Chapter 61
"You're going to love this, Journey. You're going to see the baby and how it is developing," Grace coos as we sit in the empty doctor's office.
Jericho gently squeezes my hand a few times with reassurance. Something I don't feel right now. We're deep in the clogs of Grace's kingdom now. Unable to leave whenever we want.
"I'm excited," I say with a tight smile, trying not to show how truly exhausted I am.
"Me too," Jericho rumbles in a monotone voice.
If I didn't know him as well as I do, I'd suspect he wasn't excited. But I know him well now. He's attempting to hide the agitation and bite to his voice by remaining neutral in front of Grace.
"You look so tired, dear," Grace says, tilting her head with that creepy grin. "Perhaps the doctor can prescribe something for you so you can get some sleep." She nods a few times like that's the answer, humming to herself.
Jesus. You know, Arrow is out of his mind sometimes, and he shows it. Grace, on the other hand? This bitch is one of those quiet ones who strikes when you least expect it. I'm still shocked she's allowed us to live under her roof. I think the baby and Jericho are our only saving graces. Since Arrow and Shepp disappeared into the lion's enclosure, she hasn't tried to extract them again, claiming they’ll starve or return to the mansion. But I don’t understand how she’s so confident they won’t sneak away in the middle of the night to get help or go to Olivia’s. She has mentioned stationing guards all around the perimeter to keep it secure.
"They'll be hungry soon enough and come out." is all she'll say while crocheting a blanket or whatever it is she's doing with those giant needles that I want to stab her with.
Sometimes, I wonder if Jericho would be mad if I took his mom out and we made a break for it. He's on edge with her. Rightfully so. But I can still see how conflicted he is. She's his mom, after all. I'm sure I'd be the same with my mom. Even though she fucked me over my whole life. Whatever. I'll be a better mom than any of these bitches combined.
If I make it out of this alive.
"Journey Viotto?" a nurse shouts from the open door, holding a small chart to her chest. Her green scrubs hang loose on her body, and a mask hides her facial features. The only thing visible is her dark brown eyes, taking us all in.
"That's us!" Grace chortles, clapping her hands. "Let's go look at my baby." She gleefully gets up from her seat, standing before me with her hand out.
I don't say anything as Jericho helps me up, and Grace retracts her hand with a huff, apparently disgruntled after my disrespect. Well, she can disrespect this ass because I'm ten seconds away from telling the damn front desk lady to call the cops and take this bitch out in a blaze of glory.
If only I could get away with it.
That would only endanger Shepp and Arrow more and put a target on their back.
"All right, Mrs. Viotto. I'm going to need you to lie back on this table and roll your shirt up to expose your belly. The doctor is going to take a peek and measure the little bean. You'll be able to listen to the heartbeat, and we'll get some pictures for you to take home."
I nod, swallowing hard when Jericho helps me onto the table stiffly. There's something in his demeanor that puts me on edge. My nerves tingle with excitement or fear. I can’t tell.
Grace settles beside me, even being so bold to take my hand in hers. I want to recoil at the clamminess of her touch, but I hold my composure. Jericho, though? Not so much. He practically pushes her out of the way, forcing her hand out of mine and replacing it with his warm grip. There’s something so soothing about the way he gently squeezes my hand with reassurance.
"Jericho," she reprimands. "Let me see,” she protests, trying to physically remove him from my side.
"Of course, Mother," he says respectfully, gesturing for her to move beside him for a view, but far from me. “But I will be here holding my wife’s hand as we look at our child together.” He stares down at her sternly, not offering an ounce of warmth.
“Well, of course you will be,” Grace says patronizingly, patting his shoulder.
“Let me go grab the doctor for you all,” the nurse says slowly, looking Jericho up and down. Something seems to pass between the two of them, and Jericho relaxes with a deep breath.
“Thank you,” Jericho says politely with a nod, squeezing my hand again. “Are you excited to see our little one, Little Chaos?” he hums, kissing my cheek. “It’ll be okay,” he breathes.
“I am,” I say with a tight smile, imploring with my eyes for more information. How can he be so damn sure we’re going to be okay? His mom is a goddamn psychopath, who I’m pretty sure is going to kidnap our baby the moment he or she is born.
All he does is offer me a hopeful smile before standing tall at my side.
The nurse steps back as the door opens, and a tall woman walks into the room with a mask on her face. "Hello, everyone! Are we excited to see the baby? I'm Doctor Ellis. I'll be giving you your ultrasound, and then we can discuss your concerns and give you a check-up. We'll need to get you started on prenatal care and taking precautions with lifting." I can hear the smile in her voice when she sits down on a rolling stool in front of the ultrasound machine. "All right, let's check this baby out. You're in luck; this gel will be warm."
I blow out a breath when the gel hits my stomach. True to her word, it’s warm and soothing as she spreads it around. Nerves eat at me before she even begins. The only evidence of this baby existing is the pregnancy tests Arrow forced me to take. What happens if they are wrong? Or if the baby isn’t there? Will Grace take us out then and rid herself of the burden of extra people?
My mind whirls when the machine comes to life, and the doctor grips the wand. "All right," she says, placing it on my belly. Let's take a quick look around, and—Oh, there it is!" She beams at me, taking a quick picture of the tiny little bean in my belly.
I lose my breath at the sight of the small flicker on the screen. Moving with the sound of the heartbeat thundering through the room. It’s music to my ears. A piece of each of us I didn’t realize I’d ever want. But there it is. It’s real.
Our baby.
"Holy shit," I whisper, with tears in my eyes. "It's real..." I trail off when Jericho kisses my cheek, sucking in a breath. He lingers there, burying his face in my neck as he composes himself.
"And would you listen to that strong heartbeat?" Doctor Ellis hums, taking another measurement. "Looks like a good healthy baby growing in there! Congrats, Mom and Dad."
Tears take over my vision at the sound of that word—mom. I want to live in this beautiful moment for the rest of my goddamn life, watching as the life I unknowingly created with my three men grows into someone real—a baby. Holy hell, I’m going to be a mom. Arrow, Shepp, and Jericho are going to be dads. Dads! My mind attempts to wrap around those facts. Images of them getting up in the middle of the night to tend to the baby fill me with warmth and love.
"And are you Grandma?" the doctor asks, taking more measurements and capturing pictures on the screen of the blob.
"I am!" Grace coos with tears shimmering in her eyes. “I’m here to help them every step of the way.”
We’ll be okay. Jericho’s words ring through my mind, but doubt settles in. Will we? How can I protect this baby from Grace when I can’t protect myself or Jericho?
"Oh, good. Well, I'll print out the pictures for you, too. Grandma’s gotta have a copy."
The doctor prints out pictures from every angle for us to see. It's just a tiny blob with no defining features, but my heart is so full of love. I know at this moment, I'd do anything for this blob. It's my baby.
"We're having a baby," I whisper to Jericho, who beams at me for the first time in several days. Light lives in his eyes, mixing with hope for our future. It's like all the tension he held onto fades into nothing.
"We are, Little Chaos. We're getting our happy ending,” he whispers, leaning down and staring at the pictures I’m holding. “This right here is our future.” He kisses my temple gently.
"We'll need to sit down and discuss the nursery more!" Grace interrupts with a clap. "And plan your home birth."
"Home birth?" the doctor asks, tilting her head with concern etched on her expression. “That’s…”
"Of course," Grace sternly says, putting her hands on her hips. "Journey will not be coming to a doctor when the time comes. She will have it in the privacy of our home, where she can be relaxed." And murdered.
This bitch is on a whole other level of delulu if she thinks I'm skipping out on the epidural and medical help. That’s a no from me, dawg. No matter what, we’re getting away from Grace long before she can drown me after the baby is born.
"We can provide home birth care," the doctor says, straightening her spine. "It's perfectly natural to stay in your safe space and deliver. We can offer assistance and..."
"No," Grace scoffs. "No one is permitted in my home. Especially not you. You will monitor her throughout her pregnancy, and then I'll be the one helping when the time comes."
"If that's what the patient wants," Doctor Ellis says with furrowed brows. I almost want her to ask me to blink three times to see if I'm safe at home. The answer is hell no! Not with Grace in the picture.
"Then it's settled," Grace says with a grin. "Let's go home now."
"Miss..."
"Grace," she says with a nod.
"Miss Grace," the doctor says politely. “I would like to give Journey the full workup, check in on her blood pressure, and make sure she's doing alright."
"I can't stop vomiting," I interject quickly. "I've been so sick, and I feel very weak." Please give me drugs so I can eat again.
Doctor Ellis nods. "That's a cause for slight concern, hun. We'll get you a prescription to help with the morning sickness. Hopefully, you'll be able to keep food down and regain your strength." She swallows hard, her eyes darting toward the door as several loud footsteps scuff against the linoleum.
Grace’s face turns beet red when her gaze furiously whips toward the doctor with a scowl. "I booked this entire practice to come here! How dare you?"
“I apologize, Grace. It seems some of my staff have come back from their lunch break.” She checks her watch and nods. “Yes, it’s just past one now. It’s just more nurses,” she offers with a trembling voice. If I could see her mouth, I’d bet her lips were quivering under Grace’s stare.
“I can help with that,” the nurse says in a chipper voice, moving determinedly toward the door. But before she can make it, she stops beside Grace and pulls down her mask, revealing her familiar face.
"Olivia," Jericho says in greeting. "I thought that was you.” Relief soars through his tone, and his shoulders slump an inch.
She grins. "Of course it is. I tried to tell you,” she sing-songs. “But you were never good at eye contact communication.”
Jericho scoffs, shaking his head. “Eye contact communication,” he mutters mockingly. “I have two guesses as to why you’re here.”
“Yes, and yes,” she says with a grin. “You should really look into what Arrow builds on your property. He’s a slippery little fucker, but I’d say this came in handy.”
"Olivia?" Grace asks, looking her up and down with a skeptical eye. “Aren’t you dead?”
"Hi, Aunt Grace. It's been a while. And by a while, I mean years since you disappeared. You did that, right? Fell off the earth for no reason? Funny seeing you here,” Olivia snorts. "A lot of people used to think that. Funny how that works out. Fire didn't kill me. The knife didn't kill me. Nothing can kill me.”
“Don’t get too cocky,” Jericho mutters, running a hand down his face.
"Why're you even..."
"Aunt Grace, I'm going to need you to put your hands behind your back now. You’ve been a bad, bad Shadow. You're under arrest." Grace doesn't move, standing there with a stunned expression. "I wouldn't advise running either. All your cohorts have been apprehended, and your home is being raided as we speak."
My eyes float to Jericho, who slightly frowns. "Raided? You didn’t fuck up anything, did you?” he grumbles.
"Don't worry, Dear Cousin. We'll have that talk later," Olivia quips with a chuckle.
"Wonderful," Jericho says, sagging into me.
"There is no way in fuck I am letting you arrest me," Grace snarls, stepping back. “You’re a child! And you’re not the authorities.”
"Sorry, Aunt Grace. It's nothing personal. But you've wrecked a lot of lives." Olivia doesn't look apologetic at all as the handcuffs swing in her fingers. “And I am the authorities. Veritas, to be exact. You know Uncle Johnathan, right? Well, he handed it down right to me.”
“Jonathan,” Grace hisses, stepping back again, shaking her head. “I’ll never let you shits get me.”
"Don't worry, Mother. I'll help you," Jericho says softly.
"You will?"
"Why wouldn't I help the woman who abandoned me and then held me prisoner in my home, threatening my pregnant wife and my brothers?" He smirks at her, standing at his full height. "Better let Olivia do her job. Or I'll help in her very creative ways. You more than fucked me over to last me a lifetime. I won't let you continue to do it to our future. Plotting to possibly hurt me or my wife was the final straw of our relationship.” He tucks his hands behind his back like always when he gets down to business.
"No! That's my baby! This is my chance!" she shrieks with tears streaming down her cheeks. "You back off, or I'll… I'll." Grace doesn't get the chance to enact her threat when Olivia pounces on her, pushing her against the wall forcefully. The door opens, and a tall, blond man saunters in with a smirk, tsking at Grace.
"Need some help, Livs?" he quips, coming to hold Grace's wrists behind her back.
"Yeah, could have used the help like fifty seconds ago, you asshole," she grumbles, shaking her head when the cuffs clink into place.
"Ah, welcome to the Veritas family, Grace Viotto. There's a special place for you." The blond man grins and then loses it when he sees me. He stiffens completely, blanching like he’s seen a ghost. "Holy shit, another one?" he asks, whipping his gaze to Olivia, who chuckles.
“Yeah, Jordy. Another one. But you knew that,” Olivia says, pulling Grace off the wall. She shrieks and protests, digging her heels into the ground. But it does nothing to stop them from taking a few steps.
I frown. "Another one?"
"He's referring to you being a West,” Olivia says sympathetically. “You Wests seem to pop up all over the damn place,” she chuckles.
"First Seger and Zepp. Then River. Then Rush. Now you? Let me guess, you're named after a band or something,” Jordy asks, narrowing his eyes at me like I asked to be the chosen sperm of Corbin West. Fucker.
Jericho stands at his full height, crossing his arms. "I'd watch it, Veritas Agent." He raises his brow.
"Don't worry, Cuz. He has his own little West to keep his hands occupied," Olivia quips.
“Don’t fucking talk about her. She’s not mine,” Jordy grunts, shoving Grace through the door.
"Another sister?" I ask, sitting up from the bed, feeling slightly woozy.
"He doesn't like to talk about how he fell in love with a criminal." Olivia grins, earning a middle finger from Jordy before he disappears into the hallway filled with more Veritas agents dressed in uniform.
"Wait," Jericho says urgently, walking out the door, clinging tight to the ultrasound photos. I only hear the words he utters. "For you, Mother. Something to stare at while you sit behind bars."
Grace sobs hysterically. "It was going to be so perfect, darling. I was going to have a baby again and..."
"Again?" Jericho asks.
"You had a brother," she whispers. "He was so tiny and precious. I kept him so safe, and then he just stopped breathing one night. My poor baby." She sobs harder, filling the doctor’s office with her wails of pain.
My heart almost breaks for her. I can’t imagine losing a child that was so innocent and small. But she’s done so much damage to the people around her to feel sorry for her.
"We'll come to visit," he murmurs almost brokenly, despite wanting her out of our lives.
"We can allow that," Olivia says with a sharp nod. "Bring the baby," she says softly. "Come on now, Aunt Grace. Let's get you on your way." Olivia reappears in the room with a sheepish smile, waving off a few of her Veritas agents. Jordy follows her inside, shaking his head.
"When will the trial be?" Jericho asks, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Jordy snorts. "Trial? There's no trial, dumbass. This is Veritas. She's going straight to the fucking island to live out her days." He shakes his head with a cocky smirk. "Trial," he laughs.
"No trial?" I ask, coming to stand between them. Jericho seems two seconds away from strangling the idiot.
"This is Veritas, Little West. We do justice in our way. All the world's worst criminals are ours to fuck with.”
"Even your West?" Jericho asks.
Jordy huffs, shaking his head. "No comment," he grumbles, walking away with his head held high.
“I have a little present for you two,” Olivia beams. “Doc, you ready?”
My brows furrow when the doctor nods, sitting back on her stool in front of the ultrasound machine. “Why don’t you come back and lie down again, Journey? A little birdy told me that there were more people who’d want to glimpse the baby.”
Olivia grins, thumping Jericho on the shoulder. “We’ll reconvene at the mansion, yeah? We’ve got a lot of fun stuff to debrief you on.”
“You said Uncle Johnathan handed Veritas down to you?” Jericho asks, catching Olivia by the arm. “What do you mean? I thought he was gone.”
Olivia’s lips roll in, and she sighs. “We’ll talk about it later, okay? There are two idiots in the hall waiting for their signal.”
“Was that the signal?” Arrow’s voice booms, followed by frantic footsteps marching into the room. He grins at me, looking me up and down with light in his eyes. All the demons have left him.
"It's nice to see you actually showered," Olivia quips. "Wait... does your man cave have a shower?" She raises a brow.
"My secret space has everything," Arrow says, shrugging a shoulder. "Kitten," he says, ignoring Olivia when she goes to say something else.
"Arrow," I yelp when he advances on me and pulls me into his arms. "Can't breathe," I wheeze when he squeezes his arms around me.
"I was worried, Kitten," he pouts, shoving his face into the crook of my neck. "All I could think about was you." There's a hint of vulnerability in his voice when he pulls back and places his forehead on mine.
"Are you okay?" I ask, winding my arms around his neck.
"I've been worse," he says, kissing my nose. "I missed your touch and your..."
"Arrow! We're in public," I hiss.
His brows furrow. "I was just going to say your butt." He grins, setting me on my feet. "Now, let's see my baby!"
"Yours?" Shepp grumbles, walking into the room. "I tried to hold him back, but he's like a dog with a bone." Shepp pulls me into a hug, kissing my cheek.
"A dog with a..." I quickly cover Arrow's mouth, knowing exactly where this conversation is going.
"The doctor is still in here, patiently waiting," I say, giving him a pointed look. His eyes float toward the doctor sitting on her stool with a smirk.
"Sorry, Kitten. I'm just so excited to see you and this," Arrow grumbles behind my palm, rubbing at my belly.
"If you all would like to gather around," the doctor says brightly, leaving her mask off. "We can hear the heartbeat and see it in action."
Shepp gently helps me onto the table, and Jericho lifts my shirt like before. Arrow takes my hand, watching with hawk eyes as the doctor puts the warm gel on my stomach. The moment the wand touches my belly, she immediately finds the little bean.
"I did that!" Arrow beams with pride, pointing at the baby. "Wow..." Genuine awe hangs in his tone as the heartbeat echoes through the room, thrumming quickly at 145 beats per minute. "I can't believe it," Arrow murmurs.
"It's incredible," Shepp says, kissing my cheek.
"It is." I grin, not taking my eyes off the baby growing inside me.
The guys help me off the table once our second ultrasound is done, and I adjust my shirt.
"Well, congrats to all of you on the new bundle. I have the prescription ready for you, Journey. It’ll help with the nausea you’ve been experiencing. I would like you to talk to the front desk and set up a time next week so we can do a full pelvic exam and talk some more. And I would like to see you once a month for checkups to monitor your vitals,” the doctor says, getting up from her stool and handing me a piece of paper with the prescription.
"And no home birth," I say, taking the written prescription. "I need all the drugs to push a watermelon out."
The doctor chuckles at me. "Not the first time I've heard that. Everything looked good with the baby and you. Just take it easy and try to stay stress free." She gives the guys a stern look, alternating between them.
"Stress-free. Got it," Jericho mutters, pulling me out of the room with Arrow and Shepp happily on our tail.
How could I be stress-free?