Vengeance Aside (Wanted Men 0.5)(73)

“You and Dale continue with your day,” his father eventually said. “We can talk later.”

Lukas was gearing up to sprint to their bedroom when Adam’s voice stopped him. “There’s a letter in here for a Mr. M.”

“Mr. M?” His father frowned as he turned from sending his byki to the kitchen for lunch.

“That’s probably for you,” Dale whispered, giving Lukas a shove. “You’re the only Mr. Murdery I know in this house.”

He grinned and put his hand up as he made his way over. “Claimed. My wife has a warped sense of humor,” he explained when the frown didn’t leave his father’s face.

“It isn’t really warped,” Dale assured her father-in-law as Adam also took his leave. “It’s a private joke. Just a little something I call him when he gets funny on me.”

His father leaned against the door jamb and crossed his arms before rubbing at his closely cut salt-and-pepper beard. “I cried when Lukas’s mother said ‘I do,’ and from then on, her private nickname for me was the Grim Weeper.”

Lukas tore open the plain white envelope as Dale laughed.

“See?” she said, watching him take out a card, “Mr. Murdery isn’t so bad after all.”

It wasn’t bad at all, he thought absently as he saw the card was grey with white polka dots. In the center, in a flourishing print were the words Property of the Zavrazin Organization.

“Did you have yourself registered?” He was only half joking.

She rolled her eyes. Her glittering eyes. “Turn it over,” she recommended in a voice that barely worked well enough to carry across the entrance.

The tension in the room skyrocketed. Even his father straightened and gave Dale a careful look.

Lukas headed for her as he flipped the card…

His knees turned to water, and he stumbled to a halt. A baby girl. There was a photo of a baby girl…a wave of heat blew over his face when he saw that it was a goddamn birth announcement.

December 18

Nine months away.

His breath left his lungs as his head came up. “Dale?”

She nodded, making tears splash down her face. “We did it.”

“Did what? What the fuck happened?” his father demanded in his most daunting Pakhan voice.

“Get over here.” Lukas scooped his wife against him before handing the card over, then he clamped his jaws shut and tried not to sob like a fucking girl. He held her for a long time, and when he pulled back, his father had discreetly disappeared. He’d taken the card with him.

“When did you find out?” He coughed the knot of joy out of his throat. “Jesus Christ,” he whispered as he slipped his hand down the front of her pants and laid his palm across her tight navel where his growing child was currently residing. He enjoyed the slow breath she took, and the warm look she gave him from under her lashes as she reached up to wipe the moisture from his cheeks.

“Last night. And no crying, yet, Papa. That part comes when we have our first ultrasound done and it shows two babies.” Her wink was the sexiest shit ever.

He knew she was teasing, but he asked anyway. “Are there twins in your family?”

“My aunt had twins, but, according to my mom, no one knew where they came from, so I’m assuming not on her side. On my dad’s? I don’t know. I’ve never asked.”

“Then we’ll revert to ways past and wait to find out. We don’t have any in the family, so I think we might be able to enjoy our children one at a time.”

She let out a shaky little breath. “Sounds wonderful.” She pressed forward, which sent his hand deeper into her pants.

The front door opened behind him and, as he regretfully removed his hand away from paradise, he heard Farah griping about the heat.

“You live in Texas, babe.” Samuel pulled her through the door. They were in running gear and covered in sweat. “Besides, we both know you’re just trying to make excuses for why you lost again. This isn’t even a challenge anymore. Hey, you two.” He waved. “This one is getting up there.” He winced and pointed to the ceiling. “She owes me another backrub.”

Farah landed a sound slap on his ass. “He shoved me into the brush when he said go. I almost fell on my ass. Where’s Kostya? I’m telling.” She was jerked back when she went to walk away.

“I didn’t push you hard enough for you to fall, you liar.” Like they were on a movie set, Samuel bent his wife over his arm and looked down into her face. As was the norm, he didn’t attempt to hide the love he felt for her. “How about we forget the backrub and you let me chase you around the pool for a while? That’ll cool you down nicely.”

Farah came up and kissed her man. “Deal. Get rid of our audience.”

Samuel pulled her up and waved them off. “Go find something to do. I need some alone time with my old lady.”

“Actually, we have—”

“Lukas.”

He turned at the sharp note in his father’s voice. He was in the doorway of the living room, wiping tears from his cheeks.

“Kostya?”

“Papa? What is it?”

Samuel and Farah came across the foyer wearing matching expressions of concern.

Lukas’s father put a hand up. “Go upstairs. I need to speak with Lukas and Dale.”