Poison: Devil's Rose MC #4

Chapter 20: Antonio Summers

Procrastination was a major bust. I was yelled at by Vegas, who showed up twenty minutes late, about twelve times before I got so annoyed that I decided to quit my small rebellion. Plus, like, procrastination isn't going to help me see Dakota faster, so that was kind of a backward plan.

 It's about three a.m. by the time I'm done with my work due to my idiocy of thinking not doing any work was going to help my situation, so I decide that it's not worth driving back to my house. It's hard for me to sleep in that house anyway. 

It's just such a large house for one person, and that was fine for a while because I didn't think I would ever have the chance to fill it with someone else's belongings and whatever comes with that.

However, that's kind of changed. That sounds crazy. Trust me, I know it does, but there's something(s) about Dakota that I'm drawn to. Even in our childhood, I've always had a major soft spot for her. 

I'm not expecting anything close to what I imagine our future being anytime soon. I don't want a family with her until I get at least two to four years of her to myself. 

I'm only thirty-two, and I've got golden retriever energy. I'm getting some alone time with her before having to maybe raise children. And honestly, if she never wants children, that's completely fine with me too. 

It seems that we are both taken by children and we have a certain admiration for them, but that doesn't mean we have to have any of our own.

Especially with our backgrounds and having faced what we have in our childhood, I don't know if I want to bring a child into this life knowing they will suffer in one way or another. That doesn't appeal to me. Knowing my MC brothers, they are going to need babysitters, so I'm down with that. 

But I also do recognize that if my future partner, whether that be Dakota or not, wanted to have a child or multiple children, I would want to have that discussion and see what's best for the both of us. 

I do hope that I stay with someone who has the same lack of family and reproduction priorities. Maybe we could have dogs instead. I would be down with that.

I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until I woke up with the sun streaming through the warehouse windows and a weight on my chest. I glance down to see Persephone and Alpha's child, Octavia Winter, laying upon me. 

I call her Snowflake. 

See, even though I wouldn't want to raise a child, I fully appreciate the love, affection, and joy that they bring. 

I mean, you can't beat this. I do love this kid. She's so funny, she reminds me of me, and I think she's just awesome. He follows quickly behind Navy, her older brother Hunter Braxton, and Delilah. What is it with these names? 

My goodness, they remind me of baby names by celebrities who try to name their child unique things, but they turn out to be the most dumbass names to ever exist.

I smile down at the beautiful baby girl, rubbing her back soothingly as she continues to sleep comfortably on my chest. Persephone soon walks into the room and tries to apologize.

"Oh my god, Poison, I'm so sorry."

I shake my head to protest but barely as to not wake the girl.

"No worries at all. I promise."

"I didn't know where she went, but it seems she ended up finding you. She's turning into quite a rascal."

"Just like her Uncle Poison."

Persephone smiles down at both of us but reaches out for Octavia in panic. I try to soothe her as best I can, but it takes Alpha to walk into the room and tell her that I'm comfortable holding the baby while she sleeps so she does not feel bad about the situation. 

They are fucking adorable together. It makes me want to be with Dakota right now and feel her skin, her lips brushing upon mine, her fingers gripping my hand, her perfume scent swirling in the air. 

Shit, we've only been talking for something around five days, I need to get my act together. It can't be right to feel so much this fast. I'm thinking about a childless future already.

I lay my head down on the hard floor to only now realize in my not-exhausted daze that this was an incredibly awful place to sleep. Octavia, Snowflake, shifts on my chest and whines while she raises her head. 

She softly wipes away the sleepiness from her deep green eyes with the back of her tiny hand. I can barely stand the cuteness of her yawn and her bedhead. I don't stop rubbing her back as she abruptly wakes, the small fingers of her one hand gripping the front of my dirty t-shirt. 

Aw, fuck. She probably shouldn't be touching that. I slide my finger into her grasp to have her focus on my touch instead of my shirt.

Her pretty, primary teeth show while she smiles at me, giggling as she climbs closer to my face.

"Mornin' Unwle Peeson."

It's so cute I can barely take it.

"Mornin' Snowflake."

"Dada said you know pwetty gurl. Where she?"

Even Alpha can't keep his mouth shut.

"Your dada said that huh? Well, he's right. She's probably at work."

"Wurf?"

"Yes, wurf. That's exactly where she's at."

"Where's wurf?"

"She works at the library. Can you say that?"

"Lebeffre."

I'm trying not to die laughing, I truly am.

"You did it! Good job."

Octavia broadly smiles and claps her hands in celebration.

"Go, go!"

She bounces on my chest, and I cough in anguish while I try not to die.

"I don't know if your dada will allow that."

"Snow and Peeson go!"

"Alright, alright. I'll ask."

"Snow and Peeson go! Snow and Peeson go! Snow and Peeson go!"

"I said I'll ask."

The precious girl climbs off my chest, tugging at my hand to get me to stand up. I pretend as if she has the strength to pull me to my feet and then immediately reach down to hold her in my arms. As I tickle her cute little tummy, she giggles, her baby teeth so adorable I want to squeal. 

She holds onto my shirt as I strut briskly to the somewhat private hallway of Alpha's office, but it's not too long before I hear faint grunts coming from his office, and I know that I should turn around. 

Look, I'm all for loving on a person that you love, but one, give a man some warning, and two, make sure that your child isn't going to be forever traumatized.

"But dada and momma in that room."

"They are having a private, adult moment, Snowflake-" I reach into my back pocket and pull out my phone "-we'll call them instead."

She doesn't question it, thank goodness. Her voicemail (thank fuck) is sweet and simple, telling her parents that Unwle Peeson and her are headed to pwetty gurl's wurf. Before she can hang up, I clarify that Octavia and I are headed to the library to see Dakota. 

As much as I like to prank Alpha, I'm not cruel. I'm not about to face the wrath of him or Persephone, which is way more terrifying all for a little prank about me taking one of their kids. 

I know what things aren't worth it and what battles to pick. That is not one of them. I'm sure I will prank him in better ways.

Even though I'm not super happy about having to walk twenty minutes in the blasting heat, the moment Octavia and I push open that library door, the silver bell ringing above my head, it's all worth it. 

When she smiles like that, fuck, there's nothing I wouldn't do to keep the shining grin to stay. And I can't help but be a bit scared of that.