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“No, but that’s awesome.” For once, Rico sounds both sincere and happy for me.
“Thanks, guys.”
“So, when’s this wedding supposed to happen?”
“And the baby?”
“And the new chapter?” Knuckles adds.
“Well, seeing as the proposal happened just the night before last, we haven’t really gotten around to that yet. It sounds like the baby will be arriving in a little less than eight months. As for the new chapter… we’ll be leaving in three months. Preparations start immediately.”
“That’s fucking fast. What’s the rush?” Knuckles asks.
I watch the guys for several long moments, debating if there’s any good way of telling them. “Athena and the Blackmoor heirs found out about Winter.”
“The fuck?” Rico asks, his face growing dark.
“And she’s still alive?” Dallas asks, confused.
I shrug. “When she told Athena she was pregnant, Athena said she wouldn’t kill her. Just wants her gone.”
“She’s got some guardian fucking angel looking over her,” Rico whistles.
The corner of my lip pulls up in a small smile. Back when I first saved Winter, when I pulled her from the ruins of Blackmoor manor, when she was still without her memory, she’d called me something like that.
“I don’t know about you boys, but I’m ready to get the fuck out of dodge. Put this town behind me. It feels like nothing good grows here, and I’m ready to start fresh with a new life, a wife—”
“Old lady!” Dallas pipes in.
“Better not let Winter hear you call her that,” I warn.
The guys chuckle.
“All right. That’s all I got right now. I’ll let you know when we’re planning on taking a ride to check out the new spots and see what’ll work best. In the meantime, let’s get back to work,” I say
“Yeah, before Mark comes in and gives us cleaning duty for another week,” Rico grumbles.
“Just think, three months from now, we’ll be the ones who get to dole out that kind of shit,” Dally says with a smile.
“Yeeeeah!” Knuckles fist-bumps him on his way to grab a jumpsuit.
I turn back to Penny's Chevy, pressing the lift so I can take a look underneath.
32
Winter
I feelas though the last week has left me in a constant state of euphoria. Nothing quite seems real, and at the same time, it’s as if my own story has finally begun, the path I’ve chosen in life. Telling everyone at the club that Gabriel and I are engaged has been met with more excitement and enthusiasm than I could have predicted. Debbie and Starla even insisted on throwing us an engagement party for today. One, they insist I’m not allowed to plan or set up. So I’ve dedicated my day to sleeping as long as I possibly can.
Rolling over in bed, I stretch luxuriously. Even on a Saturday, Gabriel can’t seem to sleep in, but with my pregnancy, it seems like sleep is my new favorite pastime. I can do it anywhere, anytime, at the drop of a hat. And somehow, I still feel tired constantly. Something about not having to look over my shoulder for Athena or her cronies any longer seems to have released a tension in me I never even knew was there. And suddenly, it’s as though I’m catching up on months’ worth of deep sleep with vivid dreams. Or it’s because I’m sleeping for two. The verdict is still out on that one.
When I look at the clock, I’m surprised to see it’s already afternoon. I haven’t slept this late before, but it seems like Gabriel and I have been keeping each other up even later than usual, taking full advantage of the fact that I can’t get more pregnant than I already am. And celebrating that we’re engaged. Humming with contentment, I think about being with Gabriel last night. It’s as though our sex life has completely transitioned into something new and exhilarating. He’s making me come in ways I never knew he could, but the force he used to use, the rough handling and kinky sex have been replaced with something slower, more gentle, and incredibly intimate.
Taking a moment to really appreciate how he made me come at the same time as him, the intensity of my orgasm responding to his, I let a smile curl my lips. I always wanted someone who could fuck me into next week. But it seems Gabriel’s got much more to give than that, and I can’t wait to take it all.
Finally, unable to lie still any longer, I roll out of bed, grab a towel, and tiptoe down the hall to the bathroom to take a shower. I don’t have anything planned for the day until our engagement party in a few hours, and I plan to get ready leisurely, really soak up the steam.
It’s strange to think about how confined I’ve been over the past few months; struggling to gain freedom from Gabriel, struggling to gain revenge without getting caught, struggling to escape this new life handed to me only to realize I don’t want my past life either. I felt so trapped and confused. And now, all I feel is excitement. I can’t wait to start something entirely new, and knowing I get to do that with Gabriel is the best feeling in the world.
