Chapter 44
The crisp, sharp bite of late February had rolled around, painting the hills in deep shades of burnt orange and rust. Spring wasn’t far off, but for now every breath we took out in the courtyard turned to soft white cloud.
A whole month had passed since that night I’d finally broken through Rage’s walls.
It still felt like a beautiful, impossible dream.
We were never apart anymore – the quiet, guarded man who used to keep to the shadows was gone, replaced by someone who held me close every chance he got, put his cut on me every day to make sure everyone knew I was his.
Every night I slept safe wrapped up in his arms, no holding back, no distance left between us.
That wild, fierce love was always there, but beneath it lay a soft quiet adoration that made my heart ache in the best way every time he looked at me.
“Don’t forget the second folder, Tamer.” Swift’s voice pulled me back to the moment.
I smiled, reaching for the pale blue medical binder resting beside my lamp. Swift leaned against my doorframe, checking the strap of his cut, while Tiny stood further back, his broad shoulders filling almost the whole width of the hallway.
Over these weeks, they’d become so much more than just my guards. They’d settled right into the rhythm of my days – Swift could recite whole paragraphs of my midwifery modules off by heart, and Tiny had carried stacks of heavy textbooks for me more times than I could count.
“I’ve got it,” I said, sliding the folder into my bag and closing my laptop. “Final exam done. Even Hacker’s proxy didn’t let me down.”
“Good stuff.” Swift grinned. “Dr Cole’s paging us for twenty minutes. Said Rose is down at the clinic and in a right foul mood today.”
My midwife instincts pricked up straight away. A sharp little buzz of adrenaline ran down my spine. Six months isn’t too soon… is it?
For the past month, I’d kept what I’d seen quiet, watching over Rose from a distance as I did my placements.
But today Dr Cole had finally put his foot down and ordered strict bed rest – her bump was far too big, and things were getting close to shifting earlier than they should.
I made my way down the corridor, Tiny and Swift falling into step either side of me.
The second I stepped into the club’s medical wing, that familiar sharp clean scent of disinfectant and lavender washed over me. The room was quiet, but you could feel the tension thick enough to cut.
Rose was propped up on the exam bed, piled high with pillows. Her top was pulled up, showing off the huge curve of her stomach – she looked radiant, but her face was set in a deep, grumpy scowl.
Pres stood right beside her, jaw tight, watching every flicker on the monitor. Rage leaned against the wall further back, his cut making him look like a dark shadow in the light. He met my eyes and gave me a small, knowing smile.
“I’m fine!” Rose snapped, glaring up at Pres. “I don’t need to be stuck in here! I can walk round the gardens, sit in the common room –”
“You’re staying right here, Rose,” Pres rumbled, his voice deep and steady, leaving no room for argument. He reached out, his big hand cupping her cheek gentle as anything. “Your measurements are showing this is harder on you than it should be. Cole says you’re not moving an inch until he says so.”
Dr Cole stepped out from behind the curtain then, holding the ultrasound wand in one hand, looking relieved to see me.
“Thank goodness you’re here, Danika,” he said quietly. “Her numbers are all over the place for what should be one baby. If she doesn’t take this seriously, we’re looking at early labour.”
I stepped over to him, keeping my voice low so only he could hear.
“Can I have a quick word?” I murmured, nodding towards his little office off to one side.
He followed me through, closing the door soft behind us.
“I saw the scan last week,” I told him gently. “The twenty-three week one. That’s not one baby in there. There are two heartbeats. Two sacs.”
Dr Cole stared at me for a moment, then let out a long breath, shaking his head. “I flagged something unusual, but they asked us to keep it quiet until they were ready to know. I wasn’t going to be the one to break it if they didn’t want to hear it yet.”
“They need to know,” I said firmly but kind. “It explains everything – why she’s so big, why she’s struggling, why all her numbers look off. They deserve to understand what’s happening, so they can look after her properly.”
He nodded slowly. “You’re right. You think they’re ready?”
“I think it’s time,” I said.
We walked back out together. Pres was still talking soft but firm to Rose, and Ivy was stood by the door looking on.
“Rose,” I said, stepping up to the bed, my voice warm and steady. “There’s a reason everything feels so much harder than it should. Dr Cole and I have been talking… and there’s something we think you both need to know.”
Pres frowned, his gaze flicking between us. Rage shifted closer to the bed, sensing the tone in the room.
Rose just looked confused. “What is it?”
I rested one hand gentle on her arm. “You’re not carrying just one little Reaper,” I told her, smiling soft to show it is good news not bad. “You’re carrying two.”
For a second no one said a word. Then Ivy let out a little gasp, and the cup she’d been holding rattled loud against the side table.
But it was the men’s reactions that took everyone’s breath away.
Pres went completely still, his face draining of colour, jaw hanging slightly open. The most feared man in the whole club looked like he was ready to pass out.
Beside him, Rage let out a sharp breath, his eyes going wide as he stared at Rose’s bump like he was seeing it for the first time.
“Twins?” Pres choked out, his voice rough and cracking as he looked down at his wife.
“Twins,” Rose whispered back, a bright, glowing smile breaking across her face as tears spilled over. “Oh Leo… there’s two of them.”
The room erupted then – Ivy squealed loud and threw her arms round Rose’s shoulders, while Pres sank slowly to his knees beside the bed, wrapping his arms gentle but fierce round Rose and her bump. I stepped back, letting them have their moment, and felt a warm hand slip into mine.
I looked up to find Rage stood right beside me, pulling me close against his chest. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to my temple.
“You are incredible, Tamer,” he rumbled low against my ear. “A proper miracle, my old lady.”
Outside the reinforced gates the wind howled wild, but right here, in the warm quiet of our clinic, nothing could touch us. We were family. And we were only just getting started.