Chapter 27
TWENTY-SEVEN
PIPER
Ivy & Piper’s Guide to Life Rule Number Eighteen:
Never make major life decisions when ovulating.
I jerked awake with a sharp, shuddering breath, my body twisting before a bolt of blinding pain ripped through my ribs, stealing the breath from my lungs.
“Easy, baby. Try not to move too much.” Dane grasped my shoulders before easing me back against the bed. He adjusted the pillow behind my head, and I clenched my teeth, biting back a slew of curse words.
“Where…” I blinked against the harsh fluorescent lights, the sharp, antiseptic smell synonymous with hospitals invading my nostrils. I struggled to orient myself, my heart rate spiking on the monitor beside the bed. “Any updates on Ivy?” I croaked, my voice rough and gravelly.
Dane smoothed his hand over my blood-crusted hair, his touch grounding me. “She’s still in surgery, but as soon as I hear anything else, I’ll let you know. I promise.”
It was the same answer he’d given me the last few times I’d surfaced from the murky depths of oblivion.
I nodded, letting my eyes drift shut again. My mind felt like it was shrouded in a thick fog, thoughts slipping away before I could grasp them, blurring together until I couldn’t distinguish my dreams from reality. I had the short-term memory of a goldfish. The IV drip of pain meds wasn’t helping matters.
“And my mom?” I forced my eyes open again, needing reassurance she was okay, too. Dane’s expression softened with a mix of exhaustion and understanding.
“She’s got a concussion, but last I heard, they’re going to discharge her later today.”
Some of the tension bled out of my shoulders at his words. I shifted restlessly and immediately regretted it when pain lanced through my side. “Seriously, what’s taking so long? I want to get out of here.”
My ultrasound and X-rays had come back clear, showing no internal bleeding or broken ribs. It seemed Derek’s hand had been slick with blood when he’d tried to stab me, causing his grip to slide down the handle.
I was covered in bruises, and a couple of slashes across my ribs required a handful of stitches to close, but it could have been so much worse.
“We can’t leave until they give us the results of your rabies test.”
“Rabies test?” My brows knitted together in confusion before I realized he was joking.
Knowing there was a chance I might have ingested some of Derek’s blood and wanting to err on the side of caution, the on-call doctor, Dr. Wallace, decided to run a full panel.
None of which involved rabies.
“You’re such a dick,” I said, my chuckle morphing into a hiss as the vibrations reverberated into the wound at my side. The pain was blinding. I took several deep breaths, squeezing my eyes shut until it let up.
When I opened my eyes again, I found Dane studying me with a look of concern. He’d taken up residence in the uncomfortable-looking chair beside my bed, his large frame dwarfing the small space.
Mindful of my IV line, I reached over and took his hand in mine, running my thumb over his bruised and bloodied knuckles. His skin was warm against mine, the calluses rough yet familiar. Grounding .
“What happened?” I asked quietly, taking advantage of the fact that we were alone, with no nurses hovering nearby. “How did you know to come back when you did?”
It was the question I’d been asking myself for hours, the one thing I couldn’t wrap my head around.
His expression darkened, and he hesitated before admitting, “It was Avery.”
“Avery,” I echoed with a slight headshake. “I don’t understand.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face, looking as if he’d aged a decade in the span of a few hours. “I stopped by the bakery on the way to get her a mid-morning snack. She was getting hangry…like her mama does.”
A ghost of a smile touched his lips before fading. “She was covered in frosting by the time she finished her cinnamon roll, so I took her to the bathroom to get her cleaned up. And she just... she started crying and clinging to me, burying her face against my neck.”
His nostrils flared, and I squeezed his hand tighter in silent support as he struggled to get the words out.
“I turned around, expecting to see someone behind us, but the hallway was empty. And then I realized...she was pointing to a picture on the wall. A picture of Derek.”
Icy dread slithered down my spine, my stomach turning at the thought of what Avery had endured, what she’d been too young to verbalize.
Dane’s voice was strained as he continued. “She just kept saying, ‘owie,’ and my gut told me to get home to you. I didn’t even think. I knew Carnage was in town, so I reached out and told him to meet me at the house. No questions asked.”
My stomach roiled, knowing the bloodbath we’d left behind. “Avery didn’t—she didn’t see anything, did she?”
He shook his head. “Absolutely not. Carnage’s Ol’ Lady, Harper, took her back to their hotel room.”
“Nothing screams romantic, kid-free weekend quite like babysitting a one-year-old,” I said, trying to inject some levity into the heavy moment.
His lips curved into a rueful half-smirk. “Probably not, but when I checked in a little while ago, Avery was happily trying on Harper’s high heels and enjoying some room service chicken nuggets, so I think she’s got plenty to keep her entertained.”
Leave it to our daughter to find the silver lining in the midst of tragedy.
Dane glanced down at our joined hands, his throat working in a hard swallow. “I lied to you, Piper.”
I froze, steeling myself for the bomb he was about to drop. “What do you mean?”
“Lied is probably too strong a word,” he amended, pressing his fingers into his eyes. “But I omitted certain details about what we found in Isaac’s house.”
Nausea swelled like a tidal wave, the acrid taste of bile scorching my tongue. “I know about the photos and videos. Not the specifics, but enough to know I never want to see them.”
My chin quivered, but I forced myself to continue, needing to get everything out in the open. “I also know about what he did to Avery. The sleepless nights and your need to rock her to sleep make a lot more sense now. What doesn’t make sense is why you kept it from me. She’s my baby too. I have a right to know if someone’s hurt her.”
Dane’s jaw clenched, his eyes filled with anguish as he met my gaze. “I was trying to protect you. After everything you’d been through, I didn’t want to add to your trauma. I thought I could shoulder it alone and keep you both safe without burdening you with the knowledge.”
He tilted his head back, blinking quickly to keep from crying. “Seeing that video…watching what he did to our baby? Christ, Piper. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to unsee it. I didn’t want you to have to carry that too.”
Tears welled in my eyes as I imagined what he must have witnessed. The thought of anyone hurting Avery made me feel physically ill.
I cupped his jaw in my hand, feeling the tension thrumming through his body. “You said it yourself. This is a partnership. If we’re going to make this work, we need to face these things together, no matter how awful they are.”
He nodded, turning to press a kiss to my palm. “You’re right, darlin’. No more secrets between us. ”
“No more secrets,” I agreed, huffing out a pained breath as I shifted to get more comfortable. “Though I have to admit, knowing what that monster did makes me wish you’d made him suffer more before killing him.”
A dark gleam flashed in Dane’s eyes. “Believe me, baby, if I’d known the full extent of what he’d done, then I would have put a bullet in his head the first time I laid eyes on him. But, in the interest of transparency and no more secrets, you should know I didn’t kill him. You did.”
I jerked my head back, the movement pulling at my bruised and aching ribs. “What do you mean I killed him? I heard the…the snap when you did the thing.”
My words were coming out all wrong, but the idea that it had been me, not Dane, who ended Derek’s miserable existence was crazy.
He leaned in until his lips brushed against my ear, his voice little more than a low growl. “You must have jaws of steel, darlin’ because you bit down hard enough to sever an artery or vein. Fucker was barely conscious when I pulled him off you and dead before I could finish. I snapped his neck anyway so I could at least feel like I contributed.”
“Am I going to have to go in for questioning?” I asked with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
He cocked his head to the side. “You really think I’d allow that to happen, baby? The club’s taking care of everything. That’s all you need to know.”
I knew better than to press for details. There were some aspects of club business I was better off not knowing about. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder how they planned to explain away the bloodbath in Avery’s bedroom to the authorities.
As if reading my thoughts, Dane added, “Carnage called in some favors. As far as the police are concerned, Derek broke in and attacked you. You acted in self-defense. Case closed.”
I nodded, grateful for the simplicity of the cover story. It wasn’t far from the truth, after all.
“And the house?” I asked, dreading the answer.
“Nails has a clean-up crew there now. I also hired a company to finish packing up the house before the movers come tomorrow…which is what I wanted to do in the first place, but someone stubbornly insisted she could handle it.”
I shrugged, wincing as the movement pulled at my stitches. “In my defense, I didn’t know I was going to end up in a knife fight with my former boss.”
“That’s not fucking funny, Piper,” Dane grumbled, trying to resist the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“I mean, it’s better than the alternative, which involved panic attacks and uncontrollable sobbing,” I pointed out just as Dr. Wallace entered the room.
“Are you getting any relief?”
“Honestly, I still feel like I got hit by a truck,” I replied.
She nodded sympathetically as she logged into the computer on the wall. “I’m not surprised, given what you’ve been through. We collected a baseline serum, and the nurse will go over long-term follow-up care. To be on the safe side, we’ll start you on a post-exposure prophylaxis, which is safe to take while pregnant.”
“Pregnant?” I spluttered, my heart rate spiking on the monitor.
“Based on your hCG levels, I’d estimate you’re about six to seven weeks along.”
I blinked in shock, my mind reeling. “But... I took a test two weeks ago when I missed my period. Several of them, in fact. They were all negative.”
“Could be your hCG levels weren’t high enough to register,” she explained. “I’d recommend making an appointment with your OB as soon as possible to confirm and start prenatal care. I’ll step out and give you two a moment, but the nurse will be in shortly to go over follow-up care and get you discharged.”
Pregnant?
“Hey, hey,” Dane said when my eyes welled up with tears. “Piper, talk to me. What are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling pregnant, Dane. That’s how I’m feeling. How did this happen?”
He eased onto the narrow hospital bed facing me. “Well, I’m pretty sure I know how it happened,” he said with a soft chuckle, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears streaming down my cheeks.
I let out a watery laugh before my ribs protested. “You know what I mean, smartass. We were careful… Well, except for the night we got engaged. But we were careful all the other times…” I trailed off, dissolving into another round of tears.
Dane cradled my belly in his palms, his eyes misting with tears as he gazed at me in awe. “We made another baby, Mama,” he whispered, pressing his lips to my still-flat stomach.
“And I’m happy,” I choked out between sobs. “I am. But I’m also terrified. Avery’s only one, and we’re still trying to find our footing…”
“Darlin’, listen to me,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I know you’re scared. Hell, I’m scared too. But you are the strongest person I know. We’ve been through hell and back, and we’re still standing. This baby? This is a gift. A new beginning for our family.”
“But I wanted to get moved and settled before… this.” I waved vaguely in the general direction of my stomach, still sniffling.
He lowered his head against mine. “I know it feels like the timing’s all wrong, and it’s not what we planned. But we’ll figure it out together, okay? You’re not alone this time.”
I gave him a shaky nod before brushing my lips against his. “I love you.”
Dane’s mouth curved into a tender smile against mine. “I love you, too, baby.”
His hand drifted to my stomach again, his touch reverent as he caressed the spot where our baby was growing. “I’m gonna be here for every part of it this time. Every check-up, every milestone?—”
“Every craving, every mood swing, waking up every hour to pee,” I finished helpfully before covering his hand with mine. “You do realize you’re basically signing up for nine months of hell, right? I was a nightmare when I was pregnant with Avery.”
He chuckled, the rumble vibrating through his chest. “Baby, I can handle anything you throw at me.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Even if I wake you up at three a.m. demanding ice cream and french fries?”
“I’ll have the food delivery app already pulled up on my phone.”
“What if I cry because my shoes don’t fit?”
He grinned. “Then I’ll buy you new ones in every size.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, unconvinced. “What about when I’m the size of a house and feeling about as sexy as a beached whale? ”
Dane’s eyes darkened with desire as he leaned in close, his breath fanning hot against my ear. “I’ll strip you down and spread you out on our bed, worshiping every fucking inch of your body until there’s not a goddamn doubt in your head that you’re the sexiest woman on the planet.”
I bit back a moan, suddenly very aware of how thin the hospital gown was. “Jesus, Dane. You tell me this when I’m stuck in a hospital bed?”
His lips curved into a wicked grin. “Just giving you something to look forward to, darlin’.”
I shook my head, trying to ignore the way my body responded to his words. “You say that now, but wait until I’m waddling around looking like I swallowed a beach ball, and my sciatic nerve is being compressed?—”
Dane captured my lips with his, silencing my objections. I tilted my head to deepen the kiss while stroking his beard with my fingertips.
“You’ll be gorgeous,” he murmured, leaning down to press his lips to my stomach. “Carrying my baby... there’s nothing sexier.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling as I said, “You’re ridiculous, you know that? You and your super sperm.”
“What can I say, baby? I’m good at marking what’s mine,” Dane replied with a cocky grin, his brown eyes twinkling with mischief. “We’ll probably have to get a bigger house for all the babies I’m gonna give you.”
“Nice try, Romeo,” I said, shaking my head. “But I’m getting on birth control as soon as this one is born. Two kids under the age of two is more than enough for now.”
My smile faded when I glanced up to find Duke standing in the doorway, looking as if he’d aged a hundred years in the span of a few hours. His red-rimmed eyes and vacant expression made my stomach drop.
“Did she?” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence. I tried to move, but my body protested vehemently, pain flaring through every nerve. I stopped, taking in shallow breaths as I tried to mitigate both the physical and emotional agony.
Duke quickly shook his head before dropping onto the empty chair beside the bed, the skin around his eyes bunching. “She made it through surgery. The cut severed her jugular but missed her carotid by, like, a millimeter or something.”
He mashed his lips together and stared down at his lap, trying to compose himself before continuing. “The surgeon said that had Carnage not known to pinch off the vein and put pressure on her collarbone, she wouldn’t have made it.”
“Have you seen her yet?” I asked as Dane reached over to squeeze Duke’s shoulder.
“No,” he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She was still in recovery. They did say she lost a lot of blood, so we won’t know if she has any neurological damage until she’s conscious.”
She was alive but not out of the woods yet. Relief battled with renewed fear at the thought of Derek stealing any part of Ivy’s brilliant mind. It was unfathomable to imagine a world where my friend woke up with no memory of the people who loved her.
Tears pricked my eyes and blurred my vision. “Does GQ know?”
He ran a hand through his disheveled hair before exhaling a soft, humorless laugh. “Oh, yeah. He’s outside chain-smoking and wearing a path in the parking lot concrete. I think he’ll relax once we can see her.” A muscle in his jaw ticked, and his eyes went distant. “That is if we get to see her. As you can imagine, her parents aren’t exactly thrilled about us wanting to check on their daughter.”
I grimaced, imagining how well that was going over. Brian and Cheryl were notoriously conservative and had never approved of her more free-spirited lifestyle. Finding out she was involved with not one but two tattooed bikers was likely sending them into conniptions.
“I’ll talk to them,” I said, trying to get up only to sag back against the pillows with a groan. “Just give me a minute. I can smooth things over and put in a good word for you guys.”
Dane’s eyes narrowed. “The hell you will. You’re gonna sit your happy ass right here and wait to be discharged.”
I rolled my eyes at his overprotective tone but didn’t argue. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure I could make it more than a few steps without collapsing.
I rolled my eyes at his overprotectiveness but didn’t argue. My body felt like one giant bruise, and the thought of getting up made me want to curl into a ball and sleep for a week .
“Fine,” I conceded with a sigh. “But I’m texting her mom as soon as I get my phone back. Cheryl may not approve of Ivy’s life choices, but she knows how close we are. She’ll listen to me.”
Duke nodded, his eyes filled with gratitude. “Thanks, darlin’. I appreciate that. I’m gonna check on GQ and get back up there.”
He stood and headed for the door, pausing to look back at us. “I’ll let you know if there are any updates.”
As soon as Duke was out of earshot, Dane turned to me with a quizzical expression. “All right, you wanna tell me what the hell’s going on with those three?”
I bit my lip, debating how much to share. “Honestly? I’m not entirely sure. Ivy was pretty vague on the details. All I know is they hooked up at some point after the Motorcycles, Mobsters, and Mayhem event.”
Dane ran his tongue over his teeth with a low chuckle. “Hooked up? Baby, a hookup doesn’t look like that. You don’t camp out in a hospital for a hookup. You don’t fall apart over a hookup.”
When he put it that way, I had to admit, it felt like there were some real feelings involved.
“Do you spend two years searching the country for a hookup?” I teased, earning another grin from him.
“You do not,” he said, his hand coming to rest on my thigh. “How are you doing? I know the stuff with Ivy is heavy.”
I mashed my lips together with a small nod, tears immediately welling in my eyes again. “I feel guilty for being happy about this baby when everything else is such a mess.”
Dane’s expression softened as he cupped my face in his hands. “Hey, listen to me. You have nothing to feel guilty about. This baby is a blessing, and being happy about it doesn’t take away from how much you care about Ivy or anyone else.”
“You’re right. It’s just...everything feels so out of control right now. We’re supposed to be moving tomorrow, and instead, I’m in a hospital bed while my best friend is fighting for her life down the hall.”
He gathered me carefully into his arms, mindful of my injuries. “And we’ll get through it, just like we’ve gotten through everything else,” he promised, brushing the tears from my lashes. “One minute at a time. Isn’t that what Ivy’s always telling you? ”
“Yeah,” I whispered, letting myself relax against his chest. “I just wish she was here to celebrate with us. We’ve shared every major milestone in our lives. It feels wrong not having her here for this one.”
“I know it’s hard right now,” Dane murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “But she’s gonna pull through this, and before you know it, she’ll be planning some over-the-top baby shower that’ll make you want to throttle her.”
“Knowing her, she’ll insist on a biker-themed shower, and I’ll have to make cookies that say ‘Future Prospect’ or something equally ridiculous,” I said with a smile.
Dane chuckled. “I wouldn’t put it past her.”
We slipped into a comfortable silence, his hand resting protectively over my stomach. The steady beep of the heart monitor and the occasional squeak of shoes in the hallway were the only sounds.
“Marry me,” I whispered, craning my neck to look up at him.
He gave me a confused look, his dark brows scrunching together. “Darlin’, we’re already engaged. Did they give you the good drugs? Should I call the nurse?” He glanced at my IV drip with mock suspicion.
I exhaled a laugh, wincing at the resulting twinge of pain. “No, I mean, marry me now. I don’t want to wait.”
“What brought this on?”
I took a slow, deep breath, trying to put my thoughts into words.
“Let’s just say my brush with death put things in perspective for me,” I said. “I don’t want to wait or plan some big, elaborate ceremony. I want you, me, our babies—oh, and a justice of the peace, obviously. I’m ready to start the next chapter of our lives.”
A slow smile spread across Dane’s face, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You sure about this, darlin’? You’re not gonna regret skipping out on the whole white dress affair?”
I met his gaze steadily. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I don’t need a fancy dress or some overpriced venue. I need you. We’ve already done everything backward anyway—baby, then love, then marriage. Might as well keep the trend going, right?”
Dane’s smile widened, his dimples deepening. “Well then, I guess we’re getting hitched, Mama.”
Happy tears spilled down my cheeks as I leaned up to kiss him, ignoring the protests of my battered body. He cupped my face in his hands and moved his lips against mine like I was the most precious thing in his world.
When we broke apart, he rested his forehead against mine. “I can’t wait to make you Mrs. Riggs.”
I grinned up at him like some love-struck idiot. “Piper Riggs. It has a nice ring to it.”
“Hell, I’d marry you right here in this hospital bed if that’s what you wanted.”
“Hard pass on that one,” I replied, wrinkling my nose. The weird, medicinal stench was not one I wanted to associate with my wedding day. “I want to be wearing something other than a hospital gown when we tie the knot.”
Dane’s eyes darkened as he leaned in close, his breath hot against my ear. “Doesn’t matter what you wear, baby. It’s all coming off again as soon as we say I do.”
My face heated at his words. “Such a sweet talker.”
“Must be doing something right. Knocked you up twice now, didn’t I?” he asked with a challenging smirk.
“No, I let you knock me up because of your irresistible charm and rugged good looks. The dirty talk was just a bonus.”
Dane laughed, the deep rumble vibrating through his chest. “Oh, I see how it is. You only want me for my body.”
I brushed my lips against his and murmured, “That, and I’m really into the whole protective daddy vibe thing you’ve got going on.”
He raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. “Didn’t realize your praise kink was really a daddy kink in disguise, darlin’. You should have said something sooner.”
Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones. But the thought of calling him Daddy in a completely different context sent a shiver of desire down my spine. Feeling bratty, I murmured, “Sorry, Daddy. I’ll be sure to remind you next time.”
Dane’s eyes darkened to a molten amber as he leaned in closer, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “Keep calling me that, baby girl, and you’ll be pregnant again before this one’s even born.”
I licked my suddenly dry lips, my heart rate picking up speed on the monitor. “Is that a promise or a threat…Daddy? ”
He chuckled. “Both, darlin’. Definitely both.”
Despite my injuries, his words sent a fresh wave of heat flooding through my core. I shifted restlessly against the hospital mattress, trying to ease the ache building between my thighs. “At the rate we’re going, we’ll have our own little army.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he murmured, nuzzling into the crook of my neck. “Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing you all round and glowing with my baby in your belly.”
“I’d like to see the terms and conditions around middle-of-the-night diaper changes and feedings before I sign anything,” I said, fighting back a yawn.
He chuckled, his hand lazily stroking my stomach. “Oh, I plan on being right there with you for every single one, darlin’. No way I’m missing out on a minute of it this time.”
“I’m holding you to that.” I couldn’t help the soft smile that tugged at my lips as I snuggled into his side as much as my aching body would allow. The adrenaline from earlier was wearing off, leaving exhaustion in its wake.
“I think I’ve had enough excitement to last me several lifetimes,” I murmured, my eyelids growing heavier by the second. “I’m ready for some boring married life with kids now. The most drama I want is squabbling over whose turn it is to get the kids to bed.”
Dane pressed a tender kiss to my temple. “I could get on board with that. We can argue over preschools and whether to sign Avery up for ballet or soccer. It’ll be a blast.”
I hummed in agreement, my eyes already fluttering shut. “Love you,” I mumbled, the words slightly slurred.
“Love you too, darlin’,” he whispered back, smoothing my hair away from my face. “Get some rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
For the first time in what felt like forever, a sense of peace washed over me. We’d made it through the nightmare. Not completely unscathed, but alive. Together.
A family.
The road ahead wouldn’t be easy. Ivy still had a long recovery in front of her, physically and emotionally. And god only knew what fresh hell this pregnancy would bring. But for now, in this moment, I let myself believe that the worst was behind us .
That maybe, just maybe, Dane and I had suffered enough to earn our happily ever after.
I’d spent most of my life waiting for the other shoe to drop. Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. But as sleep pulled me under, a new, unfamiliar feeling took root in my chest.
Hope.