“I don’t trust him.”
“I understand that, but it’s in his best interest to treat Dom well so I think he will. The point is, Dom is Mia’s baby. I know it sucks, I know it feels unfair, but consider what she had to go through. That was her first baby, and she probably didn’t even get to feel excited about it when she found out. It was probably traumatic for her. Now this feels that way for you, and it sucks; I wish you didn’t have to feel it, but this is a consequence of the very bad behavior you exhibited. I know you’re sorry, and I’m so proud of you for getting there, but it doesn’t negate anything. You’re frankly lucky that she even wants to let you spend time with him. She’s not obligated to.” To take the sting out of her reprimand, she takes my hand and places it on her flat tummy. “Someday we’ll put a little Carly-Vince baby in here and you’ll get the all-access pass. We’ll have a baby of our own. But it’s not Dom. Dom isn’t ours. There’s no way I can see that you could even be a part of his life. Look at your emotional state after being here for one day.”
I roll my eyes. “Good thing you’re cool with me being a mess, huh?”
She grins, leaning down to brush her lips against mine. “You’re the sexiest mess I’ve ever stumbled upon. Here, raise your shirt and remind me why I’m doing all this.”
I grin, lifting my shirt so she can run her fingers over my abs.
“There it is,” she teases, winking at me.
“You Prices and your hot guy weakness.”
“Hey, all guys are a pain in the ass. We should at least get something nice to look at while we’re dealing with all the bullshit that comes along with you.”
“I’ll have to remember to hit the gym in the morning so I don’t lose your love.”
“See that you do,” she says, with mock solemnity. “Though, actually, I should go with you. That’s our strength right now. If you so much as go to the gym alone, Mateo can put Mia in your path. If you’re going to see Mia, I need to be with you.”
I nod my head, dragging my shirt back down. “I like that plan. You can be my protector,” I half-joke.
“I’m your partner,” she corrects. “If he thinks he can shake me with pictures of you and Mia with your baby, he has another thing coming. Mateo’s kryptonite may zap you of your strength, but it doesn’t do shit to Lois.”
I grin up at her, grabbing a fistful of hair and yanking her down to my level. Before I brush my lips across hers, I tell her, “I love you, you little badass.”
“I love you, too. Now show me those super abs again.”
Chapter Twenty Seven
Carly
After a long night spent hibernating in Vince’s old room, we go to the in-house gym together. Breakfast time has already passed by the time we go to the kitchen, so Vince makes sausage while I scramble us some eggs and we eat breakfast together.
I feel bad literally babysitting him, but the man cannot be left alone. Not here. I never worry about him at home, I know that away from this house of horrors he can be a good boyfriend—he has been, for six months—but with better-hair-having Lex Luthor using every play in his villain playbook to knock him off balance, Vince needs all the help he can get to make it through this week.
To be honest, I thought he was being dramatic about his family until I encountered them. Now I feel like he didn’t prepare me adequately enough. He always made Mateo sound sometimes pointlessly evil, but he’s not. He’s smart and deliberate.
Back when Laurel and I watched Smallville, I also had the teeniest of crushes on Lex Luthor. For obvious reasons, I’m glad I never told Vince that.
Although my beloved is about 90 percent emotion, 7 percent scar tissue, and maybe 3 percent logic, so he might not even know Mateo is totally his super villain arch nemesis.
It’s a good thing he’s pretty.
We head back to our room after breakfast. I figure if we leave our safe haven, Vince will encounter Mia somewhere. While I assured him I will go with him so he can see Dom if she allows it today, I’m not eager to put myself in that position. I sympathize with Vince’s weakness for Mia; I don’t resent him for it. Mia is his Lana, but I’m his Lois. She may be his first love, but I’m his end game. I know that. Knowing that will not make it any more fun for me if he starts visibly longing for her while they play with his son. That’s going to suck sweaty balls, whether I show it or not.