Chapter 10
Alyssa
I wake up at 5am to Zuri’s cries, her tiny voice piercing the early morning silence. It’s her usual signal, letting me know that she’s both hungry and ready to start the day
After I showered last night, I brought Zuri into King’s guest bedroom so she could sleep beside me. She almost always sleeps through the night, but that also means she usually wakes up early as hell I glance at the clock and sigh, my body still aching from yesterday’s…well, from whatever the fuck I let happen to me yesterday.
“Come on, baby girl. Let’s get you something to eat,” I murmur, picking her up from her crib and quietly carrying her downstairs so I don’t disturb King. I still haven’t gotten over the fact he coerced me into sex, but I’m not selfish enough to make a bunch of noise and wake him up when he allowed us to stay overnight.
I flip on the living room light, nearly jumping out of my skin when I see one of the three dumbasses that isn’t King lounging in an armchair like he lives here.
“What are you doing here?” I hiss, my voice but sharp.
Niko grins, looking far too pleased with himself. “I come and go as I please, sweet girl. Got a problem with that?”
Yes, actually.
I look at the clock on the microwave. “Okay. It’s like 5:38 in the morning, why are you here right now?”
“Well, when King told me our favorite girl was back in town, I couldn’t resist coming here and seeing for myself.”
His eyes flicker to Zuri, who is now squirming in my arms, demanding to be put down. I carefully lay the blanket that I carried down with us on the floor and place her on it with a few of her non–battery–operated toys. She immediately reaches
for them with her cute, chubby hands.
I head to the fridge, grabbing a pouch of bananas and strawberries. I started baby–led weaning last month, but with no high chair and not wanting to dirty up King’s kitchen or use his groceries, I’ll have to settle for the pouches until Gray comes for
- us.
When I return with Zuri’s breakfast, Niko is watching her with a kind of fascinated interest. I open the pouch and pass it to
her, and she greedily pops it into her mouth, sucking down the puree with glee.
“Wow, you really had a baby. I hardly believed him when he told me,” Niko murmurs, his eyes never leaving Zuri
Flashbacks of last night hit me, and my anger instantly rekindles. “What else did he tell you?” I hiss
I almost referred to King as an “asshole“, but I’m practicing not cursing in front of Zuri, since she’s starting to pick up on
language now.
Wouldn’t want her first word to be “asshole“.
“Not much besides that,” Niko shrugs, but there’s a wicked grin on his face. “Unless something happened that he didn’t tell
me about?”
Clenching my jaw, I quickly shake my head. “Of course not.”
Niko hums, diverting his attention back to my daughter. “Can I pick her up?” he asks softly.
I shrug. “If she lets you. She’s practically a Velcro baby, hasn’t really been around many people. She can’t talk yet, but she understands the word “up“. If she wants you to pick her up, she’ll reach her arms out.”
If there’s anything I want to instill in my daughter the most, it’s that her autonomy is important.
Niko crouches down beside Zuri, unease flickering in his eyes. “Uh, hi. Can I pick you up?” he asks awkwardly.
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Chapter 10
+25 BONUS
I suppress a laugh. “Just say ‘up.“”
“Up,” he says tentatively. Zuri looks up, curious, before lifting her arms. Niko glances at me for reassurance. I nod. “Go ahead.”
Carefully, Niko lifts my daughter into his arms, cradling her head as if he’s afraid she can’t support it herself. “I’m so
incredibly bad at this,” he laughs.
Although he looks completely out of his element, Zuri is content with him. My heart warms seeing that she isn’t screaming bloody murder like she does when her own father tries to pick her up.
“Well, it seems like she likes you,” I murmur.
He grins, a sight that stirs an unwanted feeling inside me. “You think so?”
Zuri wraps her tiny fingers around Niko’s and giggles. It’s clear she has him wrapped around her little finger already.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echo from upstairs. King descends, his hair tied up in a half–bun, looking effortless in a black cut-
off shirt and jeans.
Does…does he always look this good in the morning?
When his dark eyes land on me, I quickly look away. After last night, I hate him even more than I did three years ago. Or at least, that’s what I’m trying to convince myself.
Honestly, he has somehow awakened some burning desire in me that I thought had been killed the first night Isaac beat me
and then forced himself on me.
“Mornin‘, kitten. Niko. Not used to having guests in my house at six in the morning.”
“Yep, kinda comes with the territory of being a parent. Do your overnight guests just sleep until noon, or do you kick them out as soon as you’re done with them?” I ask, disdain dripping from my voice.
