Текст книги "Wed To The Alien Prince"

Автор книги: January Bell

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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

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KANUZ

My gaze swings around the training yard, assessing the four females’ stances. Draz assists Ni-kee, correcting the way she holds her sword. They are not used to using anything but knives and guns, but in the Trials, they’ll need to be proficient with a sword, too.

Alvez and Dergoz are helping the other two females, who make up for what they lack in the finesse and skill of Ni-kee and Gen with pure youthful energy and what looks to be unfettered rage.

I’m not sure who the female they call Abby’s wed to, but I plan to send a prayer up to the mother goddess on his behalf anyway.

Gen’s skin sparkles with sweat and her ever-present glow, her brow furrowed in concentration.

“Adjust your weight,” I tell her, and she complies, sinking more evenly into her stance. “Good, my flower.”

She swipes her sword at me, and I barely block it in time.

We’ve only been at this for a week now, the trials looming in just seven days time, but already she’s shown much improvement.

“Son of bitch,” Abby cries out, throwing her sword down.

“Control your temper,” Ni-kee yells at her. “You represent all of Earth here, am I understood?”

Abby nods her head, then blows out a huge breath, picking up her sword once more.

“Is it time for a snack break?” Bex’s happy little voice echoes through the arena.

Dergoz, her husband, immediately swings his attention to where she stands at the edge of the training field, a platter full of treats in her hand. She’s dressed in bright colors, looking pretty as a spring day, but Dergoz grunts in irritation, then storms out the other side, ignoring her completely. A Brute indeed.

Bex’s face falls.

“Why is he such an asshole? It’s not like anyone tricked him into marrying her.” Gen says, sliding her energy sword into the scabbard at her back with a refined flick of the wrist she picked up so quickly it made my cock stand up straight.

“He will not talk about her.” I shrug. “I do not know.”

“Well, if anyone wants a snack,” Bex says, her voice faltering. Gen nudges me with her elbow.

“Of course, we want snacks, Bex,” she calls out, pulling me beside her.

Abby continues to practice her stances, but the rest of us file over to where the platter of treats rests on a small bench where Bex stands, wringing her hands together.

“This was really nice of you,” Gen tells her.

“Do you think—” She bites her lip, then smiles brightly at all of us. “Never mind. Enjoy it, you guys definitely deserve it. I'll just go back and help Michelle with her research.”

She leaves, walking so swiftly away she’s nearly running from the training ring.

Draz shoots me an irritated look.

“What the fuck is Dergoz’s problem?” Gen says, clearly not caring who she offends. “Bex is so fun, and sweet, and pretty, and he’s just going to ignore her forever? Does he want to divorce her? He’s making it worse.” She grumbles something under her breath, then shoves whatever it is Bex brought into her mouth.

“Oumughud,” she says through the mouthful, crumbs flying from her lips. She swallows, then wipes the back of her hand on her mouth. “They taste like chocolate chip cookies.”

Niki grabs one, then takes a huge bite of it. “Heaven,” she finally pronounces. “Abby, put your sword up and get over here.”

Abby frowns at Ni-kee but does as she asks.

“What are chocolate chip cookies?” I ask Draz, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Probably can-dee,” he says wisely. “Ni-kee loves can-dee.”

“My mate likes to eat can-dee shaped like small children,” I tell him.

Draz stares at me, horror struck. “Is this true?”

Ni-kee coughs, and Gen slaps her on the back, and then all the females are laughing.

“Sour Patch Kids?” Ni-kee finally croaks. “Oh my god.”

“I didn’t stop and think about how an alien species would react to that particular candy, okay?”

“Small children,” the black-haired one called Juls wheezes. “I can’t. I can’t.”

“Is that not what you call kids? Are they not small children?” Affronted, I hold my hands out, waiting for one of them to correct me. They all laugh harder, clutching at each other.

Draz shoots me a look of sympathy.

“Okay, but we need to do something about Bex and Dragoz,” Gen finally says when the laughter slows down.

“We cannot,” Draz says. “They will need to figure it out on their own.”

“And how’s that working out for them?” Gen asks, her tone dripping with acid. I snort.

“She’s right,” Ni-Kee says. “How can they work it out when he refuses to even see her?”

“We could mediate, considering her translator isn’t working,” Gen says slowly.

Alvez laughs at this, shaking his head. “Dergoz would rather Crigomar shit; I can tell you that much. There’s a reason we call him the Brute.”

“And the one they call the Beast?” Abby takes another bite of the cookie, and I realize that must be who her husband is. The Warlord known as the Beast is… unstable at best.

I sniff one of the treats Bex brought, but it smells much too sweet for my liking. I put it back, drawing Gen into my chest instead.

She is the perfect amount of sweetness for me. Not too much. Just right.

“The Beast will be here for the trial. All the Warlords will,” Draz says slowly. Abby lowers the cookie, putting it back on the plate half-eaten. Without a word, she strides back into the ring, picking up the exercises right where she left off.

“That bad, huh?” Gen says.

Juls, or Juliana, I cannot remember which name she prefers, raises her eyebrows but says nothing.

Gen narrows her eyes at her, and Ni-Kee clears her throat.

“We’re not all lucky like you,” she finally spits out, realizing she’s caught everyone’s attention.

In the ring, Abby grunts, sweat slicking her face.

“Most of us have hardly seen our husbands,” she adds, the word full of derision. “Bex tries, but you saw it. Only Michelle seems to be able to communicate with hers, and that’s still awkward as fuck.” Her eyes widen. “No offense.”

“We’re past that,” Ni-Kee says, and Gen snorts a laugh. “We’ll figure it out. We will.”

“Yeah, well, I have it figured out. I’m going to be a Warlord, then no one can sell me off ever again.” Juls wipes her hands off on her pants, then storms away, joining Abby in the ring.

“Well, this is pretty fucked,” Gen remarks, squeezing my hands.

“It’ll work out,” Ni-Kee tells her, but her face is pinched with worry.

“It will, my heart,” Draz adds, smiling gently at her. “They will come around. Kanuz and I will have a talk with the Warlords when they’ve returned here for your trials. Come now, let us return to training. I have a reputation to uphold, after all.”

“Oh, do you, now?” Ni-Kee says, and there’s a challenge in her eyes.

“Are you ready, my flower?” I ask Gen. “If you like, we can go back to our temporary myza. I have a few training activities in mind that might be more fun.”

“Oh yeah? Lemme guess,” she purses her lips, “advanced sword work?”

I frown at her. “No. I meant sex. I was talking about sex.”

She throws her head back, laughing. “I know. That was the joke. You know what? Nevermind. Yours was funnier.” She turns, walking back to the training ring. “Come on, we have work to do. We’ll practice the horizontal mambo later.”

“I do not know this mambo.”

“We can do it vertically, too, I guess.” She winks at me, her hair and skin glistening in the sun, and we take our positions across from each other.

There is nowhere I’d rather be than across from my small beauty, with the promise of a fight followed by pleasure.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

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GEN

At the Trials: One week later

“This fucking sucks,” Abby yells, barely dodging one of the boulders raining down in the arena. She slides through a pit of muck on the floor, a swinging energy axe nicking the top of her ponytail.

“Goddamnit, I just grew my hair out.”

Juls extends her hand, and Abby pulls herself up to stand next to Niki and me, huddled against a stone pillar. Several miniscule drones buzz around us, televising our every move to where the gathered crowd of Suevans and our human crew watch.

They’re annoying, but after nearly twenty-four hours in the arena, I hardly notice them.

It’s fucking intense.

Less so than the temple Kanuz and I were stuck in, but nobody was watching us then. If we fucked up and died horribly, there wouldn’t be anyone to jeer at us. Except the zeloth, I guess, but the tentacle monster didn’t look up to telling many tall tales.

“Focus, Gen. How many do you see?”

I exhale, peeking out from the stone column, managing to scrape it across my cheek. We’re in the last stage of the Trials, and so far, all four of us have done all right for ourselves. I was worried about Abby making it through the boulder field, but she did it.

“Five.” An energy projectile whizzes by my face, and I duck just in time. It explodes off a column behind us, sending up smoke and paint.

According to Kanuz and Draz, nothing in here is truly deadly, but I’m not sure I believe him. Deadly to a Suevan and deadly to a human are not exactly measured the same, in my experience.

“Five?” Juls repeats, blanching. “But there are only four of us.”

“Gen has the weapon she picked up off the Suevan we dispatched earlier,” Niki says calmly, nodding at me. “Gen takes point. Gen, pick off as many as you can. Juls, you go second. Run for the exit, don’t get bogged down in a fight.”

Juls, to her credit, doesn’t argue. She’s hanging in there, but she twisted her ankle in one of the climbing courses earlier, and her face is still slightly green.

“Abby, you go third. Try to get Juls out safely if she falls. No one gets left behind. I’ll go last, and I’ll try to sweep anyone out with me who falters. Got it?”

We all nod, our unquestioning faith in Niki’s leadership on full display.

Another projectile crashes at our feet, and Abby coughs, the smoke and sparks exploding outward. This one came from behind us.

“Fuck,” Abby says, scrambling forward. “On our six!”

“Gen, MOVE!” Niki yells.

I do as she says, shouldering my energy rifle. It only has a few pulses left, according to the charger on it. I focus down the sight, ready to take out anyone who moves.

But as soon as I enter the next room, the rifle fucking dies. I click the trigger, annoyance and adrenaline ramping up.

A Suevan, at least three feet taller than me, bounds into my path, his tail slashing through the air behind him.

“Fuck me,” I say, throwing the energy rifle in his face as he lunges for me. Sharp talons slice at the thick leather-like vest protecting my torso, but I evade most of his grip.

“Gun’s out!” I yell. “Gun is out!”

“Fuck,” Juls shouts, running by me as best as her swollen ankle will allow. A second Suevan darts out of the shadows, tackling her to the ground.

“Goddammit,” I yelp.

Then I see it: a sword, dull and unprimed, hanging from one of the walls.

I dive into a roll, earning a slap to the face with the massive Suevan’s tail, then use my momentum to jump up, prying the sword from where it hangs on the wall.

“Fuck RIGHT OFF,” Niki yells, and then there’s a soft grunt as her fist connects with another Suevan’s crotch. Her Suevan goes down hard, and she holds up her fist, where there’s a rock clenched in it.

Good for her.

I prime the energy sword with a few clicks, and it whirs to life, the blade coated in a green haze, meaning it will stun and hurt, but won’t kill.

It’s going to have to be enough.

Juls is screaming on the floor, where a Suevan drags her by her bad foot out of the room. She’s still giving him hell, her face contorted in fury, as she hammers kick after kick to his shin with her good leg.

“Fucking let her go!” I scream, launching myself at him. His gaze darts to me, surprise rocketing across his features as he realizes I am absolutely batshit crazy. “Too late, asshole!”

The sword smashes against his face, and his eyes roll back in his head as he goes down.

“Ah, fuck, thank you,” Juls breathes.

“Stay down,” I scream at her, way too amped up on adrenaline now to modulate anything about me at all.

Juls nods, her eyes wide, and I turn back to the chaos in the room. Niki’s surrounded by three Suevans, who circle her, trying to find an opening.

But Abby?

Abby is white as a sheet, staring at the oversized Suevan who nearly snatched me when my gun died.

“They did not tell me you were competing,” he’s saying in a low snarl, but Abby’s lip curls in rage, and I know that bitch is out for blood.

“Wife, I did not know you would be here,” he continues, and Abby’s gaze darts to me, her eyes narrowing as she sees the sword. Then she’s off and running, to where a second sword hangs on the wall.

Her humongous husband watches her run, his pout turning wry as he realizes she’s about to kick his ass or go out trying.

When he cracks his knuckles, I turn my attention back to Niki. Three on one is not great odds, but they’re dancing around her still. Playing with her.

I grind my molars.

“Niki, let’s do the merengue,” I yell at her.

“I hate the merengue,” she grits out, lashing a hand at a Suevan who steps too close.

Then I see it. A pile of the projectiles they were lobbing at us, to try and force us into this room.

“Forget the merengue,” I scream at her. “Time for the limbo!”

Her gaze darts to me, and one of the Suevan’s lashes out, catching her shoulder. She goes down hard, and my hand closes over one of the fake energy grenades.

“Stay down,” I screech, and then I let it fly. It hits the closest Suevan, and he frowns at me as it explodes, then sits down heavily. Out. “Varsity softball, bitch!” I tell him, then pitch another into the Suevan leering over Niki.

It smacks him on the head, and he doesn’t feign the pain on his face.

Now there’s just one, flexing his shoulders as he measures the distance between us.

Two, if I count Abby’s husband.

She’s screaming obscenities at him, slashing wildly as he half-heartedly parries her attempts.

“Cool your tits, Abby, focus.” I’m running towards Niki as I shout it at her, the sword in one hand and the energy grenade in the other. The Suevan backs away from her prone form as I close in, laughing maniacally.

At the last second, Niki’s legs scissor out, catching the Suevan off guard and sending him falling back into one of the stone walls. I pitch the last grenade in his face for good measure, and it explodes in sparks and smoke when it hits his forehead.

“You’re OUT,” I say, and Niki snorts, standing uneasily.

“One left,” Niki pants, tilting her chin at where Abby’s winded and tired.

She cries out in pain as her Suevan husband—the Beast—lashes out a lazy stroke at her.

I squint. It didn’t look like he made contact, and when I glance at Niki, her face reflects my confusion.

But Abby is screaming and carrying on as though she’s mortally wounded.

“I wonder if she played soccer,” Niki speculates.

“Should I…”

“Nah, let it happen.”

Abby is sobbing softly, pressing her arm to her abdomen and glancing at it like she expects blood to pour out at any moment.

“Oscar worthy,” I mutter, impressed.

The Suevan steps closer, a stricken expression on his face. Abby pants, her forehead screwed up and eyes shut, and as he tries to take a closer look, her hand darts out, lightning fast.

She grabs his balls and twists.

“Oh, shit,” Niki says.

“Yeah,” I agree.

“Get him!” Juls yells, dragging herself towards the exit door.

As for the Suevan, he’s on his knees before her, so tall his head’s still at her chest height.

She goes to kick him in the nuts again, but he catches her leg, twisting her to the floor.

“That’s enough of that,” I mutter, surging forward to slice at him with my energy sword. “You’re done. You’re done.”

He frowns down at where Abby pants, murder written all over her face.

“Y’all need therapy,” I tell her, offering her my hand. “You can’t lose your cool like that,” I add, pushing her to the door.

Niki’s managed to haul Jul’s over her shoulder, fireman style, and then we’re limping out the exit, the Suevan Trials completed. We’re bruised, battered, and bitchier than ever, but we finished.

We fucking did it.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

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KANUZ

Niki emerges first from the arena door, a tired but pleased looking Juls draped over her shoulder. We all witnessed her fall, cringing as the vid bots displayed the injury, scanning her immediately. Hairline fracture. Human bodies are so much more breakable than ours, and it made me want to run after Gen and pluck her from the course.

But Juls is in good spirits, and she’s won the hearts of Sueva for powering through despite her obvious pain. The human medics, Carmen and Tati, are standing by with a Suevan med specialist to help patch her up.

Then Abby races through, her face grim and eyes flashing with anger. That one… that one is a female to watch. The way she dispatched the Beast was sneaky and mean, and I have a feeling that Draz is already making plans for how to best utilize our youngest female Warlord.

Gen’s glowing face appears next, smudged with dirt and blood, her vest torn where talons ripped through it. She drops the practice energy sword, and squeals as she races into my arms.

My heart clenches as she jumps up, wrapping her legs around me, peppering kisses across my mouth. She tastes like sweat and blood and hard work, and I savor every press of her lips against mine.

“I am so fucking proud of you,” I tell her, staring into her dazzling blue eyes.

“I did it!” she crows, and I support her weight as she pumps her fist into the air. “Oof, I’m sore already.”

“You took some serious hits.” I grin at her. “Like a Warlord.”

“Like a badass bitch!” Niki yells, and all the women cheer.

The Beast of Sueva comes through the door as they’re whooping, and Gen stiffens in my arms.

He looks proud though, swaggering out like he’s won the prize and not just been trounced by four small human females.

Abby tenses in the corner, where the med techs work on scanning her and shooting her full of supplements.

The Beast is there in an instant, scooping her up. “That was a nasty trick, wife,” he says, his voice low and rough.

Her eyes are huge in her dirty face, and they widen further when he kisses her.

Only to be rewarded with a swift kick to his abdomen.

He laughs darkly, and Abby’s face is screwed up with rage.

“Put her down,” Niki says, her voice dangerous. “Now.” Draz steps closer to the pair, his tail lashing back and forth.

The Beast does as she bids, setting her down. Abby watches him with a guarded gaze, and he lashes out a talon, causing her to flinch, but all he does is run it across her cheek before turning with a laugh.

She glares at his back as he leaves the room.

“Okay, then,” Gen says as the door snicks shut. “Who’s ready to party?”

Bex bursts through the door at the same instant, jumping up and down, the rest of their crew pouring in, surrounding the newest Warlords and first humans to make it through our trials, cheering and clapping them on the back.

Gen squeezes my hand once, then allows the crowd of women to sweep her away from me.

I love seeing her happy. I love that something here on Sueva has made her so pleased.

She’s one of us now. A Warlord. A princess.

She’s mine.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

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GEN

The party’s raucous, everyone drinking more of the potent Suevan alcohol than is likely healthy for humans. Our entire crew is on the dance floor, even Juls, who’s being half-carried around by Bex and Michelle like the conquering hero she is.

Niki and Draz are locked in each other’s embrace, swaying together slowly despite the upbeat tempo of the Suevan music.

Bex keeps casting longing looks at Dergoz, who seems to ignore her completely, except… every once in a while, I see him staring at her, too. Maybe there’s hope for those two, after all.

Michelle and Alvez also manage to ignore each other almost completely. Michelle, because she seems genuinely oblivious to the way he keeps watching her. Alvez, apparently, because he doesn’t know what the hell to do with the brainy beauty. Hell, she intimidates me, and I’ve been her superior officer for years.

It’s Abby, though, who I keep glancing toward. The Beast, her husband, showed up, to everyone’s surprise, but the tension quickly faded as he made a beeline for Abby, who was already nice and toasty on Suevan alcohol.

Now they’re kissing, and truly, the woman has set a new bar for public displays of affection. I’m half-afraid they’re going to start humping in the dark corner

“Can you make sure she doesn’t go home with him?” I ask, biting my lip. “I don’t want her to do anything she regrets, and I watched her drink at least three cups of the alien go-go juice.”

“Go-go juice?” Kanuz repeats.

“Jungle punch. Trash can whack. Girl’s going to have a hangover from hell.”

“I will have the others make sure she is safe. But you need not worry. The Beast looks fearsome, but he holds the same morals as the rest of us. He will not take advantage of her.” Kanuz holds me gently, his hands on my hips as we both face the gleeful dancers.

I relax slightly, averting my eyes as Abby writhes against the huge alien.

“Do you not want to dance, my flower?” he asks softly, his lips brushing my earlobe. “You do not seem as celebratory as I imagined you would.”

I avoided the alcohol tonight, my stomach weird and unsettled, and simply thinking about it makes me nauseated. I lean my head against his shoulder, glancing up at him and smiling.

“Honestly, Kanuz, I’m ready for bed.” And I am. I am beat. I don’t know if it’s because of the stress of the last twenty-four odd hours in the Trials, or relief, or something else, but I am completely wiped.

“My Warlord is insatiable,” he murmurs, nibbling on my ear, and I chuckle.

“No, your Warlord is pooped,” I tell him.

“You are what?” His voice is aghast, and when I turn to look at him, his mouth is curled in disgust.

I can’t help laughing harder. “Oh my God. No. It means tired. I’m tired. I am completely exhausted. Take me to bed, Prince, but like, I just wanna sleep.”

“Say no more,” he says, pulling my hand and leading me from the throng of Suevans and humans celebrating their new Warlords. “I will give you a massage. I will loosen all your muscles, and you will fall asleep in my arms.”

“Mmm,” I say, looping my arm around his hips. “That sounds perfect.”

The sounds of music and revelry begin to fade behind us as we walk through the illuminated streets of Edrobaz.

I pause, my mouth suddenly full of saliva. I gag, one hand flying to my mouth, the other gripping Kanuz’s bicep.

“Oh, no,” I mutter. But I can’t stop it, and I lurch to the side, throwing up all over the street.

“What is wrong?” Kanuz is frantic, and I go to my knees, heaving again, as he freaks out.

“Carmen,” I tell him. “Get Carmen.”

He’s gone in an instant, and I sit on my knees, wiping my mouth, feeling, of all the things, idiotic. Like I’m stupid for throwing up.

Because even though I’m still weak and nauseated, I mostly feel better.

I don’t want to ruin anyone’s night.

Carmen appears, trailed by Michelle and clutching her little med kit the Suevans use.

“Shit,” she says, taking one look at me, my blue dress dirty where it trails in the street next to where I hunch over a pool of sick. “Did you hit your head? In the Trials?”

“No,” I shake it, then regret the motion instantly. “Not that I remember.”

“Are you having memory loss problems? What day is it?”

I rattle off the Suevan date, just as another wave of nausea hits me. I dry-heave, but nothing comes up, and Kanuz puts something cool on the back of my neck, his tail slamming back and forth on the street.

“Did you eat anything weird? Anything unusual?”

I shake my head, stars swimming before my eyes, and Kanuz leans me against his big body, holding me upright.

“Ah, okay.” Carmen frowns, and Michelle passes her the portable med scanner. “We didn’t see any pathogens in you when we scanned you after the Trials, but maybe it took time to develop.”

“Are you super tired?” Michelle asks suddenly, her eyes owlish in her face.

“Yes,” I say, Kanuz nodding his head in agreement.

“Have you been wanting to eat anything strange?” Michelle continues.

Carmen stares at her, then at me. “When was your last period?”

“Her what?” Kanuz asks.

My jaw drops open. “No.”

“Well, we’ll find out in a minute,” Carmen says, and a needle appears in her hand. She grabs my wrist, pricking my index finger without so much as a please or thank you.

I think she must be as shocked as I am.

“I have an IUD,” I tell her.

“They’re not perfect tech,” she says.

“What are you talking about? What is wrong with her?” Kanuz’s voice is frantic, and I can’t even answer him. My mind is spinning.

Michelle simply glances between us, astonishment clear on her face.

The machine beeps a moment later.

“Holy hell,” Carmen says.

“That’s not very professional,” Michelle admonishes.

“It’s positive,” I say faintly, my hand flying to my abdomen.

“What is she positive for? Tell me, my flower, and I will do everything in my power to cure you. We will travel to all the galaxies. I would negotiate with the Roth Overlord himself.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Carmen says, a beaming smile on her face. “She’ll be cured in about nine and half months.” Her mouth twists to the side. “Well, that is, if your gestation period is as long as human pregnancies. There are a lot of unknowns in an interspecies pregnancy like this.”

“An interspecies pregnancy?” Kanuz repeats, his tone confused. “She is, you mean to tell me,” he sputters, his hands taking mine. “My flower?”

“We’re going to have a baby,” I tell him, starting to tear up. Then I throw up again, and Carmen steps back.

“Damn. Okay. We’re going to have to figure out something for your morning sickness,” she says. “Vitamin B…” She trails off, tapping her screen. “Maybe an antihistamine. Might make you sleepy.”

“I’m already sleepy,” I say, then prove it with a jaw-cracking yawn.

I don’t think it’s sunk in yet.

A baby. I’m pregnant. With a baby.

“I want to take you to the med center and get a look at that IUD.”

“Tomorrow,” I tell her, drooping into Kanuz’s arms.

“Right now,” he says. “We’re going right now.”

“Right now it is,” Carmen says nervously.

“You’re scaring her,” I admonish.

“You are scaring me,” he says, and I notice for the first time that his greenish coloring is paler than usual.

“It’s just a baby,” I say. “A baby,” I repeat, a soft smile stealing over my face.

“Our baby,” he says. And with that, he picks me up again, and we’re following Carmen to the med center.

At this rate he’s never going to let me walk again.

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