Wes Dalton

Majority of the jobs the Moretti's called me to assist on were usually trafficking problems. I could honestly say that the Moretti family did more good than bad, but it hadn't always been that way. The dirtier and bloodier era of Moretti's was before Giovanni, his brother, I think.

The house was dark when I arrived. Every part of my body hurt. The business I'd been called away for was something for the Moretti brothers and I wouldn't be able to talk about it to anyone outside of those who were there.

If Sarah was up, the plan was to distract her with beignets. If she was asleep, I needed a shower.

Her soft snores were what greeted me when I came in. Carefully setting the food on the kitchen counter, I put my bag down in the hall and made sure to check on her. I picked up her phone from the floor and placed it on the coffee table.

The blanket she had wrapped up in was dangling on the floor, so I readjusted it for her. She let out a breathy moan but kept sleeping.

As I carried my bag to the bedroom I got a text. It was still early, so I assumed it was a follow up from my last job. It wasn't.

When I got to the bathroom and started undressing when I checked the message. I stopped and gave my phone my full attention. It wasn't a check in from my crew.

Unknown number:

I really need to talk to you.
Can you write me bak please
-Cason

The flutter of compassion in my chest turned into a tightness of concern. I wrote him back, hoping that whatever he needed to say would come easy for him. When I'd left, he and I had some one on one time where he opened up to me without his mom being around. I made sure to leave my number and reassure him that my brother would be there if he needed some in-person chats.

I left the phone on the counter and turned the shower as hot as it would go and stepped in. Beneath the pelting water, my body started to relax. Small cuts were found as the water cascaded down my skin, forcing myself to ignore the sting.

Soap foamed on the exfoliation pad I was using and I took my time to take inventory of any other damage I had done. There was a lot of thick brush I had to climb through and small cuts were normal. The bruises were a different story.

Knowing Sarah would have been pissed, I made sure to be more careful than usual. Only one bullet had grazed my skin and it looked to be sufficiently clean and healing well. Although I doubted it, I hoped that Sarah wouldn't notice.

When I toweled dry, I checked my phone. Nothing. Maybe he had gone back to sleep, it was still early.

I slipped into sweatpants and headed to the kitchen. I poured two glasses of orange juice in anticipation of what I knew Sarah would want.

She looked so peaceful while she slept. Kneeling beside her, I leaned into the couch, her hair tickling my face and said, "Good Morning sweet thing. You're right where I left you. I need you to wake up for me to tell me: bed or breakfast?"

With a quick inhale and soft groan, she said, "Bed."

I smiled as I scooped her up. Whispering to her, "Just as good as what I got you for breakfast."

"Wait, what's for breakfast?" She smelled the air and craned her neck to see where the sweet fragrance was coming from.

"Nope, too late," I ignored her and continued to walk.

"Wessss," she whined. "You didn't say you got beignets! That is cheating! I changed my mind! I want breakfast. You knew I'd choose bed."

My amusement was hard to hide as guilty as I was. I placed her on the cold kitchen counter. I found the under-glow light switch and clicked it on.

Opening the box, I presented the breakfast pastries to her. Pleased with myself, it was good to see her so excited for food. Pride swelled with the thought I was feeding my babies...

"This is almost better than a proposal!" She said without looking at me.

Her comment felt HUGE, shattering my thoughts of her pregnancy. It wasn't something Sarah would have said five years prior. Watching her enjoy the first bite, with a comment like that, my whole being craved her.

She closed her eyes and moaned.

"Fuck," I whispered. "I didn't know I could be so jealous of a pastry until this moment."

She laughed which caused a fit of coughing.

"Damn! Now she is choking on it like she does me!" As the words left my mouth, the back of her hand hit my shoulder.

"You need to stop making me laugh when I am eating!" She said before taking another bite.

On the counter, my phone started buzzing. Not a text. It continued to buzz and I knew it was a call. Picking it up, it was the same number that Cason had texted me from.

"Hello?" I answered my phone and looked up to see if Sarah was curious. She was eating another puff.

"Hey Wes. Can you talk?" Cason's voice was hushed.

"Hey buddy. Everything okay?" As I said it, Sarah looked up at me. I could tell that she was questioning who it was and for a moment I considered not telling her, but something said I needed to. I covered the mic of the phone and whispered, "Cason."

Her body seemed to coil tighter. I stepped away to form some privacy.

"Yeah, I need to talk to you about my mom," Cason continued.

"What about?" I asked cautiously.

"Has she talked to you about the baby?"

"We haven't really had a ton of time together since we left Maryland. We haven't talked yet."

"She is gonna be scared. Granny was talking to her the other day, and they were talking about loss. They were talking about how momma is scared to lose this baby. She needs to talk to you about that. She is strong for everyone and hides a lot. I know I don't know about it all. My dad... my dad was a dick to her. He hurt her a lot. She thinks I don't know, but I do know that." I let him talk because there was no way I'd cut him off.

My brows pinched at the thought that Cason had overheard such a sensitive conversation and had witnessed the abuse of his mom. "Thanks for your concern, buddy, really. I know that I don't know all the information either, but I'm sure she will—"

"No! She won't. You need to talk to her. I saw how she was with you. You're different. She likes you a lot... But she is bad at doing truth-talks." Cason's voice was full of concern.

"That means a lot coming from you, Cason, I appreciate it, and I promise that I will talk to her. Are truth-talks something you and your sister do with your grandmother?"

"Yeah. It's something we did, Laurel and I, when we came to live with Granny. And are you sure you're really gonna talk to her? You really promise?"

"I promise. Does it have to be right now?"

"NO! She can't hear me, can she?"

"No, I walked away. Your mom just got off a long shift, so she is eating and then probably going to sleep."

He sighed. "Thank you, Mr. Wes. I think you are going to help her."

"I hope I can."

"Hey Mr. Wes," Cason said.

"Yeah bud?"

The line was quiet for a moment before he asked, "Do you want a family?"

I smiled as I smoothed a hand over my sleep pants. I knew what he was asking and it wasn't about the baby in Sarah's belly. He needed to know where he may fit into this new relationship. I said, "I love my brother and I love my dad. I have a wonderful family and it would make me so happy to have more to join. I have a feeling I'm going to need some guy help eventually, too. You think you can help me out?"

"Huh?"

"You and I have something in common, Cason. You and I are both very good brothers, but it has been a while since I was a kid and I know you're going to be an even better big brother, so what do you say? Help me out when the time is right?"

"You want me to help?" He asked with hesitation.

"Absolutely. I think you know that. You're helping me right now with your mom, too, right? What I mean when I say I'd love more family, is that I would love to make my awesome family awesomer."

The line was quiet, but I had a feeling it was for a good reason. I added, "Hey Cason."

"Yeah?" There was a smile in his tone.

"No matter what, I want to be your friend. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, okay!" His voice became more chipper.

"Okay, good. One more thing."

"What?"

"Call your mom later. She misses you and it is making her sick thinking you're still upset with her."

"I'm not mad. I just... I just don't want her to forget about me."

"I don't think that is possible, Cason. You and your sister mean the world to your mom. She is proud of you and your sister. Always helping out your Grandma and being so independent."

"Really?"

"Yes really."

"I just thought—"

"It's okay, Cason. We all worry about stuff, big and small."

"Thanks Wes. I feel better."

"You're most welcome my friend."

We ended the call and I made my way back to Sarah. She was leaning against the counter that she had been sitting on with something in her hands. She looked up with her brow pinched and eyes full of worry.

"Everything okay with Cason?" She asked.

"Yeah, he just needed to chat. All good. Are you alright? You're looking a little pale."

"Yeah. I think." She turned the paper around. An ultrasound.

"What is this? I didn't know you scheduled your first appointment!" A jump of excitement burst inside me as I stepped closer.

"I didn't. I had a coworker at the hospital do me a favor and just confirmed that I actually am pregnant. She did it between patients, so it isn't anything like a full scan, but she confirmed I'm pregnant."

Taking The paper from her, I looked in awe at the round white oval-blob nearly surrounded by black. My mind was in shock and all I could say was, "And everything is okay?"

She smiled, nodded, and shrugged. "As far as we can tell, we are only about nine weeks pregnant. There isn't much they can see right now. Kinda a little marshmallow right now." She stopped for a moment before adding, "Momma would say the baby looks like a brussel sprout."

I laughed with her and said, "I don't even understand what I'm looking at, but I'm in love!"

Kneeling down in front of her and lifting her shirt, I kissed her belly, and hugged her hips. Her hands cradled my head and she sighed.

"We should talk," she said.

"I'm here for you, baby."

"Honestly, I really don't want to..."

"Then don't. We can talk when you're ready," I said as I stood to hold her.

"I don't want to, but we need to, Wes." She pushed me away and moved down the hall into the bedroom.

When I joined her, she was seated in her plush armchair. I sat across from her on the edge of the bed.

"Is this about—"

"Please, first... What did Cason say to you?"

I didn't want to put him in the middle of our conversations, but I knew I could simplify it for Sarah's sanity. "He is worried about you."

"Is he still mad?"

"No, not mad. I think he misses you and is hoping with this baby, you all can be a family again." Leaving myself out of it was intentional. Sarah wouldn't raise our child on her own, I wouldn't give her that choice. As far as where and how we lived, though... that was going to be her call.

"He said that?'

I smiled at her and said, " Not exactly, but that was the jist."

Her stare turned distant, and she got quiet. After a moment she said, "I've lost three pregnancies." Pain was all I saw when I looked up at her. Still, she continued without looking at me, "One was because of Romeo. He was mad. He pushed me and I fell, hard, into the corner of a coffee table." She swallowed hard and took a shuddering breath to self-soothe.

"I'm so sorry, baby." I wanted to go to her, to offer comfort, but I knew better than to move.

I fucking hated Romeo. Hate being a word I despised for the sheer notion of not having a second thought for empathy or sympathy towards... but I hated that sonofabitch for putting Sarah and the kids through this. I wanted to cry for the loss of life that Sarah, undoubtedly, had to face alone.

"My mom wanted me to talk to you right away because you deserved to know, but I'm not sure how to let people in. I'm still learning to open up. You know that already, though." She got quiet again. Finally she lifted herself from the chair and tucked herself between my legs. Lifting my chin to look at her, she said, "I need you, Wes."

I searched her face for the briefest moment before I wrapped her in my arms.

Combing her fingers through my hair she whispered, "You have completely disrupted my world, Wes Dalton. I know this won't be easy, so I am sorry in advance, but I want to do this with you." She yanked on my hair, forcing our eyes to meet. "Do you want to do this with me?"

"Sarah Gilmore, I would love to disrupt your life in whatever ways you'll let me. I'm in it for the long haul, Sweetness." I smiled at her as she shook her head.

Chewing on her lower lip, she pulled me to her. Slowly pushing my head lower.

Squeezing her ass and nuzzled into her warmth. Nosing lower and listening to the puffs of air, I smoothed my face into her lower abdomen.

I slipped my fingers into her waist band and slowly edged her pants and underwear down. Sarah readjusted her stance wider as she kicked out of her pants.

As I looked up at her, my hands massaged her thighs. "You're so gorgeous. I would worship your body every waking moment, if you'd let me."

"Yeah? Then show me!" Her hands left my hair and led my hand between her thighs.

Wet heat greeted me and her hips immediately surged forward. Slipping through her heat, I watched as her head rolled back and her body shuddered at my touch.

Pushing in and out of her, I rubbed my thumb against her clit. Fingers sinking deep, she whispered my name.

"Louder. Who is making you feel this good?" I coaxed.

"Ah! You are!" Her voice was ever so slightly louder and I wanted more.

"Say my name, Sarah." I hammered my fingers deep inside her.

Her legs shook and I turned her to lean against the support of the bed. A free hand gripped my wrist and her thighs closed around my arm, but I didn't stop. The whimpers and moans she made were causing me to swell.

"W-Wes!" she screamed.

Her entire body shook as she began to unravel. The sounds she was making were driving me wild.

Inside of her, I could feel the tremor of her orgasm as her interior muscles gripped my fingers with her release.

"Again," she panted as she slumped against the bed.

I hummed and growled, "My greedy girl."

Another round with my hands, adding my mouth, tasting her sweet cream, and listening to the addictive pleas she was making.

By the time we were both spent, rays of sunshine were playing through the curtains.

"I never pictured myself in this situation," Sarah said as she snuggled further into my chest.

"Holding me at your mercy?" I joked.

She laughed and said, "No. I never pictured myself," she paused and looked up at me as her eyes brimmed with emotion.

I rubbed her lower back, trying to reassure her.

Finally, she smiled as the tears came, she said, "I never imagined myself falling in love with someone who is so wonderful and treats me so well. Thank you."

It took a moment for her words to sink in. "Did you just say it first?"

"What? Say what fi—"

"You just said it first! That is not fair. I think you need to take it back."

Genuine confusion creased her face. "Take it back?"

"Sarah Gilmore," I rolled from the bed and knelt on one knee beside the bed, completely naked and unabashed. "I have loved you since you first broke my nose. I knew I needed to know you better since that moment. It was destined"

She belted out a beautiful laugh of sheer and genuine happiness. She said, "I'm not taking it back. I said it first!"

With a growl, I crawled into the bed with her. She bit her lip as desire flared in her eyes.

"What are you going to do about it, Mr. Dalton?"

"Do what I do best, Miss Gilmore. I'm going to disrupt your world." In my mind I was thinking that the next milestone in our relationship would be mine.