Shadow: Cerberus MC Book 3 (10 page)

“The incision is still angry and inflamed, but it’s only been a few hours since I was here last,” the doctor explains. “But you seem to be feeling a little better, so that’s a positive.”

Angelica is still looking at Griffin, so I turn my attention back to Dr. Davison.

He reaches into his bag. “Are you nursing?”

“Yes.”

“Here are the antibiotics,” he says handing me a nondescript pill bottle. “These won’t affect the baby in any way. They’re completely safe. Also,” he says handing me another bottle of pills. “These are prenatal vitamins. You need to take them daily for as long as you’re nursing.”

“Thank you,” I tell him holding the bottles in my hands.

I look at him in earnest for the first time since he arrived. He seems well put together, not like some back alley doctor. I wonder what kind of motorcycle club this is that would have, what I assume is a prestigious doctor, on their payroll, one that makes house calls.

“I can treat your infection here, but there are tests and shots and such for the baby that need to be done at the doctor’s office,” he says closing his doctor’s bag. “We have some very respectable pediatricians in our community,” he continues. “I’ll have Angelica write down the information, but you need to make an appointment first thing tomorrow. He needs to be seen at a week old.”

“Yes, sir.”

He pats my knee on top of the cover. “I’ll check on you in a few days, Misty.”

At this point, I can’t even guarantee I’ll be around in a few days. Shadow may force me out of here long before then.

When I entered the room with the doctor and his wife, I wasn’t surprised to find the girls all hovering around Misty. Women seem to gravitate to babies, a trait I’ll never understand.

I follow them out into the hallway and grab Emmalyn’s arm gently to keep her from leaving with the other women.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her softly.

She looks at me with confusion marking her brow. “For what?”

“I didn’t even consider what you’re going through before I shoved Griffin in your arms. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

She shakes her head softly. “I’m not upset, Shadow.” She places a comforting hand on my chest. “I love that there’s a baby in the house now.”

My eyes dart between both of hers making sure she’s being honest and not just trying to placate me.

She leans in conspiratorially. “It’s good practice for me.” She smiles brightly.

I can’t help but laugh. Even through her and Kincaid’s struggles to get pregnant, she’s kept her positive attitude. A lesser woman would’ve already given up.

“If you need any help at all, Shadow, I’m here.” She tilts her head down the hall. “The other girls are here to help as well,” she says sincerely.

“Are you sure? Because I know I’m going to need help.” I scrub my hand down my beard.

“I’m sure,” she says holding out her hand.

I angle my head at her in confusion.

“Give me your credit card,” she says.

I reach for my wallet. “Why do you need my credit card?” I pull out the one Ace gave back to me after they went for formula and diapers.

“You sent those two men out for baby stuff, and they came back with diapers, formula, a rubber duck, and a Tonka Truck. All of which I’m sure will get some use… eventually,” she says with a quick eye roll. “But she brought nothing with her. She needs clothes, and the baby needs a million things.”

I want to hug her for thinking past tonight, for considering what they’ll need going forward.

“What’s my spending limit?” she asks wiggling her eyebrows.

I wave her off. “Knock yourself out.”

She claps giddily and gives me a quick hug. “You better remember you said that!”

I laugh again and watch her walk down the hall. “Hey, Em?” She turns back to me. “Take Snatch with you. That fucker loves to shop. Also, can you get with Kid and have him and a few of the other guys clear out his old room next door? I want to stay close to them.”

She nods her head and makes her way back out front.

I walk back into the room to find Dr. Davison explaining who he and his wife are. Misty is reluctant to hand over Griffin, and I become slightly agitated until it dawns on me that she’s only trying to protect him from people she doesn’t know. It makes my heart warm slightly.

She finally consents to his exam. I follow Angelica to the dresser as Dr. Davison checks on her.

“I have to have your name,” she says pulling a thick envelope from her bag. “’Shadow’ isn’t going to work for a paternity test.”

“Morrison Griggs,” I say, and she writes my name on a smaller envelope. She pulls out a thick swab.

“Run it inside your cheek.” I do as she says and hand it back to her. “And the baby’s name?”

I look back at Misty. “Griffin Bowen.”

She writes his name down on the envelope and swabs the inside of his mouth. She seals them up in the bigger envelope and puts the package back in her bag.

“How long will it take?”

“Usually seven to ten days, but I’ll put a rush on it and have it back in three or four,” she says unwrapping the blanket from around Griffin.

I look down at the tiny baby and can’t help but smile.

“He’s beautiful,” I say in awe, really looking at him for the first time.

“He is,” Angelica says as she begins her exam.

I turn away from her when I hear Misty explain the pain meds she was given at the hospital. She wouldn’t take them because she couldn’t take care of him. I once again feel like shit for snapping at her earlier. I tell her that we will help take care of him while she gets better. She closes her eyes, and I don’t miss the tear that rolls down her cheek. I hate to see her in pain, even if she’s hidden all of this from me.

I turn back to the baby’s exam, unable to see her suffer. I want to go to her, hold her hand and promise her everything will be okay, but I don’t. I allow my bitterness to win out.

“He’s very healthy,” Angelica says quietly. “His skin color is great. The umbilical stump is healing nicely. She, on the other hand,” she says tilting her head in Misty’s direction, “she looks like she’s had a really rough couple of days.”

I ignore her statement and watch as she expertly changes his diaper before wrapping him back up in his blanket. I hope Em gets him a new one; this one just isn’t good enough.

She hands him to me and joins her husband by Misty’s side.

“He’s very healthy, Misty. You’ve done a great job taking care of him.”

I see relief wash over Misty’s face at the news.

“Here’s a card for the best pediatrician in town,” Angelica says handing a scrap of paper over to Misty. She looks over her shoulder at me before turning her eyes back to the frail looking woman in my bed. “I’m pretty certain Shadow is going to insist on the best for Griffin.”

Misty nods her head, and I can see her eyes begin to flutter. She needs rest more than I do at this point.

Dr. Davison stands from her bedside and walks toward the door. “She needs one of her pain pills. I’ll be in touch,” he says before leaving the room and closing the door quietly behind them.

I walk closer to the bed. “You need to get some rest.”

“He needs to nurse,” she says holding her hands out.

“Get some rest,” I tell her. “I’ll wake you when he’s ready to eat.”

Her eyes are pleading when they find mine. “I’m not taking him anywhere,” I assure her. “I’ll be over in the chair.”

She settles at my words, and I’m certain she’s asleep before I even sit down.

I hold Griffin on my lap, letting my eyes graze over every inch of him. He has Misty’s beautifully dark hair and her soft pouty lips, but I don’t see myself in him at all. I swallow roughly, once again doubting her story.

What does she have to gain by lying? Would she make herself suffer like she clearly has been if she was trying to finagle her way into my life? Does she just want money?

I’m a damn fine judge of character, and she never let off that kind of vibe in Denver. I can spot those women a mile away. I’m lost in thought when Griffin begins to whimper in my arms.

“Hey, baby,” I say down to him, hoping he’ll calm and give Misty a little more time to sleep.

He blinks softly, his tiny eyes fluttering before they fully open. He looks up at me as I look down at him. Staring back at me through dark lashes are the most amazing pair of blue eyes, the same eyes I see every day in the mirror. Every ounce of doubt regarding his paternity washes away as I look down at the tiny piece of me. He’s my son. I’m a father.

I clear my throat to attempt to push down the emotion that’s fighting its way up the back of my throat. Most people have time to prepare for this, nine months to be exact. I’ve known about him for a handful of hours, and only accepted the truth ten minutes ago, but the love I feel for this child is immediate. No doubt a very big part of my future. The one person I can honestly say after only a few hours of knowing him that I’d sacrifice my life to give him everything in the world.

He looks up at me, and I pray for a smile, some understanding on his part that I’m his father, the man who will protect him from every foreseeable problem. That’s not what I get. What I get is one tiny whimper, and then he begins to wail as if I twisted one of his tiny little toes off.

I stare down at him, wide-eyed and uncertain of what to do. I shuffle to my feet and make my way to Misty; seems she won’t be getting much of a nap after all.

It seems like I’ve only had my eyes closed for seconds when Shadow’s frantic voice is urging me awake. I open my eyes to find him standing beside the bed trying to comfort Griffin, who is not having any of it. I knew I should’ve fed him before I went to sleep, but I wanted Shadow to have some time with him.

I struggle to sit up, the pain in my stomach still acute, but I eventually manage.

“Can you bring me a diaper and the wipes?” I ask as he hands the screaming baby over to me.

“Angelica just changed his diaper,” he says.

I laugh. I can’t help it. This man knows less about babies than I did, and that’s saying something.

“He has a tiny bladder, Shadow.” I unwrap him and show him the dark blue line on the front of the diaper. “Blue means wet.”

He nods as if he’s committing it to memory and grabs the supplies I asked for. I change his diaper, cover myself with his tiny blanket, and begin to nurse him. He goes from screaming his head off to cooing softly against my breast.

I look up and see Shadow smiling down at me. “What?” I ask because it’s out of character for how he’s been acting toward me since I got here.

He clears his throat but doesn’t answer me. His smile fades, and I hate myself for even saying anything. His scowl is back. He runs his hands through his light brown hair causing it to fall in waves of golden sexiness. Even without sleep for who knows how long, he’s still ridiculously good looking. Here I sit in over-sized sweats on sheets I just remembered need to be changed, looking like a vagrant, and he’s beyond handsome. I return his scowl.

Griffin wiggles against my body. I look down at him under the edge of his blanket. I look up after getting him situated to see Shadow’s back disappear on the other side of the door. He can’t even stand to be in the same room with me. I can’t say that I blame him; most days I wouldn’t want to be around me either.

After Griffin is nursed, burped, and situated beside me in the bed, I finally allow myself to drift back to sleep. Shadow hasn’t said anything about my length of stay here, but I do know I need to get as much rest as possible. Sleep when the baby sleeps; isn’t that what everyone says?

***

“Jesus,” I mumble when a knock at the door startles me awake. “Come in!” I know there’s agitation in my voice, but I can’t help it. This is almost as bad as the nursing staff coming in and out of the room while I was in the hospital.

“I’m so sorry,” Emmalyn says coming into the room with her hands full of bags.

Khloe follows with a weak smile on her face. She looks as tired as I feel.

“I should’ve guessed you were sleeping.” Emmalyn continues.

I watch with wide eyes as she walks back out into the hallway only to return with even more bags.