Family (Men of Steel #5.5) (2 page)

Chapter 3

Cyrus

My phone messenger went off when she was crying in my arms. Fuck if I didn’t want to tell them
not tonight
. But she pulled away and put on a bright smile as she wiped one of her eyes smudging the mascara she had just put on.

I took my thumb and wiped underneath her eyes, “You look like Christmas, Birdie.”

“I do?” she sniffed.

“Bright green eyes, fucking stunning and now a bit red. Beautiful.” She shook her head up and down, “Speaking of Christmas, we need to start planning on what we’re gonna get our little ones.”

“Diapers,” she laughed as she wiped the tears off my shirt.

“Nah, I was thinking the little dude could get his first bike.”

“A bicycle?” she laughed and took my hand.

“Hell no, a Harley.”

“Is that so? And what will we get our girl?”

“A fucking chastity belt.”

~

We walked in the hotel restaurant and she smiled and that little hop in her step came back. She was beaming, “They all came.”

“Did you doubt they would?”

“Jase, Carly, Xavier, and Taelyn should have stayed home.” She was now tugging on my hand a bit trying to get me to move quicker. She loved our family so fucking much, just as much as they loved her.

“Aunt Tara,” Little Bell came rushing up on her, “Tomorrow I’ll have cousins.”

They hugged for a few seconds before Bella looked up at me, “You look tired Uncle Cyrus.”

“Is that so?” I laughed before scooping her up and throwing her over my shoulder. She was giggling and wiggling around like crazy.

“Uncle Cyrus, put me down. This is embarrassing.”

“Yeah, well you shouldn’t be telling me I look like hell.”

“I would never say you look like he--.”

“You better not finish that sentence,” I plopped her on her feet and she laughed.

“You think you’re tired now, let me tell you, that’s nothing. We hardly sleep through the night,” she took Tara's and my hand and walked us to the table. “Kiki, just started sleeping six hours. It was the weirdest thing. I heard Daddy freaking out--.”

“I wasn’t freaking out Little Bell,” Jase cut her off as he stood and messed up her little brown curls before hugging my wife, then giving me the shoulder bump.

“Actually he was,” Carly hugged me.

He raised his eyebrow at her in warning, “She’s never slept that long.”

“She’s getting older,” Carly laughed as she gave Tara a hug. “He’s a little OCD when it comes--.”

“Not true,” he scowled.

Carly turned around and scowled back, “Is so.” Then she laughed and he shook his head.

Momma Joe was standing there just smiling at us, “Come over here Momma stop looking at me like--.”

“Like what Cyrus? My son is going to be a father tomorrow.”

I let the smirk creep up my face, “That’s pretty cool shit huh?”

“Your kids first word is gonna be sh--.”

“Bella,” Carly and Jase scolded her at the same time.

“Sheet, I was going to say sheet.”

“Is that so?” Xavier grabbed her and turned her to him.

“Oh my Go--.”

“Isabella Steel--,” Jase cut her off

“Bell, you just got the last name, that’s bad ass.” Zandor chuckled and then gave us a hug.

“Where’s Taelyn?” Tara asked Bekah.

“She’s tired. Xavier is just coming down to see y’all and grab something to take up to the room.” Bekah smiled and then gave me a squeeze.

“Told you man,” I shook my head.

“She wanted to be here bro. Besides, gives her an excuse to see her family.” He leaned in a whispered, “Her fucking brothers are a pain in my ass man.”

“Still hating on you?” I laughed.

“Yeah and what the fuck is up with that?” He was visibly annoyed.

“Why don’t you not worry about stupid shit and grab some food and take it up to your wife?”

He shook his head and looked down. I knew something was eating him.

“What’s up X?”

“Nothing man, it’s stupid.”

“X, come on let it out.”

Out of all of us I swear he was the most stubborn motherfucker.

He leaned in and whispered, “Her tits.”

“What about ‘em?” I watched as Momma Joe walked closer.

“They fucking hurt.”

“Comes with the territory.”

“Well that’s fucked up. They’re fucking double D’s and all I wanna do is fuck the shit out of them and she ain’t having it. I stare at ‘em and she gets all pissy. I mean what the fuck kinda cruel joke is that? They’re all big like porn tits and I can’t touch ‘em? In a little over a month they’ll be squirting milk and I sure as hell--.”

He stopped when he saw me trying not to laugh.

“What the fuck man?”

“Nothing, keep on going.”

“No please don’t,” Momma said and he jumped.

He looked at her and then back at me, “You’re a fucking asshole.”

“Xavier,” Momma warned.

“What?” He asked her still scowling at me.

“Her body--.”

“I love you Momma Joe, but you and I aren’t getting into a discussion about my wife’s tits.”

“That’s understandable, how about we discuss her emotions.” She led him away, chewing his ear off.

“Are you trying to get him in trouble?” Tara whispered as I pulled her chair out for her.

“Who me?” I winked.

We all chatted after ordering. It was actually pretty funny. We were never this quiet when we were together. I bet that’s why Momma looked proud right now. Usually by the time we start eating she’s scolded each of us at least twice.

“What are you smiling about,” Tara whispered.

I leaned over and kissed her, I couldn’t help it she was just so fucking—mine. “Look at Momma watching all of us. Hell, look at all of us. We are family Birdie. Look at little Kiki and little Bell.” I smiled as I looked at them. “By next year there will be three more little ones sitting with us eating Sunday dinner. Two of them are coming tomorrow. Hell maybe by then I’ll have deposited two more in that sweet little honey pot of yours.”

“Cyrus,” I looked up at Momma and saw the look and started laughing.

“Sorry Momma. This is just to fu--.”

“Uncle Cyrus,” Little Bell tried giving me a stern look. “You are to big for me to yoke up.”

“Yoke up?” I laughed.

“Yeah, so you better just watch it,” she pointed her fork at me.

I held my hands up, “Fine, I get it. My bad.”

~

We were all leaving the restaurant and in the lounge across the lobby there was a two-piece band playing and people dancing.

I looked at Birdie and she was smiling at Carly. Carly handed Kiki to Jase and grabbed Tara’s hand, “Just one.”

“Baby you serious right now?” Jase laughed.

“Jase Steel, there is a couch in our suite.” Carly stuck her tongue out at him and grabbed Bella’s hand, “Come on girls.”

“Carly?” Jase was shocked.

She just started laughing and I gave Tara a nod.

“What the hell--.” Jase stood looking at the three of them walk into the lounge.

“They’re fine,” Momma said as she hung her bag over his shoulder. “Let’s go Bekah.”

Zandor and I were snickering at Jase’s obvious annoyance.

“It’s not funny, my little girl is in a fucking bar.”

“She will be soon enough anyway I suppose,” Zandor winked at me. “Jase man,” he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. “You look like a little bitch.”

“Fuck you Z,” he sneered. “Delete that shit.”

“Hell no, that's Steel Inc.’s employee of the month photo.”

“It’s cool Jase, look at them.” I nodded as we walked closer to the door and stood watching them. I couldn’t help but laugh and Jase glared at me. “What man?”

“She’s perfect.”

“Carly?”

“Yeah Carly, who the hell did you think I was talking about?”

Zandor and I started to laugh, “She can’t dance man.”

“She can ride, that’s good enough,” he said as a smile crept up his face. “Blows my damn mind. How can
she
have so little rhythm?”

I watched Carly for a minute trying my best not to laugh. Carly, really couldn’t dance, rhythm wasn’t the problem that chick just couldn’t let loose and I swear to fuck she tried like hell to chill but she was in her head all the damn time.

“Let me have Kiki,” I reached out for my niece, “Give Z the purse. Go dance with your wife and daughter.”

“You sure man?” Jase asked.

“Yeah.”

I held Kiki and looked into her eyes. She was sucking away on that damn plug like that little Simpson girl, brown eyes looking up at me. She was checking me out. I was doing the same to her.

“You got something to say to me don’t you?”

She grinned and that plug fell out of her little mouth.

I caught it and her eyes started to scrunch up. She looked like she was annoyed.

“Kiki, come on girl don’t be like that.”

Her little expression turned to determination and she started chirping’ away.

“Is that so?” I laughed as she goo-ed, and gaw-ed, then oo-ed and maaa-ed.

She smiled.

“You know what Kiki? I know whatever you're chirping about makes perfectly good sense to you.”

She started in again and Z was at my side checking her out.

“Hey Kiki, you talking smack already?”

She kept right on going.

“You don’t say,” Zandor laughed. “You think Uncle Cyrus is gonna be a good Dad huh? You don’t think he’s gonna scare your cousins?”

We were chatting away when the song changed to a slow familiar one.
Unconditionally
, by Katy Perry, our wedding song.

I looked up and saw Bella and Tara dancing around and then like she knew I was checking her out she looked up, bit that damn lip and smiled.

“Kiki and I are going to dance,” I told Zandor. “You stand here and hold your purse.”

My wife floated like a fucking angel. Beautiful, each movement fluid and even when she wasn’t trying to be, she was sensual as hell.

When I got to her she wrapped an arm around my waist, leaned in and gave Kiki a kiss.

“You want me to take her?”

“No Birdie, I say this will be good practice.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, when we have five of these I still plan on dancing with my wife. So we need to figure out how to do it with our hands full.”

“You still look so sexy Cyrus.” She leaned in and rested her head against my chest.

I laughed, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She looked up briefly and leaned in again kissing Kiki’s cheek, “Even with her in your arms.”

“Then I should look twice as damn good with two of these as accessories.”

“Yeah,” she yawned.

“Time to get you up to bed?” I nodded to Momma who was eyeballing me. She came and took Kiki. “After this dance.”

Chapter 4

Tara

I woke up naked tangled in the sheets and Cyrus wasn’t in our room. I sat up and looked at the alarm clock, it was four thirty in the morning. Like every morning, I kissed my hands and rubbed the kisses all over my belly, “It’s your birthday today mommies little gifts.”

I stepped off the bed, grabbed Cyrus’s shirt that lay in a pool, threw it on, and walked towards the door leading to the suites living room. I glanced out and saw Cyrus with his arms crossed looking at the baby gear spread out on the floor. He had each of the bags in a car seat. He was always prepared.

He rolled his neck, an obvious sign of tension built up. I needed to go to him. But watching Cyrus deep in thought was something to behold. This man, my husband, had dealt with his own version of who he thought he was for years. His truths, his scars, his misery, was all bottled up in one beautiful steel tower. What a beautiful tower it was. Six foot three, two hundred and twenty pounds of steel.

‘You cracked my badass Birdie,’
he had said to me once. I was so glad I did. It cracked just enough to allow me in. Together we were stronger than apart. Together we could come through anything, even this.

“She’s stronger than you think,” I heard him say. “Stronger than I ever was.”

“You’re strong Cyrus.” It was Momma Joe.

“Together we’re fucking unbreakable.” He bent over and picked up the little stuffed bear and stuffed bunny he insisted on buying yesterday. “The two little ones in her belly, they're gonna be unstoppable.”

“Of course they are.” Momma Joe walked over and gave him a hug, “Your father would be so proud of you.”

Cyrus gave her a quick kiss on the head and nodded.

“You’re the most like him you know.” She rubbed his back.

“You think?”

“Yes. Jase is a mix of your father and I. Zandor is very much like me--.”

“I hope not,” he interrupted. I had to cover my mouth so I didn’t laugh out loud.

She shook her head, “Like I was.”

“Okay Momma, I really can’t think--.”

“Very passionate.”

“Momma, I’m seriously not wanting to hear this shit right now,” Cyrus groaned.

She laughed, “Not just in the bedroom Cyrus--.”

“Momma--.” He cringed.

“Xavier, well he’s a mix of everyone of you boys and Jonathon.”

“You see Taelyn after dinner last night?”

“I did.”

“She okay?”

“She’s thirty three weeks pregnant Cyrus. She’s tired.”

“Tara doesn’t get that tired.” He set the stuffed animals back on their perspective bags.

“Tara doesn’t live with Xavier,” Momma Joe laughed.

“Damn straight she doesn’t,” he huffed.

“You know what I mean, Cyrus. They are on the go all the time. That band has kept them busy.”

“That band is kicking some serious ass.” Cyrus finally sat down.

“They’re going somewhere, that’s for sure.”

“That one, the drummer. What the hell's his name?” I asked.

“River.”

“Well Rivers a fucking time bomb. How many shows has he passed out where Xavier has to step in?”

“Five.”

“Yeah well that shit needs to stop. X, needs to replace his ass. He needs to be more about his family.”

“He is about his family Cyrus. He just doesn’t want to fail. Taelyn is very fond of River. She feels like if they don’t give him a chance he’ll end up dead. Xavier is looking for a back-up.”

“If she’s fond of this River, I bet he is,” Cyrus laughed.

I went and used the bathroom and brushed my teeth. When I came out they looked up at me and smiled.

“Come here Birdie,” Cyrus stood and opened his arms.

Tears stung my eyes and I nodded.

“You okay Tara?” Momma Joe asked.

“Of course I am, just emotional today.”

“Understandable,” she rubbed my back as Cyrus hugged me tight.

“It’s birthday day. We get to see them, hold them, kiss them--.”

“Love them,” Momma Joe sniffed.

“Love them.” I repeated.

~

We arrived at Saint Elizabeth’s hospital at seven AM; and my stomach was in knots. I hated hospitals. Cyrus wrapped his arm around me and pulled me against him nice and tight. It always made me feel better when I was tucked under his arm. I put my hand on his abs, and that connection was comforting as well.

We had preregistered through Boston Children’s Hospital, the hospital that had a team prepared to take care of our son here, unless… I didn’t want to think about the
unless.

We were whisked into our room, I changed into the hospital gown, and the IV was put in place. I was given medicine for my stomach and they asked if I wanted something to relax me. I looked to Cyrus for the answer. 

“If they were offering it to me I’d say yes,” he smiled a very gentle smile.

I looked at the nurse and then back at him. “I want to see them, I want to hold them, I want to…”

“You will Birdie and I will be right there making sure however fucked up you are that’s gonna happen.”

I glanced up at the nurses to make sure wasn’t offended, and she wasn’t. She was looking at him like, like, I do. Like he was something from heaven. I looked back at him and he was still looking at me, holding a strand of my hair rubbing it between his fingers.

“Trust me,” he said.

“I do,” I whispered before looking at the nurse and nodding my head.

Within minutes I was feeling the effects of whatever it was that they shot in my IV.

Cyrus was watching me as he rubbed my head, “You look amazing Tara.”

“I’m feeling a little woozy.”

“Like you’re going to get sick?”

“No like my head is floating.”

“That’s how I feel every time I look at you.”

I smiled and closed my eyes.

“You got up to early. You should sleep until they come in.”

“How much time do we have? I don’t want to be asleep when they arrive.”

I rolled to my side facing him. He cupped my face and rubbed his thumb across my cheek. I focused on him, his eyes, his touch, his strength that exuded for all that he was until my eyes became heavier and I couldn’t fight it. I had to close them.

~

“Birdie,” he whispered kisses on my cheek. “It’s time.” I opened my eyes slowly and was met by his gorgeous smile. “Birthday.”

“Birthday,” I whispered.

The anesthesiologist came in and told Cyrus he could step out for a moment while he put in the epidural, his response?

“Nah,” and he smiled at me.

“Mr. Steel--.”

He dragged his eyes away from me slowly, and looked at him, “As discussed with the team of Docs, I am here every step of the way. I don’t need to leave, understood?” Then he looked back at me, “You ready?”

I nodded.

The epidural and catheter were in place and we were heading to the OR. I was still groggy from the medication and I couldn’t feel anything from my waist down.

Once inside the OR everything moved quickly. I tried to follow the conversation and chatter between the team of doctors and nurses just to take my mind off of how afraid I was for our son.

Cyrus let go of my hand briefly and pulled a stool beside my head and sat down. “We need to discuss names Birdie.”

I laughed, “We have right?”

“We sort of have.” He took my hand and pulled it to his mouth. “Theodore and Amy need to be part of their names.”

I swallowed back the tears that were threatening.

He leaned down and rubbed his nose across mine shielding my vision from the curtain the team was putting up. Shielding me from watching them cut me open.

“You know how close we are Birdie? Minutes away from having kids of our own, minutes from holding the masterpieces of all the people we love combined, into one soul, one person. Your parents, my parents, us Birdie. Are you ready for that?”

“Mrs. Steel, you’re going to feel some pressure but no pain.”

“That’s good because she’s had enough of that for a lifetime, and I won’t allow anymore.” Cyrus voice held a quiet threat.  He followed with a smile. He turned back and looked at me. “That’s truth, all the pain, all the loneliness you’ve ever felt is about to all make sense. It all led us to this point in our lives, and that Birdie, is justice.”

The pressure came and was followed by the sounds of the doctors giving instruction. My head was swimming with emotion, worry, love, and anticipation. Cyrus leaned over and held his lips to my head. And then I heard it. The cry, the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. I felt my own tears and then I felt his.

“Your little girl,” one of the nurses was wiping her off, wrapping her up, and laying her on my chest.

“Perfect,” he whispered as he wiped my face and then his.

“Truth,” I whispered as I looked at her.

I looked up at Cyrus and looked in awe. “Hey sweetness, we are so happy you’re here.” He swallowed back his tears, bent over, kissed me, and then her. “Look at her Birdie. She is perfect.”

“She is Truth.”

“She certainly is.”

“No, her name, Truth.”

“Yeah?”

I nodded and kissed her. I felt more pressure. This time there was no crying. I looked at Cyrus and he showed no sign of worry. “It’s okay Birdie, here comes Justice.”