In Sly's Eyes: In Sly's Eyes Marco's MMA Boys Book 2 (11 page)

CHAPTER 21

KARA

“Sly, what is going on? Who is the girl?” I ask as he pulls out of the arena parking lot.

He shakes his head feverishly. “I’ll explain it all when I get to the gym. It’s going to be a little confusing.”

Suddenly, I’m jealous. “Did you sleep with her?”

He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “No! Baby, I promise it’s not like that. Just give me a few minutes, okay?”

I nod my head as he weaves in and out of traffic. Once we pull into the parking lot of the gym, he jumps out of the truck and runs around to help me out. “Easy, babe.”

I wave him away. “I’ve got it. It isn’t that far down.”

He kisses my cheek. “I know, it just gives me an excuse to put my hands on you.”

I laugh and shake my head. “Come on. Now you’ve got my curiosity up.”

Once we enter the gym, I see that Marco is already there. “Kid, what’s going on? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll explain when Lox and Huck get here.”

Huck walks through the door with Lox. “We’re here.”

Sly puts his hands up and sits down on a bench. “Okay, so tonight when I was leaving the locker room, there was a mousy blonde girl standing in the hallway just staring at me. She looked sick so I asked her if she was okay. She ran away so I followed her and she looked back once. Her face was so familiar but I couldn’t place her. When Kara and I were leaving the arena, there was something that jarred my memory. She was the girl from the courthouse.”

I put my hand up. “Wait, that girl had brown hair.”

“Yes, she did, but this is the same girl. I knew she looked familiar that day. The blonde hair put it together for me.” He looks over at Huck. “She’s the girl Drake was with years ago. The girl he
rescued
. Remember?”

Huck and Lox both drop down in their seats. Lox looks up. “Shit.”

I look around at them. “I’m confused.”

Sly shakes his head. “I’ll let Huck explain this part.”

Huck rests his elbows on his knees. “Okay, the girl’s name is Paige. A few years ago, Drake found her living in an abandoned car behind the gym. It was during the short time that Marco trained him.”

“Wait. Marco was training Drake?” I’m shocked. I can’t believe Marco would ever be associated with him.

Marco puts his hand up. “It was only about a month and a half. I found him juicing up in the locker room. That, along with the obvious anger issues he had already shown, is why I kicked him out of the gym.”

“Oh,” I say softly.

Huck starts back. “Anyway, he and I took special interest in her. I asked Marco to give her a job here to make sure she was doing okay. Drake said he’d help her find an apartment. What he didn’t say was that it was his. He claimed possession over her. It was all very strange. I think it started out as her having a crush on him, then he just took over her life. After Marco kicked Drake out, she left with him. He made her. A month or so later, I ran into her working in a supermarket. She told me that Drake rescued her and she owed him her loyalty.” He shakes his head angrily. “She was just a kid, she was only 18 at the time. She had no parents, no family, just Drake. He made sure she was all alone except for him.” He slams his hand down on the bench. “He brainwashed her. She thinks she owes him her life. I’ve only ran into her a couple of times since then but she’s always acted like she was afraid to speak to me. That was a few years ago though, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen her.”

Sly looks over at Huck. “I think that’s the reason none of us recognized her. Hell, it was just a shock to me to see her tonight. I don’t know what she was doing at the fight though.”

I sit down, in some sort of shock listening to all of this. “Were they together? Like a couple?”

Everyone nods their heads, but Huck speaks up. “Yeah, but he had what you’d call an open relationship. She wasn’t allowed to talk to or see anyone else, she used to live with him. However, he could fuck anything that walked.”

I cover my mouth. “Oh my God. He was. Oh my God.”

Sly puts his arms around me. “Babe, you didn’t know. He is a master manipulator.”

“I’m so stupid, I never knew.” I shake my head, crying. “I’m such an idiot.”

Sly runs his hand down my hair. “Babe, it’s okay. Don’t get stressed out about it. She probably just doesn’t have a place to go anymore. She’s lost again.”

Lox shakes his head. “Damn it. I wish we would’ve let you kill the guy now, man. He’s one fucked up person. I bet he was violent with her, too.” He stands up. “We should’ve done something. He’s made her rely on him and now she has no one again.”

I stand back up and start walking around. “This is horrible. Does anyone know how to find this girl? Maybe we can help her.”

Sly grabs my hand. “Babe, you don’t need to worry about all of this. We’ll see if we can track her down, but you need to stay away from this. It’s too stressful for you and the baby.”

I nod. “Okay, you’re right. Just please promise me that you guys will look into it.”

Marco walks over to me, putting an arm around my shoulder like a father would. “We will, but you need to promise us that you’ll take care of yourself. You have one responsibility right now. Take care of this baby,” he says, touching my slightly swollen stomach.

I nod and sit with Sly. He puts an arm around me. “I just wanted to let you all know what I found out. It really just freaked me out for a minute but I knew Huck and I had been trying to figure out who the girl was in court. When it hit me, it floored me. I hadn’t even thought about Paige in years.” He glances at his watch. “It’s been a long night. I’m gonna get Kara home now.”

All of the intensity of the night hits me and exhaustion takes over. “Yeah, I’m kinda tired,” I say, slumping against Sly.

“Yeah, come on, babe. Let’s go.” He pulls me up and with an arm around me, walks me out to his truck.

He goes to pick me up and I argue. “I can get myself in.”

He winks. “Just an excuse to put my hands on you, babe.”

After he gets in the truck, I giggle and he looks over at me confused. I shake my head. “It’s just been a weird night. My emotions have been all over the place. This pregnancy stuff is crazy. I want to cry, scream, have sex with you again, and punch something, all at the same damn time.”

He laughs. “Well, I’m all up for the sex part but I think you’re too tired to go around punching stuff right now.”

I punch him in the shoulder. “Wasn’t too tired to punch you.”

He shakes his head and drives out of the parking lot. On the ride home, my eyes start to grow heavy.

The next thing I know, Sly is lifting me out of the truck and carrying me into the house.

“Stop. I’m too heavy, Sly. Put me down.”

He tightens his grip on me and kisses my forehead. “You are just perfect.”

He places me on the bed and slips my shoes off. Sitting me up, he helps me get my dress and bra off. He lays me back down and pulls the blankets up over me. “Shh, go to sleep, baby.”

A minute later, I feel the bed dip and his strong arms pull me against him.

Hmm, this is home.

CHAPTER 22

SLY

Today we get to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I think I’m more excited than Kara. I just feel like we need something good to concentrate on. I can tell she’s still worried about us finding Paige but I’m hoping that once we find out today, I can get her to get excited about setting up the baby’s room. Girl stuff, you know?

She walks out of our room. “I’m ready.”

I smile. “All right, let’s go. I’m excited. Are you excited?”

“Do you have a bet going on this or something?”

I laugh. “No, I’m just excited. I want to know what we’re having.”

“Jeez, Sly, where’s my macho fighter?” She rolls her eyes, walking out the front door.

As we climb in the truck, I look at her. “Is there something wrong with being excited?”

She deadpans at me. “No, but if you say excited one more time, I’m going to punch you in the nuts.”

“O-kay.” I crank the truck and back out of the driveway. Now I’m wondering if it’s just hormones or if she’s pissed at me for something. I love the sex hormones, but the anger ones scare me sometimes. It’s like being a bomb technician. Touch the wrong button, clip the wrong wire, and you’re done for.

“So babe, do you wanna grab something to eat on the way or after we’re finished?” I ask timidly.

She smiles. “After we’re finished, I’m really too nervous to eat right now. I’m sorry about earlier. I do want to know what we’re having, but I’m nervous, too. I just hope everything is okay with the baby. You know?”

I place my hand on hers. “I know, baby. I’m just trying to focus on the positives.”

“Thanks. I need to do that, too. I just keep waiting for the other shoe to fall. Things have been going too good.” She fidgets with her fingers nervously in her lap.

I pull her hand back to me and kiss it. “Babe, I’ve got both fucking shoes on. There’s not another one dropping.”

She laughs. “Glad you’re so positive.” She looks out the window as we pull in the parking lot of the doctor’s building. “I am really glad. I’m not being sarcastic, I need positive people right now.”

I get out of the truck and walk around to her side, pulling her into my arms. “Babe, I love you, so I’m going to be the positive person you need from here on out.”

She wipes a tear from her eye. “I love you, too.”

Once we’re signed in and seated, my nerves are all over the place. “Holy crap. Now I’m nervous.”

She barks out a laugh. “Ha. Now I’m calm. Are we taking turns at this or something?”

“Shit, I guess.” I see signs on the walls for birthing classes. “Are we going to take birthing classes? I need to know what the hell I’m doing in there.”

She starts laughing and even snorts. “Wow, we’ve went a complete circle since we left the house. Now I’m all cool and collected and you’re all squirrel on crack. It’s kinda funny.”

I shake my head. “Not funny. We’re almost half way, I need to know what I’m doing.”

She’s about to say something else when a short lady steps in the waiting room. “Kara Chambers?”

Kara stands and I follow her into a small room. The lady turns around. “Hi, I’m Tina, your ultrasound tech for today. If you’ll sit up here on the table and lie back. Bring your shirt up just under your breasts and push your pants down below your belly.”

Kara smiles. “Okay.”

Once Kara is situated, the tech squirts some gooey stuff on her belly. She pulls out a thing that looks like a remote with a cord and a rolling ball on the end of it. She starts running it over her belly and clicks stuff on her computer.

“I’m getting some measurements right now.” She clicks a couple of other things. “Here’s the heartbeat.” We both smile when we hear that thump, thump, thump. “It’s strong. All of the measurements look great. Now, important question. Do you guys wanna know the sex?”

“Yes!” we both blurt out.

She laughs. “That never gets old.”

“Do you have people who want to keep it a surprise?” Kara asks.

Tina nods. “Yes, I do. I also have a lot of people doing these gender reveal parties now.”

I’m confused. “Gender reveal parties? What is that?”

“I put the results in an envelope and you give them to the person doing the cake or the person planning the party. Normally, they either do a pink or a blue cake inside but you don’t see it until you cut into it. Some people also open a box of balloons, which are either pink or blue, and release them.  It’s a little crazy to me, but some people enjoy it.”

I shake my head. “All of that to have another party? I wanna know now.”

She laughs and so does Kara.

Tina moves the rolly thing around again. “Okay, here we go. Looks like this little one is going to cooperate quite well.” She points to the screen. “See that right there?”

We both nod and she smiles. “That is what we call the hamburger. You’re having a little girl.”

Kara squeals. “Oh my God.”

I chuckle and hug her. “I’m going to take it you’re happy?”

She nods energetically. “Yes. Are you?”

“Yes. I told you I didn’t care which it was. I think we need to bring more girls into the mix around here anyway.” I laugh. “Although, Huck living with two girls is going to be interesting to say the least.”

She shoves me a little. “He’s going to be the best uncle ever.”

Tina grabs a towel, wiping off Kara’s stomach. “All right, I’ll print these out and Dr. Jennings is going to see you today. This will be your first rotation.”

I’m confused. “Wait, rotation? What’s a rotation?”

Kara adjusts her clothes. “Yeah, I have to see each OB in the practice. Just in case they’re the one on call when I go into labor.”

“Wait, I thought I just called up the doc when you went into labor and he met us at the hospital.”

Tina laughs, going out the door and Kara laughs, shaking her head. “There are a lot of women around here, it would wear one doctor out. It’ll be okay. We’ll meet the new doctor today and it’ll be fine.”

I turn to Kara as we walk back out into the waiting room. “Okay, so how many doctors are in the practice?”

“Well, there are seven in the practice, but only four still deliver babies,” she says, shrugging.

“What do the other three do?” I’m really confused by all of this.

She giggles, sitting down. “The other three still care for women. We have to get annual check-ups so they still do that, they just don’t deliver babies anymore or do prenatal care.” She shrugs. “It mostly has to do with age and insurance. Stuff like that. It gets to be too risky for them to deliver babies after a certain age, their liability type insurance doesn’t want to cover them or wants to charge them crazy premiums, basically forcing them to step down from OB work. It’s crazy.”

“That is nuts. If the guy can still deliver a baby, I don’t care how old he is. He still knows more about it than me. I mean I don’t want some ninety year old man doing it, but if they’re still reasonably doing their job, who am I to say they need to quit?”

“Yeah, that’s kinda how I feel about it, too.”

After a few minutes, another nurse calls us back for her appointment with the doctor.

There is a young guy waiting in the exam room for us. This can’t be the doctor. Is he even old enough to be a doctor?

“Hello, I’m Dr. Jennings. It’s nice to meet you, Kara.” He sticks his hand out to me. “And?”

“I’m Sly.”

“Nice to meet you, Sly.”

I nod and reply, “You, too. Now, how old are you? Are you sure they aren’t going to write you up for skipping school?”

Kara smacks me on the arm. “Sly, shut up. Don’t be rude.”

The doctor laughs. “It’s quite all right. I get it all the time. I’m thirty, but if it helps I get carded all the time for beer.”

Kara shakes her head. “I’m so sorry. He’s a little protective,” she says, shrugging a shoulder toward me.

He motions to the exam table. “I’ll step out so you can slip your clothes off from the waist down. Then just have a seat and I’ll be back in.” Kara slips off her pants and panties, then sits on the end of the exam table.

“I’m not sure about that guy. He’s still kinda new.”

She rolls her eyes. “It’ll be fine. He may not even be the one I see.”

I’m about to speak when she shushes me because there is a knock at the door. As the doctor comes back in, he motions for her to lie back. He pulls out a measuring tape and stretches it over her stomach. “Well, you’re measuring fine.” He pushes on her stomach and sits down between her legs. As he probes around, doing whatever they do down there, he speaks, “The ultrasound looked great and everything else looks good, so we’ll get you set up for your next appointment.” He looks between us, “Unless either of you have any questions?”

He follows us out to the desk and we set up her next appointment.

I look over at her on the way out. “Let’s go to the store.”

“For what?”

“I wanna get something for Huck and Lox.” I grin.

She shakes her head. “You are such a goof.”