Chapter 45
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
L arissa took another bite of cake. If she hadn’t been watching Killyama open her last baby shower present, she would have missed the brief flash of pain on her face. As the party progressed, Larissa timed the subtle hints that Killyama was in labor.
She was serving Beth a glass of punch when Killyama abruptly stopped Fat Louise mid-sentence to make her way to the table she was standing at.
Instead of giving Killyama a glass of punch, she filled a taller one with chips of ice and water.
Killyama stared at the plain water as if she were debating taking her head off. “Bitch, I asked for punch.”
Larissa gave her an apologetic glance. “Sorry. Your pains are too close together to give you the punch. I made you a pitcher of fruit juice. Would you like me to pour a glass?”
Killyama’s glare intensified. “I’m not in labor.”
“You are.” Larissa locked her shaking knees. Killyama was pretty scary when she didn’t get her way. “Unfortunately, this isn’t going to be something you can control. Babies come on their timetable, not yours. You’re going to have to hand the reins over to me.”
Killyama gripped the edge of the table, hunching over as she gasped in pain.
“Are you ready for me to ask everyone to leave, except for those who you want to be with you during the delivery?”
“Let me do it.”
“Go ahead, or I will,” she warned. “I texted Train already. He’s taking Ela to stay with Viper to play with Aisha. He should be here any minute.”
“I was going to do it.”
“When? After the baby was born?”
“Yes.”
“I promised Train I would text him when you went into labor. That was the only reason you were able to convince him of a home birth. Priss is preparing your bed, and Lana called another doctor to relieve her, so she should be here any minute.”
“What’s going on?” Sex Piston came up to the table.
“Killyama’s in labor,” Larissa answered for her.
Sex Piston took one look at her friend’s face and turned to the group of women behind her. “Party’s over.”
The women who were from The Last Riders’ clubhouse left. Those who remained consisted of her closest friends.
Train walked in the door as she was helping Killyama to her bedroom.
Killyama was directing Fat Louise and T.A. every step along the way. “Fat Louise, put the ice cream back in the freezer and punch in the refrigerator. T.A.—” Killyama cried out in pain. “Son of a bitch!”
Train stopped dead in his tracks.
“She didn’t mean you personally,” Larissa tried to assure him.
Killyama gave her a wild-eyed look. “Yes, I did.” Her gaze went Train’s. “What took you so long? Can’t you see I’m in pain?” she snarled. “I need you to massage my back.”
Train took Killyama’s other arm as they entered her bedroom. “I bet you’re regretting not going to the hospitals to get the good drugs.”
“Do you want to die?” Killyama practically snatched Train’s soul out of his body at his question.
Priscilla moved to take Train’s place. “The water is ready. Train, I placed a chair for you next to the birthing pool.”
Briskly, Larissa started helping Killyama remove her clothes with Priss’ help.
“Lie down on the bed. I want to assess how far you are dilated. Priss is going to take your blood pressure and start monitoring the baby.”
She spread a warm bath towel over Killyama and started examining her. Step by step, Larissa explained what she was doing and seeing.
“You’re in active labor.”
“I could have told you that!” Killyama yelled.
Calmly, Larissa helped her to sit up. “Everything looks good. Do you want to sit in the pool, or would you prefer—”
“I want to sit in the pool.”
“Very well. Use the bathroom before we’ll get you situated.”
After helping Killyama put on a toweling robe, Larissa waited in the bathroom while she went into the closed toilet area. She had already been instructed on how to clean herself before getting into the sanitized pool, which Priss had prepared.
When she came out, all three of them helped Killyama into the pool, making sure she was comfortable with the floating pillow as Train rubbed her back before letting her friends in.
“Damn, bitch. Where’s the baby? I was beginning to think you had her without us,” Sex Piston wisecracked as she entered the room, followed by their troop of friends. Her expression softened as she handed her a bottle of water infused with electrolytes. “How are you doing?”
Killyama raised her head. “It’s not as easy as you make it seem.”
“I told you to take the drugs. I wasn’t getting suckered into going natural. The more drugs, the better. Any regrets yet?”
“No.”
Sex Piston gave a sarcastic snort. “Wait until that big head starts popping out. We’ll see if you say the same thing.”
“Did you get all the items you wanted at the baby shower?” Larissa directed the conversation to divert Killyama’s attention away from the pain instead of focusing on it.
“Most of them,” Killyama answered.
“What didn’t you get?”
Lana arrived and had Killyama get out the pool to check her and the baby. Then Killyama decided she wanted to walk for a while and use the restroom again.
The afternoon dragged on as Killyama’s labor intensified.
The water delivery was nearly textbook perfect. Killyama’s little bundle of joy arrived to the cheers of the women anxiously waiting.
Blinking back emotional tears as Train greeted his beautiful daughter reinforced why she had become a midwife.
Priss took Train away to let him help with the baby while she and Lana helped Killyama deliver the afterbirth.
Once baby and mother were settled in bed, Lana and Priss started draining and dismantling the birthing pool.
Larissa kept an eye on the parents as she cleaned and packed the equipment they had used. When she was finished, she told Train and Killyama that she and Lana would be leaving, but Priss would be staying until morning, and she would be back then.
Train looked up from staring at the baby with gratitude on his face. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Before leaving, she shooed all of Killyama’s friends out so the new parents could enjoy some bonding time alone.
After saying goodbye to Priss, Lana and Larissa left Train’s house. There were two men standing guard outside.
Neither of them said anything until they were in Lana’s car, where they stared at each other curiously.
“I wonder what that’s about,” Lana asked as she buckled her seat belt.
“I have no clue.” Starting the car, she looked up at the front of the club. There were several men standing on the porch. “Look.” Larissa directed her attention to where she was staring. “You think something is going on?”
“I don’t know, but it sure looks that way.”
She backed out of the parking spot and pulled onto the main road.
“You notice Beth? She kept her phone in her hand the whole time.”
“Yes,” Larissa answered without taking her eyes off the road. “I think she had 911 on speed dial. She was terrified for Killyama, but that wasn’t anything new today. She wanted her to have the baby in the hospital. I tried to ease her worry, but nothing I said changed her mind.”
“People always have—”
Larissa shook her head. “Beth’s fear was different than what we usually hear.”
“How so?”
Larissa debated on the wisdom of what Beth had said when she had pressed her on her fears.
“Larissa?”
She had never been good at keeping secrets from her sisters. Besides, Lana might be curious to ask Beth herself.
“She said The Last Rider women don’t have easy births.”
Lana frowned. “What did she mean by that?”
“I don’t know.” When she glanced at her sister, she read the worried look on Lana’s face.
“Then I’ll damn sure be finding out.”