Ride or Die: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rejects Paradise Book 4)

by Sheridan Anne

  Either way, my doctor told me that most first time moms have a really slow process, but fuck, I feel like the head is already poking out. Why are these contractions coming on so quickly? I should have had plenty of time instead of being here, destroying Colton’s car.

  “Fuck,” I grunt, moving around on the seat and struggling to get comfortable, feeling as though I should at least be a little concerned for the expensive seats that I’m sitting on, but fuck them. Colton’s going to have to get the whole thing detailed after this. Technically we both knew that this was a possibility, so we should have taken one of the other cars. You know, the ones that don’t have a ridiculous price tag on them.

  Realizing that there’s nothing we could have done, I take slow, deep breaths and try to relax. I lean back into the chair, focusing on my breathing just like I was taught in the classes that Colton insisted I go to. Only another contraction comes just thirty seconds later.

  Holy fuck. That’s not good. I look over at Colton in a panic. “They’re too close together. We’re not going to make it.”

  His eyes are wide as we race down the road. “We’ll make it, babe. I’ll fucking get you there.” He reaches over, taking my hand, but I instantly yank it out of his grip, desperately needing to move myself around.

  I shake my head, knowing he’s just trying to calm me. He's been at all the doctor appointments and knows exactly what to look for. He's not stupid, he knows as well as I do that he’s about to be delivering this baby on the side of the road, and honestly, I don’t know why he isn’t freaking out with me.

  “Call Becca and Bryson,” I say through a clenched jaw, the contractions coming up and squeezing the fucking life out of me, literally. “They can’t miss this.”

  “They’re already on their way to the hospital,” he tells me in a too calm tone that instantly grates on my nerves.

  “No,” I snap, a harsh glare flying his way. “They need to meet us here. I’m telling you. I. Am. Not. Going. To. Make. It.”

  Colton’s face twists with a cringe, and I see the exact moment his calm poofs into non-existence. “Fuck, okay,” he says with urgency, instantly bringing up their number over the bluetooth speaker.

  Bryson’s voice comes through the car, but in all honesty, I don’t hear a word either of them are saying. I'm too busy screaming at the pain tearing through me. This isn’t how it’s supposed to go. I need to be in a hospital doing this with drugs. I want the fucking drugs.

  We get another five minutes down the road when my hand slips down between my legs, and I feel something there. The need to push sails through me, panic instantly pulsing through my veins. We’re really going to do this. I’m delivering on the side of the road without the parents to see.

  Fuck. This is not how it was supposed to go.

  I instantly start pulling at my leggings, sliding them down my legs as Colton gapes at me. “Please, baby, just hold on. We’re only ten minutes away.”

  “The baby is fucking coming,” I panic, struggling to get any more deep breaths. “I can’t wait any longer. IT’S COMING.”

  “Like … RIGHT FUCKING NOW?” he asks, his eyes wide and terrified.

  “YES. PULL THE FUCK OVER.”

  “FUCK.”

  Colton careens off the road, brings the car to a screeching stop, and sends a cloud of dust flying up behind us. He dives out of the car, racing around and helping me to get my door open. He takes one look at me, his gaze sweeps down between my legs, and his face instantly turns white. “Oh, fuck. Okay … umm.”

  Colton searches around, trying to figure out how this is going to work before peeling off his shirt and laying it down on the dirty ground. “Here,” he says, offering me his hand. I instantly take it and squeeze the living hell out of it as another contraction rocks through me.

  Getting out of the car is easily the worst pain that I’ve ever experienced, and after everything that I’ve been through over the past year, that’s saying a lot.

  Not being able to bend to get down to the ground, Colton has to pick me up and physically lay me down. The second my back is flat, the pain eases, but not by much.

  “Okay,” I say, meeting his eyes over the top of my wide open legs. “What do we do?”

  He shakes his head, looking panicked until he swan dives through the car and grabs his phone to call for an ambulance. He gets the operator on the phone, who instantly starts talking him through it.

  Colton’s hands reach down between my legs, and I honestly can’t even think about what he’s telling me. All I know is that when the next contraction tears through me, I start pushing, grabbing into my thighs, and desperately trying to get this thing out of me.

  I scream out, never having felt anything like it before. “Keep going, Jade,” Colton encourages. “Harder.”

  He starts counting to ten, and I listen to the sound of his voice, following exactly what he’s telling me to do as I tear my body apart. I take a quick breath and then push all over again as my eyes and jaw clench, in complete agony.

  “Okay, okay, okay,” he rushes out. “Stop, stop. stop. The head is out. Now what?”

  The guy on the phone tells him exactly what to do, and as I lay here panting, we hear a car coming to a screeching stop before two people start rushing in toward us.

  Bryson and Rebecca suck in shocked gasps but instantly fall in beside Colton, doing anything and everything they can to help. Rebecca takes my hand, letting me squeeze it until she loses feeling while Bryson somehow finds a water bottle and a cloth and presses it to my face.

  Colton checks the cord isn’t wrapped around the baby’s neck, and when he glances back up at me, there’s nothing but pride shining through his eyes. “Alright, Jade,” he murmurs. “You’re nearly there. On the next contraction, you’re going to get this baby out.”

  I nod and as if on cue, the contraction comes back, and I give another devastating push. Pain rockets through me, and with tears in my eyes, I finally bring Rebecca and Bryson’s new baby into this messed-up world.

  Tears stream down Rebecca’s face as Colton holds this precious little baby in his arms, looking somewhat shocked that this just happened. He glances around holding the baby while trying to figure out what the hell to do with it. It’s covered in all sorts of shit, but all I can do is gape. That thing just came out of me.

  Bryson is quick to jump into action, peeling off his own shirt, and helping Colton to wrap the baby. Then in a moment that equally kills me while also filling me with the most incredible amount of love and joy, Colton hands the baby to Rebecca.

  With the cord still attached, Rebecca has to move closer to Colton, but I don’t mind as it gives me a better view of this perfect little angel that just came out of me.

  She takes it eagerly, and I struggle to take my eyes off them. “Is it a boy or a girl?” I whisper.

  Rebecca shakes her head, having absolutely no idea. She adjusts the baby and shuffles around Bryson’s shirt before a bright smile tears across her face. She glances back at me. “You were right,” she whispers, her bottom lip quivering. “It's a little baby boy.”

  Colton reaches out and takes my hand, wanting to give me all the love in the world. “You did great,” he says as we hear the familiar sound of the ambulance in the distance.

  “You really did,” Bryson says. “We’ll never be able to thank you enough for this incredible gift. It’s … I have no words to describe just how thankful we are.”

  I give him a tight smile before looking back at the little boy who I’ve just spent the last nine months with, knowing that I did something great. “Just give him an incredible life, and if it’s not too much to ask, maybe a photo on his birthday.”

  “Of course,” Rebecca says with tears of joy in her eyes as she holds her sweet little boy. “Every year on September 20th, look out for an email. I’ll send you a whole collage with videos included.”

  A wide smile spreads across my face and as Rebecca leans down to show me his perfect little face, tears fall from my
eyes. “Does he have a name?”

  “Yeah,” she says so softly that even I feel soothed. “Meet Jackson Bryson Bates, the most cared for and loved child this earth is ever going to come across.”

  I reach out and brush my fingers over his tiny little hand. “It’s absolutely perfect,” I tell her, knowing now more than ever that I made the right decision.

  Bryson walks around on his knees beside Rebecca, having a few moments together as they celebrate their brand new family, and as they do, Colton moves in beside me, instantly pulling me into his arms as the bittersweet tears roll down my eyes. “You were amazing,” he tells me as his lips press against my temple. “So fucking strong. You’re a goddamn queen. I love every single little thing about you.”

  I don’t say anything, just rest my head against his chest, listening to the sound of the ambulance as it quickly gets closer.

  Rebecca glances down at me with a nervous expression on her face. “Would you like to hold him? Say goodbye?”

  Tears instantly form in my eyes, and I look up at her. “Would that be okay?”

  “Of course,” she says, leaning in and passing him to me before showing me just how to hold him.

  Rebecca instantly takes a step back with Bryson and gives us this moment of privacy, and as I look down at the perfect little boy that I’ve created, I know that this is for the best.

  I slip my fingers into his hand, and as I do, Colton discreetly brings out his phone and captures the moment on video. He knows that one day, I’m going to want to look back at this moment, and treasure it until my dying days.

  I look down at his little eyes that look so much like mine. “I’m so sorry,” I murmur. “You don't know how desperately I wish that I could have the strength to be your mother, but you deserve so much more. You need parents who are ready to take on the responsibility and give you the life that you deserve. They’re going to love you so much, treasure you, and give you the world so you can flourish and become the best man this world has ever seen. You’re so strong, and I don’t need to see you grow up to know that.” Tears stream down my face, even more when I hear his tiny little cry for the very first time. “Please don’t grow up hating me for giving you up. I want you to know how hard this has been for me to make this decision, but I know that it’s right. And just know, that one day, if you’re ever curious about me, that I’ll be standing there with open arms, ready to tell you all about it.”

  Colton’s arm slips around my waist, and as the ambulance pulls in behind the Veneno, my heart shatters into a million pieces. “I love you so much,” I tell my sweet little baby boy, fearing the moment that I have to hand him back to Rebecca. He squeezes down on my finger, and for just a small moment, I can imagine that he’s telling me that he loves me too. “I will always love you, my beautiful boy.”

  The paramedics rush in and quickly check over Jackson before looking over me and then finally cutting the cord. They help me to finish delivering the placenta, and before I know it, it’s time to hand the baby back to his brand new parents.

  I’m put into the back of the ambulance with Colton by my side. Rebecca and Bryson follow along with little Jackson, getting him straight to the hospital to give him exactly what he needs to have an incredible start at life.

  As we drive, I know that this isn’t the end. I know that one day, I’ll see that little boy again and be honored to watch him grow up and become the guy he was always destined to be. Hell, who knows, maybe even one day, Colton and I might have a little bundle of our own.

  ----------

  Dominic

  Six Years Later

  Two thousand, three hundred, and eighty-two days.

  I know it’s only been six and a half years in the slammer and technically, I still have just under four years left of my sentence, but fuck it. I’ve done enough time. I’m over this.

  My Widows need me back. It’s time to get back on top.

  At first, I was all good to spend a few years behind bars. I had too many enemies, too many people coming after me that being locked up was the safest place for me, but those enemies are gone now, and it’s time to take it all back.

  Sure, it kinda sucked leading Ocean to believe that I had turned a new leaf and that she had somehow saved my soul, but it was a means to an end. I do love her though. I hate that she was hurting for being a part of putting me here, but she wasn’t wrong. The time in here did do me good. I was able to put my life into perspective and make amends for the crimes I’d committed, well, at least the bare minimum that I actually admitted to.

  I’m done with that now. The time has come to rise up again. The time has come to claim back what’s mine.

  I walk through the hallway, a cocky as fuck smirk on my face knowing that this is going to go off exactly how I had planned it. I’m not going to lie, there may have been a few extra bonuses along the way.

  Today is the day. We've been waiting for this for so long, planning every little moment right down to the end.

  I’m going to have to go underground, going to have to keep silent, keep my head down. I’ve even been toying with the idea of an alias, but I can figure that shit out later.

  I look left and then right before slipping through the door of the infirmary. It took me weeks to get on the cleaning roster for this room, and now that I’m here, I won't be wasting a single second. This has to go perfectly.

  The infirmary is cold. It’s always fucking cold, but lucky for me, I haven’t had to come in here often. I’m usually the one putting dickheads in here in the first place. The room is empty, just as I knew it would be, but I don’t have long. The old Doctor is due back from his lunch break in twenty minutes.

  My hand slips into the front of my pants and stepping out of the line of cameras, I pull out the key that leads through to the back room. As the camera scans, I make my move, running to the door and slipping inside the room before the camera comes back around.

  I duck down, hiding behind the window, and I have to crawl like a fucking toddler to get through to the next door, but when I do, it’s so fucking worth it.

  Right where I knew it would be is the black body bag of the dickhead I’d put in here only two days ago.

  The room is freezing, but I put that to the back of my mind as I walk over to the body bag, grinning as I take hold of the zipper, and slowly drag it down, revealing the face of Ocean’s nightmare.

  Jude Fucking Carter. I’ve been waiting for the day that I got to take his life, and it was fucking perfect. The fact that it worked well with my plan was just the cherry on top.

  “Good afternoon,” I say, grinning down at the fucker. “I trust you’re having a nice little rest in here, but unfortunately, it’s time to fuck off.”

  I grab his heavy body and glance around. Now, where the fuck am I supposed to stash this? There’s a supply closet where his body will start decomposing quickly or the freezer. Hmm, choices, choices.

  I take the supply closet. The fucker can rot for all I care.

  I throw Jude’s body into the supply closet before looking back at the black bag and cringing. This is the part of the plan that I wasn’t all that thrilled with, but I do what I have to do to get back on top. It will just never get spoken of again.

  I climb in and zip it up, sending my world into darkness as I do my best to try not to breathe in the stench of Jude’s dead body. I hold back vomit. I have to be careful. If I get caught in here, I’m fucked.

  An hour ticks by before I hear the door finally open, and I listen carefully, not moving a fucking inch. The table starts moving, and I’m rolled out a back door to where I hear the familiar sounds of a transport van. There are birds, the sounds of men working in the yard, chains and gates, but the one thing I don't hear is the alarm.

  The roller table that I lay on is pushed right to the back of the van and I feel as the tags on the bag are all checked. I hear a familiar voice who confirms numbers with the guard in charge of the transport, and after double-checking that this is indeed Jude Carter
’s body bag, the whole bag is grabbed and carelessly thrown into the back of the transport van.

  The engine starts, and soon enough, the van is driving out of the gates, stopping at every checkpoint to have the van searched. I hold my breath every time. I can not get caught, especially after getting this far.

  When the van finally makes it out onto the road, I let out a breath of relief, and before I know it, the zipper is yanked down and light floods in through the fucking dirty ass bag.

  “Hey, brother,” Kairo grins, looking down at me. “Long time no see.”

  He instantly helps me out of the bag and claps me on my back before tossing a pair of clean clothes at me. “Here, take these. You fucking stink like death.”

  I quickly get myself dressed, and within seconds, the van pulls off the side of the road and we bail out, leaving everything behind and making our steps from here on out untraceable.

  The second my ass drops into the backseat, the car is already moving. I look up front to find Sebastian and Eli looking back at me with wide grins across their faces. “Fuck yeah,” Eli cheers as Sebastian races down the road, determined to put as much space between us and the prison before they figure out where they fucked up and put out a statewide manhunt.

  “Where are we going?” Sebastian asks, glancing up at me through his rearview mirror.

  I grin. “One stop, Bellevue Springs and then it’s back to business.”

  Knowing exactly what I’m referring to, Sebastian hits the fucking gas and within an hour and a half, I’m standing at the big ass door that’s brought me so much grief, love, and pain in the past.

  The boys hang back at the bottom of the stairs, giving me this moment, and after banging my fists against the heavy fucker, I stand back and wait.

  Ten seconds.

  Twenty seconds.

  My heart races. She has no fucking idea that we planned this escape, and now that her life has moved on and she’s doing her thing, I don’t want to bring her back down, but there’s no way in hell that I’m about to let her find out by seeing my face splashed across every news outlet in the country.