Chapter 11

11

STELLA

“ S o you’re basically fluent in nine languages,” Blaze drawled.

“More like eight. I’m still not that great with Mandarin,” I corrected.

Connor had been gone for almost a month, and I missed him every minute of every day. But I’d also used the time to brush up on my language skills, something which amused Blaze to no end. Especially when I decided to try my hand at Tagalog. As the most understood language in all the Philippine regions, I’d been curious about it. But I had quickly discovered why it was a category III language. Picking it up was much more difficult than I had expected.

“And how many can you say fuck in?”

I did a mental tally. “At least a dozen.”

“Prove it.” He circled his hand in a gesture to get me going.

“ Cazzo …” That was as far as I got before Matteo walked into the clubhouse and shook his head.

Blaze pointed at him. “Prospects aren’t supposed to criticize brothers, and sure as fuck not officers.”

He held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I didn’t say a word.”

“You didn’t have to,” the VP grumbled.

“He takes his job of distracting me very seriously,” I explained.

Blaze shot me an amused look. “Do me a favor and don’t tell your man that, or else he might decide that our decades of friendship and me having his back all the damn time aren’t worth shit because…”

I lifted my palm. “Say no more. I get it. You don’t want to deal with the green-eyed monster when he gets back.”

We both knew I wasn’t talking about Connor’s eye color but his tendency to be possessive over me. “Fuck no.”

“Don’t blame you,” Matteo mumbled.

The beep of Blaze’s phone stopped him from replying to the prospect. Just as it had done each time he’d gotten a text or call while I was near, my stomach twisted in knots while I waited to hear if it was news from Connor. This time, it was finally what I’d been waiting for so long to hear. “King’s on his way back, and he’s got your dad.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” I breathed, bending at the waist while I tried to catch my breath. “How soon will they be here?”

“Three hours.”

It was the longest hundred and eighty minutes of my life. Knowing Connor was headed back to the compound with my dad and seeing them with my own eyes were totally different things. The relief didn’t fully hit me until they finally walked through that door.

“Dad,” I shrieked, running toward him as happy tears filled my eyes. Although I trusted Connor to do everything he could to make sure my dad came back to me, I knew things went wrong on missions all the time. Seeing the two most important men in my life, healthy and whole, meant everything to me. And I appreciated so much that Connor held back, giving me this moment with my dad.

“Stella my bella,” he whispered, his arms tightening around me. “Love you so damn much.”

I sniffled against his chest. “You too, Daddy.”

“You did good.” He stepped back and smiled down at me. “Connor got to me in the nick of time. Saved my ass.”

“I’m glad.” I glanced over his shoulder at Connor and only caught the tail end of what my dad said next. “Pardon?”

He flung his arm over my shoulder. “There’s a silver lining to all the shit that went down. I’m out, which means I’ll have plenty of time on my hands to spend with you from now on. Maybe we can take a nice long vacation before you land a job. Enjoy some time with your dad while you still can. Once you join the rat race, you won’t have much free time.”

Connor strode over to us and gently tugged me away from my dad. “Nope.”

“What the hell?” Dad grunted, his brows drawing together.

Connor tucked me against his side. “If Stella wants to take a vacation, it’s gonna be with me.”

My dad rolled his eyes. “The past month has been hell, man. This is not the time to yank my chain.”

“I’m not joking, Joseph.”

Dad’s gaze darted toward me, and I flashed him a soft smile before confirming, “He really isn’t.”

My smile didn’t stop my dad from losing his mind. He shook his fist in the air and yelled, “I sent my daughter to you for protection, Kingsley. Not for you to take advantage of her when she was vulnerable.”

I was trying to understand the fact that a lot had changed in the short time he’d been out of touch with me. But that accusation used up most of my patience. “You should know me better than that.”

“Same goes for me,” Connor growled. “You sent Stella here because you trusted me with her life and yours. Remember?”

“Yeah, and clearly I was wrong in that belief,” my father scoffed.

I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my toe against the ground. “With all due respect, Dad, I am a twenty-two-year-old woman with a black belt and a college degree. I can plan my own vacations…and choose who I fall in love with.”

“Love?” they echoed in unison, but with very different expressions. My dad’s was stunned while Connor looked as though he had just won the lottery.

Figuring my dad could wait for a moment after the crap he’d been spewing, I turned to Connor. “Yes, love, you big lug.”

“Big lug, huh?” he teased.

“If you don’t hurry up and tell me that you love me back, I’m going to put my language skills to good use and come up with a long list of less flattering words to call you,” I threatened.

He was laughing as he said, “I love you so fucking much.”

“Good,” I huffed.

Tugging me against his chest, he wrapped his arms around my waist. “You know that you haven’t actually told me the same yet, right? Just hinted at it.”

My cheeks filled with heat as I realized that he was right. “I love you, Connor Kingsley.”

“Thank fuck,” he breathed before capturing my mouth in a deep kiss without any care that my father was in the room with us.

Something he reminded us of by clearing his throat rather loudly. When that didn’t make us stop, he yelled, “I’m standing right here.”

“Only because I saved your ass,” Connor pointed out.

“You better get on board with us being in a relationship soon, Dad,” I warned, pressing Connor’s palm against my still-flat belly. “Because we’re going to make you a grandpa in about eight months.”

Connor’s fingers flexed against me. “You’re pregnant?”

“Uh-huh.” I flashed him a watery smile. “At first, when I missed my period, I just thought it was from the stress of the situation. But a few days ago, I woke up a little nauseous, and it hit me. I haven’t taken a test yet to confirm because I wanted you to be the first to know and there would be no way to keep it a secret when I promised to stay inside the compound.”

“A grandbaby?” Dad sputtered, his eyes wide.

“Yup,” I confirmed with a grin.

“It’s possible that I might’ve been a little hasty in my reaction to the news about you two,” he muttered.

“You think?”

I elbowed Connor in the side. “Don’t you start now that I’ve finally got him coming around to the idea of us as a couple.”

My dad laughed, no trace of his earlier anger remaining.

“He’d better hurry up if he wants to walk you down the aisle. We’re getting married this weekend,” Connor announced.

I wiggled my bare finger at him. “I think you missed a step since you haven’t proposed yet.”

“Or asked my permission,” Dad tossed in for good measure.

“Sorry, baby. I’m a little behind since I was busy saving your father’s ungrateful ass. But don’t worry,” he reassured me. “Your ring and property patch have already been ordered and should be here any day since I’m a master at multitasking.”