Road to Destiny (Scorpio Stinger MC Book 5)

by Jani Kay

  26 — Jade

  “Eva!” I cried out, my whole body covered in sweat and racked with pain. We’d spent the afternoon on our laptops shopping online and when that became tedious, we both decided to go for a nap.

  Something wasn’t right. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen and left me breathless. I curled into a ball, pulling my knees up to relieve the agony, but it didn’t help.

  “Eva,” I cried out again, this time sounding like a wounded lioness, hoping she could hear me. I closed my eyes as the next wave of pain hit me, fear gripping my heart with icy fingers as panic flooded my brain. From everything I’d been told, this wasn’t normal. Something was happening to my body and I had no control over it, even when I tried to breathe through the next assault.

  I reached for my phone to call 911, but in my state of alarm, I knocked the instrument off the table onto the floor. Oh, God!

  “Jade, are you okay? I thought I heard you calling me?” Footsteps pounded down the hallway as she rushed to my bedroom and I shot up a prayer of gratitude.

  I turned toward her, screwing up my face as another sharp pain tore through me.

  “Eva—” My voice was barely above a whisper and I tasted the saltiness of my tears as I tried to sit up, but failed.

  “Don’t move, Jade. I’ll call an ambulance.” Her eyes were wide and her hand shook as she picked up my phone from the floor.

  The anxiety in her voice as she spoke to the person on the other end was palpable.

  “Her waters must have broken. The whole bed is wet.” Eva’s voice drifted to me through a fog and it took me a few seconds to understand the implications of what she was saying.

  My babies. No. Not yet. Please God, it’s too early.

  Because I was sweating profusely I hadn’t realized that I was lying on a huge wet warm patch. Tears streamed down the side of my face and into my hair.

  Everything is wet. This is wrong. So wrong.

  What the hell was happening to me?

  Eva came to the side of the bed and gripped my hand. “Don’t worry, honey, help is on the way. Just breathe, okay?”

  She squeezed my hand. Her eyes were dark and filled with fear that she couldn’t hide from me.

  I licked my dry lips and fought for breath through the pain.

  “Ryder. Call Ryder.” My voice sounded shrill and alien, like it belonged to some crazy person.

  Was this my punishment for leaving?

  I’d take it all back in a heartbeat if my babies were okay. They have to survive.

  “I’ll call Harrison. He said Ryder would be with him today.”

  Ryder was with Harrison?

  But Eva had said that Harrison was on a mission . . .

  Oh, my God! They were out to get Cobra’s attackers. Their mutual enemy. I’d been around Harrison and Ryder long enough to know that was how it worked.

  I screwed my eyes shut but the tears still squeezed through and drenched my scalp.

  I was going to lose our babies . . . lose Ryder, maybe even Harrison. It took everything in me not to be overcome by hysteria.

  Time slowed down and the only thing I was aware of was my body. I whispered to the babies to hang in there, to stay calm because help was on the way. I couldn’t let them sense my fear and in turn distress them. While Eva held on to my hand, I simply breathed and prayed.

  Breathed and prayed.

  Breathed and prayed.

  Until I heard a siren and then unfamiliar voices drifted to me through the haze before I sank into another dimension and mercifully it all faded to black.

  27 — Ryder

  Summers waved me over. His face was deadpan as he placed his phone back into his pocket.

  “Yeah?” I asked, expecting him to have news about our target. We’d been waiting for two hours for our enemies to show up. According to info from Summers’ informants they should’ve arrived an hour ago and the waiting had me on edge. I was ready for some fucking action.

  This is the day somebody dies. The day we clean up the scum who tried to kill Cobra. I couldn’t believe how pumped I was at the prospect. Adrenaline coursed through my body. Some things never changed. Revenge always tasted sweet and those fuckers had it coming to them.

  “That was Eva,” Summers said, a frown scrunching his forehead.

  “Hey, I know you got it bad for Eva, but we’re working here,” Savage barked. “We’ve got some assholes to bring to justice, so can we focus on that?”

  I gave him a piercing look before turning to Summers. “Is Jade okay?” I didn’t know why I thought of her first. She’d call me if something was wrong. At least that’s what I hoped. “And Eva?” I added, praying she was okay too.

  My stomach made a loop as I waited for his reply.

  He shook his head, his jaw clenched tightly. Fuck.

  Raking a hand through my hair, I tried my best to stay calm. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Jade or the babies?” I croaked, my mouth dry. My feet filled with lead, heavy, fixing me to the spot.

  “I’m not sure exactly what happened but she’s in an ambulance on her way to the hospital.” He drew in a sharp breath. “Eva sounds worried. Jade’s waters broke and she’s in a lot of pain.”

  My insides grew cold and I pulled my leather jacket tighter to my body.

  “Doesn’t sound good. I think you better get there as soon as possible.” Savage gave me a sympathetic look and a slap on the back. I nodded.

  Nothing would keep me away.

  “I’m going. I’ve got to get to Jade.” I clenched my jaw as my fucking eye started its relentless warning. This wasn’t how I wanted the day to turn out.

  The babies aren’t ready to be born.

  It was still seven full weeks to go. They needed their mother’s womb to grow stronger. Their survival rate was so much higher if they did.

  I had no fucking clue why something had gone wrong and I couldn’t help blaming myself for not being with Jade when she needed me most. Again. I hated that I was always away from her at times like these. I couldn’t blame Jade if she was mad at me for failing her and our twins. I seemed to be making a bad fucking habit of not being there for her and it was killing me.

  At that exact moment, something inside me clicked.

  What the fuck had I been thinking? Nothing under the sun meant more to me than my woman. She was first in my mind and my heart. I’d never put her second to anything or anyone. Something lifted in my mind and I saw with clarity the path I needed to take.

  It was simple really, yet I’d complicated it with my overzealous pride and sense of responsibility. I wasn’t being the man Jade needed me to be and I hoped like fuck I wasn’t too late to fix that.

  Sometimes my stubbornness and deep-seated need to be right jeopardized everything I really wanted. I was my own fucking enemy. Worse than cocksuckers with guns or random bullets coming at me.

  Why hadn’t I seen it sooner? When would I finally learn the fucking lesson and why did it have to take something like this before I recognized the road to my true destiny?

  Even though my legs were weak and shaky, I quickened my pace as I left the building we’d been hiding in and rounded the corner to where I’d left my bike parked on the gravel under a thick bush.

  Revenge wasn’t that high on the agenda any longer.

  It felt as if eyes were watching me, but I shrugged the sensation off and mounted my bike. If anyone tried to get in my way or stop me, they’d regret it for the rest of their lives.

  I kicked the bike into action and the wheels screeched on the road as I took off in the direction of LA.

  Déjà fucking vu. I’d done this shit before and it wasn’t any easier this time.

  With a pounding heart, I weaved through the traffic. Why the fuck was it that there were so many lanes and each one of them was jam packed? A few drivers honked at me as I squeezed between two cars, but I didn’t give a fuck.

  All that mattered was that I got to Jade as soon as possible. I’d been a fucking idiot to l
et her leave in the first place and I berated myself for letting it come to this.

  Grateful that Eva was there to help Jade, I realized that this complication with the pregnancy would probably have happened anyway, regardless of if I was with Jade or not. It didn’t make the worry any less.

  Near the hospital I changed lanes to get to the exit, overtaking a truck even though I couldn’t see what was on the other side. Too late I saw the slow moving heavy duty vehicle in my path. Christ. Death was taunting me.

  Opening the throttle to full power, I steered the Harley to the left, missing the two trucks with inches to spare. This was getting too dangerous. If I was becoming a father I had to stop risking my fucking life on my bike.

  What’s happening to me? I’d never taken it easy on my Harley, but now I didn’t want to take the same risks I’d taken all my life.

  Fuckit! My family needs me. Jade needs me. I had to get there fast. It would crush my soul if I wasn’t there for my woman.

  I laughed out loud, the sound drowned by the roar of the Harley as I picked up speed and rode like a fucking maniac with a death wish.

  28 — Jade

  When I awoke the first thing I became aware of was Ryder. I sensed his presence even though I hadn’t opened my eyes. Maybe it was his singular scent as he hovered over me. Maybe it was his voice calling my name. Or maybe his touch as he caressed my face.

  The pain had gone and I was floating on a cloud.

  My hand moved to my belly in search of the bump.

  “It’s okay, Princess. You’re going to be fine and the babies too.”

  Relief flooded my body and I went limp. I wanted to believe Ryder more than anything. He’d never lie to me, not even when things were bad.

  I reached up to touch his cheek, becoming aware of tubes stuck into my veins and restricting my movement. As if Ryder sensed what I was trying to do, he moved his face closer to mine so that I could feel his warm breath on my skin. His lips touched my forehead and then brushed over my mouth.

  “I’m not leaving your side.” The warmth in his voice filled my heart with love. “Fuck, I missed you so much.”

  My eyes misted up as our gazes locked.

  “I missed you too.”

  How did I ever think I could live without him? Ryder was part of me as much as every cell in my body, every breath I inhaled into my lungs. I needed him to survive.

  “Sylvia is on her way. She managed to get an emergency flight and should land back home soon.”

  I looked over to where Eva stood, a look of relief on her face. She smiled and took a step closer to the bed.

  “Thank you, Eva.”

  “You gave me a fright, hon. I’m just glad I heard you cry out.”

  Ryder straightened up and put an arm around his sister and gave her a sideways hug. I felt the loss of his body close to mine. How stupid of me to run away. I hadn’t solved anything by doing that except to be apart from my biker. It wasn’t something I ever wanted again.

  “Ryder—” I bit into my bottom lip. There was so much to say and I didn’t know where to start.

  “Hush, baby. Everything is going to be just fine, but first we have to get these babies into the world. You’re going to be induced as soon as Sylvia arrives.”

  “What? No! The babies aren’t ready yet. What if—”

  Ryder leaned back over me and held my face between his palms.

  “Look at me, Jade.” It was a gentle command. I stared into his eyes. “Your water has broken. We don’t have much time to get the babies into the world. The doctor told me that they have every chance of survival if we act now. Sure they’re going to need help, but we’ve got the best damn team on the West Coast working with us.”

  “I’m scared.” I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, digging my nails into his flesh. He didn’t flinch.

  “I know, baby.” He leaned in to kiss me. Sweet and tender. Love poured from my heart as I returned his kiss. “I promise you it’s going to work out. Trust me, okay?” Ryder whispered near my ear.

  Scrutinizing his face for signs of the dreaded twitch, I couldn’t detect anything. Either he was damn good at hiding it or he honestly had no reason to fear anything. I chose to believe the latter.

  “Okay,” I whispered back, letting my body sink into the mattress.

  Seems we were becoming parents soon, ready or not.

  29 — Ryder

  Jade looked so helpless and vulnerable lying back against the pillows with her blonde hair strewn over it. Dark circles under Jade’s eyes sent a pang of guilt spearing through my heart. She hasn’t been sleeping well—just like me.

  “You have twenty minutes before we start the induction,” Susan, the midwife told us. “When there are complications like Jade has, it’s better to get the babies out as soon as possible.”

  Middle-aged and with deep wrinkles running from her eyes to her mouth, I couldn’t help wondering how many new lives Susan had witnessed entering the world in her career. Something about her mannerism was kind and caring, yet I sensed that she could also be firm and tenacious when needed. Funny how one could size up a stranger within just a few minutes of meeting them.

  Jade’s eyes widened and I saw a mix of anticipation and fear in their depths.

  My heartbeat quickened and I swallowed hard. “I never imagined when I woke up this morning that I was becoming a father today,” I said dryly.

  “I bet,” Susan said smiling at me before she looked around the room at everyone. “Shall we give them a bit of privacy before we let the games begin?”

  Within a minute Sylvia, Eva and the other young nurse who’d been monitoring Jade’s blood pressure had left the room and closed the door behind them. This was exactly what we needed. The air was thick with all the unspoken words between us.

  The funny thing? Our love for each other was fierce and beyond question.

  But sometimes love alone wasn’t enough.

  I’d learned that on the nights I reached for her in our bed and she wasn’t there. While my cock ached and my heart yearned for her, I’d discovered what kept two people together was more than love.

  Love was just the beginning. There had to be more if it was going to go the distance.

  My mind was spinning with everything I wanted to tell her in the few minutes we had. I had so much to say that I didn’t know exactly where to start. Maybe with the most important thing? The one thing that was the truth she needed to hear from my lips.

  I lifted her chin so she could look into my eyes. Hers were bright and filled with hope.

  “I choose you, Jade. More than anything I want you in my life and by my side. You are my air. I can’t imagine my days without you.” My lips curled into a smile. “Or my nights. They suck when you aren’t there. When my arms are empty, my heart yearns for you, baby.”

  Her breath hitched. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Above everything I want you. If that means I have to leave the club, hang up my cut, and surrender my VP badge, I’ll do it in a heartbeat if you’ll have me back.”

  She was staring into my eyes and straight into my soul. There wasn’t anything I wanted to hide from her. Not a thing. I wanted her to see that she was my true north.

  Her voice cracked. “You’d do that for me?”

  Tears spilled onto her cheeks even though she was smiling at me.

  “I have no choice. Not really. It’s you that makes my life worth living. Nothing else. Not even the club.” I gave her a silly grin. “I’m the dumbest fuck in the universe.”

  Jade didn’t even try to hide her amusement.

  “You are,” she agreed with a smile, the tears on her lashes shining like diamonds. I stroked her cheeks with my thumb, drying the wetness from her skin.

  “Careful now, Princess,” I warned with a raised brow. “I can still spank your ass, you know.”

  “Hmmm, I’m looking forward to that. It couldn’t be half as painful as what I’ve been through today.”

  The truth of that wiped the smile fro
m my face. If I could take this ordeal out of her hands, I would. I hated seeing her in agony, yet I’d been a cause of a lot of it. I got onto the bed and lay beside her, rubbing up and down her back.

  My heartbeat quickened just being so close to her again, our bodies touching as our gazes locked. She smelled so damn good and I couldn’t get enough of just staring into her eyes and drowning in them.

  We lay in silence for the longest moment,

  “It took you leaving me before I realized that without you it all means nothing. I want you to be my wife, Jade. I want us to be a family. I want that more than anything.” I cleared my throat. “I’m turning the presidency over to Razor. It’s the best thing to do. In time he’ll learn and he’ll turn out great.”

  Jade laced her fingers through mine, her knuckles white as she pressed our joined hands to her chest. Beneath my palm the furious beating of her heart didn’t go unnoticed.

  “Oh, Ryder! This must be so hard for you and I understand what you’re giving up for me.” She blinked a few times and her voice was thick with emotion. “I’ve been thinking too, and I realize that Cobra and Razor are your brothers and the guys are your family as much as my parents and brother are to me. I don’t know how, but maybe we can work something out.”

  I held her face between my palms. I loved that she cared enough to want to compromise. It took a great person to be selfless.

  “I fucking love you,” I said, my cock stirring because it hadn’t been inside my woman for a while. She was my home, no matter where the fuck we lived.

  Our lips locked and I kissed her long and hard.

  “I love you, Ryder. We’re in this together till the end.” Her voice was soft in my ear as I nuzzled my nose into her neck.

  “Till the end, Princess. You and me, baby, you and me.”

  What was it they said about fucking that brought on labor? Dirty thoughts ran through my mind just thinking about what I wanted to do to Jade. But it would have to wait because a knock on the door brought me back to reality.