They all laughed, waving back at her.
“We going to get a baby!” Kaid said, grinning. Obviously much happier now that his Mate wasn’t suffering as she had been.
“We’ll be right here waiting,” Goldy said.
“Can’t wait to see him,” Bam called, excitedly.
Kaid’s head whipped around and pinned Bam with a glare. “Him?!”
“Figure of speech, dude. I can’t see it!” Bam said, laughing.
Vince waited until the wreath-adorned, double swinging doors at the end of the hall leading to the delivery room had stopped swinging and turned to Brandi. “This is not finished. We will talk about this another time.”
“There’s nothing to be done. They’re very powerful and very selfish,” Brandi said, shrugging.
“They have no idea what real power is,” Avaleigh said.
“Yeah, you’re not alone anymore. You have us to stand with you now,” Janie added.
“I know you think you don’t need anyone. And I know you think it’s weakness to ask for help. But there is strength in knowing when to accept help. Let us help you fight him and his family,” Bane said sincerely.
“I don’t even know if it would make a difference,” Brandi said resignedly.
“Then what’s the harm in allowing us to try?” Valerie asked
“It would most likely just make them form a stronger front to keep me out.”
“You can’t just stop fighting for your children,” Avaleigh answered.
“Why would it matter to you? You don’t even know me. And I have no way of repaying any of you,” Brandi asked.
“You should help people in your life because it’s the right thing to do. Because you want to, not because you want to gain anything from it,” Vince told her.
Brandi looked down at her hands folded in her lap, and tried her best to maintain the hold on her emotions.
“I should be woman enough to stand up for my myself and my kids. I shouldn’t have to rely on anyone.”
“Allowing people to help you doesn’t make you weak, Brandi,” Janie said quietly.
“I’ll think about it,” Brandi said, without looking up.
If she’d looked up, she’d have seen Vince and Valerie share a look. Vince’s said, ‘I’m going to help her.’ Valerie’s said, ‘Are you sure about this? Nobody can help her if she won’t let them.’
Chapter 2
“Oh, my damn! How long can it take to push one tiny little baby out?” Maverik asked dramatically.
“She ain’t pushing it out. They cutting it out. And be patient,” Goldy scolded.
“Are you going to be this difficult when Valerie has your babies?” Daniel asked.
Maverik scowled. Then he reached out and took Valerie’s hand. “My woman’s got this. She’s strong. And I’ll be handing out cigars to everybody while in total control of the situation!”
“Yeah, I just bet you’ll be in total control,” Bam said, chuckling.
“I will be! Just you wait and see!” Maverik answered. “Stop laughing! Damn it, Bam! You supposed to be my best friend — have my back and shit! Stop laughing!” Maverik insisted.
Since Bam kept chuckling, Bane and Daniel started chuckling as well, and Maverik was quite put out. “Avaleigh! Tell them!” Maverik insisted.
“Now, come on, you all know Maverik will completely have the situation in hand, even if he’s a basket-case full of worry.”
Maverik opened his mouth to defend himself, but the doors at the end of the hall swung open, and Kaid walked through pushing a clear, plexiglass bassinet on a stainless steel stand with coasters mounted at its base so that it would roll easily. Kaid was grinning ear to ear as he looked down at the tiny bundle wrapped in a soft blue blanket.
“Guys — meet Barron, my son,” he said with tears in his eyes and a huge smile on his face.
As he came to a stop, he was surrounded by everyone crowding in to get a look at the little boy. He was perfect. He had his Dad’s sandy-blonde hair, Delilah’s pale complexion and long black lashes that brushed his cheeks when he blinked. He was a chubby little thing and was contentedly suckling away at his first two fingers while looking back at all the strange people looking at him. His other little hand was curled around the edge of the blanket he was wrapped in, and his eyes would wander across the faces around him each time he heard his Daddy speak.
“He’s trying to find you, Kaid,” Avaleigh said, her own eyes filled with happy tears as she watched Kaid with his son.
Kaid stepped around the bassinet and knelt down. “I’m right here, Barron. Daddy has you, buddy,” Kaid said softly. He reached up and rested his hand on his son, and the baby sighed and closed his eyes.
“He knows you got him,” Maverik said. “Nothing in the world like the trust your own baby puts in you from the time they’re born. Makes you feel like you can move mountains.”
“I do believe I could right about now,” Kaid answered.
“How’s Delilah?” Janie asked.
“She’s good. They gave her something to help her sleep. I’m going right back to her room after this. They said we can keep Barron in the room with us, so we’re doing that instead of sending him to the nursery.”
“Mr. Sanders?” a nurse said from the doorway.
Kaid looked over his shoulder at the nurse. “I’m coming. Just wanted to introduce Barron to the rest of his family.”
The nurse smiled and nodded while standing in the doorway waiting for Kaid.
Kaid smiled at everyone. “Gotta get him back to Delilah’s room.”
Everyone said their goodbyes, cooing and speaking to Barron as Kaid leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his head.
“We’ll see ya’ll soon. Soon as Delilah wakes up and they allow us to have visitors,” Kaid said.
“See ya’ll soon,” Maverik called as Kaid walked away and disappeared through the doors, pushing Barron’s bassinet in front of him.
Everyone sat down, excitedly talking about Barron, and expressing their relief that everything went well. Everyone but one, that is. Vince stood where he’d been the moment the nurse had stepped through the doors to speak to Kaid. He’d seen her as she stepped into the hallway, she didn’t even have to speak for Vince to know she was there. His heart pounded. His Lion was roaring in his mind. His anxiety was through the roof — yes, he actually had anxiety for the first time in his life. Who the hell was this woman? he wondered.
Mate!!! His Lion roared.
Vince turned slowly, his eyes falling on Brandi who’d not stood up to see the baby.
We have our Mate, he thought to his Lion.
Mate!!! Lion roared, throwing himself forward, trying to force Vince to follow the nurse through the now closed doors.
Brandi’s right here! Vince thought at him.
Follow mate! Lion snarled, trying to force Vince through the double doors Kaid, Barron and the nurse had disappeared through.
“Fuck me,” Vince said, for the second time that night, looking back and forth between Brandi and the wreaths still gently swaying on the doors at the end of the hall.
“He’s so sweet,” Avaleigh cooed.
“Oh, I know! And those chubby little cheeks, I can’t wait to snuggle him and pinch his little cheeks!” Janie agreed.
“He’s Delilah’s… he might pinch back! We don’t know what his beast is yet,” Valerie said while chuckling.
“You’re right, maybe, I’ll pinch lightly,” Janie said, laughing along.
“Very lightly,” Everly agreed.
Bam sat back and smiled to himself, he knew exactly what beast Barron housed inside him. He watched the women going on about how sweet he was, and watched Brandi sink deeper into herself.
“You okay over there, Brandi?” he asked, not moving from his spot but cutting his eyes to watch her.
Brandi was staring intently at her own hands folded in her lap. She looked up at her name being called. “Hmm?” she asked.
“I asked if you’re alright,” Bam said.
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“Oh, yeah. I’m good. I’m okay.”
Bam shoved his chin in the direction of the rest of the women. “They talking about the baby. He’s cute, huh?” Bam asked, pressing her to become more involved.
“Oh, yeah, absolutely, a real cutie pie,” she agreed, plastering on a smile that was obviously forced.
Bam didn’t respond to her. He just nodded to himself ever so slightly, and he regarded her with his intense stare.
Brandi didn’t know; she had already gone back to whatever thoughts were keeping her apart from the group of people who would readily welcome her as family if given the chance.
Maverik missed nothing. Stepping away from his Alpha position years ago had gifted him with the ability to be his regular goofy self without having to worry about reputation or status as their leader. But those Alpha instincts to watch, observe and evaluate all without hesitation were born in him, and they never, ever let him down. He saw Brandi, pulling away not only from them all, but from Vince. Sometimes being a Mate wasn’t enough to build a lifetime on. Mates did not always equal happiness, and that may just be the case right now.
But more interesting, was Vince’s reaction to the tall, dark-haired nurse that had called for Kaid and Barron to return to Delilah’s recovery room. Maverik looked from Brandi to Vince, who still stood planted in the same place, his body turned halfway toward Brandi, but his eyes glued to those doors at the end of the hallway. Maverik got up and went over to Vince. “You like it here?” he asked, taking up a position right beside Vince, staring at the same doors.
“What?” Vince asked without breaking his intense stare at the doors.
“Here. Right here. On this very spot in this very hallway. I think it’s your favorite place ever — seeing as how you ain’t moved a single step since that nurse closed those doors behind herself and Kaid.”
Vince snapped his eyes to Maverik. “This is not the time, Maverik. I do not have the patience to deal with your crap this evening.”
Maverik smiled gently, actually giving up all sense of smart-ass. “I’m not meaning to give you any crap, brother-in-law. Just see that you’re having an internal battle of some sort.”
Vince glared at Maverik, daring him to step too far tonight.
Maverik reached out a hand and placed it on Vince’s shoulder. “Better men than us have been tripped up thinking that one thing’s right, just to be thrown for a loop before realizing the real happy ain't where you thought it was.”
“Mind your business, Wolf,” Vince warned, though it was a little less aggressively spoken than his previous comments.
“I will. Just saying, nobody knows how fucked up a woman can make your life if she’s not the right one, no matter how badly you want her to be. Take your time, Vince. It’s gonna be what it’s gonna be, no matter how you try to control things — it is what it is.”
“And what is that?” Vince said wryly.
Maverik shrugged and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He smiled that smile that made most women’s hearts flutter. “Only that Lion inside you knows. Give him his head, he’ll steer you right.”
Maverik patted Vince on the back. “We got your back, brother, no matter where he takes you.” Maverik slowly walked away, moving back toward Valerie and taking his seat beside her.
Vince watched Maverik go. He watched Maverik sit beside Valerie, watched him drop a kiss on the top of her head as she laughed and talked with Avaleigh and Janie. Vince looked over at Brandi, who was obviously shut off to any further interaction tonight. She had closed her eyes and brought her knees up into her chair, wrapping her arms about herself and allowing her hair to fall down around her. Vince looked around at Kaid’s clan — now his clan more or less since his sister married into it, and his friendship with them all had grown and become stronger. They were his family, and they all easily sat and talked, laughed and enjoyed each other. And Brandi kept herself apart — intentionally.
No fit, Lion said.
She’s just sad, Vince thought at Lion.
Not our kind, Lion answered before trying one last time to shove Vince in the direction the nurse had gone.
Brandi’s human, Vince answered. Avaleigh’s human. So’s Janie. Nothing wrong with being human.
Mate, not mate. Wrong soul, Lion answered then stalked to the back of Vince’s mind to ignore him as much as possible.
Vince walked over to where Brandi sat curled into a ball. He sat down beside her and reached out to smooth her hair away from her face so he could see her. She jerked at his touch, then sat up quickly, shoving her feet to the floor and facing him.
“You alright?” Vince asked.
“Yeah, sure. Just a little tired.”
“We can head on home if you want. Already met Barron. He and Delilah are just fine so if you want to go, we can.”
“You know? I think I’d like a little time alone, if you don’t mind. Just to relax and unwind.”
“Let’s get you home, then.”
Vince stood up, holding out a hand to steady Brandi as she rose to her feet to follow him out. “I’m going to take Brandi back to my place, so she can unwind a little. Mav, you and Valerie okay to catch a ride home?”
“We good, go ahead. I’ll get Kaid’s keys if nothing else. Ya’ll go ahead.”
“Or I’ll bring ‘em,” Bam volunteered.
“Alright then, we’ll see ya’ll later,” Vince said, placing a hand at the small of Brandi’s back to steer her toward the exit.
Everyone stood and patiently waited for their turn to hug Vince and tell him good-night.
Brandi hung back and just smiled and said good-night when they turned their attention to her. She just wasn’t all touchy feely like they were. And she felt so out of place among these people. They were nice people, and they’d been nothing but welcoming to her, but she just didn’t feel comfortable, like she belonged here.
Vince walked her out to his truck and got her settled in the passenger seat, then walked around and climbed in the driver’s side. They drove for a little while before he couldn’t keep himself from prodding her just a little.
“I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t get up to see the baby,” he started.
Brandi pulled her attention from the darkness going by outside the cab of the truck and thought about how to answer him. “I know. I’m just really tired, ya know?”
Vince nodded. “Is that all it is?”
Brandi shrugged. “Babies are just really hard for me. They remind me of my own, and I’m not with them at the moment.”
“And that means you can’t be happy for anyone else having one of their own?” he asked.
“That makes me sound like a horrible person. I don’t begrudge anyone their happiness. I just… I don’t know, I’m just so lost right now.”
Vince again nodded his head as though he understood. He still felt some of the Mate pull toward her, but mostly he just felt confused.
“I’m sorry, Vince. I don’t mean to ruin the celebration for everyone. It’s why I really just thought it was best if I went on home, and you could go back to the hospital.”
“Naw, already met Barron. I know Delilah’s okay. Kaid’s relaxed and everybody’s good. I have some things to do in the bar. You can have the rest of the night to yourself. No interruption from me.”
Brandi smiled at him. “Are you upset with me? I don’t want you to be upset with me or your friends. They’ve all been so nice to me…”
“No, not at all. I understand. And I’ll be downstairs if you need me. Gonna clean up a bit, make sure the girls have it all under control.”
They pulled up at the bar and Vince drove around back to park close to the staircase leading up to the apartments above the bar.
Before Vince could get to the passenger side of the truck, she’d opened her own door and hopped down. “I’ll see you later, then?” she asked, walking toward the staircase tucked in against the back of the building.
“You will,” Vince answered,
leaning down to kiss her.
At the last moment Brandi turned her head so that his kiss would land on her cheek.
“It’s going to be okay, Brandi. I told you I’d take care of you, and I will. You’ll see,” Vince said.
“I’m a big girl, Vince. I don’t need you to take care of me,” Brandi answered.
“Maybe not, but wouldn’t it be nice just to have someone who wanted to?” he asked.
Brandi didn’t answer, she smiled sadly at Vince and started toward the stairs.
Vince stood watching until she’d let herself into the apartment, and he heard the click of the lock when she locked the front door.
He couldn’t help feeling like this was the beginning — of the end. And he refused to let go. She was his Mate. He and his Lion had both identified her the minute she’d walked into his bar, and he was not going to just turn his back on her because she was having a hard time.
Real Mate, Lion whispered.
I know, Vince thought back at him.
Lion snarled at him and slammed a picture of the nurse into his mind so forcefully that Vince had to blink to clear his vision and assure himself the woman wasn’t actually standing there in front of him.
Stop that! Vince snapped at Lion.
Lion snapped his jaws at Vince and padded off to curl up and ignore Vince again.
Chapter 3
Brandi let herself into Vince’s apartment and locked the door behind her. She leaned back against the door and looked around the place he called home. She could see little pieces of his personality all around the place. Snapshots of himself and his sister, from when they were kids and some more recent ones, that he’d framed and placed on an end table. A big photo of his sister on her wedding day on the wall, surrounded by photos of himself and his friends — Kaid and all those guys — in a collage arrangement. He had photos of his parents framed and sitting beside the television on the entertainment unit. It was obvious that family was very, very important to him.
Brandi thought about the man himself — Vince. He was beautiful, strong, capable and so very sexy. He’d been so excited for his friend’s son to be born tonight. And all it had made Brandi feel was empty. She’d not lied to Vince. She really didn’t begrudge anyone their happiness, but the last few weeks surrounded by happiness, loving couples, and now new babies, made it very apparent to her just how much was missing in her life.
Vince's Place Page 3