by Avelyn Paige
As soon as her name flickers to life in my mind, her smiling face pops into my vision. I’ve said it a thousand times, but she’s such a beautiful woman. The way her dimples flare to life as she smiles or laughs is enough to make any man come undone. Not to mention the fact there’s an air about her that just screams confidence and loyalty. It’s a damn shame that she’s had to face so much turmoil in the last year, but she could have a calm life now if it weren’t for her constant need to meddle in club business. It took everything I had at the apartment in Tijuana not to throw her over my lap and beat her ass for the sass coming out of her mouth. My cock stirs at the thought of my handprints in blaring red on her creamy white skin.
Jesus, Raze. Get ahold of yourself. This is not the time to be thinking about smacking Darcy’s ass or her at all. I think I need to get laid again because this shit keeps coming back.
Shaking the idea from my head, I straddle my bike and flip on the ignition before rolling out of the parking lot to the south. The ride to my house is almost relaxing even though I know shit may hit the fan if we can find that fucking phone of Maj’s, but Darcy immediately comes back to mind. I recall memories of seeing her on the back of Jagger’s bike and how her hair used to flow in the wind like it was dancing.
Shut it down, Raze. Shut it the fuck down.
Pulling into the drive, the sun begins to set behind the house. I’ve always loved this house because it seems so simple compared to the rest on the block. The red brick stands out from the more traditional style homes, but I like being different. It didn’t hurt that I got this house for a steal in California real estate terms for three-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars. I walk my bike toward the side of the garage and unlock the side entrance of the garage.
My search begins in the most obvious places in our bedroom, the office, and Maj’s home salon that she worked out of when we were on lockdown. Ratchet tore through each room in destructive precision while I thumbed through our personal files and our family’s laptop.
Apart from cutting open all the couch cushions and mattresses, I am nearly at my wits end when an idea pops into my head. Maj loved to cook and never allowed me or the kids in the kitchen when she made dinner. Throwing open the cabinet doors, I shake and toss every single can or box in them until a can rattles just a little bit different than the others. Grabbing a knife from the butcher block, I place the tip of the blade under the lip of the can and systematically pry open the sides until the seal finally pops. Reaching my hand inside, I pull out the phone I’ve nearly destroyed my house looking for.
“Time to find out what exactly you were hiding,” I say as I tuck the phone into the inside pocket of my cut. “Time to find out how far the deceit falls down the rabbit hole.”
After giving Ratchet orders to secure the house and clean up the mess, I ride swiftly back to the clubhouse knowing that the key to all of this might very well be sitting snugly in the pocket of my cut. Trax’s intel will prove to be valuable if this pans out.
After parking my bike, I jog into the clubhouse and nearly run over one of the girls as I slide into Voodoo’s work/play room. Computers, laptops, and screens line the southern wall emitting a nearly blinding light from their luminescence. The rest of the room looks like a nerd’s version of paradise with tables filled with the newest and best technological gadgetry. Voodoo does love his toys, and they often come in handy on hard security cases so we keep letting him play.
I scan the room and finally find Voodoo passed out on top of an open laptop’s keyboard. I remind myself that once this is over, I need to send him on a long vacation to catch up on his sleep and relax. V has become nearly invaluable to the club after his hacker skills helped us save Dani from that sick motherfucker she called a step-brother. Rest in pieces, asshole.
I make my way around the table and gingerly pick up one of the thick programming books that lay next to Voodoo before letting it slip through my fingers and land loudly on the table.
Voodoo’s eyes fly open when the noise startles him. His weight unsettles the base of the chair just enough to tip back, sending Voodoo tumbling onto his ass. A laugh escapes my lips as a pissed off Voodoo looks up from the floor seething in startled anger.
“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty,” I tease. “I have a present for you.”
Voodoo wipes the sleep from his bagged eyes and pushes himself off of the ground, dusting off his clothes and righting the chair once more.
“I’m not exactly a fan of your wake-up call method there, Prez. You could do with some etiquette lessons. I prefer a warm pair of lips and a tight pussy for my morning rise and shine.”
“Yeah, so do I, but we don’t always get what we want, now do we?”
Voodoo stifles a laugh before crossing his arms over his chest.
“A present, huh? You know it’s not my birthday for another month. Besides, the entire Denver Broncos cheerleading squad that I asked for wouldn’t fit in your breast pocket.”
I reach into my cut to retrieve the phone. Voodoo’s eyes grow wide and his hands reach out and snatch it away from me. Within a matter of a few seconds, the phone is hooked to his computer via two cables as numbers and letters begin to flash on the screen.
“This is better than the Broncos cheerleaders, Prez. You’ve brought me the holy fucking grail.”
“That so?” I question. “Anything useful?”
I step closer to his screen and lean next to him, craning my neck to see information, but it all looks like chicken scratch me.
“Nothing yet, but it won’t take me long to jail break into this ancient thing. It doesn’t even have a touch screen, so the tech on it is easily hackable.”
“How soon will you know anything?”
“Couple of hours max. Why don’t you go see those kids of yours while you wait? Might be good to get out of here for a bit.”
Rubbing my hand across my brow, I can feel the exhaustion wrap around me. Sleep hasn’t exactly been a hot commodity for me lately, but Voodoo is right that I will need some shut eye before we head straight into this shit storm.
“Any news from Hero, Prez? I know some of the guys are itching for news.”
“He texted me about an hour ago that things were progressing more toward surgery than that natural shit, but that’s the last I heard from him.”
“Keep us posted, Boss.”
“Sure thing,” I reply while I make my way toward the door. It doesn’t take me long to check in with the other guys before I start to head out for Darcy’s house. It may not be the best place to rest my head, but at least the kids will know everything is okay if they see me in one piece.
I get as far as the back door before a small hand wraps around my forearm dragging my attention back into the clubhouse. My eyes turn to see a visibly shaken Ricca standing behind me, shivering where she stands.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her gruffly.
Ricca takes two quick steps and wraps her thin arms around my neck as sobs escape her lips and tears soak into my shirt. Ricca and I have never exactly had a friendly relationship with how she became a part of this club so her death grip on me is surprising.
Shit, what’s happened?
“They’re beautiful, Dani,” I coo at the two pink bundles cradled in their father’s arms. The pale color and softness of the blankets contrast so much against the tattooed hardness of Hero, but he beams a megawatt smile while he watches his daughters sleep. Though he tried to play off his emotions about becoming a father, a glimmer of a tear still lingers on his cheek as Dani watches from her hospital bed while their daughters stake their claim on their father’s heart. While I thought Hero would look so awkward and uncomfortable, he seems at ease.
“Have you decided on the names yet?” I question when Hero nods for me to step closer and take one of the little girls into my own arms. I gently cradle her little head as I tuck her swaddled body into the crook of my arm. She is just as beautiful as her sister with a thick mop of dark hair and dark eyes—they both definite
ly take after Dani’s Hispanic genes. A familiar feeling of want and disappointment waft over me as I note how precious new life truly can be. What is it about the way a new baby smells that makes you want to have more all over again? Shut up, ovaries. You have a new baby at home. The little one stretches her mouth open in a wide yawn before squirming in the confines of her swaddle.
“I’ve had my children’s names picked out for so long that I’ll admit Hero didn’t really have a chance when it came to naming them,” Dani jokes while Hero places their other daughter back into her arms.
“Why even try when I knew every one of my suggestions would get shot down?” Hero asks with a shrug of his broad shoulders while Dani stifles a quiet laugh.
“Hero, girls are brought up from a young age to be mothers. It’s only natural that Dani have names planned out already. While you boys get army guys and guns, we get baby dolls, fake diapers, and bottles. It’s not exactly an even ground when it comes to kids.”
“I would have still liked my names to be considered,” he interjects with just a hint of gruffness to his voice.
“Our daughters are not going to be named Brandy and Whiskey so just stop where you’re going right now. Don’t even start about Thing One and Thing Two.”
“What? I thought it was funny.”
“Ignore your father, girls,” Dani says aloud to both babies. “He’s an idiot. Back to Aunt Darcy’s questions,” she playfully coos. “This beautiful angel is Embry Rose,” she says with a look of sheer, unbridled, blissful happiness plastered on her exhausted face. I gently walk toward Dani, taking care to not wake the unnamed baby in my arms. “What about this little beauty?” I remark as I slip her tiny body from my arms and nestle her against Dani’s chest.
“Monroe Isabella, after my mom’s favorite movie star and my grandmother, Izzy.”
“Such beautiful names for two very beautiful little girls. You both will have your hands full when they get older.” I chuckle as a grimace momentarily flashes over Hero’s face.
“Tell me about it,” he mumbles. “They won’t even know what a boy is until after I die. I’ll make for damn sure of it.”
A soft knock interrupts our fit of laughter and in steps her obstetrician, Dr. Bextor. The middle-aged man seems worn out, and that feeling is very warranted with how difficult it was to bring the twins into the world. Once Dani got to the hospital, her contractions were only two minutes apart, and she was beyond the point of stopping her labor with medication with how far she had dilated. Dr. Bextor assured her that he would do everything within his power to make her delivery easy, but the threat of an emergency caesarean lingered not only with Dani carrying twins, but with how high her blood pressure had skyrocketed. She was monitored closely for roughly an hour before Dr. Bextor delivered the news that she needed to be prepped for a C-section. Because they hadn’t had time to give her an epidural, they were forced to sedate Dani while Hero paced in the halls with me. His eyes were filled with terror and panic over not only losing his girls, but Dani, too. I tried to reassure him as much as I could, but words and a pat on the back couldn’t soothe the pounding of his heart while he waited for news. Thirteen minutes after Dani was taken back into the surgical suite, the nurse rushed into the hallway and escorted Hero back to the maternity ward.
His heavy steps alerted me to his approach, and when my eyes trailed up from the floor, a smile was on his face. That smile melted all my worries as I noted the swagger in his step. His news of two healthy babies and a very tired Dani was the sigh of relief we both needed. He asked me to come back into the room with him while we waited for Dani’s anesthesia to wear off and for her to return to the room so she could meet her girls. The nurses soon stripped his shirt and had him fill in for the skin to skin contact that they now recommended for newborns. While it was awkward at first to see his nervousness while he held them, it was soon melted away with Dani’s arrival. The love that filled the room when Dani’s eyes locked on the girls and she saw her newly-expanded family standing in front of her melted my soul.
“Hey, Doc,” Hero says. “I can’t thank you enough for what you did for my family.”
Dr. Bextor waves his hands dismissively before walking closer to the bed and admiring the girls. “They’re by far the most beautiful set of twins I’ve ever delivered.”
He admires the girls once more before two nurses walk into the room. “While the girls seem to be in good health and have a relatively strong pair of lungs, I would still like to place them in the neonatal intensive care because of their low birth weights. I think it would be best if we monitor their progress a little more closely to make sure they’re fully developed with their premature birth.”
Dani’s eyes well with tears as she looks to both of the tiny girls in her arms. “How long will they have to stay, Dr. Bextor? I was hoping to take them home with us.”
“I know you would, Mrs. Tobias, but while the delivery age of the most sets of twins are thirty-five weeks on average, your girls were between thirty-three and thirty-four weeks. This is only as a pre-caution to make sure that they are both ready to go home and that their lungs are fully developed. I’d also like for them to be closer to the five-and-a-half pound mark to ensure that they are growing at the right pace.”
Hero moves his hands to Dani’s shoulder, reassuring her that this is best for them all. “I want my girls to be healthy, Doc, so if they need to be in a hot box, do it.”
“Mr. Tobias, it’s the best course of action for both of the girls and the quickest route to getting them home. My nurses will take the girls down now and get them settled. You and Mrs. Tobias are more than welcome to visit as much as you would like, and that goes for after you’re discharged.”
“Thank you, Dr. Bextor,” Dani mutters. “How soon do you think it will be until I get to go home?”
Dr. Bextor sidesteps while the nurses walk around him to collect the girls. “I’d like to monitor you for a few extra days as well, Mrs. Tobias. Your heightened blood pressure is a disorder we call pre-eclampsia. Ten to fifteen percent of pregnant woman show symptoms early in their pregnancies such as higher than normal blood pressure and increased headaches, but in your case, its onset was rather late. I will say that had your friend here not called an ambulance, we might have lost both you and your children.”
“Will this shit happen again if she has more children, Doc?” Hero intensely questions.
“While your wife will run a higher risk for it to happen in subsequent pregnancies, we will know to monitor for it more closely and to educate you both on the signs and symptoms, but no, it will not prevent you from having more children.”
Both Dani and Hero sigh at the doctor’s encouraging words as the nurses begin to exit the room with the girls.
“Give the nurses a few hours to get the girls settled before you come down to the unit. Take the time for you both to get some rest because you’ll both be very busy and exhausted when we get these two home.”
Dr. Bextor shakes both Hero and Dani’s hands before exiting the room right after the nurses and then my phone vibrates in my back pocket. Shit. I nearly completely forgot about meeting Trax here with the excitement of Monroe and Embry’s arrival. Making an excuse of needing to get back to the house and the kids, I slip from the room, leaving the new parents to likely get their last night of good sleep and head toward the atrium on the fourth floor where I instructed Trax to meet me.
Stepping into the elevator to ride up to the fourth floor, I whisper a silent prayer to myself in hopes that Trax came through for me. I know it’s a risk trusting someone associated with the club, but Brent always talked about how Trax was the type of man that would sell his mother to the highest bidder if it would benefit him. My only fear is that he’ll sell me false information, or worse, take it back to Raze, but it’s a calculated risk I will take for answers and justice. The elevator jolts to a halt as I anxiously tap my foot waiting for the doors to open.
Just breathe, Darcy. Pay the bastard, get your
information, and you can deal with the aftermath later.
Stepping through the elevator doors, I exhale a deep breath that I feel like I’ve been holding since I came up with this idea to use him. It’s now or never for the truth. I know I can’t live with never knowing, so this is just another necessary evil I need to handle on behalf of myself and kids. Peering around the corner, I don’t see a soul on this portion of the floor. I picked the atrium because I knew that it mostly housed the offices of the administration and charge nurses. A muffled sound of someone clearing his or her voice nearly startles me then I see Trax walking toward me. His scruffy face is hard-locked on me. His worn and holey jeans paired with a simple white shirt covered in grease under his cut make him so painfully odd in the beautiful space. He smells like a mixture of gasoline, cigarettes, and stale bar nachos. It almost feels like he’s the hobo amongst the beauty of this room and gives off a feeling of foreboding and wrongness. Just get the information and get the fuck out of here, Darcy. The sooner you are away from this asshole, the better it will be.
“Hello, doll,” his gravelly voice says, cutting through the pristine silence surrounding us. “You got my money?”
Reaching into my back pocket, I pull out the money order for ten thousand dollars that I retrieved from the lock safe at home before Dani went into labor and slap it into his greasy and calloused hands. He unfolds the piece of paper to verify the amount before sliding it inside of his cut, pulling out an envelope and smashing it into my outstretched hand. My eyes narrow at the envelope in confusion.
“This is what ten grand bought me?” I question. “You’ve got to be shitting me, right? An envelope isn’t worth that kind of cash.”
He disdainfully laughs at my dissatisfaction and shakes his head at me. “You haven’t even opened the damn thing yet and you’re already bitching. You don’t want it then give the fucking thing back to me,” he says as he tries to snatch it away from me before I jerk out of his reach and press it tightly to my chest.