Into the Blackness (Blackness Series Book 4) (50 page)

I can feel the tension flowing away from all of us as we watch the women we love glow brighter than any of the women in here. A club full of well over five hundred people, and two pregnant women have stolen the show. I feel a ghost of a smile sweep across my face.

It’s short lived because a guy comes up behind Kat and Shanny each, grinding and humping at their asses. I’m moving before I register it, Kellerman and the guys right on my heels. The crowd parts for us easily. I’m sure we look scary as hell prowling toward our women. When we get to the girls they’re alone again dancing with each other. Shanny’s facing me and gives me a pointed look. Yeah, I’m aware I fucked up.

I wrap my arms around Kat’s waist snugly, pulling her warm slightly sweaty back to my front. She slouches in defeat before pushing my arms off her.

“I’ll tell you what I told every other man in here,” she yells without looking at me. “I’m married!”

“Is that so?” I whisper in her ear. Her entire body goes stiff before she slowly turns to look at me. She’s only a few inches shorter than me in the skyscraper heels she’s got on.

Kat levels me with an icy glare placing her hands on her hips dramatically.

“Yeah!” she yells over the music.

Kellerman scoops his arms around Shanny and they start dancing together both observing us intently. The guys are surely here dancing with other women, but I’m focused solely on mine.

“My husband’s a real dick sometimes though,” she continues yelling at me.

“Any guy that’s a dick to you is a fuckin’ fool,” I yell back.

“I’m thinkin’ about gettin’ a divorce.”

“I’m thinkin’ about gettin’ married.”

We stand and stare at each other in the middle of the dance floor. The bodies around us fade into the background and the music dims along with them. I’m the luckiest motherfucker on Earth to have this woman. There’s no way I’ll lose her because I’ve turned into an idiot. The ring in my pocket feels like my only lifeline at this point. I wanted to do romance. I wanted to do sweet and soft, just for her. A sweaty club will have to do.

I drop to my knee in front of her and her hazel eyes go from pissed to stunned in the blink of an eye.

“I love you. I want my life to begin and end with every breath of yours. I’m at peace for the first time in my life and that’s because I share every day with you. I’m not a changed man because of you…I’m the best version of me. I’ll spend the rest of our lives proving to you that I deserve everything you offer me. I’ll be the best father to our eight kids. I’ll be the best partner at your side, offering you support and love at every turn. I’ll love you more each day because I fall in love with you a little more every morning. Marry me, Sunshine,” I finish quieter than I started because the house lights have come on and the music has stopped. All eyes in the club are on us.

I pull the ring out of my pocket. An eight-carat pear shaped diamond with a smaller pear shaped diamonds on either side. I hold it out to her, waiting with baited breath for the only answer I’m prepared for.

Kat hasn’t looked at the ring. She’s staring at me with tears in her eyes and a hand over her mouth. I really hope she doesn’t vomit. That would make this proposal even worse than it already is.

Finally, she nods only a tiny movement.

“Yes?” I clarify that she’s not had some kind of tremor.

Her hand drops from her mouth as she squares her shoulders and beams the biggest smile I’ve ever seen cross her breathtaking face.

“Yes!” she screams at the top of her lungs to the glee of the club that breaks out in cheers and hoots of support.

I climb to my feet and slide the ring on her finger. She never looks at it. As soon as I’m done, she throws her arms around my neck and smashes her lips to mine. The club lights come back on as “When a Man Loves a Woman” filters through the space. I kiss Kat and rock her body with mine as people clap me on the back and shout congratulations.

Our tongues dance along with our bodies as happiness envelopes our embrace. I keep her crushed against me as firmly as I can, wishing we were alone and naked. Kat finally breaks our kiss, panting and wiping tears from her cheeks, her new ring blinding me.

“I love you,” she says with adoration and love framing her features.

“I love you too.”

“All right,” Shanny says at our side. “My turn.”

She wraps Kat in a strong hug as Kellerman pulls me in for a back slapping man hug. We switch quickly. Shanny squeezes my neck so tightly I have to gasp for breath.

“I love you even more right now, Nicky,” she murmurs into my neck.

“Thank you,” I mumble back, meaning that for more than the compliment she just paid me.

She pulls back and looks kindly into my face and I have a memory of an eight-year-old girl and a ten-year-old boy in a backyard saying goodbye to each other. My heart hurt that day like I’ve never felt since then. My heart hurts now too, but it’s with a love so deep it’s working its way into crevices that aren’t used to feeling. Shanny opened my heart and Kat took it over. I have everything I could ever want in life. In this moment, I’m content and complete.

Shanny shoot me her megawatt smile before sliding back to Kellerman as the guys pass Kat around. Each of them scooping her off the floor and spinning her around like she’s their little sister. They may be assholes, but they care about the woman I love. The glow bouncing off Kat’s face is proof that having them care about her is important. I won’t ruin that for her by being a dick about it. I’ll just enforce some strict boundaries with those guys. A five-second rule for touching or something.

O’Sullivan passes Kat to me with a pointed look promising me bodily harm if I fuck up with her. I shoot him a cocky grin as I scoop Kat into my front, kissing her forehead.

“Take me home,” she whispers, laying her head on my shoulder.

She doesn’t have to tell me twice. I offer our group a chin lift and lead my soon to be legal wife out of the club. It takes forever with all the congratulations, but we make our way out eventually. We jump in the back of a cab and go back to Shanny’s house.

We make out in the backseat like teenagers all the way there. When the cab stops my dick’s so hard it hurts and Kat’s hazy sex-filled eyes are not helping the situation.

The boys throw the front door open and our happy mood ends as soon as we see them. They’re still pissed at me and worried about Kat.

Kat hurries toward them and I fall in step behind her.

“Are you okay?” Cole asks, wrapping her in a tight hug in the foyer as I close the door.

“I’m great, sweetheart,” Kat assures him.

Sawyer pulls her in next, followed by Dane.

“Boys, I’m fine. I needed to get out for a bit and cool off. You have to trust that your dad and I can work through our problems. I mean actually work them out. We’re not gonna do the things you’re used to in relationships. We’ll fight, argue, disagree and all of that’s okay because in the end we’ll always come back to each other. We love each other enough to fight for each other more than against each other.”

The relief that passes over their faces is an amazing sight to witness.

“What the hell is that?” Sawyer shouts loudly, pointing at Kat’s left hand.

“I proposed,” I answer in a smirk.

“Nice,” he says through his own smirk.

Cole and Dane join along in the smirking, letting me off the hook simultaneously.

Kat finally looks down at her hand and her breath hitches.

“Nicky,” she whispers, staring at the gigantic ring.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s a lot,” she says through a snort.

“You deserve even more.”

“Yeah she does,” Cole agrees, his blue eyes dancing with happiness.

“I have everything I deserve and more with you all. This is just a bonus.”

The boys all smile and converge on their mother almost knocking her off her heels. They let her go and attack me just the same. I hold them in my arms as tightly as I can, relieved they’re not holding earlier tonight against me.

“Let’s go the rest of the way in the house, guys,” I say, releasing them from my grip. Cole and Dane sweep their arms around Kat’s waist as I keep Sawyer under my arm. “Where’s Cara?”

“Takin’ a shower,” Sawyer replies as we enter the great room. He tags the baby monitor off the coffee table before announcing, “We should go wait for her.”

“You guys sure are sticking to her like glue,” I point out the obvious.

“She needs us,” Cole retorts with a shrug before peeling away from Kat.

“We’re goin’ up. We’ll probably just sleep in her room again,” Dane says.

“What’s that?” I ask baffled at his last statement.

“We’ve been sleepin’ in her bed every night since we got here, Dad. You’re already losin’ your spy skills,” he teases.

“By sleepin’ you mean?” I ask, hoping like hell they mean drooling and snoring.

“Dad,” Sawyer huffs at my question. “Sleeping.”

“Noted.”

The three of them kiss Kat on the cheek and give me hugs before running up the stairs to their girl. I’m filled with pride at the men they’re becoming. If Jake could see them he’d be proud of his brothers too. They’re keeping his girl safe until he can come back for her. That’ll be a good story.

“Take me to bed, Nicky,” Kat purrs in my ear.

“Fuck yes,” I groan, sweeping her off her feet and basically running down the hall as she cackles with laughter at my behavior.

The sound of her joy mixed with the beam of sunshine that’s just her, sends a warm rush right through my heart. She’s mine. I have this for the rest of my life and I’ll appreciate it every moment. I know what the blackness looks like and I’m happy to turn my back on it and walk straight into the light.

Nick

I kick the door shut on our new master bedroom at the end of a long moving weekend carrying Kat bride-style, which has been done a lot lately. We’ve been engaged a week now and life has been fan-fuckin’-tastic. Hoyt Burke was finally terminated after being held at a black site for the last few weeks. He gave the DCA all the intel he had and then he was disposed of. Thousands of girls have been traced all over the country. We succeeded in our op and we’ve excelled at life.

Kat and I had our first sonogram and doctor’s appointment this week. She’s progressing perfectly in the pregnancy and the morning sickness is getting slightly better. Seeing my baby that looked oddly like a blob was a life changing moment for me. I fought with everything I had not to cry as I watched the tiny flicker of its heart while I cradled Kat’s hand and she cried. We created that little being together in the blackness that had surrounded us for years and years. I now believe in miracles.

The boys started school this week, which was difficult because that meant they had to leave Cara for the first time. Cara’s in an accelerated home school program with multiple tutors to catch her up to where she needs to be. She’ll still be a bit behind age wise, but all the experts around us believe she’ll be able to go into her junior year of high school with the boys next year.

That girl has the same fight in her as Shanny. I have no doubt she’ll battle her way through therapy and school to get where she needs to be. In the few weeks we’ve been here, I can see her beginning to heal. While it’ll be a long and slow road, I’ll be proud to stand by her side and support her for the duration.

We haven’t heard from Jake since he went back to the farm. I knew we wouldn’t, but it’s difficult. Kat’s struggling with it more than anyone, mostly due to her pregnancy hormones. He’ll call. He’ll come home. He’ll heal. I keep reminded her, the boys, Cara and myself of this as the days pass with no word. I trust my son to follow through.

I lay Kat down in our California King dark mahogany four-poster bed gently. Kat chose all the furniture and linens and pillows and art and whatever else is in this house. My life savings has taken a hit buying the house, cars, her engagement ring and home furnishings. I don’t give a shit. Everyone I love is happy and healthy. The DCA pays me well and I made a shit load of money while I worked for Vito Mancini. We’re good.

I slowly peel Kat out of her silk pale blue robe that she put on after her shower this evening. I’m delighted to find her completely naked and ready for me as I slide the liquid material from her body.

I don’t take the same care yanking off my sweats, but I’m not really that concerned with myself right now. Once I’m naked, I cover Kat with my body diving in to devour her fat lips. She arches into me with a moan that causes my dick to twitch. She notices and runs her hand between us, pumping me with her fist as our tongues lick and lap each other.

I move away from her mouth and trail my teeth down her neck straight to her overly sensitive nipple. My dick is no longer in her grasp as my tongue softly flicks her. When her nails drag painfully over my scalp, I know she’s close. I pick up my tongue’s pace and pressure while my thumb and forefinger pull and tug in rhythm.

One more firm tweak and she’s crying out, “Nicky,” quaking from head to toe.

“Fuck that’s hot,” I murmur against her stomach as I make my way down.

“It’s only for you,” she whispers.

That little piece of information causes me to growl before kissing the womb nourishing my child. Kat hikes her legs back like I want them without a word or movement from me as I attack her pussy with my mouth. I spear my tongue in her hole as it clenches around me, quivering and begging for more.