Owning Destiny (Forsaken Sinners MC Series Book 4) (20 page)

“Yes, ma’am,” is all he says before he takes off to prep Tyke.

One of the nurses is kind enough to follow me up to the sixth floor and show me where the spectating room is.

It seems like a long wait before I finally see them wheel Dani and Tyke into their separate rooms. It’s even more grueling to stand there and wait as they perform the surgeries.

I pace the spectating room and bite every single nail I have. I wish I could pull out my phone to call Michael and tell him what I know about Dani and that we found Tyke, but for one, you aren’t allowed to use cellphones in here, otherwise it would mess with the machines used to help keep Dani alive and two, I don’t even have my phone with me. I don’t know if it’s still in my car or lost somewhere, but that’s not a concern right now. Hopefully one of the men waiting downstairs will tell him at least about Tyke.

Two and a half hours later, my nerves are shot and I’m in desperate need of a coffee, but the surgery is over. I can’t be one hundred percent sure, but from where I was standing, everything went off without a hitch.

When I see the doctor that worked on Dani leave the room and a nurse starts to clean Dani up, I make my way outside to talk with him.

He takes his sweet ass fucking time removing his gloves and face mask, but as soon as he faces me, I demand to know what happened.

“How is she? What did you find? Is the baby okay?” I can’t help it, I ask one question after the other. My medical training is lost to me and I can’t be patient. This is personal and I need to know now.

“She’s going to be fine. The bullet entered through the front, but missed all vital organs. It was lodged in one of her ribs. We removed it and were able to find all the pieces of bone that were floating around,” he tells me.

“Was that the cause of the fluid and her collapsed lung?” I ask, finally getting a little bit of control now that I know she’s going to be just fine.

“Yes. When the bullet hit her ribs, it shattered her first and second rib and sent debris into her lungs. We were able to repair all the damage to her lung, so there shouldn’t be any lasting side effects.”

That’s a fucking relief. Things would become difficult and cumbersome if she’d have to deal with that.

“We fixed her ribs as much as we could, but unfortunately, the rest of the healing process for that, as you probably know, they’ll have to heal on their own. There’s not much more we can do for that,” he adds on.

That I do know. It sucks, but that is life. At least she’s alive and the baby is well. At least, last I knew he was.

“And the baby?” I ask, needing to know for sure.

“The baby is just fine. He’s perfect actually. Nothing hit him or any of the organs needed to sustain him,” he confirms with a smile.

“That’s fantastic news, thank you, Doctor,” I tell him as I shake his hand. “So what is the treatment or orders moving forward?”

“Well, she’ll be in the hospital for a few weeks so we can monitor her lungs and make sure her ribs don’t cause any further damage. After that, we’d suggest her being on bedrest so not to aggravate her injuries and so the pregnancy will go on without any problems. But other than that, there’s nothing. She’ll have a scar, but there’s no helping that unless she wants to talk to a plastic surgeon. She can discuss that with her family.”

Nodding, I thank him again and wait for the doctor who worked on Tyke to come out, which isn’t long.

“How is he?” I ask, worn from all the adrenalin and worry from everything that’s happened.

“He’s going to be just fine. He has a few fractured bones in his legs, one broken arm, he’s severely dehydrated, but those we can treat and he’ll heal. What has us worried is the fluid in his brain. We’ve placed a drainage tube to help relieve the pressure and we’ll do another MRI in a few days. We’ve set the bones and are going to keep an eye on his head, but other than that, he’s going to be just fine.”

It concerns me that his head has fluid in it but I know that they’re doing everything they can. The rest is up to Tyke, but if he can survive a beating like that and make his way to the road where someone could find him, I know he’ll be just fine.

“Thank you, Doctor,” I say and shake his hand.

Heading down to the waiting area, I’m surprised to see all of the men there waiting not so patiently.

Blaze is burning a hole in the carpet with his pacing and Michael isn’t much better.

When they see me coming, they rush out of the room, but I pull them back in and close the door.

“How is she? Is the baby okay? What took so fucking long?” Blaze questions and I have to laugh inside because this is probably exactly what I looked like a few minutes ago.

But I don’t make him wait. I tell them what the doctor told me and what will happen now. They are all relieved that she and the baby are fine and that there will be no lasting side effects.

Blaze takes off to see her in the recovery room and Michael looks at me like he’s waiting for more.

“I heard you found Tyke. How’s he doing?” he asks.

I tell him everything the doctor did and what the concerns are now, but that I think he’ll make a full recovery. I may be counting my ducks before they hatch, but I have a good feeling I’m right.

Michael hugs me close and then takes me by the hand to lead me outside.

“Where are we going?” I ask, wanting to stay close to check in on Dani after she wakes up.

“Not far. I just want to talk to you in private,” is all he says as he pulls me outside to an area where there aren’t a lot of people. Actually, there aren’t a lot of people out here anyway, but I guess he wants to be sure we have our privacy. I just don’t know what for.

Finally, he feels we’ve gone far enough and he stops. Pulling me into his arms, he hugs me like his life depends on it. I hug him back though, not wanting to let him go. Everything that happened tonight was scary, but I’m so happy we made it out the other side.

“I finished it. You don’t have to worry about your brother or that scumbag president ever again,” he says without letting me go.

I stiffen at first at the mention of my brother and Gutter, but then his words sink in and it doesn’t matter to me that he means they’re dead. I’m actually glad they are. The world will be a better place without them.

“Thank you, Michael. For everything. You came after me and saved me when you didn’t have to. After everything I did, led you to believe, you still saved me. And not once, but over and over again. Not just from my brother, but from myself too. I was destined to live a life alone and on the run, but then you came along,” I say, tears filling my eyes. “I never thought that destiny would have a new hand in store for me, but she did. And it’s the best fucking hand anyone could ask for. You’re my ace of hearts, Michael, and I love you so much.”

Pulling back, he looks at me with a smile. “Baby, I learned a long time ago that our life isn’t up to destiny or anyone else but ourselves and the people we keep in our lives. When my father was killed by a biker, I hated them.” I gasp in shock at this tidbit of information because this must be the story he told me he’d tell me. “See, I told you. I was once like you,” he says with a smile and then kisses me on the forehead.

“Anyway, when my father was killed, I hated all bikers, thinking them all the same. But then I met a man who was the exact opposite. He was actually a police officer who was also the president of a motorcycle club. He taught me that all bikers aren’t bad and that in order to change the way people think, you have to own up to what you fear or hate and be the exact opposite. So instead of steering clear of all bikers, I became one. I know I may be considered a bad guy because I’ve done some pretty bad things to some really bad people, but I am what I am, and in my heart, I know I’m not like the man that killed my father. I took what destiny gave me and I owned that shit. I didn’t let it stop me or sway me. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that you saved yourself when you got away from you brother. It wasn’t your fault he kept coming back. You just didn’t have a way to get rid of the bad in your life. Until you met me.”

I can’t take any more of his words without kissing this man. He is everything I always wanted and everything I never thought I’d need. He’s rough and sweet and a biker. He’s my biker.

But he’s right about one thing. When life throws you lemons and you don’t know if you should make lemonade or drink tequila, you do both. ’Cause like Michael says, “Life is like riding a bike…take it by the handlebars and own that shit.”

Epilogue

Rose

Two and a Half Months Later

It’s been almost two months since everything went down at the clubhouse with my brother, and everyone is doing great. Dani was released from the hospital three weeks after she was shot—which she was not happy about—but she’s healing perfectly. The baby is growing just as he should, and even though she’s technically supposed to be on bedrest, she still goes to work for a few hours a week, but just lounges around mostly while everyone else works.

She hired two other artists and a new receptionist for when Sara and Harlow take their leave, which is scheduled for a week from now.

Blaze was a mess for a while after Dani was shot, but could you really blame him? What happened was horrible and could have turned out so much worse. But after Dani had had enough of his brooding and extreme over-protectiveness, she gave him a piece of her mind and since then, I think he’s been fine. If you ask me, I think he just needed some good sexy, which I have no doubt Dani gave to him freely.

Harlow and Sara didn’t get hurt, but they suffered for a few weeks after Dani was shot. They were really scared and worried about Dani and the baby. But after Dani was allowed to come home, they got better too.

Everyone else was just glad that Dani and the baby were okay and life continued on, but things were different. The clubhouse had to be re-done—again, from what I gather—but Michael took that opportunity to add a few new additions. Some for me and him and some for the new babies that were due in a matter of weeks.

Sara’s pregnancy has gone well with no problems. Harlow, I wouldn’t say there were problems, but when carrying twins, things are always more complicated. She was put on semi-bed rest and is only allowed to work twelve hours a week, but Dani pretty much stopped scheduling her due to Louie always complaining, though Harlow didn’t mind. I think she likes spending more time at home with her man and getting the nursery ready for the boys.

Tyke made a full recovery. The swelling went down in his brain almost right away and the tube was removed a few days after the surgery. It was a slow process for his bones to heal, but looking at him now, you’d never know he was beaten almost to death mere months ago.

I didn’t know him, only having had met him once, but from what Michael says, he’s different now. He’s quieter and seems to be on edge. I want to talk to him so badly, to thank him for what he tried to do for me, but I can’t seem to find the words. I mean, what do you say to someone who almost died trying to save your life? Michael said he wasn’t there for me specifically, but I have to wonder if this wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t tried to free me.

Regardless, I still feel responsible and probably will no matter what anyone has to say. I just hope he finds some level of peace and normalcy. I just want him to be all right.

And me? I filled my time with spending every moment I could with Michael. I also had him take me to a place to get a big memorial stone made for the prospect whose name I found out was Tyler. His body was flown back to his family in Tennessee, but Michael had the memorial placed behind the clubhouse. He said it was for everyone, but I think he mainly did it for me.

And then I started planning the baby shower for the girls. Since everything went down, we weren’t able to do it when we originally planned, but I think now that things are settled down, it’s the perfect time.

I’ve spent the whole day getting ready for the guests to start arriving so I’ve barely seen Michael. When he walks in with a bouquet of flowers, a smile is instantly cemented on my face and I couldn’t get rid of it if I was paid to.

“Are those for me?” I ask, though I think I know the answer.

“Oh these?” he asks, motioning to the flowers. “No, baby, they’re for my woman I keep on the side. She’ll be here soon so you can meet her if you want,” he says, but I don’t let it phase me. Michael has a demented sense of humor that takes some time to get used to.

“Oh yeah? Well, I hope you or the girls don’t mind a bloodbath when she arrives,” I say, stepping toward him to take the flowers out of his hands.

“Nah, it’ll just add to the thrill of the party.”

Kissing his lips, I then slap him lightly on the cheek. “You’re too funny,” I say, then kiss him again. “Thank you for the flowers. I love them.”

“Anything for you, baby.”

It’s not long after that people start showing up. Usually at a baby or bridal shower, it’s just us women, but I thought that since the girls aren’t regular women, and neither are their men, that we didn’t have to follow those rules. So everyone was invited, men included.

They played around that they were upset that they had to attend, but you could tell they were thrilled they didn’t have to spend the day away from their girls. Michael included. I don’t think we’ve spent more than an hour apart since that night. Not that you’ll hear me complaining.

The party was a huge hit and the girls were surprised even. I tried my best to keep it all a secret, but I honestly thought they caught on to what I was doing.

When they came in, they all had tears in their eyes and each hugged me tightly. That was probably the highlight of the party for me.

I had the guys grill out so we had everything from burgers and chicken, to steaks. I made a potato salad and I asked Sara for her brownie recipe a few weeks ago, claiming Michael was wanting some, so I made those as well. Louie especially loved those.

After everyone ate, we moved on to the games. I had a hard time finding games I thought everyone would enjoy playing, but I think I did a good job.

We played a drinking game for the men; they had to drink a Jack and Coke out of a baby bottle and whoever finished first won a full bottle of Jack Daniels. I was actually surprised when Michael took the win on that one.

Then we had the guys play a game where they put a balloon under their shirt and they had to untie and tie their shoes. I don’t think any of them won that game because they all just slipped their boots off and on, said they don’t tie their boots. Everyone got a kick out of it though.

Now, we’re on the last game. It’s the diaper smelling game. I put a bunch of different foods in diapers and everyone has to be blindfolded and see if they can guess what’s in the diaper. We’re only on the second diaper and the guys are naming shit that I’ve never even heard of before, but the girls are getting a kick out of it.

But then suddenly, Harlow lets out a squeal. Louie of course is the first to rush over to her but when he gets there, I think he gets the surprise of a lifetime. “I think my water just broke,” she pants.

Louie’s quiet for a moment, then he runs around like his head’s chopped off. “Shit. Shit! Her fucking water just broke. Her water just broke!” he yells as he’s trying to find his truck keys when Michael holds them up for him.

“I think someone else should drive,” Harlow says, which earns her a look from Louie, but Sara got a kick out of it.

In fact, she starts laughing so hard, she yells, “I think I just peed my pants.” But then she gets a serious look on her face. Toby rushes up to her and takes her hand.

“You okay, Doll?” he asks her.

“Um, you’re not going to believe this, but I think my water just broke too.”

Now we’ve got two bikers running around, not sure what the hell to do. This has Blaze laughing so hard he’s got tears rolling down his face, calling his brothers morons and jackasses.

Dani elbows him in the chest—hard. “Shut the fuck up and go get the truck. Unless you want to deliver three babies?” she asks with a straight face.

That has him jumping into action and Michael takes off to make sure they don’t run each other over.

I hurry over to the girls to check on them. “How are you girls doing? Do you have any contractions yet?” I can’t help it. It’s the nurse in me. It’s unbelievable that both of their waters broke at the same time. Usually that rarely happens until after you get to the hospital. But leave it to this group to do the unimaginable.

“Mine are coming pretty fucking quick and strong,” Harlow pants and she looks like she’s about ready to have the babies right now.

“Mine are there, but I think we have some time yet,” Sara says.

Nodding, I look over to Dani, who is just standing there rubbing her stomach. “Are you in labor too?”

“I’m good, Mama. Help the other two,” Dani says, speaking softly. She’s taken to calling me Mama and I let her. I kind of like it. Michael loves it.

Michael directs someone to take the twins and that he’ll call when it’s okay to bring them to the hospital.

A few seconds later, the guys pull up one after the other outside the new clubhouse. I help Harlow in the truck and tell Michael that I’m going with her. She may actually deliver before we get the hospital. So once we get her situated, I tell Louie to go and not worry about traffic laws. Not like he probably would anyway.

I know the men will get Sara and Dani there okay, so I just keep Harlow distracted and make sure she doesn’t deliver.

Once we make it to the hospital, Harlow is already dilated to eight centimeters and the doctor says it won’t be long now.

The other girls show up a few minutes later and they get taken up to a room. I wish I was up there with them right now, but with all the nurses and doctors, it’s probably best I stay out of the way. But it’s driving me insane to not be there for them.

***

Mack

As soon as we get to the hospital, Dani starts feeling pain in her stomach, so one of the doctors take her into a room to check her out. They are concerned since she was shot a few months ago and with her being close to her due date, they want to make sure everything is going okay. Turns out, she’s going into labor too.

They immediately set her up in one of the birthing rooms. Blaze is a mess, but when Dani holds out her hand with tears in her eyes, he instantly becomes her rock, telling her everything is going to be okay and that soon they’ll get to meet their son.

I have no idea who is going to deliver first. I’m in shock that all three of my girls are in labor at the same time. They wheel Harlow into surgery right away since she’s having twins and one of them is breech, so a c-section is the best way to go.

Sara is progressing fast but she’s going to have a normal delivery. There have been no problems with her pregnancy, so hopefully it stays that way.

About thirty minutes after arriving at the hospital, Louie comes walking out in his scrubs with a big smile on his face. “They’re here! Healthy, beautiful little boys.”

Me and my brothers all slap him on the back and congratulate him while Rose gives him a big hug.

“Momma is doing fine too. They’re cleaning her up now, then they’ll bring her back into one of the recovery rooms,” Louie informs us of Harlow.

“So what are their names?” I ask after everyone has given him either a hug or back slap. They wanted to keep that part a secret and it’s killing me not to know what to call my grandsons.

“Maxwell Michael and Matthew Henry,” he tells us with tears in his eyes. I feel taken aback from their choice of names. I know Matthew was Harlow’s brother’s middle name, so that makes sense why they named one of their sons after him. But naming the other after me?

The room falls into cheers and everyone congratulates him one more time before he makes his way back to Harlow and his boys.

Louie makes his way over to me, pulling me into a hug. “My father’s name was Mike, and he was an amazing dad while he was alive. But after his death, you were the one to pick up the pieces and help me become the man I am today. You’ve been like a second dad to me, so not only is my son named after my first dad, he’s named after my second dad too.”

I feel my eyes well up with tears but I don’t do anything to stop them from falling. Louie’s words hit me right in the heart, but in a good way. When I came across him all those years ago, I only wanted to help him. Maybe I saw a little of myself in his eyes, I don’t know, but he called out to me unknowingly and I knew I had to be there for him. And I’m so fucking happy I did.

I couldn’t be more fuckin’ happier or prouder of him. My boy becoming a father. It’s amazing to remember the boy he was when I first found him and the man he is today.

About an hour later, Toby comes into the room with a smile that just about splits his face in two. “Nevaeh Danielle has arrived. She’s six pounds, seven ounces, and as healthy as a horse,” he tells us and I can’t help but hoot and holler. She’s gonna give her daddy a run for his money, just like little Harley did Blaze.

Everyone else yells their congratulations and hugs Toby before he too takes off, back to his girls.

Now, we just wait to hear about Dani and her baby boy. But when an hour passes, I start to get worried. Blaze hasn’t been by to update. Did something go wrong? Did they have to take her back after all for a c-section?

Just as I’m getting ready to rain hell down on this hospital until I know what’s going on, Blaze comes walking into the room. Unlike the other two men, his face is completely void of all emotions.