I had my angel. She was mine. Only mine. The only thing that would make this day absolutely perfect was if everything was okay with the baby.
Positioning herself on the table, Maren lifted her shirt. Her hands shook as I soothingly stroked one with my thumb. A large screen flickered at the end of the room. The doctor watched the screen. Black and white fuzz filled it as the technician moved the wand across her stomach.
“Doctor, please tell me what’s going on.” The plead of Maren’s voice nearly undid me. I wanted to choke the answers out of the doctor.
She turned and smiled to us. “I’m sorry to have scared you, but it’s best to wait until a number of theories can be confirmed. The reason I heard an echo was because there’s not just one baby.”
Maren interrupted the doctor. “What are you saying?”
I was frozen to the spot. Did the baby have a third arm? Four legs? Two heads? My mind spun out of control with possibilities.
“You’re having twins.”
We asked at the same time, “What?”
The doctor gave us a gentle smile. “Yes, you’re expecting twins.”
“Two babies.” My voice was in awe as I approached the screen. The doctor talked and pointed to two little lima bean-shaped objects in Maren’s belly. Our babies. They were perfect. Beyond perfect. This was a miracle.
I repeated myself, “Two babies.”
The doctor nodded to us. “Congratulations, Mom and Dad.”
I was speechless as it sunk in.
Two babies. Two.
I rushed to Maren and kissed her for everyone to see, not caring that we had an audience. “I love you, angel. Thank you for giving me this.”
Finally, I had let my guard down. Maren knew how I truly felt and it was fan-fucking-tastic for it to be out there. I waited as she searched my eyes and tears filled her own. What if she wasn’t in love with me? Fuck.
The door shut and we were alone. I went to speak, but she cut me off. “I love you, too,” she cried. “Did you mean what you said in the office before we came in here?”
Kissing her lips, I poured my love into her. “I did. Maren, when you’re ready I want you to be my wife. I love you.” I hadn’t planned on saying it that way, but I’d learned to seize the moment. Waiting only led to regrets.
She wiped a tear from her eye. “Are you asking me to marry you?”
“I am. If you’ll have me.” I felt exposed as I waited for her answer, not knowing if I’d rushed this too fast.
Maren sat up and looked at me with her beautiful eyes. “Are you sure you want this? I don’t want you regretting it later. Marriage is a lifetime commitment for me. We can take this slow if you need to. I’m not going anywhere.”
Grabbing her beautiful face between my hands, I held her. “I will never regret spending my life with you. I’ve fallen in love with you over seven weeks.”
This was the least romantic way to start our life together, but Maren got me. She watched me closely and my eyes never wavered from hers. Grabbing my face, she kissed me. “Yes. I’ll marry you. I love you, Bane.”
TWINS. WE WERE having twins. I held my stomach. There were two babies inside of me. Looking over at Bane, he looked happy as he pulled me to him while we laid in bed naked and entwined. The memory of his lips kissing me slowly brought goose bumps to my exposed flesh.
We’d made love for the first time. He’d held my hands as he slid in and out of me, uniting us in a way I never thought possible.
“What are you thinking about, angel?” His finger trailed down my arm. A voice of pure contentment.
For the first time, I felt what I had been missing for so long—a family. “Us. Making love. What it felt like to have you inside of me without any barriers.”
Bringing me closer to him, Bane kissed my neck. His warm breath tickled my neck. “I’m going to make love to you every day.”
“Hopefully, there will still be some fuckings, too.”
Bane nipped my shoulder. “Definitely.”
A somber silence fell over us. “Maren, I’m scared of losing you. Of losing them.”
Quietly, I added, “I’m scared of losing you. Of you realizing this life with the babies isn’t for you.” If Bane decided this was too much it would destroy me.
“This is it for me, angel. I’m all in.” There was conviction is his voice. “No turning back. You’re mine forever.”
“I’m all in, too. I’m yours … forever.”
A peace filled the air. Fingers trailed down my stomach. “We are going to have double the trouble.”
Glancing back, Bane smiled as he chuckled. “I can’t wait.” He nuzzled my neck. “How fast do you want to get married?”
Married. I couldn’t believe Bane proposed. “I don’t want a formal wedding.” The movement on my stomach stopped. “What do you want, Maren?”
“If you want something more, I’m fine with it. Okay?” I turned toward Bane. This was new territory for us on so many levels.
Bane searched my face. “I’ll tell you if it’s not something I want. I’ll always be honest with you.”
Running a finger down his chest, I told him what I wanted. “I want us to commit ourselves to each other. No wedding. No pastor.” It wasn’t conventional, but it fit us.
“Where?”
Excited flutters coursed through me. “Here. Now. But that’s only if you want.”
“Now? You’re okay committing ourselves while being naked?”
I giggled. “It may not be conventional, but I want us to be together.”
Bane pulled me closer to him. “I, Bane, promise to cherish you for the rest of my days. I’ll never leave or abandon you. I’ll protect you and our family with every fiber of my being. I’ll be yours forever.”
We were doing this. Right here. Right now. I kissed him. “I, Maren, promise to love you with every ounce of my being. Be a good wife and mother. Be there for you in the good times and the bad. Let you be my everything and be yours in return.”
Bane rolled on top of me as I felt the tip of him enter me. The connection between us intensified as I asked, “So, we’re married?”
“We’re married.” He pushed in and I could sense victory coursing through him. “I love you, wife.”
“I love you too, husband.”
My world was complete.
Christmas was approaching in less than a week. I neared three months into the pregnancy. Sex was amazing. I couldn’t get enough of it. Marriage was more than I’d ever thought. My stomach had a little bump to it with the twins. Everything showed faster and the risks were greater. I couldn’t wait to feel them move around, but I was nervous. Sixty percent of all twins came prematurely. The risks were all amplified. Bane seemed to be handling all the information well, but I knew he worried.
I loved him more every day and I wanted my family more than I’d wanted anything.
Twins. It was going to be crazy caring for two babies. With Bane by my side, I knew we could handle it. Bane laid beside me, peacefully sleeping with his hand on my stomach. It’s how we slept every night. He’d told me he wanted to make sure our babies knew he was there and would never leave.
Beside the bed, his cell phone vibrated. Without missing a beat, Bane grabbed the phone, cleared his throat and spoke. “Hello. Yes. Are you sure? That’s good news. Thanks, Alex. I will.” I wasn’t sure how he could go from fast asleep to wide awake in a nanosecond. He looked toward me after he hung up and answered my silent query. “Sarge and Eric’s bodies have been identified. Looks like a deal gone bad. We’re in the clear. Alex is assembling a team to take care of all the connections and see if there were any other leaks.”
Relief coursed through me. I’d been trying to push it to the side with all the worry the twins brought and live in my happy bubble. I was married and in love. Stress wasn’t good and I tried to pretend the underlying fear wasn’t there. But now that the door had been opened, I had to ask, “Will it ever be safe for us?”
Propping up on his
elbow, Bane popped his neck. “Angel, I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I will protect our family.”
“I know. I trust you … implicitly.”
“But …”
I took a deep breath as I thought about all we had been through. “But what if there are still some loose ends out there? What if Eric did tell someone else? What if Sarge had a backup plan? I’m trying not to stress about it, Bane. But—”
He silenced me with a kiss. “Don’t get stressed. It’s not good for you. I have a solution, but was going to wait and discuss it with you after the pregnancy.”
“What is it?”
Bane sat up and the sheet pooled at his waist, showcasing his muscular torso. Scrubbing his scalp, he watched me closely as he said, “Disappearing. Completely beginning a new life. Never contacting anyone again that we currently know. It’s the safest way I know, but it means leaving everything.”
It was hard to believe it would be that simple. “How would we do it?”
“Stage our deaths. Then disappear. Start over somewhere normal. Create false identities.”
It was no different than what we originally planned when I was going without Bane. The decision had been easy with all that was on the line. “That’s what I want to do.”
“Okay, we’ll go after the babies are born.”
I could tell he wasn’t sure if I was certain. The pregnancy did make me a little more emotional, but I knew this was the right decision. “Why not now when I’m still early in the pregnancy? When the babies are born it will make it so much harder.”
“Maren, this isn’t a decision to be made lightly. We—”
I put my fingers to his lips. “I know. Bane, I was willing to do it without you. I was prepared to leave Frankie.” Closing my eyes for a second, I pushed the sadness away from losing my brother. “We need to do this. I don’t want to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life and wonder if it’s okay for the kids to play in the yard in case there’s someone waiting to take them.”
Rolling me under him, Bane looked me in the eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I know you’ll pick a safe place for us and the pregnancy.”
Bane’s dick was hard against my thigh. I squirmed. Positioning himself at my entrance, he pushed in. “We’ll make all the decisions together. It’s you and me, my angel and wife.”
I arched into the friction. “Yes. Forever.”
“THANKS, HAMPTON.”
“Anytime. I’ll be in touch.” I hung up the phone. I was going to miss my friend as we set the plans in motion. He was the only one I trusted to help me and vice versa.
Looking at the morning paper while I sipped my coffee, I prepared for my next call using a secure line. I had connections with more people than I realized. Maren spent the last few years buried in work and helping Frankie. She’d merely survived. There were no friends Maren wanted to see one last time. It shocked me how little she was tied to this world. I’d checked on her previous jobs and no one had even reported her missing. They let her stop showing up.
Fucking pathetic.
The water ran in the bathroom while Maren hummed to herself. We were nearly set to put our plan in action. When, where and how had all been finalized. All we needed now were a few little details tied up and Maren and I would be gone.
If Alex still watched us, he’d see that we were now down to a team of two for the security detail. After tomorrow we’d be down to one. Before New Year’s Eve, the last one would be dismissed. With their findings and eliminating the ties, it would seem out of place for me to keep so many men around.
Tomorrow I’d let him know about our plans for New Year’s. We were planning a trip to New York. Last time we’d spoke, Alex asked for me to keep him updated on my position. It was a normal request, but Maren was right. We’d never truly be safe as long as I remained Bane.
I took a deep breath; this was going to be the hardest phone call yet. The phone rang on the secure line.
“Wales.”
“Wales. Bane.”
“Bane. I hoped it was you. I got the message that it was okay to take the security threat level down. Thank you for handling the situation. Alli asked me yesterday if you were coming to town any time soon. We’re in Tampa currently with the team.”
The local newspaper had a shot of Damien and Alli arriving at the hotel with their two children. They were here for two more days before they headed home for Christmas. “I wanted to know if we could get together. There’s someone I want you to meet. I’m in Brandon near you guys.”
He paused. “Are congratulations in order?”
“They are. I’m married and expecting twins.” The pride in my voice was evident.
“Congratulations, Bane. There isn’t a man I know more deserving. How about you guys come to the hotel at six tomorrow? We’ll dine in. The kids will want to see you.” It meant a lot that Damien knew I’d found happiness. We’d been through a lot together as we solved who killed his sister.
This was bittersweet as I prepared to see those who I considered my closest family for the last time. “Sounds good. We’ll see you then.”
“This is good-bye isn’t it, Bane?”
For a second I remained silent. “It is. I have a past and I need to protect my family.”
He let out a breath. “I won’t ask any questions. But know if there’s anything you ever need, I’m here.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
We hung up. Maren came out of the bedroom wearing a snug T-shirt. Her protruding belly brought warmth to me every time I saw it. Though the good-byes were hard, I couldn’t regret the sacrifice. I was getting everything I’d ever dreamed of with a woman I never imagined having.
The evening winded down as we sat in the living room of the Penthouse suite. Kendall and Ryder, Allison and Damien’s children, walked into the room each holding a gift. Kendall was an exact replica of her mother with blonde hair and blue-green eyes. Ryder looked like Damien with his black hair and blue eyes. I wondered what our children would look like. I hoped like Maren.
Kendall, in her little four-year-old voice, said, “Uncle Bane, we got you and Maren a gift.”
My heart tore at their words. Damien insisted it would be good for his kids to see us one last time. They often asked about me. I hoped that was the case. Lying to them felt wrong, but they deserved closure. Ryder, at two, could barely hold the gift in his two hands as he waddled my way. Kendall skipped to Maren.
I cursed Black Division for putting me in this position.
Kendall laid the gift on her lap. “Mommy said to give this to you. Can you come over again? I want to play princess.”
Maren fell for my adopted family. A few tears formed in her eyes. “I love playing princesses. My brother used to play that with me when I was little.”
There was no escaping Maren’s non-answer. Allison mashed her lips together as Damien held her hand. “Open it. I love presents.”
Ryder made it to me as he tossed the present on my lap. “Bane! Bane! Bane!” I picked up the little man. “Want to help me?”
Both kids excitedly said, “Yes!”
Paper tore and was tossed on the ground. Within each box was a silver rattle with diamond handles. I read the inscription aloud. “Family lives in the heart regardless of how far apart.”
Maren stood and engulfed Allison in a hug. Kendall spoke. “Why is Maren sad, Uncle Bane?”
I patted her head as I stood. “Because you guys mean a lot to us. It was a special gift.”
Damien stood and patted me on the back. “You’re a good man. I hope one day we can see each other again.”
“I hope so.”
Sacrifice was something I knew well. Hopefully one day I’d be able to have all those I cared about back in my life. Hope and faith were what I needed to hold on to.
Two days before New Year’s Eve, we drove to the airplane hangar. Maren remained quiet beside me. She and Allison hit it off. If we’d been able to stay, I knew they wou
ld have been good friends. The night with the Wales had been bittersweet. They were the only family I’d known besides the Black Division.
“Any regrets, angel?” I hoped to hell she didn’t have any. She was my true north that kept me steady. We’d be able to face anything together.
Squeezing my hand, her eyes looked to mine. “Never. I will never regret a single moment that brought us together.”
That was all I needed to hear. Maren was like the air I needed to breathe to survive. Our first stop to have the babies would be Switzerland. They were medically equipped to handle the delivery along with any complications we may have. The country was filled with expats. It would be easy to blend in. All of the paperwork had been completed.
Everything was set. Hampton decided a fresh start for him and Felecia was best, too. It had been a hard decision with their multiple friends, family, and his business.
We agreed not tell each other where we were going. It was safer that way for now. We’d established one way to communicate with each other in case of an emergency. The only way to warn each other if we’d been found out.
Maybe one day we’d bump into each other again. Only time would tell.
The plan was simple. We were all going away for a few days. Hampton and I could fly. We were renting out a small plane and flying up to New York City for New Year’s Eve to see the ball drop. We’d all arrive at the airport along with the bodies Hampton procured to put in the plane. The private hangar would provide the privacy needed for the swap.
Any cameras watching would see three people in Hampton’s car and two in mine. Hampton’s car had him as a driver with Felicia and a male cadaver in the backseat. Three more cadavers were in the trunk. Hampton mentioned during one of our scheduled check-ins that Felicia was freaked out with the situation, but it had to be done. Maren and Felicia had been through hell over these last few months. Hopefully, they’d never have to deal with anything from the past again.
When we left, I’d be driving with the same driver’s hat Hampton had worn on the way in. Felicia and Maren would be out of sight in the back. While we were headed to our hotel, Hampton would fly the plane north. Somewhere in the mountain ranges, Hampton would parachute out and crash the plane into the side of a mountain. If all went to plan, we’d be pronounced dead by nightfall. The flight logs that had been filed would show we rented the plane. We were rigging the scene to look like someone took us out, sending Black Division away from us for good—or that’s what we hoped.
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