Page 41 of The Loves We Lost

And I’m feeling things I didn’t know I could feel.

Overwhelming and undying love for Avery.

A sense of endless possibilities now that Vi is back in my life.

And some really nasty thoughts about what I want to do with Vi in that shower. Or images of how Vi probably looked knocked up with my kid. Bet she had one of those bowling ball bellies and overflowing tits ... My dick stirs at the thought of her leaking milk I could suck on.

I want to see pictures.

Fuck, I want to see her pregnant. At a minimum, I’m gonna argue that we should keep kids just between the two of us. I’ll be the father toallher kids. She can be the mother to all of mine.

And we’ll make ’em the old-fashioned way, none of that turkey-baster shit. I’ll fuck her deep and slow and enjoy every millisecond of it. Then I’ll leave my cock in her, plugging all my cum in her.

I’m going to intertwine the two of us so tight, but for now, I’ll keep any acknowledgement of my breeding kink to myself. Especially considering the only woman who’s ever featured in it is Viola Mills.

Two hours later, I’m on my knees, shirt off, helping Avery dig a rowboat into the damp sand. Her little pink shorts and T-shirt are wet in places, but Vi didn’t pack a swimsuit in her hurry to leave.

“I think it needs to be bigger, Mr. Miles,” she says, scooping out sand with a pink spade I bought her.

“Any bigger, sweetheart, and we’ll be digging a cruise liner.”

Avery chuckles. “Not that big, silly.”

There’s a white line of sunscreen on her nose that hasn’t been rubbed in properly. Vi was surprised I even had it. Don’t know why everyone is so intrigued by my skin care choices.

I look over to where Vi is lying in the shade of an umbrella—I borrowed it from the shed behind the clubhouse, where we keep a supply of shit for barbecues. She’s out cold, fast asleep, and has been for the past hour.

At first, she couldn’t settle, hypervigilant, always looking around her. Then I pointed out all the support King had offered me. Mark and Heath, our prospects, patrol along the water. Halo and Switch are both on the boardwalk with us in sight. There are businesses along the shore we do security for and have camera access to. Vex is watching them like a hawk.

Once she’d realized we were safe and protected, she slept like the dead.

“Mr. Miles, will the bad men still be there when I go home?”

I glance over at my daughter ...my daughter. Her eyes are solemn.

“No, sweetheart. I’m gonna make sure they aren’t. I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

She nods. “Do you think Mr. Niro will come visit?”

I laugh. “What about me coming to visit?”

“You can come with him. He makes good cake.”

“Yeah. He does. I’m sure he’ll make you something else if you ask. He makes really good cinnamon rolls. You should ask him for some of those.”

Her eyes glitter with mischief again, and I’m glad she’s lost that slightly terrified look from when she asked about the bad men. “I love cinnamon rolls, but I like the icing best.”

I grab my phone from my back pocket and text Vex.

Any IDs on the men who showed up at Vi’s?

It takes a few moments for him to respond.Not yet, but one of them had a Brotherhood tattoo on the base of his skull.

Fuck me.

I hadn’t even noticed on the tiny screen of her phone.

Keep looking, yeah?I hit send.