Helen’s eyes got big when she saw the equipment, but before she could say anything a pain hit her. Must have been excruciating because her scream was even louder and more intense than it had been when Cheetah had first opened the door to the RV. After one sharp scream, she pressed her lips tightly together and squeezed her eyes shut.
Mama was there, with the ultrasound, concentrating on the side of her belly beside where the knife had penetrated before moving the probe to different angles around the knife.
“It’s cutting you with each contraction,” Mama muttered. “Slicing muscle and letting more fluid escape.”
“Help’s on the way,” Pops said to her softly.
Ten minutes later, Mama had monitors hooked up to Helen, IVs started, and all kinds of medical equipment ready. Even though Trucker had seen the woman work on members of Bones and their families before, it always amazed him how much equipment and supplies she managed to have hoarded away out of sight. She also had a wealth of people with importantly skills in the community who owed her favors.
A man entered from the back room. He wouldn’t have had to go through the common room, but had been admitted from the back by Pops, his identity preserved as much as possible. “Mama, I swear, if I pull this off, we’re even.”
Mama chuckled. “Maybe. But you’ll still help if I call you. If for no other reason than you have a need inside you to help people in trouble.”
The two talked at length, carefully planning out what they would do. When Helen became distressed, Trucker tried to distract her. Thankfully, there wasn’t another contraction like the last one. Trucker wasn’t certain he could take the anguished sound of her scream, knowing she must feel like she was being sliced apart from the inside out.
“You’re in good hands, you know. Mama is the best there is.”
“Who is she?” Helen’s voice shook and her hand tightened around Trucker’s again, but she seemed to be holding up.
Trucker shrugged. “One of us. We don’t ask too many questions when someone wants to keep their private life private. We just do our best to help out where we can.”
“So, if I wanted to keep my past a secret, you’d let me? Once this is all over, I can just leave?”
“We’ll talk about that later.” Trucker didn’t want to sound hypocritical, but he didn’t want to lie to her either. “Just get through this. Get the baby here. Everything else will take care of itself.”
Chapter Two
Helen woke to a sharp pain in her abdomen. The smell of antiseptic was astringent but oddly soothing. She hadn’t been in a clean room in longer than she could remember. Not clean like this. Sure, she’d kept her room clutter free and as clean of dust and dirt as she could, but she hadn’t been allowed any chemicals or anything that might harm the baby. She’d longed to really deep clean her surroundings, especially over the last few weeks, as she knew the time neared for her to have her baby.
Absently, her hand moved to her abdomen. She froze. There was no movement inside her. Her belly wasn’t nearly as big as it had been.
“Noooo!” The cry was torn from her. Had Levi actually done it? He’d told her he’d take her baby the second it was born and there was nothing she could do about it. “My baby!”
“Shh, shh, shh… hush now.” The voice was gravelly and gruff but gentle. She remembered that voice from before. Trucker? Was that his name? “Everything’s all right. You’re safe.”
“My baby. Where’s my baby?”
“Over there in the bassinette.” He gently turned her head to the side so she could see the clear-walled bed the infant slept in peacefully. “She’s fine. Mama checked her out thoroughly. Not a scratch on her. Little small, but seems otherwise healthy.”
Her gaze snapped to Trucker’s. “A girl?”
“That’s right. Little girl. The women are out shopping for the little princess as we speak. By the time you’re ready for visitors, they’ll have the nursery painted, decorated, and ready for you to move her in. Data’s already got baby monitors all over the fuckin’ clubhouse, and if I see another pink stuffed animal, I’m making every single member of Bones turn in their man cards.”
At any other time in her life, she’d have laughed. Given everything that had happened to her over the past year, she couldn’t find it in her.
She looked down at her torso. A hospital gown covered her, but she easily moved it aside to examine her belly.
“Mama says you’re fine. She says you’ll need to heal for several weeks before you can leave here.”
“What about…” Helen wasn’t sure she wanted to bring it up, but she had to know. “Can I still have children if I want more?”
“Can’t answer that, baby. You can talk to Mama when she checks on you later.”
“How long have I been out?”
He shrugged. “Twenty-four hours. You woke up fine after the surgery, but Mama thought it best to keep you out for a while to let your body heal.”
“Who’s been taking care of my baby?”
“Mama. Cheetah and some of the other women took a turn too. Especially Angel. She’s expecting, herself, and was excited to help.” He smiled at her. “You’ll have all the help you need until you’re feeling better.”
“No one’s going to take my baby, are they?”
“Honey, anyone tries, they gotta go through me. Don’t worry about that. Worry about getting better so you can spend some quality time with the little lady over there.”
Helen winced as she tried to move. Pain sliced through her, sharp and wicked, an uncomfortable reminder of what had happened the last time she’d trusted a man. Which brought everything back in sharp relief.
“Did you guys call the cops?”
“Why are you so against the cops helpin’ out? Looks like they need to get some thug off the street.”
“No cops,” she said firmly. “It will make things exponentially worse.”
Trucker nodded slowly, obviously not liking her answer. “OK then. No cops. You gonna tell me what’s going on?”
“You told me Bones didn’t mind if people kept their secrets. This is mine.”
“I can’t help you much if I don’t know the situation.”
“It’s not your problem. I’ll be fine.”
“Oh, really?” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Which was when Helen began to realize just how big this guy was. She might be more in over her head than she’d been before she escaped Levi, and that was saying something. “Didn’t look like you were fine when I found you.”
That made her stomach roil. Just the thought of everything that had happened made her ill with panic. Levi had caught her when Carol had tried to get her out of that hellhole. He’d told her he was going to cut the baby out of her, and he nearly had. If Carol hadn’t come back for her…
Without warning, her stomach heaved. Helen didn’t have much in her stomach, but what little she did came out in an explosive gush. Vomit and bile seemed to be everywhere. On the bed. On her. In her hair. On the floor. Over and over, she heaved. Trucker helped her lean over the side of the bed and held her hair out of her face. Helen was sure he’d gotten sprayed at some point, but he didn’t acknowledge it or react in any way.
“What on earth?” Mama hurried into the room. She got towels and a basin, tossing both to Trucker. “What happened?”
“I said something I shouldn’t have, and her body reacted.”
Helen lost track of the conversation then as she fought for control. Her abdomen hurt like hell, and she was afraid she’d torn something loose. With great, gasping breaths, she finally stopped heaving. She still felt sick, but the nausea was passing with every second.
“Lie still, child,” Mama said gently. “Let me get some clean bedding and a shirt for you. We’ll get this fixed up.”
“I need to go to the bathroom,” she said, her voice wavering pitifully.
“I got you.” Trucker started to help her out of bed, but Helen had had enough. She couldn’
t go head-to-head with this man right now. She just wasn’t up to it.
“No! Just… I can do this myself.” Helen pushed at him weakly, but managed to get to her feet on her own.
“I’ll be right here if you need help,” Mama said. “Be careful you don’t hurt yourself.” The older woman glared at Trucker, and her tone changed drastically. “You. Out.” It was a command. Nothing less. Surprisingly, Trucker said nothing. He only nodded before following her orders. Helen wondered if it was respect that had such an obviously Alpha male following orders from the woman. She thought it might be. Trucker was a bit rough around the edges, but he’d shown her and everyone around him respect from the moment she met him. Didn’t mean she was going to let him take over her life. From this point on, Helen was determined she would be responsible for own happiness. Not a man, or anyone else.
In the bathroom, she relieved herself, careful not to move too quickly. Her abdomen hurt badly, but she found it was manageable if she just went slowly. Once done, she patted her face down with water. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her face was thin. Undoubtedly she’d lost a lot of blood and was probably still a bit dehydrated. Helen looked around, found a toothbrush still in the package, and helped herself. She found a robe hanging behind the door and, again, helped herself. It was quite a bit too large for her, but she put it on anyway. It was either that or leave the bathroom naked. She’d puked on everything else.
Before putting on the robe, she examined her belly. Where the knife had been was a stitched area. Below that, another stitched wound she could only presume was from a C-section. She’d have some nice scars, no doubt. Small price to pay for her life and the life of her child.
Helen opened the door tentatively, fully expecting Trucker to be standing just outside waiting on her. But he wasn’t in the room. Mama was just finishing making the bed, but no one else was there.
“Feel better, child?” She smiled warmly at Helen. Helen liked Mama. She wasn’t sure she was ready to trust her, but she thought she might get there.
“Where’s Carol?”
“Cheetah? She’s having a talk with Cain, the president of Bones.”
“About me?”
Mama raised an eyebrow. “No. I think they intended to talk about painting Cain’s Harley a nice shade of pink.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Good topic of conversation, huh?”
“That your way of saying, ‘duh’?”
“It’s my way of saying you need to learn your surroundings. Yes. They’re talking about you. I doubt there is another topic of conversation anywhere in the clubhouse right now, and I’m pretty sure you know that. These people aren’t your enemies, Helen. They want to help, and they want to protect you and your daughter.”
Helen slumped against the wall, tired beyond anything she could ever remember. The months she’d spent with Levi had grown increasingly terrifying, but she hadn’t really done anything other than sit in the basement room where he’d locked her. After the stress of the fight to escape, the attack on her, then running for her life, not to mention whatever surgery these people had done to her, Helen’s body and mind were completely worn out.
“I haven’t had time to process everything.” She placed her hands over her abdomen as she’d done a thousand times over the last few months. Not feeling the child inside her gave her a panicked feeling. Like her baby was no longer safe. Fighting the sensation was proving difficult. Now that the nausea had passed and she was better in control of herself, not to mention starting to get a handle on the whole situation, there was only one thing she truly wanted. “I need to see my baby.” Helen tried to sound strong, like she was, indeed, feeling better. Instead, she knew she sounded as fragile as she felt.
“Of course,” Mama said, reaching out a hand to Helen and leading her to the bassinette. In the little bed lay the smallest, most beautiful baby Helen had ever seen. Her breath caught, and tears filled her eyes. She reached for the sleeping child and gathered her into her arms.
Awe filled her, and an overwhelming sense of urgency. She needed to get scarce. Someplace Levi could never find her. They hadn’t even left the city. It was only a matter of time before he came looking for her. Carol had managed to hurt him, but he wasn’t dead.
“You’re sure she wasn’t hurt? She’s well?”
“I’m positive. She’s a bit small, but since you weren’t exactly sure when your due date was, it may just be she was premature. But she seems to be doing fine. She’s eating small amounts and has wet diapers. My guess is that in a few days, she’ll be eating like a horse and demanding your full attention.”
“I asked before, but Trucker said I should ask you.” Helen looked up from her child to face Mama, needing to look into the other woman’s eyes when she asked her next question. “Will I be able to have more children?”
Mama smiled. “You will probably need to have a C-section, but you should be able to have more children. It would be a high-risk pregnancy and need to be monitored very closely, though.”
That rubbed Helen the wrong way. She felt like Mama was chastising her for not getting adequate prenatal care, though it wasn’t her fault she hadn’t. “You know, you have no idea what I’ve been through. I don’t mean to seem ungrateful, but I’d planned on being monitored closely during this pregnancy. Circumstances beyond my control prevented it.” The moment the words left her mouth, Helen was ashamed of herself. Mama wasn’t accusing her of anything. Simply answering Helen’s question as completely as she could.
Instead of going on the defensive, the other woman gave a satisfied smile. “You’ll be fine. And fit in here quite nicely, I might add. All I meant was your injury was traumatic to your uterus. As it stretches and expands to accommodate another child, it risks leaking fluid or rupture. No one is judging you for things beyond your control, dear.”
“Who was the man you had helping? Will he go to the police?”
“He’s an old friend. And no. He won’t go to the police.”
They sat in silence for a while after that. Helen looked down at her sleeping child. A little girl. She had a daughter. “I’m responsible for this whole little person,” she murmured. The gravity of the situation hit her pretty hard. She’d been stabbed, then given birth under extreme circumstances with people who seemed to have means and resources they shouldn’t. She’d definitely brought this child into the world under questionable conditions.
“Yes, dear. You’re responsible for this tiny little thing. She will exhaust you, try your patience, and frustrate you to no end. But she will be the most important person in your life and your greatest accomplishment.” Mama placed a hand on her back and rubbed gently. “She’s lovely, Helen.”
Helen looked up at Mama. “How long do I need to stay put before it’s safe to travel?”
Mama looked at her, tilting her head in disapproval. “If I were you, I’d give it at least a couple of weeks. You’re going to be very uncomfortable for a while and, should you overdo it, there’s still a very real chance you could hemorrhage.”
“I see.” Helen studiously avoided looking at the other woman, cuddling her baby to cover her discomfort.
“You know, you could stay here. In fact, I’d highly recommend it until they find the bastard who did this to you.”
She smiled up at Mama briefly before continuing to look at her child. “I appreciate that, but I don’t want to be more of a burden than I’ve already been. I need to get moving as soon as possible.” Mama was silent for a while, but Helen could feel her disapproval. “I’m really sorry,” Helen finally said to break the tension. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. Hell, we probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for all of you. But I don’t know you or what you are or how you have all this equipment or know doctors who are willing to come into a place like this and assist with a birth after the mother’s been stabbed and still not go to the police.” Her words ran together in her haste. She had no wish to offend anyone, but she was scared as hell to stay in Somerset.
* * *
Trucker waited outside the clinic area where Mama had kicked him out. He wasn’t letting Helen far out of his sight until he established some kind of rapport with her. Besides, just being away from her, knowing she needed someone to be there for her when he couldn’t be, was a decidedly uncomfortable feeling.
Fuck uncomfortable. It sucked ass.
“How’s the little mama doin’?” Torpedo approached from the great room.
“Understandably distraught. But hanging in.”
Torpedo looked at the door, then back at Trucker. “Why are you out here instead of in there? You’ve been by her side every fuckin’ second since she got out of surgery.”
“Fucked up.”
Torpedo gave an exasperated sigh. “Already? Fuck, Trucker.”
“Hey. I never half-done anything in my life. Why start now?” He tried to sound flippant about it but he’d never felt more like a failure.
“You guys need to go to some sensitivity training or some shit. Learn how to not piss off your women.”
“Oh, yeah? Wait till you get yourself one. See how fuckin’ easy it is. Besides. She’s not my woman.”
“Yet.”
“Whatever.” Trucker crossed his arms over his chest and stood guard in front of the door where Helen was currently recovering. He wondered how long he should wait until he tried to get back in. To distract himself he took the opportunity to question his vice-president.
“What did you find out from Cheetah?”
Torpedo’s gaze snapped to Trucker’s, anger flashing there. “It’s bad, brother. She did the right thing by getting Helen out of there when she did, but she should have gotten us for backup.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair and down his face. “Girl was being held captive by this guy named Levi Redding. Apparently he targeted her for the baby.”
Trucker (Bones MC 6) Page 2