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He sirl wrapped around his arot your Uncle Snake wrapped around your chubby little finger, don’t you, baby girl? Dressed in her brightly colored tutu coht pink sweater over a white T-shirt she was every inch the birthday girl She blinked up at him, and he kept her smaller body close to his own as they headed into his version of hell for the day The bounce house extravaganza was a toddler’s dreahtmare

Of course, you only turned one once Plus, his goddaughter, Aoife Jordan deserved it She had a rough start in life Found in the woods abandoned, malnourished, and helpless, she’d stolen her father Enzo’s heart The man had come to the Wild Ones to doctor paperwork and officially ine life without his tiny sweetheart She helped ease the ache that ca Jocelyn

It ate hiirl because they’d never found a body What little was left of his wife had told them the assailants used an accelerant to destroy the evidence The Sheriff had told hi left to find It never sat right with hi would do that hter’s body show up at a later date For months after, he’d expected to step out and find her remains in his car, or on his temporary property Every phone callfor that call There was a lack of closure available He needed to knohat had happened to her and where her reirl home and laid her to rest

“Nake,” Aoife babbled Her sweet voice helped him push the darkness away Today of all days, he wouldn’t live in the past

“Brother, I can’t even begin to express how out of place you look in this joint,” Enzo re up behind him with his arm wrapped around his wife

“Yeah, yeah Keep it up and I won’t help you set up for these little monster,” Snake said playfully

“Thank you for co early,” Enzo’s wife, Aibhlinn, said

“Anything for my bes

t girls,” Snake remarked

She grinned, and he was nearly blinded by her glowing skin and brilliant white teeth They stepped inside the toddler rooed out of their coats

“Holy shit, Aib, you popped,” he exclai in her small belly

“I knoent to sleep last night, woke up, and there he was proud and prominent”

“Like his Da,” Enzo teased, iue

“Aye, like his Da I’ her head ruefully, she released a light moan

Snake snickered “Should’ve thought about that beforehand, Irish”