by Lila Rose
“Well, not really hospitals, but doctors… needles.” Jimmy, when he’d had me stripping back in Sydney, used to inject me on some occasions with some concoction, so I was more pliable and wouldn’t fight back.
“You hate needles?” He paused, his teeth grinding together. “That fucker drugged you?” he guessed.
“Sometimes,” I whispered. I hadn’t told Lissa how much he’d done it. I didn’t want her to worry so had fought the withdrawals on my own. That was another reason that after we were safe, I’d been so moody and out of it at times.
“Fuck,” he clipped. “That why you didn’t want to get checked out after?”
“Some of it.” I nodded. “Another part, I didn’t want to be touched.”
Why did I admit that to him?
“You haven’t seen a doctor since before?”
“I know I need to, should have, but… no, I will one day.”
My leg started to bounce again. Finn’s hand came down on it, and I stopped. “Want me to come with you?”
Did I?
“Um, maybe?”
He studied me. “Be back.” Then he got up and went to the nurses’ station. What was he doing? I hoped he was up there to just find out about his brother, but I had a feeling he wasn’t. When the nurse looked over his shoulder at me, I was certain he wasn’t. I almost swallowed my tongue from sucking in a deep breath as fear filled me from my toes to the top of my head.
I watched as the nurse nodded, then disappeared out the back. Standing, I took a step towards the exit.
“Del, where you going?” Lissa asked. I glanced down at her and next she was standing. “What’s wrong?”
“Della,” Finn bit my name out, gaining my attention. I swung my eyes to his as he came up beside me.
“Handle,” Lissa warned.
His eyes were on me, but he said to Lissa, “Go sit back down.”
“I don’t—” she started.
Shifting, his head slightly to the side, he gentled his tone and said, “Please.”
Out the corner of my eyes, I saw her nod and shift off to Dallas. I wanted to reach out and stop her, but then Finn’s gaze came back to mine, and it was warm and caring and captivated me completely. My breath caught. He stepped closer. His hand came up to cup my neck, the other landed on my waist.
“Sweetheart, it’s better to get that shit outta the way.”
“I don’t know if I can,” I muttered, my voice shaking at the end.
“You can. I know it, and I won’t let you do it on your own.”
“Mardella Kent?”
When my name was called, I jumped.
“Do you want me or Melissa in there with you?”
You! my mind screamed.
“Mardella Kent?” was called again. It wasn’t the nurse from the front office. It was a different one, an older one.
“You can do this, darlin’,” Finn reassured. He kissed my forehead, stepped back, and took my hand. I guess I didn’t have to answer who I wanted in there with me—that was if my feet would move—maybe he’d read it on my face.
With a tug of my hand, I stumbled forward. He released my hand and placed his arm around my shoulders.
“Is everything okay?” Lissa asked, standing by Dallas.
“Yep,” Finn answered.
“Della?” she questioned me, ignoring him.
“I…” Glancing from Lissa up to Finn, I then looked back at my friend and nodded. “It’s fine, just a few tests.”
Lissa’s bottom lips trembled. She knew I hadn’t gone to the doctors, and I’d told her I didn’t want anyone touching me. She’d understood, but had been worried about it all along. Her sadness showed with the tears forming in her eyes.
When we reached the nurse, Finn said, “We’re waiting on some news about her brother, so we need to get this done as quickly as possible.”
“Of course.” The nurse nodded and then led us through the doors and to a hospital bed in its own bay. “Just sit on the bed, and a doctor will be with you shortly. It’s lucky it’s a slow afternoon, or else we wouldn’t have been able to do this.” With that, she spun towards the exit, stepped out, and pulled the curtain across.
Finn grabbed my waist and hoisted me up onto the bed, my breath escaping me in a gasp. He moved between my legs, tilting my face up with a finger under my chin. “You’ve got this.”
I nodded. Not sure I believed him.
“You do, sweetheart, and I’m right here with you. Just a few blood tests, that’s all it is.”
My body jolted when the curtain was abruptly pulled back, and a woman in her fifties entered. She looked up from her clipboard and smiled.
“Mardella Kent?”
“Y-yes.”
“I’m Dr Anders. You want to get some blood work done, all STDs and such?”
When I didn’t say anything, Finn moved to my side. Gripping my hand in his, he answered, “Yeah, all of them. Look, she hates needles, so you gotta go easy on her.”
God, he was amazing. We were just lucky to get a female doctor, though. If it had been a man, I didn’t think I’d still be sitting on the bed.
“Not to worry.” She smiled warmly. “Before we get started, is there a chance you could be pregnant?”
“No, I… no.”
Dr Anders hummed under her breath. “You don’t seem so sure. When was the last time you’ve had your monthly?”
Shit. It’d been a very long time.
“She went through some trauma about four months ago.”
“What type of trauma?”
I couldn’t find my voice to answer and I didn’t want to anyway.
“Rape,” Finn clipped low.
The doctor’s eyes flicked from Finn to me, and back again to Finn, more precisely to our hands.
“I think it’s best if you step out—”
“No!” I cried. “Please, he can stay. I didn’t see anyone after it. I didn’t want anyone to touch me, but I’d like to get those tests done, please.”
She sighed. “Okay, dear. How about we do a pregnancy test just in case?”
“But they never, I was… and they never….”
“It’s okay,” she soothed. “Were you on the pill back then?” I nodded. “Are you now?”
“No, not for a long time.”
“Would you like to start up again?”
Did I? “Sure, why not.”
“I’d still like to do a pregnancy test.”
Sighing, I nodded. “Okay.”
“I’ll be right back.” She left to get whatever she needed. Leaning back, I closed my eyes, resting my head against the wall. I was grateful for Finn organising it. If I’d made an appointment, I probably would have backed out and never really gotten around to do it.
Squeezing his hand, I muttered, “Thank you,” then opened my eyes to see he was already looking at me.
He tugged me forward and then stepped between my legs again. My heart raced as he placed his hands on my waist and dragged my body closer to his. His intense eyes stared down at me, so I looked at his lips, which was the wrong move because I wanted them on me.
How weird was that? Sitting on a hospital bed, waiting for needles to be jabbed into me and to pee on a stick, yet all I could think about was having Finn’s mouth on mine.
“Sweetheart.” His voice was low and grumbly. I lifted my gaze to his. “The way you’re looking at my mouth makes me think you want a taste of me.” I bit my bottom lip. His eyes flicked down and then back up. He smirked, his hands digging into my hips. “You wanna taste of me, baby?” Opening my mouth to answer, I quickly snapped it closed again when nothing came out. Licking my dry lips, I glanced down to his still smirking mouth and back up, then to the side letting out a breath. A hand of his left my hip and threaded into my hair where he used it to guide my head back so he had my eyes. “Gonna give you a taste.”
“Finn,” I whispered. “We’re in a hospital room.”
“See that wasn’t a no, and I don’t give a fuck where we ar
e. If you want somethin’ from me, you’re gonna get it.” He leaned in slowly, his eyes flicking all over my face, maybe waiting for me to say no or for some type of reaction, but all I could do was sit still and breathe heavily.
His mouth pressed against mine, even when he still held my gaze. Then I felt his tongue slide out and lick over my lips. A gasp escaped me, and I slammed my eyes closed, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him into me as I touched my tongue to his. He groaned against my mouth, his grip on me tightening.
It was a kiss to remember.
A kiss that would play over and over in my mind along with the night we’d had together.
When a throat cleared, Finn grumbled against my mouth, and I found myself smiling. He pecked my lips once more before moving away, and to my horror, he adjusted himself right in front of the doctor. Of course I blushed, and the good doctor did the same.
His chuckle was sexy and rough. He moved back to my side, but not before tucking my hair behind my ear.
In that moment and from then on, I didn’t care if my head was mixed up with my feelings for Finn. My heart knew I was in love with him.
Chapter Eight
Handle
The doc had bad fucking timing. Jesus, that kiss, one of the hottest kisses I’d had, shot straight to my cock. I was hard in seconds. Screw if it was bad for two lost people to get together. Screw the fact we both had pasts that messed us right the hell up. It was time to live in the present and for the future, and I wanted my future with Della at my side, in my bed, and inside her, in more ways than one. Needed her heart to beat right along with mine, because I fucking loved her.
The realisation rocked my body enough to lock it solid.
I knew spending the three months with her in Sydney, seeing her fight her demons, had me growing fond of her. Then the night she’d come to my room, a month before I’d left, caused my mind and body to become obsessed with her. I wasn’t fighting it any longer.
Mardella Kent was mine.
“Finn?”
Shaking my head, I met Del’s amused stare, and asked, “Huh?”
“I’m just going to the toilet,” she said, waving a stick in her hand. I helped her down, and she walked out, looking over her shoulder to see I was watching her leave. She gave me a small smile. I winked in return.
Leaning my hips against the bed, I asked the doctor, who was writing some shit down. “So you good with needles?”
Her gaze lifted off the paper. “I’ve had over thirty years practice and no one’s complained yet.”
Raising a brow, I stated, “Let’s hope it stays that way.”
“I’m sure it will.” She glared.
“Do you know if there’s any news about Elvis Kent?” Fuck, I hoped to Christ Parker had used Della’s last name for our brother.
“The nurse informed me he’s Mardella’s brother, but there’s been no news. He was involved in a drive-by?”
Holding her stare, I shrugged.
Her lips thinned, and she was about to say something when Della turned into the bay. Del paused for a second, then held out a stick in some baggie thingy to the doctor.
“Right, that will take a moment. Let’s get your blood work done. Sit back on the bed, please.”
I straightened as Della came over, and then I helped her up on the bed. The doctor came over with a tray in one hand and a tourniquet in the other. She wrapped it around Della’s arm, tightening it.
When I noticed Del started to pant out her breaths, watching everything the doctor was doing, I climbed up on the bed beside her. “Sweetheart, look at me and not at what she’s doin’.”
It took a moment, but she finally glanced my way. Gently, I took hold of her chin and ran my thumb over her bottom lip. “Pick mentioned the other night they needed a barmaid at their bar. Think it’s somethin’ you’d do?”
The doctor moved to grab the needle. Della went to turn back, but I ran my hand to the side of her neck, stopping her movement. Her body trembled. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, I saw moisture. Fuck.
“Baby, what you think? A barmaid? Though, I’d have to be there every night you’re on so no horny arsehole hassles you. If they did, I’d have to kick them out after I’d beat them senseless.”
She jumped, gasping when the needle slid in. Her bottom lip trembled, and if she didn’t slow her breathing down, she’d pass out.
“Nearly done,” the doctor mumbled.
Della went to look again, but I stopped her. It was time to play dirty. “Think after we find out about your brother, we gotta go somewhere to have a chat.”
“W-what about?”
“You and me.”
Her eyes widened. “W-what?”
“Darlin’, you gotta know after that kiss there’d be a you and me.” I glanced down to see the doctor slide the needle out after filling three tubes of her red.
“You and me?” Del mumbled, more to herself.
“Yeah, baby. But we’ll talk about that later.”
“All done,” the doctor announced, turning away with the tray.
Della finally smiled shakily. Shock passed through me when she flung her arms around my neck and hugged me close. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
“Mardella, you need to rest for a moment after getting your blood taken,” the doctor warned.
Della pulled back, a tear dropping from her eye onto her cheek as she looked at me. I quickly wiped it away before she moved to just sit beside me, taking my hand in hers.
It’d been me reaching for her, so to see her take my hand, it meant something, and I knew I wasn’t feeling it alone.
Looking to the doctor in time to see her turn to Della with a serious gaze, she lifted the bag that held the pregnancy test and said, “You are pregnant.”
Both Della and I tensed. Slowly, we turned to each other.
I knew she’d been with no one else but me. I glanced down at her stomach. She wasn’t even showing so she couldn’t be more than two months… which meant… fuck me, Jesus Christ. Holy motherfucking shit.
It was mine.
Della was pregnant with my child.
“But we used a condom,” I stated.
“They’re not always foolproof. It could have broken without you realising it,” the doctor said, but I only had eyes for Del’s wide ones.
I certainly hadn’t taken any notice afterwards. I’d been too strung out about the scene to study the used condom.
“Give us a sec,” I ordered.
“I think it’s you who needs—”
My gaze snapped to the doctor and narrowed. “Get the fuck out for a moment,” I snarled.
“Please,” Del added quietly. She cleared her throat. “It’s just a shock to us. We need to talk.”
“I’ll be right outside.” With a final glare to me, the doc huffed and walked out. Jesus, what did the doctor think I was, some scum who raped her and was gonna tell her to get rid of the baby? Fuck, I might be covered in tats, but I wasn’t a monster.
Slipping off the bed, Del watched me and seemed a little uncertain how I was taking it all. I stepped between her legs again, laid my hands on the bed beside her legs and moved in close.
“Right, you’d have to be about two months, which means it’s mine.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I-I, um, I…. God, Finn. I’m so sorry, I-I—” she growled under her breath. “I don’t know what to say, what to think… a baby, Finn.”
“I know.” I nodded. “It’s a lot to think about, but what I do know is that you should never apologise. Hell, the condom in my wallet was bloody old. It could be my fault.” I cleared my throat, cupped her cheek and admitted, “However, it’s happened. We’ll deal with it together. We made something so goddamn precious, darlin’. A baby. You and me did that on a night that meant something to the both of us.” She gasped. “Sweetheart, I’d never regret that night. What was in your head was devastating, but so fucking beautiful at the same time.” I pressed my mout
h against hers for a moment. Her breath from her nose tickled my face since she was breathing heavily. “We’ll sort it all out together, Del. Promise.”
She blinked slowly. “W-what are you saying?”
Sighing, I rested my forehead against hers. “Time. We’ll need time, but know what I said before I meant it. There’s a you and me, Del, and all I’m askin’ is for you to accept that for now.”
“Finn….”
“Just answer me that for now. We can talk and take time to sort through everything else.”
“A baby.”
“I know.”
“It scares me,” she whispered.
“I know.”
Tilting her chin up, she pressed her lips against mine, and I felt the hope poured into that kiss. “There is a you and me.”
A grin spread across my mouth. “Fuck yeah.”
Apparently, the doctor had enough of waiting. She came back in and spouted off shit about testing, scanning, vitamins, and results. Thank fuck she wrote it all down because I didn’t take it all in. I was still in awe of the fact Della was carrying our baby.
Christ. A baby between Della and me.
It’d take a while, but I’d make sure my woman knew I wasn’t with her just because we found out she was knocked up. I’d decided before all that came to light she was mine. Eventually, she’d believe I’d been obsessed with her since day one, when I walked into that hotel room and saw her sitting on the bed, cowering. And then, with the way she’d stood up to us, wanting to be a part of the takedown of Jimmy and to get Melissa safe….
I’d fought it back then. I wasn’t fighting anymore.
I walked outta that room with Del’s hand in mine with a new outlook, and it was one filled with hope and love.
We made our way into the waiting room to find Dallas and Melissa still sitting where we’d left them. Del and I took our seats opposite them, and shit, it was comical how their gazes zoned in on our clasped hands.
“What’s goin’ on?” Dallas asked, looking at me.
“Yes, is everything okay?” Melissa questioned, her eyes drilling into the papers Della held in her hand resting on her lap.
“Not sure yet,” Del started, and then looked at me with a soft smile gracing her lips. “But we’ll work it out.”