Page 131 of Affair

He ducked just in time, so he wasn’t clocked with a boot.

When she reached her, Stella willingly handed the little girl over.

She sniffed her.

“I love the new baby smell. That’s how I got so many kids. It’s worth it,” she admitted, holding the baby in her arms like a pro.

Stella just smiled.

“She’s so good. Clearly, she takes after me,” she said with a straight face.

Zayn just shook his head.

“I’m not falling into that trap,” he stated. “Not happening, my sweet and tricky Stella.”

The rest of the women circled the baby.

“We’ll watch them,” Maura admitted. “This is the safest place to bring kids,” she added.

And that was why they were there. When he got a package on his porch, and heard the family had a job, this was a no-brainer.

It was work time for him.

Stella could handle the girls, and they would be safe with his family. The Hunters were his tribe.

When Clover held up her arms, Jinx picked her up and cuddled her.

“We got you. I’ll babysit Clover,” she said. “I miss our kids, Rogue.”

He laughed.

“Try prying them out of my mother’s hands. Go ahead. She’s loco.”

Grace had a rule.

She watched the kids during the day.

PERIOD.

If you tried to stop her, she got mean. When Rogue argued that, she cut the toes out of all of his socks.

Someone was unhinged.

Oh, and spiteful.

Elizabeth shook her head.

“No, Jinx, You’re going out. Rogue isn’t. He’s on research,” she said. “He’s going to be manning the command center in case we need his particular skills.”

That was all she had to say.

Rogue choked on his coffee and stared at Elizabeth like she’d lost her goddamn mind.

“Pardon?” he asked. “Not the last part. The first part.”

Elizabeth was to the point.

“She’s a Snake. Only Marines are going out. Zayn, Jagger, Jinx, and Maura. We aren’t losing our greatest assets of not having a Snake onboard.”