29. Chapter 29
The last couple of days since being admitted to the hospital have been a whirlwind. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Yesterday, while Levi and Mae were here, Dr. Rodgers said that I was doing well and so far, have had no infections and my wounds are healing nicely. Because I was doing so well, she thought I’d be able to be released shortly after lunch today so long as nothing else happened overnight, which thankfully, nothing had.
Since I knew my kids wanted to be here today with me, I’m beyond grateful that Luke lined up for me to see Mae and Levi yesterday. After hearing their stories, I felt more comfortable telling them my own. After our talk, I felt much closer to both Levi and Mae.
To see the strength that both of these women have after undergoing such vicious attacks is completely mind blowing. If I could regain just a smidge of the strength they have, I would be happy. To get some semblance of the young woman that I had been back.
After hearing everything that they’d been through and how the club helped them, what they said eased almost all of my worries. They even put to rest the ones I had about the club being tired of helping someone so soon after Mae’s ordeal ended and most likely, especially knowing Stephan so well, being in danger yet again. Now, the only worries I really have are about what Stephan, Diego, and the others will do as well as a few about Luke and me.
As we talked, I had finally had the courage to ask about their different cuts. While Mae’s cut is how a normal Old Lady’s cut would look like, Levi’s cut had surprised me. The reason hers is exactly like Luke’s is because she is a patched member in the club and one of their Enforcers. Her sister, Sasha, is a Prospect with them, too.
Apparently, earlier this year, the club voted to allow women into their club. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask what made them change their mind and allow women in, but from what I’d already learned from them about the club, and from knowing things about Grandpa and his family, I’m almost positive I wouldn’t get the full truth since I’m not in the club.
I’m brought out of my thoughts by a vibrating sound and grab my new phone off the table. It still surprises me that the club got me a new phone and they won’t let me repay them for it. When I had asked why, Levi just looked me straight in the eyes and said, ‘It’s what we do when someone needs help. We don’t stand for violence against women and children. You’ve now got an even bigger family, Mary. One that will have your back, and your children’s, no matter what.’
However, judging by how her face changed and the way she had said ‘violence against women and children’, it makes me believe there’s more to Levi than she’s telling me. My earlier thoughts about how the club and Grandpa handle betrayers comes back to me, and I wonder if Levi, and maybe even Sasha too, handle things with any women that bring trouble to the club.
Another vibration brings me back to the present and I smile when I open my texts.
Mae: Just parked in the parking garage. Be up soon.
Levi: Just got some updated pictures from Timber’s crew. Here’s a look at your soon to be new home :)
Following Levi’s texts are a bunch of pictures of the condo. Yesterday Levi dropped another bombshell of a surprise in my lap. She mentioned that a few of Timber’s construction crews were working overtime to get a couple of condos finished at the compound. Apparently, the idea was brought up after Timber and Mae came back from visiting the Junction Creek chapter. They have a couple of duplexes on their club grounds for guests or club members who have Old Ladies and families. The club agreed, and Timber put all of his crews toward building the first set of condos. They have plans to build a total of eight condos—two buildings of four condos each. As more of his men became available, he put them on this project in hopes of getting at least the first set’s shell done before winter hits. Right now, two condos are close to being finished.
Originally, the first condo was supposed to go to Drae, Lindsay, and Elvira until their house was finished. Levi told me that after hearing about me and my kids, Drae approached her and asked that the first available condo go to us instead of them. That they could continue living at the clubhouse until another one is ready.
Tears had sprung to my eyes, and they are now as I remember his offer. That they had given up their space so that my kids and I could settle in and have privacy while we heal. Something I couldn’t be more thankful for. I was originally worried about imposing on Mae and Timber’s newly wed bliss. Not to mention that with us there and filling each of their bedrooms, Mae and Timber wouldn’t be able to prepare the nursery for their triplets. Now with us getting a condo, we’ll stay with Mae and Timber for a few weeks while it’s being finished up and then move in.
Shaking my head slightly, I refocus on the pictures and feel my eyes widen when I see how nice it is. A gorgeous and spacious kitchen, hardwood floors, soft plush carpet in the bedrooms, enough rooms for each of my kids to have their own space, and I bite my lip to contain a groan when I see a soaker tub in the master bathroom. I haven’t been able to take a bath since I was kidnapped and I can’t wait to soak in one until the water cools and my fingers are all pruney.
“What’s got you biting that sexy lip, Siren?”
Looking up, I feel my cheeks heat in embarrassment and a second later, feel my teeth clamping down even harder on my lip. He reaches up and cups my cheek. His thumb caresses my lip before he slightly tugs and frees my lip before rubbing his thumb across my lip again. My breath hitches but I know that if we start kissing now, my kids will probably choose that moment to walk in and I’m not ready to explain why I’m kissing a man when I’m married to someone else. Well, trying to divorce him, but still.
“Levi sent me pictures of the condo and one of them was of a soaker tub. I realized I hadn’t been able to soak in a tub since before I was kidnapped.”
His eyes darken and he licks his lips. “Well, Siren, when your stitches heal, that’s the first thing you can do. I’ll wrap your leg to keep your cast from getting wet and you can soak as long as you want. I’ll take care of the kids so you can just relax and read or whatever. Your only focus will be on relaxing and nothing else. You deserve to take some time for yourself.”
I know someone else would probably think I’m a weirdo, but the fact that he’s saying I can take a simple pleasure and not have to worry about anything but my own relaxation sends my mind reeling. I’ve been ‘on’ twenty-four-seven for the last nine years. Not once was I able to take a moment’s relaxation for myself. Never. Tears prick my eyes and his calloused thumb brushes one away that escapes.
“What’s wrong, Siren? What is it?” His worried gaze makes my chest tighten even more.
Swallowing thickly, I blink back more tears. “Everything. What you’re doing for me and the kids. Protecting us. Finding us a place to stay. And then add on insisting I take a relaxing moment for myself while you take care of everything else. I…”
My throat tightens even more as my breath catches and more tears threaten to escape.
“Shhhh, Siren. It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
Immediately, I’m encased in his strong arms and he holds me as I fall apart. Just like in the past, a feeling of safety wraps around me while he holds me. The feeling unlocks something in me and tears cascade down my cheeks in a torrent. I ugly cry for everything that has happened. My πατ?ρα? (dad). The kidnapping. Family members betraying me. Stephan. The abuse and pain and injuries of the past nine years. The worry about what Stephan, Diego, and any others will do next. About Stephan fighting the restraining order and divorce. For if he tries to take my children away from me. All of that, I cry about as I cling to Luke’s shirt and cut.
I have no idea how long we sit like that, but when my tears finally start to fade, Luke pulls back slightly and kisses my forehead. A second later, a box of tissues, the soft kind, is placed in my lap and I gratefully blow my nose and dry my cheeks.
“I’m s—”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about letting your emotions out, Siren.” He stares me straight in the eye, and eventually, I nod. “I would much rather hold you as you let out your emotions and dry your tears than have you bottling everything up until it becomes too much. I will say it as many times as you need. That I am here for you and you can rely on me for things. I will be there to help balance and support whatever life brings us. That includes taking care of those three precious kids of yours. I’m all in, Siren. I would marry you the second after the divorce is finalized if I could.”
My breath hitches, and all I can do is nod as everything he said whirls around my mind. He seriously still wants me? Wants to marry me? Me? The woman who is broken? The woman who has a crazy psycho-abuser as a husband?
He hands me another tissue, and I take it, drying my cheeks and blowing my nose again.
“Are you ready for the hoard?”
It takes me a minute and then I glance up at the clock, realizing it’s been almost twenty minutes since Mae texted me. Luke must have asked her to wait to come in because of my breakdown. My cheeks heat again, but I nod.
He reaches into his cut and pulls out his phone, probably texting Mae. A second later, the door opens, and a smile breaks out at seeing my kids rush into the room.
“Mama! Mr. Patch!”
A chuckle escapes as Cassie flings herself into Luke’s, I mean Patch’s arms. Lord, that’s going to take some getting used to.
He kisses her temple and sits her on his hip. Isaiah gives him a fist bump and he and Ash give each other chin lifts. Ash is still watching Patch like a hawk, and I have to bite my lip to keep my smile from growing. Soft words bring me out of my thoughts and I realize I missed whatever Cassie had asked about.
“Yes, you can, Angel, but you have to be careful. Remember what I said about your mom’s injuries and all the wires?”
“Yes, and I promise to be careful, Mr. Patch.”
He gives her another kiss on her temple and then carefully sets her down on the bed on my left side. She scoots up closer and wraps her little arms around my neck. I breathe in her scent as I hug my baby girl and I have to bite my cheek to keep from crying again.
“Missed you, Angel.”
“We missed you, too, Mama. But guess what?” she asks as she pulls back, bouncing slightly on her heels. The sight has me smiling while my heart clenches at the same time. There isn’t a speck of the usual dark cloud hanging over her head. She’s happy and bubbly, without a care in the world—just like a four-year-old should be.
“What, Angel?”
“MaeMae and Timber let us build a cool pillow and blanket fort in their living room and we’ve had movie and popcorn nights every night! They even let us sleep in it. Timber’s also building a tree fort in his backyard and guess what? Guess what? We get to help!” she cries without waiting for my response.
Another chuckle escapes at her excitement and I look up to see Mae, Timber, Levi, Thor, and Dragon, all with soft smiles on their faces as they watch Cassie bounce on her heels.
“That sounds like quite the adventure that you had, Angel.”
We sit there for a few hours, the kids talking about what they’ve been doing the past couple of days. Mae and Levi fill me in on what’s going on at the clubhouse, about Levi’s bar and grill that she manages, and Mae telling me about some coursework she’s been doing while the guys quietly talk in the corner. Eventually, the kids go over to the little couch and watch a movie on a tablet that Mae gave them.
“What are you studying?” I ask her.
A light blush stains her cheeks. “I want to own and run my own daycare someday. What about you? Patch had mentioned you used to want to be a teacher before. Is that still what you want to do?”
I pause at her question. Once again, the simple choice of choosing what I want to do makes my brain stutter to a stop. For a moment, my anger rises. I should have always had this choice and many others. Why did this have to happen to me? To have my life and choices taken from me these past nine years by someone who thought they could fucking buy me. For my fucking family members to have the audacity to sell me to a monster. Taking a deep breath, I push those emotions away for now. I can unpack them later when I’m not surrounded by an audience.
Opening my eyes, I give a tight smile. “Yes, I still want to get my teaching degree and license. It will take a while to get it, but that’s still what I want to do.” However, as I say that, a part of me cringes but I bury that deep inside for now. What I really want to do is not going to be possible on my budget. I’ll just have to be happy doing it as a hobby.
“What grade do you want to teach?” Levi asks, and I gnaw on my lip as I think.
“Early childhood, so maybe preschool, kindergarten or even first grade.”
“Oh! When I get my center up and going, maybe you could come teach there!”
That gives me pause. From the little time we’ve spent together, I know I’ll get along great with Mae, but do I want to do that? To teach at a daycare versus in a school district? There might be more flexibility with working with Mae than in a school district. It might not be a bad idea.
“You don’t have to give an answer now, but I wanted to at least plant the bug for an option for you. Besides, at the rate Levi and I are going, half of the kids will probably be Steel Archangel babies,” she says with a chuckle that Levi and I join in on.
“That’s true,” Levi says as she rubs her stomach. “Plus, I think my men secretly want to keep me knocked up until our house is full,” she says, chuckling again.
Thor and Dragon must have heard her, because, damn, the heated look they give her makes even me want to fan my face.
“We can always build onto the house,” Thor says with a smirk.
Levi’s face heats as she curses and shakes her head. “What about you, Mary? I know you have three already, but do you want more kids?”
This time, it’s my face that heats and my gaze instantly goes to Patch. The longing in his eyes makes my face heat even more as desire curls in my belly. I want to rub my legs together for some friction, but I force them to stay still. There’s no way I’m doing that in front of all these people, not to mention with my kids in the room who, thankfully, are blissfully unaware of the conversation since they all have headphones on.
“Holy smoke on a snickerdoodle. That look has even me wanting to find a broom closet,” Mae says as she fans her face. Timber gives her a heated look to which she winks at him before her gaze returns to me. “So, I take it that’s a yes?” she asks with a saucy wink.
I can’t help it. A laugh bubbles out of me and soon the three of us are laughing so hard we have tears in our eyes.
“Yes, I’d like to have more. I hated being an only child, so I’ve always wanted a large family. Now, exactly how many more kids? That I don’t know. Time will tell on that one.”
As our laughter dies down, Patch rounds my bed and places a kiss at my temple before whispering huskily in my ear. “I’ll have as many kids with you as you want, Siren. You want a football team? I’ll make sure the house we build will fit them all.”
A shiver runs down my spine and when he pulls back slightly, I can’t help but stare into his green eyes that almost seem to dance with electricity. Wait. He said he’d build a house to fit how many kids I want? “Seriously?”
“As a heart attack, Siren.”
“Even though you know… about everything? You still want to be with me?”
“Like I said before, I’d marry you this instant if I could. I want you back by my side like we had originally planned on. As long as that’s still what you want.”
“It is,” I respond, my words barely above a whisper, and the blinding smile I get in return has my own smile forming again.
He turns back toward Levi and Mae before glancing toward my kids. “What are you ladies and kiddos hungry for? It’s almost lunchtime. We can have a Prospect go pick it up and bring it back.”
Relief flows through me. The hospital food here is definitely not my favorite, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to handle another bland and cold meal.
“MaeMae?” Isaiah’s hesitant voice comes from the corner of the room, and we all look over at him. Apparently, they had all taken off their headphones and I hope it was just recently and that they hadn’t heard any of our conversation. Isaiah hides slightly behind Ash when he realizes all of our attention is focused on him.
“What is it, Izzy?” I ask him, hoping to take his mind off the fact that every single adult gave him their attention as soon as he spoke up. Something that I know he’s never had in a positive way outside of me. Whenever Stephan’s focus was on him or the others, it was never in a good way.
His shy gaze flicks from Mae’s meets mine and I give him a slight nod in encouragement.
“Can we have the noodles again? Like last night?”
“Oh! Those were really good! What did you call it again, Mr. Timber?” Cassie asks as she perks up on the couch, bouncing a little. I’m not surprised to see that she’s full of energy. The only times I’ve seen her energy dim was whenever Stephan was around. Those times, she’d close herself off and become a shell of her bubbly self.
“Lo mein. It’s a Chinese dish,” he responds, and I can hear the smile in his voice. Turning toward him, he steps up behind Mae’s chair and rubs her slightly rounded stomach. “How about it, Mama? You and the babies up for some more Chinese?”
Mae hums as she tilts her head back and gives him a quick kiss. “Chinese sounds good, Babe. You know what I like, but if you could get some extra crab rangoons, that would be heavenly.”
He gives her another kiss. “You got it, Sunshine.”
I can hear Levi and her men murmuring quietly, but my focus is on Patch who is crouched low in front of the kids as he reads off the menu to them while Timber takes everyone’s orders.
My chest warms at seeing the kids so open with everyone, but especially with Patch. Even Ash is talking a bit more like his usual self. He’d only do that around me or people that he trusted in the past, which means he feels comfortable and safe around Patch.
A small weight releases off my shoulders at seeing them interact together. It gives me hope that what Patch said was true. That he wants a future with me and my children. Then I feel butterflies in my stomach when I remember his husky words about wanting more children with me. Something I’m very much looking forward to when the time is right.
It’s nearing four o’clock when Dr. Rodgers comes back in, and when she smiles, my gut tightens in anxiety. I hope I’m able to be released soon. I’ve always hated staying in hospitals, but at least this time, I had friends who kept me distracted for the duration of my stay. Mae and Levi gather the kids, saying they’ll be outside to give us privacy. Thor, Dragon, and Timber follow them out, and soon, it’s just Luke, the doctor, and me.
She checks my vitals and takes a peek at my stitches, nodding her head in what I think is approval.
“Okay, let’s slip off this sling and let’s run through your exercises to see how your shoulder is doing.”
Ten minutes later, Dr. Rodgers gives me a warm smile. “Congratulations, Mary. Everything looks like it’s healing correctly. I’d say you are good to be discharged. If any of your wounds become red or angry looking or start seeping, have Luke look at them if he’s available. If he’s not, then you need to get to a doctor to check for infection. Follow up with your doctor regarding your broken leg. I know Luke said you don’t currently have one, but that once you decide on a new one, you’ll sign the forms to have your information faxed over. Usually, I would expect you to be in a cast for six to eight weeks depending on how everything heals, but remember, that’s a guideline, not an absolute timetable. As soon as I leave, I’ll get your discharge paperwork going. Now, do you have any questions for me?”
Shaking my head, she continues.
“Okay, well, a nurse will be in shortly with your paperwork and information regarding aftercare with your stitches and your cast.” She steps forward and squeezes my calf. “I’m glad you’re out of that man’s clutches, and I know this one here will take good care of you.” She winks at me as she points to Luke, whose cheeks pinken slightly. “Take it easy and don’t push yourself too hard. Here is a prescription for some pain killers. I’m okay if you keep the same schedule—the pain killers at night and over the counter relief for during the day, just make sure they don’t overlap. If you’re in too much pain, your recovery won’t go as smoothly or as quickly. Let yourself heal; you hear me?”
Nodding, I give her a genuine smile. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. We’ll get you unhooked from everything, and then you can get dressed. I’m sure the nurse will be in soon with your paperwork.”
Excitement flows through me to finally be getting out of here. To be able to breathe fresh air and to snuggle my babies.