45. Michael #4
He grabbed my shirt.
I pinned him to a tree.
He swung. I ducked. The punch clipped my cheek.
We were two animals, pure instinct, pure possession, pure adrenaline and fear.
“STOP!” Kate shouted, voice breaking. “STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!”
We didn’t.
I tackled him.
He flipped me.
My knuckles split open on his jaw again.
“IF SHE SAW ME FIRST—” Drew snarled.
I slammed him into the dirt.
“You finish that sentence, I’ll bury you where you stand.”
“MICHAEL!” Kate screamed. “I’m pregnant! STOP!”
Everything inside me snapped.
I froze.
Drew froze.
Her face was pale.
Breath shaking.
Hands protectively cradling her belly.
I shoved off him and crossed to her, hands trembling as I cupped her face, checking her, searching every inch of her expression.
“Are you okay?” I whispered hoarsely. “Did we hurt you? Did you fall?”
She shook her head hard. “No. But stop. Please.”
Behind me, Drew wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, blood smeared across his knuckles.
He stared at her—not me—with a look that bordered on heartbreak.
“If she had seen me first,” he said quietly, voice shredded, “She wouldn’t be living like this.”
My vision tunneled.
Kate inhaled sharply. “Drew?—”
“But she saw you,” he finished softly. “She chose you. She married you. And she’s having your child.”
His voice cracked.
“So I guess that settles it.”
The woods went silent.
The river hummed in the distance.
Kate wiped tears from her cheeks. “Drew… please. Don’t do this.”
He swallowed hard, staring at us — the bruises forming on my jaw, the swelling on his.
“She’s yours,” he said, voice flat, final. “She’s always been yours. Even when you were gone.”
He stepped back.
Then looked at me, eyes cold steel.
“Take care of her,” he said. “Because if you don’t…”
He didn’t finish the threat.
He didn’t need to.
He turned and disappeared into the woods, silent as a ghost.
And I stood there holding my wife, heart pounding, knowing we had just crossed a line none of us could ever come back from.
My hands were still shaking.
Not from fear.
Not from pain.
But from the sight of Kate standing between two men ready to rip each other apart.
I sat on the edge of the bed, elbows braced on my knees, trying to steady my breathing. She knelt between my knees, her hands on my thighs, looking up at me like I was the only thing that grounded her.
“Michael,” she whispered gently, “he’s my friend.”
I closed my eyes.
“Kate—”
“A good friend,” she said firmly.
I met her gaze.
“Friends don’t look at my wife like that.”
Her brows lifted. “Friends don’t look at anyone, period, the way Drew looks at me. That’s not on me. It’s just… how he is.”
I scoffed. “How he is? Kate, the man would’ve put a bullet in my skull if I hadn’t moved first.”
“And you would’ve shot him too,” she countered. “You’re both territorial idiots.”
I blinked at her.
She gave me a look.
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “Kate… Drew owns the rival casino. You realize that, right?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “And with your council eliminated, and your uncle out of power soon… it doesn’t hurt to have a friend across the river.”
I laughed humorlessly. “Kate. They’ve got their own council over there. Their own reservation laws. Their own politics. Their own power struggles. Drew’s got his own battles to fight. He needs to stay out of ours.”
She tilted her head, her voice softening.
“Maybe when this is all over… I can help him find his own queen.”
I sat up straight so fast she jerked back.
“Don’t,” I growled. “Don’t you dare play matchmaker. That man already wants you.” She bit her lip, amused.
“Someone’s jealous.”
“I’m protective.” I corrected. “There’s a difference.”
“Mm-hm,” she hummed, kissing my jaw. “Whatever you say, husband.”
I pulled her fully into my lap then, breathing her in, letting the world fall away for a moment.
Her voice was a whisper against my neck.
“You know… when the babies get christened…”
I stiffened.
She continued, “…I’m inviting Drew. And Remi.”
I choked on air.
“You’re what?”
She shrugged, smiling. “They’re important to me.”
“And I’m important to?—”
“Yes,” she cut in gently, “you’re the father of my children. You’re my husband. You’re the love of my life. But you don’t get to erase the people who helped me survive.”
I swallowed.
Hard.
She was right. I hated it, but she was right.
I exhaled. “Fine. They can come. But if Drew even smirks at you?—”
She snorted. “Michael, please.”
“—I’m throwing him in the river.”
She cupped my cheeks, grinning. “You are ridiculous.”
“Possessive,” I corrected again.
She kissed me once, soft and lingering. “That too.”
Then her eyes softened as she slid her thumb across my lower lip.
“So… Brett’s the godfather?”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah. I already asked him. He… uh… got emotional. Tried to pretend it was allergies.”
Kate laughed, eyes shining. “Excellent choice.”
“He’ll be godfather to both,” I said firmly. “I’m not having him play favorites.”
She laughed harder. “Sounds good to me. Are you going to tell him or should I .. that we’re having two babies?”
“He might faint.”
“Probably.”