by Lila Rose
On the fifth floor, we spotted the birthing suite and saw Zara’s parents waiting out the front with Josie, Mattie, Julian and the kids.
Swan popped up from the seat; as soon as our eyes met, she ran at me. I got down on one knee and braced for her lunge. Her arms wound around my neck, and she hugged me as tightly as I was her.
Tears filled my eyes. I had been so worried I’d never get to see her again.
She pulled back and touched my cheek. “Sore, Mummy.”
Oh, fuck.
Oh, shit.
Goose bumps broke out all over my skin. I had heard her right, hadn’t I? She’d called me mummy.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m okay,” I said through a choked-up voice and tears.
She smiled and kissed my cheek gently. Nancy came up behind Swan and I looked up at her. She had her own tears shining in her eyes. “You’d better get in there, honey. She’s been waiting for you.”
Nodding, I looked back at Swan and said, “I’ll be back out soon, okay? You stay with Nancy.”
“Okay, Mummy.”
Hell. That precious girl had just made my shit day so much better and brighter. Now all I needed was to have my man at my side.
God, I hoped he was okay.
As I stood, Mattie and Julian came up. “Are you good, sugarplum?” Julian asked.
“I am now.” I smiled, bent over and kissed Swan on her forehead.
I walked through the doors to the front desk and asked for Zara’s room. A male nurse smiled and said, “Follow me.” We started off down a hallway. “You must be Deanna. She’s been screaming at her husband to get you here.”
I laughed. “Yeah, that’s me.”
He pointed. “Right in there, and good luck.” He grinned as a scream came from the room I was about to enter.
“Huh, thanks.” I stepped forward, took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
“I swear, Talon, I swear you’re having your balls removed. I am not doing this again.”
“We’ll see, Kitten.”
Zara was bent over the double bed, the side of her face planted into the mattress, as Talon stood to the side of her and rubbed her lower back. Another nurse, this one female and young, stood on the other side of Zara, holding a tube that was hooked up to a machine.
Talon saw me first and smiled, only it faded as he took in the bruise on my cheek and the bump on my forehead. “What the fuck happened to you?” he growled.
I shook my head and mouthed, I’ll tell you later. I was here for Zara, not anything else.
“What the hell do you mean? You knocked me up, dickhead!” Zara yelled.
I laughed; her head popped up and met my gaze. “That’s right, bitch. It’s all your boss-man’s fault.”
“Deanna,” she breathed. Tears overflowed from her eyes and she sniffed. “I thought you wouldn’t make it,” she whispered, wiped her eyes to clear the tears and glared at me. “Where have you been, wench? W-what happened to your face?”
I moved forward to lie on the bed and get close to her face. “I’ll tell you all about it after you’ve laid your damn eggs.”
“De—oh shit! Give me that machine!” she screamed, and snatched the tube from the nurse, placed it in her mouth and breathed through it over and over through her contraction.
After it passed, she threw it to the side. “Oh, man, I love that stuff.” She laughed and looked at me. “You know when we got stoned that time, that,” she pointed at the machine, “gives me a wicked buzz. Is my voice funny? It sounds funny.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, dipshit, your voice isn’t funny. Maybe Talon and I should try some of that stuff?”
“Don’t you dare,” she growled. “I’m still mad at the both of you—him for impregnating me, and you for being late. So you can suffer through this.”
The nurse moved, put gloves on and her hand disappeared under Zara’s pink nightie.
“What are you doing?” I yelled. “Don’t put your hand up there when the monsters are trying to come out. Jesus.” Thank fuck I missed all this shit and waited in the waiting room when she had Maya. No wonder my brain told me I’d be scared to watch this shit stuff.
“Calm down, Hell Mouth. She’s just checking how far dilated she is,” Talon said.
“Whatever that means. Hey, Zara?”
“What, hun?” She sounded so tired. I glanced up at Talon to see he had worry in his eyes.
“At least you can say you’ve had a lesbian experience now.”
She chuckled and said, “Fuck you. Oh, oh. Tube me, tube me!” she yelled. I quickly passed her the sucky thingy. She latched onto it like it was Talon’s dick and sucked hard.
“Not long now,” the nurse said after Zara’s pain had passed. “When the next contraction hits, try pushing, okay, Zara?”
“No. You try,” he hissed.
Talon leaned over her and whispered, “Come on, Kitten. You can do this.”
“Yeah, bitch, show me how tough you are,” I added.
“I’m not. I’m tired, Deanna. So tired.”
Talon and I looked at each other. Both of us, I knew, were wishing we could help her more through this, but we couldn’t.
“You wanna lay on the bed?” I asked.
She nodded. I moved outta the way as Talon scooped her up into his arms and laid her down.
I lay next to her on the bed, and Talon knelt beside it on her other side. We both took a hand of hers each.
“You know I love you, wench, but there is no way I’m getting down the other end and lookin’ at your hoo-ha.”
She smiled and closed her eyes, only to open them seconds later when the contraction hit.
“Push, Kitten. Push, baby, please.”
Her hand gripped ours tighter and she screamed, “I am pushing, you motherfucker.” And she was; she beared down and pushed so hard, I was surprised her eyes didn’t pop outta her head.
Just as I was thinkin’ there was no way in fuckin’ hell I was ever going to go through this, a cry hit the room.
“We have a boy.” The nurse smiled and passed him off to another nurse I hadn’t seen enter the room.
“A boy! A fuckin’ boy, Kitten.” Talon grinned and followed the nurse who held his son. “Be careful with him. Fuck, woman, are you supposed to do that? You fuck him up, I’ll hurt you.”
“Talon.” Zara smiled tiredly. “Let them work.”
“Just take a breather, and then we’ll do it all again on the next contraction,” the nurse next to us said.
“Is he okay?” Zara asked.
“He’s a fuckin’ champ. Big and loud, baby,” Talon said as he knelt back down next to his wife. He certainly was loud—the kid hadn’t shut up—but then again, I’d be upset coming into a cold world after living in a warm squishy waterbed too.
“Talon,” Zara cried as another pain hit.
“Kitten, baby, push again and we’ll get to meet our other youngin’.”
She nodded and bore down once again, ending in a scream that a smaller, quieter one replied to.
“It’s a girl,” the nurse said before she turned to take her over to a table.
“Kitten, fuck, I am so proud of you. So fuckin’ proud,” Talon whispered into Zara’s hair. He pulled back, and that was when I saw the tears in my boo’s man’s eyes.
“I love you, Talon Marcus,” Zara muttered.
“I love you more than my life,” he said, and kissed her softly on the lips.
“Good. Now go check they aren’t swapping our kids over. And quit all the cursing...they can hear you now,” she ordered.
Talon laughed and replied, “I’m on it.” He moved from the bed and went to check his twins.
Zara turned her head to me. “I love you too, wench.”
I bit my lip and nodded as tears filled my eyes. “You saved me, Zara. I would have been lost without you. But you saved me, and I’m so happy you let me be here for this miracle. I love you too, bitch.”
Griz
After the women had
left, we collected the sweating men—who were now shittin’ themselves—back into the front seat of the van. As Killer held a gun on them, Blue and Stoke moved the bikes to the side of the road. Travis, Warden and I climbed in the back of the van, and once we were in position with the divider open and a gun on the two up the front, Killer came around and got in with Blue and Stoke.
“I’m sure by now you can guess what the plan is,” I said, “but in case you’re dumb fucks and haven’t—which you must be to take the women in the first place—you’re taking us to Ryan’s. Now start driving.” The one named Kenny started the van, did a U-turn and started off.
“How far are we from the destination?” Travis asked.
The one in the passenger seat, Nathan I think, replied, “About ten minutes.”
“How many men has Ryan got at the house?” Warden asked.
“Not many, about five,” Nathan said.
“You need to shut the fuck up,” Kenny growled.
I hit him in the back of the head. “No, dickhead, you need to.”
“You know what?” Blue started. I looked over my shoulder to see him leaning against the back of the van, but I knew once the time came, he’d be more alert and ready for the fight that was about to come. I gave him a chin lift to continue and he did. “I reckon Trav and Warden would make great brothers. We should swear them in.”
I looked to Travis beside me, and then to Warden, who was holding onto the safety bar just behind Travis.
“I’m happy where I am,” Warden said. “I got enough shit goin’ on workin’ with Vi. No offense, but being in a biker group just ain’t my thing.”
“None taken, but I’m sure the offer is still there, even when we tell Talon.” I said. “What about you?” I asked Travis. He’d be a good asset; he’s got sources in Melbourne. It was obvious he’d do anything to protect what was his and he didn’t crack under pressure.
“I’d have to talk to Violet about it,” he said with an amused smile.
I chuckled, as did my brothers. We got that; Violet was another hard, ball-busting woman.
“We’re nearly there,” Nathan said.
“Fuckin’ nark,” Kenny hissed.
I hit him in the head again, making him swear.
Blue got up on his knees with his hand on the backdoors, ready to pop them open. Killer and Stoke were beside him, which left Warden, Travis and me to get out the side door.
The calm atmosphere in the van intensified into a harsher anxious one. Everyone was ready.
Duckin’ my head down a bit, we pulled into a drive. Kenny went to stop there, but I ordered him to take it into the garage that was already open. Ryan’s huge motherfuckin’ house was in the suburbs; we couldn’t risk an audience. We needed to take the fight inside.
With a hard shove on the back of Kenny’s head from my gun, he finally did as I told him, and slowly drove the van into the garage. As soon as we were through, the automatic door behind us closed.
I smiled. Ryan obviously didn’t want an audience either, seeing how he still thought he was kidnappin’ my woman. It was pure fuckin’ luck we caught them before they arrived here, because it had worked out beautifully for us.
A door in front of the van opened, and Ryan outlined the lit opening.
“What the hell are you waiting for?” he yelled.
Just as I turned to give the go-ahead to the boys up the back, dickhead Kenny screamed, “Watch out!”
It all went into chaos. My brothers jumped out the back as I knocked Kenny out with the back of my gun. Warden opened the side door, got out with his gun raised and pointed it at Ryan. He moved aside to let Travis and myself out, and I stepped up to Ryan and smiled. His eyes widened comically.
“It was the wrong move trying to take my woman, arsehole.”
A shot at the front of the garage was fired. “We’ve got incoming,” Blue called.
“They’re coming in the side door, Griz,” Travis said.
More shots were fired. Travis ran to the back to help out while Warden and I eyed Ryan. For some reason, he wasn’t running.
He moved aside, and a few more men ran in shooting at whatever moved. I shifted back into the van, as did Warden.
“What do you want to do?” Warden asked.
“I want my hands on that motherfucker,” I growled. The noise in the garage grew louder from guns, fists and voices.
“Go get him then.” Warden grinned. He silently moved out of the side door of the van once again and crept to the front, where the men with guns were now standing. Warden shot and one fell; the next turned and fired on Warden, but I dove from the side of the van, fired off a shot and clipped him. Warden ran and tackled the guy to the ground as Blue came up from the other side of the garage and took down one more.
I ran for the door and went straight through. A loud clutter came from the left, so I went that way, following the wall down the hall closely, so if anything came around the corner, they wouldn’t see me first before I killed them.
As I crept closer to the entry way to what looked like a living room, another loud clatter sounded, accompanied by swearing.
“Fuck, where in the hell are my keys?” Ryan cried.
I turned the corner with my gun held high and asked, “Missing something?” He was over near a black leather couch, a cushion still in his hand.
“Griz, come on. Let’s just forget this. You don’t owe me money any longer, and I promise I won’t go after your woman.”
I laughed. “Too late for that—your guy already touched her in a way I didn’t like. She’ll have a bruise from it for a couple of days, which means she’ll remember what happened for a couple of days, and I don’t like that.”
“What do you want? You want money? People? I can find anyone who has done you wrong and have them gone.”
“Jesus, you really are stupid. I want nothing from you; I take care of my own business. No one who has crossed me or mine has lived to see another day.”
“What about Maxwell?”
“Don’t worry about him; he’s on my list,” I glared. “Get on your knees,” I snarled. He was pathetic, trying to bargain his way out of the inevitable.
He took a step back, his hand raised in front of him, and he looked down as a wet patch filled the front of his slacks. “Griz,” he squeaked, “I-I’m sure we can work something out.”
I shook my head at the sight in front of me. It was all the same. As soon as the shoe was on the other foot, their tough exterior faded and left a weak, useless one behind.
I scoffed, “Nothin’ to work out.”
“I’m sure we can figure something out.” A gun was shoved into my back. I looked over my shoulder to see Kenny standing there.
Well, shit. I should have just shot the dick.
“Not today,” another voice said; this time, it was behind Kenny, who in turn let out a grunted groan and fell to his knees, his gun dropping to the ground beside him.
Nathan stepped up with a knife in his hand. “He’s getting away.” He gestured with his chin to Ryan, who was looking frantic as he neared the front door.
I sighed, aimed and shot. Ryan fell onto his back to the wooden flooring, just out of reach of the front door.
“Because you had my back, you go. Now, before my brothers catch you,” I said to Nathan as I started my way over to a moaning Ryan.
“Thanks,” he said, and moved off to where, I guessed, the kitchen and backdoor was.
“Don’t thank me; you haven’t made it yet.”
I stopped and looked down at Ryan. The fucker was actually crying as he held his stomach.
His eyes widened as I raised my gun once again and shot him in-between his eyes.
“Griz, brother, we gotta go,” Blue called from the other side of the living room.
I looked up to see him with a bleeding nose and a busted-up lip. Running forward, I asked, “Everyone all right?”
With grim eyes, he shook his head.
Fuck.
Shit.
“Stoke. We gotta get him to a hospital. He was shot in the gut and he’s bleeding out pretty bad. I think it hit something vital.”
“Goddamn it,” I uttered. We hit the garage just as Killer and a limping Warden were loading Stoke into the back of the van.
After Travis climbed in the driver’s seat, Blue hopped in the passenger one and I ran around to the back to get in.
Warden closed the door behind me. I made my way to Stoke’s side; Killer was on the other, holding a folded up towel over Stoke’s wound.
The garage doors opened and we took off. Both Killer and I supported Stoke, trying to keep him as still as we could as Warden watched from the backdoors of the van.
“Brother,” I said, taking his hand in mine. “Dammit, Stoke, dammit.”
“S-s’all good, Grady. You know I’d do it over again if I had the chance. Always at your back, brother. Alwa—”
“Stoke. Shit, brother?”
Killer crouched over him, “He’s only passed out, but his heart is slowin’.”
“Fuck! Travis, drive like you did before; get us to a hospital.”
Deanna
I left the happy couple to head back out the front where everyone else was waiting. Talon wanted me to announce the monsters’ arrival while he helped Zara get cleaned up; they wanted to bond with the twins over breastfeeding.
Opening the doors, eight pairs of eyes were instantly latched onto me.
“We have a boy and a girl.” I smiled. Clapping filled the space along with wild cheers. I searched further to see if my man was there, but he wasn't. My shoulders slumped in sadness. I would’ve loved to have shared this moment with him. Worry took over my body. Was he okay? Was he hurt? Where in the fuck was he?
I pushed it all back and slapped on my happy face. A nurse stepped out behind me and said, “Only a few visitors for now, but they're asking for their children, Zara's parents and his sister to come in.”
A tired Violet, Richard, Nancy and Cody, who took Maya's hand, walked past me as Josie and Swan came to stand in front of me. I smiled and asked, “Are you guys excited to meet...” Crap, I didn't even know the names of the brats yet. “...the bundles of joy?”
“Yes, very.” Josie grinned behind her hand; she was often doing things like that. If she laughed, she covered her mouth, but if she forgot to at the time, she'd duck her head at the end and blush. I could only hope one day her self-esteem issues would evaporate.