Fighting to Stay (12 page)

I feel so exhausted from the stress of the last few days that I curl up on the couch and doze off. 

I rouse half an hour later when I hear voices in the kitchen.  I recognize Jenn speaking to Roam, so I get up and make my way to them.

“Hey, sleepy head,” Jenn nudges me with her shoulder.

“Hey, sorry I’ve been so tired lately.”

“What do you expect?  First you were sicker than sick and now you’re pregnant.  Of course you’re going to be tired.”

“I guess.  Do you want to call Switch and stay for supper?  We can grill,” I grin at Roam cheekily.  He loves that damn grill I brought him.

“Sounds great.”  Jenn takes out her phone and dials Switch.  “He’ll be here shortly,” she tells us when she ends the call.

“Super.  I’ll get a potato salad started.”  Jenn helps me peel and chop the potatoes, while Roam goes about preparing the meat.

We spend the night laughing, chatting and stuffing ourselves full of good food.  It’s a great night.

Six
months later

“Come in, come in.  Take a seat.  I’ll get y’all some drinks.  Sweet Tea?”  Jenn ushers my guests inside and pours their drinks
.

Veronica, LuAnn, Sal & Brie are here, along with Jenn’s Gran, Candy
, and even Barbie came over for the day.  It’s my baby shower.  Jenn insisted on throwing one, and who I am to argue?  I lay back on the lounge and watch Jenn fuss over everyone, making sure they’re comfortable before the games begin. 

Jenn and I have spent the last few months transforming one of the bedrooms into a nursery.  We painted the walls pale yellow and stuck jungle theme stickers around the walls.  Since we opted to leave the sex as a surprise, we had to decorate in a neutral theme.  It was a toss-up between jungle and baby animal.  Obviously, jungle won out.

With Jenn’s encouragement, I spent way too much money on baby furniture and clothing, as well.  I’ve got a stroller, a high chair, a bassinette, a crib, a rocker, plus a ton of baby clothes – half of which I’m sure our child will never get a chance to wear.  Roam also made additions to the clothing stock – he found a Harley children’s clothing outlet and bought some tiny tees and onesies with the Harley Davidson logo on them.  He also had a mini leather jacket custom made with the Mayhem logo on the back – matching his.  He also got the baby little biker boots while he was at an expo with his brothers.  Sometimes, I have to wonder who the worst between him and Jenn is!  When it comes this baby, they’re as bad as each other most days.

Today, everyone brought gifts, which means I am going to have more baby paraphernalia and nowhere to put it!

Roam appears, looks around horrified, strides over to me, kisses my lips quickly and then walks out the door as fast as he can.

ROAM

Fuckin’ women.  They were everywhere inside my house.  All clucking over Lacey’s belly.  Jenn had balloons and shit everywhere.  It look liked Babies “R” Us had vomited through my living room.  The only thing that looked good was the massive cake sitting on the counter. 

I slide onto my girl and start her up, then I hit the road.  I think if I stayed around much longer, I might have grown a pussy.  That would piss Lacey off, cause she sure loves my cock!

I ride through town and pull into the clubhouse.  We’re expecting a delivery of custom made bike parts within the hour and I want to make sure I’m around to check them and sign off on them.  These parts on their own are worth a fortune, but when they’re attached to a classic Harley, their price is almost unimaginable. 

“How’s the chick p
arty goin’?”  One of my brothers asks.

“Don’t even fuckin’ start.  I think I’m damaged for life.”

“Not long now, brother, and you’ll be holdin’ that precious baby in your arms.”

“Yep. Can’t wait, man.”

“You still get pussy when they’re that full of kid?” 

“Serious as shit, you’re askin’ me that?”

“Nah, brother, I’m only stirrin’ you up.”

“Roam, truck’s here,” Switch calls across the yard.

We walk over and check the boxes, making sure the parts are in perfect condition.  Thankfully, they are.  We unload them into the storage shed and leave the two Prospects to sort them.

I spend the rest of the afternoon brainstorming with my brothers about who could be behind the attacks on Lacey.  Things have been quiet for a few months now, but that doesn’t mean I’m not always hyper alert, waiting for the next attempt at hurting to come.  Now, with a baby on the way, it’s on my mind even more than before, if that’s at all possible
.

“We know for sure it’s not her ex, we’ve known that for a while.  The problem is figuring out the next suspect.  The police aren’t doin’ jack shit and we need to find the person responsible.
”

A grunt of agreement sounds around the table, but we’re all stumped.  We have absolutely
no
clue who could be behind it.

“We just need to keep doin’ what we’re doin’, and that’s keepin’ our ears and eyes open.  Someone will slip up, one day,
and when they do we’ll be there.” Switch says.

I go into my room and sit on my bed.  I’ve been thinking so hard about this whole situation that most nights I end up giving myself a headache.  It’s getting on my nerves so much because I don’t want anything to happen to my girl.  She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’ll be damned if anything is going to take her away from me.

My phone rings and I look down to see Jenn’s name flashing across the screen.  My brow knits in confusion.  Why the hell would Jenn be calling me?  If they want me to participate in some of those fucking games they’ve got planned, they can jump off a fucking bridge.

“You got Roam,” I answer.

I hear a wail in the background and I jump from the bed.

“Jenn, what the fuck was that?”

“Oh, um, yeah, Lacey’s in labor, I think.  I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure.”  Jenn rambles and stutters, clearly in a panic.

“I’m on my way,” I say, before snapping my phone shut and getting the fuck on my way.

I make it home in record time.  Lacey’s on the couch, beads of sweat spread across her forehead, dark hair matted with damp. 

“Babe,” she cries, holding her hand out to me.  I rush toward her and lay my hand on her stomach.  It tightens beneath my palm.  I feel my eyes go wide and my jaw drop open as I look up at Lacey.  “Holy fuck,” I whisper.

She grunts as the pain ripples through her stomach.  “How far apart are they?”  Lacey asks when the contraction eases.

“Eight minutes,” Jenn replies. 
“It says in this handbook to go to hospital when they’re about five minutes apart, so we have some time.”

“Do you want me to get you anything, sugar?”  I offer.  Fuck, I need to be doing something.  God, I hate seeing her in so much pain.  I missed Jasper’s birth by about thirty minutes, so I have no idea what to expect, but I really didn’t imagine the
re to be a searing burn in my chest at the image of the woman I love being in indescribable pain and there being nothing I can do for her.

“Ice, please,” she pants.  Before I can let her hand go, she squeezes me in a death grip.  Her
eyes clamp shut and her face scrunches up as she alternates between breathing and panting throughout the contraction.

When it passes, I race to grab her a glass of ice.  When I return I hand her a cube and she sucks it, gratefully. 

“Why is this happening now?  You said forty weeks.  You said women were pregnant for forty weeks.  You’re only thirty seven weeks that means we’ve got three more weeks.  This shouldn’t be happenin’ now.  It’s too early.  What if the baby isn’t ready yet?”  I pace the floor, rambling in my panicked state.  I’ve never been so fuckin’ scared in all my life.

“Roam.  ROAM!  Calm the fuck down,” Jenn slaps at my cheek.  “The baby will be fine.  It’s not early and clearly it’s ready to come, because it started the process – no one else did!  Pull yourself together and let’s get Lacey out to the car, so we can take her to hospital and have a baby.”

“Yeah, yep, I’m on it.  Right, come on, sugar, I’ll carry you out.  Jenn, you grab her bags.  They’re on the floor in the bedroom.”

“Don’t forget my toiletry bag
in the bathroom
,” Lacey’s voice gets shrill towards the end as another contraction takes over her body.

“Oh fuck, sugar.
Fuck.
  Don’t have the baby just yet. Wait ‘till we get to hospital.”

“It’s not coming yet,” she snaps.  “Do you think I’m that loose that the baby is just going to fall out of me, Roam Cooper?”

Oh fuck.  That was the wrong thing to say.

“No, darlin’, I just want to get you to the hospital,” I try to placate her.

“I know, I’m sorry,” she cries.  “It just
fucking
hurts.”

“I know, I know.  It will be over soon and we’ll have our beautiful baby in our arms.”

“You’re so beautiful,” she coos.

“Beautiful?
” I scoff.   “Sugar, I am far from beautiful.  I prefer ruggedly handsome.”

I get a laugh from her beautiful lips, and I smile down adoringly at her.  She really is something else.

We make it to the hospital in record time.  I stop the car in the emergency bay and carry Lacey out and inside while Jenn parks the car in the designated area.

A male nurse sees us coming and pushes a wheelchair toward it.

“Thanks, man,” I say, sitting Lacey in the chair.  Another contraction rips through her as I hurriedly tell the lady at reception how far apart her pains have been.

The male nurse grabs the handles of the wheelchair and begins pushing Lacey down the hall toward Labor and Delivery.  I run after them, desperate to keep her in my sights, petrified that if I take my eyes of
f her for a minute, I’ll miss the birth.

A midwife directs the nurse to a room and they push Lacey in there.  They help her out of the chair and onto the bed.  The nurse leaves and the midwife takes over, asking Lacey questions, while I stand off to the side. 

My eyes go wide when the nurse puts on some gloves and slides her fingers inside Lacey.

“You’re doing really well, sweetheart.  You’re about six centimeters dilated at the minute.  You can get up and have a shower or a bath, if you’d like.  It might help with the pain.  If you need anything stronger, be sure to give me a yell.”  She snaps the gloves off and tosses them in the trash before walking out.  “I’ll be back in shortly to check on y’all, okay?”

Jenn comes bursting through the door.  “No baby yet?”  She jokes…well, at least, I hope she’s joking.

I ignore Jenn, and instead focus on my woman.  “You want a bath, sugar?”

She nods her head so I set about runnin’ her a bath.

Jenn and I wait in the room while Lacey
takes the best part of two hours soaking in the tub.  She looks so peaceful and relaxed that we don’t want to move her, but eventually the midwife wants to check how far dilated she is.  I help her stand, and then hold her arm as she steps out of the tub.  As she lifts her leg over the side, a massive burst of liquid gushes from between Lacey’s legs.  It splashes all over my jeans and puddles on the floor.

“Holy shit,” I gape.

“Uh, I think my waters just broke,” Lacey shouts to the midwife.  Then she doubles over and groans deeply in pain. 

“I think I need to push!” She bellows.

“Get her on the bed,” the midwife orders.

I slide my arm
under her knees and cradle her in my arms as I carry her to the bed.  I lie her down gently and brush her sweat drenched hair from her brow.  Jenn hands me a cold washcloth and I wipe over Lacey’s face and neck.

The midwife announces that Lacey is full
y dilated and can push on her next contraction.

Lacey takes a deep breath.

So do I.

Then she pushes until her face turns a frightening shade of blue.

So do I.

Her hand grips mine so tight I think the circulation to my hand is gone and if I wasn’t in such a serious situation, I might doubt whether I’ll ever be able to grip my
handle bars again.

Lacey takes another deep breath.

So do I.

Then
, she pushes at the same time she lets out a bloodcurdling scream. 

“The head is out,” the midwife announces.

Lacey pushes again, with everything she has.  Another bloodcurdling scream fills the air, but this one isn’t coming from Lacey.  It’s coming from the beautiful, blood covered, tiny, black haired baby that the nurse is holding from between Lacey’s legs.

My legs turn to jelly.

“It’s a girl, mom and dad.  Congratulations,” another midwife I hadn’t noticed before says.

I look at the baby. 
Our baby girl.
  My heart explodes in my chest, so full of love. Tears stream down my cheeks, unchecked.

Jenn comes over and kisses us both.  “Congratulations.  She’s so beautiful,” she says, looking down at our baby, lying on her mom’s chest, wrapped in a pink hospital blanket.

“I love you,” I tell Lacey.  I don’t know what else to say.

“Do you want to hold your daughter, daddy?”  Lacey asks, looking up at me.

My hands are shaking as I reach down and lift her from Lacey’s arms. 

“Hello, sweetheart.  I’m your daddy.”  I kiss the top of her head and breathe in her newborn scent.

The midwives busy themselves with paperwork and then ask if we have a name for our little girl.  I look over to Lacey.  She looks at me, and then turns back to the midwife.  “Lola Jade Cooper,” she answers.

~*~

Before, when I said I’d never been so fuckin’ scared in my life?  I take that back.  This,
this
, is worse.  Childbirth is the worst thing a man can ever go through.  It’s fucking horrifyingly frightening. 

“We’re never doing this again, sugar.  I can’t go through this again.”  I tell her
, solemnly.