Stoned (Unlikely Heroes Book 4) (21 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“It’s a boy!”

Karen held the squalling infant up to Tonya. Delivering a baby wasn’t as difficult as Karen had imagined. Rebel had come to Stoner’s room earlier, saying Tonya was in labor and asking for Karen. Karen had left Stoner in the tub and hurried to assist Viper’s sister. When she’d first entered the room, she’d been nervous, fearful she wouldn’t be able to deliver Tonya’s baby successfully and Viper would kill her for failing.

Karen recalled her own labor being much more difficult, but was relieved Tonya’s delivery had gone so well. 

“Isn’t he just beautiful?”

Tonya smiled, her face flushed, her body drenched in sweat. She’d done an amazing job bringing the child into the world. Karen was so proud of her. Two of the compound’s whores, Carrie and Delilah, had assisted Karen with the delivery. They remained now, helping to clean up Tonya, the bed and the room.

Karen swaddled the baby in a blanket. She laid him on Tonya’s chest. The baby quieted and nuzzled at his mother’s breast. Tonya lifted a hand to gently brush her fingers through the baby’s curly black hair.

“He looks just like his father.”

Karen had noticed that. Wow would Viper react when he discovered his nephew was black? She cleared her throat. “Do you have a name picked out for him?”

Tonya pressed a kiss to the infant’s soft cheek. “Damon.”

“That’s a beautiful name. It fits him.”

“Thank you. I’m…a little worried about how Viper’s going to react.”

So was Karen. “Did you want me to talk to him, try to hint at what to expect when he sees his nephew?”

Tonya let out a snort of laughter. “Only you, Karen, would offer to do something like that. My brother hates your guts, but only because you have darker skin. How messed up is that? Yet you don’t care. You’ll gladly face him like David taking on Goliath and to hell with anyone who gets in the way. You’re an awesome person, Karen. Thanks for offering, but I think I can handle my brother.”

“You’re sure? What if he…?” Karen hesitated. “Hurts little Damon?”

“He won’t,” Tonya assured her. “He might be a racist pig and a chauvinistic asshole, but he would never hurt a child.”

Karen held back a snort. She’d seen firsthand how Viper treated his own son. But Tonya had no idea Viper had locked Runt in the dungeon. In Tonya’s eyes, her brother could do no wrong.

“Okay, then. I’m exhausted. I’m going to bed. Do you need anything else before I go?”

Tonya squeezed her hand. “No. You go on to bed. Thank you so much, Karen. Carrie and Delilah will help.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll come check on you in the morning.”

Karen stepped out of the room. Viper was leaning against the wall in the hallway. The big albino biker surged forward, stepping into her path.

“Is my sister okay? And the baby?”

“They’re both fine,” Karen assured him. “But your nephew is black like his father, and I’m telling you right now, if you have any intention of hurting him, you’ll have to go through me first.”

Planting her hands on her hips, she blocked his access to Tonya’s room.

His gaze narrowed. “You think you’re going to stop me from seeing my nephew?”

“Not unless you plan on hurting him.” She lowered her voice. “He’s beautiful. So perfect. So precious.”

Something flickered in his eyes. Something…human.

“A bastard child,” he barked.

Karen stopped herself from retorting that Runt was a bastard as well.
His
bastard. Didn’t the man have an ounce of feeling for his own child? How had he reacted when Runt was born? And who in God’s name would call a child “Runt?” Certainly the boy had been given a more appropriate name than that.

“What about Runt?” she whispered, unable to resist goading him. “He’s a bastard child, too. Your son. Please tell me you gave him a more appropriate name than Runt.”

His lip curled back in a snarl. “Leave that retard out of this. He’s nothing more than a whore’s screw-up. He never should have lived. He never deserved a better name than Runt, so that’s all he got.”

“That’s a horrible thing to say!” Karen glared up at him. “Runt is a sweet, beautiful little boy. How can you be so cold to him? How can you not
love
him?”

“Because he’s a weakling,” he roared, his eyes darkening with rage. “A worthless…weakling.”

He shoved Karen aside and headed for the door to Tonya’s room. The man didn’t have a heart. He didn’t even care about his own child and there was no way Karen could make him care.

Refocusing on the new baby, she rushed after him. “Damon wouldn’t be a bastard if you’d allowed his father to live, if you’d allowed his father to marry Tonya and provide for him like he wanted.”

Viper spun to face her, his creepy pink gaze narrowing to tiny slits. “Don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t allow. That son-of-a-bitch was using her to get to me. He never loved her. He sure as hell never planned to marry her.”

Karen shook her head. “You’re too blinded by your racist beliefs to see that your sister loved Tyrone. And she loves this baby. You were in love once. You know how it feels. Surely you understand?”

He lifted a hand as if to strike her. Karen froze, but she held her ground. Their gazes locked.

He paused, his jaw clenching, then he lowered his hand. “You will not speak of Monica around me ever again, you hear me?”

Karen refused to be intimidated. She held his gaze. “I hope someday you get over this bunched up hatred inside you. Whatever your problem is, just let it go.”

Viper shoved her aside. “What do you know of it? You’ve never been a freak, a reject. Get out of my way.” He pushed open the door to Tonya’s room.

A freak? A reject? Had Viper been mistreated as a child? It would make perfect sense if he had. He was different. Strange. She imagined he’d been teased, ridiculed. But that was no excuse for the way he treated his son.

She marched after him, not about to let him harm his nephew.

Tonya glanced up. She smiled at her brother. Carrie and Delilah hovered back out of the way, waiting to see what Viper would do.

“Want to see your nephew?” Tonya held the baby up. “Isn’t he beautiful?”

Karen tensed, her gaze darting to Viper to gauge his reaction.

Silence stretched. Karen held her breath, her gaze never leaving Viper’s face. And then, something remarkable happened. His harsh features softened, just a tad, but Karen was watching him so closely that she noticed the slight change in him. He hesitated, then stepped closer to the bed.

“He’s…so…perfect,” he murmured.

Tonya’s gaze flew to Karen’s and she gave a quick nod, indicating it was okay for Karen to leave. Still, Karen hesitated. She wanted to be sure...

“Want to hold him?” Tonya asked.

Karen almost laughed at the sudden terror that flickered across Viper’s face. “I…uh…no.” He stumbled back. “I have to go. I…” He turned and fled, slamming the door behind him.

Karen was beginning to understand Viper. Somewhere deep down, he was still human. If she hadn’t witnessed his reaction to his nephew with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed it. Even the toughest of assholes could be softened by a baby’s precious innocence.

So why was Viper so cold and unfeeling toward his own child? Did it make him feel inferior that he’d spawned a “defective” child? Was that why he was so cruel to the boy?

Yes. That was his problem. It had to be. That was why he kept himself from feeling anything toward his own son.

Because it made him feel weak.

* * *

Viper paused out in the hallway. He drew in a sharp breath and leaned back against the wall. Tonya’s baby was perfect. Beautiful. With no imperfections. So unlike Runt.

Having a child with a whore had never been a part of Viper’s plans. The thought of fathering a child had terrified him. He wasn’t father material. What did he have to offer a boy? He was an albino, a freak, a weirdo. He sure as hell wasn’t a good role model.

When he brought in a new batch of whores, the first thing Viper did was select the one who appealed to him and make her exclusively his. Whenever he chose a whore, the woman had to be free of diseases and put on birth control. Viper hated condoms and refused to use them. He expected the whores to be vigilant with contraceptives. He always made it clear he wouldn’t tolerate a pregnancy.

Susan had forgotten to take her pills for a few days, which resulted in her becoming pregnant with Runt.

If ever Viper had imagined having a child, it would have been with Monica, the love of his life. Long ago, he’d fantasized about a happily ever after with her, of raising a family together, strong sons and beautiful daughters, but that dream had died with Monica.

When Susan had first informed Viper she was pregnant, he’d ordered her to get rid of it. He’d thought she had, until her stomach began to swell and he discovered she hadn’t gotten the abortion he’d demanded she get.

“I couldn’t do it,” she’d cried. “I want this baby.”

“Well I don’t!” he’d snarled.

“That’s okay,” she’d whispered. “I’ll take care of it. You won’t have to do anything.”    

Against his better judgment, he’d allowed her to remain at the compound and give birth to his son.

When Runt had been born three months premature, no one had believed the baby would survive. Though Susan had begged, Viper had refused to allow the infant to be taken to a hospital where he could receive special care in a NICU. If the kid was meant to live, he would survive without medical care. With Susan and Tonya’s nurturing, and with the assistance of the other whores, Runt had hung on.

Though he would never admit it to anyone, Viper was pleased the boy had survived. It meant Runt had some strength, that there was a piece of Viper in him somewhere. The child wasn’t a complete wimp.

But Runt’s prematurity, and his lack of proper medical care, kept his brain from developing properly.

Viper’s son was a retard.

And that hurt most of all.

Viper wanted nothing to do with the boy. Knowing he had spawned such a weak, helpless fool, made him feel inferior. It reminded him he was a reject. A freak.

It just reinforced his belief that he wasn’t father material. How could he be a father when he couldn’t even produce a healthy child?

As the years passed, Viper would see Runt around the compound on occasion. The child always cowered away from him, hiding under a table or in a corner, acting more dog than human. Which disgusted Viper. What the hell was wrong with the kid?

Viper never claimed the boy as his own. He was too ashamed. He hated weakness. Most of the bikers didn’t even know the kid was his. They just thought he was one of the whores’ mistakes. Which was true. Runt was a terrible mistake. He never should have been born.

Viper tried to force the weakness out of the boy whenever he could, but nothing worked. Runt was indeed a retard.

Seeing Tonya’s perfect, healthy son only reinforced Viper’s insecurities, reminding him of his own failure, of his own imperfect child. Reminding Viper he was a freak.

He’d fled, unable to look at the perfect baby any longer. Unable to witness such perfection when his own son was so flawed.

Viper shoved away from the wall and headed down the hallway. He needed something to get his mind off his perfect little nephew. And off his own imperfect son.

He needed a long ride on his motorcycle. The scream of the engine, the wind whipping around him.

He needed speed.

He needed to purge himself of his insecurities before any of his men saw his weakness.

Viper needed his Harley.

* * *

As Karen made her way back to Stoner’s room, she spied Rebel sitting alone at a table drinking a beer. Scar was laying on the floor at his feet. She paused. The giant clock on the wall indicted it was nearly one o’clock in the morning. Rebel looked troubled.

And Karen had a soft spot for the young man.

She made her way across the room to his table. She pulled back a chair across from him. His gaze flew to hers. His mouth curled up into a smile that looked genuine. Karen didn’t think he was acting just now. It pleased her that he was letting down his guard around her. She liked Rebel and wanted to know more about him.

“Hey Karen. How are ya? Did Tonya have her baby?”

“Fine. And yes, she did. A beautiful little boy. She named him Damon.”

Rebel nodded. “Cool.”

He glanced down at his beer. “You want one of these?”

“Sure, but I can get it.” She started to turn away, but he waved her into the chair.

“I’ll get it. What kind you want?”

“Dark beer. Negra Modelo will work.”

He disappeared into the kitchen area with Scar at his heels. Karen glanced around. There was only one other occupied table in the dining area. Grizzly, the big hairy biker who’d helped Viper torture Stoner, was seated at a table halfway across the room. Two other bikers sat with him, but Karen had never seen either of them before. Grizzly was keeping tabs on her for Viper, but she didn’t care. They could watch her all they wanted. It wasn’t as if she could go anywhere.