by Brook Wilder
What had not been part of the plan was Rachael waltzing into the middle of his carefully laid trap, and announcing as calm as she may that she’s in love with him and wants to make things right. That was definitely not part of the fucking plan.
Bullets were flying through the front windows. He ducked and scurried through the chaos to get to Hatchet, who was currently crouched behind a stack of tables, firing off rounds from a modified AR-15.
“Hatchet!” He hissed.
“Rabbit.” Hatchet replied. “Please tell me that wasn’t a very pregnant Rachael I just saw walk in here with her sister.”
“You want me to lie to make you feel better?” He said as he took careful aim out of the busted out window and fired back at the shadows swamping the parking lot.
“What the hell is she doing here?”
“You can fucking ask her if we survive this.” He cast a worried glance over at the bar. He couldn’t see Rachael or Harlow, but he trusted the man with his life. Right now, Harlow held the life of his family in his hands.
Bullets continued snapping overhead, the sound loud and making the whole bar smell like powder but all Jackrabbit could concentrate on was sending round after round downrange at the men outside. Finn’s men.
They had finally taken the bait. And it had to be tonight of all nights—the night that Rachael walked in and said the words that he’d been dying to hear this whole time. Jackrabbit ducked as a bullet cracked by his ear, barely missing him. Focus, Rabbit. Deal with Finn first, then you can worry about Rachael.
He took aim once more, squeezing the trigger and as he ducked again he heard the sound of a cry as the shot made its mark.
“How many are out there?” Jackrabbit asked Hatchet. For a brief moment. They were back in the desert again. Just another ambush. Just another firefight.
“Ten. Twelve at most.”
“You see Finn yet?”
“No,” Hatchet said, his expression tight. “None of these shots are good enough to be him.”
“Damn it. If this doesn’t work…”
“It will. Suppressing fire!” Hatchet popped back up, firing off another few rounds to give Jackrabbit a clear shot.
Adrenaline and fear pumped through him as the staccato bark of gunfire continued on both sides. The adrenaline was for the fight, but the fear was all for Rachael. He sneaked a peak over at the bar, just able to make out Hannah as she crouched behind the bar beside Rachael and Harlow. What the hell was she thinking?
“Damn it.” Jackrabbit said as he gritted his teeth. How was he supposed to go through with the plan now knowing it might put her in danger? But he didn’t have a choice. He had to get through this. He couldn’t let anything else happen.
A sudden spray of bullets from outside had him cursing again. He heard Rachael cry out and a wave of nausea hit him at that terrible sound. All the blood drained from his body as he pictured her shot, wounded. Possibly dying.
“Rachael!” Fear stabbed through him and he shouted hoarsely. He tried to see a way to get to her but he was pinned down by the bullets snapping overhead. “Rae, are you okay? Damn it, Harlow, what the fuck is going on?!”
“Boss, I don’t know how to say this, but…” Harlow’s voice sounded hesitant.
Jackrabbit’s heart skipped one beat after another. “What?” He demanded, his voice hard as gravel, “Just tell me, Harlow. Just fucking tell me.”
“To be honest, sir, I’m not total sure–.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, she’s going into labor!” Hannah’s raised voice cut through the din and lights exploded behind Jackrabbit’s eyes. For a second, he’d been certain he got hit.
“What the fuck did you just say?”
“Rachael is in labor!” Hannah shouted again.
“Harlow! Harlow, are you still there, goddamn it? How is she?” Jackrabbit shouted, his thoughts in a tailspin. Not now. Not fucking now.
He glanced towards the bar and a moment later a pale faced Harlow poked his head above the edge of the bar.
“Boss, I’m really…uh, I’m really not equipped to handle this sort of– FUCK!”
Jackrabbit glanced over just in time to see Harlow grasp a bleeding arm and collapse back behind the heavy wooden bar.
“Motherfucker!” Hatchet snarled, still squeezing off round after round.
Jackrabbit had frozen in place, thoughts crystalizing his mind. He had to make a decision, then and there. Stay and continue to fight a war that would never end, or go to Rachael, take care of her. In the end, there was no real choice. He knew what he needed to do.
Rachael was the only thing that mattered. Not this fight. Not the war with Finn. Not even the crew. Just her. Just Rachael and their little girl, who was apparently coming into the world in a hail storm of bullets.
“I have to go to her.” Jackrabbit finally said to Hatchet.
“You’re fucking right you do. It’s about damn time you figured it out, Rabbit.” Hatchet ducked down and reloaded. “When Mad Dog kicked me out of the crew I thought I’d lost my family, but it was really the other way. It gave me a family. It gave me Elsie. Now, go take care of yours.”
Jackrabbit nodded, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry.” Hatchet grinned menacingly. “We’ll finish these assholes off. Finn’s out there now. I can see him.”
“End this, Hatchet. For all of us.”
Hatchet nodded. “Roger that, brother. Go on, then! Get your woman to the hospital before she has the baby right here in the middle of a goddamn shootout. I’ll see you on the other side!”
With his decision made, Jackrabbit waited a moment until there was a lull in the bullets flying in from outside and made a mad dash, sliding behind the bar and immediately going to Rachael’s side.
Her face was pale and she stared up at him, her green eyes wide and fearful. “She’s early, Johnny. She’s supposed to wait three more weeks.”
“Well, she’s got bad timing too. Just like her mama.” Jackrabbit joked weakly and pushed away a strand of hair from her glistening brow.
Rachael let out a soft laugh and it made his whole world feel right for the first time in weeks, even despite the gun fire ringing loudly around them.
“Come on! We need to get you to the hospital. There’s a back door that’s guarded and a car waiting.” Jackrabbit started to help her up but she stopped him.
“What about Harlow? And Hannah?”
Jackrabbit glanced over to see Hannah holding a scrap of fabric to Harlow’s arm but the man waved him off.
“Don’t worry about me. Bastard barely grazed me. Nothing serious.” Harlow said and Hannah nodded, her expression stern.
“I’m staying.” She said firmly, “I’ll take care of Mr. Harlow here, and anyone else who needs it. We’ll be safe back here. Well, as long as no one does something stupid like stand up in the middle of a shootout.” She gave Harlow a knowing look and he shrugged bashfully. Jackrabbit had no doubt that the man would be safe in Hannah’s capable hands.
“You just worry about taking care of my sister, alright?” Hannah added, giving Rachael a soft, encouraging smile. “I’ll be at the hospital soon. It already sounds like it’s dying down. Go! Hurry!”
Jackrabbit didn’t need to be told twice, helping Rachael up to a crouch and shielding her with his body as they made their way quickly down the short hallway to the back door. He glanced around just to make sure the coast was clear. All of Finn’s men were still pinned down in the front.
“Come on, sweetheart. We gotta go.” Jackrabbit helped her into the passenger’s side before getting into the driver’s seat and tearing off onto the highway. Away from the vicious sound of gun shots that still filled the air. Hannah had been right, it sounded like it was starting to fade. The trap must have closed, and in the distance, he could hear the sound of sirens approaching fast.
The cavalry was on its way.
Jackrabbit knew he broke every single speed limit as he raced to the hospital. Rachael’s han
d was wrapped around his in a death grip that he wouldn’t have traded for anything in the world. But fear filled him worse than at any moment during the shootout with Finn when she cried out in pain from a fresh round of contractions.
He nearly collapsed in relief when he pulled up to the emergency entrance, the tires on the car shrieking as he braked to a stop.
“Help! Someone help! She’s having the baby right now!” Jackrabbit shouted as he rushed from the car, his nerves on the edge of fraying. Damn, he didn’t know if he could handle this. He felt light headed as if he were about to pass out. “Help!”
“Johnny! Get over here!” Rachael’s voice reached him and he rushed to her side. In one swift motion, he scooped her into his arms.
“Johnny, what are you doing? Put me down.” Rachael said but her words fell on deaf ears as he carried her into the hospital.
“She’s having a baby, people! I need a doctor right now. Right now!” He barked out the orders, keeping a tight rein on the panic that threatened to overwhelm him. Rae needed him now more than ever and he couldn’t let her down. He needed to prove to her that she hadn’t made a mistake in trusting him again.
“Sir? Sir, can I help you?” A nurse interrupted his panicked orders.
“She’s having a baby.”
“I can see that, sir.” The nurse shot a placating smile at him before turning back to Rachael, who was still cradled protectively in his arms. “Who’s your doctor?”
“Ostara. Dr. Ostara.” Rachael sounded way more calm than he could have managed.
“Come this way and we’ll get you settled into a room right away. I’ll page Dr. Ostara about your arrival.”
“Thanks so much. That would be great.”
“She’s having a baby! Right now! The baby is coming!” Jackrabbit burst out, unable to hold onto his patience anymore. Yet both Rachael and the nurse looked at him like he was the crazy one while they continued talking about the whole thing like it was no different from getting a cup of coffee.
Jackrabbit just shook his head, quickly following the nurse, ignoring the way Rachael giggled under her breath at him. Soon, she was settled in a room, a hospital gown replacing her clothes and the nurse was telling them that the doctor would be in soon.
Just then a big contraction hit Rachael. She cried out from pain and tightened her fingers around his. He was more terrified in that moment than he’d ever been in his entire life, but he knew with a certainty that rooted through him that he was exactly where he needed to be. He held her hand as tightly as he could.
“We can do this, Rae. We’re in this together.” He assured her. “Always.”
She looked at him, relief shining in her eyes even though he wasn’t sure if it was from her words or the contraction passing. But she nodded, smiling up at him.
“Always.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
“She’s so beautiful.” Rachael said, her voice soft and full of wonder as she stared down at the little bundle swaddled in a pink blanket in her arms.
Jackrabbit looked at Rachael in awe. She was covered in sweat after nearly twelve hours of labor. Her cheeks flushed and her matted hair was plastered around her forehead. But her eyes shone like the most brilliant emeralds and it took his breath away just to look at her.
“Yes, she is.” He said softly, all the while never taking his gaze off Rachael.
She glanced up at him when she heard the husky tone in his voice and graced him with a smile as their eyes collided. All the love, the joy and happiness, all the amazement flowed through that gaze. They didn’t speak. Jackrabbit wasn’t even sure he could ever find the words to describe the emotions bursting through him.
“Here, Johnny. You should hold our daughter.” Rachael said. Jackrabbit’s heart skipped at the words and hesitantly, he leaned forward to cradle the baby as if she was the most precious thing in the world against his chest.
And to him, she was. A miracle.
Despite the early delivery, both Rachael and the baby were perfectly healthy. A day or two of bed rest in the hospital, and then they would both be ready to go home.
He looked down at her. Her perfect nose. Her perfect eyes. Her perfect tiny hands and feet. Finally, he grinned at Rachael.
“Our daughter is perfect.”
Rachael let out a laugh. “Let’s see if you’re still saying that when you’re changing dirty diapers and getting up at three in the morning to go check on her.” Her laugh softened into a radiant smile as she watched them, “But yes, she is perfect.”
“Johnny, I was thinking, about her name…” Rachael trailed off for a moment.
“Yeah? Did you finally come around to Lolita?” Jackrabbit smiled. Rachael shook her head with another laugh.
“No, and I’m not going to. But I did think of something.” Rachael bit her lip and met his curious gaze. “What about Cassiopeia? Cassie, for short. Because she’s so beautiful that even the gods would be jealous of her. And, she’s our star. The shining star of our lives. The star that brought us each other.”
Jackrabbit swallowed the lump of emotion hanging in his throat. A sea of emotions washed over him and he had trouble forming words. He remembered the night that he told her the story of the constellation of Cassiopeia. That night had been perfect. Just like now.
“I think…” He had to cough to hold back an embarrassing sting of tears. “I think it’s perfect. Cassiopeia. Our little Cassie.” He glanced down at the baby—his baby—cradled in his arms. “Hey, Cassie. I’m your daddy.”
He looked over at Rachael, the surety of his next words astounding even him. But as soon as he spoke them, he knew they were right.
“Rachael Donohue, will you make me the luckiest man in the world?” His heart was racing and he felt his breath hang in his throat. “Will you marry me?”
Rachael’s eyes widened in surprise and her eyebrows climbed high on her forehead as she stared at him in silence for what seemed like an eternity. He thought he was on the verge of passing out from when the brightest smile he’d ever seen broke across her face like rays of sunlight, warming him from the inside out.
“Yes.” She said, her eyes swimming with tears of joy. “A million times yes, I’ll marry you. I love you, Johnny.”
“I love you, Rae. I love you more than I can ever say.”
They were both laughing and crying as their arms tangled together, their precious daughter held tight between them. He kissed her then, soft and sweet and so full of love he feared he might explode from the feeling.
The sound of a throat clearing from behind them made them jump apart. Jackrabbit looked over his shoulder and saw Sheriff Donohue standing in the doorframe with a purple stuffed elephant in his hands.
“Daddy!” Rachael said.
Her father wasted no time as he walked in to give his daughter a hug and a kiss on the forehead before his eyes landed on the baby still cradled in Jackrabbit’s arms.
“Is that her? Is that my granddaughter?” His voice started choking up as he walked over. Jackrabbit reluctantly handed her over as Rachael looked over at them with a smile.
“Dad, meet Cassie. The newest member of our family.” Rachael said.
Her smile grew wider as her father rocked Cassie in his arms, cooing and making nonsensical baby noises. “Hi there, Cassie.” Sheriff Donohue smiled before handing her back to Rachael. He motioned to Jackrabbit to follow him.
When they were a little further away and out of earshot from where Rachael and Cassie’s hospital bed, Jackrabbit asked impatiently. “Well? It’s obvious you’ve got some news.”
The sheriff nodded. “Finn’s been dealt with. For the moment at least. By the time we arrived at the address, most of the men who hadn’t already fled were ready to surrender. I couldn’t charge Finn, though. There was nothing that I could make stick but I let him know that if he causes any more trouble, I’ll get the Feds involved. He agreed to back down, for now. It’s a fragile peace, but still peace.”
Jackrabbit nodded, letting
out a sigh of relief that it was finally over. The war between Finn and the Roadburners was finally at an end.
“Thank you.” Jackrabbit said gruffly and shook the older man’s hand. “We wouldn’t have been able to pull this off without you.”
“Well, I’m just glad my daughter is safe.” Sheriff Donohue said. “And my granddaughter.” He walked over by Rachael’s side and rested his hand on her shoulder as he gazed lovingly at them.
After a moment, Rachael looked up and scanned the room with a questioning look in her dark green eyes. “Where is Hannah?”
EPILOGUE