Blue Lines: The Assassins Series: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance (42 page)

Erik moved from his parents and through the circle of family that surrounded Piper.
Her face was showing her pain, sweat dripping from her brow.

Taking her hand in his, he kissed her knuckles before saying, “It’s okay, baby, it’s
okay.”

“Ah, it fucking hurts!”

“That’s childbirth,” Harper said with a laugh.

Erik swore it was like he was in the movie
The Exorcist
. Piper whipped her head around and almost came off the bed, shaking her fist at Harper.

“Shut the hell up!” she yelled as she leaned her head back.

“Ha-ha, she’s gonna kick your ass,” Reese said as she ran her hand up and down Piper’s
other hand. “It’s okay, sis, you got this,” she said reassuringly as she smiled down
at Piper.

“This sucks. I feel like a crazy person,” Piper cried as she squeezed Erik’s hand.

A nurse came in at that moment. Going to the end of the bed, she looked up from her
chart and over at Piper.

“All these people can’t be in here, honey; you are too close to delivery,” she informed
them.

Cooper threw his hands up. “Well that’s my cue to make my exit,” he said, coming toward
the bed to kiss Piper before patting Erik on the back. “I’m proud of both of you,
and I can’t wait to see this little guy. Good luck. You can do this, Piper.”

Piper managed a smile as Alla kissed her on the temple, and whispered something in
her ear. Leaning across the bed, she kissed Erik’s cheek and smiled as she said, “Good
luck. Keep her safe.”

“I will, Mom, thanks.”

Piper’s dad, Blake, held Erik’s shoulder before kissing Piper’s forehead. “Next time
I see you, you’ll be a mommy. I don’t think you realize how proud of you I am.”

Piper cringed in discomfort but nodded. “Dad, tell me that later; my vagina is dying
here.”

Erik chuckled as he rested his forehead against her temple but she pushed him away.
“Don’t touch me right now, please.”

He knew not to let that hurt his feelings, but it still stung a little. Letting out
a long breath, he nodded and backed off only to have her pulling him back to her as
she screamed out in pain. He hated not being able to take away the pain. He didn’t
doubt that she had the strength to get through it; he just wished she didn’t have
to.

“But she can have two people, right?” Harper asked.

Erik looked up. He thought they had all left, but he found that Harper, Rowan, and
Reese were all still standing there with worry and confusion on their faces. The nurse
turned to Harper and said, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay, so me and Mom, right?” Harper asked, turning to look at Piper.

Erik’s mouth dropped as he glared at Harper. Surely she wasn’t that stupid.

“Huh?” Piper asked, squeezing his hand as she took in deep breaths.

“Me and Mom for the birth.”

“Um, Erik is the dad, Harper,” Reese said, shaking her head. “And I’m her twin, so
if anyone’s going to be in here, it’s me and him.”

“I gave birth to her! I know what I’m doing,” Rowan protested.

“And I’ve given birth, so we should be here,” Harper said with a shake of her head.

It all seemed so unreal and Erik was about to go apeshit on Harper when Piper turned
into the Linda Blair character again and screamed, “I only want Erik!”

“But y’all aren’t even together!” Harper complained.

Erik had never wanted to kill his sister-in-law before. He loved Harper, but if looks
could kill, Harper would have been dead. Erik watched as Rowan’s brow came together
and she turned to look at them.

“What?”

“It doesn’t fucking matter because he is here now. He is the father, get the hell
out!” Piper yelled before dragging her hands down her face. “Please, I can’t deal
with you people right now!”

“Oh, Piper,” Rowan said in a way Erik knew bothered Piper.

Piper looked up at the ceiling and let out a long breath before turning to her mother.
“If you want to ever see me or your grandson after I am done birthing him, you better
leave right now.”

“You don’t mean that,” Harper said. “Stop being a bitch.”

“Do you want to die?” Piper asked, cutting a glare at her.

“Okay, I think we need to go,” Reese said, looking over at Erik. “I think he’s got
this.”

“I do. I promise,” Erik said sternly before looking down at Piper. “We got this.”

Piper looked at him hopefully before closing her eyes, tears snaking down the side
of her face.

“Whatever,” Harper said, turning to leave.

Reese rolled her eyes before leaning close to Piper. “I know you probably don’t care
why she is acting like a bitch, but you know it’s because she is jealous. Don’t hold
it against her, okay?”

Piper closed her eyes, nodding her head.

Reese smiled as she looked up at Erik. “I trust you.”

Erik nodded. “I won’t leave her side.”

Kissing Piper on her cheek, Reese said, “I love you, sis, good luck.”

“Love you,” Piper strained out as she cringed in pain.

“Can you call Elli for me?” Erik asked.

Reese nodded as Rowan leaned over the bed, kissing Piper’s cheek. “I love you, baby
girl, you can do this. I know it hurts but the Allen women are strong. I am so proud
of you.”

Piper opened her eyes. “You are?”

Rowan smiled. “My goodness, baby, you act so surprised.”

Piper shook her head as she leaned back into the bed, closing her eyes again. “I love
you too, Mom,” she said softly. Rowan gave Erik a strained smile before she turned
to leave with Reese. Once the door was closed, Erik moved in close, bringing his nose
up to her jaw.

“It’s just you and me now, babe,” he said softly.

“And the pain,” she muttered.

“Yeah, but soon our baby will be here.”

She nodded. “Believe me, that’s the only reason I haven’t tried to kill myself yet.”

Erik chuckled, moving his hand up and down her stomach.

“God, my back hurts so fucking bad.”

“Well sit up, I’ll rub it,” Erik said, sitting up so she could do the same. Helping
her up, he moved his thumbs along the middle of her back as her head fell forward.

“It hurts so bad … so bad.”

“Okay, what do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know, Erik; we really should have kept going to those classes,” she cried
before looking back at him. “I wish you’d never left.”

Looking up into her eyes, he nodded. “Me, too.”

She turned, letting her head fall as she whispered, “I just want the pain to go away.”

Erik felt helpless and guilty while he tried to soothe her pain with his backrub.
Maybe Harper and Rowan should have stayed with her instead of him. They knew what
they were doing; he sure as hell didn’t. Leaning his head against her hot, sweaty
back, he asked,

“Sweetheart, do you want me to go get your mom and Harper?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I want you and you only,” she said before she yelled out, tensing up as she
went through another contraction. He felt bad, but he couldn’t help feeling elated
that she wanted him. When the door opened, Erik saw the nurse walk in.

“I brought ice chips and towels,” she informed them as she laid them within reach.
“I think Dr. Richards will be here in a minute.”

“Okay,” Erik said.

“How are you doing, momma?”

Piper shook her head. “My back is killing me.”

“Okay, any pressure in your butt?”

Piper shrugged her shoulders. “Sort of, but it’s mostly pain.”

“Poor thing; do you feel like you need to push?”

Piper shook her head. “No.”

“Okay, well, you let us know if you do, okay?” the nurse said with a grin. She patted
Piper’s knee and then went to the machine that was beside the bed. Erik wiped the
wet cloths along Piper’s face to clean off all her makeup. He smiled as he piled up
her hair on top of her head before wiping her jaw and neck.

“I look like poo, huh?”

Erik shook his head. “No,” he said softly as he leaned over to get the ice chips.
He popped one in her mouth and said, “I was just thinking that you are the most beautiful
woman I’ve ever seen.”

She smiled a true happy smile before smacking his chest. “You’re such a liar.”

He took her hand in his, kissing her palm before shaking his head. “I’d never lie
about that.”

Looking deep in his eyes she said, “Kiss the hell out of me, please.”

Erik didn’t even think, he just leaned forward, pressing his lips to her cold ones.
He missed her lips so much. He wished the kiss would have lasted longer, but the next
thing he knew, Piper was almost choking him as she screamed against his mouth.

“For the love of God, I swear I’m dying!”

“You’re not dying,” another voice said.

Erik looked over his shoulder to see the doctor putting a glove on. He smiled as he
came over to the bed, running his hand down Piper’s back.

“I hear your back hurts,” he said looking her over.

“Yes, very much so,” she cried as she leaned her head against Erik’s collarbone while
she dug her fingers into the backs of his arms. He was going to have bruises the next
day but he figured that since she was giving birth to his kid, it was a fair trade.

“Well, let’s see where this little guy is. Can you lie down for me please?”

Letting him go, she slowly lay back as harsh, uneven breaths left her body. Erik watched
as the doctor moved between her legs and then smiled before looking up at Piper. “You’re
almost there. Dilated to nine and ninety percent.”

“Oh God,” she muttered as she covered her face. “Everything hurts: my back, my cooter,
my ass, everything.”

“I know, not much longer. You are moving quickly,” he said with a grin, then walked
out.

Looking down at Piper, Erik took her hand in his, kissing her knuckles as her body
started to tense up. She needed a distraction. She was about to start freaking out,
he could feel it and see it. Her whole body was red, sweaty, and trembling. He knew
he needed to do something.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and went to his app store.

“Erik, please don’t take pictures of me.”

“I’m not.”

“What are you doing then?” she asked, looking down at him.

He looked up and smiled, not answering her question because he wanted it to be a surprise.
Looking back down at his phone, he took her hand and started to read
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
out loud for her. When she squeezed his hand, he looked up to see her looking at
him with appreciation in her eyes.

“You are amazing,” she said softly.

“So are you,” he answered before looking back down at his phone. He didn’t get through
two pages before she started screaming again. He tried to read through it, hoping
that it would calm her, but she started to pull at his hand and when he looked up
at her, she was reaching for him.

“Hold me,” she cried, pulling him toward her. He quickly tucked his phone in his pocket.
As he wrapped his arms around her torso, she buried her face in his neck and dug her
nails into his back. She was breathing deeply.

“I think I need to push.”

“What?” he asked, pulling back to see her face.

She nodded. “Yup, I need to push.”

Letting him go, she lay back while Erik started to slam his hand against the call
button. When the nurse came on the line, Erik said, “She wants to push!”

Looking down at Piper, he saw her squirming in the bed as she tried to grip something.
When she reached up and took his hand, she pulled him down, resting her forehead against
his. People were moving around them, but Erik couldn’t see them or what they were
doing because of the position she had him in.

“Yeah, she is ready,” Erik heard the doctor say before Piper started to slam her fist
against his back.

“Ah, fire, fire, I feel fire!” she yelled as she continued to beat him in the back.

“Piper, I need you to pull your legs up, honey; your baby is coming.”

Releasing Erik, Piper cried out as a nurse positioned Erik to hold one leg. Piper’s
hand came up on his biceps as her other held the back of her thigh.

“All right, Piper, here comes a contraction, let’s push, ready, and one,” the doctor
said, and everyone including Erik counted with him as Piper pushed her heart out.
Erik knew this because he was pretty sure she was ripping his biceps off.

“Wow, Piper, you aren’t playing around,” the doctor said. “Great push. Take a breath
and get ready for the next one.”

Erik looked back at Piper and could tell she was worn-out but when her eyes met his,
he could see the fight in them. She wasn’t giving up.

With a smile on his face, he whispered, “You are so beautiful, and the strongest woman
I know.”

Her eyes were full of tears as she slowly nodded.

“All right, Piper, let’s go again,” Dr. Richards said and Piper bore down, screaming
out as everyone counted together. “There we go, give me your hand, baby.”

Piper let go of her thigh, giving the doctor her hand as he said, “That’s your baby;
one more push, come on.”

Making the mistake of looking between Piper’s thighs, Erik let out a sound of distress
before looking back at her face.

“He’s right there.”

She nodded, closing her eyes as she pulled in a lungful of air.

“Ready, here we go, and one,” Dr. Richards said, and before Erik and everyone else
got to seven, a gurgling noise filled the room. Erik’s heart was racing but he swore
it stopped when they placed a bloody, screaming mass on Piper’s belly. That damn itchy
feeling in his eyes went
nuts as tears gushed down his face and his eyes met the eyes of his son.

“It’s a boy!”

* * *

It felt like Piper was having an out-of-body experience.

Tears rushed from her face as she softy laid her hands on her screaming baby while
trying to breathe around her happy sobs.

She had done it.

He was here and he was perfect. Moving her fingers along his little head, she took
in every detail. Dark hair covered his head; his dark eyes were wide, looking right
at her as his face turned red from his screaming. It was like he was looking into
her soul as he shook from her sobs.