Page 123 of Doomed

“Forty-five,” I say, pulling out my wallet and tossing a hundred on the table. “I’ve seen how they operate. There’s a whole ritual to it.”

Xavier and Vane match my bet with bills of their own. Before we can settle on terms, Cade approaches with Lars trailingbehind him. There’s an easy confidence to Cade’s stride that wasn’t there before—fatherhood looks good on the psycho.

“Blackwood,” Cade grins, clapping me on the shoulder. “Happy birthday. Figured I’d grace you with my presence before the kids’ bedtime videos call my name.”

“How domestic,” I smirk. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

Lars snorts. “You should see him with a baby wipe. Real fucking touching until you remember he gutted a man in Easthollow last month.”

“He had it coming,” Cade shrugs, his smile never wavering. “Asked about my daughter as part of a threat. Should’ve kept her name out of his fucking mouth, no one threatens my daughter.”

The casual way he says it—like commenting on the weather while referencing murder—reminds me why Cade makes even hardened criminals nervous.

“How is little Emma?” Vane asks, refilling everyone’s glasses.

Cade’s face transforms, genuine warmth replacing the predatory gleam. “She hasn’t shut up since the day she started talking.” He pulls out his phone, swiping to a photo of a four-year-old girl with beautiful golden hair and Cade’s dark brown eyes. “Gage is teaching her to say ‘knife’ as her second word after ‘dada.’“

“Jesus,” Xavier mutters.

“What?” Cade looks genuinely confused. “Kid’s gotta learn self-defense early in this world.” He pockets his phone, the doting father vanishing as quickly as he appeared. “So, what’s the bet? Landon finally putting Sadie in her place?”

“Something like that,” I confirm, gesturing toward the hallway.

“Before you know it, he’ll have a baby in his arms,” Lars quips.

X shakes his head. “Landon? Are you joking? He’d probably rather claw his eyes out than change diapers.”

Cade takes a long pull from his drink. “It’s not the diapers that are bad, it’s the no sleep that kills you. Four years in, and I still haven’t had a full night’s rest.”

“Try having twins,” Lars counters. “Jack’s terrible twos were bad enough, but now with the girls...” He shakes his head. “Alice swears they coordinate their crying shifts.”

Before Cade can respond, Lily approaches our group, her phone in hand. She lightly touches Cade’s arm. “Sorry to interrupt, but the babysitter’s calling. Time to speak to the kids before bedtime.”

Cade immediately straightens, all traces of the hardened criminal vanishing. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” Lily assures him with a small smile. “Emma just refuses to sleep without saying goodnight to Daddy.”

Lars checks his watch and curses. “Shit, I should call too. The sitter’s watching all the kids tonight.” He downs his drink and follows Cade toward the quieter section of the club.

I smirk, watching them go. “Think I’ll wait a few years before I get kids. Not ready to stop fucking Bianca on every surface of my apartment yet.”

Cade pauses, looking back over his shoulder. “You just get creative, Blackwood. Having kids doesn’t stop the fucking—just means you learn to be quiet about it.” His eyes drift to Lily, whose cheeks flush a beautiful shade of pink. “Right, baby?”

Lily’s blush deepens as she tugs Cade’s arm. “The babysitter is waiting,” she murmurs, avoiding everyone’s amused glances.

“See? Still going strong,” Cade winks before allowing Lily to pull him away. “Five years and counting!”

As they walk off, Xavier shakes his head. “I never thought I’d see Cade being a daddy. It surprises the hell out of me. The man used to gut people for looking at him wrong, and now he’s rushing off for bedtime stories.”

“Lars, though,” Xavier continues, refilling his glass, “I could always see it. Something about that quiet intensity—you knew he’d be protective as hell with his own kids.”

I nod, watching the two men disappear into the crowd with their women. It’s strange how domesticity has crept into our world of violence and power.

My thoughts are interrupted when Aurora and Gage approach our circle. Aurora’s hand rests protectively over her swollen belly. At the same time, Gage hovers beside her with that vigilance that never seems to leave his eyes.

“Happy birthday, Knox,” Aurora says with a tired smile. Her face has a glow to it, but the dark circles under her eyes tell another story.

Gage nods, adding a gruff, “Happy birthday,” before his eyes scan the room in that predatory way that’s second nature to him.