by Simply BWWM
She disappeared, but another nurse took her place in an instant, getting Nina ready and in a hospital gown with practiced precision. A few moments later a doctor sailed into the room, way too peppy for Nina’s taste and already scrubbed up and ready to go. The doctor took her place on a rolling chair, checking Nina and smiling at Alex.
“I hope you’re ready now, because we’re about to have a baby.”
“I need medication,” Nina said, but the doctor was already shaking her head.
“No time, honey. When I say now, I mean now. You’ve been in labor for hours.”
Alex took her head in his hands, looking deep into her eyes and smiling.
“You’ve got this,” he said, smiling. “You can do this. Just focus on me and breathe like we practiced, okay?”
“I can’t do this,” she said.
“Sure, you can,” the peppy red-headed doctor said. “You’ve done the hard part, just keep breathing and push when you feel the urge.”
Nina focused on Alex, copying his breathing and squeezing his fingers until she was sure she would break them with each push. When she felt a sudden relief and heard a baby’s cry fill the room she fell back, tears of joy streaming down her face. The nurses rushed forward, wiping him down and setting him on Nina’s chest.
When she looked down at the little head of curly hair, everything else melted away. Alex tenderly ran a single finger over the tiny little head, smiling at Nina when their eyes met.
“I told you, you could do it. Baby, he’s beautiful.”
“He?” she said. “I didn’t even think to ask.”
“Definitely a boy,” the doctor said. “We’ll clean up and be out of your way in a minute. Congratulations. You did good.”
Nina thanked the doctor and smiled at Alex, then looked down at the tiny babe on her chest.
“I can’t believe you’re finally here,” she whispered, tears still streaming down her face. “I love you so much.”
“Does he have a name?” a nurse said from behind Alex.
“I had one in mind,” she said. “But it’s up to you.”
“Gabriel Demarcus. After your dad and mine.”
Alex nodded, too touched to speak.
“My stepfather would have loved you,” he said finally. “My mother, too.”
The nurse handed Alex the certificate and he wrote down the name, then handed the clipboard to Nina. She noticed that their names were already typed in the spaces provided, and she carefully signed her new name as it appeared on the birth certificate.
TeLina Jackson, wife of Vance Jackson.
Just like that, the nurse was gone and they were alone for a few minutes, just the three of them. Nina soaked in the peaceful feeling, head tilted and resting against Alex’s.
“Does that flash drive have what I think it does on it?”
“Everything that was on your computer’s desktop,” she confirmed with a wry smile.
“You’re perfect,” he said.
“I know.”
They were still laughing when Miguel and Jasmine breezed into the room, excitedly wishing them well and admiring Gabriel. Nina handed him off to Jasmine, who immediately took her phone out and took a selfie with the child.
Miguel scowled.
“I hope you have the GPS turned off on that phone.”
“Relax,” she said. “It doesn’t have the SIM card in. I’m not an idiot.”
“I never said you were,” Miguel said, and Nina realized that he was looking at Jasmine much like the way Alex had looked at her in those early days.
He liked Jazzy. Things were about to get interesting, and it wasn’t just because there was a new baby.
“Is this where we’re living?” Nina asked Miguel, careful to keep her voice low.
“The house is close, outside the city limit of Jacksonville, so quiet and close-knit without being too far from the city.”
“They said you should be able to go home tomorrow,” Jasmine said. “We need to get some things for the house.”
“We don’t have anything for the baby,” Nina fretted.
“I got ya, boo,” Jasmine said, patting her hand.
“We’ll be back in the morning,” Miguel said.
“You’re not staying here?” Nina asked.
“If you’re not safe here, then you’re not safe in this city,” Miguel said. “Just remember your new names and don’t offer too much information to the nurses. Get some rest. We’ll be here first thing in the morning to pick you up.”
They left Alex and Nina alone to be with their new addition. Nina couldn’t stop staring at him, watching him breathe and move his lips in his sleep. She couldn’t be sure because he was so little, but it looked like he had Alex’s bright green eyes. He felt good against her skin, his hot little body warming hers in the cool room.
When the nurse brought a clear plastic bassinet into the room with Gabriel’s name on a tag, she was loathed to put him in it.
“I’m not ready to let him out of my sight,” she said to the nurse.
“He’s not going anywhere,” the nurse said, a hefty black woman with an obvious Louisiana accent. “The couch there pulls out for Dad, and you and Dad and baby jump right into being a family. If you need anything, push the button. When you can stand, make sure you walk around as much as you can. The bathroom has a shower and everything you need to make yourself at home.”
“This is amazing. Do you have room service, too?”
She was only teasing, but the nurse smiled.
“We don’t, but the cafeteria is open twenty-four hours in the maternity wing. I can take your little guy to the nursery and you and Dad can have something to eat.”
When she saw Nina look worriedly in Gabriel’s direction she patted her arm.
“Newborns sleep through most of their first day. He won’t even notice you’re gone. Take a shower and enjoy some peace and quiet. You don’t know how many hot meals you’re going to miss now that you have a baby.”
Nina didn’t need any more convincing than that.
*
They returned early in the morning as promised, and Jasmine handed Nina a freshly washed outfit with tiny blue whales all over it.
“This is cute, thank you.”
“He’s going to have to sleep in your room while the paint airs out for a couple days, but you’re going to love his room.”
“Paint?”
“Tiana was up all night putting the nursery together,” Miguel said. “Your sister is quite handy.”
Nina rolled her eyes.
“We don’t even look like sisters,” she whispered, but Miguel only laughed and shrugged.
Nina put the clothes on Gabriel, talking to him softly while she did. When the nurse appeared to check them out, Jasmine took Gabriel and put him in the car seat she’d brought to the hospital that morning, then tucked the blanket around him.
“Don’t you look cute,” Jasmine said. “Auntie’s gonna spoil you rotten. Yes, she is.”
Nina left the hospital the same way she’d arrived, in a wheelchair. Miguel had already installed the base in the car, and Jasmine snapped it into place, then got into the front seat, leaving Alex and Nina in the back with the baby.
“We’ll need to buy clothes and go grocery shopping this week,” Miguel said as he drove through the streets. “But Gabriel is taken care of.”
“I’m scared to ask.” Nina laughed.
“I told you, Auntie’s gonna spoil that boy rotten,” Jasmine shot back. “I wasn’t playing.”
When they turned down Riverview Drive and meandered down the windy road that ran along the St. John’s River, Nina tore her eyes away from the baby for a minute to check out the beautiful scenery.
“This is nice,” she said.
“Wait until you see the house,” Jasmine said.
Miguel pulled up to a heavy iron gate, typing in the code and driving down the driveway. The gate closed behind them with a heavy thud. The property was similar to the one in Miami, wit
h native trees and plants strategically planted to block people from seeing into the yard. But it was the house that caught her attention.
It was obviously a newer house, but it was built to look like an old farmhouse, with a huge porch that wrapped around the entire house, and narrow pillars spaced evenly between the rails. Miguel drove past the house, down the gravel drive that led straight to the river.
The entire property was fenced, high enough that Nina would never have to worry about Gabriel wandering to the water’s edge. The gate was a lot like the one at Alex’s house, which required a code to open no matter what side you were on.
“All in all, the property including the private dock is just over two acres,” Miguel said. “The main house is six bedrooms, five baths, and the guest house is three and three.”
“I didn’t even see the guest house,” Nina said. “This place is beautiful.”
“It took some convincing to get them to approve this house, but it was a steal at two million, and the money that’s being put in your bank account is technically from the liquidation of all Alex’s legal assets. I sold them on the guest house, which makes it easier for me to keep you safe.”
“You’re staying here?” Nina and Jasmine said in unison.
“I’m your permanent handler. After the case was done, they asked where I wanted to go next, and this is the job I chose.”
“Bold choice,” Nina said, then laughed when his face went blank. “I’m just kidding. Better you than someone else. At least I know you.”
“I’m not the man you think I am.”
“You keep saying that, but the important parts remain.”
“And what are those?”
“You’ve been by Alex’s side for more than five years, and you’ve saved both our lives at one time or another. I would have gone back for Alex at the mansion if you hadn’t stopped me, and I could have been shot.”
Miguel pulled in front of the house and parked the car, sitting there for a moment before he killed the engine.
“We’ll worry about cars and anything else later. You have enough money in the bank to live for a long time before you need to get a job. Degrees and job history have been generated for you, complete with phony references that will be verified by an agent. Basically, you just live your lives, start calling each other by your new names, and never tell anyone the truth about who you are.”
Alex carried the baby carrier inside, standing behind Nina when Miguel opened the door and pushed it wide so Nina could take it all in.
“Wow,” she said. “This is much better than I expected.”
“It’s no mansion in Miami, but it’s pretty close,” Miguel said.
Nina walked through the house, stopping in each of the rooms on the first floor and marveling at the size of each one. Only the living room, dining room, and nursery were furnished. Miguel had left the rest for Alex and Nina to put their stamp on, just making sure that they would have some creature comforts while they got settled.
There were two bedrooms downstairs with a bathroom between them. They were empty, as were three of the four rooms on the second floor.
“I know that having dinner together is important to you,” Miguel said. “So, I picked out this large farm table so no matter what we’re all doing, we always have a place to meet for dinner.”
“Thank you,” Nina said. “I still think about those nights and miss the faces around that table.”
“They were thugs,” Jasmine said.
“They were, but they were people, too, and they were all very kind to me. In fact, the only person who wasn’t nice to me was Miguel. Apparently, he thought his salty attitude was going to run me off.”
Miguel laughed.
“You can’t say that I didn’t try.”
“And fail.”
When the laughter died down, Nina changed the subject. “What are we going to do about the rest of the rooms? I just had a baby, there’s no way I’m sleeping on the couch or the floor.”
“Alex and I can finish shopping for furniture today while you and Tiana figure out what we need for the kitchen and toiletries. When you feel better, there’s a mall about twenty minutes away with plenty of high-end clothing stores. There’s a purse on the kitchen table with your new IDs, credit cards, and SIM cards for your phones. There’s also a business card for the local grocery delivery service. Figure out what you want to stock the kitchen with, and use that card. It has a high limit, so don’t worry about a budget.”
“They deliver groceries here?” Jasmine said.
“They deliver everything here,” Nina said. “For the right price.”
“Before we leave,” Alex said, “I want to see the nursery.”
He grabbed the car seat by the handle, careful not to wake the baby sleeping inside. Nina followed him up the stairs while Jasmine and Miguel stayed downstairs. When she turned down the hall and saw what Jasmine had done, she gasped.
“It’s beautiful,” she called down, stopping herself from calling her “Jazzy” just in time, then turning back to the room. “It’s so beautiful.”
The windows were open wide, the little room at the end of the hall with windows on two sides. Despite the fresh, dove gray paint, the room smelled fresh. The furniture was white, the bedding and fabric on the rocking glider pale yellow. Bright blue pillows adorned the recliner and the glider, and on the one wall without a door or a window, Jasmine had painted a giant mural, complete with ocean animals beneath the dark blue waters of the sea, and dolphins jumping into the sky-blue air.
Alex set Gabriel down in his carrier, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her as they both looked out the east window to the river beyond.
“This view is amazing,” she said, testing out the rocker, which faced east. “I want this room for myself.”
“I didn’t know Jasmine could paint.”
“She has a lot of talents. She just needs focus.”
“She’ll find that here. She can paint until her heart’s content. None of us have to work, despite what Jaime, I mean Miguel, thinks.”
“What do you think he’s going to say when he finds out you have access to your offshore accounts?”
“It doesn’t matter. By the time it comes up, it will be awhile down the road. He never has to find out. As soon as we have our own cars and he loosens his hold a little, I’m going to close the accounts the DEA opened for us and move our money to another bank.”
“Or you can leave those accounts and use them for some small, recurring payment.”
“That’s why you’re the brains of this family,” he said. “So, yes. We can open an account at another bank now that we’re married and all that.”
“I thought that was a nice touch.”
“So did I. If you want to have a big wedding, we can.”
“Everyone I would invite is already here.”
“Me too.”
“Oh Alex, I think the hardest part of this is calling you Vance. And what will we tell Gabriel when he’s older?”
“We’ll tell him the truth. Everyone has a past, and ours is just a little more exciting. It’s best if he never finds out the whole truth.”
“I know.”
“Don’t worry about those things now. We have our whole lives ahead of us, and because of the big mouth of Carlos’s stupid lawyer, Jasmine is here, too.”
“After all we’ve been through, I still feel so lucky. I have the perfect family, and my best friend is here with us. This house is amazing, and I can’t think of a man I’d rather spend the rest of this crazy life with than you.”
“It worked out better than I could have hoped.”
Gabriel fussed from his carrier, and Alex went to him, unbuckling him while Nina sat in the glider, then handing him off for a feeding. He leaned against the wall, watching Nina with a sweet expression on his face.
“What?”
“You. Motherhood looks beautiful on you.”
“I can’t believe everything that’s happened sin
ce I met you. It’s like a dream. A crazy, perfectly imperfect dream.”
She rocked Gabriel until he finished eating, then Alex took him to burp him before carefully laying him in the bassinet beside the glider.
“Don’t worry, we’ll have this place feeling like home in no time. Miguel and I will be back in a few hours, and by tonight, you’ll be sleeping on a luxury mattress in our room with Gabriel in the bassinet beside you.”
“Anything is going to feel like luxury after that safehouse,” she quipped, then fell silent, looking at the window before she spoke again. “Do you think you can learn to love this house as much as you loved the last one?”
“Of course, I can,” he said, kissing her cheek and reaching into the bassinet to stroke Gabriel’s cheek as he drifted off to sleep again. “It’s not the house that I loved. It’s who’s inside it that makes a house a home.”
THANKS FOR READING!
This book is part of a bestselling series called “United States Of Billionaires”.
Every book features a different billionaire in a different city and very soon we could be coming to your home town!
Below are all the books currently available, is a city you love in there? Download now and check it out. (Be warned, all these books are extra STEAMY!)
Book 1 – The Billionaire From San Diego
Book 2 – The Billionaire From Atlanta
Book 3 – The Billionaire From Dallas
Book 4 – The Billionaire From New York City
Book 5 – The Billionaire From San Francisco
Book 6 – The Billionaire From Chicago
Book 7 – The Billionaire From Miami
Book 8 – The Billionaire From Hawaii
Collect the whole series!
Peace, love and high heels!
Lena & The Simply BWWM Team
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