Chapter Twenty-Six Rose
I’m still laughing at the story that Brynley told us as the knock comes at the door.
I tell whoever it is to come in and my head lifts as I the person comes in.
Rage enters followed by an older version of himself that I have come to know is his father, Devil.
I had assumed they all went back to the clubhouse earlier when I asked him to leave and I didn’t expect him back tonight.
“What are you doing here?” My dad asks from the chair next to my bed.
“We came to talk to you all. Then we will get out of your hair.”
I notice that Reid has unlatched and I open the blanket looking down at the beautiful boy and see that he is done eating. So I adjust my top and bring him out of the blanket. I notice Devil is looking at him with a soft smile on his face.
“Would you like to hold him after I burp him?”
“Well, I can burp him if you want, while I hold him. I’m a pro.”
I look over at Rage and he laughs.
“Yeah, dad’s a real pro, his oldest is twenty nine and his youngest is two.”
My eyes widen at the thought of kids that are many years apart as Devil walks over to the bed to grab Reid from me.
“Not all of them have the same mamas. I made some poor choices when I was younger and some women that did not share they were pregnant with me. My three oldest are twenty nine, Rage here is twenty seven and then Trevor is nineteen. The next child I have with my wife is twelve.
So they have a seven year age gap. So it is crazy, but there is definitely a break in there. But I promise, sweetheart, I do know what I’m doing.”
I nod my head and hand Reid over to Devil.
I watch as he places the baby up on his shoulder and begins to pat him on the back to burp him.
Reid looks so tiny in this man’s arms. He is a little bigger than my dad, but not much.
It just is a much different sight seeing the father of your baby daddy holding your son for the first time.
“Okay now that we got your family tree, can you tell us what the hell you are doing here?”
“We wanted to let you know that there is a situation. We’ve got a couple of club girls running around and they seem to be a couple who are working with your stalker based on the photos that you received earlier today.
Our tech is working on their phones to see if we can find anything that will help us figure out who is stalking you. Until we find them though, we are keeping some brothers here at the hospital and at your home to make sure you are protected.
We just wanted to give you a heads up that they will be here, they will be following you home to make sure you guys are all okay.”
“And if I say no.”
Before anyone can answer, Brynley chimes in.
“Come on, Rose. Do not be like that. You need to think of not only your safety, but also Reid’s safety. If Rage wants to help look out for you both it is his right. He is the father of your baby whether you like it or not. I know situations suck right now,
but I really think it is important for you to have them there.”
“Yeah, well I feel like it is important to have my freedom too and I don’t think by having fucking shadows all the time I will have that.”
Rage steps forward, “They are not there to monitor what you do, they are not going to report anything back to me. They are just there in case something happens. They are there to make sure you are safe and protected.
I would never expect them to give me information about where you go or who you are with. Unless you're in danger. You are not being chained or kept from doing anything. I just want you both safe.”
He glances at Reid before returning his eyes back to mine.
“I think it is a good idea, Rose. I talked to your Uncle Declan and some of the guards he brought with him are going to be staying close too, but I would feel better if you had the extra protection.
If something happens at least there is a club of men that is close by that can get to you quicker than we can. Unless you want me and some of your brothers to stay until this son of a bitch is caught.”
I sigh and I’m not going to lie. I am extremely annoyed.
“Fine. I will do this for Reid. But I’m telling you, you have nothing to worry about. I don’t know why those bitches would come here or after me for that matter.”
“Because, darlin’, you are the mother of Rage’s baby.” Devil says.
“Exactly, that is all I am.”
“That might be how you feel, but I can assure you, sweetheart. My son feels differently.”
I scoff and look back at Rage, “Is there anything else? Because honestly having to deal with more drama from your whores feels like too much for someone who told you that all we are to each other are coparents. I mean I told you that forever ago.
Now we are here and you’re worried about them coming after me. Which ones are they?”
“Sin and Ash.”
“Lovely. I’m really surprised it isn’t Kitty. That bitch has been a nightmare since the first time you brought me to the clubhouse. Should’ve been a red flag, but my ass is too stupid.”
No sooner than the words are out of my mouth and Rage is up next to my bed putting his hand on my chin and forcing me to look at him.
“No, you are not stupid. Do not ever put yourself down because of things I did. Those are my stupid fucking mistakes to take responsibility for. You trusted me with something precious and baby, I took advantage. I fucked up. I know.
I regret everything I said and the things I think I did when I was drunk. But that does not make any of it better. I regret how I went about things, I regret hurting you, but I could never regret you because without you there would be a part of me that still is in that dark space in my head.
I would still be angry and so full of fucking Rage I don’t know what to do with it. You made me look at myself differently and that scared me. I do not want you to put my mistakes on your shoulders. You are not stupid for giving me your trust. I am stupid for being the idiot to break it.
I have so much more to say, but I think today has been a lot. I’m going to leave after I say goodbye to our son. You are going to text me your address so Mason and I can move into the guesthouse. I love you, Rose. More than I can even say.”
My breathing is coming out fast and I can’t even comprehend everything he is saying.
He’s said he loves me before, but that, everything else, he’s never said that.
The part of my heart that is stupidly not closed off from this man flutters with hope.
Hope, that he is the man I thought he was.
But I shut it down so fast that he can’t see it before he leans up and places a kiss on my forehead.
He lingers there for a moment with his lips pressed against my head that I feel like he is never going to let go.
But he finally steps back and walks to his dad, taking Reid from his arms.
“Alright my little man, I’m going to go. You be good for your mama okay? I love you, buddy. So so much.”
I watch as he kisses Reid’s head and walks him back to me.
He hands Reid to me, his hand lingering where mine is touching the baby.
He makes eye contact with me as if he is trying to communicate so much more with that look than I know what to do with.
He doesn’t say anything else before he turns and heads out the door.
“Well I’ll be damned.” My dad says next to me.
I look over at him and give him a curious look.
“What?”
My dad looks back at me from the door and says, “That boy does love you. I think he just realized it too late.”
I scoff, “Can we please stop talking about how much that man ‘loves’ me?” I say putting the word love in quotations. “I do not need to hear it. I don’t care if he has made himself think he loves me. I’m never going to believe it and honestly, stop. I wish that you guys would just stay on my side.”
My dad stands up and grabs Reid from my hands before walking him to his bassinet to sleep. I hadn’t even noticed that Devil had put the boy to sleep when he was holding him.
“I am always on your side, Rose. But sometimes we men are not perfect, you’ve made that clear with all your ‘I hate men’ bullshit over the past few months. But you know what,
sometimes we do realize it and we know that we have to grovel to make the woman we love know that we are aware of our shortcomings.”
“Yeah, well you never messed up with mom.”
“That’s where you are wrong sweet girl. I have messed up with your mom, many times. Maybe never to an extreme of cheating, but I have done my fair share of things that made me afraid I was going to lose her. Just because you don’t remember it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Now, I love you.
Get some sleep. I’ll let Brynley and Abby hang out with you and I’m going to see if I can convince your brothers and mother to go to a hotel to get some sleep.”
“Okay, daddy. Thank you.”
He walks over and places a kiss on my head before he too follows behind Rage.
“What a fucking mess? Can you believe it has only been a day? I feel like I’ve lived two lifetimes with everything that has happened today.” I say looking at my two friends in the room.
“Yeah, I mean who would’ve thought today would be so crazy?”
I go to answer but there is another knock at the door and before I can say anything a head pops in. Someone I don’t recognize, but he immediately looks at Brynley.
“Can I borrow you for a minute?”
“Sure.”
I look between Brynley and this brother with wide eyes. Brynley just smirks at me as she heads out of the room. I look over at Abby.
“Who the hell was that?”
“My guess? That is probably Riot.”
“Riot? What the fuck? When the hell did we get a Riot? Also why haven’t I been informed about Brynley’s love interest?”
“It’s her business, Rose. I don’t know.”
“I swear you guys are just not fair with your love drama. I need something that is going to entertain me now that I am against men.”
Abby laughs and then looks at me, “You’re not against men and I bet you that it will be no time at all before that man works his way back into your heart. Everything I’ve heard about bikers they fuck up and they fuck up hard, but they always come back harder.
I’ve already seen a lot of change in Rage. But my question is, if you find out he really didn’t sleep with those girls, would that change things for you?”
I sigh, “I don’t know, Rose. I mean in a way, yes. I would be more open to trusting him, but he said a lot of fucked up things. Can we not talk about this right now? I want to talk about who Riot is. Also I want to know the name of your mystery biker.
I know you told me you weren’t ready to talk about it, but do I get a name? I mean obviously I do not know every brother in this club.”
I say as I wave my hand towards the door that Brynley and Riot walked out of.
“Fine, his name is Wrecker. He’s older and honestly there is a whole bunch of drama surrounding him. That is all I’m going to say.”
“How much older?”
“He’s thirty five, okay?”
“That’s fine for now. But you know as I said before, I am always here to talk if you need to. I don’t want you to think you can’t because of my fucking drama.”
She nods her head. “Get some sleep. I’ll keep an eye on my little man for now.”
I nod and lay my head back hoping that I don’t dream of the one man I wish I didn’t love.