by Dakota Trace
“You’re a loon, Rena MacAllister!” Keisha panted as Rena guided her into her room.
“That I am, but no one’s crazier than my baby sister.”
* * * *
“Come on, Sissy, push.” Rena sponged Keisha’s forehead off as she strained against the stirrups. The past two hours had been torturous since her sister’s water had broken. Keisha had alternated between crying and cursing out her husband as she struggled to bring their baby into the world. Eddie, the fucking coward, was hiding over in the corner, out of sight and more importantly out of reach of his wife’s nails. Not that Rena could blame him on that one. He already sported one perfect set of grooves on his left hand from where Keisha had clawed him earlier. Her sister definitely wasn’t feeling very loving towards her husband right now.
“You push!” Keisha bared her teeth as she bore down. Between her thighs, her doctor continued to praise her.
“That’s it, Keisha. I can see his head.” Dr. Brownell moved a bit closer. “I think one more hard push, sweetie, and we’ll have it.” The doctor looked up. “Then I’m going to need you to stop for a moment so I can clean off his face. Do you understand?”
Keisha nodded, sagging back against the supporting arms of Karen. The nurse had been invaluable as she helped Rena with her sister. She definitely would be sending a nice ‘thank you’ card to the patient nurse. She’d even stayed longer than her shift to help with the birth.
A low wail escaped Keisha as Rena helped her sit forward. “Come on baby, push one more time for me. I want to see my nephew,” she pleaded with her.
“You just want to spoil him rotten.” The words were gritted out between clenched teeth.
“Stop!” The doctor’s order had Keisha freezing. There was a sucking noise. “Okay, Keisha, one more time, sweetie.”
Less than two minutes later her niece came screaming into the world. Rena didn’t know who was more surprised, Keisha, Eddie or her. As they laid the swaddled baby on Keisha’s chest, Rena fell head over heels for her new niece. With skin which was already darkening to the same shade as her mother’s, liquid dark chocolate eyes and a cute bow mouth, the baby was the spitting image of her mother as an infant.
“So much for ultra-sounds, huh?” Rena whispered against her sister’s damp brow.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Keisha’s eyes filled with tears.
“Just like her mother.” She moved to the side. “It’s safe now, so why don’t you come over and meet your daughter, Eddie.” She waved him over to stand next to her sister. He gave her a grateful smile. “I’m going to go get a breath of fresh air and call Mom and Dad.” Then she slipped out the door, feeling nearly as wrung out as Keisha. It had been a long, hard labor. Nearly fourteen hours she noted, as she glanced at her watch.
Pushing through the doors, she took a deep breath of the early morning air. The sun was just starting to rise over Lake Michigan, but luckily it wasn’t hot yet. Tugging her phone out of her pocket, she made a quick call to her folks, grateful for the time difference. After informing her mother of all the pertinent information on the birth, Rena chit-chatted with her for another twenty-five minutes. Finally, she promised to give Keisha her love and headed back in.
She was just entering her sister’s room when her phone rang again. Her sister glanced up from the bundle of joy cradled in her arms and nodded towards the bathroom, where Eddie must have been. A smile crossed Rena’s face as she opened the still ringing phone. “Hey, Jackson. We have a girl.”
“That’s great, baby. Have you called Hank yet?”
“No, not yet. I just got off the phone with Mom and Dad.”
“How did they take the news?”
“As expected. They’re over the moon.” She pressed a kiss on Keisha’s forehead. “That’s from Mom.”
“Well, I’m just around the corner from the hospital. Why don’t we meet at the cafeteria and I’ll buy you breakfast?”
“Sounds good.” She answered around a yawn, noticing her sister’s eyelids beginning to droop. “I’ll even see if I can drag Eddie away. Then you can ask him in person.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll meet you in the downstairs cafeteria in fifteen minutes. Love you, ma peekôn.”
Shock rolled over her as he hung up before she could answer. Closing the phone she looked at it as if it were a snake. On the bed her sister giggled, evidently the drugs were taking effect. “Sounds like lover boy got in the last word.”
“Always.” She pressed a soft kiss on her niece’s head. “Have you thought of a name?”
Her sister gave her a shy smile. “I’d like to name her Aamori Marie.”
Rena’s heart melted as she recognized their grandmother’s name. “That would be wonderful, Nana would be happy.”
“And what about you, Sissy? No objections to the middle name?”
Rena arched a brow at her sister. “Like I’m gonna say no to you giving my niece my middle name? After the hell you put me through, girl, I’d be pissed if you didn’t.”
Keisha gave a huge yawn as Karen took Aamori from her. “I’m going to take this little darling down to the nursery for a quick once over by your pediatrician.”
“And I’m going to kidnap your husband for a bit,” Rena said around a yawn, as Eddie came out of the bathroom. He looked as ragged as they did, and it was no surprise to her he was quiet and a bit out of sorts. “Come on, Eddie. I know of a coffee pot with your name on it.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sitting in the cafeteria, Rena sipped on a fresh cup of joe while Jackson and Eddie talked about the birth of little Aamori. The almost ease of the two men warmed her heart. She knew her brother-in-law didn’t approve of the lifestyle, but she was happy to see he wasn’t holding it against her Dom. In front of her was a half-eaten pastry she’d done little more than pick at since they joined Jackson. She wasn’t hungry but she’d had given into Jackson’s demands she eat, especially when he had spoken softly but firmly in his Dom voice.
“So, now that you’re the proud papa of a bouncing little girl, are you planning on taking some time off to spend with your growing family?” Setting his own coffee down in front of him, Jackson looked absolutely delicious in his button down white shirt and blue jeans. All it did however was remind Rena of how scuzzy she felt wearing yesterday’s clothing.
Around them, the cafeteria bustled with doctors, nurses, and other visitors who were eating breakfast or just getting an early morning bite to eat. Sitting across from her, Eddie was readily inhaling every scrap of food on his plate. “Damn that’s good. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.” He leaned back in his seat before finally answering Jackson’s question. “I plan on taking a week off to help Keisha around the house. My superiors were reluctant to give me that, but I told them if they didn’t I’d haul their asses into court on an F.M.L.A violation.”
“That’s one of the perks I enjoy with being my own boss. If I ever have kids, I’d want to be able to stay home with them and their mother.” As he spoke, he looked directly at Rena as if to judge her response. At forty-two, Rena had long known motherhood wasn’t in the cards for her, not just because of her age, but because of some medical issues which had forced her to have a partial hysterectomy. How was she going to tell her Dom if he wanted kids, and she’d known he probably would, there wasn’t a chance of her having them?
“True.” Eddie looked between Rena and Jackson as if he could feel the tension running between the two of them. “It’s something…” He patted Rena’s hand. “…Rena won’t have to worry about. Right?”
Rena wanted to jerk her hand away and stalk off. Mortification filled her. She couldn’t believe Eddie had been so blasé about the fact he’d just torn her world apart. She met Jackson’s gaze. “Thanks for laying all my short comings out on the table, Eddie. So I can’t have kids, it doesn’t mean I’m defective.” She jerked her hand back and wiped her mouth on her napkin before tossing it on table. “I think I need a breath of fresh air.” She shove
d back against the table and stood to leave when Jackson stopped her.
“Do you think it honestly matters to me, ma peekôn?” He stood, crowding close to her, his hands gently cupping her shoulders.
Between his caring touch and the whispered endearment, she was on the verge of bawling. The sting of tears at the back of her eyes had her blinking rapidly. “I…it’d matter to some men.”
“But haven’t we already agreed I’m not most men?” He nuzzled her ear. “I want you with or without kids, Rena. If you decide you want them later on, we can look into adopting them or possibly a surrogate mother if that’s an option.” Turning her to face him, he lifted her chin. “I’d love to raise a couple of young-uns, but only if it’s what you want because I’ll be damned if I’ll be having them with anyone else. Either way, we’ll cross that bridge when it comes right down to it. I love you for you, not your reproductive parts.”
“You’re honestly dating him? Didn’t you learn your lesson in New York? You lost a job and I had to transfer because of your choice to pursue this lifestyle. How can you date another guy just like the last one?”
Eddie’s garbled statement barely reached her. All she wanted to do was lean into his hand. It was the same hand he had spanked her with and brought her numerous pleasures they’d both enjoyed. For once she’d found a Dom who seemed to get her, the real person – faults and all. After pressing a kiss against his palm in gratitude, she allowed Jackson to guide her back into her chair.
“Well, I don’t know if dating actually covers it or not, Eddie. He’s my Dom.” She caught Jackson’s gaze even as she continued to answer Eddie’s question. “I know you don’t understand but he’s perfect for me. He actually understands what I need. My perfect Dom – the one I’ve been looking for so long.”
A dangerous hiss came from her left as Eddie seemed to explode. His fist hit the table. “You slut! Do you realize what I’ve done to keep this man from…from…degrading you with his deviant perversions?”
* * * *
Jackson was basking in the warmth of Rena’s confession when Eddie’s words shattered the euphoria he had been feeling at her acceptance of his part in her life. What the fuck… Across the table, Eddie seemed to go off the deep end on Rena.
He continued to berate Rena, his loud voice carrying across the cafeteria. For all the hurtful, hateful words spilling out of the man’s mouth, Rena stood her ground.
“What have you done?” Rena looked horrified.
Eddie’s face actually reddened as the vein in his forehead throbbed. “I did what you couldn’t or wouldn’t do. You allowed him to grope you at your place of business – you should’ve filed charges, but instead you lapped it up like the whore you are.”
Jackson had heard about enough - it was time to put the man in his place - regardless of the information he could provide them. He’d just have to find another way to get a look at those guard logs. “Now wait a damn minute, Johnson! There’s nothing wrong with what goes on between Rena and I. It’s consensual…”
Rather than acknowledge Jackson, Eddie continued to berate Rena. “Do you know what kind of trouble I’d be in if the cops ever found out what I did to protect you?” He reached across the table to grab Rena, but she was quick to withdraw her hand away from his reach.
Smart girl, Jackson thought. “I think it’s time we leave, baby.” He stood, offering her his hand. “You don’t have to sit here and listen to this nasty shit.”
“Like hell she doesn’t!” Eddie stood too, his eyes wild with fury. “The little slut could’ve cost me everything – for such depravities are unnatural against God and husband alike. Do you realize I could’ve lost my job if my bosses knew I broke into a client’s home, or that I paid a group of gang members to commit vandalism?”
Jackson froze, shock racing through him. He’d have never thought it was Eddie. But now after the man admitted to breaking into a client’s home, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. With his management job at Star, he could easily stop by the condo building doing a random check, lift the key from the desk, and use it to let himself into Olivia’s. Why he’d paid gang members to destroy Olivia’s car was still a mystery, but he’d find out soon enough – or the cops would.
“It was you who threatened me? You’re the one who broke into Jude’s and Olivia’s condo and vandalized their car? Why would you do that?”
“No shit, Sherlock. Took you long enough to figure it out.” Eddie snarled. “Everything I did, you and your partner had coming. I’m still going to ruin Larson Securities. You corrupted my innocent sister-in-law and made her crave your type of debauchery. You need to pay and the loss of your business will merely be the start. I’ll cure Rena of this depravity and you’ll never see her or have her again.”
Stalking around the table, he caught Rena’s arm. “As the head of your family here in Chicago, I forbid you to see this man again, Rena MacAllister. Your father would be appalled if he knew how far you’d strayed from the path. I’ll get you help – I’m sure there’s a class or something at my church which will cure you of your lustful ways.”
“Eddie, let go of me! Right now! I can’t believe you’re doing this.” The horrified, almost terrified look on her face said it all. “That you’d attack Jude or Jackson on my behalf. I never asked you to do this…” She cried out as he twisted her arm cruelly. She jerked away from him. “I don’t care what the hell you’re thinking, but the day I listen to your edicts will be the day Hell freezes over.”
“You bitch, I should just let you go, but I’m not going to…” Without any warning Eddie backhanded her. “And I’ll be damned if you talk to me that way again. I don’t take that shit from Keisha, and I’ll be damned if I take it from you.”
Stumbling back against the table, she held her cheek. “You hit my pregnant sister?” Rena’s eyes flashed red. Around them, chaos erupted. People screamed. Chairs were knocked over as the persons at the surrounding tables tried to get out of the way from the fight quickly brewing.
But Jackson didn’t give Rena a chance to attack Eddie. At six foot four and nearly three hundred pounds, the man could easily hurt his little peekôn. Tackling the man across the table, they landed on the floor with a bone-jarring thud. He laid into the other man with his fists. Trying to strike a blow anywhere he could, he punched the large man’s body. He winced as Eddie scrambled into a superior position and landed a direct blow on his nose. The sudden spray of blood and pain did little to deter Jackson though. Wiping the blood away with the back of his hand, he ignored the metallic taste on his tongue. Bucking up, he used leverage to unbalance Eddie. Scrambling to his knees, he followed after him.
Catching the back of Eddie’s legs, he sprawled on top of the man. He groaned as Eddie threw his head back and hit him in the face. Bringing down his elbow sharply on Eddie’s shoulder, Jackson growled as the other man gasped in pain. The next move was a classic one out of the military handbook, as Eddie carried both of them over in the body roll which the military taught to all their men. Jackson hissed in frustration. The man was damn near equal to him in strength, but if he was lucky the long armed bastard wasn’t as fast as a former Ranger. Otherwise he was going to get his ass handed to him.
Jackson grunted as he ended back on the bottom once more. Hooking his legs up high on Eddie’s body, he tried to roll the other man again, but instead took a brutal fist to the face. Landing at the corner of his eye, the punch sent shards of agony into Jackson’s orbital lobe and he hissed as it began to swell. The damn man hits like a prizefighter. Breathing through the pain, Jackson used the adrenaline racing through him to lever Eddie off of him once more. As they rolled again, they came to a stop against the legs of one of the remaining tables still standing, with Jackson on top. Grabbing at Eddie’s flying fists, he blocked several blows before finally managing to pin Eddie’s arms with his knees. “Dammit, that’s e-fucking-nough!”
“Rotten whore-son. You’ll burn in hell for what you’ve done!” Eddie spat at him.
Disgust rolled through Jackson as the warm substance trickled down the side of his face.
“I should knock your ass out right here and now for that.” Rubbing the side of his face against his shoulder, he tried to wipe away the drool. “Disgusting mother fucker.”
“As if you could! Where’s your Ranger training now, Levough?” Using his legs, Eddie wrapped them around Jackson’s torso. Jackson gasped as he suddenly couldn’t breathe due to the pinning hold the other man had on his ribs. A quick flick of Eddie’s legs sent Jackson sprawling backwards and into an over turned chair. But before he could untangle himself from the chair to show him exactly where his Ranger training was, the ass cheated. Grabbing another nearby chair, he swung at Jackson with it. Even though Jackson tried to roll away free from the chair holding him, new agony flared as the second chair’s frame made brutal contact with his ribs.
Clutching his side, Jackson tried the best he could to protect them, but Eddie was like a man possessed, not content to just hit his ribs with the chair, the fucker struck one blow after another around Jackson’s ribs, his head, and basically anywhere he could get a shot in. Finally in desperation, Jackson ignored the sizzling agony moving caused and rolled under one of the tables. Anywhere out of the reach of the damned chair he’s using as a weapon.
“Stop it!” Rena’s scream penetrated the fog of agony around his mind. His heart leapt as he watched from his viewpoint on the floor as Eddie struck Rena across the face once more. He groaned, rolling to his knees, ignoring the searing pain coming from his ribs. The fucker had obviously broken one, if not more, of them. But I don’t care. I have to help her. The sound of flesh smacking flesh as Rena and Eddie returned blows had him staggering to his feet. A few feet from him, Eddie leaned away from a punch Rena threw, then using her momentum to bring her close enough he grabbed her in a choke hold.