Reclaimed

by Land, E. C.

  “Whatever. I’m not the one talking shit to their buddies about how the girl they’re fucking is too clingy for their taste. No, that’s you, you… you… big monkey ass!” Lynsdey yells, her face turning a shade of red.

  “Who said that shit to you?” I never said that shit about her.

  “No one. I overheard Horse telling one of your brothers at the bar one night that you thought I was too clingy for you. If you really thought that, why did you keep fucking me, huh?” At her question, she turns her eyes down but not before I see the hurt in them. She might be able to hide the hurt by looking away, but she can’t hide it in her voice. Fuck, those words are what caused all this shit.

  I gotta make this right. She’s gotta know I never said that shit.

  “Babygirl, I don’t know what possessed Horse to say that, but I never, ever fucking said that shit. You should’ve come to me. Got in my face or some shit. That’s why you left like you did, isn’t it?” I know deep down it’s the reason. I’m gonna be having words with my VP. Fuck, why the hell would he say that shit? He had to have a good reason. No way would he screw a brother over. He, out of everyone, knows what it’s like to lose someone.

  “I left for several reasons, but yes, that’s one of them. I didn’t want to confront you and you admit the truth to me.”

  “Listen to me, I swear to you, I never once thought of you as anything other than mine. It took you leaving like you did for me to realize how much you mean to me. You are one mesmerizing woman. You snagged my heart that first night, and I plan to hopefully take hold of yours. If I haven’t already.” I reach to cup her cheek as someone knocks on the door.

  “Knock, knock, who’s ready to see some babies?” A woman comes into the room pushing some monitor with some weird looking things attached to it.

  “I’m so ready. I need to see for myself,” Lynsdey says, running a hand over her tiny bump. I place a hand over hers, touching her stomach where my kids are growing for the first time. I need this connection with her just as much as I need it with the babies we created together.

  “Okay suga, go ahead and pull your gown up so that we can get a look,” the lady says as she sets up on the other side of the hospital bed, turning the screen so Lynsdey and I can both see the screen.

  Once Lynsdey has her gown up, exposing her belly, the lady puts something that reminds me of lube on Lynsdey’s stomach. Next, she grabs a square looking wand and places it in the lube. Suddenly, a thumping noise fills the room.

  Holy shit, that’s a heartbeat!

  I look over at Lynsdey, tears streaming down her cheeks. I reach up and wipe them away. “Babygirl, you have no clue how much I love you, woman. You and those babies of mine. Thank you for this, this gift.”

  “What?” Lynsdey turns her head so fast it could’ve spun completely off her head like in ‘The Exorcist’. At my declaration, tears form in her eyes “You don’t mean that,” she whispers before looking back at the screen.

  Fuckin’ hell!

  “Yeah, I fuckin’ do mean it. You have no clue how much I missed you while you were gone, and if takes me a month or a year, hell, years, to prove it to you, I will. I’ll prove how much you mean to me just like these babies do. Give me the chance and I’ll show you.” I can’t believe she doesn’t believe me. I know she has trust issues, and getting over them will be hard for her. I’ll just have to prove to her that I can be what she needs.

  I will be the man she needs.

  “I don’t know if I can. I need time to think about it.” The indecision in her eyes could break me if I were less of a man.

  7

  Lynsdey

  “Babygirl, god I love you, woman. You and those babies of mine. Thank you for this, this gift,” Thorn says, and my heart stops. He did not just say those words; please tell me I’m dreaming.

  Pinch me someone, please!

  This man says he loves me. It can’t be true— no one really loves me, not since my dad died. He was the only one. Thorn has to have just gotten caught up in the moment. The excitement of seeing our babies for the first time.

  At my response, he almost looks defeated. His eyes cloud over and the smile on his face drops. I hate that I caused it to fall but I know it’s not true. I’m sure he will love these two kids but not me. I can’t let him know how much I love him.

  When the ultrasound tech leaves, the silence about kills me. I need to get the hell out of here. I want to go home, or at least to Cleo’s or Kenny’s, that way I can catch up with them. Doctor Connors comes in and gives me the go ahead to go home, but I’ll have to stay off my feet unless it’s to go to the bathroom. I’ll have to keep them clean and properly bandaged until they’re healed. Yes, I can get out of here! But go where?

  I’ll have to ask Thorn to use his phone. I’d rather suck on monkey nuts than ask him for anything right now. I hate asking for anything even if it’s as simple as a phone, but I have no choice right now. Damnit!

  “Can I use your phone?”

  “For what?” Thorn asks, smirking at me with the mouth that I’d love nothing more than to kiss.

  “So I can see if Kenny will come get me and let me crash at her place or possibly—”

  “You don’t need to call her. You’re going to my house.”

  “No, I’m not!”

  “Babe, thought we already hashed this out earlier. You’re at my place. Already told ya, you and me, we’re happening,” he says with a tone telling me he is done talking about it.

  Well, fuck a duck, he isn’t gonna give in!

  Soon as I’m released, he leaves to go pull his truck to the entrance when the same nurse from earlier comes in. Logan, I think is her name. She brings the wheel chair into the room. Unfortunately, hospital policy says she has to take me downstairs in the thing. Wouldn’t be so bad if it was another nurse. Something about her rubs me the wrong way.

  “You have one hot man there,” Logan says as she pushes me into the elevator.

  “He’s not mine, you can have at him,” I mumble almost under my breath. I can’t help the feel of jealousy that hits me at the thought of Thorn with another woman.

  “Oh, honey, if I went that way, I’d so be after him, but I prefer something sweeter,” Logan says as she eyes me with lust.

  What the hell? I know this bitch didn’t just try to hit on me!

  “Umm, okay, that’s nice.” I don’t have a problem with women who go that way, but yeah, that’s not me.

  “You ever need someone to help you out, give me a call. I’ll be more than happy to help,” she says slipping a piece of paper under the t-shirt that Thorn gave me. Evidently, he had one of the girls go to the store while I slept to pick up some clothes for me, but the shirt is one of his.

  “Babygirl, I need you surrounded by me right now and if that means you wearing one of my shirts, then so be it.” Is what he said before I put it on.

  How could I ignore that?

  “Umm yeah, I'm sorry, I won’t need to do that. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I’m not interested.” I try to give her back the paper

  “It’s okay, keep it. You never know, you might change your mind,” she says before leaning over some. “And if you change your mind, just know I’m very, very good with my tongue.” She nips my ear before continuing out the elevator when it opens.

  Oh fuck! Why me? Why?

  By the time we get downstairs, I'm more relieved than ever to see Thorn standing there, ready to take me from this woman. I don’t think I've ever been hit on by a woman. Men yes, all the time, but a woman— no.

  Once we reach Thorn, I could almost kiss him. He is my saving grace at the moment, to get me away from this woman. I just wanna get to Thorn’s house and as far away from her as possible.

  "Ready to go, babygirl?" Thorn asks me as he lifts me out of the wheelchair.

  "Be careful not to touch her feet against anything until they heal," Logan says with an attitude. I look in her direction to see hatred in her eyes as stares at Thorn’s hands
on me. Okay, that’s just plain weird.

  "Don't need you telling me what I already know. I got this, lady. You can go now." With that, Thorn places me in my seat and closes the door. Even though I don't want to go home with him, I don’t want to stay at this hospital.

  "Are we going to the club?" I ask hoping not.

  "No, I told you were going to my house. I bought a house not too far away from the club."

  "Oh, okay. That's cool." I don't need to know when, since I'm sure it was in the time that I left.

  The ride is done in complete silence with enough tension to slice the thickest steel. I glance in his direction, noticing that his grip on the steering wheel is tighter than it really needs to be. I’m surprised he doesn’t break it with the way he’s gripping the thing. I mean, I know he’s pissed with me about everything that’s happened, and I honestly don’t blame him for some of it.

  Okay, so, I really don’t blame him at all. I left because I was scared to face him. I was just trying to protect both of us. He doesn’t wanna be with me, not really. I’m just trying to do what’s best for all of us. The best we can do is be friends and help each other raise these kids. When he has time to think about everything, he’ll realize he’s better off not being with me. I’m no good for him. Jake made sure of that a long time ago.

  "I don't know what the fuck you’re thinking about so deeply over there, but whatever it is, get it out of your head," Thorn says pulling me out of my thoughts.

  "How could you know what I was thinking? You couldn't possibly know since you've been over there in your own head, brooding. So, stop trying to tell me you know what I’m thinking when you fuckin’ don’t." I want to scream by the time I finish talking. He’s going to drive me insane. I swear!

  I watch as he turns into the driveway of the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen. It looks almost like the home I told him I envisioned owning one day— from the partial wrap-around porch to the exterior color. It’s almost exactly the same as I described to him one night while we were in bed catching a breather before going again.

  "Why?" The tears form in my eyes as I stare at the porch. The house is perfect.

  "I told you, babe, you’re mine, and I take care of what’s mine. You told me about your dream home, and I was lucky enough to find this one on the market. I started looking for this place the day after you told me about it. I promised myself that when I was able to find out where you moved to, I was gonna go there and carry your ass here. This is your home, this is where you belong. With me. With our kids. We can make a family here," he says as he puts the truck in park before getting out.

  Did I just hear him right? He bought this house for me? No flipping way!

  The feel of Thorn lifting me up out of my seat startles me. How can this be? Why? I’m nothing more than a piece of ass that he used to get his jollies off. He said we were friends with benefits, and that he didn't want me to fuck anyone else while he was fucking me. That doesn't mean he didn't fuck another woman. Hell, he's in an MC. I know from the stories I've heard they have woman that will do whatever they ask in the hopes of becoming an ol' lady.

  "Alright, beautiful, let’s get you inside and let you rest. You need to get back to being yourself some before you and I have our talk," Thorn says walking up to the house.

  "Okay." That's the only thing I can muster in response. Soon as he has me inside, he takes me into a room with a huge bed, placing me there before leaving the room.

  Taking advantage of him being out of the room, I sit up enough to slip off my leggings. If I’m gonna lay down, I might as well be comfy. Confining my belly or legs to anything is not comfortable in the slightest.

  I lay down and slowly drift off to sleep with thoughts of the talk to come. I should be nervous but right now, the smell of him on these sheets lore’s me into a deep sleep.

  Finally, I can sleep peacefully.

  8

  Thorn

  It’s been a week since I brought Lynsdey home from the hospital. I've been trying to keep my distance from the woman to let her heal. But she has my dick constantly ready to burst out of my damn jeans. I know she knows the effect she has on me. Especially when she wakes in the morning to my dick pressed into her ass.

  I’ve never slept with another woman in my bed unless it was after passing out from drinking and fucking. If that happened, I kicked them out as soon as I woke. The first night with her in my bed, I waited for her to fall asleep before I crawled in and held her to me. I decided then that I’d be in bed with her every night while we slept. And after she’s healed enough, I’d be fucking her before we fell asleep.

  Since we’ve been here, I haven’t left the house, and she’s found a new way to piss me off—by avoiding me as much as possible. Well, more to the point of giving me the silent treatment. I’d say it was cute if it wasn’t so damn frustrating. Lynsdey is stubborn as hell. If I ask her what she wants for dinner, I get a shrug. I ask if she needs help with something like going to the bathroom, I get flat out yes or no answers—mainly no responses. I know one thing, though, I’m over the bullshit and it’s about to stop.

  Lynsdey was supposed to have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon but I called Dr. Connors to see if she’d be willing to do a house call instead. The doctor wasted no time in agreeing, thankfully. I won’t be surprised if a certain two of my brothers show up just to see her if they find out she’s here. Once the doctor is finished, I plan to show Lynsdey just how much I want her and after, I’ll explain a few things. Lynsdey needs to know who she belongs to, and that man is me.

  But first, I have to get to the club. We have church in a little while, so the girls are coming over to visit. I’ve held them off, wanting some alone time with Lynsdey. And without knowing all of what’s going on, I don’t want her left alone. Not for a fucking second. She’s my fucking world and doesn’t want to accept the truth of it.

  Right now, though, I need to get her to talk to me. At least a little. I’m sick of the one-word answers.

  I walk into the bedroom to find her with her eyes glue to the kindle I bought her, reading. That’s one thing I know for sure about this woman— she loves to read. I learn that from her old room at the house her and Cleo shared. One wall had book shelves, lined from one end to the other, full of books—everything from Charles Dickenson to books with half-naked men and women on them. She isn’t one to watch TV, no, she prefers to have her nose in a book—or eyes glued to screen.

  “Babygirl, need your eyes on me for a minute, wanna talk to you,” I say as I move to the edge of the bed to sit beside her. She doesn’t say anything and continues to read whatever it is she finds so enthralling. Not gonna work for me. So, I snatch the thing out of her hand and toss it to the other side of the bed—out of her reach.

  “Hey! What the hell? You didn’t have to do that, you ass.” Finally, more than one-word sentences. Maybe I need to keep pushing her to get the results I want.

  “I told you I wanted your eyes on me so I could talk to you. And you continued to ignore me, so I did what I needed to get your attention.”

  “I heard you, and unless it has to do with the babies, we have nothing to talk about right now. I—”

  Fuck this shit!

  “Shut up, woman, and listen to me. The cold shoulder-silent treatment needs to fuckin’ stop. I’ve been trying to give you time to heal, but I’m done. You want to ignore me, get over it, I’m not letting you anymore. Be a bitch all you want. That temper does nothing but make my dick rock hard,” I shout angrily.

  Lynsdey opens and closes her mouth several times, stunned. I’ve never used a harsh tone with her. I should be sorry for it, but I couldn’t care less right now if I scare her with my anger. She’ll get over it.

  “You have some nerve. Why am I even here? It’s not like you really want me. I’m not your woman. I’m nothing but the baby mama now. Remember, you’re the one that said I was fucking clingy. So, don’t fucking patronize me about any of this bullshit. Unless it has to do with t
he babies, leave me the fuck alone.” The way her face turns red when she starts screaming, the birthmark at the edge of her hairline stands out. I noticed it at the hospital but didn’t think much of it. By the time she’s finished, I realize right now I’m not gonna get anywhere with her.

  Fuck it, before I really do say something I’ll regret. I get up and walk out of the room, looking back only to see her staring at the ceiling with tears in her eyes. I never once said, let alone thought, she was clingy in any way. Horse better have a damn good reason for the shit he started.

  A knock on the door lets me know that at least one of the girls is here. As I reach for the knob, it slams open with a herd of women rushing in.

  “Watch out, Slurpees and pregnant women don’t mix. I’m about to freaking pee my damn pants. I swear this kid is gonna be as big as his daddy by the time he gets here. He’s constantly on my f’ing bladder.” Kenny rushes past me making her way to the bathroom. During the shitstorm that Horse and Kenny went through a few months ago they found out she was carrying their child. They were lucky with all the trauma Kenny’s body was dealt that they didn’t lose the baby.

  “I told you not to go for the biggest one. Damn, you don’t listen. No, you fuckin’ don’t, you never listen. Oh, hey there, Thorn; sorry to burst in like this but someone gulped down the largest Slurpee she could get on the way over here. The woman knows that the kid growing in her is just as massive as his dad, leaving no room for any of her guts as he squishes them,” Izzy explains as she walks in behind Cleo.

  I shake my head, laughing. “I don’t even want to know anything about it. That’s Horse’s kid, not mine. I don’t need to hear this shit.”

  “Oh, come on. It’s not like you and Lynsdey aren’t gonna go through the same thing. She’s just as far along as Kenny, and she’s having twins, so it’s gotta be way worse on her,” Izzy says with Cleo nodding in agreement. Cleo seems better since the last time I saw her at the hospital when Lynsdey was still unconscious. There had been sadness pouring off her. I don’t know what all she’s been through, but it’s definitely left a mark on her.