Chapter 12
Axel
We’d been at the hospital for hours waiting for news from Chains.
Tiny had demanded Faith, Nora, and Brielle be there with her.
I didn’t understand why she’d want a bunch of women in there with her while she was pushing out a kid, but Faith explained to me, with a sad smile, it was a soothing thing for some people to have those she trusted around her.
Something in the way she said this of course sent a twinge of pain through my chest again with the knowledge she’d gone through the whole process without me at her side.
Fuck.
This next time around, I’ll make sure she’s not alone for anything.
“How fuckin’ long does it take to push a kid out?” Breaker grumbles, sitting forward in his seat, rubbing a hand over his face. I’m pretty sure he’s worried about this considering his woman is right there with Tiny in being due; however, Nora wasn’t carrying twins. Or as small as Chains’ woman.
“Don’t know,” Tyres mutters from his spot seated in a chair across from Breaker and myself.
Tyres, Brake, and Pitch Black arrived back home earlier today with news of shit going down up in Virginia.
I found some of this concerning. From what they’d found out from Stoney and Tracker they are having trouble with the Dragons Fire MC along with another issue in regard to some cult going after women.
Though they didn’t give any details about it, Tracker was bitching about one of their charters sending one of their members to be a regent in New York for the Iron Vex MC while they sent someone to the Franklin Charter.
To me it seems they have shit being thrown at them in every direction.
Doesn’t help that while they were up there, Trevor met up with them and informed them of something bothering him with Harlow.
Being Pitch Black’s cousin and Lynch’s sister, we all wanted to be there for her.
Only she won’t let us. She refuses to allow anyone to become close to her, not after what happened years ago.
This I know for a fact still simmers in both her brother and cousin.
They were all raised close together making them more siblings than anything.
“Brother, it’s gonna be awhile. Tiny’s having twins,” Brake states as he paces the room.
All of us care for Tiny. Since the day she came to the clubhouse and stepped out from behind Shadow, another member of the Devil’s Riot MC, she became one of us.
I knew without a doubt she would become family right away.
Didn’t think she’d end up with the Prez but all the same I’m happy for them both.
She’s been through a hell of a time with everything and deserves to be happy.
We all think of her as our little sister and will be here for her no matter what.
I never had any siblings so to me it kills me to know she’s in pain since I look at her as family.
“Yeah, I get that, but this is Tiny we’re talking about. She’s too fuckin’ small to be pushing out two kids. Hell, shouldn’t they be doing a C-section or something for her?” Breaker states.
Yeah, I’m not the only one thinking about how small Tiny is.
I go to speak but close it as the main door to the waiting room is thrown open. My gaze moves in that direction to find a freaked-out Chains coming through them with Faith, Nora, and Brielle following him. Chains doesn’t stop to give us an update but rather keeps going down the hall.
Standing up, I look to all of my brothers who are watching this all happen stunned. I’ve only ever seen Chains look this way one other time and that was when Tiny was kidnapped right from under our noses. That woman is his life and right now I’m not getting a good feeling.
“Um, someone should go after him,” Faith suggests, stepping into my side.
Wrapping my arm around Faith’s shoulders I glance down at her to find her staring in the direction Chains went, “What’s going on?”
“Tiny, um, she was in so much pain she could barely handle it. The babies went into distress, they had to rush her to the operating room. Chains was asked to stay out here for now. As we were leaving the room, I heard one of the nurses saying she hope Tiny would make it through the delivery.
“I’ll go,” Ryder mutters, making his way to the hallway Chains went down.
“You might want to go too, Breaker,” Nora states.
“Um, I suggest you go as well,” Faith whispers.
“Yeah, I’ll be back. Stay here,” I murmur, giving her arm a squeeze.
“I’ll be here,” she utters through a hitched breath.
Nodding, I release her and make my way in the direction Ryder and Breaker were heading. It takes us a minute to find Chains outside, squatting on his knees, head bent down, hands clasped behind his head, a cigarette hanging from his mouth.
Fuck this isn’t good.
“Chains,” Ryder speaks up first as we all step closer to him.
“Can’t lose her,” Chains says, his voice cracking.
“You’re not gonna lose her, brother,” Tyres declares moving to squat down next to Prez.
“Can’t, man, she’s all that matters to me besides the club.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this broken up about anything or anyone.
“And you won’t, Tiny’s going to be okay, so will those two babies.” Breaker moves in to kneel in next to Tyres.
“Can’t lose her, don’t want to lose any more people.
” Fuck Chains’ head right now is fucked.
This shit is fuckin’ with his head in a way not many people would understand.
He’d lost his parents then his sister was sold by her aunts, didn’t matter he was still able to see her thanks to Ryder figuring a way to make it happen. Now he’s scared of losing his ol’ lady.
Moving in I squat down in front of him, “Prez, brother, it’s going to be good. No one is takin’ that woman from you, not even God could be that cruel.”
Chains finally lifts his head as he releases his hands from behind his head and grips the cigarette between his lips.
Pulling it away he holds it in his hand while reaching into the inside pocket of his cut for his lighter.
We all know it’s where he keeps it for when he wants a smoke.
“She don’t make it put a bullet in my head,” he mutters, lifting his gaze to Ryder’s.
“Son,” Ryder whispers, shaking his head.
“Not going to be able to do it, Ryder. Not without her. I finally found pure innocence in this world. All of that being my woman, if she doesn’t make it, she dies, I die. Where she goes, I’m going. Got me?”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Prez is definitely fucked right now.
* * *
It took us a bit to get Prez finally back up to the waiting room, but we did. All of us standing close to him as he moves to the window and stands there staring out into nothing.
“Alex, let me talk to him,” Faith murmurs quietly drawing my attention to her. Something in her voice tells me she might be able to help Chains. Nodding I release my hold from around her waist as she steps forward.
I keep close to her not knowing how Chains will react to her in the state he is in.
“Chains?” she calls his name as she steps next to him and I take a step closer to her.
None of us had spoken since we’d come back up, but the air grows even more intense as Faith places a gentle hand on Chains’ arm. No one wanted to see her hurt if he lashes out.
“She’ll be okay, Chains,” she whispers softly when Chains turns his gaze to hers.
“The doctors will make sure she comes out of this to be with you. I remember when Alec was born, I was scared out of my mind. When I delivered him, he wasn’t breathing, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his shoulder and neck.
It also had a knot in the damn thing. I was crying as they worked to get him breathing.
I felt helpless because I couldn’t do anything for my baby and he was so tiny, so, so tiny, but he was a fighter.
They were able to get him stable and when they did,” Faith closes her eyes and shakes her head.
“I can still hear him cry. Right now, I know what you’re feeling.
I know this ‘cause during those few precious seconds I didn’t know if he would be okay, I thought I’d die.
To me he was the only thing keeping me connected to Axel.
Tiny will fight to make it through this, so will those babies.
Just breathe and know she’ll be ready for you when that doctor steps out here and calls your name. ”
“Faith,” Chains rasps.
“Trust me, just breathe and everything will be okay. I promise,” Faith nods reassuringly.
Chains closes his eyes, nods his head, lifts his arm, and pulls Faith into him. “Thank you, Faith.”
“You’re welcome, Chains, remember just breathe. Keep breathing. Everything will be okay. You’ll be back there in no time,” my woman declares as she hugs my Prez in return.
“Yeah,” Chains mutters quietly.
This right here is another reason I fuckin’ love my woman. Why I always have, though she wasn’t with me. Her light around her shines bright.
Having heard her share her story about Alec’s birth, I’m tormented by the knowledge she had to experience that fear all alone. I promise myself more than ever she will never fuckin’ feel another moment of pain for the rest of her life.
As Chains releases his hold on my woman, I gather her into my arms and pull her into my chest where I secure her in my embrace, needing to feel her. To know she’s mine once again.
“Sloane Garnier family?” The voice breaks through the fog of emotions swarming amongst us all.
They’d called for Tiny by her name. Well, her first name. She wasn’t a Garnier yet but I’m betting after this Chains will be making sure to have his ring on her finger.
Tilting my head up, I find a woman in green scrubs. My jaw nearly drops at the sight of the woman. I hadn’t seen her in years.
I mean years.
Angelina.
Oh shit. Glancing around the room, I’m glad to find Pitch Black missing. Fuck. I don’t think he knows she’s back, if he did, he’d lose his shit. Gutted him in a way that marked him, making him the man he is now. He finds out she’s here, all hell will break loose.
“She okay?” Chains asks, his voice haggard as he steps forward breaking through my thoughts.
“Yes, she and the babies are okay. Right now, Sloane is in recovery and your son and daughter were moved to the NICU due to their size. I can take you down to the NICU if you like and when Sloane has been moved to her room you can see her,” Angelina states, her face not showing a hint of emotion.
“I want to see my ol’ lady,” Chains demands.
“You can when she’s moved to her room,” Angelina mutters.
“Angelina, I’ll see my fuckin’ woman, to see with my own motherfuckin’ eyes she’s okay. Then I’m going to see my kids. Now take me to Tiny,” Chains demands with a curl of his lip.
Yeah, he knows who she is and he’s not happy with her at the moment considering she’s trying to tell him he can’t see his woman.
Nodding, Angelina, turns and lifts her badge, scans it to the sensor, and allows Chains to follow her through the double doors leading to his woman.
“Well, that was exciting,” Faith grumbles, turning in my arms. “Let’s go home and give Chains and Tiny some time alone.”
Squeezing Faith to me, I nod my head. As much as I’ve got to fix between the two of us, there’s one thing I intend to fix the moment we get home.
Faith is going to know without a doubt, I’m never fuckin’ letting her do a damn thing alone again.