Page 16 of Fighting for Family

“Uh, Whiskey?” Saint said, cocking his head. “You’re coming?”

Whiskey folded his arms, showing his thick mass. “Leo’s my brother. Things have changed around here. It’s time I start moving with them.”

“We’re happy for you,” Taco said. “It’s nice to have you back. How’s Sergeant Taylor?”

“She left for Texas last week. Julio said she’ll be a welcome addition to the team,” Whiskey informed them.

“She’ll fit in with our family there,” Taco said. “They’re a great bunch. Did Matthew make it home? We heard he ran into some trouble.”

“Yeah, he made it back,” Kassie assured them.

“Eh, Pita, I guess it’s as good a time as any to have you call Victoria. She’s sworn us to secrecy,” Shadow confessed.

“What has she done now?” Kassie asked, surprised.

“You’ll have to speak with her,” Saint said, frowning. “Ivan and their men have helped us scour every inch of this place. We’ve dug up two bodies and found a third. We’re hitting it first thing. It’s not in the best of places.”

“Do you think it’s his?” Doc murmured.

“No. I’m not taking any chances. The grave fits the timeframe, and I have no other options,” Saint admitted. “We vowed to bring him home.”

“You will,” Kassie said firmly. “Let’s talk about the family. You’ve sent Whiskey daily reports, and he’s shared them with us. Visit with your loved ones before you go.”

“How do you feel, Claire? You still refusing to tell me if I’m having a strong, handsome boy like me, or a little girl with your eyes?”

Claire laughed and smoothed her top over her belly. “I haven’t found out. Since you don’t get to know, I don’t want to,” she insisted. “I will tell you we’re doing great. You have no reason to worry.”

“I worry anyway,” Patch said softly. “I don’t want you going through this alone.”

“I’m not,” she assured him. “Gabby and I spend a ton of time together, and the girls always check on us. We even went to lunch the other day. Next week, we’re working on the nursery. They’re the next best thing besides you coming home.”

Patch nodded and blew her a kiss, at a loss for words.

“Gabby, have you got any rest between the pregnancy and little Marcus?” Knight asked, “I missed both of these pregnancies,” he lamented. “I wanted to pamper you this time.”

Gabby shook her head. “If we’ve learned anything from this, every day we have together is a gift. You help with our son and prove yourself a great partner. I can book my own prenatal massages with Samantha, and I’ve recorded everything. You won’t miss it all.”

“I love you, baby,” Knight said, getting emotional.

“How’s my spicy wife?” Taco asked, noticing her sitting in her wheelchair. “Did you overdo it?”

“No. I’m resting because Candy will kick my ass. She tormented me today in PT,” Tess said, smiling at Taco. “What about you?”

“I’m ready to find Leo and get the hell outta here. Thanks for the face masks and aloe. My skin gets drier by the day. Don’t let these assholes fool you either. They get a little sunburn, and they’re poking inside my sack.”

“We told you, we were searching for your balls,” Patch added, making everyone laugh.

“Annabelle, I miss you,” Ragu said. “I thought you flying to Texas seemed bad. When I get home, I want to spend a week holding you and listening to an audiobook.”

“Dude, you’ve lived in the desert for months, and you wanna listen to an audiobook with your woman? We have failed you, my man,” Knight said, shaking his head and sending the others into fits of laughter.

“Avie, how’s the pregnancy going?” Shadow asked, concerned. “And what about Deni?”

“We’re doing great,” she assured him. “We miss you. Deni practices football every day. He can’t wait to show you how far he can throw it.”

“I have a new puzzle for him. One of the local merchants sold them in the market, and I bought one while I questioned him. It’ll be a fun one to figure out together.”

“I’m sure he’ll love it,” Avie said. “Do you need anything?”