Chapter 28
(OR POSSIBLY THE EPILOGUE)
The scent of coffee draws me to the kitchen.
Blearily, I trudge to the coffee pot and sigh internally at the taste of toasted almond coffee on my tongue.
I slide into my chair in the breakfast nook across from Bellamy, who looks about like I feel.
Late nights will do that to a man, though his misery is as much too little sleep as it is bad-decision making skills.
My phone is sitting on the table along with my tie pin and pocket watch.
The parts of my suit that didn’t make it to the bedroom are folded on a different table.
I wait until I have about half of the coffee in my cup in me before I pull my phone toward me.
By that time, Fox joins us, freshly showered and looking far too chipper considering how many times I woke him up last night.
That’s immortals for you, fine no matter how hard you work them over.
Enjoy your night, kiddo?
Bellamy’s eye twitches when he reads the message. “It was fine,” he mutters.
That’s good. I was wondering if your poor decisions were the reason you look like death warmed over, but if it’s just how you look when you wake up, then that’s fine. We’ll get you on a healthy diet and exercise regimen so you can face mornings with more of a skip in your step.
Bellamy grinds his teeth for a moment, narrowing his gaze at me. “Is that why you’re such a great morning person?”
I force myself to smile past the morning grumps and meet his gaze.
Absolutely.
He grins at me. “Then I’ll match my diet to yours, Papa . Though I think I better maintain my own exercise regimen since it’s kept me alive this long.”
“He has a point,” Fox murmurs behind his coffee cup.
Offended that Fox is taking his side, I shoot him a glare. No, it doesn’t matter that he’s right; it matters that we present a united front to our kid.
Or you can take over his exercise regimen since we both want him to be better than “kept-me-alive.”
Fox reads that and flicks his eyes to mine. “That’s what I said.”
“Is it?” Bellamy deadpans.
Fox looks at him, blank mask in place. “I always agree with your Papa.”
Bellamy rolls his shoulders, trying to ease the tension in them. “I wanted to spar with you anyway.”
Good. Because your life is going to be work, chores, and training with Fox for the foreseeable future. You’re grounded until you learn to make better decisions. No kid of mine is going to be mooning over an asshole like Darcy.
Bellamy reads the message twice before his entire countenance turns from his normal defensive self to capitulation. “Yeah, that’s fair.”
My heart squeezes in my chest, making me uncomfortable with the strong emotional reaction, but I figure that’s parenthood for you, too many emotions and the desire to see your kids happy especially when it’s hard.
I get up and walk around the table to his side and sit next to him so I can hug him, because he looks like he needs one.
Darcy saunters into the kitchen just as I pull Bellamy into my side, walking right to the coffee pot. “You have any condoms left?”
Considering we didn’t use a single one?
Fox gives him a neutral look. “Nope. Your athame is on the coffee table. Shouldn’t you be meeting with Annette? Make sure you walk Rowan out.”
“Lord, that harpy is gone. I walked her out at midnight. I was just making sure you had a good night,” he winks and wags his brows at us.
Honestly, I’d probably like him if he wasn’t the person you’re letting stomp all over your feelings. But since he is, I want him out as much as Fox does. Someone make it happen.
Bellamy’s shoulders shake before he looks at me with a crinkly, affectionate smile. “Darcy, you better go find the cherubs; Annette isn’t particularly patient when it comes to the abduction of children.”
“Fuck,” Darcy cusses, dumping his coffee out and abandoning his cup. “You’re right. Better go find the little’uns. Thanks for the hospitality. Call me if you have need again.”
In a whirlwind of motion, he grabs his athame and runs out the front door.
I lay my head on Bellamy’s shoulder, thanking him for taking care of that.
Oppa totally lied about the condoms. He asked for them and forgot to use them.
Bellamy sputters into the coffee he was about to sip and shoves me off his shoulder. “I do not need to know!”
“Oh. Right,” Fox hums, furrowing his brows. “We should probably use them going forward.”
I exaggerate a worried expression at him.
Am I going to get sick? Is my dick going to fall off?
Fox almost smiles but shakes his head. “You’re the one who told me you don’t want kids.” He looks at Bellamy. “We want you. You’re special.”
Bellamy snorts. “Thanks.”
Listen, I’m not stupid. Mpreg is a thing in this world.
I scowl at Fox.
This is how people get pregnant, Fox. You needed to remind me last night that condoms will keep us from unexpected pregnancy!
“It’s astronomically unlikely,” he assures me. “Immortals are not very fertile no matter their species. Most couples will try for hundreds of years before they get pregnant, and the likelihood of them having more than one or two offspring in their entire existence is so low it’s almost impossible.”
I point a finger at him and narrow my eyes telling him he better be right.
Kids are not in my life-plan right now.
Fox gives me a solemn nod. “What about in a hundred years?”
I tip my hand side to side. Maybe.
He captures my hand and pulls it across the table to kiss it, but of course our phones chime altogether.
We each look at the message from the depot.
Depot: Cherubs found. Ferguson Amarro. 2225 El Dorado Dr., Roswell, NM. ASAP.
Oh, well. I guess it’s time to just up and go to New Mexico to kill a guy and rescue some cherubs. Fun.