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and Nina had inherited as well. However, after his was broken in a bar fight during his early days in the Navy, it looked nothing like it used to.
    Nina . Huh! His kid sister was in the great beyond, laughing her ass off at him now…it was either that or she wanted to kick his ass. He absentmindedly rubbed the tattoo, which he’d gotten shortly after her death, on his left upper arm. Hers was the only woman’s name that would ever be inked on his skin. She’d known very well how much he was against having kids of his own and his reasons why, despite her protests that he could overcome their crappy childhood and open his heart to a wife and children.
    A wife and children. Holy fuck!
    He dragged his hand through his hair. Marriage? Fuck, am I going to have to marry Harper ? While the thought of Holy Matrimony filled him with dread, things could be worse—thankfully, the two of them got along well and were both obviously attracted to each other. And the sex that night had been off the charts. But what about the D/s lifestyle? It was a deep-seated part of him now. Would he be able to convince her to give it a try? Fuck! What the hell was he thinking? He wasn’t husband material—for that matter, he wasn’t father material either. Marriage was not an option.
    A moan had his gaze whipping to where Harper lay in the hospital bed. She stirred for a moment before falling silent again. Well, that was a good sign, he guessed. It was the first sound she’d made all night. His eyes roamed her face. God, her skin was almost as white as the sheets she was on. Who had done this to her and why? Even if this was all a misunderstanding and the baby wasn’t his, he would still hunt down the bastard who’d dared to hurt Harper. He owed it to his sister, and to her, to make sure she and the baby were safe. Then he would give her whatever financial support she needed, and when she met someone who would make a good husband and father, he would step aside and let her be happy. Fuck!
    A cup of coffee entered his line of vision and, momentarily startled, he glanced up to see Brody handing him the brew.
    “You look like you could use a good cup of coffee. Unfortunately, all I could find was this sludge—it just might double the hair on your balls.”
    Marco snorted and took the proffered cup. “Thanks.”
    Tilting his head toward the bed, Brody asked, “How’s she doing?”
    “The doctor hasn’t been in yet, but the nurses tell me her vitals are stable. She was moving and moaning a minute ago, so hopefully she’ll be waking up soon.”
    “Good.” His friend stuck his thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans and sighed heavily. “When she does wake up, bro, just channel the man all the subs like to bring their problems to for comfort and don’t go all pissed-off Dom on her. There’s got to be a good reason why she didn’t tell you about Mara and why her mother thinks you didn’t want anything to do with them.”
    “Really?” He shook his head as his anger began to surface again, but his gaze stayed on the woman in question. “Maybe Harper regretted having my kid and told her mother I was the bad guy in all this. It’s not like she didn’t know how to fucking find me.”
    A frown came over his teammate’s face and his voice dropped in noticeable annoyance. “Don’t give me that fucking shit. I saw and talked to her almost as much as you did during Nina’s cancer. She’s good people, and I refuse to believe she intentionally hid your baby from you. And stop trying to convince yourself Mara’s not yours, fucktard.”
    Leave it to his best friend to let him know he was being an ass. He knew Brody chose to see the best in people he met, despite seeing the worst mankind could do to each other as a SEAL and operative. But Marco couldn’t get past the fact that Harper had been pregnant for nine months, and it had been five months since she’d given birth, and he was just finding out about it now.
    Unable to meet the geek’s