34. The Baby
The Baby
Safe house.Chris.The baby.“Oh God.”She threw the blankets back and ran.
The bathroom door slammed behind her.Camila dropped to her knees in front of the toilet just as nausea hit.Her entire body clenched.Again.When it finally stopped, she remained there with one hand braced against the wall.
“Fantastic.”Her voice sounded miserable.She flushed.Sat back.Closed her eyes.Maybe this part would pass quickly.
Maybe she’d be one of those women who had three days of morning sickness and then glowed beautifully for nine months.Camila almost laughed.Considering how the rest of her life was going, she’d probably vomit until delivery.Then she heard footsteps.No.Her eyes opened.
“Camila?”Chris.Of course.The man could apparently wake when a dust particle changed direction in another room.
“I’m fine.”The bathroom handle moved.She lunged toward the door.
“Don’t come in!”Silence.“That’s usually what people say when I should absolutely come in. ”
“Chris.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”A pause.“You’re using my word again.”Even now.Camila closed her eyes.
“Go back to sleep.”
“No.”
“Please.”That stopped him.Chris’s voice changed.Softer.
“Camila?”She looked around the bathroom.And froze.The tests.She’d taken them from the sweatshirt pocket before going to bed.She’d planned to hide them inside her overnight bag until morning.Instead she’d left them beside the sink while changing.Two tests.Side by side.Two pink lines on each.
“Oh, shit.”She scrambled to her feet.Too late.The door opened.Chris had apparently decided asking permission was no longer productive.
“Chris!”He stepped inside.Gray sweatpants.Bare chest.Short blond hair disheveled from sleep.Gun in one hand.Because of course there was a gun.His eyes immediately searched the room.Window.Camila.Floor.
No threat.He lowered the weapon.“What happened?”
“I got sick.”
“You’ve been sick?”
“I’m fine.”
“Stop saying that.”
“You say it constantly.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“Because I’m usually lying.”Despite herself, Camila laughed weakly.Then Chris noticed how pale she was.His expression changed.“Sit.”
“I’m okay.”
“Camila.”
“There isn’t anywhere to—”He closed the toilet lid.“Sit.”She glared.“Bossy.”
“Learned from you.”She sat.Chris crouched in front of her.His hand touched her forehead.
“You’re warm.”
“Probably because I just threw up.”His eyebrows rose.“You threw up?”Camila gave him a look.“What did you think I meant by sick?”
“I don’t know.”His concern intensified.“Food poisoning?”
“No.”
“Virus?”
“No.”
“Did you eat something at headquarters?”
“Chris.”
“What?”
“Stop.”He looked at her.She was trying very hard not to look toward the sink.Naturally—Chris noticed.His eyes narrowed.“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Camila.”
“What?”
“You just looked over there.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
“No.”Chris slowly stood.Her heart began hammering.
“Chris.” She grabbed his arm.He turned.Saw the sink.Stopped.Camila watched his entire body go still.The gun lowered farther.His eyes fixed on the two tests.No.Not fixed.Locked.Camila could practically watch his brain trying to interpret what he was seeing.White plastic.Pink lines.Two tests.Chris looked at them.Then at Camila.Then back at them.His face emptied completely.
“Camila…”She started crying.Immediately.She hated that.She’d imagined telling him differently.Maybe sitting together.Maybe making some cute joke about Special Agent Walker having one investigation he hadn’t figured out.Maybe handing him the tests and watching the realization happen slowly.Not like this.Not kneeling beside a toilet at three in the morning with her hair a mess and her stomach still rolling.But there was no hiding it now.
“I’m pregnant.”Chris didn’t speak.Nothing.Camila wiped her face.
“Chris?”His eyes remained on her.But he still didn’t say anything.Fear hit her.Not Diego.Not Mateo.Not the FBI.Different fear.Personal.
“What?”Chris swallowed.Nothing.Her heart broke a little.
“If you don’t want—”He moved.Fast.One second he was beside the sink.The next, he was kneeling in front of her with both hands cradling her face.“Don’t finish that sentence.”
Camila froze.“Chris—”
“Don’t.”His voice broke.Actually broke.Her tears stopped for half a second.Chris searched her face.“Are you sure?”She nodded.“Two tests.”His eyes flicked toward the counter.“You took both?”
“Yes.”
“Both positive?”
“Yes.”His hands trembled against her cheeks.Camila had seen Chris Walker hold a gun without shaking while men tried to kill them.Seen him maneuver through gunfire.
Seen him stand across from Mateo Vargas with a federal badge on his waist.Now—his hands were shaking because she was pregnant.“Chris?”He looked at her stomach.
Then back at her.His mouth opened.Closed.He laughed once.A tiny, disbelieving sound.
Then his eyes filled.Camila’s heart squeezed.“Oh.”Chris whispered it.“Oh my God.”
“Yeah.”He looked at the tests again.Then at her.“I…”Nothing.Camila almost smiled through her tears.“Special Agent Chris Walker finally doesn’t have an answer?”Chris shook his head.“No.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Yes.”Her face fell.Chris immediately corrected.“No! Fuck. No.”He laughed.“Jesus Christ, I’m terrible at this.”Camila laughed too.“What are you trying to say?”
“I don’t know.”He looked almost helpless.Chris Walker.Helpless.That alone was astonishing.He took her hands.“I’m going to be a dad?”Camila’s eyes filled again.
She nodded.“Yes.”He stared.A smile slowly appeared.Not Roman’s arrogant smile.
Not Chris’s teasing grin.Something she’d never seen before.Pure.Almost boyish.
“I’m going to be a dad.”
“Yes.”He laughed again.This time emotion cracked through it.Chris looked down at her stomach.Then back.“You’re pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“With my baby.”Camila smiled.“Yes, FBI. That’s generally how this works.”Chris laughed so hard he dropped his forehead against her knees.Camila ran her fingers through his hair.
For several seconds he stayed there.Then she felt his shoulders move.Camila frowned.
“Chris?”He lifted his head.His eyes were wet.Actually wet.“Oh my God.”He immediately wiped at them.“Don’t.”
“You’re crying.”
“I am not.”
“Chris Walker is crying.”
“Absolutely not.”
“You have tears.”
“Bathroom’s humid.”Camila laughed.“You’re ridiculous.”Chris stood and pulled her up.
Carefully.Then hugged her.Not the way he usually did.Not desperate.Not heated.
Almost cautious.Like something had changed in how he touched her already.Camila wrapped her arms around him.His hand spread across her back.Then slowly moved lower.
Stopped near her waist.He pulled back.“Can I?”Camila realized what he meant.Her expression softened.She took his hand.Placed it over her stomach.There was no bump.
Nothing for him to feel.Still—Chris stared at his hand like he’d just touched something sacred.“How far?”
“I don’t know.”
“When was your last period?”Camila stared.Chris looked up.“What?”
“You know to ask that?”
“I have basic human knowledge.”
“You’re full of surprises.”
“Apparently so are you.”She laughed.Then counted mentally.“Maybe five weeks?”
Chris’s eyes widened.“Five?”
“Maybe.”He looked at her stomach again.“So…”His voice went quiet.
“There’s really a baby in there.”
“Yes.”
“Our baby.”
“Yes.”Chris shook his head.“Fuck.”Camila raised an eyebrow.“That’s what you have to say to your unborn child?”He immediately crouched slightly toward her stomach.“Sorry.”
Camila burst out laughing.Chris looked up.“What?”
“You just apologized to an embryo.”
“I’m trying to establish a good relationship early.”
“You are such an idiot.”He kissed her stomach through her shirt.Softly.Camila stopped laughing.Her fingers moved into his hair.The emotion became too big too quickly.
She swallowed.“I was going to tell you at headquarters.”Chris looked up.“When?”
“When you came back.”His expression softened.“You had the tests then?”
“In your sweatshirt pocket.”He stared.“You were walking around the FBI office with pregnancy tests in my sweatshirt?”
“Yes.”
“While I was chasing Diego?”
“Yes.”Chris closed his eyes.“Jesus Christ.”
“I nearly told you.”
“When?”
“Twice.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Mercer.”Chris’s expression immediately hardened.“I knew I disliked him.”
“Chris.”
“Kidding.”
“Mostly?”
“Mostly.”He stood again.Then something occurred to him.“You found out while I was at the raid.”Camila nodded.His face changed.“You were alone?”
“Sloan found me.”Chris exhaled.“Good.”
“She sat on the bathroom floor with me.”
“Sounds like Sloan.”
“I told her I didn’t know if you were coming back.”Chris went very still.Camila’s eyes filled.“I’d just found out I was pregnant with your baby.”Her voice cracked.“And then people started yelling about gunfire.”Chris closed his eyes.“Camila.”
“I thought…”She couldn’t finish.Chris pulled her into his arms.“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I do.”His hand cradled the back of her head.“I’m sorry.”
“You were doing your job.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m sorry any less.”Camila pressed her cheek against his chest.She could hear his heart.Steady.Real.Alive.After everything, alive.“Does this scare you?”Chris didn’t lie.
“Terrifies me.”Camila pulled back.He immediately continued.“Not because I don’t want it.”His hands covered hers.“Because I’ve never wanted anything more this quickly.”Her face softened.“You’ve known for four minutes.”
“Exactly.”He looked down.“And now suddenly everything feels different.”Camila understood.Diego.The threats.The safe house.The future.Chris touched her cheek.“I was already scared of losing you.”His eyes dropped toward her stomach.“Now…”
“You have two of us.”Chris nodded.“Yeah.”Camila smiled faintly.“That’s a lot of weaknesses for a federal agent.”His expression hardened.“No.”
“What?”
“You aren’t weaknesses.”Camila remembered that argument.Chris stepped closer.
“You’re my family.”Her breath caught.Family.They hadn’t discussed marriage.Hadn’t figured out what happened after Mateo.Hadn’t even completely repaired the damage caused by Chris’s lies.And somehow—family.Camila touched his face. “That’s a big word agent Walker.”
“I know.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”No hesitation.She looked into his eyes.Chris kissed her.Slowly.Tenderly.
One hand stayed against her stomach.For a little while, there was nothing else.No Diego.
No cartel.No FBI.No raids.No fake names.No warrants.No blood.No lies.Just Chris.
Camila.And somewhere between them, impossibly small—their baby.When they separated, Chris rested his forehead against hers.“I love you.”
“I love you too.”His hand remained on her stomach.“And I already love this kid.”
Camila smiled.
“You don’t even know it.”
“I don’t care.”
“What if they’re exactly like me?”Chris considered.“We’re fucked.”Camila slapped his arm.He laughed.“What if they’re like you?”
“Then we’re definitely fucked.”She laughed.“Short blond hair and terrible attitude?”
“Federal-level sarcasm.”
“God help us.”Chris kissed her forehead.“Do we call a doctor?”
“At three-thirty in the morning?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never done this before.”
“Clearly.”
“Do you need vitamins?”
“Probably.”
“Can you eat?”
“Sometimes.”
“What are you allowed to eat?”
“Food, Chris.”
“Coffee?”
“Limited.”His face changed.“Oh.”Camila narrowed her eyes.“What?”
“You drink a lot of coffee.”
“So do you.”
“I’m not pregnant.”
“Very observant.”He looked genuinely concerned.Camila laughed.“You’re going to be unbearable, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“At least you’re self-aware.”
“Can you travel?”
“Yes.”
“Can you—”A sharp electronic chirp ripped through the house.Chris stopped.Camila stopped.The chirp came again.Then—every light in the safe house changed.
Red indicator lights illuminated above the door.A low alarm began pulsing.
Chris’s expression transformed.Instantly.Father-to-be disappeared beneath Special Agent Walker.He turned toward the bedroom.“Stay here.”Camila caught his arm.“No.”
“Camila.”
“What is that?”
“Perimeter alarm.”Her face went pale.Chris crossed to the sink, grabbed his handgun and checked it.“What triggered it?”
“I don’t know.”Another alarm sounded.Different zone.Chris’s eyes sharpened.
Not one sensor.Two.Someone was outside.He reached for the radio on the counter.“Safe House Three to command. Perimeter alarm, north and west sectors.”Static.Nothing.Chris frowned.“Command, respond.”Still nothing.Camila’s stomach dropped.“Chris.”
He tried again.No answer.“Communications may be jammed.”
“Jammed?”Chris immediately went to her.His hands settled on her shoulders.“Listen to me.”The tenderness from moments ago was gone.But underneath the training—
fear.Not for himself.For her.For them.“You go into the bedroom.”
“Chris—”
“Lock the reinforced bathroom door.”
“No.”
“Camila.”
“I am not leaving you.”Chris stared.Then glanced at her stomach.His face changed.
“It’s not just you anymore.”That silenced her.He took her face gently.“I need you to trust me.”
“I do.”
“Then do exactly what I say.”Outside—a light shattered.Both froze.Chris turned toward the window.Darkness.The property lights on one side were gone.Someone had deliberately taken them out.
“Fuck.”He reached into the concealed weapons cabinet.Camila watched.Rifle.Extra magazine.Radio.Chris moved with terrifying efficiency.
“Bedroom. Now.”Camila backed toward the hallway.
“Chris.”He looked at her.She put one hand over her stomach.
“Come back to me.”His expression broke for half a second.Then he nodded.
“Always.”A loud impact hit the rear door.Camila jumped.Chris raised the weapon.
Another impact.Harder.The frame groaned.The alarm screamed.Chris positioned himself between Camila and the door.His voice dropped.
“Go.”Camila ran.Chris watched until she disappeared down the hallway.Then turned toward the rear entrance.Third impact.The lock began to give.Chris tightened his grip.Ten minutes ago, he’d learned he was going to be a father.Now someone was trying to breach the house containing the woman carrying his child.His eyes went cold.
“Bad fucking night to come through that door.”The door shuddered again.And this time—the frame cracked.