Page 67 of Saint

A vow to find a man just like my dad. Because he was the best.

The absolute best.

And I knew one other man just like him.

The very same man who just texted me a funny meme he had found.

It was a picture of Gru fromDespicable Me.He was looking down in that funny way he does.

When you flush the toilet and the water keeps rising.

Ophelia

We were out shopping for Soraya’s birthday present. Our baby was turning thirteen.

My lord, where had the time gone?

I used to look down on her, and now, I’m looking up at her.

Thankfully, she won’t ever be as tall as Saint, but still.

Saint’s arm was wrapped around my waist as we walked down Main Street, and yes, even after all these years, he never let me walk on the side where cars passed.

A woman who was pushing a stroller passed us by, and I felt Saint’s arm tighten.

Oh. No.

I stopped dead in my tracks, which caused him to do the same, looking down at me with a lifted brow, “What?”

“Stop that. Right now,” I demanded.

His brow lifted even higher, “Okay, last time you used that tone with me, you were on your period, and I forgot to put the turkey in the fridge so it could defrost in time for Thanksgiving last year.”

I narrowed my eyes up at him, “You know what I mean. Every time we pass by a woman with a baby or a man with a baby, your body tenses. How many times do we have to go over this, Saint?”

He sighed, then with his free hand, he ran it through his hair, “I know. But hell, baby.”

I lifted on my tiptoes, getting closer to his face, “But hell, nothing. Do you honestly think I would ever be okay with nothaving you in my life? Because if they hadn’t operated on you when they did, you wouldn’t be here right now. And that’s not fucking okay. I never want to go through something like that ever again.”

What had happened occurred two years ago.

He and the brothers were helping a mother of six escape a relationship where she had no control. Over anything.

And the deadbeat asshole?

Well, the doctors had told her that it wouldn’t be wise to have any more children, but the man flew off the rails and had the audacity to blame her for it.

The man, however, had come home earlier than expected when the brothers went to rescue her and the children.

Whoever sold that man a gun needed to lose his license.

Because he opened fire on all of them.

Saint took two bullets in his pelvis when he dove in front of Nuke.

Grey took one to the left arm.

Kettle took three to his back when he moved to shield both Nuke and Saint.