by Unknown
“This is bullshit.” Lacy rubbed her stomach. Those nachos. The gas pains were getting worse. She was swearing off spicy food as of now. She dug in her purse for a Tums and chewed.
Ed frowned at her. “As a cat, I know you understand family loyalty.”
“Sure. But you’re going to help me now. Because you were disloyal to Rafe. First you need to figure out who can run this club while the boss is gone.” She held up her hand when Ed opened his mouth. “It can’t be you. You’re taking me to this clan’s island. I have to follow Rafe so I can be there with him. His brother said his grandfather is dying. If the worst happens and the old man dies, I should be there to comfort my man.” She gasped when another pain hit her. She popped another antacid. “Second, I need to know why they took Rafe at gunpoint. What’s the story there? Seems a little extreme to me.”
“Matias has always favored Rafe. He probably hopes he’ll stay and lead the clan when he dies.”
“Stay on some island in the middle of nowhere?” Lacy wondered if she knew Rafe at all. But focusing on her love life was beyond her at the moment. She looked down at her stomach which seemed to have developed a life of its own as it twisted, turned and threatened to tear her apart from the inside out.
“It’s beautiful there. You’d like it, I’m sure. It’s become a big tourist spot now.” Ed actually smiled, selling the place.
Lacy wanted to smack him.
“I’m not sure what exactly happened that made Rafe take off all those years ago, but I guess his grandfather felt that he had to force a face to face. So he could try to persuade him to come home permanently.” Ed frowned when Lacy hissed and reared back in her chair. “Hey, are you all right?”
“No, I’m not all right.” Lacy stood and looked back at the wet vinyl seat. She couldn’t ignore what was happening another minute. Could the timing be any worse? She wasn’t ready. She looked at Ed’s kind eyes and wanted to slap him just because he was there and Rafe wasn’t.
“Lacy?” Ed stood next to her now, his hand on her elbow.
“My water just broke. Ready or not, I’m having these babies.” Lacy gasped when a pain ripped through her. “Get me out of here. Now.”
Chapter Four
“What should we do? Who should I call?” Ed grabbed her elbow. “Do cats go to a hospital or…” He seemed at a loss for words.
“Normally I’d have these babies at home, with my mother and grandmother as midwives.” Lacy doubled over when the first real contraction hit hard. She held on to the table top again, scoring it with her claws. Pant, that’s what she’d been taught to do as soon as she’d told her mother she was pregnant. There were other things, lessons mothers passed on to their daughters. Were-cats delivered easily. But these weren’t babies fathered by a cat. Lacy trembled as the pain finally subsided. She couldn’t sit in that wet seat and this wasn’t feeling easy. At all.
“Normally.” Ed grabbed her purse and pulled out her cell. “I’m calling your mother. I see her name here on your contact list.”
“Wait! I don’t think…” Lacy wanted Rafe, no one else. “Coast of Spain.” She took a shuddery breath. “How isolated is this clan enclave. Can he get here fast?” She saw Ed shake his head. “Then call my doctor. Ian MacDonald. Get him on the phone.” Her legs were shaking as another pain ripped across her middle. Too fast. Too close together. This wasn’t right. Maybe she did want her mother and Amy. But she’d be damned if she squat over some ancient birthing stool like the tradition demanded with the female cats howling in sympathy around her.
Ed was on the phone. “She says her water broke and I can see she’s in pain.” He passed the phone to Lacy. She just shook her head, afraid to let go of the table or she’d howl the place down. “Uh, just a minute. She’s not able to talk right now. Maybe you should come here.” He listened but kept his eyes on Lacy. “I’ll see what I can do. Yeah, I’ll call you back if we can’t.” He ended the call.
Lacy staggered over to a clean chair and finally sat down again. The pain had eased. “What did he say?” She reached for the phone and found Amy’s number.
“He wants you to come to him. He has facilities that are sterile and equipment that will be better for the babies, he says. He wants me to remind you that these are preemies.”
“As if I’m not already freaking out about that.” Lacy hit Amy’s number. “Sis, I need you. Get your car and drive over to Rafe’s club. I’m, hah, hah, hah, having the babies. Right now.” Ed grabbed her phone while she leaned over and gave into another pain. God but this hurt. She’d read . . . Oh she couldn’t focus on what the hell she’d read as she rode a wave of pain so bad she bit through her lip and tasted blood. Rafe. He should be here. Damn his family. If she ever met any of them she’d let them know they were on her permanent shit list.
“Forget that. I’ve got a big SUV. I can lay the back seats flat and Lacy can ride there.” He frowned as he held her phone to his ear. “Yeah, yeah. I heard what she told you. This is Ed. I’m not leaving her alone. But she wants you too. Maybe you should call your mother. Tell her to meet us at Ian MacDonald’s.” He held the phone away from his ear. “Look, lady, MacDonald was Lacy’s choice. Not mine.”
“Give me that.” Lacy grabbed the phone. “Do what Ed says. This freaking hurts! I’m not letting Mama deliver these babies naturally like cats have for centuries, you hear me? I want modern medicine. Pain killers! Call her or not, I don’t give a damn. Now Ed’s going to load me in his car. Hurry and get your butt down here so I have someone to scream at when the next contraction hits. Got it?”
“I’m on my way.” Amy sounded out of breath. “I hit the door the minute you said you were in labor. Hang up so I can call Mom.”
“She’s going to go nuts.” Lacy’s eyes filled with tears and she caught herself before she sobbed. No, she had to suck it up. “But these babies are half shifter. Ian warned me they might be due sooner than I thought. I figured he was thinking we had the same gestation period as regular cats. Idiot vampire. ” Lacy started to laugh then got caught by another pain. “Aw shit.” She threw the phone at Ed and leaned over, her hands on her knees. A few mortals at the bar had noticed what was going on with her. Ed waved at the bartender and tossed him his car keys.
“Get my car and bring it around front. This lady is having her babies right now.” He nodded to the crowd at the bar. “Dollar tequila shots on me in honor of the boss. These are his babies!” He pointed to Lacy’s swollen stomach. She rolled her eyes as a cheer went up and everyone turned to the harried bartender who quickly threw Ed’s keys to a busboy with whispered instructions.
“Can you walk or do you want me to carry you?” Ed frowned down at her.
Lacy was sure her face was red and she pushed back her damp hair with a shaky hand. The pain had eased. Ed was a giant of a man but she didn’t think he’d be up for carrying her. She was no lightweight even when she wasn’t carrying a trio of children in her belly. She staggered to her feet, holding onto his arm.
“I’ll try to walk but no guarantees. Be ready to catch me if I--”
“Screw it.” Ed scooped her up into his arms, only staggering slightly under her weight. A round of applause broke out from the bar patrons, along with some whistles and shout outs.
“Careful. You drop me and your job will be history.” Lacy managed a wave toward the bar then held onto Ed’s massive shoulders. No pain for the moment. A blessing. One of the women from the bar crowd brought her a bottle of water.
“Drink, honey. It’ll help. I saw you chowing down on nachos earlier. You sure this is labor and not gas?” She patted Lacy’s stomach.
Lacy took the water and gulped some of it down. It was cold and refreshing. “Thanks, but my water broke. No question. This is it.” Why the hell did people think it was okay to touch her stomach just because she was pregnant? It was an invasion of her privacy that she’d never gotten used to. Too bad they always said something nice. She was on the edge of slapping away the woman’s hand and yelling “F
uck off!” when a new pain distracted her and she gasped.
“Oh. Good luck.” The woman hurried back to her crew, telling everyone the news. This seemed to call for another round of dollar shots and everyone was toasting the babies as Lacy and Ed hit the door to outside.
The icy wind hit Lacy’s wet skirt and made her shiver while she panted her way through a contraction. Ed’s hot shifter body next to hers helped keep her warm but did nothing for the pain ripping her apart. It was easing when his black SUV arrived at the curb. He gave quick instructions to the bus boy and the back seats were down and ready for her in less than the time it took for Amy to arrive at a dead run.
“Oh, my God, look at you! Where’s your cape?” Amy glared at Ed. “She’s freezing. Are you just going to lay her down on that hard carpet in the back of the car?”
“I didn’t think--” Ed sat Lacy down on the tailgate.
“Obviously.” Amy grabbed the busboy standing next to the door into the club just enjoying the show. “Go get my sister’s cape. It must be where she was sitting inside. Bring it and any blankets you have in there out to us. And hurry.” She shook her head. “Lace! You should have told me your skirt was wet. I could have brought you a fresh one from the shop.”
“Shut up, Amy.” Lacy bent over as a fresh contraction hit her hard. “I don’t give a shit about the hard carpet. Just help me get out of this wind. Ed, slide me inside and shut the tailgate. I can feel heat coming from inside the car. Please hurry. This is going way faster than the books said it should.” Lacy panted as Ed gently knelt beside her and eased her in so she could lie back. She kept her knees up until the pain finally seemed to have run its course. “Amy?”
“I’m here, Sis. Forget the books. Those were written for regular people. You, my dear sister, are anything but regular and these babies will come out when they want to and how they want to.” Amy crawled in and sat next to her.
Lacy gave her sister an evil look. “Is that meant to be comforting? What the hell?”
Amy flushed. “Uh, I don’t know. Maybe. I admit I’m out of my depth here. Looking at you suffering is making me think a vow of celibacy is in my future.” She grimaced then grabbed something. “Just in time. Your cape. Let me cover you with it.”
“Thanks. I’m sorry I yelled at you. I’m just hurting so bad.” Lacy grabbed Amy’s hand and squeezed, gently she hoped. But when Amy squealed she let her go. This pain was worse than anything she’d ever felt before. No wonder she was going out of her mind with it. Lacy closed her eyes then realized something. “Ed, why aren’t we moving yet?” She sat up on her elbows. “Someone shut that freaking back door!” It slammed instantly.
“I was waiting for you to be ready to go. Can you tell me where Ian MacDonald lives?” Ed sat in the driver’s seat but hadn’t put the car in drive yet. “Give me an address and I can use the GPS to get us there. I’ll hurry but I need something to go by.”
Lacy stammered out the address then lay back and closed her eyes. Amy’s hand landed on hers, prying the water bottle out of her hand. She’d managed to splash her sweater. Fantastic. Wet from top to bottom.
“Have you tried to call Rafe? He should know what’s going on. Maybe he can get here in time to see the babies born.” Amy smoothed Lacy’s hair back from her face.
“No, he’s too far away. If I tell him now it will just frustrate him. When the babies are safely here, I’ll do Face Time with him, show him the babies. Until then…” Tears again. Stupid hormones totally out of whack. But she wanted Rafe holding her hand. Needed him.
“Until then you’ve got me. And Mom is on her way to Ian’s. I didn’t know where he lives either but she said she’d figure it out. Guess she knows someone who knows someone.” Amy shrugged. “That’s our mother.”
“She’s going to fight Ian for this birth. Help me with her, Amy. Ian knows what he’s doing. Remember, he did an ultrasound of the babies early on. I trust him.” Lacy moaned when they hit a bump. Clearly Ed was driving fast. But Ian lived away from the city in a hilltop home that was a good thirty minute drive if you were careful. There were winding roads and… Well, she’d just have to hope Ed knew what he was doing. Lying down had helped and for the moment the pains had stopped. Was that good or bad? She held onto Amy’s hand and waited. To her surprise, she felt sleep pulling at her. Tempting. If she could sleep through childbirth, how cool would that be?
Chapter Five
“I can’t come to your shifter clan, Valdez. I’m busy delivering your children.” Ian MacDonald sounded like he was having the time of his life.
“What?” Rafe stared at the phone. It had taken way too long to get an international connection. Now Ian was toying with him.
“You heard me. Lacy went into labor early. She’s here now, about to deliver. I don’t know where your clan is located, but I assume you won’t be able to get here in time to be in on the big event.” Ian actually chuckled. “Too bad. She could use your support. Her mother is being a real pain in the ass.”
“If you’re lying…”
“Here, I’ll put her on the phone. Lacy, not her mother.”
“Rafe, is it really you?” Lacy sounded exhausted.
“Baby? Are you in labor? For real?” Rafe wanted to shift and head across the Atlantic. Too bad he knew it would be stupid and suicidal.
“Yes. I wish you were here.” She sounded out of breath. “This hurts like a son of a bitch.”
“If I could be there, I would. How much longer will it take? Maybe I can make it. The clan has its own plane.” Rafe looked around to see if he could grab someone to make the arrangements, but he was alone in the living room.
“You can’t. Ian says within the hour.” Lacy squealed. “Oh, God, I want to push. Ian says not yet. He’s going to give me an epidural in a minute or two so I won’t feel anything after that. My mother is dead set against it but Amy’s here with me. We’re not letting Mama interfere.”
“An hour. No, I can’t make it. Damn, I’m sorry, Lace. I wanted…” Rafe bowed his head, staring down at his black dress shoes. Hell, he didn’t even have a change of clothes here. He had so much to do, but fuck that. He wanted to be in Austin, holding Lacy’s hand, helping her through this. And to be there to see his children come into the world.
“I know, Rafe. You weren’t given a choice. Not with guns aimed at you.” Lacy moaned. “I just wish…”
“No more than I do, baby. You be sure to get those painkillers. No reason to suffer any more than you already have. Can you put us on Face Time? So I can see you?” Rafe gripped the phone hard.
“No, I’m a mess. Wait and see us afterwards. When the babies are here. We have the names figured out. Right? Unless you’ve second thoughts. Now that you’re back with the clan?” Lacy’s voice cracked. “Tell me your thoughts. Are you okay? Did they hurt you? What about your grandfather?”
“He’s not doing well. That’s why I called Ian. He needs a doctor. Here, they don’t believe in them. Like your mother doesn’t. You understand. They cling to the old ways.”
“Too well. Amy’s ready to tie Mama to a chair so she’ll let Ian do his thing. But what about you? Are you all right?” Lacy moaned again.
“I’m fine except that I hate like hell not being with you right now. I hear you moaning. I’m hanging up so you can let go and scream that place down. I love you. Remember that. Okay?”
“Love you too.”
“Now hand the phone to Ian.”
“Here he is.”
“Ian here. She’s doing well. I’m going to give her something for the pain now.” Ian sounded sure of himself.
“You’d better. I don’t want her to suffer. If,” Rafe cleared his throat. “If there’s a choice between Lacy or the babies, Lacy is to be saved. Is that clear?”
“Relax, Valdez. They will all be fine. You’re getting way too dramatic. Did you watch a sappy in-flight movie or something? I won’t let anything happen to any of them. But if you want to name one of the boys Ian, I won’t object.�
�� His laugh was the last thing Rafe heard as the line went dead.
“Trouble at home?” The soft feminine voice came from beside him on the worn leather couch in his grandfather’s living room.
“Grandmother. I didn’t hear you come in.” Rafe stuck the phone in his jacket pocket. He did need to see about different clothes.
“I know you didn’t. Your phone call clearly had all your attention.” Iliana rested her hand on his leg. “You look worried.”
“My lady is in labor. She’s carrying triplets. My children. I should be there with her. Not here trying to solve a problem I know nothing about.” Rafe saw his grandmother bite her lip and glance away from him. “I’m sorry. I want to help save Grandfather. Clearly he’s dying.”
“Sometimes I wish he would die. He’s humiliated me time and again with his philandering ways.” She faced Rafe and her eyes glittered with unshed tears. “This is only what he deserves for following his wandering eye. This time he chose a woman who had her own agenda. If only he had come to me and told me what she wanted!” She glanced back at the closed door to the study.
“And what would that have accomplished?” Rafe couldn’t imagine that conversation.
His grandmother shocked him with a swear word in the old language. “I would have given him my blessing. Go with your whore, Matias! Let her have this clan if she wants it!” She lost her fire quickly and stared down at her fingers twisting together in her lap. “Why could I never be enough for him, Rafael?”