The Reed Security Relationship Manual: A Reed Security Romance - Giulia Lagomarsino (best book club books of all time TXT) 📗

at this time of day,” I snapped. “I’m not getting stuck in a fucking traffic jam.”

“In this town?” Cap shot back.

“Both of you, shut the fuck up,” Rocco shouted.

“I’m not gonna make it. God, it feels like she’s coming!”

Rocco bent over the car seat and started checking Cara. I kept glancing in the rearview mirror, trying to see what was happening.

“Eyes forward,” Cap barked. “Are you trying to kill us?”

“Guys, I think we need to pull over,” Rocco said urgently.

I glanced over at Cap and slowly shook my head, then pressed my foot down on the gas pedal. “No fucking way. We’re not having this kid on the side of the road.”

“She’s coming,” Cara snapped. “I need to push.”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” I shouted.

“We need to pull over,” Rocco shouted.

“No,” Cap said, “We can make it. We’re a few minutes out.”

“This baby is a few minutes out,” Rocco countered.

“We will not have another fucking baby on the side of the road,” I shouted.

“Having a baby in a moving vehicle is not smart,” Rocco snapped.

“We can do this. Back me up, Cap.”

“Ten-four. We’re almost there. Press your goddamn foot down.”

The truck lurched forward as I pressed the pedal harder and swerved around a car, barely missing an oncoming truck. “We can do this,” I shouted. “Say it with me. Believe it!”

“I believe,” Cap shouted from beside me. I reached out my hand and he gripped it, holding it tight as we held our joined hands up in the air. “We’re gonna make it!”

“I don’t believe,” Cara shouted. “We’re not gonna make it!”

“This baby is coming now!” Rocco shouted. “Pull the fucking truck over.”

“Never!” I shouted in a battle cry.

I jumped the curb for the hospital and cut off another car, racing across the parking lot to get to the emergency room. I pulled into the emergency drive and slammed it into park, then hopped out and grabbed Cara, racing through the automatic doors with her.

“Lady with a baby!” I shouted. Everyone stopped and stared at me for a moment. “Come on! She’s having a baby right fucking now!”

One of the nurses jumped into action and raced over with a gurney for me to set Cara on. I set her down and shook out my arms.

“If you say one word,” she growled through clenched teeth, “about how heavy I am, I’m gonna kill you,” she shouted, gripping onto my shirt as she screamed. The nurse’s eyes went wide as she draped a sheet over Cara and yanked down her pants.

“Oh shit! Call the doctor!”

“Move me to a private room,” Cara cried.

“Nope, this baby’s coming now,” the nurse insisted. Rocco shoved her aside and got between Cara’s legs. “Alright, push on the next contraction, Cara.”

“You push,” she shouted. Then she started screaming and leaned forward, pulling me right up against her.

“Cap! Behind her,” I shouted.

“Damnit, I fucking knew this was going to happen.”

He climbed on the gurney behind her to support her. She took some deep breaths and then her nails were digging into my arm as the other hand kept a tight grip on my shirt.

“One more push, Cara,” Rocco shouted.

“Ahh!” she screamed, and then I screamed as she drew blood. There was a baby’s cry and then she sagged back against Cap, breathing hard. She was all sweaty and her face was beat red, but it was over. I bent down and gave her a kiss.

“You did it, Lollipop.”

“Of course, I did it,” she said with little heat. “What did you think was going to happen?”

The doctor came rushing out as Rocco swaddled the baby in a blanket the nurse handed him. He was grinning down at our daughter, and that’s when I realized that he was about to go through this again.

“Not too much longer and this’ll be you,” I joked.

“Nah, I’m not stupid enough to fuck Brooke while she’s in labor.”

“What?” the doctor said. “You…”

“Hey, I don’t want to hear it,” I snapped.

Rocco handed our baby girl over to Cara and she stared down at her, a huge smile on her face. Finally free of her clutches, I took a step back and nodded. “See? I told you we would make it.”

Cap looked at me, his face pinched. “Where’s Mason?”

Chapter Nineteen

Cap

I stood outside the door of the panic room, still banging on the fucking door. Maggie was going to have to answer eventually. “Freckles, open the fucking door now!”

Of course, the only way she would hear me is if the audio was turned on, and knowing her, she had it flipped off just to piss me off. But this was important, monumental even. Sighing, I was about to turn around when I heard the locks disengage. Maggie stood on the other side of the door, looking more pissed than I had seen her in a long time.

“Freckles…”

“Don’t you dare Freckles me.”

I sighed and leaned my forehead against the doorframe. “Can we just talk?”

She glanced behind me and rolled her eyes. “This isn’t going to turn into a party,” she said as Rocco and Sinner walked up behind me.

“Why aren’t you at the hospital?” I asked Sinner.

“Cara kicked me out of the hospital room. She said she didn’t want to see me or something.” He shrugged. “Who knew fucking your wife would be such a terrible thing?”

“She was in labor,” I said slowly.

“Look,” Rocco said, shoving past me and Maggie. “We’ve got news to share, so let’s get on it. Attention everyone!”

The women slowly came out of their hiding places, looking at us like they hated us. Rocco, however, didn’t seem to notice.

“Ladies, we finally have reason to celebrate.” Sinner puffed up beside me, basking in the fact that he had reproduced once again. “The relationship manual is now finished!”

Everyone was silent, and Sinner and I both looked at him in confusion. “That was your news?” I muttered.

He nodded and turned back to everyone. “Oh, and Cara had another baby.”

“Wow, you’re just a bright ray of sunshine, aren’t you?” Brooke snapped.

“Sweets, I know that you think I’ve been