Without Regret

“Oh, my god, Chris,” she mumbled, tears streaming down her face, but he didn’t f**king care anymore. She wanted to know why his family was his world then he would tell her.

“Then never got me, but that wasn’t from a lack of trying. You also don’t know what it’s like to be so f**king hungry that you’d do anything for food. You have no idea how f**king scared I was all the time or how it felt when I was kicked out onto the street because she found someone stupid enough to take her in.”

“My family took me in and saved my life, Isabella. They gave me a home, love and loyalty and I owe them everything! Everything!”

“Do you really think they want to see you alone and unhappy?” she asked, her voice breaking with emotion as she reached up to cup his face. “Do you?”

He shook his head stubbornly. “They need me to protect them.”

“No, they need you to be happy!” she cried, tightening her grip when he tried to pull away from her. “They love you so much, Chris, don’t you see that? They don’t want a bodyguard or a soldier or whatever the hell you’ve been for them. They want a son, a brother and a friend. They want you, Chris.”

“I’m good at taking care of them,” he bit out. “That’s what I do. I make sure they’re safe and happy and that makes me happy.”

“Bullshit!” she snapped, shocking him. “You’re not happy!”

He opened his mouth to argue, but what was there to say? He was glad his family was safe and he was happy for them, but he wasn’t happy. They were his family and he loved them, but they never filled a void inside of him, or gave him so much joy that he thought that he just might burst.

Only she did.

All she had to do was walk in a room and he felt better, lighter, freer and he’d been a damn fool to push that away. He was still scared to death that someone was going to hunt her down and try to take her away from him, but he knew that he wouldn’t let her go without a fight.

But as much as he loved his family he couldn’t let them make this decision without talking to them first. He had to make sure living with them was what they really wanted, because he couldn’t stomach the idea of putting them at risk. If they had doubts then he would take her away to keep them safe, but he couldn’t give up his mate and baby. He just couldn’t.

“You make me happy,” he said, looking down into her beautiful face.

“You don’t seem to be happy,” she said, sniffling.

“That’s because I’m an ass**le,” he said, smiling when she let out a little choked little laugh.

“That’s true,” she said with a watery smile that gave him hope.

“Can I have one more chance? Please,” he said, leaning down to press a kiss to the tip of her nose. “I love you, Munchkin and I want a chance to prove it to you and Jessica. Please, give me another chance.”

She leaned up and he met her halfway smiling when her belly forced him to bend lower and allowed her to kiss him. It was like a balm to his soul. He wrapped one arm around her as best as he could and placed his other hand on her stomach and gently rubbed.

When his little Munchkin hissed sharply against his lips he pulled back. “Did I hurt you?” he asked, reminding himself that he had to be gentle with her.

“No,” she said, shaking her head, but he noted she’d lost some of the color in her face, “the baby’s acting up.”

“Do you want me to go get Joshua?” he asked, reaching to push the call button to take them downstairs.

“No, I just need a hot bath to soak in,” she said, pressing her hands on either side of her stomach.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his finger hovering over the button.

With a small sigh of impatience she pushed his hand down and took it into both of hers.

“You didn’t give me an answer,” he pointed out.

“I need some time, Chris. As much as I love you I can’t risk you hurting the baby,” she said softly.

“I would never hurt her,” he said tightly, and he wouldn’t. He’d rather die than hurt her.

Izzy rolled her eyes. “I meant with your little PMS

problem.”

“I’m done with being an ass**le,” he said, praying that she’d give him a chance, because he had no idea what to do next. Beg? He could do that. Buy her chocolate? She seemed to like that. Let her beat the shit out of him? He had that coming.

“Can I get that in writing?” she asked with a teasing little smile that gave him hope.

“Absolutely,” he murmured, bending to brush his lips over hers again when the elevator doors opened.

“Isabella McGuire, I presume?” an amused deep voice asked, drawing his attention to the open doors and what he saw there had him reaching for his gun.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, unless you think the little boy would enjoy having his throat ripped out,” the man or rather the shifter said as he looked pointedly down to Marc’s throat where his claws were pressed into soft skin.

He looked towards the shifter’s right to find Joshua bleeding from the mouth and clearly struggling not to attack the bastard, but they all knew that if anyone of them made a move on him that their little brother would be the one to pay the price.

Chapter 45

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Kale said, watching as the Sentinel male tried pushing Isabella back into the elevator and step out to block her.

“It’s fine, Chris,” Isabella said, giving the male apparently named Chris a hearty shove to get him out of the way.

He watched as the small little woman stepped forward and he nearly cursed up a storm. Pregnant? She was f**king pregnant? This was a complication he really didn’t need. When he’d scented a pregnant female moments earlier he’d hoped it was just a lingering odor left in the elevator by another woman, but clearly he wasn’t that lucky.

“Off the elevator,” he said, stepping back and taking the small boy who wouldn’t stop trembling, but thankfully wasn’t crying with him.

The young man that was practically shaking with rage followed after them. Not many humans impressed him, but this one had. He’d gone toe to toe with him to save the little boy and hadn’t backed down until the boy’s life became an issue.

“She’s not going with you,” Chris bit out coldly, moving to step in front of Isabella again only to have the woman push him away and step forward.

“It’s fine, Chris.”

“No, it’s not.”

“I’m going with him and he’s going to let Marc go,” she said, looking up to meet his eyes. “Right?” she asked, but it didn’t really sound like much of a question.

“Wrong. The boy is coming and so is your mate and apparently my little shadow right here,” he said, nodding towards the man glaring at him.

“You don’t need him,” she said, reaching out to take the little boy’s hand, but he wasn’t having that. He stepped back away from her, taking the little boy with him.

“He’s the man who broke into my room,” the little boy whispered and hell, he could have cut the tension that suddenly filled the room with his claws.

Understanding dawned in Chris’ eyes as he presumably reached for a weapon. The man knew he was going to kill the little boy. He had no choice. He couldn’t risk this boy doing to another pack what that son of a bitch did to his so long ago.