by Debra Kayn
"Yes." She exhaled in relief. "Thank you so much."
The music ended. She turned around, flustered at the change of routine. Usually one of the bikers shut the place down and the night ended quickly. Spotting the sheriff, she hurried over to his side.
"Risa's having her baby, and the guys have gone to be with her and Kurt at the hospital. Can you do me a huge favor and announce that Silver Girls is now closed and escort the customers outside?" she asked. "We've found it goes easier when the men close the door for the night."
"Sure." Sheriff Colby put his hand on her arm. "Lock the door behind me."
With everything taken care of, she tapped the phone and called the club. Nobody answered, so she left a message letting the bikers know the girls would be there soon and Moroad MC would be taking them. She then tried Remmy's phone, and when it too went to voice mail, she called Lee.
He picked up the call on the first ring. "I am so glad you answered. Risa's having her baby, the girls are being escorted back to the club by the Moroad riders, do not shoot them. Where is everyone?"
"Shit. Sorry. Reception is back up in the warehouse, a satellite must be down. I just came in to get us all a beer." Lee blew out his breath. "I'll meet the girls. Call if the others need anything."
"Okay...Uncle Lee." She grinned. "I can't believe Risa's having her baby."
"Settle down, sweetheart. She's probably not having it right this second. These things take days."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to let you go. Call if you hear anything, and watch for the girls."
"Will do."
"Bye." She pocketed her cell and went back with the girls.
After informing them of what was going on, the Silver Girls screamed in excitement and gathered their belongings, making Lilly promise to call the moment they heard the baby arrived. The Moroad women quickly followed them out. Katie remained at the backdoor with her. Once the motorcycle engines started and the truck backed up, Lilly shut the door.
"Turn around. I need to set the alarm." Lilly waited until she had privacy and keyed in the code. "Okay, done. Run up the stairs."
They both clambered up the stairs, laughing and bumping into each other. Whether it was the exhilaration of the night with Risa having her baby or she'd passed the point of exhaustion, she held on to Katie and locked the upstairs door.
She wiped her eyes and wished Katie a good night. Alone in the hallway, she went to the far end and double checked to make sure the second story entrance was locked for the night. Then went into her and Ink's apartment and locked the door. She pressed her hand to her forehead and walked into the kitchen. Two aspirin would do the trick for her headache, and then she'd sit down and wait for the girls to call.
The water tasted wonderful, and she drank the whole glass full. She rotated her neck and closed her eyes, stretching her tensed muscles. A yawn came out of nowhere and she covered her mouth. She needed to start getting more sleep and drinking more water. Maybe her headache came on suddenly because she was dehydrated. Since Ink claimed her, she'd been going and going and probably hadn't drank enough lately.
In the living room, she took off her bra and slid it through the top of her shirt. She sighed in relief, feeling more comfortable as she plopped down on the couch with the phone in her hand.
She looked to see if any messages came in and realized it was almost two thirty. She pulled up her contacts when a text came in from Jojo.
We're home. The guys just walked in. Everyone's excited. Call with news.
She texted back. Thanks. No news yet. Will call when I hear.
Relieved everyone knew what was going on, she closed her eyes to give the aspirin time to work. She set the phone on her chest in case anyone tried to get ahold of her. Her legs twitched from exhaustion, and she was too lazy to take her boots off.
She smiled to herself, and wondered what the new baby was going to look like. Kurt and Risa made sure they never found out what the sex was going to be prior to the birth, and Lilly thought it would be neat to see Kurt have a little girl. However, a little serious son like Kurt toddling around the club would be adorable too.
She yawned loud and long, letting her upper body lean on the arm of the couch. She exhaled and her muscles relaxed. If her and Ink ever had a baby, he or she would probably have blond hair. He'd mentioned wanting a kid someday, and she liked the idea.
A scream rudely jostled her from her rest. She sat up, staring at the door. She cocked her head to listen, but all she heard was silence. Maybe she'd drifted off and imagined the sound. Katie was the only one in the building, and she'd worked hard tonight. She was probably fast asleep.
Lilly looked at her phone to make sure it wasn't an alert from the club. Her heart raced. God, she hated when she dreamed when she thought she was awake. It could've even been noise from outside. She wasn't used to living in town, even though the streets were probably empty now that the bars closed too.
A thump came from the hallway. She froze. No, that was real.
She stood, found her balance, and opened the door, looking toward the end of the hall at Katie's door.
Light shined out into the hallway. She tucked her phone into her pocket and walked over to see if Katie was okay.
At the open door, a man jumped out and grabbed her arm, pulling her inside. She struggled against her capture, searching for Katie.
"Hold still, bitch." The man tossed her away from him.
Lilly landed on the couch. Her upper body crashed into Katie. She looked to Katie for answers, but only received a worried look in return.
Tears fell down Katie's face. Lilly carefully turned her head and looked at the man. Fear consumed her.
Over six foot tall, lean, and twitchy, the man swept his greasy shoulder length hair out of his eyes and kept a pistol aimed at the couch where Lilly and Katie sat. Lilly slowly moved to sit up, reaching for Katie's hand.
"What's going on?" she asked, keeping her voice low and even.
"Shut up." The man waved the gun. "Give me your phone."
Lilly reached into her pocket and tossed her cell to him, deciding to give him anything he asked for to get rid of him. "How did you get in here?"
"I said, shut your fucking mouth," he yelled.
The alarms should've gone off. She'd made sure she set them, and the second floor door was locked.
"You should leave," she said.
The man ignored her and tapped on the screen, putting the phone to his ear. Lilly leaned closer to Katie while the man was distracted.
"Who is he?" she whispered.
"Troy," Katie whispered back. "Please, Lilly, don't make him angry. He's acting crazy. Maybe if we leave him alone, he'll leave."
Troy? She glanced at the man. Katie had said her man was in jail.
"Yeah, it's me." The man gazed at her while speaking into the phone. "I need a ride. My bike is broke, and I need to get out of town."
The man's nervous gestures and wild pacing grew more erratic. Lilly leaned forward. Her pistol was still in her boot from earlier.
Troy surged forward, pointing his gun at her. "Sit back."
She clenched her teeth. If he'd turn away, she could get her pistol and force him out of the building.
"Nah, man. The club turned their back on me." Troy paced in front of the couch. "I'm telling you, I need a ride out of here before the cops catch me."
Katie nudged her and whispered, "I'm so sorry."
"Did you let him in?" she whispered back, wondering how Katie would know the combination of numbers to shut off the alarm and why she'd open the door when the rules were no visitors after midnight.
Katie's mouth trembled and she shook her head. "I think he did something to the back door on the second landing. I swear I haven't even been out that door today. I came straight up to—"
"Shut up." Troy tossed the phone to the other side of the room. "When's your man coming back?"
Lilly's chin came up. She would not give away Ink's location. "He's not."
Troy sneered and he ran his forearm across his mouth. "You're lying."
"I'm not. We got in a fight during the show and he took off in my car." Lilly sprawled her fingers out on her thighs, inching to keep her hands close to the pistol in her boot.
"You better not be fucking with me." Spit sprayed from Troy's mouth.
She shook her head and reached for her pistol at the same time. Awareness of what she was doing flashed in Troy's eyes and she panicked.
Troy lunged forward, pistol whipping her face. Pain and force knocked her head to the side and her vision flashed. She cried out, blinking frantically against the flashes of light blocking her vision.
Katie screamed for Troy to stop. Lilly blindly reached for her boot again and a rough hand grabbed her wrist. She screamed as the warmth of the barrel of her pistol, resting against her leg, slid out of the inside of her boot.
Sharp throbbing pierced her skull. She squeezed her eyes closed and groaned. She reached out for Katie and couldn't feel her. God, she had to make the pain stop. She had to get her and Katie out of here before Ink came home.
Chapter Twenty Nine
Kurt stood at the side of the hospital bed, holding Risa's hand, and threatening every doctor and nurse that came near his old lady. Ink stood inside the room, near the door, and watched his president in amusement. The calm serious biker with a sense of responsibility that mystified him on a daily basis was losing his head.
"Where the hell is Sawyer?" Kurt demanded.
"Honey, the doctor wants him to clean up and put on scrubs before he steps into help me." Risa rubbed her gown covered belly. "Just relax. The doctor said I could have an hour or more before I have to start pushing."
"I'm relaxed," Kurt snapped.
Ink rubbed his jaw, hiding his smile. "Why don't we get a cup of coffee, Prez."
"I'm not leaving her." Kurt leaned down, kissed Risa's forehead, and cradled her head in his arms.
Risa's head pitched forward. Her face contorted. Ink stared in horror at the change coming over her.
"Breathe, dammit," Kurt yelled.
Risa's hand came up and slapped at Kurt's arm. Ink stepped into the doorway in case he had to run and get the doctor. Whatever was happening to Risa every few minutes was not normal.
Risa groaned loud and long, and then relaxed again. Ink's stomach hurt, and he inhaled deeply.
"That's fucked up," Ink muttered, wanting to get out of the room before the next attack happened.
Kurt shot a glacial glance at him. "Just wait until Lilly has your baby."
"No way." He cupped the back of his neck, shaking his head. "I'd never put her through this shit."
Risa laughed softly, winded, and tired, her eyelids drooping. "Lilly would love to be pregnant."
Ink squeezed his eyes closed and groaned. Why in the hell were they talking about Lilly having a baby? That was a long way off. Sure, he wanted a kid or two. But, hell, if this is what it took for Lilly to pop out a baby, they could adopt. It didn't matter to him how the kid got here as long as Lilly didn't have to go through any pain.
"Let's roll...," sang Sawyer, squeezing past Ink into the room. "How's momma doing?"
"I'm so glad you're here, Sawyer." Risa hefted her body higher on the bed. "Everything you've taught me is making this easy."
"Bull shit," Kurt said.
Risa hushed him. "It really is helping."
Kurt grabbed Sawyer by the shoulders and planted him beside Risa. "Stay. Do not move. Do not fucking leave me again."
Sawyer whistled and winked at Risa. "Badass biker's falling apart, momma Risa."
Sawyer and Risa laughed together. Ink walked over to Kurt before he killed Sawyer. "Let's walk out for a few minutes."
"No," Kurt said. "I'm staying."
"Honey, at least go out in the hallway and stretch your legs. I need a break before I start cussing at you for hovering. I'll be fine. Sawyer's here." Risa patted Sawyer's hand. "Ink, take him outside."
Ink grabbed Kurt's vest, pulled him away from the bed, and got him as far as the waiting room before Kurt stopped. Able to breathe better away from the drama inside the birthing room, Ink took a seat in one of the plastic chairs while Kurt paced in front of the windows.
"What time is it?" Kurt asked.
Ink checked his phone and frowned. "It's three o'clock."
"Silver Girls is closed." Kurt frowned. "How'd they get back to the club?"
"Moroad," Ink mumbled. "I'll call Lilly and check in on everyone."
"Shit." Kurt sat down and then stood back up. "I can't believe Risa's water broke. She's two weeks early."
"Shit happens, Prez. Babies come when it's time to come." Ink glanced up at him. "Everything will be okay. Sawyer's got this."
Kurt shoved his hands in his pockets. "Risa's depended on Sawyer for the last nine months."
"His mom's a midwife. The kid has seen more pussy than all of us." Ink grinned. "Who saw that coming, huh?"
Kurt chuckled painfully. "I want this over with. It's killing me, bro."
"Hang in there, and before you know it, Risa will be back to her old self and you'll have a kid." Ink stared down at his phone. His chest tightened. Lilly wasn't answering his text and she hadn't sent him anything. He pushed the call button. Maybe she was sleeping. She did have a headache earlier and probably laid down to rest and conked out.
The phone rang and rang, and kicked over to voicemail. "Hey, I'm at the hospital. Risa's fine. No baby yet. Call me."
"No answer?" Kurt asked.
He shook his head. Something was wrong. In all the excitement, maybe Lilly's headache was worse than she let on. He should be there instead of wasting time babysitting Kurt at the hospital.
The buzz of a cell vibrating filled the room. Ink looked at his screen. It was black.
"It's mine." Kurt held his phone to his ear. "Yeah?"
Ink stood, a heaviness settling over him not knowing if Lilly was okay. Kurt's eyes found his, and Ink's breath left him.
"When?" Kurt's mouth hardened. "Yeah, he's here. Hang on."
"What's going on?" Ink stepped closer
Kurt held out the phone to Ink. "It's the Sheriff. The silent alarm is going off at Silver Girls and the doors are locked. Apparently, one line from the alarms was cut and whoever did it had no idea you'd installed a second line that was better hidden."
He snatched the phone out of Kurt's hand. "Where's Lilly?"
"Ink, I've walked around the whole building and even checked the second floor entrance in the back. Everything is locked up tight," Sheriff Colby stated. "I knew you were at the hospital with Kurt, and called him right away. The alarm signaled the security company twenty minutes ago, and the company called the department. I was there to take the call."
"Are you at the Sterling Building now?" Ink asked.
"Yeah."
"Stay right there. I'll be there in ten minutes." Ink looked at Kurt, received a nod, and spoke into the phone. "Do not move and whatever you do, do not let Lilly or Katie leave that building."
He was halfway to the door when he hung up on the sheriff and Kurt said his name. "The alarm's silent. Lilly wouldn't know if someone broke inside. Something's wrong. She's not answering my call."
"I'll call the club and send the first riders to town." Kurt tapped the screen on his phone. "Be careful, bro."
Sawyer flew into the room almost colliding with Ink. "Risa wants you, Kurt. She's dilated to ten and she's starting to push."
Ink hurried out of the room, and took the stairs down to the first floor. In the parking lot, he dug out his keys and cussed. He wished he'd had his Harley and not Lilly's car. While the Mustang was fast, his Harley was faster.
He drove out of the parking lot, crossed two blocks, and cruised down river road instead of taking the interstate. The corners had him slowing down when all he wanted to do was get back to Lilly. She was alone, and he wanted to protect her.
If anything happened to her...
He shut off the radio, agitated
over the noise as if the music was to blame for him not being there with her. She always played her favorite songs loud, until the bass thrummed in her chest. Then she'd take the top down on the car, and stick her arm out the side, letting her hand ride the airflow. He hit his lights to high beam. God, he loved to watch her be herself.
Carefree and adventurous, she'd always skipped through life with a grin of mischief. Whether it was stealing candy out of the bar or slipping him an ace during a poker game, she could talk the most stubborn man into doing what she wanted. Once she turned into an adult, there wasn't much she had to do to get him panting after her. He wanted to capture the joy and laughter, and make her even happier until she could only see him.
Headlights lit up the curve in the road. He gripped the steering wheel and burned rubber until he straightened the car. He finally got the one woman that owned and protected his heart, and he wasn't going to let anything take her away from him.
It'd taken him years to pull his head out of his ass and be the man she deserved. He turned under the viaduct. The tires squealed in protest at his heavy boot on the gas pedal. His heart pounded, weak and unprotected, at the thought of not having her in his life. He ignored the speed limit, the darkness, the rest of the town sleeping safe in their beds. The only thing that mattered was finding Lilly and keeping her beside him.
He slowed down as he turned off Main Street and crept down Cedar Street. He spotted the sheriff's rig at the corner. He pulled over to the curb and jumped out of the car. He didn't want to park behind the building in case someone was inside, became spooked, and put Lilly in more danger.
The sheriff stepped out from the side alley and motioned Ink over. He jogged into the shadows.
"Anything?" Ink asked.
Sheriff shook his head. "The lights are on all over the second story. The security company said to leave the alarm going, and they'll wait for your call that everything is clear. Do you have the keys to get inside?"
"Yeah." Ink turned at the sound of motorcycles. "That's the first riders. Do me a favor and take a walk."