Chapter 9 #2
The pain in my face and upper body is excruciating, but I refuse to think about it, or the hit I took to my side.
The chances of me miscarrying are there.
It’s all highly possible to happen, and it scares me, so I’m not going there.
Not yet. Besides, for all I know, Philip could still be outside or down the road waiting to see what I’m going to do.
Grabbing my phone out of my bag, I brighten the screen to find a text message from Tyler.
I don’t bother looking at it. I can’t think of him right now.
The person I need at the moment isn’t him.
God knows what he’d think if he saw me like this.
I don’t need to see what I look like to know my face and throat are turning black and blue.
I feel the blood trickle down my nose, and my lip stings from where it’s busted.
Touching the icons and then the name I need, I put the phone on speaker, not even having the strength to hold my phone to my ear. My legs tremble beneath me as I lean against the wall and slide to the floor.
“Laney,” Dustin answers on the third ring.
“D-Dustin,” I croak his name. My throat feels like it's on fire just to speak, tears slide down my cheeks as I try to find my words.
“What’s wrong?” The alertness in his voice causes my defenses to crumble.
“I need you.”
“I’m on the way, Laney, but you gotta tell me, are you okay?”
“I am now,” I tell him.
“Alright, I’m heading your way. Be there soon.”
“Okay.” Thankfully, Dustin hangs up since I don’t have it in me to do myself. I close my eyes, lift my legs to my chest, and lean to the side, lying on the floor while the tears leak through my closed lids.
What did I ever do to have fate laugh at me the way it does?
There’s never a long period of time where it’s all sunshine and rainbows.
Something always happens, and it doesn’t just rain, it pours.
It’s the curse of my life. Deemed to lose everyone in my life, including the babies that I carry.
I have no doubt that this beating will end with me miscarrying, losing them both.
I don’t want that to happen. I pray it doesn’t. No matter what happens in the future, I want them both more than my next breath, and yet I could be losing them now because of a past mistake.
“What the fuck?” Dustin’s voice breaks through the haze and tears as he crouches down in front of me. His eyes roam over my body as he demands, “Who the fuck did this to you?”
Behind him, I see three other men I recognize from the clubhouse. Shadow, Phantom, and Shade. All three sporting murderous looks.
“Let’s get her up off the floor first, brother,” Shadow says.
“Yeah,” Dustin remarks, and scoops me into his arms. A whimper escapes as I try to fight, crying out in pain. “Shit, I’m sorry, Laney.”
“You need to get checked out,” Dustin remarks, setting me on the couch. “Where all are you hurt?”
“Everywhere,” I answer.
“Then we’re gonna go to the hospital. Make sure the twins are okay.”
I nod, knowing he’s right. I don’t want to answer all the questions people will throw my way there, but I have to know about my babies.
“You want to tell me who did this to you?” he asks again.
“Philip,” I utter the name before I can stop myself.
“Is he the father? Is this why you wouldn’t tell me?” he demands.
“God, no, he’s not the father,” I tell him.
“But he’s the one who did this to me. I went out with him a few times when I lived in Florida before moving home.
He showed up here about a week ago, telling me he moved here for me.
That was outside my school. Today he showed up at my door wanting to talk about us getting back together. ”
“Why would he do that? Guy has to fucked in the head to move hundreds of miles for a woman he went out with a few times,” Shade quips.
“I agree,” Shadow grunts. “What’s his last name?”
“Kippers,” I answer without meeting any of their gazes. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to bring drama. He did this because I refused him.”
“You didn’t do a damn thing to apologize for,” Shadow growls. “That motherfucker needs to be taught a lesson. We’ll deal with all of this after getting you to the hospital.”
“Come on, Laney, let’s get you to the ER and get checked out,” Dustin offers. His fingers brushing the hair from my face tenderly, the way he used to when I was still a kid and sick. “We’ll make sure you and the gremlins are safe and sound.”
“I’m scared,” I admit. “I don’t want to lose them.”
“That’s why we’re gonna get you checked out. See to it that everything is okay with them.”
Dustin scoops me back up into his arms, his brothers in front of us, heading for the door. “VP, can you grab her bag and keys? I’ll leave my bike here for now and take her truck.”
“I’ll grab it. Shade, grab her phone off the floor.”
“Got it, VP,” Shade grunts, waving my phone in his hand.
Dustin sets me on the passenger seat and cups my face. “We’re gonna make this right, little sister, I swear to you we will. This fucker is going to pay for what he’s done to you.”
I smile at him, no matter how small it is, and tell him, “I know, that’s why I called. My big brother has my back.”
“Damn right I do.” He grins and closes the door.
I watch as he rounds the hood while curling my arms around myself. Once he’s in the driver’s seat, I close my eyes and send a silent prayer that everything will be okay. That nothing will be wrong with the babies that I’m carrying. I can take the beating so long as they’re safe.