Chapter Seventeen

Not edited or proofread.

Axel

Novella flipped a page in her romance novel, lost in her own little world as we waited for a nurse to call our name. When she'd woken up this morning sick again, barely able to hold down water and saltine crackers, I'd pulled strings and gotten her an appointment with an OB this morning—the best in town at that. Because my baby girl got nothing less than the absolute fucking best.

My phone vibrated in my suit jacket pocket. Sighing since I told everyone not to disturb us while we were here at the doctor's office, I slid it out, frowning at Kyle's name on my screen. He was supposed to be going over training shit with Harlan. Why the fuck was he calling me?

"What?" I muttered when I answered. Novella was still deeply entranced in her book and didn't even look up at the sound of my voice.

"I found Dexter," Kyle told me.

I sat up a little straighter at his words. My men hadn't been able to find him for weeks, and Kyle was telling me he's already found the fucker? Getting him out of prison had been one of the best things I'd done yet—besides claiming my little angel, that was.

"How?" I demanded to know.

"I have contacts," Kyle told me. "People who owe me. They handed over his location the moment I asked so we could even the score. He's currently in the trunk of my car. Where do you want him?"

"Call Harlan," I ordered. "He'll send you to the correct location. And tell him to inform Griffin of what's going on. Do not touch him otherwise, am I clear?"

"Yeah, I hear you," Kyle said, sounding a bit pissed off about not being able to do more when it came to Dexter. But this was my kill. My revenge. And I was taking it for both me and on Novella's behalf.

The door opened, and a nurse in purple scrubs stepped out, her blonde hair in a messy bun on the top of her head. "Novella Eastyn?" she called.

"I need to go," I told Kyle. "Do what I said. And we'll have a discussion later about your inability to follow orders."

He didn't bother answering—just ended the call. I clenched my jaw and stood to my feet. If he wasn't Novella's brother and someone she loved and needed in her life, I'd have put a bullet in his skull by now. I understood he was a fucking psychopath, but fuck, he wore on my goddamn nerves.

"Novella, baby, come on," I said, reaching down to take the book from her hands. I grabbed her bookmark from my suit jacket and slipped it in place before closing it and holding my hand out to her. She placed her hand in mine, looking a little green, but stood to her feet, allowing me to lead her toward the waiting nurse.

She smiled at Novella. "Hi, hun. Right this way. How are you feeling today?"

"Nauseous," Novella told her.

"We'll get you a barf bag in case you throw up," she told Novella. She gestured to a chair in a vitals area, and Novella took a seat, reluctantly dropping my hand. The nurse handed Novella the long barf bag before handing her a cup. "I need you to urinate in this for me. When you're done, slip it into the metal door behind the toilet, then come back and take a seat in this chair again so we can take your blood pressure, temperature, and draw a little bit of blood."

"Blood?" Novella asked, paling.

I gripped the back of her neck. "Easy, baby. I'm sure it won't even hurt, right?" I gave the nurse a pointed look. She smiled at Novella, shaking her head.

"I'm very gentle," she promised Novella.

Novella blew out a soft breath and nodded before heading into the bathroom, leaving the bag the nurse had given her on her seat. I leaned a shoulder against the wall, waiting as patiently as I could for Novella to come out of the bathroom. When she did, I relaxed a little, watching with a laser-focused intensity as the nurse took Novella's vitals and drew a small vial of blood. As promised, the nurse was gentle, and Novella barely felt a thing.

"I feel so sick," Novella muttered as she settled on the cot in the room we were placed in. She laid down and curled up on her side, closing her eyes. I ran my hands over her hair, wishing I could do more to help her. Wishing there was a way I could take her nausea and discomfort and make it my own.

"Just try to breathe through it," I told her.

She nodded, her eyes still closed. I continued petting her hair as we waited for the doctor to come in. About five minutes later, she did, knocking lightly on the door before coming in. She smiled at us before focusing on Novella. "Hi, sweetheart. I'm Dr. Clearwater, but you can call me Nancy. I hear you've been pretty sick?"

Novella nodded, not saying anything, probably fearful if she spoke, she'd throw up. Nancy sat on a rolling stool and laid out a folder in front of her. "Well, you're five weeks and six days pregnant, which explains your nausea." Pride swelled in my chest. She was pregnant. Pregnant with my baby. I'd accomplished knocking her up. Breeding her.

Fuck.

Novella opened her eyes at Nancy's words, snapping them up to mine. I smiled at her before leaning down to press my lips to hers in a soft kiss. A tear ran down her cheek, and then she clung to me, happy tears sliding down her cheeks.

Goddamn, she owned me.

I held her tightly, resting my chin on the top of her head as she cried it all out. Nancy waited patiently, and once Novella was calmed down, she smiled at us. "I assume this is something you've both been wanting?"

"Very much," Novella croaked, grabbing my hand and linking her fingers through mine.

I lifted her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. I hoped she was ready to be waited on hand and foot because I was about to spoil the absolute fuck out of her—even more than I already did. She would be lucky if I didn't wrap her pregnant little ass in bubble wrap.

~*~*~

Novella was exhausted by the time we got home. I got her showered to wash the doctor's office of her, then put her to bed, covering her up and running my fingers through her damp hair until she fell asleep.

When I stepped out of the room and made my way down the stairs, Harlan met me at the bottom. "Warehouse is occupied," he told me. "You had a shipment coming in." I sighed. "He's in the basement. I have a clean-up crew on standby to get rid of all evidence once you're done."

Without a word, I strode toward the basement door, opening it before heading down the stairs into the dimly lit room. Kyle was leaning against the wall, staring at Dexter, his face and eyes completely void of emotion. Dexter was gagged, but that didn't stop him from trying to speak. It was just annoying, muffled gibberish.

I rolled my neck around, eyeing him distastefully. If I'd been at the warehouse, I would've gladly bloodied my hands and ended his life. But with Novella just upstairs, I wanted to be available in case she needed me. And I couldn't exactly be that if I was covered in the blood of her shit bad ex boyfriend.

I looked at Kyle. "I need to be available for Novella." I nodded my head in Dexter's direction. "He's your kill. Enjoy it and make it fucking hurt."

A maniacal grin twisted his lips, transforming his features into something terrifying. He stepped forward and crouched in front of Dexter, who whimpered.

"Remember me?" Kyle asked. Dexter made a pitiful sound again. Kyle chuckled. "I told you if you hurt her, you'd fucking pay." He wrapped his fingers around Dexter's throat, squeezing until Dexter's face went blue. "I'm here to fucking collect."

With that, he stood to his feet and punched Dexter in the face so hard, a tooth flew from his mouth, and he screamed, the gag falling loose. A smirk twisted my lips.

I might not be delivering on the revenge I promised, but Novella's brother was. And that was enough for me.