Blackness Within (The Blackness Series Book 5)

by Norma Jeanne Karlsson

  “Love you too, Sully.”

  I kiss his stubbly cheek one last time and float into work soaring above cloud nine. Everything feels so good; I don’t notice the hairs standing on the back of my neck. I don’t notice him watching me from afar. I don’t notice the danger lurking just around the corner.

  He will though. He’ll make certain I do.

  O’Sullivan

  “It’s time!” Kellerman bellows through the house.

  We all sprint into action. All of our parents are here in anticipation of the looming due date. Our brothers are on stand-by so we start texting while we gather bags and load into our cars.

  Just as I’m about to text Cooper, my phone rings and his name flashes as the incoming caller.

  “Good timing, man.”

  “Kat’s water finally broke,” Cooper responds.

  “Fuck, we’re on our way to the hospital with Kid. I’ll come grab Jessie, drop her at my place with the grandparent force and you get Kat to the hospital.”

  They only live down the street from us so I hang a U-turn and head back that direction.

  “Thanks, man.”

  “Be there in a sec.”

  I pull in their driveway and hop out as Cooper shuffles his wife to their SUV while he cradles his toddler against his chest.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” I mutter against Kat’s cheek before I help her climb into the SUV.

  “Thanks for helpin’,” she gasps out as a contraction hits her.

  “No problem. I’ll see you soon.”

  I shut her in and grab Jessie away from Cooper as he throws bags in the backseat. He slaps my back then sprints around the hood. He speeds down the street and I eat Jessie’s cheeks for a minute before I load her in one of the twin’s car seat.

  That’s right. I have car seats in my car at all times. I’m a good uncle. Don’t judge.

  We ride down the street only a few houses before we’re back at my place.

  I carry Jessie in through the garage and find my mom in the kitchen. Her black bob tucked behind her ears as she coos at the twins in their high chairs. Her brown eyes snap to mine before she demands, “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothin’, Ma. Kat’s water broke. Just droppin’ off Jessie.”

  Her face loses its worry as she pushes her glasses up her nose. My mom walks over to me and pulls Jessie from my arms, cuddling her close.

  Our parents have adopted the Cooper family like long lost relatives. I’m glad the Coopers get to share in what we have. Unconventional, unconditional love.

  Mary Callaghan walks in the kitchen and her dazzling blue eyes cloud with worry until I stop her.

  “Just droppin’ off Jessie. Kat’s in labor too.”

  “Thank God,” she huffs.

  “If you’re good, I’m gonna head to the hospital.”

  “We’re fine, Brian,” my mom scoffs at me.

  “Love you.”

  “Love you,” they call out in unison.

  I hurry back to my Mercedes and set an illegal pace to get to my sister and my friend. I move even quicker knowing Natasha’s working today and will surely be helping one of them through their labor and delivery.

  Kat’s a week overdue and Kid’s a week early. We joked their whole pregnancies that this could happen. I never thought it actually would. It’s kind of cool and kind of stressful. It’s a good thing we have a gigantic family in moments like this.

  My phone rings and I answer it with my hands-free.

  “Hello?”

  “Uncle Brian?” Sawyer’s voice filters into the speakers.

  “Yeah, bud.”

  “You got Jessie?”

  The Cooper brothers have a system that they set out when Kat got pregnant with Jessie. Each brother called dibs on a pregnancy and the resulting baby. Sawyer was second on the list, but his brother Jake had to pass the reins off to him. Jake’s in the DCA and hasn’t been home in years. He’s fighting demons while he eliminates bad guys. So with Jake out in the world somewhere, Sawyer has taken the head Cooper brother role. He does it well.

  “Just dropped her with Grandma Maggie and Grandma Mary. It’s all good,” I assure him and love that my mom gets the title she has with these boys.

  “Thanks for doin’ that for me.”

  Told you he’s good at this.

  “You headed in from Lawrence?”

  “Yeah. We’ll be there in twenty.”

  I can hear the engine roaring in the background.

  “Slow down, Sawyer. Your mom’s good. Get there safe. No car wreck fuckin’ the day up,” I order gruffly.

  “Aunt Shanny at the hospital yet?” He ignores my instructions.

  “I’m sure they’re just about there. I’ll see you guys soon. Drive. Safe.”

  “I’m bein’ safe,” he grumbles before ending with, “Later.”

  “Later.”

  I disconnect as the hospital comes into view. My pulse speeds up remembering almost beating two men to death at this place. No dangers like that exist for Kid anymore and I’m so fucking grateful for that.

  I launch out of my car and make my way to the labor and delivery unit, walking through the place like I own it.

  “Grey,” I bellow as I see her sexy ass bent over the nurses’ station.

  Her head pops up and her platinum ponytail swings over her shoulder. A bright beaming smile draws across her face as I stride toward her.

  I pull her forehead to my lips, aware this is her workplace and I don’t want to make a scene.

  “Just got ’em settled. Want me to take you back?” she asks, pulling out of my reach.

  “Yeah.”

  She turns around and leads me back to the rooms. I follow closely, my gaze planted on her rounded hips as she moves. Even in scrubs, she’s fucking hot as hell.

  “Stop it,” she chides over her shoulder.

  “Stop what?” I feign innocence.

  “You know what.”

  “Stop bein’ hot.”

  She snorts as she arrives at a door.

  “Shannon’s in here. Kat’s just there,” she says pointing across the hall. “I’m Shannon’s nurse. I’ll check in on Kat too when I can.”

  She reaches her hand up and cups my cheek before trying to turn away from me. I grab her wrist and pull her to me. Fuck work.

  I plant a long closed-mouth kiss on her lips and pat her ass when I’m done. Her cheeks are flushed when I let her go. She shakes her head out of the daze I caused and smiles sweetly at me before moving down the corridor, her hips swaying a little more than usual.

  I poke my head into Kat’s room first.

  “Hey,” I call from the doorway.

  Kat’s already progressing quickly based on the look of pain on her face and the sheen of sweat dotting her brow. Her hazel eyes pop open at the sound of my voice and Cooper’s gaze moves from his wife to me.

  “Jessie’s all set and your boys are on the way. You need anything?”

  “Thanks, man. We’re good here,” Cooper answers.

  “We’re not fuckin’ good here! You’re good and I’m shitting a knife!” Kat shouts.

  I stifle a laugh with a cough as Cooper shoots me a bug-eyed look that begs for help. He’s a lethal killer and he’s afraid of the woman he’s married to. I love it.

  I look over my shoulder and find Kid resting comfortably, obviously not as for along as Kat, and decide to help my friends out.

  I stride to the side of Kat’s bed and drop into a chair asking, “Rubbing or pressure?”

  “Both,” she snarls.

  Cooper and I help her hang her legs off the side of the bed. She leans against his chest while I roughly rub her back. I’m working up a sweat and watching the monitor next to Cooper to see when Kat’s contractions are building and leaving. They’re getting stronger and coming more quickly. She’s not going to be laboring much longer.

  “I wanna push,” Kat announces and Cooper pushes the call button.

  “Yes?” a female voice asks.

 
; “My wife wants to push,” Cooper says gruffly.

  “Your nurse will be right there.”

  A few seconds later, Natasha hurries into the room.

  “Kat? You feelin’ like you need to push?”

  “Yes,” Kat groans.

  “Let’s lie you down.”

  Cooper and I help Kat to her back. I keep my eyes on her face as Natasha takes a look and then orders, “Sully hit that call button.”

  I do.

  “Yes?”

  “She’s crowning. I need Doctor Smith now!”

  There’s no response from the voice so I assume she’s doing as she was told.

  “Kat, I need you to take some long deep breaths for me. I know you wanna push, but I need you to wait just a few more seconds.”

  “Can’t,” Kat snarls and tries to fight off her natural urges.

  Natasha moves around the room at a fevered pace setting up everything to deliver the baby.

  “Nicky,” Kat whimpers.

  Cooper leans his face to his wife’s and whispers something to calm her. She clamps down on my hand as another contraction comes.

  “Mom!” Sawyer’s panicked voice comes from behind me.

  Then we’re surrounded by Cooper brothers and Cara.

  “Hey, boys,” Kat’s motherly sweetness flows from her pained lips.

  Then she winces as another contraction comes.

  “I can’t wait,” she groans.

  All three Cooper brothers look at their mother with concern and then to their father, who’s solely trained on Kat.

  “She’s okay, boys,” Natasha assures them, placing herself on a stool between Kat’s legs.

  I watch Natasha work. Her face is a mask of determination as she coaches Kat. She’s soothing and reassuring. Offering Kat strength and comfort.

  Kat can’t contain herself any longer and bears down while Natasha prepares to deliver this baby. Where the fuck is the doctor?

  Natasha grabs a bulb sucker and starts doing a lot of suctioning between Kat’s legs. I look away out of respect when finally the doctor and another nurse run into the room. He’s rearranging his scrubs and the nurse is smoothing hers down.

  Normally, I would find this funny. Right now it just pisses me off.

  “Head’s out,” Natasha informs the doctor as he washes his hands and gloves them.

  “Let’s deliver this baby,” he says in a chipper tone as Natasha lets him takeover.

  “I’ve been delivering my baby. Where the hell were you?” Kat snarls as she pushes again.

  “You’re doin’ good, Kat,” he says ignoring her question.

  I watch Natasha at the baby warmer, preparing for the new arrival. She’s pissed. I don’t blame her. If I wasn’t getting my hand broken right now, I’d go to her.

  A few seconds later there’s a splash on the floor and then a loud scream from the baby. Kat finally releases my hand and reaches for her…

  “Congratulations! It’s a girl,” the doctor exclaims, setting the baby on Kat’s chest.

  She cuddles the little girl as Cooper cuts the cord. I spy the Cooper brothers watching in awe as their sister cries and wiggles. Kat holds the baby for a long time and nurses her while the doctor finishes doing whatever he’s doing between her legs.

  I know what’s happening, but I’m concentrated on my woman. She’s having tense words with the other nurse. They’re quiet and no one but me notices. I’m getting aggravated watching the posture of the other nurse. I know Natasha can hold her own, but if this bitch is causing problems I’m going to say something.

  When Kat’s done nursing, the bitchy nurse takes the baby to Natasha. While Natasha works, the nurse and the doctor talk in whispers before the doctor approaches my woman. I start moving in their direction to hear, “You just got your job back. I’d hate for you to put it in jeopardy so quickly.”

  Natasha pales a little and I pounce.

  “Hey.”

  I feel the Cooper brothers at my back, itching for a fight.

  “Can I help you?” the doctor says almost annoyed.

  “Yeah. You can get the fuck away from my girlfriend and then apologize for threatening her for starters. Then you can get out of this room and inform administration a complaint is about to be made about your unprofessional behavior.”

  “I’m not sure what you think you heard—”

  “Save it,” I cut him off with a hand in his face. “Natasha was in here delivering a baby on her own while you got your rocks off in the supply closet. I’m sure the Coopers don’t appreciate that unnecessary stress.”

  “Sure don’t,” Kat calls from her bed.

  “Now, tell Natasha you’re sorry. And thank her for saving your ass. You’re lucky there weren’t complications. That would be a messy malpractice suit.”

  Natasha has been listening intently with a small smile on her lips while I’ve been talking, all the while attending to the baby. Now that she’s wrapped in a blanket with a hat on her head, Natasha moves around Dr. Dipshit and me to pass the baby to her parents.

  Kat and Natasha share a sweet smile and Kat thanks Natasha for her help before Cooper wraps her in a tight hug and kisses her cheek. Then Natasha comes to my side. I sweep my arm around her, the Cooper brothers not moving an inch from me. Cara’s at my other side, staring down the nurse.

  “Any time now,” I goad.

  He clears his throat before saying, “I’m sorry for what I said. That was unprofessional of me. Thank you for your help with this delivery.”

  Natasha doesn’t respond, but the Cooper brothers do.

  “That was lame,” Sawyer points out.

  “Pathetic,” Cole chimes in.

  “Awful,” Dane finishes.

  I fight not to smile. The doctor twitches uncomfortably, not knowing what to do.

  “Run along,” I order as though I’m speaking to a petulant child.

  He starts to say something and thinks better when I take a step toward him, ominous and foreboding.

  He and the nurse turn tail and run.

  “Thanks, O’Sullivan,” Cooper says from Kat’s bedside. The Cooper brothers all clap me on the back and kiss Natasha’s cheek as they go to meet their sister. Cara kisses my cheek before wrapping Natasha in a tight hug. It warms my heart. They’ve formed a bond over the tragedies in their lives. I hate that they went through what they did, but I love that they have each other to lean on now that they’ve survived.

  When Cara let’s Natasha go, she glides over to meet the baby with a broad smile on her stunning face. Love that girl.

  “Thanks, Sully,” Natasha whispers.

  I lean down and kiss her crimson lips, softly with love.

  “Never again will anyone threaten you on my watch, Grey. Love you. You were fuckin’ awesome.”

  She rests her head against my chest and wraps her arms around my waist before softly saying, “I love you, Sully.”

  I hold her a long while, breathing in her peaches and cream. What I just witnessed has been coming more and more over the past few weeks. Natasha is gaining her strength back. She didn’t back down to the nurse or the doctor. While she was nervous as he was threatening her, she didn’t back away or cower. My woman is finding herself and I’m so fucking proud of her.

  “I should go check on Shannon,” she mumbles as she pulls out of my embrace.

  “I’ll be right over. Gonna go kiss the baby,” I say through a grin.

  She raises up on her tiptoes and I lean down to meet her lips halfway. It’s a sweet gentle kiss that I want to take to the next level. I don’t, but I do squeeze her ass once. She smiles against my mouth before swaying out of the room.

  “You rocked, gorgeous,” I compliment Kat.

  “Thanks for helpin’ out, Brian. I hope I didn’t hurt you,” she says sheepishly.

  “I’ll heal. Give me that baby so I can spoil her before I go across the hall and get assaulted some more.”

  Kat rolls her eyes at me as she hands me her tiny bundle. I cradle he
r close to my chest and whisper sweet girly shit to her. She’s stunning. I know babies are usually wrinkly squished blobs, but this little girl is perfection. She’s gazing up at me with deep sapphire eyes that match her father’s perfectly with a nose that mirrors Kat’s. She’ll send Cooper to prison in fifteen years when the boys come calling. I’ll probably end up in the cell next to his.

  “This one’s yours right?” I ask Cole as he approaches me.

  “She’s mine,” Cole replies with a predatory look about him.

  Good man.

  His soft blue eyes twinkle as I pass his sister to him. He cuddles her tenderly, telling her how beautiful she is. My heart sails a little higher watching them and even more so when I look to see pride on Cooper’s face and tears brimming Kat’s eyes. They’re great parents, building an unconventional family.

  “Where’s my newest girl?” Kav bellows from the doorway, striding in with a giant smile on his face.

  Cole tips his arm to show off his sister and Kav stops in his tracks.

  “Shit,” he huffs, running his meaty paw over his head. “She’s a prison sentence waiting to happen.”

  The room chuckles, but none of us disagrees.

  Olivia Marie Cooper, named after her deceased grandmothers, continues to stun my family with her beauty. When our parents and brothers begin to show up, I watch little Jessie place a sweet kiss on her sister’s head and I see love beaming from her tiny face that’s just as breathtaking as the baby’s.

  A loving family. A perfect day. Now it’s time to see what Kid is bringing into the world. I hope to hell it’s not another girl. We can’t all go to prison.

  “We’re all goin’ to prison,” Cal mutters over my shoulder gazing down at our niece, bundled in my arms.

  “I won’t let Bubba get you,” I assure him.

  Mary-Ann Margaret Kellerman is as breathtaking as she should be. She has auburn peach fuzz and light blue eyes that will end up the same stunning green of Kid’s. And God help us, I see the same steely determination in her features as she studies my face.

  I love Johnny and the twins, but I’ve never been more thankful then now that I know Mary-Ann has three older brothers to watch over her in life.

  I look up at Kid as she continues to hug my mom and Mary. They immediately started crying when Kid told them Mary-Ann’s name. They cry all the time anyway, but this is a little more intense. I wish Kav’s mom were here to see her legacy too. The look on Kav and his brother’s faces says they wish that even more than I do.