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They drank more of their liquor and wrapped up their meeting.

“If you all could shake some hands, maybe join me at some upcoming fundraisers and tell your friends, that would be enough,” Luke said.

“Consider it done.” Jacob strolled across the room and held his hand out, to which Luke accepted.

“Thank you, sir.”

“No thanks required. Whatever you need, let me know.”

The men pulled in for a brotherly hug. Then one by one, they all took turns embracing one another before calling it a night.

“I should probably mention,” Jonathon said, “Octavia’s pregnant.”

Gasps of surprise emerged from the men. “Congratulations!” They all went to him, tugging and hugging, slapping his shoulders in celebration.

“You were just going to throw that in at the last minute?” Jonas asked.

“Well, we were here for Luke, so…”

“Don’t put that on me, man,” Luke said.

They agreed.

“How far along is she?” Jacob asked with a twinkle in his eye. He couldn’t help but envision Carla with a protruding belly.

“Six months. She’s having twins.”

An outpouring of congratulations went around again, eyes wide as the men’s sincerity filled Jonathon with thankfulness.

“That’s beautiful, brother,” Jonas added, “Zoey and Zander will finally have cousins to play with.”

Jonathon smiled. He could imagine his children, niece, and nephews having playdates. No doubt that Octavia and Samiyah would plan everything.

“I look forward to that.”

“How does Octavia feel about carrying twins? Was she shocked by the news?”

“She loves it. The moments she spends bonding with them and feeling them move inside her is something to behold. Her face will light up, and she’ll reach for my hand, placing it over her belly.”

They all were in the moment with him, each thinking of their wives and starting a family.

“You know she wants me to take a leave of absence from my team.”

Jonathon was the head honcho at Rose Security Group, a private company that offered a range of protection services to government and high-profile clients. There were times when he went out on jobs with his men and was in the line of direct fire when his clients were under attack.

“Rightfully,” Jacob said. “I’m sure knowing you’re safe and that her children’s father will be around to hold and love them crossed her mind when she asked.”

Jonathon nodded. “I’m taking it. It’s past time I do so. I have more than enough manpower to oversee the operations without me.”

“Good for you,” Jonas interjected.

They spread love to one another again; then, all began to trickle out. When Carla met up with Jacob in the hallway, she slid right into his arms as if she never left.

“Hey, you.”

“Hey, beautiful.”

Carla’s eyes twinkled. “Are we ready to go?”