Climbing Out (20 page)

“Shit,” Blue hissed.

“Fuckin’ A,” Stoke said.

“Dead man breathing.” Killer grinned, and right there was the reason he was called Killer. He loved to be the one to do it, but this one was on me.

I looked down at Violet. She took a step back from the hatred in my eyes. “What about the other one?” I asked.

“I think he was just hired help. He was...nicer, gentler.”

With a chin lift, I stomped back to Deanna. “Darlin’...”

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“What I have to. No one touches what’s mine; no one lays a harmful hand on my woman and still lives.” I told it to her straight; now it was up to her to choose to still be with a man like me...or not. If she chose she couldn’t, I’d understand; it would fuckin’ kill me, but I’d understand, because I had blood on my hands from my past, and I was sure in my near future.

She studied my face and saw the truth of my words. I expected her to flinch and turn away in disgust. What I hadn’t expected was her to nod and say, “You do what you have to, whatever you deem necessary.”

Fuck.

I stepped close to her, and I carefully placed my hand under her chin to bring her face up as I leaned down. “You are my woman.”

She grinned. “I know, and you’re my man...but I can’t be here for this.”

“I know, and I would never expect it.” My gaze explored hers and I saw it. Fuck, did I see it. “You know I love you right? And I’d only do good by you.”

Tears shone in her eyes. I knew now wasn’t the time to confess my feelings—with an audience and with what I was about to do—but I couldn’t hold it back. I couldn’t
not
tell her.

She nodded and gave me a sweet, soft kiss. I pulled back and turned. “Pick, you need to leave your bike and take the women to the hospital.”

“I don’t need to go,” Deanna said as she came up to my side and placed her arms around my waist. I moved to fit her as close as I could get her next to me with my arm around her shoulders.

“Just get it checked, and besides...Wildcat’s waiting for you. She’s popping out her kids.”

“What! Shit, fuck. I need to go; she’ll need me there. Pick, get your arse in that car. You too, Violet,” my woman ordered. She nearly tore my head off as she pulled my head down, kissed me hard and said, “See you there?”

“Yeah, darlin’,” I laughed. “We won’t be long.”

“Travis?” Violet called from the car.

“I’ll meet you there,” he said. He was coming with us.

She looked concerned, but nodded and got in the car.

I was ready to complete the next stage of my plan.

Deanna

––––––––

P
ick got us to the hospital in under an hour. It could have had something to do with the amount of abuse spilled from my mouth if he didn’t get us there on time.

I just hoped like fuck Zara held those little monsters in until I arrived.

He dropped Vi and me off at the door, and went off to park the car. We raced in and straight up to the elevators. It seemed to take forever for one to arrive on the ground floor. People who stood with us waiting, backed up a bit as I swore and cursed the slow-moving machine.

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

––––––––

A
fter 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.