Bleed Me (Haunted Roads Book 3)

by India R. Adams

  Off to the hospital we went.

  Only a few hours into labor, there were signs of trouble. The nurses called the doctor in early because they were concerned. He was, too. The word c-section drifted into my ringing ears. Up to this point, Saph’s pregnancy had been a breeze, minus the disgusting food choices. Now, I was facing the girls going under the knife? Fuck!

  “It’s the baby’s heart rate dropping during contractions that has me highly concerned,” explained the doc. “We may have a cord around the neck.”

  I grabbed Sapphire’s hand. She was in pain, her face wincing while lying in the hospital bed. “Saph, I think we need to do what he says. Let’s not chance it.”

  “B-But, how hard will it be to take care of her if I can’t get up?”

  Justice assured Saph, “Just in case, I already looked it up. You are up and moving the next day. And Giver and I will do whatever it takes to help you.”

  Justice was right. The c-section went very well. I even got all gowned up and got to see part of the procedure. It was worse than Saph’s gross sandwiches, but that baby’s cry made everything else fade away.

  A tiny bundle was placed in my arms. I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried like a little bitch. Couldn’t help it! Never had I seen anything quite so perfect. Sapphire cried just as hard as me. We simply couldn’t believe we had created the most beautiful baby the world would ever see. Justice was the third parent to hold the baby. She wasn’t allowed in the surgery room but patiently waited her turn. It was love at first sight for her, too. Happy tears fell… “Hello, Grace. It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”

  We spent two weeks at the little cottage, helping Saph and Grace get settled. The spare bedroom really helped out. While mama slept, Justice and I fought over who got to hold Grace next. Sometimes, Justice and I laid in my brown leather captain’s chair, Grace on my chest. Snuggled, we just watched her sleep as if it was a miracle she was even here.

  Her head to my shoulder, Justice touched her tiny cheek. “I knew I would adore her, but...” she patted her chest, “I didn’t know she’d be in here with you.”

  “Fuck. Babe. Kiss me right now.”

  The c-section actually gave Justice and me time to bond with Grace. Our days passed in harmony. True bliss. I mean, we were fucking exhausted; the kid didn’t think when the sun went down it was time for some shut-eye, but yeah, she was the impeccable addition to our imperfect relationship of three parents.

  In fact, it was so hard to leave, we kissed Grace over and over until her mama kicked us out. Once we got back to the club, we drank whiskey and showed everyone the three-thousand pictures we took of Grace. I pointed to my cell. “There she is suckin’ on a bottle. There she is halfway through the bottle. Here she is almost done with the bottle—”

  “I need another shot of whiskey,” someone complained.

  “Asshole.” I showed them the next picture. “Oh, here she is when she has a dirty diaper…”

  “I’m on it,” laughed Elle as everyone held up their empty shot glass.

  “… and here she is farting. The kid is impressive. I shit you not. Here she is with her eyes open. Have you ever seen such a color of blue? Oh, here she is with her eyes closed. Shit, can you believe I got a picture of her sucking on her finger? Here she is…”

  One year later

  Just coming back from a run, I knuckle-knocked Prez’s open office door. “May I come in?”

  Lynx set down his pen. “Have a seat, Giver. How’d it go?” Resting his hands behind his head, he leaned back in his chair.

  Enjoying him offering me more responsibility, I sat in front of his desk to report. “He tried to work me on the price. You’re right. I think someone else is bringing shit in.”

  “Motherfucker. I knew it.” He rested his elbows on the desk. “They’re probably not offering primo shit, but my turf is my turf.”

  I eyed all of Justice’s computers on a large desk behind him. Her chair empty. “Dagger is already digging for info.”

  “Just what I like to hear.” After sitting in silence for a few moments, he asked, “Somethin’ else on your mind?”

  “Yeah. I, uh, read an article about bikers who help protect victims who have to go to court. Like, child victims.”

  He licked his teeth. “Yep. I’ve heard of this.”

  Insecure that he’d think I was a pussy, I tugged on my longer beard. “Do you think that, uh, maybe someday I could do this? Like, help out some kids? Make them, uh, feel a little safer?”

  “Giver… I don’t have one doubt that if you were in the courtroom for some kid, they wouldn’t feel safer.” He shrugged. “I feel safer knowing you’re on my side.”

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate that.”

  “Torque was telling me the other day that you keep getting better and better. That you’re one of the best shooters we have now.”

  “Really? Damn.” I wiped my palms on my jeans. “That’s a lot, coming from him.”

  “Sure the fuck is, kid.”

  “Guns feel like an extension of my hands. Make sense?”

  “Yep! Glad to hear it.” He chuckled, already knowing the answer. “Where’s my Road Captain?”

  She rode straight to Saph’s after our run. “Spoilin’ my kid.”

  He beamed. “She loves Grace more than she loves you!”

  “Fucked up, right? But so damn true.”

  “Those tiny chubby legs, dude. Your kid makes me all sappy and shit.”

  Not one of my brothers had any luck with their man card when that kid visited the clubhouse. All spines and balls melted away when she smiled, getting anything she wanted.

  “I better head on over. Saph made us dinner. If I’m late, I’ll now have three females on my ass.”

  Prez was still laughing as I headed out of his office. He was probably still laughing at me as I pulled into Saph’s garage, parking next to Justice’s bike. As soon as I exited the separate garage, the front screen door squeaked open and chubby legs wobbled toward me. A huge smile was on Gracie’s tiny face. I rushed forward to beat her to the stairs. “There’s my baby girl!” Swooping Grace up in my arms was like getting to touch the clouds. She was so soft and precious it literally caused me pain. I simply couldn’t get enough of her hugs.

  Standing by the door, Justice sighed, “She knows the sound of your bike. I swear it.”

  Walking past Justice, who held the screen door open for me, I kissed her. “Babe, I’m starving.”

  From across the living room, Saph was already tending to the dining table. “Then have a seat. I’ll fix your plate.”

  I stuck Grace in her highchair. She squealed after I sat, then dragged hers closer to me. “My baby hungry?” Grace slammed her hands on the empty spot of her tray. All smiles, her tongue half-hanging out, ready for food. “Me too.” Saph set a full plate of spaghetti in front of me. “You are a goddess. This smells so good.” I quickly put a couple of spoonfuls in front of Grace. “Dig in, Gracie.” Justice came in with salad bowls, and a beer for me. “Damn, what are you two up to with this special treatment?”

  Guilty as sin, they both started talking at the same time, denying they were up to anything.

  Ah, shit. “You guys are scaring me. What is it?” I shoved in a huge bite. I was so fucking hungry. When neither spoke, I waved my fork around for them to get to confessin’.

  Justice sat in a chair across from me, then took a big swig of her beer. She exhaled, then blew my mind. “We want another baby.”

  All kinds of shit went wrong with my windpipe when I sucked spaghetti into my lungs. I was hacking as Saph beat on my back. “Oh my God! Are you okay?”

  Justice rolled her Church Eyes. “Stop being such a drama queen. We just need your sperm.”

  Cough. Choke. Have a conversation with Jesus. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I hollered at Justice, then swatted Saph away. “Tryin’ to save me while tryin’ to kill me is a moot point, don’t ya think? Make a decision before you do either.”

 
; Laughing, she sat down at the head of her table. “I want two kids. And I want Grace’s sibling to have the same daddy. Then I’m tying my tubes.”

  “Holy shit! How long have you been thinking about this, Saph?” I glared across the table. “Babe? You serious?” Just then, Grace smacked her tray, demanding more food. Her face was all tomatoed up, melting my heart. Of course, I gave her more. “Here, baby. Help Daddy eat his last supper. Your mamas are trying to kill me.”

  Splat! Her hand slammed into the fresh pile and was immediately heading toward her open mouth.

  “Look at me, Giver,” demanded my Old Lady. “This ain’t me. I don’t do mushy.” Clutching the crystal hanging around her neck, Justice beamed at Grace. “But… give me one more of those.”

  I couldn’t believe my ears or eyes. “You’re fucking serious.”

  Her own eyes welled. “I never thought I would have anything like this. James, I can’t have babies.”

  The pain on her beautiful face was too much to witness, so I looked away.

  “No. Look at me.”

  My jaw locked, but I did as she asked.

  “But you gave it to me, Giver! I’m a part of a child’s life now.” She gestured between Saph—who was already crying—and me. “You two let me be a part of, well, a dream I didn’t dare dream.”

  “Fuck, babe.”

  “I know. Melancholy as hell, but I’m speaking the truth.” She winced. “Wouldn’t you like to have another kid?”

  “I,” after exhaling, continued, “have been so preoccupied with this one—” Grace sucked a noodle into her mouth, looking so fucking cute. “I haven’t had the chance to even think that far ahead, but yeah, I guess I would love another.”

  Justice sounded tortured. “I can’t give you a second kid, babe. What are you going to do? Find someone we don’t know to have our child? You think an adoption agency or stranger would hand over a helpless newborn to a couple of illegal bikers?”

  Damn. She had quite the argument. “No, I guess not.”

  Saph raised her hand, very timidly.

  “No,” growled Justice.

  “What?”

  Saph gave Justice apologetic eyes but told me, “I could also be a surrogate mother for you two—”

  “No!” insisted Justice as if they had discussed this before. “I am a Road Captain! My club is part of who I am. I cannot be fully responsible for a baby of my own.”

  “Wait.” I blinked. “I’m so confused. I thought you couldn’t have children.”

  Justice exhaled as if the subject was exhausting her. “A doctor could technically fertilize one of my own eggs with your sperm, and Saph would carry the baby for us.”

  “Holy shit, babe.”

  Her eyes closed as if seeing my excitement was too much. “Giver, we are Stallions. That, at times, has marks on our backs. Who would raise our child if we were killed?”

  Neither of us had family left. She had another valid point.

  Justice pointed to Saph. “We know her. We trust her. We love the mother of your child, James. Don’t let us miss out on the gift she’s offering. A gift that wouldn’t leave any of our own children homeless—”

  Not wanting to think of a child of mine, alone and suffering, I raised my hands. “Mercy. Got it. I’m in. Fuck it.” Trying to ease the intensity of the conversation, I laughed. “Let’s knock a bitch up!” Glancing at both women, I finally asked, “So, what next? I spew in a cup in a couple of years?” Two sets of eyes darted elsewhere. “Wait. When are you two thinking this should happen?”

  Justice scratched at her head, even though I know it wasn’t itchy. “Saph is already kind of on a medical insurance plan.”

  “What?”

  Saph quickly added, “It just would be so much easier if we got the diapers out of the way and had the kids close in age. Both will go to school so I can start a career of my own.”

  “Holy shit. Had I known this was all coming, I’d have gone through a drive-thru for dinner.” I filled my fork. “So, have you already made an appointment with some—What kind of doc does this?” I took another huge bite.

  “I’ll get the whiskey,” said Sapphire as she scrambled to the kitchen.

  “Yeah, about that,” said Justice. “We’re taking a different route. One not exactly involving a doctor.”

  Cough. Choke. Back to chattin’ with Jesus. “The fuck?”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  The electric charge in the dining room was so intense even the one-year-old picked up on it. Her tomatoey fingers were starting to slow, her sweet little blue eyes darting between me and Justice as I snarled, “Are you askin’ me to fuck Saph?” Wisely, Sapphire stayed quiet, staring at her plate, letting me and my Old Lady talk. This was huge. I was committed to her on a soul-to-soul level. Now she was asking me to cheat? “Can’t we use some clinic?”

  Justice, still holding her crystal necklace, breathed in deep, as if preparing for a battle. “Yes, we can spend several grand to do this. If it don’t take, we could try again, but… that don’t feel right to me.”

  “And me fuckin’ another woman does?”

  She squared her shoulders. “Don’t talk to me as if I haven’t considered the ramifications.” Her stare narrowed. “But I still have beliefs. You were with Saph for one motherfucking night and morning. Bam! We have Grace.” Grace banged a sippy cup on her tray, drawing Justice’s attention. She pointed to the loved baby. “She was meant to be, Giver. Can the same be said for artificial insemination?”

  Biting back a rude comment, I replied, “The parents who it has worked for would say yes.”

  “Why is this scenario making you so mad?”

  My chair skidded back as I stood. “Because this Stallion ain’t for rent. Something I thought you would appreciate.”

  Awareness crossed her expression, but I was too pissed to care. I stormed out of the house. On my bike, I raced away, my ego totally bruised. At a red light, I yanked out my cell. When Dagger answered, I asked, “Up for a beer away from the compound and my women?”

  “More than one? Hell yeah. This sounds like it’ll be entertaining.” He reminded me of a little dive bar that was considered ‘safe’ from prying ears.

  The bar was dark and perfect for how I was feeling. There weren’t many tables nor many guests. Halfway through a cold one, Dagger walked in, easily spotting me at the bar. He sidled up next to me, laughing at my beer, then told the bartender, “We need some whiskey over here.” He eyeballed me again. “Let’s make that a whole lotta whiskey. Stat.”

  She winked at him. “Coming right up, Dagger.” I lifted a brow at him. The old one-eyed coot shrugged. “You ain’t the only Stallion wanted.”

  Jesus. He already fucking knows. “Justice?”

  He sighed. “Yeah, kid. She said she knew I’d be the one you’d call.”

  “Sorry. We just got off the road. Didn’t meant to involve you—”

  “Damn! You are on a self-pity trip tonight! Like I have anything better to be doin’.” The bartender dropped off full shot glasses, silently daring him to a challenge. “Until later, that is.” His wink had her smiling and sashaying her hips while walking to tend to other patrons.

  When Dagger’s eyes had yet to return to me, I balked, “Hello! The reason you came here is?”

  He blinked. “Oh yeah. You.” He sucked on his teeth. “Not fucking fine Ginger. Ummm. Where were we?”

  “Fucker.” I downed the shot.

  He shook my shoulder. “Jesus! Lighten up! Women wantin’ your sperm ain’t so bad!” The bar went quiet. We both peered over our shoulders to observe everyone now staring at us. Laughing, Dagger lifted his fingers in the air. “Two more shots please?”

  I mumbled, “I’m callin’ Vice next time.”

  Still fighting laughter, he said, “All right, Daddy Dagger will be more serious now.”

  “Did you just call yourself Daddy Dagger.”

  Shots appeared in front of us, Ginger cooing, “I’ll call you daddy.”


  Is anyone taking me seriously right now?

  Daddy Dagger rumbled, “You sure will, you sweet thing—”

  “Dagger!”

  The bartender, laughing, walked away as Dagger said, “Okay! Okay!” He took the shot. “All jokes aside.” He inhaled and exhaled, then got quiet. “I was part of her rescue.”

  That got my attention like a sailor manning his ship. Justice.

  He exhaled again, definitely not appreciating the memory that was now in his head and heart. “I don’t have the energy to explain the shape we found that girl in, but I can tell you that she is a true believer in signs. That belief system got her through some horror that would take any Stallion to his knees. Feel me?”

  My stomach turned and my heart bled. My poor woman. “Yes, sir.”

  “That’s how, later, we were able to rescue Artist. She saw a sign.”

  “Wait. What? He didn’t get out when she did?”

  He scrubbed a palm down his rugged face. “No,” he sorrowfully replied. “Nope. That fucker, when shit was going wrong, sacrificed himself so we could save her.”

  It took effort not to fall off my stool. Art—the one I’d almost gone to blows with in Daytona over Delilah—was also the man who helped save my Justice? How fucking small is this world? Or was all this another sign Dagger was trying to explain.

  “I know you’ve figured out he’s my nephew.”

  “Yeah, I suspected.”

  “Fucking almost killed Diesel to leave him behind—” He shook his head, wiping under his eye, then snapped out of the mood. “Anyway. Signs. It’s what still gets Justice through.” He patted my back and found a sincere smile. “She sees you as a sign. That first day she saw you, kid, we all knew it. Justice doesn’t like to push destiny to benefit her own needs. She has faith, believe it or not. She may not sit in a church on Sundays—”

  Church Eyes…

  “—but that don’t mean she ain’t talking to some divine spirit or whatever you believe in.”

  After letting that sink in for a minute, I asked, “What do you believe in, Dagger?”