Chapter 10 Vega #2
“Let’s go back to reverse harem,” Monroe suggested.
“Extra points if it’s a fairy-tale theme,” Demi spoke up.
“There’s this one omegaverse that I’ve been wanting to—” Abi broke off, breathing hard, her fingers tightening in Hayat’s hair and pulling as she rubbed both hands over her lower belly.
“Call my brother,” Sammy snarled, jumping to her feet. If she’d had the strength, I was sure she would have lifted Abi into her arms and carried her out then and there.
Jumping into nurse mode, I rushed to help Abi outside once her contraction passed.
But before we could get to her SUV, she had to pause as another one hit.
It passed, and she let out a relieved sigh.
Two steps later and her water broke, leaving a huge puddle on the sidewalk in front of the boutique.
All the other women were talking animatedly, throwing out suggestions on who should drive and who should call Vaughn.
No one seemed particularly eager to make the call, though.
Hayat and Sammy put their arms around Abi and used their combined strength to carry her to the car while she had yet another contraction. That was way too fast and definitely not consistent, like Abi had said earlier.
“Get in,” Sammy ordered, but I was already climbing behind the wheel. All our friends were diving into their own vehicles, following behind us like a caravan.
“Did someone call Vaughn?” I asked, driving as fast as possible, while being safe. Driving was still relatively new to me since I’d grown up in a city where it was economically smarter to walk or take the bus. Parking alone had been a nightmare and cost as much as my rent.
If I got pulled over, I hoped Lexa could talk her husband or one of his deputies out of giving me a ticket.
Abi snorted a laugh. “He knows.”
“Who called? Lexa?” I guessed. Of everyone in our book club, she was the group leader. Her husband was the sheriff, and after meeting her mother, I was under the impression the woman was more influential than the mayor in Creswell Springs. Raven Reid’s name alone held power with every citizen.
“Doubt anyone called. But he knows.” Hayat had her own phone to her ear. “Hey, Poppy. Can you drive Mom and Kin to the women’s center? Yeah, things are moving fast.”
“Amala,” Sammy gritted out.
“Oh, make sure Mini is with Elias. Please confirm that she is in his arms before you leave.” In the rearview mirror, I saw Hayat glance at Sammy, who was clutching at Abi’s hand desperately, as if she were the one in agony.
“Actually, send me a picture once Mini is with him. Just to make everyone less tense. I’m sure Anya is already on her way over, but we gotta cover all bases.
Safety first, am I right? Thanks, Poppy. You’re the best.”
“How did I forget how much this shit hurts?” Abi whined when yet another contraction hit. “Oh fuck! There’s pressure. Vaughn, you better fucking be at that birthing center when we get there. I am not having this baby without you!”
I double-checked her in the mirrors to see if she or one of the other women was on the phone with her husband. They weren’t, yet a deep, accented voice filled the speakers, startling me. My own baby kicked excitedly in my belly. Although, we were in Abi’s vehicle, so it shouldn’t have surprised me.
“I’m almost there, wildfire. Breathe for me, zhizn moya. Slow and steady.”
Abi did as he instructed, a small whimper leaving her along with her exhale. “You were right. Two kids is enough. I don’t want to do this again. Never-ever, ever.”
“Then you won’t,” he soothed, his voice unwavering. “Who is holding your hand?”
“Like you don’t fucking know!” she seethed, breathing out harshly through clenched teeth. “Where are the cameras? Don’t lie to me and tell me there aren’t any. You totally added more after Hayat’s little adventure.”
Little adventure? Peeking at Hayat in the mirror, I noted again her many, many bruises that were slow to heal. If whatever happened to her had been a “little adventure,” I didn’t want to see what happened when she went on a big one.
“Of course I know. I have your feed open on my second phone right now. But I want to hear your voice.” Vaughn’s voice stayed steady, a softness to it that I’d only ever heard from him when he spoke to his wife or daughter. “Who is holding your hand?”
“H-Hayat and Sammy.”
“And who is driving?”
“Vay.”
“Good. Then you are in the best hands. I will see you in a matter of minutes, wildfire. Hayat, you guide her through her breathing. Vay, drive carefully. Samara…you know what you need to do.”
“I love you!” Abi cried, another powerful contraction hitting her. I’d been keeping track from the dash clock, and things were definitely wonky. They didn’t have a pattern.
Vaughn said something rough in what I could only assume was Russian before the speakers went silent.
“Abi, you said there was pressure. Is it still there?” I asked, keeping my eyes mostly on the road, but flicking glances in the mirror to watch her, totally ignoring the whole conversation that had just taken place about there being freaking cameras in the SUV.
That was something to digest later. Obviously, Abi was aware that her husband was stalking her every move.
It was unhinged, psychotic even, but kind of sweet. In a creepy, he knows how many breaths she takes per minute sort of way. Devotion didn’t look the same to everyone.
“Yes. In my bottom. It gets worse with each contraction. I remember this feeling from when I was pushing out Amala. Freaking Vitucci big-headed assholes.” She sucked in a breath, her body nearly drooping forward as the pain eased for the moment. “Not you, Sammy. You have a perfect head.”
“No, no, you’re right. It’s all the Vitucci DNA’s fault. Want me to kill my brother and mount his head as tribute to the pain you have to withstand?”
I laughed at the dry way she said it, like she would one hundred percent do just that, no questions asked. As a true friend should, even if it was her own brother she would behead.
“No!” Abi squeaked, the sound causing my hands to tighten around the wheel reflexively. “Hayat, no leaving Sammy alone with Vaughn for the next twenty-four hours. No matter what happens… Awwwwwwww! Fuck-fucking-fuck. Make it stop.”
“It’s not gonna stop until Mini Two takes her first breath, Abs,” Hayat said as she practically stuffed her hair into her friend’s hand. Playing with her curls did seem to calm Abi.
We were seven minutes from the women’s center, and I was wondering if we’d make it or if I would need to pull over and deliver that baby myself.
Hitting the hazard lights, I floored the gas.