Targeted By Love (Between the Greys #1)

24. Maynard

24

MAYNARD

“I’d like to spend the day at the beach.” Rhodes cradled his huge belly and showed me a map on his phone. “It’s supposed to be so isolated that no one goes there.”

Yikes, not that one. Ewww, I’d killed the late-afternoon jogger there.

“Probably a good reason why it’s deserted.” I fake shivered. “Looks creepy.”

Rhodes’s head shot up. “Sweetheart, look at me.”

Damn, he had that sing-songy quality to his voice, signaling he didn’t believe me.

“Yeah.” I plastered my best innocent expression on my face and smiled. “What is it, love of my life?”

My wolf groaned. Laying it on too thick .

Rhodes held up his hand for me to stop. “How are you so good at your other job when you’re so easy to read?” He lowered himself onto the couch. “What happened at that beach?”

“Ummm, I performed a… I did a… it was there that I…”

“Offed someone?” Rhodes was studying his phone.

“Maybe.”

“Fine,” he huffed and got on his side. His bump was so big, he couldn’t get comfortable and was lacking sleep. “Maybe a walk in a country park. One close to town that serves coffee and donuts.”

“Ahhh, good idea. Fresh air and exercise.” Rhodes was close to his due date and was hoping to get labor started. I’d read that the best tactic was sex, but though we enjoyed a vigorous and healthy sex life, my mate wasn’t interested, even if it brought on labor.

“This one?” He held up the phone. “Any objection?”

“Oh right. Been there. So many bugs. Nasty.”

He groaned and rubbed his belly. “Your alpha daddy has been everywhere, little one.”

“Not everywhere.” I’d never shot anyone at my brothers’ places or mine.

“Are movie theaters safe?”

“For whom?” I could kill a target anywhere.

“For us, for me. Or is there a blood-soaked theater down the street?”

I would hope the cinemas had been cleaned up after I ended someone.

“I’ve never been to the one across town. Near that restaurant you like.”

His eyes glowed when I mentioned that place. “Hot spicy food might hurry this little one out of me.”

“Movie first and then food?”

“It’s a deal.” Rhodes shuffled off to get changed, and I helped put on his shoes when he was ready.

It’d been years since I’d been to a theater to watch a film and not for a job. It was the perfect place for a hit.

A car pulled up as I waited at the parking garage exit. Boaz and Riggs.

“We’re headed out to the movies, so whatever it is can wait.”

“I’m in the mood for popcorn and soda. We’ll join you.” Riggs looked pleased for inviting himself and Boaz.

So much for a date with my very pregnant mate.

Out of habit, I checked the rearview mirror and the side ones frequently. Along with Boaz’s car behind me, there was another one I recognized. Ezra’s. And for sure he wasn’t alone.

“I hope you don’t mind more company.” I patted my mate’s thigh.

“What?” He swiveled around awkwardly because of his big belly. “The security guards want to watch too?”

“Nah, they’ll be outside.” It had become a convoy.

I’d promised my mate I’d reduce the security detail, and I did. But not as much as he hoped because of his pregnancy. And now we had two cars with the bodyguards, our vehicle, plus Boaz and also Ezra’s four-wheel drive.

“It’s my family.”

“Lake?” My mate’s eyes lit up because wherever my littlest bro was, there were sure to be chips.

“I’m sure he and Thiago are with Ezra.”

I dropped my mate off in front of the theater and went to park. When I returned they were at the concession stand buying all the popcorn, both cheesy and salted caramel. The cheese was gross, that awful orange stuff, so I went for the sweet, salty, slightly burnt taste of carmel.

My brothers were discussing whether we’d bought too much or too few snacks. I hustled my mate inside and let them argue.

The theater was almost empty, and considering it was late morning on a weekday, not surprising.

“How is it that your brothers can take time off?” Rhodes whispered as he sat and hogged the popcorn. Should have gotten a separate one for myself.

“They choose their work hours.”

With my mate being heavily pregnant, we’d bought the platinum reclining seats that came with a pillow and blanket. Rhodes had a habit of falling asleep while we were watching TV, so he could snooze his way though the movie.

He stuffed popcorn in his mouth and chewed it slowly while rubbing his belly. His eyes were fixed on the screen as we watched trailers for upcoming films.

Lake grabbed the back of my seat, whispering how much he adored the platinum seats.

Next, Thiago asked if this was a suitable film for Rhodes, as he was heavily pregnant.

“He chose it,” I told him and waited for the next brother to speak.

“Can’t wait to tell you what I found out about your next job,” Ezra yelled over the noise into my ear.

“Is there anyone else who wants to talk to me?” I shouted.

“Shush, the movie’s started.” There was one other person in the theater and we’d annoyed them already.

The movie was about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals in present time, and Rhodes shrieked whenever one of the huge reptiles snapped someone in half. He gripped my hand and dug his nails into my palm. Shifters experienced a milder version of pain than humans but my mate drew blood as his nails pierced my flesh.

His blood-curdling yell had all five of my brothers shoving their heads between or over our seats.

“Rhodes should not be here. It’s bad for the baby.”

“Our niece or nephew will be traumatized watching this movie.”

“What were you thinking, Maynard?”

“Poor Rhodes. Humans can’t watch a scary movie.”

“Is Rhodes going to finish his popcorn?” Lake, of course. Always thinking with his stomach.

“Babe, we can leave.”

“I can’t.” He held onto my hand as if we were in the middle of the ocean and I was the only thing preventing him from drowning.

That he wanted to witness more blood and gore on screen was surprising because a scream emerged from deep down inside him.

“The baby,” he panted.

Thiago chuckled. “Our little one likes animals ripping people’s heads off. They’re going to fit in so well with our family.”

I glared at him because our beasts killed other animals. And don’t say it , I told my wolf because he was about to remind me I shot people in the head.

Rhodes yanked my arm. “The baby loves dinosaurs so much they want out.”

“Awww. We have to buy our little one lots of dinosaur stuffies.” Lake turned on his phone.

“No, the baby is coming right now. I’m in labor.” Rhodes was panting, mimicking the omegas we’d watched on birthing videos.

“Oh my gods, we have to get you out.” I made to scoop up my mate, but he pushed me away, saying it was too late.

Labor was supposed to take hours, and Rhodes had chosen a playlist and I was supposed to feed him ice chips. That was the plan. I didn’t like it when the plan was upended. In my world, that was when things went ass up.

“We’re staying back here,” Boaz announced.

“Yeah, we’ll offer encouragement from this angle,” Ezra agreed.

“But Rhodes might want us to hold his hand.” Lake was teary.

“I’m good, guys.” My mate managed a half grin. “Maynard will help bring the baby into the world.”

For a second I wondered who the amazing guy was who was helping Rhodes with his labor. And then ding ding ding it hit me; I was the guy, my mate’s mate. I had to alpha up.

I removed the blanket and shimmied off Rhodes’s pants and underwear. He raised his knees and told me he had to push.

“We’ll help,” my brothers said. “Push, Rhodes, push.”

They were all overachievers and my mate hadn’t pushed yet.

“Now,” Rhodes shouted, his head raised as he squeezed both of my hands.

“Push,” me and my siblings’ voices echoed around the theater as a huge dinosaur swallowed a guy on the screen.

My mate fell back, his chest heaving. “And again.”

More pushing, my brothers screaming at Rhodes to push the baby into the world, while I watched as our little one’s hair appeared.

“He has hair like his omega dad,” I announced.

“How do you know?” Riggs asked and peered over the back of my mate’s chair.

“Trust me.”

The pushing and accompanying shouting went on longer than I expected. Gods, I admired my mate pushing a baby into the world. But finally, the head emerged and then more pushing and the shoulders appeared, and I caught our child in the blanket I hadn’t used, having ripped it from its plastic bag moments earlier.

“She’s a girl.”

I placed our daughter in my mate’s arms and kneeled beside him as we gazed at our newborn.

“One girl in a family of all boys,” Thiago said.

“She’s going to rule the roost,” Rhodes whispered