Once out of the shower, I towel myself off and get dressed, then put some moisturizer on my face. Not wanting to take the time to dry my hair, I just braid it off to the side and I’m good to go. Slipping on a pair of flip-flops, since my feet are too swollen to wear anything else, I head downstairs to grab a water and orange for the road.
This will be my last week in the shop before I take the rest of my pregnancy off to get ready for the baby. Even though I pretty much have everything I need, I still want to go through everything, clean the house, and just prepare myself mentally. I never thought I’d be a mother, or at least have a baby without having my Gram around to help me. Maybe I should talk to Zane about having his mother come to visit. We used to be close; maybe she’d be able to help me get more comfortable with the idea and duties of being a mom. But Zane hasn’t really talked much about his parents and I don’t want to bring up bad memories if there’s a reason he hasn’t.
When I get in my truck, I realize I’m going to be early getting to the shop, but figure it will give me time to look at all the books and start getting things together and ready for when I’m gone. Mack said he’d stop by to make sure everything is going the way it should, and I know Louie and Sara will be fine on their own, but I still worry. In a way, that shop has been like my baby. Odd, I know, but it’s the truth. I’ve put everything I am into that shop and I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have it anymore.
Just as I pull into my parking space in the back, I feel my phone vibrate next to me. Unlocking it, I see it’s a text message from Jax.
Jax: Hey, Dani Girl. What you got planned for today?
Smiling at his use of the nickname some of the brothers use for me, I reply.
Me: Just getting some things done in the shop, getting ready to take my leave before the baby gets here. You?
Getting out of my truck, I make a mental note to talk to Zane about getting a new vehicle. I love my truck, but I think getting an SUV will be better with the baby. I’m still gonna keep my truck, but will only drive it when I’m by myself.
Unlocking the door to the shop, I step inside and then lock it again behind me so I don’t get interrupted while doing some much-needed paperwork. I don’t have any clients scheduled today and I think Louie has a pretty slow day as well. Actually, I don’t think he’s even scheduled to come in until later today. Either way, Sara and he both have a key, so when they get here, they’ll be able to get in.
Sitting down at the front desk, I grab the schedule book and order book, then get up to head into my office. We’ve started getting everything transferred over to a computer system, but I still like having a paper copy of the schedules. Pisses Sara off to no end, but sometimes old school is the best way to do things. At least doing it like this, I know things won’t get lost or deleted.
Once I’m in my office and sitting down, I hear my phone vibrate on the desk.
Jax: Heading to meet your boy now, then nothing. May stop by the shop to see ya. What ya think about getting lunch?
I start to type out my response, but I’m stopped suddenly by a sharp pain ripping through my stomach. What the hell was that? Breathing through the pain, I set my phone down to rub circles on my belly. Maybe the baby is just trying to get comfortable. It has to be getting pretty tight in there by now.
When the pain doesn’t stop, only lessening a little, I try getting up and walking around my office. I’ve heard that sometimes if you walk around, it will lull the baby to sleep or at least settle them. But when I take my third step, another sharp pain brings me to my knees, tears instantly streaming down my face and a small cry slipping past my lips. Shit, this cannot be good. This can’t be normal, can it? It’s too fucking painful to be normal. Something is wrong. Something is really fucking wrong.
I try to stand to get to my phone and call Zane or the hospital, but when I make it to my feet, I can do nothing more than to fall back down when I feel a loud pop. Seconds later, I feel a gush of fluid soak through my pants and pool around me on the floor. Hearing my phone vibrate, I try to take deep breaths so I don’t freak out any more than I am already. I need to calm down so I can get to my phone, but when I look down and see nothing but blood, I can do nothing but scream. There’s so much blood. It’s so thick and dark that it looks black. And the smell! It smells like wet rust and leaves a weird taste in my mouth.
Knowing I need to get someone here to help me, I try with everything I have to get up to grab my phone, but I’m dizzy and hurting. I don’t even make it halfway to my feet before I’m falling. Before I can even try to catch myself to cushion my fall, my eyes close involuntarily and I can do nothing but just let it happen. There’s nothing but numbness overtaking my body and darkness. At least here in the nothingness, there’s no pain.
***
Jax
After a couple minutes with no reply from Dani, I decide to text her again. She could just be busy, but knowing how far along she is, I don’t like it when she doesn’t answer me.
Me: Dani Girl, you there?
There, simple and to the point. Zane and I have talked quite a bit since last week. He told me about the time Dani didn’t answer her phone and he thought the worst. Turns out, she was just with a customer, but he said after that day, she knows to always answer her phone or text messages so we all know she’s okay. May piss her off to no end and we may be in for it when we do hear from her, but I’ll take that any day instead of not knowing if she’s all right.
A few minutes later, there’s still no response, so I call her. I’m already in my car and heading to the shop, but I’m getting a bad feeling. Speeding up to get to the shop faster, I dial her number.
Her phone rings four times, then it goes right to voice mail. I don’t leave a message, but instead re-dial and pray that she’s just on the phone or with someone. Just answer the phone, Danielle. Let me know you’re okay. I say this over and over while I listen to her phone ring and ring before going to voice mail again. Fuck! Something is wrong, I just know it.
Stepping on the gas, I swerve around cars and people walking the streets, now only a few blocks away from the shop. As soon as I get there, I park in the front and don’t even bother to turn my car off.
Running up to the door, I try the handle but it’s locked. “Fuck!” I yell and start to bang on the door. “Dani! Dani, open up!” I quit banging for a second and try to see if I can hear her inside, but I get nothing.
Not knowing what else to do, I kick the door in. “Dani! Where are you, honey?” I yell out, running through every room in the shop, but still not finding her.
Coming up to the last door in the back, I take a deep breath before opening the door. The sight in front of me has my heart stopping. Dani’s lying on the floor, unconscious, and there is so much blood surrounding her body. And it’s coming from between her legs. Dear God, please let her and the baby be okay. That’s the only thought I have as I lift her up and run with her out to my car. “It’s gonna be all right, Danielle. I’ve got you…I’ve got you,” I whisper as tears roll down my face. Once I have her in the car, I hightail it toward the hospital.
Chapter 10
Fifteen Minutes Later
Zane
I’m trying to get the rest of this room done so I can get home and cook for Dani. She’s been so uncomfortable these last few weeks and seeing what Jax did last week for her and how happy it made her to not have to do anything makes me want to do it for her as well. Though, I’m going to do one better and pamper her all night. First with dinner, then I’ll run her a bath, then I’m going to rub her back and feet for her. That will make her happy and hopefully feel a little better as well.
As I sand the rest of the putty off the wall so I can start painting, I hear my phone ring. “Yeah?” I ask into the phone, hoping whatever it is isn’t something that needs my immediate attention. I’ve left the surveillance of The Street Kings to my brothers, but if something goes down, they’ll need me to help take care of the problem. I’m just hoping that’s
not what this phone call is about. I don’t want to have to stop what I’m doing or risk not being able to fulfill my plan for tonight. But my hopes are dashed as soon as I hear Louie’s frantic voice on the other end.
“It’s Dani! She’s gone and there’s blood everywhere!” The words Dani, gone, and blood are the only words that filter through my head.
“What the fuck do you mean she’s gone and there’s blood everywhere? What the hell happened and where the fuck is my woman?” I yell back into the phone, already running out to my bike. If something happens to her or our baby, I don’t think I’ll be able to go on. She and that baby are everything to me.
“I don’t fucking know! I came in and the door was busted in. When I searched the place, I found blood in her office and her purse and phone on her desk. I don’t know what happened! Just get here. Now!” he growls, though I know it’s not directed at me, but the situation. Dani is his best friend, but she’s the love of my life, so if anyone should be freaking out, it should be me. “Besides the door, does it look like there was a struggle?” I ask, needing all the information I can get.
I keep the phone plastered to my ear even though I’m now driving eighty to get to the shop. It doesn’t seem to faze Louie, though. “No, brother, doesn’t look like there was a struggle, but who the fuck knows? They could have taken her by surprise or maybe it was someone she knew,” he says in a hurry. Then I hear him say away from the phone, probably to another brother, “Get Mack on the phone and start putting calls out. Find her!” I don’t say anything else to him, I just keep driving, but keep the connection with him, not wanting to slow down or put any focus into putting my phone away.
A few minutes later, I’m pulling up to the shop and see Mack, Louie, Toby, Sara, Skinner, and Tom Tom standing out front, yelling at each other. Well, everyone but Sara. She’s just standing there with her arms wrapped around her middle, crying.
When I make it to them, Louie and Mack look at me with both anger and pain in their eyes. “Anything?” I ask, walking into the shop and back toward her office.
“We’ve got nothing, brother. But everyone is out looking and I’ve called in some favors to help find her,” Mack says.
“Where’s Slayer? Does he still have eyes on her piece of shit father?” I ask as we hurry toward Dani’s office. I don’t think her father would do something to harm her, but if he were desperate enough, maybe he would. Who knows at this point. I don’t know her father from Adam, so he could be some psycho and I wouldn’t even know.
“I called him as soon as I found out. Daniel hasn’t left Michigan since he got back,” he says just as we reach her office.
The scene before me looks like something out of a horror film: there’s blood covering a huge portion of the floor and then there are shoe prints leading out of the room. When I turn to look back out into the hallway, I see bloody hand prints.
Suddenly, I feel so beaten down and drained. I should have been here. She’s God only knows where, hurt, and I have no idea how to even begin looking for her.
My phone rings, interrupting my pity party, and I answer. “Did you find her?” I ask, not looking to see who is calling.
Jaxon starts talking through the phone, but I can’t understand him. Is he crying? “Dani…blood…found her…” That’s pretty much all I’ve been able to make out, but it sends relief through my body, giving me enough hope and will power to snap the fuck out of it and get to my girl.
“Where is she? Is she all right? Is the baby all right? How did you find her? What happened?” I ask the questions in rapid succession.
“We’re at the hospital. You need to get here fast. I think there’s something wrong with the baby and no one will fucking tell me anything!” he says, now sounding angry.
I hang up the phone without even saying goodbye, then turn toward Mack. “She’s at the hospital. Jaxon thinks it’s the baby,” I say before running outside and racing like a bat outta hell to get to the hospital.
Everyone follows me and but I don’t slow down to wait for them. Dani and the baby need me.
***
The drive to the hospital seems to take hours, but in reality, I make it there in less than ten minutes. I’m not stopping for anything, even if a pig flashes his cherries at me. They’ll just have to wait. My brothers stay right on my tail the whole time, but I barely even notice them, too lost in thought and praying that my family is okay.
When I pull up to the doors, I almost flatten my bike on the asphalt with how fast I stopped and jumped off, barely putting my kickstand up, but I couldn’t care less.
I run up to the nurses’ station on the first floor with my brothers right behind me. “My girl was just brought in. She’s pregnant and bleeding.” My voice is raised and people are looking at me.
The nurse looks at me with annoyance. “Name, please.”
“Danielle DeChenne. Are her and the baby all right?” I ask, getting pissed that she doesn’t just point me to where I can find my girl.
“Are you family?” the nurse says, looking at me sternly.
“She’s pregnant with my fucking baby. Just tell me where the fuck she is!” I yell, leaning over the desk. I want to reach out and wrap my hands around this bitch’s throat, force her to show me where Dani is.
“Sir, if you don’t calm down, I’ll have to ask you to leave.” You’d think she’d be scared with a pissed off biker yelling at her, especially when he’s backed by at least three more, but no. She’s still speaking with annoyance, like I’m a fucking ant that she thinks she can crush under her shoe.
“If you don’t tell me where the fuck—” I start to yell, but Mack comes up and places his hand on my shoulder, holding me back.
“You need to calm down. Dani and the baby need you right now. You won’t be able to do anything for them if your ass is locked away in a jail cell.” I hate that he’s right, but the bitch nurse better start talking real fucking soon before I get so pissed off I start ripping this place apart and none of my brothers will be able to hold me back.
When Mack see’s that I’m calmer, he turns toward the nurse. “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but we’re the only family she has. Please just tell us where she is and if she and the baby are all right.” The nurse looks a little less irritated when she looks at Mack, but as soon as her eyes find mine again, they go hard.
Looking back to Mack, she says, “She’s on the fourth floor, but you’ll have to wait in the waiting area. She’s in surgery right now. That’s all I know. The doctor will come and find you when they have more news.”
Without waiting for anything else, I push my way to the stairs, ignoring Mack calling out for me to stop, and run up the stairs two at a time.
Barging into the waiting room, I see Jaxon hunched over a chair in the back. There’s no one else in the room, which I’m glad about. They’d probably just leave when they see all the bikers anyway.
“What happened? Did someone hurt her?” I ask Jaxon, needing to know everything.
He looks up and I can see that he’s trying to hold back his tears. “I don’t know, man. We were texting and I asked if she wanted to grab lunch. When she didn’t reply, I called, but got no answer. I just knew something was wrong, so I went to the shop as fast as I could. The door was locked and she wasn’t answering, so I kicked it in. When I got to her office, she was just lying there, unconscious. There was so much blood—”
“Did it look like someone attacked her?” I interrupt, not really wanting to hear about all the blood she lost. I fucking saw her office, I know what it looked like.
Jaxon shakes his head. “No. I think it was something to do with the baby.”
After he says that, I can do nothing but just drop to the floor. I’ve read all the books. I wanted to prepare myself for anything I would need to know for Dani’s pregnancy and awaiting our baby, so I know all the things that can go wrong.
I feel someone come up to me and place their hand on my shoulder. “They’ll be okay. Dani is strong, she’s a figh
ter. So is the baby. You need to stay strong, Blaze. They’re going to need you soon.” I can barely make out that it’s Louie talking to me, he speaks so low and I can tell that he’s holding back emotion of his own.
“It’s too early…it’s too early,” I whisper, knowing that if she delivers now, there’s a possibility the baby won’t make it.
I know my girl is a fighter. She’s been through so much worse so I know she’s going to be okay. I just hope our baby takes after her and will fight too.
Chapter 11
Two Hours Later
Zane
Zeke, if you can hear me, I need you now, brother. I’m sorry I was so angry at you when you left and hated you when you died. I just couldn’t see why you felt the need to do what you did, but even though I never told you, I’m so very proud of you and I miss you every day.
But today isn’t about me. Dani and our unborn baby is in trouble. I don’t know what happened, or if they are even okay, but I need you to be with them. I need you to give them strength and courage to fight whatever it is they need to fight to come back to me. I need them, Zeke. I need them like I needed you, but I know if I lose them too, I won’t be able to live anymore.
Please help them, Zeke. I can’t be there right now for them, but you can. Please, brother. Please save them.
***
For the past two hours, I’ve done nothing but kneel on this floor and pray to God that my girl and baby are okay. I’ve pleaded with my brother to help them. I’ve begged God to let me take their place. I’ve willed the doctor to come in and tell me my family is all right.
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