JoJo (S.H.E Book 2)

by Christine Michelle

  “That very well may be judging by your last period, but we’re going to verify it with a transvaginal ultrasound.”

  “A what exactly?”

  He held up a wand looking device that maybe could have been found in any woman’s bedside drawer for lonely night usage. “Instead of looking through the belly, since everything is so small right now, we’re going to take a look from the inside using this.”

  “You’re going to stick that inside of me?” I stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief. “Doc, no offense, but I really don’t know you that well.” Both Dr. Mac and my husband burst out laughing at my expense.

  “I assure you both, you won’t even think about what I’m doing when you look at what’s going on up here on the screen.”

  Nurse Stacey came back in about that time and the doctor got started probing my nether region with his wand. No double entendre meant, despite it sounding like some cheesy line from one of Angel’s bodice ripping books. Finally, the doctor smiled, hit a button, and this really fast whoosh, whoosh, noise came blaring through a set of speakers.

  “That folks, is your baby’s heartbeat.”

  Steel looked just as stunned as I felt. “Oh my God, are you for real?” The words slipped out of my mouth and the doctor just smiled again.

  “This,” he pointed to a fishy looking blob in the middle of the black and white screen, “is your baby. You can see the heart beating in time with the sound right here.” Again he moved the cursor on the screen to hover over the spot quickly in order to point our way, and then he moved it again to give us a clear view. Jesus, I was watching my baby’s heart beat. Hell, I was hearing it beating. My whole being was overwhelmed with a steady influx of warm emotion that came spilling out of my eyes once more. It was a sensation that I was getting used to, but one that I wasn’t going to hate on in this moment. Especially when I felt Steel’s grip intensify on my hand, and turned to see his eyes filled with moisture too.

  “That’s our baby,” he sputtered out when my eyes met his.

  Dr. Mac was doing his thing, it looked like he was measuring different parts of the baby, and then he turned to talk to us. “The baby’s birthday should be around March 22, give or take a few days on either side of that. Many first time pregnancies run a little over our first guestimation. Nurse Stacey walked over and handed a few small sheets of something to the doctor. He, in turn, handed them over to me. “The first pictures of your little one,” he said happily as I took the flimsy little black and white images. “We’re going to get you set up with some good prenatal vitamins, and we’ll see you once a month in the beginning just to check to make sure everything is progressing as it should. As we go along, there will be special tests or more sonograms that are done for various reasons. They will always be explained to you on the visit prior to them happening, unless there are emergent circumstances. So far though, all is well. The baby had a strong heartbeat, and measures perfectly for your date of conception and the due date. Do you guys have any questions for me at this time?”

  I was lost in the images before me so I startled a bit when Steel boomed out an excited, “yes!” He turned his full attention to the doctor. “Do we need to be careful with sex? I mean,” he cleared his throat, and I swear there was a blush on his cheeks. “What if we get a little excited and I toss her on the bed too hard or something?” That made me giggle. Steel looked slightly embarrassed. Dr. Mac just chuckled. He’d probably heard it all before from first time parents.

  “Normal sex is fine. I basically recommend whatever the mother is comfortable with. As she gets bigger, you’ll probably have to experiment with positions to find what works best, and take it a little easier.” Oh dear lord, Doc most likely thinks we’re having rough kinky sex now. And cue my own rosey shaded cheeks.

  “We’re bikers, can she still ride on the motorcycle?” I’m pretty sure Steel asked that question next in order to take the heat off his last question.

  Doc looked at both of us before speaking. “There’s nothing inherently dangerous about being on the bike itself. I never recommend it though, because bikes are just more dangerous to be on than say being in a car if an accident should occur. At least there is a modicum of protection from the vehicle’s exoskeleton, so to speak. There is nothing on a bike outside of helmets and leathers. As pregnancy progresses it won’t be very comfortable for her, balance can be an issue, and of course during early pregnancy, just plain old morning sickness may require more time pulled over on the side of the road since a barf bag won’t exactly be easy to use with the wind in her face.” I snickered a bit at that imagery. Doc had valid points. “If she’s missing the wind in her hair, and she feels well enough though, I don’t see why she can’t do it if that’s what you choose.”

  Well, judging from Steel’s resolved look, I was betting I wouldn’t be riding on my bike much for the next seven months. “You can always feel free to call or email the office if you think of any further questions. Either myself or Stacey will be more than happy to help you out. We’ll see you in a month, Stacey will get your appointment set up and your prescription for the prenatals before you leave.” He looked at me meaningfully then. “Take them every single day.”

  “Yes sir,” I muttered. Doc patted me on my knee then shook Steel’s hand. “Congratulations, you two. I look forward to seeing you both next time.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” Steel told him.

  Chapter 11

  We were headed to a party when I noticed the old Chevy taking all of the same turns. The damn thing had been following us since we were a mile down from our house. I’d say it was coincidence, but mine was the last house on that road.

  “What’s wrong, babe?”

  “I think that truck has been following us.”

  “You do know there are only so many country roads, right? It’s not really a coincidence when we head in the same direction, considering we’re on our way towards town.”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s just weird, and well, never mind. I probably have hormone induced paranoia going on.”

  Steel grinned over at me before returning his eyes back to the road in front of us. “Besides, even if it is someone following us for your brother again, maybe we should give him the scoop to take back. You’re going to have my baby. I think that sort of legitimizes our marriage to the utmost degree.” He chuckled then. “It also gives you another next of kin in the lineup.”

  He was right about that. We had found out that my brother had indeed hired a private investigator to get the dirt on our ‘fake marriage’ when he found out we had tied the knot. The man we’d seen in the bushes that day had taken back pictures that proved nothing more than we were a married couple with mutual friends. Obviously, it didn’t help his supposed case he was planning on destroying us with.

  We pulled into the parking lot of the Aces High compound, which now had an extremely nice fence around it. It was all wood and stone for privacy, except for the front gate that was a series of strong iron bars. There was a larger sliding gate in the back that was large enough to admit eighteen wheelers if they needed it to. For now, the front gate was left open, and J.D., the youngest prospect stood guard there with the much older, new probationary member, Battle.

  J.D. was on the driver’s side and leaned in to say hello to Steel as Battle gave me a once over. After realizing who I must be, since he heard J.D. greet Steel by name, the man smiled down at me with a warm light bleeding through his deep, velvety brown eyes. The goatee on his face hid away some of the smile that formed, but the crinkling around his eyes told me it was genuine anyway. “Congratulations, honey. I’ll probably be out here most of the night doing grunt work, so I figured I’d tell you now.”

  “Thanks, Battle. And good to finally meet you by the way.” He tipped his head up at me in extended greeting.

  “My daughter is here tonight,” he leaned in a little closer then. “She’s expressed interest in joining up with you ladies, so if you could kind of keep an eye on her, I’d greatly a
ppreciate it. These creeps know she’s off limits, but there’s a few guys from other chapters here tonight too.”

  “You have my word, and I’ll let our VP know about her interest too.” I didn’t bother to explain that I wasn’t exactly on speaking terms with our president at that moment. I knew I’d have to try to fix that soon, but honestly, I was tired and didn’t think I was the one who should have to fix anything since I hadn’t done anything to break it.

  A beep from behind us had Steel turning my way, and leaning down far enough that he could see Battle too. “If you two hens are done gossiping, people are trying to get to a party!” Steel informed us. Battle’s laughter in response was deep and inviting. He didn’t even say a word about the teasing, instead he just backed up and smacked a big meaty paw on top of the truck cab to signal us to pass. Steel got us parked, and helped me out of the truck as if I were an invalid. When I rolled my eyes at him he just smirked and asked a dumb question. “What?”

  “‘What?’ my ass. I’m barely pregnant, not handicapped.”

  He dropped a kiss on my forehead and smiled down at me. “I love you.” Okay, well, I’d probably let him win this argument then. He grinned at me again as he turned us in the direction of the clubhouse, put his hand on my lower back, and walked me to the party.

  “Hey! Look who’s here,” Quickshot called out as we entered the bar area. Yes, it seemed a little ironic to be celebrating a birth announcement in a bar since, you know, I’m pregnant and can’t drink. That’s just what bikers do though. Quick passed a shot, of what looked like whiskey, to Steel. For me, he passed a shot glass full of warm, white liquid. I quirked an eyebrow up in question and he laughed. “Warm milk, little momma.” I rolled my eyes and downed my ‘shot’ alongside my husband and his grown up drink to the cheers of everyone present.

  “Warm milk shots,” I sighed out while shaking my head. “Only you, Quick!”

  “Couldn’t have you feeling all left out and shit.” He came over and gently patted my belly then kissed my cheek. “Congratulations, JoJo.”

  “Get your hands off my woman, Quick. I’m pretty sure you have your own to knock up.”

  The color drained a little bit from Quickshot’s face as his eyes widened. “Not you too! Keys has already been hinting that your little squirt will need a playmate. I’m not ready for that shit, man. Jamie and Sweet’s kid will have to do.” I laughed at him. Granted, Keys and Quick hadn’t been together very long in the big scheme of things. They had officially gotten together sometime after Angel and Sweet’s wedding, which hadn’t been that long before my own. I didn’t blame him for not exactly being ready for kids. Steel and I were definitely the exception and not the rule. Hell, I wasn’t sure we were ready either. In our case we just had to be ready. If given the choice, I think both of us would have preferred to wait. He was also forgetting that there was a rift between Angel Girl and me that hadn’t been mended yet, and didn’t appear to be heading in that direction any time soon.

  “Hi guys,” a quiet voice called out from somewhere behind Quickshot. I turned to see as MiMi stepped into view.

  “MiMi!” I shouted as I ran and threw my arms around her.

  “Hey JoJo, girl,” she whispered in my ear. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too. How’s Grant?”

  She pulled back and met my eyes. I could see the joy in them at the mention of the little boy, but also the sorrow hidden in her eyes. He’s doing all right. I haven’t told him yet,” she explained.

  I couldn’t help the pitying look she probably saw on my face. I couldn’t imagine having to break the news that the boy’s mother had been murdered by his own psychopath of a father. Not that she could tell him all that now. He was far too young to put that on his shoulders, let alone understand since he hadn’t known about his dad. “You should come by the house sometime. I know you’re staying clear of the club right now, and I get it, but we’re friends. You need me, I’m there.”

  “I know. I’ll come by this week some time and we’ll take little squirt to go play at the lake before it gets too cold.”

  “That would be great. He’d love that too since I think he’s part fish.”

  “What are you doing here, anyway?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me since MiMi wasn’t usually one to hang around the Aces High crew.

  She blushed a little, and suddenly I wondered if she had a crush on someone here. “One of the girls is watching Grant. I needed some adult time away from him for a little while, and pretty much everyone I know is here tonight,” she explained with a shrug of her shoulders before glancing around the room as if she were looking for something or someone.

  I also glanced around and started to take inventory of everyone who was there. Granted, I was doing it because I wanted to know who MiMi cared about enough to trudge through a clubhouse full of men. She never showed it outwardly when the guys were around, but she was always on the edge and ready to rabbit out of the place when they were in crowds like this. Even though she knew the guys from Aces High were nothing like the men from Winter’s Renegades MC who had once taken her prisoner and done horrible things to her, the atmosphere would always be a reminder.

  I saw MiMi’s face fall as her eyes finally tracked whoever it was she’d been looking for. I followed her line of sight before she looked away and found Dane standing in the corner with a beer tipped up to his lips. It hadn’t been the beer that caused MiMi to lose her smile though. If I had to guess, it had been the woman wrapping herself around Dane and whispering in his ear. Dane laughed at whatever the woman had said and then noticed me watching them. It only took a hot minute for him to realize MiMi was standing beside me even though she now had her back to the scene.

  “I think I should go,” she muttered.

  “You might want to do that quickly if you want to get out before he gets over here,” I informed her quietly.

  “He’s coming here?” Her panicked voice asked, but I didn’t get a chance to respond because she fled the room and the building faster than I would have thought possible. By the time Dane made his way to me, he was glaring at the door and then turning that wicked look on me.

  “Why did she just haul ass out of here?”

  “I don’t know,” I told him honestly since she hadn’t specifically told me that he was the reason.

  He glanced back to the corner he had just vacated where a pouty blond was beckoning him back with the crook of her finger and a promise in her smile. Dane blew out a breath. “What did she see, Jo?”

  “She saw the blond plastered to you with her mouth practically chewing at your ear, I’m sure.” There was no use beating around the bush. He knew exactly what MiMi must have seen.

  “Fucking hell.” The grimace on his face made the man look ferocious. “I can’t win with those two. Paul tells me she’s not ready, and here she is showing up to an MC party.”

  “She showed up looking for someone specific,” I informed him.

  That caught his attention. “Who the fuck was she looking for?” The words were spat out in an accusatory tone so I gave it right back to him.

  “Well, considering she flew out of here in a big hurry after she found what she was looking for, I think we both know what - or who - brought her here.”

  His fists were bunched in tight balls of tension by his side. “I don’t know what to do with her,” he admitted. “With her history, and Paul’s constant warnings, I just…”

  “You just thought you’d come here and fuck around until she’s ready?” I asked, pissed off for my friend at this point.

  “No. I wasn’t. Shit. Jenna is far too young for me. She was trying, but I had already turned her down twice before tonight.”

  “Well, here’s a tip for you, Dane. When you turn a woman down, don’t let her hang all over you afterward. It gives her the wrong idea. It also gives anyone else watching the wrong impression too. I suggest you get going if you plan on fixing that situation. If you let her stew on what she saw, it
will be too late. Paul’s right. She’s fragile, but not in the way he thinks.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that she has been through a lot, and I don’t think she feels she’s worthy of anyone anymore. Like a lot of rape victims, she feels unclean now.” I tipped my head towards the corner where the woman was still waiting with a hopeful look on her bright red lips. “Seeing you with skankalicious preteen barbie back there probably didn’t help her opinion of herself.”

  Dane hefted out a sigh as he looked down at the floor. Honestly, even that simple gesture didn’t diminish his viking-like presence at all. “I didn’t,” he hesitated before speaking again. “If anyone in that scenario was unworthy, it sure as fuck wasn’t MiMi.” Then he grinned up at me. “Skankalicious preteen barbie?”

  It was my turn to shrug. “If that girl is a day older than 18, it would be a miracle.”

  “I did tell you I turned her down because she was too young.”

  “Only that reason?”

  “No,” he offered with a smirk. “I need to get going though. My other reason is already pissed enough with me.”

  “She’s not pissed, Dane. She’s hurt, and that’s far worse.”

  He nodded his head. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Jo.”

  Steel found me again and handed me an apple juice while he drank his beer. “What was that about with Dane?” There was no judgment or jealousy in his tone. He was simply curious.

  “Dane wants MiMi,” I told him, not thinking there was a reason to hide that since it seemed pretty obvious to me.

  “So what’s the problem?”

  “I told you about what happened to MiMi when the WRs had her, right?”

  Steel’s face screwed up in an angry mask then. “He think she’s not good enough for him because some assholes violated her?”

  I put my hand on his chest, over his heart, and smiled sweetly at the man. I admired how fiercely protective he could be of people he felt needed a champion. “No, honey. Nothing like that. Paul wants him to go slow, or not go there at all. MiMi is scared to take a step in that direction, and while her reasoning is closer in line to what you were thinking, she’s wrong. She’s hesitant because she doesn’t feel worthy, and that has kept him at bay too. I think there was a time when he thought maybe she just wasn’t into him at all.”