Chapter 11 #2
“What about the treaty? If that was supposed to put an end to things, why did Kurti come back? And why did Besnik agree to the terms?”
“He said that Ruby should’ve never been touched.
He swore that if Kurti ever stepped foot on U.S.
soil again, he’d kill him himself. Bersha was handed the reins, and Besnik stepped down.
I turned the club over to you and walked away myself.
It was what was necessary. New, young eyes on the situation. ”
“How did you all not know Kurti’s name if he attacked her? Also, how did Law know Kurti?”
Law responds, “I didn’t know about the attack. I only knew that Kurti was one of the names in the mix. The dead son was Aron Kurti-Gashi, just like Besnik’s full name.”
During the conversation, Lach hooked Ruby up to a heart monitor. “I don’t have the equipment to do more here. She’s too early for a heart Doppler.”
“Prez,” a prospect says from the clinic’s doorway, and there stands Dr. Neighbors. Behind her is another woman with similar bone structure, though there are some differences. She carries a boy in pajamas, who lies his head on her shoulder.
“I’ll take Mace.” Loco walks over and lifts the boy, who does something with his hands. Loco signs, and that’s when I realize the young boy is deaf. The woman and Dr. Neighbors, whom I met when she interviewed with Judge, walk over.
“How far along is she?” Dr. Neighbors asks me.
“We just found out tonight; it’s not very long, though.”
“Okay. It’s too early to get a heart rate on the baby.”
“I already told them that. You didn’t need to come,” Lach bites out.
“Hello, Lachlan. What medication did you give her? What happened?”
I respond, “She had a severe panic attack. She was attacked a few years ago, and she just found out the man is back. She started fighting us, thinking she was back there.”
“Get a cool compress on that eye. As for the nose, I can set it for you if he doesn’t want to.” She points to Lach, and my lips tip up, trying not to smile at her jab.
“I know how to handle busted noses and swollen eyes. The only reason Judge called you is because these jerks won’t let me touch their women, given I’m a man.
” Lach folds his arms across his chest. I don’t miss Dr. Neighbors’ eyes tracking the movement, but then she shakes her head and looks at him with a sugary-sweet smile on her face.
Her accent grows sharper. “Oh, I didn’t know you specialized in obstetrics and gynecology.
Did you do a clinical rotation specializing in early fetal trauma?
Or even in high-risk pregnancies?” She pauses and waits for him to answer, but he just grinds his teeth.
She tips her head to the side. “Well, guess what? I did.” She raises her eyebrows and smirks.
“I did rotations in Chicago, Boston, and New York. I’ve also traveled to several remote locations where I handled pregnancy cases in poverty.
Oh, and one more thing: I do have certifications in obstetrics and gynecology.
But you knew that already, didn’t you, Lachlan? ”
“God damn it, Ashlyn, get out of my clinic or help my cousin.”
“What medication did you give her and the amount?”
“I gave her diphenhydramine intramuscularly.”
“What is that?” I ask.
Dr. Neighbors looks at me. “Don’t worry, Torch.” She pats my hand. “He gave her basically a double dose of Benadryl, the allergy medication. It’s been tested and is safe to administer in the first trimester, but I want her to come to the clinic in the next few days to re-check her.”
“Good, now leave,” Lach snaps. “Get out.”
“I’m not leaving my patient until she wakes up, and I can confirm she isn’t having a reaction.”
From the phone, Swede’s voice breaks up the doctor and Lach’s staring contest. “Ashlyn, did you get settled? Was everything taken care of?”
“Yes, Swede, my half-sisters and I got settled into the house. Thank you so much for helping us. Keighley has Mace enrolled in the deaf school in Foster. We couldn’t have done this without your and Jade’s help.”
“Good, I’ll stop by to see you as soon as I get back. I have Hammer setting up security at your home this next week.”
“Thank you again.”
“I’m Hammer.” The man steps up to introduce himself. “I’ll be by the house tomorrow, then the clinic and anywhere else you need me over the next couple of days.”
“Thank you.” She nods, then turns to the other woman. “This is Keighley, my sister, and Mace.” She points to the little boy in Loco’s arms. “Swede said you’d also work on getting us the equipment needed for him when he doesn’t want to wear his Cochlear implant.”
“Yes, already been collecting a few things.”
While she’s been talking, the woman, Keighley, has been taking Ruby's vitals and checking her over.
“Ashlyn, she has some new bruising, probably from fighting. Heart rate and respirations are good.” She turns to Lach. “May I borrow a cuff, please?”
“Are you a nurse or just some medic?” Lachlin’s voice sounds venomous.
“I’m a nurse, but if you want to test me, go right ahead.”
“No. Here.” He hands her a blood pressure cuff and his stethoscope.
“Thank you. Normally, we carry a bag with us for just in case, but it hasn’t been unpacked yet.” She takes Ruby’s blood pressure, then relays the numbers to Dr. Neighbors.
“Can I have some peace and quiet with my patient?” the doctor asks.
“No, I’m not leaving my own clinic for you.”
Swede says, “Judge, when your sister wakes up, tell her we are on our way back,” then hangs up.
“I’ve got some information, but we can talk about it after we find out about Ruby. I’m going up to my office and will run some more searches,” Mal says, then walks out of the clinic.
“Okay, we’ll meet in the morning before everyone heads out,” Judge orders, pulling up a chair and sitting down with Evie on his lap.
Most of the others leave as well, but Lyra, Spike, and Boost stick around. I continue to hold Ruby’s hand, waiting for her to come to.
“Do you want me to start an IV?” Keighley asks.
“Not yet,” Dr. Neighbors answers the question that was posed to both her and Lach.
Ruby’s eyelids flutter, and her hand immediately squeezes mine. I lean over her body, shielding her from everyone. “Princess, you’re safe,” I whisper softly in her ear. Her body jolts for a moment, shifting into panic mode before relaxing when my voice registers.
She grips my cut, pulling me over her as she leans her mouth closer to my ear. “Is it true? He’s back.”
“I won’t let him hurt you,” I vow.
Her head shakes. “You can’t make that promise, and it’s not me I’m afraid of him hurting. He wants to kill you.”
I rear back and hold her shoulders. “What do you mean?” My tone holds a bite to it, but Ruby doesn’t flinch or fear me.
She looks down at her belly where her hand rests on our baby. “He sent me flowers after I got the neck tattoo. He was angry I covered his marks.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because he threatened to kill you. I won’t be the cause of your death too.”
“You didn’t kill Nelson; Kurti did that.” I pause, wanting to give her the complete truth. She thinks that Nelson was innocent in all this, but he wasn’t. “Nelson purposely took you to that field. Did you know that?” I ask because I know she’s done her own digging into the attack.
Her head shakes hard, trying to deny it. I know she only went out with him to make me jealous; there was nothing romantic between them. “No. He wouldn’t do that.” She continues not to believe it, but I hold her face gently in my hands.
“He did. He owed the Albanians money from losing in a race to them.”
“Oh my god, that’s what Kurti meant when he shot him. He said his debt was paid.”
“I wanted to kill him all over for you. To avenge you.”
“No.” She leans into me, and I hold her.
“May I check her over?” Dr. Neighbors asks, and I lean back.
“Hello. You can call me Dr. Ashlyn if you’d like.”
“Hello.”
They discuss her last period and a few other female things. Ashlyn tells her to come to the clinic in a few days, and they will do a more thorough internal ultrasound exam.
After they leave, I carry Ruby up to our suite, where I lay her on the bed and hold her for the rest of the night, afraid I’m going to lose her when I just got her.