I chomped my gum and stuck my tongue in it, ready to give it one more bubble and then throw it away.

"Yeah, of course. I'm all ears." The gum spread between my teeth.

"It's a big secret and you can't tell," she said. "Anyone."

I glanced at her as I pushed air into my gum to finish my last bubble.

Gina lowered her attention and stared at the car's floor. "I'm pregnant."

I sucked in a breath, bringing the gum with it and straight down my throat. Pregnant? What? I coughed, choking on the no longer sticky material as it stuck in my throat. How did that even work?

The gum lodged in good as I sucked in air, trying not to die. Gina pounded on my back with her open hand. I leaned over, trying to get it moving.

Holy shit. I was going to die.

I slurped in another breath at the same time Gina smacked my back and the gum cleared my windpipe and headed into my stomach.

"Are you okay?" Gina asked when I stopped dying.

No. No, I was not okay. Nobody was going to be okay ever again. A motorcycle baby? "Does Dom know?"

Gina planned to have The Impaler's baby, and earlier she considered me the weird one? So unfair.

She stayed quiet. "Not yet."

"Why haven't you told him?" I asked, choking on my words still from my near-death experience. I couldn't be caught endangering Dom's offspring. He'd probably be a crazy possessive dad.

She bit her lips. "How do you think he'll take it?"

He'd probably light the entire town on fire. Damn it, I lived in town. I needed to get home and pack a bag while making my escape plan.

When she said nothing else, I hurried to come up with a believable lie. "I honestly do not know."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about," Gina said as I dove headfirst into a full-on panic. Soon we'd have toddlers on motorcycles driving down Main Street.

There was so much to do. I had to move. Thank God I didn't fully unpack. Broadrick would have to admit how handy that turned out. We could make a quick escape.

I'd lie and say not unpacking was part of my plan the entire time.

"Shit, we're going to have to plan you a baby shower!" Where would we have it? We'd have to rent out city hall. There wasn't anywhere big enough to hold everyone, and no way would Dom let us have it at his compound. Plus, the decorations there were sure to be lackluster.

Gina grabbed on to my arm. "No!"

"You have to. It's kind of like the thing," I said, putting my hand over hers. We had to have a shower. If we didn't, Pearl would kill us.

Tea cups everywhere.

My phone vibrated. I did not have time for any more drama.

I slipped it from my pocket as Gina sat, staring out the window in horror, probably picturing the decorations Pearl used for every baby shower for the last twenty years. She said they never went out of style, but they did. Vintage was back in style, but not that vintage.

BROADRICK: I got the call.

My stomach plummeted.

Could this day get any worse?

I read it three more times to make sure I hadn't had a stroke and imagined the text.

"What does this say?" I asked Gina, holding the phone in front of her.

"I got the call?" she said in a questioning tone.

Damn it. We couldn't both be having the same hallucination. The text had to be real.

I typed a response quickly.

VONNIE: Where are you?

His response came before I lowered my phone.

BROADRICK: Home.

"Sorry, G. We have to cut this short." I started the car and pulled away from where I'd stopped when I'd been dying.

My thoughts raced on the way back to Dominick's compound. Gina had a moto baby in her uterus. Broadrick was leaving soon. He'd go, and I had to stay here and wait for him.

And I couldn't do anything about it. The entire situation sucked.

"Are you okay?" Gina asked as I turned onto Dominick's road. "Was the text bad?"

"No. Yes. It's a long story. Can I drop you out front?" I pulled into Dominick's main driveway without thinking. If I made his pregnant girlfriend walk, he'd kill me. No matter how I spun this, I died.

She didn't get out as soon as I stopped the car like I wanted. "Won't Dom know I was with you now?"

"Trust me. I'm sure he already does," I said and unlocked the door.

Ridge probably called him as soon as he saw us on camera.

She sighed and went for the door. "Okay."

"Wait, Gina." I stopped her.

She turned to meet my gaze. "Yeah?"

"If you have that something special with Dom, he probably feels the same way. Right?"

She gave me a tiny grin, and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "He hasn't said."

Dom had her in his house for who knew how long and let her hang out with us. He probably thought he didn't need to say it.

"Just tell him the truth. I bet he'll surprise you and be happy about the baby."

I bet he'd surprise us all.

I'd learned a few things about The Impaler over the years. He wasn't all bad.

Her grin turned into a full smile. "Okay. I will. Thanks."

I waved as she walked up the front steps of the porch and crossed my fingers that I didn't steer her wrong. Bikers were not my expertise. I barely handled my SEAL.

The drive to my place was less than three turns, but it felt like a lifetime as I drove from one side of Pelican Bay to the other.

What if I didn't make it back in time and Broadrick left before I got to say goodbye? What if I never saw him again? I grabbed on to the sleeves of the black leather jacket, wanting to be closer to him.

I picked up speed during the last block and sped more as I pulled into my driveway, pushing gravel into the edges of the grass. Broadrick's truck and motorcycle were parked close to the side door. That didn't mean someone hadn't come and picked him up, but I held on to the miniscule belief he was inside waiting for me.

The engine seemed hot as I left the car. The scents of motor oil and something else hung in the air, but I didn't stop to identify it. I ran across the driveway and tossed open the side door.

"Broadrick?" The door hit the wall, and I continued inside, searching the home but not seeing him. "Don't go yet."

His tall form stood up beside the refrigerator where he'd been bent over giving NB a treat. The traitorous dog didn't even make a run for me to say hello as he chewed on whatever Broadrick fed him.

I saw how it was.

"Oh," I said, coming to a stop in the kitchen's entry way. "You didn't leave yet."

He smiled and dropped a piece of deli turkey in the air for NB. The dog missed and let it land on the floor before he gobbled it up. "Never. I wouldn't leave you without a goodbye, babe."

I gave him a once-over and marveled at the way his black polo shirt looked tucked into his jeans. Why was it only hot guys pulled off that look? "You're not even in camo yet?"

Didn't the GI Joe guys travel in camo? That way you couldn't see them at the airports? I swear I'd heard that somewhere.

Broadrick laughed. "No."

"When do you break out the camo?" I asked. Not that I wanted him to leave, but I needed a timeline. And a visual.

He crossed through the kitchen and wrapped his arms around me, tugging me into his chest. I tucked my head on his shoulder and let myself hug him to remind me he hadn't left. Reminders were helpful.

"The official call out is two p.m. tomorrow, so I need to leave in the morning to make it in time."

I swayed in his arms, letting him rock me as I tried to math distances in my head. "Is that enough time?"

Were they meeting in DC? He definitely didn't have enough time to get to Georgia, even though I knew in the past he'd been there for things. Fishy government things, if I had a guess.

"No, but Ridge says he knows a guy with a plane, so I don't need to rush."

I squeezed him tighter and shook my head, letting myself hold on to his muscular back for support. "It's a helicopter."

And it belonged to Pierce. I hated owing him a favor, but this time it was worth it. I'd pay for anything that gave me even a few more hours with Broadrick.

I tilted my head up, and Broadrick kissed me. His lips were soft, just the way I liked him. He ran his tongue over my bottom lip and then bit down slowly before pulling away.

"I told Tony he's in charge while I'm gone."

I'd gone in for another kiss but stalled. The happy, floating feelings he'd created vaporized with his words. "Excuse me."