Page 62 of Kyle

Men scrambled, ushering women to the door. I heard Violet trying to soothe her husband as he shouted for someone to bring his car around.

But Zane stood staring at his wife.

“You ready?” Ivy asked him.

“No,” he answered, and there was no missing the emotion in that one word.

“Well, ready or not, I think your boy’s ready.” She smiled.

“Fuck, baby, fuck,” he groaned.

I’d never, not once, heard my boss’s voice so full of love. Only Zane Lewis could make a curse sound like a romantic sonnet.

“Take me to the hospital, Zane. Let’s make you a daddy.”

He gave her a lift of his chin, moved to her, and both his hands glided over her round belly before they went to her face. “I love you, Ivy. So much, baby, so fucking much I can’t tell you how happy you make me.”

“Love you, Zane.” Ivy’s face twisted in pain and Zane muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

I stood and watched my team with their women as they all filed out the door. I did it with jealousy consuming me. I’d never wanted kids, never wanted to be tied down, never thought of having a wife because I didn’t want a family.

How could I have been so stupid? So wrong? I wanted it. All of it. I’d simply convinced myself I didn’t because I’d never found a woman who made me yearn for them.

* * *

We were all piled back into the SUV but this time Declan was behind the wheel. On the best of days Dec’s driving was a hair-raising experience. But following his sister and her husband while she was in labor was death-defying.

Whomever had thought it was a good idea to toss Dec the keys had been wrong.

Anaya was smooshed between me and Max. In an effort to not sit close to my teammate she was practically on my lap. The hard set of Max’s jaw told me he hadn’t missed it, and knowing him he was pissed at himself. He may’ve been a hardass but he felt like shit for upsetting Anaya. But that was something he’d need to work out; I wasn’t getting involved unless Anaya asked or Max stepped over the line again.

“So I was right,” Anaya whispered.

“About what, sweetheart?”

“When we got to the office. I commented on the over-the-top security and asked if Zane met with the president.”

Max chuckled next to her. “Over-the-top is accurate.”

“I take it you recognized Erin,” I asked.

“You’d have to live under a rock not to know who the First Daughter is,” she noted.

“Right. So did Jas tell you that President Anderson is her uncle and she and Erin are cousins?”

“No,” she breathed. “Seriously?”

“Yep.”

“Holy shit.”

Everyone in the SUV except for Declan laughed at her shock.

He was far too engrossed in driving as erratically as he possibly could and still make it to the hospital in one piece.

* * *

Six hours later all of us, save Zane, Ivy, Jaxon, and Violet, sat in the waiting room designated for labor and delivery.