Chapter 2 Nylah
“There’s breastmilk in the freezer if Gia gets extra hungry.”
Rael nodded. His arms banded around Gia as he held her while she stuck sticky applesauce-coated fingers on his chest and babbled baby talk. “Nylah?”
“Yeah?” I asked as I picked up my purse and keys.
“You know you don’t have to work, right? That I won’t ever ask or tell you that you gotta leave our babies.”
That hit me right in the chest, not just because he said the words in his gritty, deep timbre, but because as his voice softened, I knew he truly meant it.
He was so good to me. “I know,” I assured him, moving closer to press a lingering kiss on his lips. “But I need this for my sanity.”
And that was the truth. Being a mother fulfilled a lifelong dream for me, but I also had moments when I needed to be reminded it was okay to be more than just a biker’s ol’ lady and the mother of three perfect little ones.
It was all right to want more and to have a career as a nurse, since it was a job I loved.
I didn’t want to lose that part of myself.
Rael stared at me like he understood my internal musings. “Okay.” A soft smile quirked his mouth. “You ready for our date later?”
“Which one?” I teased him since he not only asked me to marry him on Valentine’s Day in front of all our friends and biker family, but also out to dinner after I got off work tonight. “The dinner or the vows?”
His gaze swept over me from head to toe, slowly gliding over every inch of my body and the curves that had grown fuller and softer after giving him the twins and our little girl.
The extra few pounds didn’t bother Rael.
He seemed to enjoy them, clutching me often and giving my bottom a squeeze.
He’d groan and tell me that I had better be ready for a dicking down later.
Even now, the lust darkened the color of his eyes, making the hazel a deeper green, transforming his facial features until a wolfish grin spread his lips wider. “I’ll ride with you, in you, beside you. You’re my ride or die, my whole fucking world.”
And that, right there, was why I was marrying this sexy bastard. Who could pass up the desire and devotion in his gaze or the grit in his voice that proved every word was true?
Plus, I loved this man, including his Reaper and Berserker, and the life he’d given me with three beautiful children. I would change nothing, not even the hard, challenging parts, because it made every moment like this so fucking worth it.
“As you’re mine,” I swore, tapping my heart. “Right here. Always.”
His gaze heated, and I saw both the Berserker and the Reaper battle for first place.
They all desired, cherished, and loved me—three entities inside one inked, muscled, towering frame of irresistible alpha male biker.
A guy who rode his Harley and lived life hard, on his terms, but never let me forget what I meant to him.
It was bizarre, thrilling, and yet intoxicating knowing I had all three of their hearts and devotion.
My soon-to-be-husband owned me as completely as I owned him.
“Always,” he repeated without hesitation, bouncing Gia as she started to fuss. “See ya at seven, my beloved.”
Beloved. A nickname that I adored. Probably my favorite.
He knew that, of course.
I headed toward the garage, pausing to hug Gavin and Gage before I left the house.
“I want kisses, Mama!”
“Me too!”
I laughed as I snuggled them both close, nuzzling their cute little faces before I finally had to go or I’d be late.
Leaving the house was harder on some days than others.
As I glanced at Rael and the kids, I almost wondered why I chose to work outside the home.
Until I heard a crash and Gavin’s giggle as Rael used a stern tone to tell him that using his brother as a human bowling ball wasn’t okay.
I had to bite my lip to prevent laughing as I caught my sexy biker’s head shake.
There was something undeniably attractive about him holding our baby girl in his heavily inked arms, sparking a wave of desire to sweep through me.
Rael was handsome, no doubt about it, but seeing him so domestic and happy made me want to jump him and practice having more babies.
His head swiveled my way, and his eyes blazed with heat like he knew my thoughts. “Beloved, keep staring at me like that and I’m gonna make those fantasies come true.”
Gavin tugged on Rael’s jeans. “What’s a fantasy, daddy?”
Yep. Time to get moving.
I arrived at work with five minutes to spare, stashing my lunch in the employee fridge and my purse in my locker. After checking in at my station, I logged in to the computer and began reviewing the current list of patients. We divided them amongst the current staff, and I began my rounds.
Work kept me busy for several hours. By the time I ate lunch, I had been on the clock for nearly two-thirds of my shift.
It was like that some days. We weren’t a major hospital, but we still saw almost every level of trauma since there wasn’t anything within a hundred miles of our location.
You had to drive to Reno or Vegas for that.
But our little urgent care handled most basic medical needs or concerns.
Having only a couple of doctors on staff meant our patients had to wait longer when the lobby was full.
I scanned the chart outside one of the rooms and entered, offering a greeting as my gaze swept over the man seated in a chair instead of on the exam table.
He was a big guy, broader and more muscular than Rael but not quite as tall.
Thick dark hair, long past needing a haircut, brushed the top of his shoulders and matched the short beard he wore.
With jeans, work boots, a gray shirt, and a reflective vest, I guessed he worked construction.
I knew he came in with complaints about chest pain and tightness.
He wasn’t heavy, and at thirty-five, he was healthy—no major concerns in his chart.
“I’m going to check your vitals, and then we can discuss how you’re feeling, Tony.”
I took his blood pressure, noting it was within normal range. As I moved closer, preparing to listen to his heart, he reached out and stroked a finger down my forearm. Surprised that he touched me, I met his bold gaze.
“Sorry. Your skin looked so soft.” He blinked and dropped his hand. “Go ahead.”
I frowned, trying not to get irritated because I was a professional, and this jackass who didn’t understand about consent wasn’t going to piss me off. As I listened to his heart and lungs, I found nothing alarming. He sounded healthy—a strong, steady heartbeat and clear lungs.
As I backed away, I felt him staring at my ass. Flustered, I typed into his electronic medical chart, logging his vitals and adding a comment about his behavior. My fingers pressed on the keys hard as I finished. When I faced him, his gaze shot up to my face, then lowered to read my name badge.
“Nylah.” He tilted his head. “Pretty.”
Ugh. This wasn’t the place to flirt.
“I’ll let the doctor know you’re ready.” I moved toward the door, keeping an eye on him as he stood.
“Wait. You didn’t ask me how I’m feeling.”
I turned my back to the door as I placed my hand on the doorknob. “Pain level?”
“Nearly zero now. Must be your smile.”
I wasn’t going to respond to that remark. “That’s good.”
He watched me. Too closely. This wasn’t normal.
“You should know I’m with a Graven Bastard,” I informed him. The danger was implied, and so was the warning.
Everyone in Tonopah knew the GBMC. Hell, the whole state probably knew not to mess with them.
He smiled like it didn’t worry him. “Which one?”
What? Why did that matter?
“Just want to know who my competition is.”
This guy had a death wish. If he knew about the Reapers, he’d never say something so bold. I almost smirked.
“I’ll get the doctor.”
He nodded. “See you soon, Nylah.”
I rushed from the room, nearly bumping into the nurse practitioner. “Sorry.”
Her brows bunched together with concern. “You okay?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “It’s this patient. Tony Brock.”
“Did he say or do anything?”
I stepped away from the door, wondering if he could hear us. The walls in this building were too thin. “Yes.” I told her how Tony touched my arm and what he’d said.
“I don’t want you going back in there. I’ll send one of the other nurses in for the discharge once I see him. I don’t like patients treating my staff like that. We’ll get him out as quickly as possible.”
Nodding, I felt relieved I wouldn’t have to be in the room with him again.
I wasn’t intimidated, but I did question whether Tony would try to touch me again, and that meant I wasn’t safe.
Why did some men ignore personal boundaries?
Why did they think it was okay to touch and take without permission? I’d never understand it.
I wasn’t going to let Tony irritate me for the rest of the day, so I focused on work and forgot about him. When I saw him check out, I stayed out of sight, breathing a sigh of relief when he left. I did catch his frown as he swept his gaze over the clinic like he was looking for me.
“What was that about?” Carrie, a fellow nurse, asked as the door shut behind him. “He seemed agitated when I gave him his discharge papers and asked why you weren’t handing them out.”
“I don’t know. Never saw him before today.”
The rumble of a motorcycle engine had me lifting my head out of habit, searching for Rael through the glass windows that faced the street. It wasn’t my biker.
Tony sat on the saddle of a Harley. A big black sleek machine that was almost as pretty as Rael’s. He chose that moment to turn his head and stare into the urgent care.
Shit. He saw me.
With sunglasses over his eyes, I couldn’t read his expression, but he nodded at me, then revved the engine and rode off.
“Wow,” Carrie whispered.
“And not wow in a good way,” I added.
“Do you think you need to tell Rael about him?”
“No. I’ll never see Tony again. Why make it a big deal when it isn’t?” Besides, Rael would probably let the Berserker loose and rip off his arms or something before the Reaper took his soul. Nothing Tony had done warranted his death.
“Well, if he comes back to the clinic, tell Rael.”
“I will,” I assured her. I wasn’t stupid. I just didn’t think this Tony guy was someone I needed to worry about.
By the time I finished my shift, it was nearly seven in the evening.
I stifled a yawn as I packed up my things and headed outside to my SUV.
Rael wanted to buy my car, but I told him that if he did, I wouldn’t have sex with him for a year.
That solved it. I now shoulder the burden of the monthly payment.
It made me smile because he loved to take care of me and insisted that paying the bills was his job as the man of the house.
I loved that he took charge and paid for most of them because it let me use the money I made for other things I wanted for the kids and me. And I enjoyed buying him gifts, too.
As I unlocked my car and slid behind the wheel, I dropped my purse on the seat and started the engine. It was dark out, and my lights flicked on, illuminating the bike in front of me. For two heart-pounding seconds, I thought it was Tony.
Shock flashed through my body. I gripped the steering wheel until the biker ripped off his helmet.
Rael grinned as he patted the seat behind him. Our date. I almost forgot about it.
With a sigh of relief, I shut off the engine, picked up my purse, and shoved thoughts of Tony far away.