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G abby entered the cabin and plopped onto the couch. She bent to slip off her shoes as Knight closed the door. He watched as she struggled to reach her feet. He went to her side and knelt, removing the offending footwear.

She sighed and lay back against the sofa.

“Gabby, your feet swelled,” he exclaimed in panic as he held a foot up in his hand. She glanced down and giggled.

“It’s fine. They get like this when I stay on them too long. I hate it. My skin feels tight and makes them ache. It’s one of the lovely things of pregnancy they forget to tell you about.”

Knight sat beside her and took out the pair of earrings. “I want to give you something.”

She stiffened. “I don’t want anything. We’re not celebrating our anniversary. We only went to dinner.”

He frowned. “If I thought you’d accept anything from me, I would’ve gotten something for you.” Holding the earrings, he waited for her to take them. “These have trackers. A man by the name of Tex will monitor you at all times. He’s ex-military and monitors people who I trust. It’s for your safety.”

Gabby visibly trembled as she took the jewelry from him.

“I don’t want to scare you. Until we figure out the people involved in this, I’m asking you to wear these for peace of mind.”

“Will you know where I’m at?” she asked.

“No. At least not all the time. Only in case of an emergency,” he rushed.

She slowly removed the hoops from her ears, a present he had given her on their first anniversary. “What exactly do they do?”

“They’ll transmit your location. Tex may call you and ensure you know his number. If you have any questions, you may ask Alabama and Caroline.”

Her eyes widened at his news.

“Don’t remove them under any circumstances,” he stressed.

“Thank you.” Gabby winced as she moved her legs.

He rose, taking her coat and returned to stand before her.

“Lie down with your head on the pillow,” he commanded.

She turned and he helped lift her legs and sat, placing her feet in his lap. He gently kneaded them with his thumb, making her moan.

“Hmmm, you can do this forever,” she exhaled as her eyes drooped. They finally closed, and she snored softly, making him smile.

“I plan to,” he murmured, rubbing her swollen toes. “I’m not letting you go without a fight, Gabby Hutchins.” He stood and gently placed her feet on the couch. Entering her bedroom, he pulled down the blankets, sought her gown, and turned on the bathroom light. Reentering the living room, he picked her up and carried her down the hall. He sat her upright on the bed.

“Stop,” she murmured sleepily. “I can do it.”

“Let me help you. You’ve tuckered yourself out. It’s dark and I promise not to peek.” She lifted her arms while he removed her top and she covered herself while he slipped the nightgown over her broken arm and over her head. He unhooked her bra, sliding the straps down her arms and falling to the floor. Taking her other arm, he guided it into the sleeve and lifted her legs onto the bed. Leaning down, he covered her and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Goodnight Gabrielle,” he whispered before backing out of the room and closing the door.

Taking out his phone, he texted Saint.

I need help. I want to get a crib, a comfortable chair for Gabby, and some baby stuff. How do I start? What do I need to know?

Three dots appeared.

We’ll handle it at PT.

Knight paced the room. Gabby deserved this, not because he wanted her back, but because she liked it, more than she cared to admit. Most importantly, her happiness meant everything.

Knight rose from the bed and tip-toed into Gabby’s room to check on her before he left to meet the guys at PT. He hastily sent her a text.

Gabby, I’m with Saint and the team. Have a great day today. Thank you for joining me for dinner last night. I forgot how much I love spending time with you. I have my phone if you need me. Marcus

Closing the cabin door quietly, he hopped into his truck and drove to the facility. He waited for one of the team members to answer when he pushed the button. A minute later, Patch held open the door for him.

“Good morning, Asshole, you ready to get your ass kicked?”

Knight grunted. “You wish.”

“I’ll take you down to the gym. Claire says to meet her at Doc’s house. I’ll run you over there about 1350.” Patch walked beside him, steering him toward the workout area.

“Here they come. You’re five minutes early,” Leo greeted. “Hey, Squid. You lost the bet; ten more laps around the gym.”

A young man groaned and rose from doing push-ups and immediately started jogging around the track.

“The squid’s José. He’s working with us until he ships off to the Navy. He’s quite fun to play with. Wanna make a bet Leo finds his quarters not up to snuff?” Patch stretched before falling in behind the young man.

“We didn’t bring you here to observe, warm up on the track and then start with Patch,” Leo ordered.

Doc sparred on the mat with Taco, Shadow and Ragu lifted weights, Whiskey pulled his shirt off to show a badly scarred chest, and Knight warmed up.

When they finished, Patch led him to the locker room. “There’s extra shirts over there,” Patch pointed to a locker. “Sweats too.”

“Thanks. I brought an extra set in my bag.”

Patch threw his clothes in a basket and showered. “So how’s it going on the home front?”

Knight glanced at the man. “It’s not perfect but I’m working on it.”

“Did Claire prescribe you meds?” Patch asked.

Knight stayed quiet. Pain shot through his arm as Patch punched him.

“Hey, Asshole. You said you wanted to change. I used to think exactly like you. You’re not the only one who’s endured shit. If Claire gives you prescriptions, you fill them. They’ll help. It doesn’t mean you’re weak. If I can suck it up, your pansy ass can do it, too.”

“I’m worried if I take the stuff at night I won’t hear Gabby if she needs me,” Knight made the excuse.

Patch growled. “You don’t get it. You want to save your marriage? Then you have to save yourself first. Claire doesn’t hand out happy pills. She only gives you what you need and weans you off as soon as you start making progress. If you can’t or won’t help yourself, you can’t be there for your wife.”

Knight punched the locker. “You think I don’t know that? I’m worried if I take my eyes off her, she’ll disappear. I’m worried about the stress she’s under while carrying the baby, her blood pressure, and who wants her dead. If I start the meds, I’ll lose my focus.”

“You’re a damn idiot.” Patch walked to the showers and washed off. “Do you think we don’t have someone watching her right now? Plus, I spoke with Tex and he plans to call her this morning. If you want to feel like you’re not alone anymore, dipshit, stop acting like it.”

“I’m sorry. I appreciate the team watching our backs last night. It seems like I’m apologizing all time cause I can’t get it together.” Knight stepped into the shower stall.

“Because your brain’s fucked up. Take the prescriptions. We’ll take turns keeping watch until the meds kick in and you start feeling like yourself. Call Wolf and read him in before you leave for California. Trust me. Claire knows what she’s doing and why. It’s not always forever. What happens here, stays here. Gabby will go to bed. You’ll do your perimeter check, and we’ll come in through the patio door. Flip on the front light when you’re headed to bed. She won’t know we’re there. If she has an issue, we’ll wake you to handle it. You can’t help her if you don’t have your head screwed on straight.”

“How do you know how I feel?” Knight shut the water off and grabbed a towel.

“I saw you watching Whiskey. Out of the three of us, he’s the most fucked up and he’s standing here with his brothers. It’s not my story to tell. I met Claire after Tex insisted I come here. I came because I did it as a last resort.”

Knight turned and peered at the bulky man next to him. He didn’t appear weak in the least. Then again, if he glanced at the outer shell of himself in the mirror, he wouldn’t appear screwed up either.

Glancing at the man, he sat on the bench. “How did you come out of it? I close my eyes and see all the people I let down.”

“My buddy told me to live a life worth living. I couldn’t see my way out of the darkness. Then I met Claire. I almost lost her the same way you’re about to lose your wife because you’re a stubborn asshole. Claire’s worth fighting for. If you love Gabby, you’ll do whatever it takes to get your head on straight to be there for her.”

“Hey team assholes, if you’re done holding hands and shit, Taco has breakfast ready,” Leo called. “Saint says we gotta help asshole number two out. Get up here and fill your pie holes before I send Taco to Seattle.”

Knight threw his shirt over his head. He pulled his bag from the bench and followed Patch to the kitchen.

Knight sat beside Saint. “I want to say thanks for keeping your eyes open while I took Gabby out last night. I appreciate it.”

Leo scooped a huge serving of eggs. “Taco has a meeting with Julio’s team in half an hour. We’re getting warrants for Wilkinson’s computer, home, and wiretaps. We’re hoping he’ll lead us to some bigger fish. I think they’ll offer him a deal if he turns over state’s evidence.”

Taco took the bowl from Leo and plopped out a healthy portion before handing it to Patch. “I know Gabby’s still working and turning stuff in. Matthew’s watching her computer. How’s she handling the stress?”

Everyone turned to Knight. “They’re having a luncheon on Friday for her friend, Jackie. She wants to attend even after I explained the risks involved. She wants to see if she can pull stuff from the computer on the lower floor.”

Patch handed the eggs to Knight. “I say we allow her to go. We don’t want her to return to work there, and it would be understandable if her husband helped her attend the funeral luncheon. Knight can keep an eye on Gabby, and we can plant a micro camera to hear what’s going down. She can download the files, and we can get her out of there.”

Leo stopped stuffing his mouth, considering Patch’s suggestion. “The idea has merit. You can bet someone’s watching for her. Knight can return to her old apartment with her. We can position half the team there and the other half tail Knight for the luncheon.”

Shaking his head, Knight handed Doc the food. “No. What if they try something like running her off the road again? I don’t want her put at risk. She’s entering her eighth month. If something happened to her or the baby…”

“We’ll prevent anything from happening on the road. You’ll stay by her side while she attends the luncheon. They’ll understand why she doesn’t stay long, especially if Doc can help us make her injuries appear more substantial. They’d appear like asses to request a pregnant woman, who recently suffered a car accident to come into the office to work.”

Matthew chimed in, “She’s a valuable employee because they’re allowing her to work from home. I checked the records of everyone employed there. She’s the only accounting manager with permission to work from home, along with Jackie. As long as she puts in her time, I don’t see them asking her to appear when she’s injured. They want to play this cool until she returns. Too many accidents might bring up questions they don’t want to have to answer.”

Leo grabbed a piece of bacon and buttered his toast. “Taco will report what Julio’s team decided. We’ll go with the story, the agents received an anonymous tip and acted quickly. Since we’ve worked with the task force and the FBI in the past, it’s a plausible story of why his team came to us for assistance. We’ll read the task force in at the last minute with a plan in place.”

“Is there any word about Rebecca’s whereabouts? I’m concerned about her going dark after the phone call on Christmas Day. What does Julio say about it?” Shadow asked as he grabbed some bacon and a slice of ham.

Leo glanced at his men. “Ivan has one of the dirty agents, who we believe knows Rebecca’s location. Julio’s following the leads from what he’s confessed to Ivan’s men. With someone keeping tabs on Julio, he’s had to move discreetly. Matthew’s doing leg work from a burner phone Julio’s using. Hopefully, we’ll get some news soon,” Leo informed the men. “When Matthew finishes putting the pieces together here, I’m assigning him to help search for Rebecca. She’s vouched for this team and we owe her. I don’t like her out there alone. We’re searching for a replacement for Matthew, preferably before he leaves for Texas. I want someone who can do everything he does. Keep your ears to the ground. We’ll want to snatch someone with his abilities as soon as possible. Saint, what did you want to discuss?”

Saint glanced at Knight. “Gabby doesn’t appear excited about the baby. Knight asked for our help in setting up a temporary nursery.”

Leo set his coffee cup on the table. “I can lend you plenty of advice?—”

“We got it handled, chief.” Whiskey interrupted. “We shared all of your helpful advice.” He turned to Knight and winked. “Claire mentioned you have an appointment with her this afternoon. We can go into Serenity this morning and help you pick a few items. We can order the crib for pick up and send one of the men.”

“Do you know what Gabby wants?” Patch asked as he snatched the last piece of bacon before Leo, making the leader scowl.

Knight pinched his nose. “She doesn’t want to discuss anything concerning the baby with me. I overheard her confiding to Saint about a jungle themed room. I want her to have a semblance of it. Plus, I don’t want her returning to her apartment. Even if she decides we’re over, I’ll help her find a safer place to live.”

Saint clasped his shoulder. “I know it feels like shit. Stay focused on her needs and the baby. When you show up consistently, she’ll see you’re committed.”

Patch grunted. “And follow Claire’s instructions to a T. No more shortcuts. If you need help, you ask.”

Knight faced the men. “I need your help. My last assignment changed me, and I blamed her for trying to tell me by picking fights to keep from facing the truth. Claire says she can help me if I’m willing to do the work.” He glanced in Patch’s direction. “Thank you for watching over us last night. I hope if I do the work I can not only gain Gabby’s trust but earn the respect of this team.”

Leo clasped his hands in front of him, his mouth firmed as he focused on Knight. “We’ve all fucked up. Step one is owning up to it. Step two is doing something about it. Let’s see what you do next.”

Knight blew out a relieved breath. “I’ll do my best.”

“We can head to town and get some items now. I don’t start my shift for another four hours. We can come back here and order anything online we can’t get in town,” Saint offered.

“Thanks. My appointment with Claire starts at 1400. Gabby works until 1700. It’ll give me plenty of time.” Knight felt the boulder on his chest lift a little more.

The men stood, taking the dishes to the dishwasher and José wiped down the table and started scrubbing the pots.

Patch shoulder bumped Knight as he walked by. “Good luck, Asshole. I’ll see you later.”

Knight followed his brother-in-law to his truck and climbed inside. Saint got into the driver’s seat and drove into town.

“Which store did you want to hit first?” Saint asked as he parked the truck in the middle of the shops they visited last night.

He pointed to the shop where he saw Gabby pick up the elephant before sadly placing him back on the shelf. “Let’s start there.”

Walking into the store, the two men grabbed a basket and perused the baby aisles. Knight found the toy elephant and added it to the basket. Then he added a monkey, a tiger, and a lion. They walked over to the next store, and he picked up the Seattle Seahawks outfit and paused. What if Gabby had a girl?

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t let it deter you. Girls like football, too,” Saint reassured him. “This child is yours, too. What do you want for the baby?”

He chuckled. “Ya know, I’ve stayed guarded. Coming here today, I’m feeling excited.”

“You’re becoming a father. What kind of dad do you want to be? Do you want to stand on the sidelines or be an involved one? I know your father walked away. He made his choice. Now, you make yours. If you want this, regardless of what happens between you and Gabby, show up, be the dad this kid deserves, and do what you wished your dad did for you and Bryanna.”

Knight swallowed. “You’re right. I’m afraid to hope. I’m scared of how all this will turn out.”

“It’s terrifying, man. Parenthood’s not for the weak. But it’s the most rewarding job you’ll ever have,” Saint encouraged him. “Nugget came into my life suddenly and I worried about being a good dad. My family and team supported me.”

“I don’t know anything about babies or how to be a dad. What if I screw up?” he whispered, almost afraid of admitting it out loud.

“We all do. Nobody’s a perfect parent. We do our best and we learn what we don’t know. You can do this.” Saint walked over to a monitor with a screen. “You’ll want one of these for sure.”

After adding it to his basket, he went to the cashier and paid for his items. When he walked out, Knight turned to Saint. “I read a few things online. They said something about getting the mom a push present. What the hell is that?”

Saint chuckled. “You purchase something for Gabby. I’ve seen some folks get items such as designer purses and trips. I’m taking Bryanna on a babymoon in a few weeks, but I already got her a present. She needed an SUV to pick up baking supplies and extra room for the kids. She refused to spend the money. I’m not particularly eager to keep secrets from her, but we get bonuses working for Serenity Securities. I used mine to get her a new SUV. I ordered this made for her.” Saint pulled a keychain from his pocket with Nugget’s and the baby’s birthstones.

“I know I worried when you and my sister broke the news about getting married and having a baby. I’m surprised Bryanna did a one-eighty. You’re good for her and I’m happy for you both.” Knight loaded the bags in the truck. “I’ve no idea what to get Gabby. I doubt she’ll accept anything from me with everything going on.”

Saint slid into the driver’s seat. “Whatever you get, let it come from the heart.”

Knight swallowed. He shattered her heart. It’s why they ended up in this situation. “What do you think about her attending the luncheon?”

Saint glanced at him as he turned on the mountain’s access road. “She’s not going in alone. You’ll be with her, and we’ll be covering you. We won’t let you down.”

The knot in his stomach seemed to loosen at the knowledge the team covered his back. “When we return, I have an hour to search for a crib. Gabby kept a second-hand bassinet at the apartment. It didn’t seem in the best shape. If I purchase a new one, it might feel like I didn’t approve.”

“Since Gabby can’t return to her apartment, the team and I can move her out while you’re in California. I’m afraid the bassinet might’ve suffered a fall down the stairs,” Saint suggested. “Since I’m your brother-in-law, I’ll take the hit and you’ll owe me.”

“What’s it gonna cost me?” he asked.

Saint chuckled evilly. “I’ll let you know, brother.”

Patch pulled into Kassie and Chase’s driveway, where Claire waited. He chuckled as he watched his woman.

“What’s so funny?”

“Do you see the smile on her face? You’re in for it now. Whatever you do, don’t let them break you. Tears on a man in front of a bunch of women ain’t cool. You cry when you’re in the dark all alone.”

Knight peered fearfully at the enthusiastic blonde. “She doesn’t appear like she’s up to something.”

Patch jerked back and stared crazily at him. “You’ve totally forgotten how to read women. Don’t worry. This group will remind you real fast. Take my word for it. First, you’re at Kassie’s home, the head of chaos. Second, my woman has her biggest grin on, meaning whatever she has planned will traumatize you and then she’s gonna put you back together again. Third, if you walk in there and see an older redhead named Victoria, hold your sack and say you’re sorry.”

“For what?” Knight asked, now panicked.

“It doesn’t matter. Just do it, brother. For Pete’s sake, hold on to whatever manhood you have left when they’re done with you.”

“What the hell! What did they plan?” he groaned.

Claire approached the truck. Patch shut the engine off and smiled. “Don’t let them smell fear. You’ll make us all look bad.” He opened the door and pulled Claire to him. “How are ya, Claire Bear?”

“I’m working, Patch.” She reminded him as he bent to kiss her.

“No. You’re having fun. Don’t try to play me.” He kissed her on the mouth and growled under his breath as he whispered in her ear making her giggle before getting back into the truck. Grinning at Knight, who held his door in a death grip, Patch said, “Good luck, Asshole.” Before nodding for him to shut the door.