Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

I t took some time for things to go back to normal. Carlos was thrust back into work after the Black Pythons MC finally made an appearance in Mount Grove. That was followed by a very stressful two weeks when Carlos had temporarily moved Zoe, Kyle, and Louisa to club property for their protection.

Carlos told Zoe again and again that there was no pressure for her to return to work so soon. He reminded her that the deputies were taking turns at the reception desk, but Zoe felt it was time.

The bonus about living and sleeping with her boss was that she could bat her eyes at him and pretty much get her way. Which was how Zoe had not only gotten a new filing system and protocols in place, but she was also able to bring her son to work with her. Jenna had kindly offered to watch Kyle again, but Zoe had declined. As much as she wanted to get back to work and a normal routine, she wasn't ready for Kyle to be out of her sight yet. The conference room behind her reception desk had been turned into a play area of sorts for Kyle—when Carlos wasn't stealing her son away to hang out in his office with him or taking him out for ice cream or treats at the bakery.

Carlos had even purchased a kid-size uniform that was fairly close to his own with a Junior Sheriff badge. Additionally, Kyle had a two-way radio on his belt that connected to the toy radio on Zoe's desk. That way, Zoe could check in with Kyle wherever he was in the station because the boy followed Carlos everywhere.

As logical as she had once found Carlos's statement that he wanted to work on their relationship before claiming any paternal role, it seemed so silly now. Carlos had stepped so effortlessly into the role that few would ever believe he hadn't been doing it for years. Kyle still referred to Carlos as ‘Carlos' or playfully as ‘Sheriff' when they were at work. The only indication that Kyle was still thinking about the conversation they'd had with him in his bedroom the day after he'd been found was Kyle's random inquiry of how many days until Christmas.

Before Zoe knew it, Halloween had come and gone. Somehow, she and Kyle were coming up on three months since moving in with Carlos and Louisa. Carlos's mom was a godsend. She never pushed for Kyle to call her ‘Grammy' as Bulldog's kids did. Carlos had once referred to her as a live-in babysitter, but Zoe tried not to take advantage. Still, it was nice to have the occasional lazy morning in bed with her sexy as sin Sheriff and know that Louisa would care for Kyle until they were up. They had also worked out a schedule for Louisa to take Kyle to Bulldog's once a week so Carlos could take Zoe out on a child-free date.

With the paperwork Keys had provided Zoe for her and Kyle's new identities, as well as the cover story about Zoe being Jenna's widowed niece, it also made sense for Jenna and Steel to be a steady presence in their lives. Kyle was now hanging out with Ollie, the foster teen Steel and Jenna had taken in, and the other club kids so much that he'd picked up on calling them ‘uncle' and ‘aunt' along with the other club members. There were enough adults and watchful eyes around the clubhouse and the Pentagon that Zoe found she could relax on the club's property and not feel the need to always have Kyle in her sights.

Generally, when Kyle was out of her line of vision, he could be found with Lila and Scotty, causing mischief and mayhem. Scotty's service dog, Spot, was more often than not their immediate babysitter. Kyle had been hanging so much with Spot that he'd started bugging Carlos and Zoe for a puppy of his own.

Carlos had told Kyle that he could not get a puppy until he was six years old. Zoe had tried to signal to Carlos that that was a bad statement to make and it wasn't until they were alone in their room later that night that she'd explained why.

"He'll remember," she told him. "Every time he sees Spot now, he'll know that he won't be getting his own puppy until he's six years old. He'll remind you when he turns five that he only has a year left and, when he turns six, he'll expect a puppy."

Carlos just shrugged. "Then I'll get him a puppy."

Zoe's mouth fell open. "Are you serious? You're going to get him a puppy just because you made some silly impulsive promise to him?"

"I've been thinking of getting a police dog and going through the K-9 tactical training. I need to talk to Jumper and figure out if he has any contacts that can help me with that, but sure. When the dog's not working, he'll be a normal family dog. Having a dog trained in protection will make me feel better about the times I leave you, Kyle, and my mom here alone at night."

Zoe had not seen Owen or heard from him since the evening he'd stopped by the Santiago house to say goodbye. She'd texted him a few times just to check in on him but received no replies. On a whim, she'd even invited him to Thanksgiving dinner. In all honesty, though, she had no expectation that he would show. While she did hope that she would see him again, she had a feeling it would not be any time soon.

After Jumper had been released from the hospital following his brain surgery, Carlos had introduced her, officially, to him. By extension, she was also introduced to Sophia and Jasmine. It was interesting to see Carlos interact with his closest friends. The two girls were thrilled Carlos had finally found someone. At first, Zoe had thought Sophia didn't like her, but soon realized that she just had a sassy personality and liked to rile Carlos up.

She had just started to feel better around Sophia when Carlos had confessed to the drunken one-night stand he and Sophia had shared when he'd been visiting Jasmine and Sophia at college. Carlos had said he only told her because he didn't want any secrets between them but assured her that the night meant nothing to either of them. In fact, they'd both been so grossed out by what they'd done that they had made a pact years ago to never mention it again—or the one who had done the mentioning would have to add itching powder to their underwear for three days.

Carlos had then pleaded with Zoe to never mention to Sophia that she knew. Zoe had played with Carlos a few times, hinting that she'd let it slip, but had never actually broken his confidence. She cared too much for what was in Carlos's underwear to do that to him.

Though Jumper would not say why Owen had been searching for him, he had confessed to Carlos that his moniker while in the military had been ‘Cap'.

Carlos surprised Zoe on Thanksgiving with a gift she never thought possible. Rather than stick around for the town's annual Thanksgiving festivities that were hosted at the VDMC clubhouse, Carlos took her and Kyle to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. He made reservations at a restaurant in their resort hotel and had warned her to remain in her seat no matter what.

Zoe hadn't understood his warning—until she had seen her parents sitting across the restaurant from them.

It had taken everything in Zoe to not move or run to them. Carlos spent most of the meal with his hand anchored on her leg. They'd had to keep their distance and couldn't talk or risk being seen together in public. It wasn't until later that night that Zoe discovered their rooms were next to each other. In the privacy of their hotel room, Zoe got her reunion.

When later asked how he had pulled it off, Carlos had explained that Keys had discovered her parents traveled to Williamsburg each year for their anniversary, which generally fell the same week as Thanksgiving. Knowing this, he was able to hack into the resort's booking system and place Carlos's room reservation next to her parents'. To not cause her parents to say or do anything that would give away that the two families knew each other, Carlos had slipped an envelope under their door upon their arrival instructing them to keep their cool. Keys was also able to confirm that there were no active surveillance units on Mr. and Mrs. Ballas. Though the hunt for Zoe was still active, no one in law enforcement seemed to believe that she'd had any contact with her parents since her disappearance—which was true.

Just in case, over the three days of their vacation, Zoe and Carlos ‘accidentally' kept bumping into her parents in shops and restaurants. While the weather wasn't the cold they were used to in Pennsylvania, Zoe always made sure to bundle up and wear sunglasses. Carlos continued to check in with Keys to ensure there was no active surveillance or any uptake in Zoe's case.

He told Zoe that it was a risk, but one that he was willing to make so she could see her parents again. He also made sure she understood that this was not going to be a common occurrence and may be the only time they could do something like this.

Zoe understood and made the best of the time she had with her parents—even if it was at a distance. On the day of their departure, she'd hugged her parents in their hotel room and swore to them that she was safe and happy. Carlos had been very specific that she was not to tell her parents she was only five hours away from them in Mount Grove or what name she was currently living under.

Carlos then surprised her again by asking her father for his permission to marry her. "We've already discussed that it won't be anytime soon, but I do have the intention of marrying her. Since this might be the only time I'll ever be able to ask, I figure I should probably do so."

Her father, though shorter than Carlos, stared him down. "Do you love my daughter?"

Zoe opened her mouth to object to the question. Though she had no doubt about Carlos's devotion for her, they had never actually said ‘I love you' to each other. She didn't want him to feel pressured into saying anything now for an old tradition.

Carlos, though, hadn't hesitated. "More than I ever thought possible to love a woman."

Emotion clogged her throat and, for a moment, she had trouble breathing. Carlos leaned over, whispering to her a reminder to take a breath, but never lost eye contact with her father.

Her dad waited another suspenseful moment before saying, "It pains me that I wasn't able to protect her before. That she was ever in that situation to begin with. I'm an old man and my biggest regret will always be how I failed her."

Tears streamed down Zoe's face. She had been a miracle, later-in-life baby. Her parents were in their seventies. It had been one of the reasons she had never gone to her parents about Davis's abuse; she hadn't wanted to put them in danger. If they'd tried to put themselves between her and Davis… She flinched at the old fear. There had been no telling what Davis might have done.

Her father continued speaking. "I've watched you over these few days. You're respectful and you're great with Kyle." He indicated his head to where Kyle and her mom were sitting on the bed. Her mom was helping to keep Kyle distracted by counting the number of flower petals in the bouquet Carlos had bought for her. "Beyond that, I've seen how you look at her and how she looks at you. So long as you can promise me that you'll treat my girl right, you have my blessing."

He held out his hand to Carlos.

Carlos took it tightly. "I swear to you, sir, I'll treat her with the love, kindness, and respect she deserves."

On Christmas morning, Carlos and Zoe were woken up by an over-enthusiastic, bouncing four-year-old boy. Kyle was dressed in the matching red plaid onesie pajamas Zoe had purchased for the three of them. His had a butt-flap, which of course her son thought was hilarious. Carlos, being a kid at heart, had complained that his adult ones didn't have a butt-flap. Anticipating being interrupted in the morning by Kyle, Carlos and Zoe had specifically re-dressed after making love the night before.

Their lovemaking had gotten quite adventurous over the past four months. Not only had they been exploring a hidden exhibitionist side, but they had also been exploring bondage. Zoe, who never thought she would be okay being tied up, was absolutely loving the additional ecstasy brought on by Carlos taking full control of her body. More than her arms being bound, she particularly enjoyed the new spreader bar and ankle cuffs they had purchased only a few weeks before.

Their sex toy collection had also grown. In addition to the orange dildo Carlos had had originally, they now had a supply of different size butt plugs, anal and vaginal beads, ball-gags, and vibrators. Zoe had also purchased a strap-on harness with her very first paycheck from her job. Though bondage had been introduced into their sex life, no amount of erotic flagellation had been. Zoe had no desire to hit or be hit, regardless of the pleasure others swore they received from flogging, caning, or spanking. Carlos, in turn, refused to raise any hand against Zoe, sexual or otherwise. Given her history, they both had agreed that it was not something either of them was interested in exploring.

However, Zoe had recently learned just how erotic a simple feather could be.

They were always careful of what they were doing and who was in the house while they were doing it. Their toys had also been moved to a locked chest in their closet after Kyle had gone into their nightstand one morning and asked about their rocket ship collection.

Cage had also been over to their house to examine their bathroom situation. The local architect, Ed Beaumont, whom the club's construction company contracted with had also come over. They had figured out that by taking out the closets in Kyle's room and Carlos and Zoe's room, they could fit a full bath and turn their room into the house's new master. It would still be smaller than Louisa's as far as square footage was concerned, but they would have their own bathroom. Zoe and Carlos were currently searching for alternative furniture pieces once they lost their closet space. With Cage's current work schedule, construction wouldn't start for another couple of months, so there was no rush.

For now, the three adults just had to be careful of each other's bathroom needs and work it out accordingly. Carlos and Zoe had also taken to sharing a shower in the morning before Kyle woke up to ‘save on hot water' as well as time.

Kyle continued to bounce on them as if needing to insure that they were actually awake. "It's Christmas! It's Christmas!"

Though they slept with their door closed, it was always unlocked unless they were having some private time. Kyle knew he could come into their room at any time but was only allowed under the covers if invited.

They had had Bulldog, Abby, and their four kids over for Christmas Eve dinner as the Santiago family. Louisa had gone back with Bulldog to his house to spend the night, wanting to be on property Christmas morning to help with the club's festivities. Carlos and Zoe had declined their invitation to the club's Christmas feast, opting to have a more intimate and personal Christmas at home with Kyle. They had a simple meal of appetizers and turkey stuffed hoagies planned, along with a day in their jammies and lots of movies. Maybe next year they would venture over to the clubhouse, but they had both agreed that they wanted a relaxing, stress-free holiday.

Carlos rolled onto his back to catch Kyle and keep him from trampling his mother, but this left his family jewels exposed. After narrowly missing a knee to the groin, he scooped Kyle up and seated him on his chest with Kyle's legs straddling his sides.

Kyle beamed down at him. "You have to ask me!" he proclaimed. "It's Christmas!"

Carlos blinked up at him, feigning ignorance. "Ask you what?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zoe sit up and grab for her phone. After nearly three years of not being able to take pictures or have mementos of Kyle's toddlerhood, Zoe was a bit obsessed about recording every piece of their lives that she could. Carlos didn't mind in the least—though he was grateful for the hidden section in their shared family album that required a passcode to see. Some of their pictures were not child friendly.

Kyle let out a frustrated groan. "You promised! You said on Christmas that you would ask me!"

Carlos scratched his head as if needing to think about this question. "Is it, what do you want for breakfast?"

"No!" Kyle giggled.

"Is it, why is the sky blue?"

"No!"

Carlos shrugged. "That's all the questions I can remember. Can you help me out?"

Kyle pointed a finger at Carlos's nose. "That's a question but not the question."

Carlos laughed, because that one had been unintentional. "Fair point." He turned to Zoe. "Do you remember the question?"

She handed her phone to Kyle, who pointed the camera down at Carlos's prone body. Leaning over, she cupped her mouth to Carlos's ear and whispered, "I love you. Stop torturing him or you won't get your Christmas blowjob."

"Oh!" Carlos exclaimed as if Zoe had just given him a hint. "I remember now."

Kyle handed his mom back her phone and then bounced excitedly on Carlos's chest. " Yes? " he asked, drawing the word out.

"Kyle, if you want, I would be honored to be your daddy."

Kyle raised his arms in the air and shouted, "Wa-hoo!!!" at the top of his lungs. Then he toppled over and clung to Carlos around the neck. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Please be my daddy!"

Carlos laughed and clutched the boy close to his chest.

Zoe was extremely nervous. She stood before their new bathroom mirror in a short, velvet, long-sleeve maroon dress with black stockings and ankle boots. Her hands shook as she placed the white box with a red ribbon in her purse. Carlos had reservations for them to celebrate Valentine's Day, even though they were two days early. As an appreciation gift to his deputies, he'd offered to cover the overnight Valentine's Day shift at the station. Since Zoe didn't care if they celebrated on the fourteenth, she had not taken offense when he'd proposed they go out on the twelfth for Valentine's. In truth, she much preferred not going out on the actual holiday and being subjected to all the Hallmark hubbub.

Not only were they celebrating Valentine's, but also their six-month anniversary. Looking back, it was hard to believe she'd been hiding away inside Jenna and Steel's house a year ago and going by the name Clara Everwood.

Carlos had been her savior in so many ways. She hadn't realized how lost in her grief and fear she'd been before she had met him. She recalled a night over two years ago when Conner had visited her at the mountain cabin and she had lain restlessly awake, unable to get the pipedream of a loving man and a father for Kyle out of her head. She'd told herself it wasn't realistic.

Yet here she was. About to go out for Valentine's Day with the man she loved.

The same man who had signed the adoption papers for her son only a few weeks before. Keys had been so sure of Zoe's identity that they had actually gone in front of a judge to sign real paperwork instead of having Keys forge the documents. Carlos was officially Kyle's father.

Carlos had gone out to warm up the car. He was beyond considerate like that.

Since Carlos had gotten his promotion to Deputy Sheriff years ago, he hadn't had a personal vehicle. It didn't make sense when he had full use of a department cruiser. After winning the sheriff's election uncontested, he had swapped for the SUV and given Jeff his old cruiser. Additionally, Carlos had taken Zoe car shopping at George's Auto just outside of town. She was now the proud owner of a white Ford Everest. They had to be careful with expenses, but with both working full-time and his promotion, they did not see any immediate issues with purchasing Zoe a vehicle and putting the house under construction. They still had a year before Kyle started school to rebuild the savings Carlos had used for both.

As Zoe walked into the living room, she stopped short when she saw Carlos was waiting for her at the front door. He was wearing a black suit, white shirt, and black tie. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.

Looking around, Zoe didn't see Louisa or Kyle. "What's going on?"

"Slight change of plans," he informed her. "My brother came by and took Momma and Kyle for a sleepover at his house."

Zoe felt her blood heat. "You mean we have the house all to ourselves?"

He nodded, a mischievous smile appearing on his face. "Rather than taking you out dancing and to a nice meal, I thought you'd prefer dancing here," he indicated to the living room and she noticed the furniture moved aside to provide a dance floor, "and a home cooked meal." A peek into the kitchen showed a covered meal lit by candlelight.

Zoe smiled widely. He knew her so well. "I love that idea."

Approaching her, he held out his arm to escort her into the kitchen. Zoe held up a finger, silently asking him to wait. Then she hurried back into their bedroom, slipped off her boots, and put on a pair of fuzzy pink slippers.

Ah, she thought, much better…

Carlos's lips twitched when he saw her change her footwear but the man smartly kept his mouth closed.

Dinner was a simple spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and a garden salad. Since Zoe had confessed to Carlos how strict Davis had been about her meals following Kyle's birth, Carlos had made it his mission in life to provide her with full-calorie, full-carb meals—and lots and lots of desserts. Zoe feared putting on weight, but Carlos countered that by worshiping her body with devotion and zeal.

As a result, Zoe had actually started getting a little belly pooch and her face had filled out more. Carlos had even commented that her boobs and ass were looking bigger. Of course, he'd informed her of this discovery while she'd been tied to their bed and his face had been buried in her pussy.

Following dinner, Carlos had put on some slow music and they danced in the low-lit living room to a countless number of songs. Zoe sighed in contentment as they swayed back and forth, leaning against his chest, their clasped hands held tightly between them.

When they'd finally journeyed back to the bedroom, there had been no rush, no desire for games or toys. There had been nothing more than the feel of each other and the warmth of their shared bodies and passion. Zoe could not have imagined a better way to spend Valentine's Day.

Not wanting to change or interrupt the mood, Zoe decided to wait until the morning to tell him she was pregnant.

Tears streamed down Zoe's face as she waved at Kyle. Today was his first day of kindergarten. She wasn't sure where the time had gone, but somehow she was standing at the edge of her property waving her son off on his first bus ride.

Carlos's steady arms came around her enlarged middle. He couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself, reveling in her pregnant form. They had had to get inventive with some of their positions as she entered her third trimester and had practically doubled in size overnight. Her massive belly had not perturbed him in the slightest. Carlos was ecstatic about the baby, though he had seemed a little nauseated when they'd discovered they were having twins. Both boys and they shared a placenta, meaning they would be identical.

Following her pregnancy announcement in February, the club had moved up their plan to fake Zoe and Kyle's death to the authorities. She had no idea how it had happened or where they had gotten the bodies from and, frankly, she did not want to know. In April, a car had been pulled from a lake in New York and multiple news outlets had announced the discovery of Zoe and Davey Rutterson's bodies. With the death announcement, the warrant for Zoe's arrest was dismissed. As far as anyone outside of the Via Daemonia , Carlos, and Louisa knew, it was over.

Carlos pressed a kiss to her wet cheek. They had both taken the morning off work to see Kyle off to school. Their son had on a green Jurassic Park backpack that looked far too big for his lean body. He also had a silicone wristband on his left wrist with his name, Zoe's, and Carlos's phone numbers. His backpack and shoes had tracking devices in them. Zoe had voiced no objections when Carlos had suggested the security measure, which had surprised him given Zoe's history. She could recognize the difference between putting a tracking device on a spouse to control them and putting one on a child to ensure their safety.

"Look how excited he is," Carlos murmured into her ear. "The day will be over before you know it and he'll be back home."

Zoe sniffled as the bus's doors closed. Kyle was kneeling on his seat, waving frantically at them. "He's headed off to kindergarten today. Tomorrow he'll be graduating high school."

Carlos snorted. "I don't think his education will be over that quickly."

"He was only born yesterday," she insisted with a touch of melancholy.

"Love, I think you've got a touch of pregnancy brain."

Zoe leaned back against him, needing Carlos's unwavering support as the yellow school bus pulled away. "Don't let go," she pleaded. "No matter how crazy I get, don't let go."

His arms tightened around her. "Never."

Sweaty and exhausted from giving birth to her twin boys, Zoe didn't even feel Carlos slip the engagement ring onto her left hand. She could only blame the excitement and the hormones flooding her body as to why it took her over half the day before she realized it was there. When she did, Carlos had gone down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

"I'm too tired to say no," had been her grumbled answer. Carlos had laughed and kissed her. "But don't think you're getting lucky any time soon," she warned him. "My hoo-ha is off-limits for the foreseeable future."

"There are plenty of other things I can do to your body without going anywhere near your hoo-ha."

When visiting hours had opened up, Kyle was the first through the door, followed closely by Louisa and her new boyfriend. The entire sheriff's department also filed in, along with most of the MC, including Bulldog and Abby. Zoe smiled up at her sister-in-law. The two of them had been spending a lot of time together since Zoe and Carlos had gotten together the year before. Though quiet, Abby was sweet and she looked at Bulldog like he was the only man in the world. Townsfolk stopped by with treats and well wishes for their new sheriff's new baby boys.

Carlos made sure that Kyle got a lot of attention too and helped to arrange Kyle on a chair so he could hold his brothers in his arms.

When it was time for Zoe to try pumping and feeding the babies, Carlos had kicked everyone out of the room. Louisa took Kyle with her to give Zoe some privacy and space. The other parents were taking the club kids out for a day at the park, as it was a Saturday and none of them had school, and Kyle was going with them. He wasn't a ‘club kid' but still treated as one of the cousins.

Taking a moment to breathe in the silence, Zoe laid her head back as the nurse got Baby A ready.

Carlos slid onto the hospital bed with her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We still have to come up with names."

Zoe had wanted Conner, for obvious reasons, and Andrew. However, Conner had already been honored in the club by Harper and Lucky's son and Andrew was Jenna's grandson's name, though he went by Drew. Since discovering that, Zoe had been undecided on baby names.

Carlos helped get her robe loose enough to reveal her boobs. She had been glad the nurse had told her it was time to start nursing, because she'd been feeling uncomfortably full for nearly the last half hour of their company.

As Baby A latched on, Carlos pulled out his phone to the baby names app he'd been obsessed with for the last couple of months. "We've both held them and seen their faces now. Does a name stick out for you?"

Zoe looked down at her son. He'd been born six minutes before his brother. "Nothing that rhymes or is too similar. I don't want them to be ‘Jerry' and ‘Terry' or ‘Don' and ‘Dom'."

Carlos nodded in agreement. "What about Seth and Lewis?"

Zoe shook her head, her nose scrunching up adorably. The nurse brought over Baby B. Zoe adjusted herself slightly and Carlos moved the nursing pillow into place. Baby B took a little more coaxing than his brother had to latch on, but finally did.

Carlos had never seen anything so magnificent as his woman feeding his sons. The female body truly was a marvel. "Cody and Shawn?"

Zoe's head perked up. "I like Cody."

"But not Shawn?"

She thought for a moment before saying. "What else you got?"

"Are you settling on Cody?"

Zoe looked back down at her boys. "Yeah, I think I am. Cody," she tipped her head to the right at Baby A.

"You do realize then you'll have Cody and Kyle?" Carlos asked her with a slight grimace, because his statement might just put her back at Square One.

Zoe's face fell. "Well, shit."

The nurse chuckled, though quickly covered it with her hand. "I'll be right outside if you need anything."

"Thank you," they both said to her as she walked out.

"I don't like Cody and Kyle together," Zoe said, getting back to their conversation. "Keep going."

Carlos looked back at the app in his hand. "Axel and Ryan?"

Zoe's eyes perked up. "Oh, Ryan!"

"Ryan and Axel, Ryan and Shawn, Ryan and Evan, Ryan and Emmett…?" Carlos prompted.

Zoe studied their sons for a long moment. "Ryan and Eric," she finally decided. "Keep all three boys with four letter names. Kyle, Ryan, and Eric."

Carlos leaned over and kissed her temple. He draped an arm protectively around his sons, resting his head against her shoulder. "Congratulations, Mama. You happy?" he prompted.

Zoe leaned her cheek down on top of his head. "The happiest."