Page 87 of The Wild Man
“I’ll be good Peepa,” he answers in his deep voice. “Always protect momor and our baby.”
“Peepa? What the fuck is that?” Ethan asks.
“It means papa,” I answer.
“And momor?”
I look at Spencer. “I don’t know what it means, but it’s what he calls me.”
Dad ignores all that and asks. “And how will you provide for them?”
I talk before Wild Man has a chance to. “That’s not something we need to worry about right now. We’ll figure it out later. I have plenty of money saved, and I’ll still be working at the paper. I can provide for us for the time being.”
“I’ll be damned if I’ll allow some man to leech off you, Everlee. I’d sooner toss his ass back out into the woods, this time making sure he doesn’t leave, before I let that happen.”
My blood pressure rises, making my cheeks heat with anger. I’ve had enough of people thinking they can push me around and make decisions for me. That shit stops now.
I push against Wild Man, intending to get up, right in Dad’s face, and make it very clear that he needs to back the fuck off, or I won’t be held accountable for my actions. Wild Man holds me in place.
“Momor is mine. Our baby is mine. I protect them both. I feed and shelter them. I make them happy. I make them laugh. I give them everything they need.” He pauses a moment, in which Dad looks at him blankly. “Momor is strong female. She’ll be strong noeny. Because you good peepa to her.”
I’m surprised to hear the reluctant gratitude in Wild Man’s tone, like he respects Dad for a job well done in raising me.
His eyes move to each of my brothers. “Wanted to kill you for taking my momor away.” Four sets of eyes narrow and their bodies go rigid. “No more. You take to protect. Good brothers.”
Tears prick my eyes.
Wild Man looks back at Dad, his fingers splaying wide over my stomach. “I protect momor now. I die to protect her and baby, like you would. Always.” That last word is emphasized with a growl.
“Shit,” Dad mutters. “Fucking shit.”
I just manage to keep the smile from my face. If there’s one thing Dad understands, it’s the incessant need to protect family at all costs. He must have seen something on Wild Man’s face that made him finally believe the severity of Wild Man’s feelings for me. I know without a doubt in my soul that what he spoke is the truth. He would do anything to ensure my and our child’s safety.
In a way, that thought is scary. The intensity of a love like that could be dangerous. I would never want Wild Man to step in front of me and take whatever damage is headed my way. But then again, I’m sure he feels the same way.
Dad walks up to us, his expression giving nothing away. He stands there, his eyes drilling into Wild Man, completely ignoring my presence. He stays that way for several long seconds, seconds that feel like minutes.
Then he slowly lifts his hand, palm sideways. I have no idea if Wild Man knows what a handshake is, but I guess he deduces what Dad is after. The hand not splayed on my stomach lifts and meets Dad’s. I internally wince at their white knuckles, knowing they are both gripping the hell out of the other hand.
“You hurt her in any way, and I’ll make what me and my boys did to you feel like a pat on the back. You got me?”
“Got you.”
Dad drops his arm and takes a step back. He looks around the room at my brothers. “We’re leaving.”
All of them, except for Mad, seem to accept Dad’s decision and start moving toward the door. Mad still has his hard gaze pinned on Wild Man. He looks two seconds away from springing forward and tackling him. He’s the one who’s the most like Dad, so his protective instinct is strong.
“Maddox, let’s go,” Dad barks.
It takes a moment, but he eventually spins around and stalks out the door, taking his still pissed off vibes with him.
When Rika gets up from the chair she’s been occupying, I slide off Wild Man’s lap. She still looks hurt from me not telling her about the pregnancy tests. I walk to her and take her straight into my arms.
“I’m sorry,” I say in her ear. “I hated not telling you. I’ll explain later, okay?”
She nods and pulls back. Some of her hurt fades as she looks at Wild Man over my shoulder. When she brings her gaze back, there’s a hint of mischievousness.
“He’s yummy.”