Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Maverick
Hearing the baby's heartbeat would never get old.
I smiled down at Jo who was too busy staring at what the doctor was doing to pay me much mind.
"Your baby has quite the strong little heartbeat. I wasn't sure if we would be able to hear it this early on, but it looks like he or she is eager to have their presence known."
The doctor wiped the gel off Jo's stomach.
"How are you feeling after your car accident? Any more pain I should know about?"
Jo shook her head. "I feel great."
"No morning sickness?"
"Not since the first week." Jo sounded proud of herself.
The doctor made some notes on an electronic tablet. "That's great to hear. Everything looks good on my end. Any questions for me?"
"Yes, where can I get one of those?" I pointed to the machine that allowed us to hear the heartbeat.
"The fetal Doppler?"
I nodded my head. "Yeah, that."
The female doctor chuckled. "First-time father?"
Jo smirked up at me. "How can you tell?" I could hear the teasing in her tone as she asked the question.
I scrunched my nose at her.
"They make it easy to identify with their eagerness." The doctor smiled at me. "I'll make sure the nurse gives you a few options."
"Thank you." I would be ordering one just as soon as we got home.
"Head out to the desk and get your next appointment scheduled. I'll see you in a few weeks."
It wasn't until we were back out in the vehicle that I spoke again. "I'm buying that Doppler tonight."
Jo gave me a placating smile. "I have no doubt you will."
"I want to be able to hear the baby's heartbeat every day until he or she is born."
"Okay."
"You don't believe me?"
"Oh no, I believe you." Jo chuckled.
"Then why the smirk?"
As if to prove my point, Jo smirked at me again. "You're just cute, that's all."
I scoffed, "I don't think anyone has ever called me cute." My phone rang as Jo opened her mouth. "Hold that thought." I held up my finger and answered the phone. "Hello."
"Meet me at my office." No introductions. Just straight to the point. That was the Wes way of doing things.
"I have Jo with me." It would take some time to secure someone to protect her, and whatever was going on with Wes sounded urgent.
"Bring her with. This involves her too."
I didn't like the sound of that one bit. "Care to tell me what's going on?"
"When you get here." Wes hung up on that note, and I shook my head.
"What's going on?" Jo looked concerned.
"I don't have the slightest idea, but we've been summoned to Wes' office."
"The guy who Nancy works for?"
"Yup. Apparently he wants to talk to the both of us."
Jo no longer looked concerned but instead intrigued. Her journalist brain was probably firing in all different directions.
She stayed quiet throughout the drive, and it made me wonder what was on her mind. I thought journalists asked a million questions, but that didn't seem to be Jo's way. No wonder she was able to keep her secret for so long. If she wasn't asking questions, then no one would suspect who she was.
We arrived at Wes' office in record time.
"Wow, this place is a fortress and nothing like your office."
I tried to see it from Jo's perspective. I could see why she would think it was a fortress when we were forced to go through a million layers of security before we even made it into the reception area.
"Wes really doesn't want people to visit, does he?"
I chuckled just thinking about my good friend. Wes was not a people person by any means. "He just likes to ensure his people are safe."
Missy greeted us as soon as we walked through the doors. "Hey, Maverick." She smiled my way. "This must be Jo. Wes told me to expect you both."
"Nothing like being summoned to the principal's office," I joked with her.
"I can imagine that's what it feels like. Even after all these years, I still don't like when he calls me back there."
Missy was a sweetheart and an absolute asset to Wes' business. After the rough life she’d led, I was glad to see her smiling and happy.
"How are the kids?"
"Keeping Kyle and me on our toes. Feel free to stop by the daycare and see them."
"I just might do that."
"Wait, there's a daycare here?" Jo queried at the same time.
Missy giggled. "Yup. Wes wanted to ensure the kids stayed close until they went to school. It's been a lifesaver, knowing I only had to walk down the hall to see them."
Jo nudged me in the side. "You should consider doing the same."
Missy gave me a knowing look. I get I shouldn't be surprised she knew about the baby. Once I told the guys, I was sure it spread like wildfire.
"All right, you. Let's go find out what Wes wants."
I would definitely be looking into the option of a daycare though. It would make me feel better knowing that our child was close instead of somewhere miles away.
I knocked on Wes' door and waited for him to holler that we could enter. I knew as soon as I saw the look on his face that I wasn't going to like what he had to say.
"Just say it, man."
I wanted him to give it to us straight without censoring himself. I should've known he would do that anyway.
"Ghost team stopped a bomb from going off at Jo's place."
"Wait, who's Ghost team?"
Of course that was the part that Jo locked on to.
"That's not important at the moment." Wes wasn't rude, but he made it clear his team wasn't up for discussion, and thankfully Jo seemed to understand that because she didn't argue further.
"Where was it located?" I growled out the question. Completely pissed that someone had the nerve to try and hurt Jo for the second time.
"A package was delivered to her residence while you were at the doctor's appointment. My team suspected something was up with the delivery service, so they checked it out."
It was a good thing they did. "It has to be Santino. There's no one else after Jo."
"I agree. Which is why I've asked Ghost team to grab him."
"Where are you taking him? I want in."
Wes sighed. "I had a feeling you would say that. There's no chance of me talking you out of this?"
"No way in hell. He tried hurting my woman twice now. I let it slide the first time because I didn't want to bring trouble to my business," I growled. "Now I don't give a fuck about that. He's mine."
"I've spoken to Ghost team. They've agreed to let you join them but only this once."
"I want to go as well." Jo piped up.
"No way," I barked out. I wanted Jo and our baby as far away from this as possible.
Jo slammed her fists on her hips. "Excuse me, but this is my life we're talking about. I think I deserve a piece of the guy who's put it in danger not once but twice now."
"As much as I enjoy watching Maverick squirm his way out of this one, I can't let you do that. Ghost team was very adamant that only Maverick join them. They won't budge on this."
Jo crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Wes. "What, do they have something against women?"
Wes had the nerve to laugh. "I assure you that's not the case."
"Aren't you the boss? Can't you tell them what to do?"
Wes shook his head. "That's not how this team works.
We've had an arrangement since the team was created.
While yes, I funded them to start; they are their own entity.
They only take the assignments they want and have no obligation to me or my business.
It's how I wanted it and will continue to allow them to run. "
This was news to me. I knew they were different from his other two teams, but I never suspected Wes had no say whatsoever of what they did. I would be asking him about how that worked at a later date.
"Fine, but I want it on record that I don't agree."
"Spoken like a true journalist." Wes softened the blow by giving Jo one of his signature smiles.
"Do you always get what you want when the dimples pop out?" Leave it to Jo to call him out on that.
"Actually yes. Usually I hate the damn things, but on occasion, they work in my favor."
Jo blew out a breath. "I can see why. They transform your whole face. You're quite good looking when you smile."
I steered Jo away from looking at Wes. "Okay, enough of that." I huffed. "I'm the only one you get to call good looking."
She laughed at me. "Don't worry, big boy. It's your baby I'm carrying right now."
"Yeah, somehow that doesn't make me feel better."
Wes and Jo continued to laugh as I walked her out of the office and straight for the exit. We waved good-bye to Missy and didn't stop until we hit my vehicle.
"Calm your hormones. I was just teasing you."
"No, you weren't. Females swoon all the time when Wes pulls out those damn dimples."
"I never thought I would hear you say swoon. I kinda like it, but you have nothing to worry about. I can acknowledge Wes looks good with those dimples without actually being attracted to him. It was just an observation."
"Yeah, well, I didn't like it."
Jo had the nerve to laugh again. "I can tell. I didn't peg you for a jealous man."
"Territorial. There's a difference." Hell if I knew what it was though. This woman had me in knots, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.
"Whatever you say, big boy." She patted my chest like she was placating me. "Let's get home so you can screw my brains out before you get bloody without me."
I liked the sound of that. Not the screwing, even though that was nice and certainly not the bloody part. But the home part? Yeah, I could get used to that.