Page 82 of The Monsters Within

“Alright, Beck, it’s time. I want you to push with the next contraction.”

Maureen and Colleen held up her legs while Blade supported her from behind.

“Don’t you want to see your son being born?” Beck asked.

“I am right where I need to be,” he told her, and when she looked back at him, he kissed her. “You are so fucking amazing.”

“Okay, enough of that. I can’t deliver a baby if I can’t see through my tears.” Harmony smiled, easing the weight of emotion in the room.

Beck pulled forward, her eyes closing tight as she pushed with the contraction. “Great job, Beck. I can see his head,” Harmony praised. “Just a few more and he’ll be here.”

I stood behind Harmony as Silas Declan Spade entered the world. He cried so loud we knew they’d heard him through the door when the sound of boots stomping and men yelling met our ears.

Harmony placed the baby on Beck’s chest, and his parents were in awe. The love for their son was evident in the tears and smiles they shared with each other.

“I wish your mom could be here. She would be so proud of the man you’ve become.”

“Thank you, Maureen. I wish she were here too. She would be happy you were here in her absence,” Blade said, though he never took his eyes off his son.

“We always wanted to share grandbabies. And now we can.” Maureen leaned over and kissed Beck on the side of her head. “You did so good, sweetheart.”

I checked the baby over while Beck held him. His APGAR scores were high both times. Harmony waited for the cord to stop pulsing and Beck to deliver the placenta before asking Blade if he wanted to cut the cord.

His face was pale, and despite making it through the birth, I thought this might be what did him in.

“Um, not sure I should do that.”

“Grow some balls, Micah. I did the hard part. What the fuck do they call you Blade for?”

We all chuckled as the color came back into Blade’s face. He straightened up and asked for the scissors. Beck knew just how to bring him back from his fear.

The way Cash did for me.

As I watched him cut the cord, then smile at the mother of his child, it occurred to me that maybe, with Cash by my side, I really was capable of doing anything. Including being a mother.

In a few years.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Cash

We heard the baby cry, and there was a collective sigh before we all stomped our boots and yelled in celebration.

“Congratulations, Dec. You’re a grandpa!” I slapped him on the back, and if you looked closely, you would see the glassiness in his eyes.

“Fuck, she did it,” King said beside us. He hugged his brother, and we all waited for someone to come out and tell us how they were.

Thirty minutes later, the door opened, and Blade walked out holding his son. Tears slipped down his face, and not one of us said a goddamn word.

“He’s here.” He looked up and smiled. “Fuck, I never thought I’d see this day.”

Brothers took turns stepping up to see the baby before heading back upstairs. Amber was still missing, and now that we knew Beck and the baby were okay, we had work to do.

The only ones left were me, King and Declan. Dec stared at the bundle in Blade’s arms.

“You wanna hold him, Grandpa?” Blade asked.

“Fuck yeah.”