Road to Destiny (Scorpio Stinger MC Book 5) (18 page)

As I stepped back into the room, all eyes turned to me.

“Cobra’s out of his coma,” I said. “It’s a good day to be alive.”

“Sure is,” Jade said, “I’m already dilated so get ready for another miracle today.”

I leaned down and kissed the lips she held up to me. “Hell yeah, let’s do this, baby.” 

“P
ush, Jade, push.” My mother’s eyes shone with excitement as she squeezed my trembling thigh. She’d hardly arrived at the hospital when she was informed that she’d be a grandmother in a few hours. She’d taken it all in her stride, preparing herself to be part of the process ever since I asked her to be at the birth a couple of months ago, and now it was happening, albeit a lot sooner than
expected
.

I fell back onto the pillow and grunted like a cavewoman, my breath exhausted, and my body in so much pain that I was on the verge of collapsing. Ryder’s eyes were wild, and sweat formed on his brow as he swallowed hard. He stroked my hair, tucking the loose strands behind my ear while keeping his gaze pinned to me.

His shaky voice was filled with awe. “You’re so fucking brave, Princess. You can do this. One more push, sweetheart.”

With almost superhuman effort, as soon as the next contraction hit, I pushed with all my might.

“Breathe, Jade,” Mom reminded me. “Breath with every contraction.”

“Now!” Susan ordered while staring at my vagina.

At this stage I had not one iota of dignity left.

My nails dug into Ryder’s palm. I wanted him to feel at least
some
of my pain.

“Good girl, keep going,” Mom coaxed. “The little head has crowned.”

Little head?
It felt as if I was birthing a baby elephant.

“I’m so tired. How far is the baby?” This had been going for what felt like hours, and I didn’t think I could take any more.

Susan had her hands between my legs and looked up at me with an encouraging smile. “The head is nearly out, and after that we need just one more big push for the rest. That part is easy.” 

I felt like kicking her in the teeth—nothing about this was
easy
—but instead I garnered all my strength and with a scream, I used every grain of energy to push again.

One. More. Push. That was all I needed for the rest of the baby’s body to slide out of my womb.

I closed my eyes and waited, sucking in a deep breath. Seconds later, when the next contraction hit, I did what I needed to do to produce a miracle.

The gloved hands of the midwife caught the baby and held it up. “It’s a boy!”

A boy. Our boy.

Jayden.

If ever I complained again that something was too difficult, I’d think back to this moment—the moment my firstborn child pushed through my body and into a brand new world.

The whole room held its breath for a few moments as we waited for our son to take oxygen into his tiny lungs for the first time. Ryder’s expression was a cross between relief and pride, his eyes dancing as he looked at me and then at the baby.

Seconds ticked by, and it felt as if we were in a vacuum. With my eyes focused on my child, I wanted to hear his first cry before I completed the job of delivering his sibling.

Worry knitted my brow as the next wave of pain hit me. I wasn’t finished with my boy yet, but I had to switch my focus to the next baby waiting to be born.

“Doctor, the child isn’t breathing.”

The words hit me like a ton of bricks as Susan handed the little blue body to the older man.

No.
No, no, no.
I’d worked so hard to keep him safe, to bring him into our world.
He has to breathe. Please, God.

“Jade, honey, you’ve got to focus on the next baby. Don’t worry, the doctors will fix your son, but now we need all your attention here.” The midwife’s voice was calm as she stared me in the eyes. “We need to work quickly or this baby will be distressed, okay?”

“I can’t,” I said, my body at the point of fatigue that it wouldn’t co-operate.

Ryder grabbed the oxygen mask and placed it over my mouth and nose. “Deep breaths, Princess. Do it for her—for our baby girl.”

I sucked air into my lungs, the coolness of it filling me with renewed determination.

“I’m so fucking proud of you. You’re doing so good.” His hand on my shoulder squeezed softly and centered me enough that I could bring my focus back to my task, yet a part of my brain was numb with worry about my baby boy.

From my peripheral vision I could see that people were running around frantically, and the only sounds I heard were of alarmed voices.
Adult voices.

Alarm bells went off in my head as my baby was whisked away. I’d only seen him for two seconds and I wanted to hold him and feel him skin to skin, but before I could blink he was gone.

No, not again
. I couldn’t bear losing another child. When were they going to tell me what was happening?

Another contraction ripped through my body. I screamed because the force of it overwhelmed me completely, and because screaming was the only way I could express my fear for my babies. “My son . . . what’s wrong with him?” I cried as large tears splashed onto my cheeks.

Ryder wiped the tears with his thumb, smiling at me through misty eyes. I clutched his hand and squeezed. We were going through this together, whatever the outcome, and I’d never felt closer to him than when he leaned over and kissed my lips sweetly.

“It’s going to be fine. Just trust me, okay?”

I didn’t know why I did or how he knew, but I didn’t question it. If Ryder said it was going to be okay, I had to believe that he was right with everything inside me.

“I love you, Jade. More than anything. Always remember that, baby. Whatever happens here today, we will always have one another.” The passion and conviction in his voice and in his eyes were exactly what I needed to pull me through.

I nodded, taking strength from him, transfusing his faith and power into me like a lifeline.

“Now push with the next contraction, Jade.” The concern on the midwife’s face scared the crap out of me.  “It’s this baby’s turn now. We gotta get her out fast.”

“Honey, you need to bring your daughter into the world,” Mom said, her lashes wet and her lips quivering.

I have to do this.

I met Ryder’s gaze and held it, drawing inspiration and courage from him. Pure unadulterated love shone back at me.

We’re going to be okay. All of us.

As the next contraction hit, I was ready. Clutching Ryder’s hand, I found the energy to give him the baby daughter he so longed for, pushing through the pain with everything I had in me.

“Her head—I can see it. Oh my God, she’s got so much hair,” my mother squealed. Everyone shifted their gaze to see. “No wonder you had so much heartburn.”

“Really?” A small smile touched my lips.

I can do this. I can give her life.

“Ryder!”
I screamed, panting through the pain.

With only three more pushes, her head emerged, and with one more she slid right out as if on cue.

“Your daughter,” the midwife said with relief as she held the bundle up.

Please God, let her be okay. Let her breath.

Moments later our baby spluttered to life, sucking oxygen into her lungs and crying. It was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard, yet a pang of guilt and pain twisted my heart for my boy.

After weighing and checking her, Susan placed the baby on my chest. I beamed up at Ryder, his eyes soft as he gawked at his new daughter.

“Welcome to the world, Harley,” he said softly as he stroked a finger over her tiny arm. He swallowed a lump in his throat, and I could swear my big, bad-ass biker was close to tears. “You’re just as beautiful as your mamma.”

Hearing her name spoken to her for the first time in his hoarse voice completely undid me. I blinked fast, overwhelmed with so much love that my heart wanted to burst. There was only one thing missing to complete the perfect picture—little Jayden. I needed to see him too, to know that he was okay.

As if Ryder read my mind, he looked at my mother. “Sylvia, I’m just going to find out where they’ve taken our boy.”

I swallowed hard as I watched Ryder plant a soft kiss on my mother’s cheek. “Oh, and congratulations, Grandma,” he said with a warm smile.

This man. God, I loved him so much.

Mom smiled back, but she couldn’t fool me. She was as worried as we were. If only we had some news, but Susan just shrugged when I asked her. “It’s normal to take him away and monitor him for a while. He may need assistance in breathing, too; his lungs may not be fully developed.”

“So he’ll be okay?” Mom breathed, taking the words right out of my mouth.

“I can’t know for certain, but we have a very high survival rate at this hospital.”

Moments later, Ryder came back into the room. The relief on his face was palpable. He held his phone up with a picture he’d taken for me to see. “He’s okay. In an incubator, but breathing. He’ll need to stay there for a few days. Our little man is a fighter.” The pride in his eyes rocked me to the core.

“Little Jayden is a fighter like his daddy,” I said, reaching out to touch Ryder’s cheek as he leaned closer to kiss me. 

“I’ll take you to see him soon.”

I nodded. The knowledge that he was okay was what counted most, and I adored Ryder for wanting to set my mind at ease. The pain we both still carried from losing Peanut would never completely leave us, and as our eyes met and we held one another’s gaze for a long, sweet moment, I imagined that Ryder was thinking of that baby at this very moment, too.

He squeezed my hand without a word. Sometimes that was enough.

Susan helped Harley latch onto an engorged nipple for her first feed. I never knew that I could be so completely exhausted yet so pumped at the same time.

Mom’s cheeks were flushed, and her eyes bright as she said, “Hey, excuse me. I need to go to the bathroom and then get out for some fresh air.”

“Thanks, Sylvia, for your support—it means a lot,” Ryder said, his voice as warm as his smile.

“The two of you have given me the greatest gift, and I couldn’t be happier,” she said as she found her purse and left the room. No doubt she’d go to call my father to give him the news.

As soon as Mom left, Susan also did a disappearing act so that Ryder and I were alone for a while. I shuffled over on the bed to make room for Ryder and he moved in closer, placing his arm around my shoulders.

“She’s perfect. I can’t believe we made her and our boy. It’s a fucking miracle.”

I chuckled softly. “Yes, it is. We did great.”

Ryder’s voice was thick and low. “We made something special. We’re a family now, and I have two princesses. Jayden better get strong fast, ’cause I’m gonna need him on my side.”

I smiled up at him. “I can’t wait to meet him. Can we go soon?”

“Of course. But first I have to thank you for the best gift I’ve ever received in my life. What you have given me today is priceless. Precious beyond words. I love you, Jade, and I’m going to be the best dad in the universe. I’m gonna protect you, Harley, and Jayden, and grow old with you, baby. That’s my promise to you.”

This moment.
All the pain—past and present—was forgotten. I’d do it again in a heartbeat to see the joy in Ryder’s eyes.

N
othing I’d experienced in my whole life could prepare me for this moment. Looking into the eyes of the woman I loved and knowing we had created something magical between the two of us was enough to bring any man to his knees.

I’d worship Jade like the goddess she was for what she’d managed to do. It was true that the feminine sex was by far the stronger because no man—including the macho man I believed I was—would be able to endure all of what she’d been through and still look as breathtakingly beautiful.

“I have a request,” Jade said as I wheeled her into the room full of incubators.

“Yeah?” Surely she wasn’t craving ice-cream any longer. Pity though. Sex and an icy treat made a fucking great combination.

“We chose to name Jayden after me, but I’d like to give him a second name if that’s okay with you?”

“Huh?” Her words brought my mind out of the gutter.

“Today is special in more ways than one.” She tilted her head to look up at me. “I want to honor Cobra coming back to us.”

My mouth gaped open. Through all the pain and anguish Jade had suffered earlier, somewhere in her subconscious mind she’d been thinking about Cobra and his awakening.

“You want our boy’s second name to be Cobra?”

“No, silly. That’s too biker-ish. I was thinking his real name . . . Jacob. Jayden Jacob Knox. What do you think?”

I swallowed hard. That’s why I loved Jade as much as I did. She blew my fucking mind as hard as she blew my dick.

“Jacob Cobra Malone will be pleased, I think.”

“I know Daddy was hoping I’d name Jayden after him, but I think Harrison and Eva have plans along that line, so my father will have to wait a few weeks longer.”

We reached the elevators and I pressed the button for the floor to the neo-natal ward.

I crossed my arms and scratched my chin. “How about we give little Harley a second name too?”

Jade smiled up at me. “I was still working up the courage to discuss that with you,” she said, her eyes beaming.

I hunched down beside the wheelchair so I could look her straight in the eyes. “Jade, you can ask or tell me anything, baby. You know that, right?”

She bit her lower lip as she nodded. What the hell was she thinking that she was afraid to discuss with me?

“Marianne.” It hit me like a slap in the face. I was expecting anything but
that
name to come out of her mouth. “I’d like to name our baby girl Harley Marianne Knox.” Jade’s eyes were brimming with tears and her voice was husky. “Only if that’s okay with you,” she added hastily.

She could’ve knocked me over with a feather. Again my mouth hung slightly open as I searched her face to see if she was serious.

She was.

“You want my mother’s name for our daughter?” A sharp pain hit me in the gut. Jade knew how much my mother had hurt me. I’d believed for years she’d abandoned Max and me until Bill had set the record straight. But still, the hurt never went away. I’d carry those fucking demons with me to my grave.