Chapter 19
Sloan walked into the kitchen to grab crackers and water for Becky.
After everyone had left, she’d started feeling sick again.
He had her lying down and called Pam to stay with her until he got back.
The last thing Becky needed was to be alone while every damn thing in their lives had been thrown into chaos.
The second he stepped into the kitchen, he stopped. There was a lot of talking back and forth, Raven and Jill being the loudest, but the second they saw him, the room went quiet.
“What the fuck is going on?” Sloan bellowed as his narrowed eyes scanned his Warriors. “I didn’t give anyone the day off other than Steve.”
No one said a word.
Sloan’s eyes went directly to Sid, who sat staring at the wall like he’d rather be anywhere else.
“What conversation was had in here that I wasn’t supposed to hear?” Sloan looked away from Sid to see Raven and Jill look away from him. “Someone better start fucking talking.”
“I said some stupid shit I shouldn’t have said,” Sid answered, still staring at the wall.
Sloan sighed, then glanced at everyone else who wouldn’t look him in the eye.
Dammit. He’d had a feeling this was going to happen, and fuck, he knew the news they’d just learned was a game changer, and that was downplaying it.
A lot. But Katrina’s face when she’d told him to ask Sid had said enough.
Whatever had happened in this kitchen, it wasn’t good.
“What did you say?” Sloan’s voice lowered.
Sid finally looked at him. “I questioned how it could happen, questioned Daniel and the doctor getting away with it. Then I made a stupid joke about having to wear a rubber.”
Sloan stared at him. “That’s what set Katrina off?”
“No.” Sid rubbed a hand down his face. “Not exactly. She thought I was questioning Becky.”
The room stayed silent, everyone waiting for Sloan to explode.
Sloan’s body went completely still. “Were you?”
“No.” Sid’s answer came fast, his eyes locking on Sloan’s. “Hell no. I wasn’t questioning Becky. I was questioning everything else because none of this makes any fucking sense.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Sloan said, his gaze moving over each of them. “And I get that. I do. But Becky doesn’t need to be the one who pays because none of us can wrap our heads around it.”
“I know,” Sid said, and for once, there wasn’t a damn bit of smartass in his voice. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
Sloan stared at him. “Then how the fuck did you mean it?”
Sid opened his mouth, then closed it.
“That’s what I thought.” Sloan’s gaze moved over the room. “Becky is upstairs sick as hell, trying to wrap her head around something none of us understand. So, until we do, every damn one of you better choose your words carefully.”
Sid’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “I fucked up.”
Sloan went over and grabbed a pack of crackers and a water. He walked to Jill, handing them to her. “Can you take this to Pam? She’s in the room off the office with Becky. Tell them I will be there in a minute. And tell Slade to come to the kitchen.”
Jill nodded, then left the kitchen.
Sloan turned toward his men, his eyes landing on Sid. He knew his men as well as he knew himself. Sid could say some fucked-up shit, but Sloan knew in his soul, or what was left of it, that Sid would lay down his life for Becky. That was why he was still alive at the moment.
“We are VC Warriors,” Sloan said, his eyes leaving Sid to look at everyone else. “We do not kneel. We do not fold. Right now, our mates are under attack from not just one enemy, but many. That is what is important. Not if you have to wear a fucking rubber to fuck your mate.”
Sid actually cringed, as did a few other Warriors.
“I know this news is something we never thought was a possibility, but here we fucking are. Every single one of us has had infusions of Golden Blood because I ordered it done to save your asses. We don’t know if this is permanent or if it will fade if we don’t receive any more Golden Blood.
As a matter of fact, at this very moment, we don’t know jack shit.
What we do know is our mates need to be protected. ”
Sloan paused when Slade entered, then looked at Raven.
“Raven, I want you to spread the word to all the mates that they need to see Slade and then Pam. I don’t know the first damn thing about female...
stuff. But from here on out, any female issues need to go through Slade, who is obtaining a doctor to treat that. ”
Raven nodded, then looked at Slade. “I suggest you get a female doc for the women.”
“I already have one coming,” Slade replied with a nod.
“We will deal with this like we deal with everything that comes our way.” Sloan’s gaze moved over every Warrior in the room.
“But I will tell you one thing. After I leave this fucking kitchen, if I hear of anyone questioning my mate about what has happened to her, I will personally beat your ass and bury you. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” the men said in unison.
“I know you have questions. Fuck, I have plenty of them myself. So instead of sitting around the kitchen talking out your ass, talk to Slade. If he doesn’t know the answer, he will find it.
” Sloan gave Slade a nod. “And for the record, Daniel has not been wrong about anything. I take him at his word.”
“Yes, sir.” Again, every Warrior answered in unison. When shit got real, the Warriors stepped up, even if they had a moment of what the fuck.
“As soon as Becky is feeling better, I’m going to be making a trip.” Sloan’s eyes turned black just thinking of getting his hands on the doctor who dared touch his wife. “I expect every single one of you to protect her as you would your own mate, as I would yours.”
Every single Warrior, with fisted hand, thumped their chest in a silent pledge to do just that.
Sloan gave them a nod, then walked out of the kitchen, anxious to get back to Becky. He had wanted to lose his shit on Sid, hell, on all of them, but he knew they were just as confused as he was. But he meant what he said. Anyone questioning or doubting his mate would pay a hefty price.
“Sloan.” Sid jogged up to him, stopping when Sloan turned.
“I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean anything against Becky.
We all think highly of her, and well, fuck, man, this is messed up.
I never thought out of all the shit we’ve dealt with, having a kid would be one of them. It’s fucked with me a little.”
Sloan could relate because hearing that the child Becky carried was his had more than fucked him up.
He was pretty much functioning on autopilot right now, but he would be damned if anyone would know that.
If he lost his shit, then everyone would lose theirs.
He was the leader, and by damn, he was going to lead and be the man Becky needed right now.
“Next time, I will bury you. Best keep that in mind,” Sloan said, his voice low.
Sid’s face tightened, but he nodded. “I’d deserve it.”
“No,” Sloan replied, staring him straight in the eye. “You deserved worse. But Becky loves you assholes, and right now, I’m trying really hard to remember that. And whatever was said, it upset Katrina. Make it right.”
Sid gave a short nod, guilt clear in his eyes. “I’ll fix it.”
“See that you do.” Sloan turned, then stopped. “And Sid?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t make me regret not knocking your ass through the kitchen wall.” Sloan growled, his eyes narrowed.
For the first time, Sid almost smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Wouldn’t dream of it, boss.”
Sloan walked away, his only thought getting back to Becky. The rest could wait.
She couldn’t.
Sloan went straight to his office. Walking inside, he saw Jill sitting in one of his chairs.
“She’s sleeping,” Jill informed him.
Nodding, Sloan walked to the chair behind his desk and sat down. He could tell something was on her mind and wanted to give her a chance to let it out. He had always looked at Jill like a daughter. Even though she drove him nuts most days, he cared for her, and not just as a Warrior.
“Why is this happening?” Jill said, looking at her hands before looking up at him. “I don’t just mean this with Becky, but why are we always under attack? It just seems like every time we turn around, something or someone is wanting to annihilate us.”
Sloan leaned back in his chair and stared at Jill.
She was young and newly turned. She hadn’t really lived the life of a vampire or a VC Warrior like he and most of the other Warriors had.
They had seen some pretty fucked-up shit in their long lives, but this was new to her.
She was innocent in so many ways of their world.
Before he could answer, she continued.
“I mean, look at Daniel.” Jill frowned, and there was such sadness in her eyes he felt it.
“He didn’t have a normal childhood. Now he’s the Demon Slayer.
He should be doing kid shit, not adult stuff.
Hell, isn’t he really like twelve or something?
He was robbed of a childhood because of what his father did to him or whatever happened.
I mean, seriously. What did happen to him to make him like this?
And now Becky is pregnant and you’re going to be a dad.
Congratulations, by the way. But aren’t you technically dead?
I’m kinda dead, I think. Can I have a baby now? Is Golden Blood that powerful?”
Her eyes rose to his, and he saw the unshed tears shimmering. With a sigh, he stood and walked over to close his office door. Grabbing a chair, he placed it in front of her and sat down.
“I wish I had all the answers, but I don’t.
” Sloan admitted because he knew right now, she needed truth.
“What I do know is Daniel is who he’s supposed to be.
The why and how, maybe he can answer, but I can’t.
I also know that yes, Becky is pregnant and I’m the father.
The why and how I don’t know yet. I’m counting on Slade to give me those answers. ”
Sloan paused, letting out a slow breath. Never in a million years did he ever think he’d be having this conversation, but here he was having it. If he and Becky had a daughter he hoped she would be just like Jill. She was special, a little crazy, but that’s what made her who she was.
“I thought I was technically dead.” Sloan continued. “I don’t have a heartbeat, so maybe Amara’s blood has triggered something in us. That’s another thing I’m counting on Slade to figure out. No one has all the answers, Jill.”
“Yeah, I know, and it sucks.” Jill sighed, then caught a tear with her knuckle. “I know Sid didn’t mean anything by what he was saying. He just says stupid shit sometimes. Kinda like when I say cock a lot.”
Sloan’s lip curved into a half smile. “Jill, we will get through this and everything else that comes our way. We always do. Being a VC Warrior is not for the weak. We are hated more than we are loved. We have many enemies who will never stop coming for us. We just have to stick together.”
“Yeah.” Jill nodded, then sat forward. “Thanks, and sorry to unload on you. Slade is so busy trying to figure all this out that I didn’t have anyone else to talk to.”
“My door is always open for you,” Sloan said and meant it.
Jill smiled, then chuckled. “You might regret that.”
“Probably.” Sloan gave her a fake frown.
She stood and hugged him tightly. “Your little one is very lucky to have a father like you.”
Jill let him go and walked out of his office, leaving him sitting there with a large lump in his throat.
“Shit,” Sloan cursed, clearing his throat.
Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned quickly to see Becky with tears in her eyes as she stared down at him. She walked around and climbed onto his lap.
“Why are you up?” Sloan frowned, then looked behind her. “Where’s Pam?”
“The crackers helped, and so did a little nap.” Becky fingered one of his buttons. “And I told Pam she could go. I didn’t want her watching me sleep. I guess Jill stayed until you got here.”
“You heard?” Sloan moved a strand of hair away from her eyebrow.
“Yeah.” She nodded, then sighed. “Don’t be too hard on Sid. I don’t know what was said, but I can imagine with it being Sid. They’re just trying to process everything. I understand that because I’m doing the same thing, just as I’m sure you are.”
“He’s still walking, but he was warned.” Sloan assured her. When she didn’t say anything, he tilted her face up to his. “What?”
“How are you taking the news that you’re the father?” she finally asked after a minute of silence.
“I’m not going to lie, Becky.” Sloan’s eyes searched hers because he needed her to see the truth in what he was about to say.
“Nothing in my long life has surprised me more. And yes, I’m still trying to process this, but I will love this child as much as I love you.
I would have loved this child even if it wasn’t mine because it would still be a part of you.
And I will do everything in my power to be the father this child deserves. ”
Becky’s eyes filled, but she smiled through it. “You already are.”
Sloan stared at her, those three words hitting him harder than any fist ever had. He had been called a leader, a warrior, a killer, a bastard and plenty of other things that were true enough. But father was a word he’d never allowed himself to even think about.
Until now.
His hand slid to her stomach, his palm resting there as carefully as if the smallest touch could somehow make this more real. Becky covered his hand with hers, and for the first time since Daniel had spoken the impossible, Sloan let himself feel it...really feel it.
Becky. His child. Their future.
And by God, he would protect all three.