Chapter 9
Mad Dog
“Son, I got something,” I say low, not wanting to ruin Chewy’s special day.
“Is it something that could shut the baby shower down?” Chewy asks, hands rubbing her big belly.
“Ah, no, sweetheart. Nothing too serious,” I reassure her.
“Well, that’s unfortunate. I’m only really good for like, 30 minutes of public exposure.”
“Hate to break it to you, but we’re family, not public, Chewy,” Marx says.
“That’s why I’ve been here for almost two hours. Bit much if you ask me.”
“I’m sure you’ll survive,” Wire says, patting her on the shoulder.
“Whatcha got, Dad?” Marx asks, ignoring Chewy’s whines.
“Willa’s ex.”
“The guy Rhodie and Gus kicked out of her shop?”
“He’s Quarter Mile MC.”
Marx’s head snaps toward me, while Chewy makes some type of weird noise. “You sure?”
“Not 100%. From the little I know he was Sinister Wolves MC, then went to prison. But Willa said his cut was different, no wolf.”
Marx runs a hand down his beard, and even though his mother was a waste of space, she gave my boy patience. Something that isn’t always my strong suit, but shit, I’m trying.
“Could be nothing,” Marx finally says.
“Could be.”
His gaze darts to mine. “You don’t agree?”
“Man gets out of prison early, patches into a new MC and then sets up an hour away from his ex?”
Marx rolls his shoulders. “Yeah, I didn’t think so either.”
“OK, well, this is quite the mystery. I’ll get Wire and Remy onto it.” Chewy says, slapping her hands down on the carved arms of her special chair and pushing her bulk up. “In the meantime, I’m going to the hospital to have a baby. I’ll be back in the office in around three to five business days.”
“What!?” Rhodie yells, shoving Chomper into Marx’s arms. “Babe, like seriously, what the actual fuck?”
“What? There was no point in making a scene if it was Braxton Hicks.”
“How do you know it’s not?” Mama Debs asks gently.
“Oh, my mucus plug fell out this morning and I’ve steadily been having contractions all day.”
“All fucking day?!”
“Yeah.” Chewy looks at us like we’re all mad. “Well, I’m leaving now.”
Everyone freezes in place, watching Chewy take Laney-May by the hand and slowly waddle toward the SUV. We wait a beat, and then all hell breaks loose. The women rush to collect up their children and Mama Debs jumps into action and corrals them all into two of the SUV’s.
“You ever thought of getting a bus for all these kids?” Willa asks, a smirk on her face.
“That ain’t a bad idea,” I huff.
I watch as my boys help their Ol Ladies into their vehicles, strapping in their babies, and my chest puffs up. I’m not proud of a lot of shit I’ve done in my life, but my boys and the way they treat their women? Yeah, I’m damn proud of them.
A warm hand lands on my forearm. “Come on, I think it’s time for you to get to the hospital.”
“Will you come?” Spills from my lips.
Willa stares at me. “Me?”
“Yeah. I ah, might need a hand. With this lot.” I wave my hand at the women cackling, the men making bets and Niko trying to round up the Big Littles.
“Well, now you point it out, yeah. I’m in.” She pats my arm, her hand drifting off until I catch it in mine.
“Thank you.”
She swallows. “That’s what friends are for.”
***
“Ah, shouldn’t you be in there?” Tav says drawing my attention to my youngest staring at us as he walks through the automatic doors.
“I’ve been asked to step out.”
“Step out? What. The. Fuck. For?” Pops says, gritting his teeth, his bony finger poking Rhodie in the chest.
“I may have panicked a little,” he mumbles.
“Well, un-fucking panic!” Pops growls.
“I’m fucking trying!” Rhodie roars and I pat Willa on the knee, standing and moving to my boy.
“Come on, kid,” I say, gripping him on the shoulder and moving him back toward the room his woman is in.
I guide him to a chair outside where we can hear Chewy asking question after question.
“Son, what do you need?”
He flops into the hard plastic chair, his head resting against the wall. “A woman who doesn’t wait all day to tell me she’s in labor? Or how about one that isn’t cool, calm and collected? Fuck.” He runs his hands down his face before leaning forward, resting his forearms on his knees.
I sit quietly, staring at my boy. “You want a woman who’s in there losing her shit so you can make it better, and -”
“And instead I’m losing my shit and Chewy’s trying to make it better.”
“You two really are perfect for each other, you know that?” I bump his shoulder with mine.
“Always trying to save each other from shit, but son, this?
Bringing this new life into the world? That ain't nothing to shield each other from. You got one beautiful daughter and soon, you’ll have another little baby.
You can shit yourself all you want, but do it in there, beside your woman.
She needs you, even if she doesn't say it.”
Rhodie sniffs then scrubs his hands down his face before taking a deep breath and standing. “Thanks, Dad. Fuck, I’m so fucking glad you came home.”
“Me too, son.” I pull him into my arms and hold him tight for a beat before slapping him on the back and letting him go.
I leave him be and head back out to the waiting room where the DRMC are still in their messed up costumes, everyone shooting the shit while we wait.
Willa’s gaze meets mine and she raises her brows. “All good?”
“Yeah, they will be.”
I take a seat next to her, our shoulders touching. We don’t speak, just sit in silence as the brothers start betting on sex, weight and length of my impending grandchild while Pops argues loudly with the nurse over whether mace is a weapon or not.
“Pops! Just give it up, man,” Judge growls.
“We all know that man doesn't need mace to mess someone up,” Willa snorts beside me.
We share a look and a laugh and we just…sit, in comfortable silence.
Damn, I really like this woman.
Rhodie
Blowing out a breath I step into Chewy’s room and try not to have a fucking heart attack or worse, wrap her up in my arms and run away with her.
The urge to protect her is fucking overwhelming, but I can’t protect her from this.
All I can do is stand beside her and watch as her body tenses, her face screws up and she breathes deeply.
I count to ten, then ten again until Chewy’s body relaxes.
Her eyes flutter open and she catches my gaze. “You feeling better?”
“Babe, I’m not the one having a baby.”
“Psh. I’ve been doing breathing exercises for months, along with perineal massage and all that yoga.
Also, I’m a human woman and we’re kinda built for this.
” She looks thoughtful for a moment. “Well except that humans have been evolving to have larger heads in recent times and I’m a lot smaller than you.
If our baby has your head then they might have to come through the sun roof. ”
“The what?” She mimes stabbing, then cutting, then pretends to stitch her belly. “Shit. Yup, got it. Thanks for that visual babe.”
“You’re welcome,” she says brightly before her face screws up again.
Shit. Fuck. Shit. Fuck.
“Babe?” she breathes.
“Yeah baby, what can I do?”
“Can you sing to me?”
“What?”
“Nah, jokes.” She smiles up at me, eyes are still bright but I know she’s downplaying things. For me.
“Don’t do that.”
Her brows furrow, teeth gritted. “Do what?”
“Make this easier for me.”
Chewy’s beautiful face screws up as I take her hand, her small fingers tightening around mine as she breathes through another contraction.
“You don’t have to make jokes or make this easier on me cos I’m shitting myself. If it fucking hurts, tell me it hurts. If you’re scared, tell me you’re scared. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Rhodie?”
“Yeah babe?” I press a kiss to her palm as she relaxes back onto the bed.
“It fucking hurts.”
My chest gets tight at her words. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. And I’m a little scared. But that could be a rise in my cortisol and adrenaline.”
“I think my cortisol and adrenaline might be a little high, too.”
“Well, that’s not very reassuring,” she mutters.
I snort. “Sorry.”
“Rhodie?”
“Yeah?”
“Tell the nurse I think my ass is going to fall out.”
“What?”
“It’s go time, baby.”
“What, now?”
“Noooooooow!”
Chewy bears down and my gut falls into my ass as she grips her knees. She’s silent, face determined, the color rising in her cheeks until she falls back onto the bed, panting. Two nurses come rushing in followed by Chewy’s doctor who takes a peek between Chewy’s legs.
“How’s she looking down there?” Chewy huffs out.
“We can see the head, mama,” the doctor says gently.
“I meant my vagina,” Chewy grits out.
“Beautiful as ever, babe,” I say, smiling softly at her, before it drops from my face at the look the mean lady doctor gives me.
Chewy starts wriggling in the bed, bicycle kicking at the thin hospital blankets.
“Knees,” she grunts, getting into position on her hands and knees.
“This is how the animals do it. I bet they’re onto something,” she murmurs before her body tenses, her tiny hand searching for mine on the bed.
Wrapping my fingers around hers I hold on, tight, my other hand firm on her lower back, rubbing circles.
“That’s it, Mom, we’re almost there, keep going, keep going… that’s it, pant, and breathe, just breathe, and on the next one we’ll meet your little one.”
“You’re doing so good, baby.” I press a kiss to Chewy’s sweaty forehead, holding my lips there. “So good, you can do this, Chewy.”
“I know. You don’t have to give me positive reinforcement.”
She grunts, tenses and then everything goes still. It’s just me and Chewy, the two of us, together, nothing else matters until a cry rends the air and Chewy’s body relaxes.
“Congratulations, Mom and Dad. You have a healthy baby boy.”
Chewy’s gaze meets mine and holds until I help her move, lying her on her back, pushing her sweaty hair from her forehead.
“Here is your big, healthy baby,” the nice nurse says, placing a hairy, wriggly red lump on Chewy’s chest.
“Whoa,” Chewy says, staring down at our son. “We made that,” she whispers in awe.
“We did. Look, he has his big sister’s curls,” I say, running my thick finger through his dark hair.
“And look! He has gnarly fingers like his big brother,” Chewy murmurs and we share a look before giggling. “Rhodes?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you. More than I ever thought I was capable of. And now I have Laney and Chomper and this guy and the club.” She tears her gaze away from our boy, to look up at me. “You gave me everything.”
“No baby. You gave me everything.”