Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Stella
“Come on, Love, you got this,” Angel says, wiping a cloth over my sweat-beaded forehead. “Just a little bit more and we’ll know if we have a boy or girl.”
He encourages me throughout my labor. It feels almost like he’s on repeat, saying the same thing over and over.
I know he’s right, but I swear if he doesn’t shut up, I’ll hurt him.
And I really don’t want to hurt him. He has valuable parts to him that I don’t want to offend .
. . well, not really. But at the moment, I will if he doesn’t stop talking to me so sweetly.
“Shut up,” I snap, shooting him a glare.
Angel ignores the expression and grins. He’s good for that.
In the past months since everything went down, babies have been born to both Sutton and Isabelle.
Sutton and Tombstone had a little boy they named Sebastian, calling him Bash for short.
He’s a cutie, looking so much like his dad.
You can just tell he’ll be the spitting image of him when he gets older.
Isabelle and my brother gave me a nephew as well, naming him Lucas, after our uncle, since he was like a father to the two of us.
My brother told me that he wanted me to have the chance to use our father’s name if that was what I wanted. Angel and I have names picked out but didn’t find out what we’re having. I wanted it to be a surprise when he or she was born.
Now, it’s my turn to be in labor, and everyone is out there in the waiting room while Angel is at my side. So many times, I’ve woken in fear that he’ll disappear on me. Every morning, I wake in his arms and him telling me how much I mean to him.
Time flies by in a blur of motion. The doctor comes in, and an hour later, I push one last time, giving birth to a beautiful baby boy.
Our baby, Ryland Owen. Named after my father and Angel both.
I wanted our son to have a strong name for two of the strongest men I knew.
I might never call Angel by his real name, but that’s because he refuses to be anyone but who he is.
According to him, he hasn’t been Owen since long before his youngest sister was killed.
Death Angel might be his road name, but he’s Angel to me and always will be.
That doesn’t mean our son can’t share his name.
Exhausted, I stare at the little bundle wrapped in a blanket as Angel leans down to brush his lips across my forehead.
“So fuckin’ proud of you, Love. You did damn good,” Angel whispers between kisses.
Tears prick at my eyes as I stare up at the man who holds my heart. The sight of him as he looks at our baby boy with such pride in his gaze, I fall deeper in love with him than I already am.
“You want to hold him?” I whisper.
Nodding, Angel lifts Ryland into his arms and snuggles him to his chest.
The nurses finish cleaning up and finally leave us alone. I know they’ll be back soon, but at this moment, it’s just me, my man, and our son. My little family, and I couldn’t ask for something so merciful.
Ever since meeting Angel, I’ve been at his mercy, and I don’t think I’d change a thing. I was meant to be his and vice versa. Seeing what life has in store for us will be one hell of a ride, and I look forward to doing it at my man’s side.