Miah (Lane Brothers #2) (11 page)

“Not…”

“Yes.”

That changes things. Big time. The question is what to do about it. If Veronica somehow knows about Bolton…

“We’ll have to move him.”

“No, man, me and Case were thinking that he could shadow her down there and make sure she doesn’t leave France. Just think, Miah, we’d be doing her a favor, reuniting her with her long-lost bestie.”

That sound great but for a few pertinent facts.

“If she disappears, there’ll be no reason for Paulie to be there anymore, and we won’t have someone on the inside. Cleo’s great but she’s limited to what intel she can provide. So far Paulie has been vital.”

Jace considers this and scratches at his beard growth with a frown.

“Dammit, that’s true. So what do you want us to do?”

“Get Case down there and have him move Bolton to the other location, and let’s leave Veronica to chase her own tail.”

“Damn. You’re way too smart for my liking, bro. I was looking forward to seeing Ronny foaming at the mouth.”

“That’s why I’m still in charge. I’m the brain. Now get me home, if you please. Clari promised to save me a plate of Ma’s pork roast, and she recorded
Gold Diggers
for me.”

“You’re getting old.”

“Nah, man, just happy. Just happy,” I reply, grinning when he scowls sourly and flips me the bird.

“How’s Tracy?”

That earns me another scowl.

“Stay out of it, Miah.”

“But, Jace—”

“No. Just mind your business and leave this alone. Tracy and I are not going to happen, and that’s final.”

Stubborn asshole. He should know by now that Ma’s already gotten wind of Tracy being back in town. She’s probably already got her own plans in place to get the woman home where she would have been years ago if Jace weren’t such an ass.

I sit back with a smile and close my eyes for the ride home. Things are looking up. Clari was right. All it takes is a little patience and some praying.

Clara

I’m asleep when I feel lips coasting up my leg before stopping at my thigh to nibble and lick at the sensitive skin below my butt.

I stay still and languid, enjoying the sensation as Miah raises the tee shirt I stole from his closet and pushes at my underwear with an impatience that makes me want to giggle.

“Hey, babe, you awake?” he asks, ripping at my panties before I can reply.

Someone’s impatient tonight
, I muse, moaning softly when he tears the silk in half, exposing my lower body to his lips and hands.

Those large hands settle on my butt and start kneading as his lips glide up from the small of my back to the nape of my neck.

“Babe.”

“M’wake,” I grumble, gasping when his mouth opens over my pulse point and sucks strongly enough to leave a mother of a hickey on my flesh. “Miah.”

“Hmmm?”

The hand on my butt gives me one last squeeze before he pushes his fingers between my legs from behind and seeks out the moist heat awaiting him.

“Are you okay?”

I ask him this every time he leaves and comes back to me, even though I know that he is.

“Fine, babe. Ahh, there it is. You’re always so ready to take me, Clari.” He sighs happily when one of his fingers slides through my cleft and straight up into me.

I can’t help moaning when he crooks his finger and hits my G-spot without so much as a cursory search.

“Ah, yes, right there, Miah,” I moan when he presses deeper and starts rubbing at that spot I hadn’t known existed till I met him.

It feels so god when he keeps rubbing that I pump my hips back, despite knowing that it will only make him go slower.

“Babe, hold still for me,” he warns, pressing higher, making me desperate when he pulls his finger out and pushes back in.

              “Ah, please. Take me, Miah. Please. I need you.”

It always ends this way and it never gets old. I have to be at the point of begging before he relents, and even now, as he slides into me from behind and keeps me pinned beneath him, the rhythm he sets is slow and torturous.

I feel every movement of him from this angle, and he goes so deep it hurts in that good way that tells me I’m taking his full length easily.

“That’s it, babe, take what I give you. You feel me, Clari?” he growls, using his hands to span my waist as he lifts slightly and tunnels deeper, harder, making love to me as if he hasn’t seen me in days instead of just hours.

“Oh, Clari, babe, I love you so much. You’re so soft and warm. Do you feel my heart beating? That’s yours, Clari, all yours.” He groans, pushing in only to pull out and push back in with a growl that reverberates through every cell I have.

“I love you, too. Oh, deeper, yes, just like that.”

The rhythm becomes choppy after a few more minutes, and I feel that heat coil deep inside my belly before I erupt around him, lost to the world in those few precious seconds when all I feel is the pleasure and the way he stiffens before flooding me with his heat.

I love what comes next, the way he nibbles and kisses me as he struggles for breath before turning to his side and spooning me.

He never fails to whisper how much he loves me or how thankful he is that we found each other.

“We finally made some headway. Roman’s in with Dobson’s daughter, and she’s sworn to keep him in till they get to the militia part of things.”

The softly spoken words are filled with pride, but I hear the concern in his voice and feel a pang at the thought of Roman being in such danger, and for what? Because a few cops and some extremist knuckleheads just can’t stop being greedy or prejudiced against others who aren’t like them?

              “Good, I’m glad something happened for you guys. I’m tired of watching Roman sulk and Jace mope around because he’d rather be in on this op than go after his girl.”

Miah laughs and hugs me closer, distracting me with tiny kisses at my nape.

“Ma’s been talking, huh?”

“Has she ever been. I’m glad you and I finally got together, because I do not want to know what she had planned for us after listening to her plan a matchmaking scheme as well as a general plans his attacks.”

“I warned you about Ma being intense, babe. But I’m glad she’s getting involved. I tried to talk some sense into the guy earlier but he’s being stubborn again.”

“A Lane family trait from the sounds of things.”

“Hey! I was not being stubborn. I was trying to protect you from myself, Clari. There’s a difference here and you know it. Jace is just afraid to even try because he hurt Tracy years ago.”

I snort.

“I’m worried about all of this happening so close and soon. Roman’s in danger, Jace is miserable, I never see Jared unless he pops in to visit Josh, who, by the way, is swearing thanks to Jared’s potty mouth. Everything is so unsettled because of this mission. Promise me that you won’t get hurt, Miah,” I beg.

I’ve had this bad feeling for days, and I can’t shake it.

Ellie once told me that anticipation and fear are worse than actual pain, and I know now what she was talking about.

“I promise to do everything to ensure that we all make it through this unharmed. That’s the best I can do, babe. I won’t lie to you and say that I feel great about all of this garbage being right on our doorstep. Even here, with all the safety measures in place, I worry that one of these animals will get to the people I love.”

Dammit, way to kill the peaceful mood, Clara.

“You shouldn’t, you know. You’ve seen how pedantic George is about security, and at least one of you soldier boys is always hanging around to keep an eye on everyone.”

He sighs, a sound I’ve come to despise because I know that it’s him worrying again and I hate it. And I hate that my crazy ex-boyfriend gives him another thing to worry about. The calls and the texts have remained constant, but I refuse to burden Miah with the knowledge that Nick’s threats have escalated. Once Roman’s position is more settled and Miah loses that haunted look he’s been sporting, I’ll apologize and tell him everything.

For now, I’ll just keep myself safe by following the security team’s instructions and being alert.

              “Babe? You okay?” he asks sleepily, pulling me from my thoughts with a guilty jolt.

“Yeah. Just thinking that this mess isn’t going to go away anytime soon, but I’d really like to take Josh to the zoo for his birthday, if we can manage it. He’s been harassing poor Jude about it all day, and she didn’t have the heart to say no.”

“That, we can do. I think. I’ll have to talk to Jared and Jace about it and see about security, but I don’t see why not. Now go to sleep.”

I obey and let the worries and doubts be replaced by the security I feel in his arms and the fact that I love him as much as he seems to love me.

I’m going with the flow, just like I told Miah to, and right now I’m glad that he continues to see something in me worth loving.

Miah

I’m woken from a sound sleep to the sound of my door banging open against the wall and a harried Wyatt falling into the room at a sprint.

“It’s time! It’s time! Get the hell up and do something, Ellie’s water just broke!”

Clari groans and pulls the sheet over her head, her chuckles husky and way too sexy for my comfort with my older brother standing not three feet away and practically ripping his hair out by the roots.

The situation would be laughable if not for the fact that Clari is naked beneath the thin sheet, and I don’t want anyone within spitting distance when she’s still warm from sex and cuddly.

“Wyatt, calm the hell down and go back to your wife so we can get dressed, asshole.”

He turns in circles before facing me with a look of pure dread and husbandly fear.

“But, but she’s still got a whole week before she’s due, Miah.”

“Bro, that kid can’t possibly have any more growing to do with the way poor Ellie’s been looking lately. Everything is just fine, okay? Now take a nice deep breath and calm the fuck down before I slap you for acting like a little bitch.”

His eyes spark and I breathe a sigh of relief that the rational Wyatt is making a return.

“You can try, asshole. I’m still bigger than you. Military training or not, I’ll kick your ass to hell and right on back so you can go crying to your mama,” he says before turning on his heel and storming out with a huff.

“Get dressed! We need to leave soon.”

I lift the sheet to see Clari laughing so hard that her eyes are watering.

“They are all adopted, I swear. No way am I blood related to that pack of pansies.”

That earns me a playful slap before she shoves the sheet away and rises to her feet, making my dick go hard immediately. Damn tease.

“You look just like your big brother, Jeremiah Lane, and you love him for his weird and wonderful foibles, so don’t try to deny it. Now come on and get dressed before he comes tearing back in here.”

I follow her into the closet and cop a feel or two as we throw on clothes and run a brush through our hair.

Wyatt’s pacing like a madman when we get downstairs and keeps yelling at Ellie to stop trying to calm him down when he knows she’s in pain. Poor fool looks about ready to pass out, he’s so pale, and poor Ellie seems more harried by his behavior than she is at the thought of pushing that monster baby out of her body.

“Miah, would you please tell your brother to calm down before I lose my temper and bean him,” she says through gritted teeth.

I go to do just that when she doubles over and clutches at her stomach, moaning long and low.

“See! I told you. Ma! Hurry the hell up! I need to get my wife to the hospital!”

Jace and Jared come running down the stairs, shaking their heads at the madman currently pacing and cursing like a trucker while Ellie breathes through her contractions like a real trooper.

“You’re acting like an idiot. Come on over here and hold your wife’s hand instead of pacing like a caged beast. Clari, I’ll stay here with Josh since I don’t trust anyone else on the security alone with my bro. Ma! Get on down here already before Bruce Banner loses the fight against his dumber side!” Jared says.

Ma comes running down the stairs with Pop hot on her heels and almost squeals with joy when she spots Ellie having a contraction.

“Calm down, Grandma. I don’t think your son would appreciate your enthusiasm right now. He’s acting nuts,” I warn her, keeping an eye on Wyatt and a scowling Ellie.

By the time I’ve got everyone in the cars and we’re on our way to the hospital with Wyatt bounding around like he’s on something, I’m not too convinced this baby thing is worth it. Ellie’s been making a hell of a lot of noise back there, and every time I look over at Clari she’s grimacing from the tight grip Ellie has on her little hand.

We get to the hospital not too long after, since Mr. Nuts beside me has planned the route so much that he is able to direct me through the shortcuts.

“Woman in labor!”

“Oh, Wyatt, for the love of God! Calm down already!” Ellie yells, losing her patience for the umpteenth time since we left the house.

My brother completely ignores her and continues to pull his town crier act like a pro till the nurses come running out with a wheelchair and the doctor on their heels.

“Mr. Lane, everything is just fine. Why don’t you take a deep breath and—”

“I’ll shove my foot up your ass if you tell me to calm down, Doc. My wife is in pain and I want her to be comfortable—right now.”

We’re all grateful when the doctor takes him and Ellie into the delivery room while we take up seats in the waiting room. The man has gone and lost his damn mind, and if this is what a man has to look forward to, I’m really glad me and Clari don’t want kids.

No way would I ever put her through this shit if I could avoid it. If later down the road she changes her mind, we’re adopting, and that’s that.

“Phew! I haven’t seen a body go that crazy since I was in labor with Wyatt and your father went nuts.” Ma chuckles, fanning her brow at the heat of the early morning air.

“Oh hush, Judy. You were bawling enough to raise the dead when you went into labor. What did you expect me to do?” Pop gripes, huffing loudly.

“You punched the only doctor on staff at the time, George. If the nurses hadn’t managed to revive him, I’d hate to think about how I’d have gotten your eldest son into the world in one piece.”

Clari sputters out a laugh and looks at me, shaking her head emphatically.

“Why did you punch the doctor, Pop?”

“He said your mother’s vagina looked good, and I took exception to it, boy.”

Ma starts spluttering before rolling her eyes and pursing her lips in disgust.

“He said it looked good, as in I was dilated fully and the baby was ready to come. Jesus, George, at least be honest when you tell that horrid story.”

I laugh so hard that I have to sit down. I take a seat beside my girl and pull her onto my lap, settling in for a long night and a lot more craziness from my family.

Clari soon falls asleep and I just enjoy the quiet for once, reveling in the excitement that a new little Lane’s about to join our merry band of misfits and make our family that much happier.

It takes hours and we all take turns checking on Wyatt and the now screaming Ellie. The shouts I hear coming from that room when the woman has a contraction make my balls shrink, and it’s not even my dick she’s threatening.

This time when he comes out, he’s grinning from ear to ear and looks so happy that I can’t believe this man is the same maniac from just an hour ago.

“I’m proud to announce the arrival of Alexander George Lane. Six pounds, four ounces, and he’s already letting the world know how he feels about being woken so early.”

We all share a few back slaps and tearful hugs before he leaves to rush back to Ellie.

“You know, Jeremiah—”

“Not happening, Ma. Not ever,” I interject, knowing what the greedy old fox is about to say. “The day I do that to the woman I love, you may as well shoot me. We’re happy with Josh and being an uncle and aunt.”

Clari smiles and winks at me before excusing herself to go to the bathroom.

“Wait, babe, just let me call Jared and Jace and I’ll come with you.”

She nods and stands, talking to Ma while I fill my brothers in on the happy news and promise to text pictures of the newest arrival.

“Ma, you need anything?”

“No, son. You take Clari home and your father and I will stay with Wyatt. They’re keeping little Alex on lockdown for now since there’s been a flu bug going around. We’ll send photos soon and call if we need anything.”

“Thanks, Ma. Give Ellie and the kid a kiss and tell Wyatt he’s a damned maniac.”

It’s only when we’re back in the car and halfway home that my girl turns to me with a somber look.

“You’re sure you don’t want babies of your own, Miah? Your mom seemed so upset that we’re not planning to have a family, and if you’re just saying these things because of what I said—”

“Clari, I absolutely do not want children, babe, and that’s the plain truth. If you change your mind, I’ll try to be okay with a few rug rats under foot, but for now I’m not thinking I’ll ever want to go through what Ellie and Wyatt just endured. Besides, who needs kids when I have you? You’re everything I need.”

That makes her smile tearfully and I grin.

“I am so glad I don’t ever have to go through that. I almost died when Ellie started threatening Wyatt with castration if he so much as dared look at her funny ever again.”

“Babe, she threatened him with castration when he told her last week she couldn’t bathe in a warm bath without supervision.”

She laughs again and yawns through her mirth, sending me a look from beneath her lashes.

“You want to do the practice without the actual results when we get home, handsome?” she purrs, licking her lips.

“Yes, please, babe.”

It’s only when I pull into the garage and shut the car off that I notice Clari fast asleep against the door, looking for all the world as if she didn’t just spent three hours asleep on my lap at the hospital.

“Sorry, boy, I guess practice is cancelled,” I say to my dick, who whines in pain.

By the time I’ve gotten Ellie tucked in and shown the guys all the pics Ma sent me, Josh is up and awake and ready to start his day. I guess I’m operating on minimal sleep from here on out.

“Hey, Miah, go get some sleep, bro. Me’n Jace have Josh covered since we caught some shut-eye after you all left. Oh, and remember to call Roman later, would you? The guy’s been bugging the shit out of me.”

I wave him off and take the stairs two at a time, deciding to call Roman before settling in for a nap. I can actually go a couple of days without sleep, if need be, so losing a night isn’t that bad. But I have to admit to being tuckered out from all of Wyatt’s yelling and emotional drama.

“Yo, Miah, man, I need to meet you sometime today and it can’t be at the house. I have Dobson’s guys following me around since last night, and Melissa’s still riding my ass about it all. I don’t want to bring the heat home with me.”

The news makes me feel old all of a sudden, and I regret this whole assignment more than anything I’ve ever done. By agreeing to this, I endangered my family, and my own brother can’t even risk coming home because he’d rather be shot down in the street by dirty cops than risk the lives under our roof.

“Where, bro?”

“Eazy’s at noon. Come in through the back. Melissa’s cousin Sharon will let you in and show you to the back where I’ll be waiting. And, bro? Thanks for not going nuts on me about the route I took. I know it was reckless.”

“It worked though, right? So no worries. Just promise me you’ll stay safe, Roman. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you. You’re my brother, not just my partner, and I love you more than the success of this mission.”

We ring off. Instead of snuggling down behind Clari like I want to, I kiss her and make my way downstairs, walking to the safe hidden in the floor behind Pop’s desk.

The files I’ve hidden in here are top secret and have been gathered over a few months thanks to Jared’s dedication and my own very insane need to have everything on file, just in case.

“Hey, Miah.”

“Jace.”

“What are you doing now? Obssessing over that file you got on Dobson again?”

“Roman isn’t coming home, and from the way he sounded on the phone, he won’t come back till this mission is over and done with and all the assholes are dead or behind bars. I need this to get moving, Jace. We still don’t know who sent those guys after Clari, and the longer we leave Roman under deep cover, the longer it’ll take him to come back home.”

“Bro, I’ve been over the intel a million times. I’m telling you, there’s nothing there. Dobson’s covered his tracks well, and the militia players are too well hidden. Roman is our only chance right now.”

I sigh and replace the files before grabbing an ice cold beer and leaning back against the desk.

“Do we at least have some progress with the family?”

Jace shrugs and leans back in his seat.

“You’re going to have to accept that Jerry and Ronny and whoever you’re playing with are just not worth your time or effort. Ronny showed up in France but never got past Paris before doing some shopping and coming back home. Even Paulie doesn’t have anything new. Drop this family thing and move on.”

Drop it? After everything I heard coming from Ronny’s mouth and the way Al had been badmouthing my girl? Not fucking likely. I also can’t shake the feeling that Lynn still had information about what they were planning after she killed Ellie.

She wasn’t intending to just disappear after killing Ellie. She thought she could slide back into her spot in the family, so I know that Lynn had something more planned for us.

“Go to the sanatorium and talk to Lynn.”

“Bro…that chick gives me the straight-up creeps. Make Jared do it, he doesn’t give a damn,” Jace complains, shivering delicately.