Page 92 of Recovering Ivy

“Because I’m terrified she won’t want me!” I hollered. “I let her down. She was almost raped. He ripped her clothes off. Every fucking time I close my eyes I see that fucker’s dick near my woman. One second more. One. He would have taken her. I lied to her. Then she saw me. The real me. Not the Zane I am at the office. The cold-blooded killer I am. Who I am deep in my soul. She sat on my lap and I sullied a beautiful woman with the blood of the man I had killed. What kind of man does that?”

“A good one. One that will protect her at all costs. One that will always have her six,” Jaxon said.

“Fuck that noise. I can’t take it. What if I try to touch her and she rejects me? What if I hurt her because I trigger some flashback?”

“So instead you let her think it’s her fault?” Abe cut in. “Because that’s what she thinks. Man up. I respect the hell out of you, but I have zero issue telling you you’re fucking up. You’ve taken away the one thing she needs to heal and move on.”

“I held your woman in my arms while you took care of business.” Declan interjected. The thought of Dec holding a mostly naked Ivy in his arms pissed me the fuck off. As necessary as it was and as much as I appreciated him caring for her while I couldn’t, I still didn’t like the image. “The only thing she wanted was you. The only thing she cared about was if you were okay. Man, all she needed was you.”

“Fuck,” I muttered. “God damn.”

“You seeing it yet? Or do we need to continue?” Linc inquired.

“I fucked up,” I admitted. “I need to talk to her. I can’t lose her.”

“Thank god,” Linc breathed.

“After I fix what I broke with my woman, mark this, brother. I’m gonna lay your ass out for implying she’s a fuck and not the woman who’s gonna mother my children.”

Six men chuckled, and Abe clapped his big meaty paw on my shoulder. “You need anything you call.”

“’Preciate it.”

The moment was ruined when Cooper, Jaxon’s brother who’d flew in from California, slammed the door to the study open.

“Jasmin needs you,” he announced, pinning Linc in place. “Now.”

He was gone before we could ask what was wrong. Seven very worried men ran after Cooper. Leo, Declan, and Jaxon had all drawn their weapons in preparation. If I wasn’t so worried, I would’ve laughed. The truth was in our line of work it was always a possibility a threat would need to be neutralized.

“I’m fine.” I heard Jasmin’s pained voice and holstered my Sig.

“You’re not fine. Leo, will you go start the car?”

“It’s just a little… oh, fuck,” she cried. Linc pulled Jasmin’s slumped-over body closer to him. “Okay. I’m not fine.”

I followed her eyes to the ground and saw the fluid leaking down her leg, pooling at her feet. I didn’t know what I expected to happen when a woman’s water broke. But there wasn’t as much of a splash as I’d thought there’d be.

The other women had gathered around and I caught Ivy around the waist and tucked her to my side. She looked up at me in question and I saw it. All the pain the guys had told me was there. The anguish I’d pretended I didn’t see.

I was going to fix this.

“I love you, Ivy.”

“I love you.”

She’d said it back, but I didn’t feel the words the way I used to. If it took until my dying breath, I’d make her feel words again.

“Lincoln!” Jasmin shouted and doubled over. More fluid trickled down.

“Come on, Sweets. I got you.” He walked her around the side of the house, Leo already there holding the side gate open.

“Congratulations!” Jasmin yelled and lifted her hand over her head in a wave.

A round of good lucks and we’ll see you soons echoed around Jaxon’s backyard.

“I should help Violet, and you need to go to the hospital with your brother.”

“No, Ivy. I go where you go.”