yelled as we smacked hard. “Yay!” She gave Sebastian another quick hug, and they were off.

“Wow. I’m beginning to really see why you adore that child so much,” I said to him.

He chuckled into my hair. “She’s one of a kind.”

“Pia is doing an amazing job with her.” I winced, fighting a pang of stress in the middle of my chest. “I hope I’m as good of a mother.”

Bas wrapped his arms back around me. He pulled me in and kissed me softly. “You’re going to be the absolute best, baby—because you’re one of a kind too.” Another kiss now, with a little sweep of his tongue and nudge of his hips. “Are you ready for bed?”

I smiled and nipped at the stubble along his chin. “Is that a rhetorical question?”

“Depends on how you answer it.”

“Well, do you mean bed, like let’s go lie on pillows and go comatose for the night, or bed, like let’s get naked and fuck until I’m crying in ecstasy?”

“Is that before or after I lick your cunt until you scream your way through your third orgasm?”

A long, low moan left me. “Ohh…Mr. Shark.”

Bas scraped his teeth down the column of my neck…and then lower. “Hmmm; yes, Ms. Gibson?”

“I’m absolutely ready for bed.”

The next day, Rio was propped in the overstuffed chair in my bedroom by lunchtime. We finished the light meal Dori had fixed for us—an outstanding Mexican soup recipe she promised to share—and now it was time to get down to business. The rain had finally let up outside the windows, and my little man was kicking up a storm from the warm broth I just sent his way.

I stretched back on the bed. “Oh, someone likes pozole too,” I said while rubbing my growing middle. Dori grinned wider at the comment, but my sister-in-law’s reaction was markedly different. Rio seemed to shrink into the safety of the corner, and she got very quiet.

I didn’t push her for an explanation. She didn’t owe me one. I knew what I needed to and accepted her even with all the default baggage she brought to this situation. It had to be a hard combination of feelings for her to handle, despite the brave face she put on most of the time. And though she and Sean were starting regular visits to a fertility specialist, the doctor’s recommended medication wasn’t covered by the insurance policy at Sean’s current job. Of course, I offered to pay for the drugs, but she and my brother shut me down before the words were even finished. And while Rio and I were fifty-fifty business partners, we’d just started to see a sliver of black on the P and L statements—enough breathing room for us until another piece of equipment broke, or the van needed new tires, or any one of a hundred possible business emergencies.

Contingencies we might not have to stress about in another month if the news Rio had just laid on me was totally on the level.

“So…we’re really going to be stepping up to the big kids’ table.” I sat back up and directed my twentieth gawk of the day at the event contract in my hand. A document I almost never thought I’d see. That, in many ways, I still couldn’t believe I was looking at. “It’s so surreal. Practically impossible to believe.”

Changing the subject—necessary on a bunch of levels—worked the right magic for yanking Rio back out of her shell. “Well, believe it, sister. And enjoy it.” The confident fire returned to her dark-honey gaze. “We’ve worked hard for this.”

“I still think I owe you my left eye for it.”

“No giving up eyeballs until you’ve signed on the dotted line.” Pushing her spikey hair up off her forehead, she added, “On second thought, just keep your eyeballs to yourself. You’ll need them both to race after your little Speedy Gonzales.” She nodded toward Kaisan’s continuing sprints across my belly. “Plus, I’m going to be an upstanding citizen here. The get on this gig wasn’t all me.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”