Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Tyler
“I'm guessing things with Delaney didn't go too well,” Maddox grunts, leaning over the rail of the fence between the two of us.
“You could say that,” I grumble, thrusting the shovel forward to scoop up more of the shit in the paddock where he typically teaches Dylan his riding lesson next to the barn.
Usually, this is a job one of the other hands will do, but it’s one I’m doing—anything to keep my mind off what’s going through it right now.
Pregnant.
Delaney is pregnant and carrying twins. Fuck!
It’s like history is repeating itself all over again. Only this time, the woman isn’t telling me that she’s getting an abortion or any of that shit. She’s telling me because she figures I should know.
Gritting my teeth, I glare at the shit on the shovel. Why didn’t I just grab the pitchfork like I typically would? Right. Because my head’s a fucked up mess at the moment.
"You just gonna keep shoveling shit or you want to talk about it?"
"What’s there to talk about?” There’s no way I’m talking about this right now. Not when I’m trying to process how much I’ve screwed up once again.
"Right, well, good talk, man."
The sound of rocks crunching causes us both to turn our heads, and we see Della rushing toward her car.
"Where's the fire?"' Maddox calls out to her.
“Shadow called,” she shouts. “They’re at the ER. Mammon’s sister was attacked in her home just a bit ago. I’m going to check on her.”
Della’s words cause my blood to roar in my ears. My gut to twist into knots, and my vision to get hazy.
Delaney was attacked? Some son of a bitch hurt her?
My body moves before I can think better of it. I toss the shovel in the wheelbarrow and head for the fence, climbing over it to the other side. I can hear Maddox talking to me, but I don’t hear the words. My thoughts are getting to the ER and finding out for myself that Delaney is going to be okay.
I’m in my truck and flying down the lane before I realize what I’m doing. If I had just simply kept myself in check, talked this out like a reasonable adult, she wouldn’t have been attacked. She would still be here at the ranch instead of being at the hospital right now. Fuck me.
This is nothing more than a fucked up shitshow.
The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever, though I knew I made it there in record time. It’s good that none of the deputies were out running radar on the roads I took, or they’d be arresting me outside the ER doors. I wasn’t stopping for shit.
I find a parking spot, yank the gear control into park, and throw my door open. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing rushing here, but I can’t let Delaney be alone. Not even knowing her brother is with her. It’s my kids she’s got inside her.
What if she miscarries? The thought has my steps faltering.
I shove the idea of it away. I just need to see for myself.
Inside the waiting room, I spot Shadow and others sitting. I jerk my chin in their direction, but head for the nurses’ station.
“Can I help you?”
“Delaney Knox.” That’s all I say.
“Are you family?”
I’m not, but I don’t give a damn, and I intend on getting to the back. “She’s pregnant, and I’m the father,” I tell her quickly, not giving the first fuck that anyone can hear me. I was getting back there. I didn’t care how that had to happen.
The nurse gives me a visitor’s pass and opens the door for me without further questioning. She must have seen I would not take no for an answer in order to get to Delaney.
“She’s in a private cubicle, third on the left.”
“Thank you.” I nod curtly to the nurse and stalk through the open doors, following her directions.
I knock once while opening the door to Delaney’s room, and step through the partially closed curtain, hiding her from the small window on the door.
Upon first look, guilt slams inside me. Delaney took a hell of a beating. Her neck and face were black and blue. Her lip was busted, and she had a cut on her cheek that would leave a scar for sure.
“What are you doing here?” Mammon asks as I stare at the woman who doesn’t even look me in the eye.
“You okay?” I ask, ignoring him. I swallow the rage down as I take her in further, watching closely. Whoever hurt her needs to have their ass handed to them for this. She could very well have a broken nose from the looks of it. “The babies?”
“You’re the motherfucker who knocked my sister up?” Mammon demands, getting to his feet.
“I’m okay, Tyler. How did you find out?”
I move to her side, the one opposite Mammon, and plant my ass down in the chair next to her. “I’m sorry for being a total dick toward you earlier. You didn’t deserve that shit. I shouldn’t have sent you away. If I hadn’t, this wouldn’t have happened. It’s my fault.”
“It’s not your fault,” Delaney whispers. “You have every right to react however you need to.”
“Still doesn’t make it right,” I grunt, shaking my head.
“I just told you I was pregnant, Tyler, I wasn’t expecting you to be happy-go-lucky about it.” Delaney sighs, closes her eyes, and leans her head back.
“What the fuck, man? You went and knocked my sister up and threw her way like trash,” Mammon growls.
“Dustin, please.” The whispered words cause the man to sit back down, though he shoots me a glare. “I told you, big brother, that it isn’t your business. Besides, that’s not how it happened.”
“He—”
“Did nothing I didn’t want him to do,” she interrupts him, making her brother cringe in the process.
“We’re not going to talk about what he did or didn’t do,” Mammon grumbles and looks back at me. “You might be the father of her twins, but if you think you’re going to hurt my sister in any way?—”
“Mammon, you and I have known each other a long damn time,” I tell him.
“I might seem like a simple country boy to you, but I assure you, I’m not.
” I’m not going to take his threats sitting down, and I sure as fuck am not going to be intimidated by him.
Not when his sister is carrying part of me inside her.
“I might know that shit, but it doesn’t mean I want you with my sister,” he says, jaw clenched, eyes dark and menacing.
“We’re not together,” Delaney snaps. “It was one time, and the condom broke.”
Mammon winces. “I don’t need to know the damn details.”
“Well, stop it then.” Her voice turns raspy the more she talks.
Mammon points a finger at me and glares. “You hurt her, and I’ll fuck you up. I won’t end you like I should ‘cause you got Dash, and no kid should be without their only parent, but I will make you hurt as much as possible.”
“Seriously, Dustin?” Delaney utters, eyes darting between the two of us.
“You both can stop it right now. I’m a big girl and can make my own decisions.
I don’t need my big brother fighting my battles for me when I can speak for myself.
” She looks directly at me. “Nor do I need you here just because I’m pregnant. ”
“Maybe not, but I’m here regardless.” I hold her gaze intently. “Those are my kids as well.”
“She’s got her family.” Mammon grunts.
“She’s also got me,” I state firmly, not backing down.
Delaney opens her mouth to speak when a knock comes at the door, and a doctor steps inside, wheeling a cart in front of her. “Hey there, Delaney.” She smiles in our direction. “You have quite the company with you today. Two very handsome men.”
“Hey, Doctor McAlister. I didn’t know they were going to call you down here. This is my brother and . . .”
“The father,” I finish for her.
“Well, good to meet you both, though I’d prefer better circumstances for meeting anyone.
” She nods to both of us and turns her attention to Delaney.
“The ER called up to my office to notify me of one of my patients being here. I have it noted in your chart as such due to your pregnancy. Now, while we wait for the lab work to come back in, we’re going to do an ultrasound.
No reason to sit around waiting for those before doing anything else.
I want to make sure everything in there is as it should be.
You’re not experiencing any cramping or bleeding, are you? ”
“No, but I did hit my side on the edge of my couch when I was attacked, but mostly he stuck to my face and throat as you can see.”
“I hope they get the asshole who did this to you.” Dr. McAlister’s words are said with such venom in them.
“Thank you,” Delaney says, giving a small smile to the doctor. I’m guessing from the look of her, she hasn’t really reported it to the police, though they have been notified with her coming in here looking the way she does. The hospital is required to report any attacks and abuse of any kind.
“Well, let’s see about easing your mind and get a good look at those babies. Gentlemen, I’ll need you to step behind the curtain while we do this, if you don’t mind. We’re going to have to do a vaginal ultrasound.”
“Yeah, I don’t need to witness that shit,” Mammon grumbles.
He gets up to do as the doctor asks, whereas I don’t. “I’m staying right here,” I inform them all.
Dr. McAlister glances at Delaney and asks, “Are you okay with him staying?”
“He can stay,” she says, nodding, not looking at me.
I reach for her hand without thinking and give it a gentle squeeze.
I know I hurt her, and she could easily have kicked my ass out of here, not allowed me to be here for this, but I sense she needs someone in here at her side right now.
Since I refuse to go, it’ll be me, and she’ll have to get over it.
I won’t think otherwise. I might not know Delaney, but I’m good at sensing the worst in people, and I don’t think this woman has a bad bone in her body.
If there’s one thing I can believe about her, it’s that she’s not vindictive.
She wouldn’t have been after anything from me. She came to me of her own accord.
But what if she’s claiming they're mine and they’re not?
No.
One look at her, and I know I can trust that she wouldn’t try to play games.
“Alrighty,” Dr. McAlister says, moving the machine around so we can all see the screen while she lifts the sheets on the side and slides the probe inside Delaney’s . . . I cringe at the sight of it going under the gown.
The doctor presses some buttons on the machine, and instantly, a whooshing noise fills the room. “That right there is a good sign, Delaney. Heartbeats are strong and steady.”
My heart clenches in my chest at the sound. Calming something inside me, like the sound alone could ease all my worries.
Staring at the screen, the doctor scans both fetuses and goes over things that I never knew they spoke of.
When my ex was pregnant with Dash, she refused to let me go to most of the appointments with her.
Not that I had a lot of time to be able to take off, but I would have gone.
The only one I went to was when we found out she was having a boy.
“Now, I want you to keep your appointment with my office. However, if anything changes, you need to call immediately.” The doctor finishes the exam and removes the probe wand.
“Thank you, Doctor McAlister,” Delaney breathes, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“You need to take it easy for the next couple of weeks. I know you have students that need you at school, but I’m going to have to ask you to rest and heal before you return to the classroom.”
“She’ll be sure to rest up,” Mammon grunts, rejoining us as the doctor replaces the blanket over Delaney’s legs.
“I don’t want to upset the kids by looking like this,” Delaney mutters, letting go of my hand and motioning to her face. “It’ll give them nightmares.
“I doubt it’ll give them nightmares,” I tell her.
When the doctor excuses herself, saying she’ll try to check on Delaney before she gets discharged, we’re left alone once again with her brother glowering at me.
I didn’t care. All that matters is that Delaney and the twin will be okay. I just need to figure out what the hell we’re going to do about all of this. It’s clear she shouldn’t be alone right now, not while she’s healing.
Only one thing comes to mind, and that’s me moving her into my room at the house for the time being. It’s not ideal, but I’m not about to let history repeat itself.
“After you’re free and clear of this place, Laney, you want to stay at the clubhouse for a few days?” Mammon asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
“I can stay at home, Dustin. I don’t need to stay at the clubhouse.”
“You’re not going back there, Laney.”
So, she was at home when she was attacked.
“Where else am I going to stay?”
“You’ll stay with me,” I blurt out, a bit harsher than I should.
“Ugh, no,” she declines. “I’ll be fine at home. I don’t need to stay with you or my brother.”
“How about I move you into the old house?” Mammon offers. “Renters are out of it. It’s furnished, and you can stay there as long as you want. We’ll move everything over there for you.”
Delaney takes a moment to think it over. Fine, I’ll stay at the old house,” she agrees.
A part of me is relieved that she didn’t agree to stay at my place, but another part of me doesn’t want her out of my sight. I don’t get it, and right now I don’t want to. Neither of us knows each other well enough to even go down that path.