"Fuck is right." She sneered, "I've got to be honest I didn't think it'd be so easy to get you here."

Sage Mancini was used to having guys use her to get to her father Vincent, typically they wanted to work for him, never had it been to bring him down. She would've love to take credit for piecing this together, for figuring out that the man before her wasn't who he said he was. Nope that honor belonged to her cousin Dante, he had felt uneasy when Sage introduced him to the new man in her life, something didn't sit right with him. When Dante had a 'feeling' he put his head down and got to work, growing up in the business had taught him to follow his gut, to trust his instincts.

She had known for a weeks now, tonight was the culmination of weeks of planning.

"What now Dante?" Sage was slightly annoyed, Dante had been cryptic on the phone. He demanded she meet up at her father's house but he didn't tell her why. She had the right mind to tell him to fuck off, but she knew that wouldn't deter him. It was best to just go and listen to what he had to say.

"The dick you're parading around with the last few weeks.."

"Danny?"

"Yeah. 'Danny'." He rolled his eyes at the mention of his name, "He's 5-0. He's a fucking copper."

"That's funny." Sage pushed past him, "He's not a cop, he's a mechanic. He works at the bike shop near Wrigley Field. Is that all you wanted? I have plans."

"Plans with the copper? His name isn't Danny, it's Adam Ruzek. I've got proof." He knew it wasn't going to be easy and that she'd need more than just a 'feeling' he held a file up, "I've got proof." He shoved it at her, "Open! Look at the photos. You need to tell him to kick rocks."

"Fuck you Dante." She glared at him, "You're not my fucking father."

"Thank fuck for that. He's after our family. I won't let him get to Uncle Vincent, I will do whatever it takes." Dante worked closely with her father, he was the son Vincent never had but wanted desperately.

She massaged her temples, "Just give me a few hours." This has been a kick to the stomach, she really liked Danny and to learn that she had been played for a fool hurt.

"You got me." Adam shrugged, "Listen, I haven't told my boss anything yet. We can come to an understanding, baby. You and me? We are meant to be."

Sage laughed wickedly, "That's Funny...Dante, did you hear that?" She looked to her cousin for affirmation.

Dante nodded, "I did."

"You're hot as hell, you've got that going for you. I gotta be honest I'm a little sad we haven't fucked. I gotta say it baffled me at first. You were all hot and heavy and then nothing...it's almost kind of sweet if you think about it, you didn't want to fuck me because of your wife, your loss though. The things I can do with my mouth..."

Adam laughed at her, "I don't have a wife." He didn't give two shits that his cover was blown he could handle it, he didn't want them knowing about Kim or Sebastian.

"Yes. You do." Sage replied, "A kid too. He's a cutie that's for sure." She pulled a small photo of Sebastian from her bra, "He looks like you."

He thought about telling them that it wasn't his kid but it was pointless. His worst fears had come to fruition, they knew everything about him. Adam got in her face, "Are you threatening me?"

Dante motioned to his guys, "Go." He watched as the pair grabbed Adam and slammed him backwards and down to the floor, "Ouch..." he laughed, "Damn..that had to hurt."

Adam groaned, he heard a sickening crack as he hit the ground, blood gushed from his nose as he caught an elbow to his face, his vision was blurry and he was a bit dazed.

"I assure you it wasn't a threat. I'd like to call it a promise." Dante kicked him in the side, "No need to worry about them at the moment, you're the one we want."

Adam did his best to spit out the blood that had filled his mouth, "Fuck...you..." he struggled to speak, the blood poured down the back of his throat, he sputtered a bit as he spoke. Breathing was difficult, speaking was almost impossible.

Nicole studied Kim as she watched television, her sister was worried. Her brow was furrowed and she was nervously chewing on her bottom lip.

She reached across the couch and nudged her, "Hey..are you okay? You look a million miles away."

"I am." Kim sighed softly, "I'm worried."

"About Adam?"

"About everything. Adam. Sebastian starting school, this one.." she rubbed her hand over her baby bump, "This little one is due in about six weeks and that alone is enough to terrify me, throw in that I don't know when Adam will be home, they no longer have a time frame.." she sighed, "..I don't want to lose myself again.." she admitted.

Getting pregnant again hadn't been an easy decision, it had been a bit of a fight to be honest. Kim had wanted it more than anything but Adam had no desire to have another child he was quick to tell her as much.

The sun started to filter in, Kim rolled over on to her side and watched as Adam slept. The sun's rays danced across his face, it was then she noticed a fresh cut to his cheek, and it had required stitches. Kim lightly ran her fingers over it. He had obviously had a bit of a rough night, part of her wanted to let him sleep but she had missed him beyond words, she also knew it was just a matter of time before Sebastian woke up.

Once Sebastian discovered Adam was home, all bets were off and she didn't stand a chance. Sebastian would demand all of Adam's attention. Luckily she loved watching her boys together, Sebastian was definitely Adam's shadow. Her favorite was when the pair cuddled up together on the couch to watch cartoons and they'd both be sound asleep within the first half hour.

She set about waking him up, and she used her tried and true method to do it. She kissed her way down his torso, her hand slipping beneath the covers. Her fingers had barely grazed him and he was already beginning to respond to her touch, it never took much to get him excited.

Adam grabbed her hips as she climbed on top of him, "Hey baby..." his voice a mixture of exhaustion and desire, "you're up early..." he smiled, "Not that I'm complaining at all..."

"Who hit my baby.." she leaned down to kiss his cheek.

"Some dumb fucker." Adam had taken a nasty sucker punch, "he caught me by surprise. I don't wanna talk about that though.." he pulled her back down for another kiss.

They had a lot of catching up to do and none of it required talking.

Kim lay her head on his chest, "that was exhilarating."

"Indeed it was. You can wake me up like that everyday." Adam laughed.

"Don't bet on it," Kim teased, "I just really missed you. I know it's only been a few days but I hated it."

"I know." Adam ran his hand down her back, "I've got the next few days off. Getting punched in the face has its perks." Any visit to the emergency room resulted in at least two days off.

She slapped his chest, "Stop it. Don't say that. There is nothing good about getting hurt. What if he had a gun?" She shuddered at the thought of it.

"He didn't." Adam replied.

Kim sat up clutching the sheets to her chest, "Adam..." He was always so flippant about it and she knew he took risks, she also knew nothing she said would change the way he approached the job, didn't mean she wouldn't tell him to be more careful.

Sebastian's cries rang out over the monitor, "Ah, my boy is up." Adam practically jumped out of bed, "I will grab him." He threw on a pair of shorts and went to retrieve his son.

Kim listened intently to their conversation, Sebastian had started talking within the last months or so, it was still a bit tricky to understand everything he was saying but it was adorable to listen to.

Right now Adam was carrying on much of the conversation. It was pretty cute when Sebastian spotted Adam, he was absolutely giddy.

"Dada...dada...dada.." Sebastian squealed, Kim didn't to be in the room to know he'd be smiling from ear to ear and jumping up and down.

That boy loved his daddy.

For a morning that started off with such promise it had gone downhill pretty quickly.

They cuddled on the couch as Sebastian played, he was having the time of his life. He would build a tower out of his blocks and then kick it down, squealing with delight as he did so.

Kim turned so she could face Adam, "Let's have another baby." Sebastian was two and the light of their lives, "Let's give Sebby a baby brother or sister."

"No." Adam replied, "No way."

Kim felt him tense up, "No?"

"No." Adam wiggled out from beneath her and stomped into the kitchen.

Kim followed him, "No? Why not?" She leaned against the island, watching as he pilfered through the snack drawer, "Sebastian is two. I've got a great work schedule. We always talked about having multiple children."

Adam closed his eyes briefly before responding, "I can't go through that again. I won't go through that again."

"You didn't go through it, I did." She regretted it the second it came out of her mouth. She knew it pissed Adam off, "I am sorry."

"I went through hell. I can't do it again, I can't lose you. Sebastian can't lose you." His tone softened and he pulled her by the hand towards him, "Our family is perfect. Me, you, and our boy."

"You don't want more children? We've always talked about having multiple children, having them two, three years apart would be perfect." Kim had worshipped the ground Nicole walked on when they were younger, she wanted that for Sebastian. She wanted him to always have someone who would love him unconditionally, someone that he would have in life once she and Adam had died.

"No, I don't want more kids." Adam grabbed a bag of chips from the counter, "Our boy is perfect. So no, I don't want more. Not when postpartum depression almost broke us." Adam told her.

"So that's it?"

He groaned, "It's my first day off in days, can we not discuss it. I've missed you. I've missed my boy." He enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Okay." Kim relented, she placed her hands on his chest, "Okay. I will let it go." She understood all of his concerns, she had them as well. How could she not? Things had changed for her though. She was still heavily involved in her support groups and while she wasn't currently in counseling the second she became pregnant she would be, she would be proactive. She knew what to look out for, she knew how to ask for help. She was still an advocate for women dealing with postpartum depression. She knew she could do this, she wanted to do it. She needed to do it.

She longed for another baby, she had missed out on so much of Sebastian first year, she wanted that experience. She wanted to enjoy having a newborn in her house.

She didn't want to live in fear of postpartum, it had already stolen so much from her, from all of them.

Kim knew she needed to let it go.

For now.

"Kim, honey. I know telling you not to worry is pointless so I will refrain. You can't dwell on the what ifs, take it one day at a time. You talk to Adam and if he's still not home, talk to me. If you feel yourself slipping, you need to reach out. You ask for help."

Kim used her thumb to flick away her tears, "Thank you. I'm all over the place lately. My hormones are all jacked up, just ignore me and my crying."

"No. Absolutely not." Nicole told her, "it's okay to be scared, but you can't live your life scared. Kim."

"I'll take this thanks." Dante grabbed Adam's cell phone, he dropped it on the floor before stomping on it, "You've pissed me off, not only are you trying to bring my uncle down, you're fucking with my cousin's head."

"Shut up Dante!" Sage shouted at him. The last thing she wanted the prick to know was that he got to her, that he got under her skin. They'd been meeting up for a few weeks and she enjoyed his company. He was funny as hell and easy on the eyes, he seemed to know who her father was but he didn't make a big deal out of it. He hadn't talked about him or asked to meet him . Clearly she had misjudged him on that front, he did care. He was working her and she had been none the wiser, he had played her for a fool.

Once Dante had come to her with what he found out it all started to make sense, she had been growing frustrated with him. They'd had gotten pretty hot and heavy a few times only for him to slam on the brakes and leave.

Now she knew why, he was married but what stung a bit more was that he was using her. She wasn't a saint and had tangled with a few married men in her time, it was the fact that he was using her that had lit her fire.

"He didn't fuck with my head..." Sage declared, "He was just a bit of fun."

Adam squirmed underneath Dante's foot as he buried it into his back, Adam had flipped over in a move of a self preservation not that it was working, the pain only intensified, "You're fucked..you both are." He mumbled, the blood was still pouring from his nose, they had worked him over pretty good, he feared he had at least one broken rib to go with his broken nose.

Dante looked around the room, "Funny, it seems you're the only whose fucked." He laughed, "I've got my boys with me and you? You my friend are all alone. So please tell me how in the hell we are the ones who are fucked."

Sage moved to sit beside Adam on the floor, "You were good, I'll give you that. You almost had me." She stroked his cheek, "you got sloppy.."

Adam tried to pull away from her touch, it was fruitless. It lead to Dante applying more pressure to his back and the pain intensified.

"You left your phone out." He had left it on the bar one night while he went to the restroom, it was just a few days after Dante dropped the bomb on her. She was shocked that he had left it behind and that it wasn't locked, for a split second she was almost positive Dante had been wrong. She scrolled through his photos, and nothing really stood out, there was a photo of a spider in its web, a few of shots of motorcycles, it was the last photo that stunned her. In that instant she knew Dante was right, it was a photograph of a little boy and a woman, a pregnant woman. She grabbed her own phone and took a photo of the screen.

"I can't believe you were that stupid, it was your kid and wife. She's gotta be due soon, yeah?" Sage stood up, "It's a little sad that baby won't ever know you." She gave him one last look before leaving the room. "Do what you need to do Dante."

Adam focused on his breathing, the pain that tore through him each time he inhaled was intense, exhaling was a thousand times worse. He needed to keep it together, he couldn't react to their threats, he was in no position to pop off at the mouth.

"Let's go..." He was amped up, the adrenaline coursing throughout his body was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. They had never taken part in something as big as this, the stakes were high.

"You good?" He looked him dead in the eyes, "Can I trust you?"

"Absolutely."

"Talk to me..." Nicole nudged Kim's arm lightly, "you look a thousand miles away right now."

Kim smiled, "I was. Kind of." She propped her feet up on the coffee table, "I was thinking about Adam and the night he told me he was ready to try for another baby." She felt her eyes tear up, she ran her hand over her belly, "I miss my husband."

"Do you wanna tell me about it?" Nicole had already convinced her to spend the night, Sebastian had fallen asleep hours ago.

Kim suddenly sat up, "I haven't told you?"

She looked puzzled, "Nope. You haven't." Nicole laughed, "I'd love to hear it, if you want to share. I understand if you don't want to tell me. I get it. It's a personal subject."

"As if we don't share everything." Kim laughed, "It was after your baby shower." She would never forget that moment.

"Well I think he's finally down for the count." Kim announced, "I had to snuggle him until his eyes got sleepy.." she positioned herself between Adam's legs, "what're you watching? I recorded a few movies, we should pick one." She wrapped her arms around him and tucked her head under his chin, it was her favorite place to be.

Adam sat up a bit, "Actually I was hoping we could talk."

Kim sat upright, "What's wrong?"

Adam waved his hand dismissively, "Nothing. Why does something have to be wrong?" He asked her, "Don't panic."

"You ask to talk and expect me not to panic, do you not know me at all, Adam?" She laughed nervously. "Panicking is my speciality."

"I've been thinking..." Adam bounced the remote between his hands as he spoke "...a lot over the last few days but today? Today kind of sealed the deal."

Kim grabbed the remote from him, "Between you and Sebastian we have replaced this damn thing far too many times." She knew his constant fidgeting meant he was nervous and that had her on edge. She placed the remote on the coffee table, "Can you just tell me?"

Adam grabbed her hands, "Today..." he paused to gather his thoughts, "...I watched you, your eyes? That were dancing. You were downright giddy, it was pretty fucking cute. You were in your element."

"Today was fun, I enjoyed it." Kim told him, "I'm thrilled for my sister. She is the happiest I have seen her in a very long time."

"So are you. Kim, I'm scared..." he admitted, "...I'm terrified that history will repeat itself. I can't go through that again, it nearly broke me...but...Seeing you today.."

"What are you saying?" Kim interrupted him.

.

Adam moved his hand to her face, "I'm saying I want to have another baby. I want to give Sebastian a little sister or brother. I want to watch you grow our baby."

"Adam..." Kim grabbed his hand, "are you sure? I know you're scared. I am too, I don't want to have postpartum depression again, but I don't want that to stop us."

"I just need you to promise you'll talk to me. I'm going to do better, I will make sure I'm home more, I just need you to be honest with me. Let me help you." He felt like he was begging her, he knew he wanted another baby just as much as she did, he always had. It was just this overwhelming fear holding him back.

"Absolutely, Adam."

Adam pulled her into his lap, "I loved watching you today, the way your face lit up at the mere mention of a baby, then your sister's friend showed up with her baby..." he had stopped in his tracks when he saw the infant in Kim's arms, "...you were drawn to it..to her. Then you were holding her and I was done, I knew in that minute that I wanted to have another baby, that the risk was worth the reward. I want us to have a baby." Adam kissed her, "Darlin'..we missed out on so much when Sebastian was a baby...I want us to have that."

Kim was overcome with emotion, "I'm sorry..." she cried, "I'm so sorry..."

"Stop. It wasn't your fault. I didn't mean to upset you.." he kissed her again before wiping her tears away, "I love you. You're an amazing mother to our son, he absolutely adores you."

"He's pretty amazing..."

Adam smirked, "He gets it honest, he takes after his daddy." He teased, "I hope our next one is just as perfect."

"It will be..." Kim silenced him with a kiss.

"Wow, Kim that's awesome." Nicole replied, "It seems like just yesterday. It goes so fast. Mikey is two years old, and now my new niece or nephew will be here in a matter of weeks. Sometimes I wish you could make time slow down, set your life to play out in slow motion..."

"I wish I could hit fast forward. I'd fast forward to the end of Adam's UC case." Kim laughed, "Ugh..it's been seven weeks. They thought they'd have it done in two."

"I'm sorry." Nicole rubbed her arm, "Do you know why it's taken so long?"

"No. It could be any number of reasons." She knew precious little about the case and she knew that was for the best, the more people that knew the riskier it was for Adam, it just sucked. "I try not to worry..but you know what I'm like. I worry about worrying, I'm my own worst enemy sometimes."

"You know what?" Nicole clapped her hands together, "I say we get a baby sitter for Mikey and Sebastian and we have a spa day. Get massages, maybe grab brunch or something. Just have a day of being pampered."

Kim nodded her head, "That sounds amazing."

"It does, doesn't it? I'm definitely the smarter sister." She teased, "I'm gonna head to bed, are you good?"

"Yeah. I'm exhausted. Thanks again Nicole, this was nice."

He was disoriented.

It was chaotic and his ears were still ringing.

What the fuck had happened?