The Wild Wolf Pup (Zoe's Rescue Zoo #9)(126)

“Lace, take her straight home,” I tell my daughter as I buckle Reina’s seatbelt and turn my eyes to her. “You feel okay?” I ask, narrowing my eyes as she shifts uncomfortably.

“I’m fine,” she insists. “I’m just tired,” she adds as she kisses me.

“I’ll meet you at home and we’ll take a load off, watch one of those sappy movies you love so much.”

She smiles widely, and I laughed. Sunshine loves torturing me with the Lifetime Channel. I press another quick peck to her mouth before closing the door and tapping the hood of the car.

“Jack, I need a word,” Rocco Spinelli calls from behind me and the smile instantly falls from my lips. I turn, rolling my neck from side to side as I size up the boss of the Pastore family. The threads are the same and I’m sure Vic’s smiling down on his protégé. On second thought, maybe not, the kid seems to have forgotten the silk tie and matching handkerchief. That shit wouldn’t fly with Vic.

“We have nothing to discuss,” I say finally, lifting my gaze to his. Standing beside Vic’s coffin I observed a lot over the last few days and I decided on a number of things on behalf of myself and my club.

Victor Pastore wasn’t anything like the mobsters that flooded that funeral parlor. Not even the man he trained to take his place could ever fill his shoes, and I didn’t have a desire to join forces with any of these mutts.

“It’s about the bomb,” he mutters, undoing the top button of his collared shirt.

Rolling my eyes, I let out a sarcastic chuckle, he knows shit about that bomb. He wasn’t there when everything turned to dust. He didn’t lift a finger to help rebuild. He sat his pretty boy ass down, kicked up his legs in his mansion and barely checked in on his aunt.

“Thanks, but we’ve got everything under control.” I dismiss him, turning back around to head for my bike but he grabs a hold of my arm and holds me back.

Snatching back my arm, I step to him, narrowing my eyes as I drill him with a deadly glare.

“Don’t you ever put your fucking hands on me again, not unless you want me to cut them off—” I threaten but he quickly cuts me off.

“I don’t think the Corrupt Bastards sent that guy into your clubhouse with the bomb. There’s another enemy moving into our harbor and our streets and his name is Vladimir Yankovich. I have reason to believe he was working with the Bastards. Now, I think we can shut him—”

“Hold it,” I order, cutting him off and holding up my hand to stop the bullshit spewing from his mouth. “First, what happened to my club isn’t your concern. I don’t give a fuck about your theories and I sure as hell didn’t ask for them. Second, you made a mistake assuming there is a we here,” I growl as I wave a finger between his chest and mine. “My alliance was with Victor,” I clarify, pointing behind his shoulder to his fresh grave and his wife standing over his casket saying her final goodbye. “That alliance follows that coffin into the ground today. The Satan’s Knights are done with the mob.”

“But—” Rocco argues and I shake my head.

“And they say I’m the one with failing ears,” I grunt. “We’re done here,” I continue. “Good luck, boy, you’re sure as hell going to need it.”

“Dad!”

I turn around at the sound of my daughter shouting.

“Reina’s water broke!”

There was no mistaking those three words, and I took off as quickly as my feet would carry my ass down the hill to the curb where Lacey’s car was parked. Pulling open the passenger door, my eyes roam over Reina, watching as tears stream down her cheeks and she clutches her belly.

“I’m sorry,” she cries.

“Woman, what’re you sorry for?” I question, taking her hands in mine.

“The car, it’s a mess!”

I glance down at the stains setting in Lacey’s mats and let out a low chuckle as I turn my attention back to my wife.

“Damn, Sunshine,” I shake my head, taking her face in my hands and touch my forehead to hers. “Who gives a fuck about the mats? We’re about to have a baby,” I rasp as I smile at her, my thumbs work at drying her tears. “You ready to meet this kid of ours?”

“I’m more than ready,” she whispers. Leaning in to kiss me, she pauses and her eyes go wide. “Oh God,” she groans as she clutches her belly.

“What? What is it?”

“I think I’m having a contraction,” she says, through clenched teeth.

“Is it true? Oh dear, it’s true!” Grace says, coming up behind me. I turn to her, relieved to see someone who probably knows what the hell is going on.

“She thinks she’s having a contraction,” I explain.

“She most definitely is. Give me your watch,” Grace orders, pulling open the back door and climbing into the car. I hand her my watch and run around the front of the car and switch places with Lacey. Grace has one hand planted on Reina’s shoulder, caressing her arm as she tells her to breathe and eyes the watch in her hand.

“We’ll follow you,” Lacey says, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Good luck!”

“Love you,” I call out the window and start the car. “Hang in there, Sunshine, we’ll be at the hospital in no time,” I tell her, steering the car with one hand and placing the other on her knee.