A Dom is Forever (Masters and Mercenaries #3)(124)

“I’m not leaving, Liam. I’ll stay here with you,” she choked out. “I’ll sit right here and hold you until those minutes are up. I won’t ever go without you.”

“Fuck all, woman. Give me some room.” He gritted his teeth and turned over, forcing his knees to move. A low groan came from his mouth as he pushed up and got to his feet. He held on to the desk, his face a sheet of pure white. “Did you find the tablet?”

She nodded and scurried to grab it. She tucked it under her arm.

“Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?” He swung an arm around her shoulders. “I love you, darlin’. And I will spank you in the afterlife.”

She wasn’t going to the afterlife. She held on to him and moved to the window. It was the fastest way out. Three agonizing steps and they were there. She forced the window open.

“This is going to hurt, baby.” She couldn’t imagine the pain he was going to go through.

“Push me out and then follow me.” His face was set.

He barely groaned, and she forced him through the window. He hit the bushes outside and rolled. Avery followed. How much time was left?

She started through the window, but a big hand reached out to grab her. She shrieked as she was pulled out of the house and lifted into strong arms. She looked up and saw Ian Taggart’s face staring down at her.

“How are you here?” Avery asked.

“When Nelson didn’t show up, we figured out something had gone wrong on this end. We found a dead thug at your place and couldn’t get Li on the phone. This was the first place we thought to check. Alex? You got him?” Ian didn’t seem to even notice her weight.

“I got him,” a deep voice shouted. “And if he’s not insane, then we need to f*cking run. He says the whole place is going to blow, and we need to get him to a hospital ASAP.”

She looked over Ian’s broad shoulder and saw that Alex McKay had slung Liam over his shoulder.

Ian took off, catching up to his partner and running through the garden gate. Jake was waiting, holding the gate open.

“Fuck, is Li alive?” Jake asked.

“Move, Dean. There’s a fire in the hole,” Ian yelled as he ran past. “Take cover.”

She was suddenly on the ground, Ian covering her with his big body. She couldn’t breathe, but she felt another weight on her. Jake Dean lent his own body to protect her. In the moonlight, she managed to move her head, looking for Liam. Alex covered him. Liam reached out, his hand threading among the protective bodies to find hers. He gripped her hand.

She wasn’t alone. She would never be alone again.

A loud boom filled the world and the night lit up. Avery held on to that hand as the world exploded around her.





Chapter TwentyTwo


Three months later

Dallas, TX



Liam looked down at the little scrap of humanity wrapped in a pink blanket. It was actually pretty cute, but it was so damn small. Given who her father was, he’d expected more substance to the kid. “Are you sure she’s yours, Sean?”

He grunted a little as Avery’s hand came out to slap him in the chest. His wife didn’t mind telling him when he was being dumb. “That’s horrible, Li.”

Sean just rolled his blue eyes. “It’s not entirely unexpected. Marriage hasn’t curbed your sarcasm, man. It’s kind of refined it.”

Marriage had refined everything. He looked over at his gorgeous wife, his lover, his best friend, his sub. “I’m better at everything now.”

He was certainly better at pleasing her. It was his job in life.

Avery laughed, her eyes rolling. He bloody loved that. It was her way of telling him she was amused. He was also very good at amusing her. “Listen to him. He’s so arrogant.”

He wasn’t arrogant. He just knew his place. It was by Avery’s side, and she was the smartest damn woman in the world. She was also pregnant. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. He was on top of her most of the time. “Do you think our kid is going to be that wrinkly?”

Grace frowned from her hospital bed. The room was filling up fast. Grace had given birth just twenty-four hours before, but she was already back to smiling and beautiful as she held her tiny girl. “She’s not wrinkly. She spent a lot of time in the womb. Give her a little credit.”

Serena stepped up. “Baby Carys isn’t wrinkly. She’s gorgeous. Look at those little fat baby legs.”

Adam moved behind his wife, his hand covering her slightly rounded belly. “She is beautiful, sweetheart.”

Jake took his place at her side, too. “Our son is going to be gorgeous, too.”

Jake and Adam were sure the baby in Serena’s belly was a boy, but Liam didn’t give a shit. He just wanted a healthy baby. It sort of freaked him out. He still wasn’t sure he was father material, but he loved his wife so much he had to try. That baby would be a part of Avery. The baby would get all her goodness. The baby would be the best thing he could put into the world. While he was scared out of his mind, he was also okay because Avery was with him. Avery was his strength. He pulled her close, nuzzling her hair. This was where he lived. Avery O’Donnell was his home.

“She’s awful cute, love,” Liam offered.

Avery gave him a big grin. “She is.”