Chapter Twenty-Three #2
“Lay the fuck back, Micah! I already told you there are stitches in your torso and you need to be careful not to pull them out. If you get out of this bed, I will fuckin’ handcuff you to the rails.
Don’t fuckin’ test me on this,” he says, his voice breaking as he looks directly in my eyes because I need to see the pain he’s still in when he thinks of what I’ve been through.
“I’m okay, Axel. I’m here with you and no one is gonna get their hands on me again. I know you’ve been protectin’ my girl and son while I was gone. You can relax now, Cousin. You don’t need to be in fight mode anymore, Axel,” I tell him, knowing he needs to hear this shit from me and no one else.
I watch as Axel’s body releases the tension and he slumps down in the seat next to me.
Axel drops his head in his hands and I turn away from him.
He needs a minute to compose himself and doesn’t need an audience while he does it.
My cousin is a very private person and will hate this many people being in the room with him as he breaks down.
Axel has been strong the entire time I was gone and didn’t let himself have a moment of peace.
Now, he needs to unwind and quit holding the tension coiled tight in his body.
“Fuck!” Homicide says, slamming his fist against the wall behind him.
“How long will I have to be in rehab?” I ask, not sure if they have the answers or if I’ll have to wait for the doctor to come in and see me.
“We don’t know anythin’ yet, Knuckles. The doctor has been in to check on you every single day and has no answers at all.
He couldn’t tell us anythin’ until you wake up.
Hell, I can’t remember all of your injuries at this point.
There was a long list. Though I can say it looks like the damage to your wrists was done by yourself.
I’m gonna guess you tried to free yourself from chains like the dumbass we all are when it comes to bein’ held captive,” Rooster answers me, slight laughter in his voice.
“Tell me honestly how Janessa was while I was gone,” I tell them, looking around the room at the men surrounding me and needing to know what my girl was put through.
“You claimin’ her, Knuckles?” Rooster questions me and waits as I nod my head in response just as Tease looks up with a smile on his face that quickly disappears.
“J wasn’t good at all, Cousin,” Tease says, his voice wavering with the emotion he’s trying to keep bottled up.
“She didn’t eat, barely slept, and cried all day long.
It took every ounce of me to get her to eat a few bites more than once a day.
The only reason she even got out of bed is to take care of Kaden.
If your son wasn’t there, she would’ve collapsed in on herself and probably would’ve ended up in the hospital.
The day everythin’ happened at the diner was the first day she willingly decided to eat.
I’m not sure what changed, but somethin’ did.
Maybe her body was ready to give out and she was tryin’ to prevent it from happenin’. ”
My heart shatters in my chest hearing how hard this shit hit her.
Janessa doesn’t deserve to ever feel that way again.
I’ll do everything in my power to ensure she doesn’t suffer in that way again.
My Little Fighter deserves to have every good thing in her life and no one, especially me, should ever make her upset to the point she doesn’t eat or want to get out of bed.
I’m grateful she had my cousin and her brothers around her to help her through the ordeal while I was gone. And our son.
“Bring them back in. I want my woman and son,” I state, not knowing what else to say because there’s not much I can say to change what’s already happened.
“They’re right outside the door, Knuckles,” Omen assures me as he steps over and opens it to call Janessa back in the room.
Janessa walks directly up to me and lays our son down on my chest. I can’t hold him the way I want to, so my girl keeps her hand on his little body to prevent him from getting hurt.
My full attention is on our son between us when I hear the guys leaving us alone in the room.
The doctor hasn’t been in today to see me yet, but I have no doubt it will happen soon.
For now, I just want to be alone with Kaden and Janessa.
“I, um, I have something to tell you, Micah,” Janessa says as more tears slide down her face and I’m unsure what’s going on with her right now.
“What’s goin’ on, Little Fighter?” I question her, my voice soft so I don’t wake up Kaden.
“Well, when I was bein’ examined the day everythin’ happened, I got some information.
I’m not sure how you’re gonna react, but you need to be the first to know.
Well, other than Aaron because he was in the room with me,” she starts, her eyes looking everywhere but at me until I reach up and place my fingers under her chin to force her to look at me.
“I’m pregnant, Micah. I don’t know how the hell it happened, but I am.
The baby is okay, but I have to be careful and get in to see an obstetrician for a follow-up soon. ”
I’m fucking speechless. That’s the last thing I was expecting my girl to tell me today. As I try to figure out how I’m feeling about this news, I realize I’m not angry or upset. I’ve thought about having more kids with my girl, it’s just happening sooner rather than later.
“Okay, Little Fighter. I’m good with this if you are,” I tell her honestly.
“I can’t wait to be there for every step of the journey this time.
I want to know everythin’ and be there for every single appointment you have.
I’ll go out on those runs for shit you’re cravin’ in the middle of the night when nothin’ is open.
We’re in this together and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
I love you, Janessa. Kaden and you are my entire reason for gettin’ up every fuckin’ day and now this little one will be added to our family. ”
“Really? You’re not mad at me for this?” she returns, fear in her eyes and I can’t blame her for it.
“Really. I was there with you and didn’t wear a condom.
This is on both of us and we’ll deal with it together.
Maybe we’ll have a daughter who looks just like you this time.
Janessa, I’m dead serious when I say I’m in this with you and nothin’ will pull me from your side,” I promise her as I continue looking at her so she knows this is my truth.
“I love you, Micah,” she finally says, leaning forward and kissing me with our son cradled between the two of us.
Janessa and I spend the rest of the day together with the only interruptions from nurses and the doctor.
Hearing the injuries I have really opens my eyes to what was done to me and how lucky I am to only need some therapy once I’m discharged from the hospital.
Those fuckers are going to pay for the damage they’ve done to me and all the pain they caused my girl while I was being held by them.
Not to mention the fact they thought they were going to take her away from me and get away with doing unspeakable things to her before killing her off. Fuck those pussies!