I stormed into Jo’s place. “Where is she? Is she okay?” I padded across the carpeted living room, anxious to see Layla. “What happened?”
Jo blocked me from turning the corner toward the bedrooms. “Sit down, Sam.” She stabbed a finger toward one of the chairs. “Layla’s fine. She’s resting.”
“I thought you said she needed blood.” The minute I’d gotten off the phone with Jo, I ran over to my sister’s like a crazy motherfucker.
She pinned me with the sisterly look she always used to boss me around. “A minute more won’t hurt.”
Oh, how the tables had turned since she’d become a vampire. When we were human, I’d been the one in charge of our sibling relationship. And I wasn’t one to back down, but it was evident she had something important to tell me.
I skirted past her and went into the kitchen. “What is it, then?” I opened the fridge, looking for something to drink.
“Layla is freaking out, and it’s my fault. My intentions weren’t to upset her, but I should’ve known to tread lightly. Anyway, our conversation led to why the baby required blood.”
I bumped my head on the inside of the fridge as I tossed a look over my shoulder. “You know why?” My voice hitched.
She pressed her hands into the edge of the island. “We don’t know for sure, but Dr. Vieira theorizes that the baby will be born a true vampire.”
I shut the fridge door. “For real? Like you and me?” I scraped both hands through my hair. I could see why Layla was freaking out. I didn’t know how I felt about that new information. I was still trying to wrap my brain around becoming a dad. “A baby with fangs and powers?”
“If I were Layla, I would be a little weirded out,” she said. “Anyway, I also wanted to tell you that I overheard her talking to Jordyn and then her aunt while she was in the bathroom.”
I massaged a knot in my right shoulder. The tension was mounting to huge proportions. “Yeah, I know about Jordyn. Conrad called Webb to let him know they were flying in tonight. Did you hear what she said when she talked to her aunt?” I settled my back against the sink.
“In a nutshell, the Aberdeens don’t know where Noah and Rianne are. Her aunt is frightened.”
“Then that’s why Jack wants to meet with us,” I said. “He wants our help.” I wouldn’t walk into a meeting with him banking on that, though. Her aunt could have been setting Layla up, and not by choice. Jack could have been forcing her.
Concern knotted Jo’s eyebrows. “One more thing.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “There’s more, sis?” I could handle just about anything, but I swore if anyone added more to the already mountainous pile of shit I had on my plate, I might explode.
“I was in her head, and I’m only telling you this because we need to make her feel like she matters. She’s special, Sam. But we’re too focused on the baby and not her.” Jo came up to me. “I know you love her. She told me. I couldn’t be happier for you.” Her smile was replaced with a frown. “But I also don’t want you to be hurt by a woman. She’s struggling hard with us… and now a baby. I’m afraid she’s going to run.”
My jaw tightened against my will. “Jo.” My tone bordered on a growl. “Did you tell her if she hurts me, you will rip her heart out?” I could see my sister doing just that.
Her silver eyes flickered to violet as she poked a finger in my chest. “Not at all. But I would if she did.”
We stared at one another for a long second.
“Sam, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for the conversation to take a downward turn. I know her hormones are probably all over the place, but she had to know about the baby sooner or later.”
I kissed Jo on the forehead. “I’m not mad at you. And you’re right. The last thing I want to do is hold anything back from Layla. We agreed that we’re in this together.”
“Then how do you feel about a pure-vampire baby?” Jo asked.
I slid around her. “I honestly don’t know. I also don’t have time to process it, either. My first priority is Layla.”
I whipped my attention toward the hall as Layla’s heartbeat tickled my eardrums before she came into view.
In three long strides I was gazing into her luscious blue eyes.
“Is that true, Sam? I’m your first priority?” Wariness etched her tone.
“I’ll let you two talk. I need to meet Webb and Abbey, anyway.” Jo hurried out.
Once the front door clicked shut, I lifted Layla and set her on the island. Then I wormed my way between her legs.
A calm quiet stretched between us, broken only by the boom, boom, boom of our hearts.
Her electric-blue eyes sucked me in, and for a split second, I forgot where I was until her cold hand touched my face. “Where did you go?”
I searched for words to articulate how I felt, but actions were far better, so I brushed my lips over hers, flattening my palms on her cheeks. “Kiss me?”
She studied me as though she didn’t hear me. Maybe Jo was right. Maybe Layla had decided I wasn’t the man for her.
My heart tripped. Suddenly, the space between us became charged like two opposing atoms ready to explode. I curled her hair behind her ear before lightly tracing a path around the shape of her ear.
She shivered. “I’m scared, Sam. Frightened out of my mind about this baby.”
I kissed her nose. “I know. What can I do to put you at ease?”
She rubbed a finger over my lips. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t ever think for a second you’re not my priority.” I smoothed a hand over her hair. “Layla, you own my heart.”
She gave me a weak smile. “Even with a baby who will have fangs?” Tears clouded her pretty eyes.
I nibbled on her bottom lip. “Doc isn’t sure about that. And even if he was, it doesn’t matter. Fangs or not, our kid will be a vampire.”
“What if it's a girl?” She blinked and a tear cascaded down her cheek. “Then she won’t be able to have kids. At least if she’s born human, she can make the decision to turn when she reaches the right age. Look at Alia Costner. She didn’t turn so she could have kids. I want my child to be able to choose.”
There was the crux of why she was freaking out. But we couldn’t control the outcome of the sex or whether the baby was human or not. “I do too. But my biggest concern right now is that you look extremely pale.” I pulled a knife from the sheath strapped to my leg.
“I don’t want blood.”
My forehead creased. “Then you need to eat something.” I helped her down and was about to forage through the fridge when she caught my hand.
“Sam, please tell me everything will be fine. That I can have our child.”
My chest clenched painfully as I cocooned her in my arms, digging deeper for something to say. “I’m not going anywhere.” I felt compelled to reassure her. “We can have this baby. You can have this baby. You’re strong, Layla. And you have a whole team of people here, rooting for you.”
Then I kissed her like she mattered, because she did, and I would continually show her that she had my soul.