[Ravage MC 03.75] - Rattle Me (4 page)

Casey fidgets with her hands and then grips the side of the table then inhales a deep breath. “I’m scared. I lost Mia at three months. I don’t know how far along I am, but I’m terrified I will lose this baby too. Is there anything we can do to prevent it?”

The doctor moves closer to Angel. “Unfortunately, there are no guarantees in life and this is just the same. We have no control over if you miscarry or not, but many, many women have a perfectly normal pregnancy following a miscarriage. Let’s get you checked out, get your blood drawn, and sent to the lab then see where we need to go.”

“Okay.”

Dr. Hernandez calls the nurse back in to draw blood from Angel’s arm and I grip the chair, not liking one fucking bit watching her get poked. The doctor asks Casey to lie back and then pulls out these huge stirrups, having her place her legs in them while the paper covers her. Now, I’ve seen this shit before on TV and in movies, and of course porn, but never firsthand. Shit’s creepy.

Loud clangs come from the front of the bed. “What the hell is that?” It sounds like metal hitting metal, like what I’d hear at the garage.

“I’m going to give Casey an exam, part of that is a metal clamp that will spread her wide while I look inside,” the doctor says, focusing on Angel.

My stomach falls. “Will that hurt?” My eyes shoot to Casey who holds out her hand. I stand and move closer to her, taking her hand.

“It won’t hurt the baby or me. She just needs to make sure that everything is okay up there for the baby. This is normal,” Angel reassures me.

“Normal. How the hell do you women do this shit?” I stare down at my girl who has a smirk in place.

“No one ever said being a woman was easy.” Angel chuckles.

I scoff, fuck that shit. I’m glad I have a dick. More sounds come from under the sheet and Casey grips my hand tight.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.” She smiles as a large clang like metal dropping in a drawer rings out through the small room and I cringe. The doctor stands and adjusts the paper in-between Casey’s legs, pulling her gloves off with a snap.

“Everything looks perfect. I didn’t see any scarring or anything that would indicate any complications from before. I’ll put a rush on your blood work so I should have it back by the end of the day. Do you know when you conceived?” She turns to the garbage can, throwing the gloves away.

“No, I’ve been a bit off these last few months and I can’t remember if I had my period last month or not.” The shame and guilt in Angel’s voice guts me.

“That’s no problem. When the blood work comes back it’ll tell me about how far along you are by the level of hormones in your body.” She pauses. “I know you’re afraid of miscarrying, but you can’t stress about it. Stress is very bad for the baby. That alone can cause you to miscarry. I don’t say that to scare you, I say that to inform you. Find things that help keep you stress-free. Yoga’s a great one.”

“Twisting my body into a pretzel is going to relax me?” Angel smarts off and I chuckle under my breath. That’s my girl.

“You’d be surprised. If that doesn’t interest you, what does?” The doctor asks sweetly.

“Cars. I rebuild engines.” I grin and shake my head. No girly shit for my woman. Bet you anything this baby knows how to change oil and how to take apart an engine by the time he or she is three.

“I’d take a break from being in the garage. The toxic chemicals and smells aren’t good for you.” Angel’s hand tenses in mine. “Rest is always important; lots of water and sleep. Make sure you get a lot of sleep. Also, spotting is normal. If you happen to have small drops of blood in your underwear, sit down and rest. If there are more than just small drops of blood, call me immediately. A small amount is perfectly normal as the embryo is making its home in your uterus.” Is it bad that I want to fucking gag with all this blood and uterus talk? “Depending on what the blood work says, I won’t see you again for another month, but if you have any questions at all, you call,” the doctor finishes.

“Can I work in the office at the garage?” Angel asks the doctor.

“It would depend on how close it is to the chemicals and fumes. If they are on opposite sides of a building, there should be no problem.” Thank fucking God it’s set up that way. Angel would go nuts sitting around the damn house doing nothing.

“Alright.” The tension in Angel’s grip lessens with the doctor’s words. Bottom line of this visit is we can’t stop a miscarriage; we just have to follow instructions and hope that it all turns out. Not having control of it eats me alive, but I will not show Angel that.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Angel says.

“Do you have any more questions for me?” the doctor asks, moving her papers around on the counter.

“When can we see the baby?” I pipe in. That’s the one thing I wish I could have done before, had just one look at Mia. I know Casey has a couple of pictures, but I would have liked to have seen it with my own eyes.

“At about twelve weeks we will do an ultrasound.” The doctor scratches something down on the folder in front of her.

“When will I be out of the woods for the risk of a miscarriage?” Angel squeezes my hand and I hold hers tight.

The doctor turns to us. “Most happen within the first three months or first trimester. Normally, when we pass that mark I don’t suspect it anymore, but there is always a possibility. I wish I could say it will not happen, but there is always that risk. We will keep a good eye on you and the baby to make sure it is growing healthily.”

Casey’s body sags as all the air comes rushing out in a huge bubble. I’m not sure if it’s relief or defeat. I’m hoping for the first. “I’ll do everything you say, Doctor.” My Angel is a wonderful woman.

“I have no doubt. You will need to take this.” She hands Angel a piece of paper and she nods. “Prenatal vitamins, daily. You are welcome to resume normal everyday activities, minus working on engines, and live your life.”

“Thank you.” Angel smiles.

“All right. I’ll let you get dressed and we’ll be calling you later today,” Doctor Hernandez says, and I remember something.

“Wait!” I stop her as she turns to the door. Her body jolts at my commanding words, but she instantly turns back. “Sex and riding a bike. What about sex? And can she ride on the back of my bike?”

“What about it?” The doctor smiles. “I’m kidding. You can maintain all your normal sexual intercourse. There is no reason for concern.” Relief. There is no fucking way I can go without fucking my girl. “As far as riding, it shouldn’t be a problem, but remember there is less around her to protect her and the baby in case of a fall.” I look up at her with wide eyes. “I’m not saying you have to refrain, just giving you the facts for you to make your decision.”

Fuck me. No more bike for Angel for a while. “Thanks,” I mumble as the doctor leaves the room with the same smile in place as when she stepped in. Casey quickly dresses then pulls her body up to mine.

“You’re gonna be a daddy.” She grins, gripping my shirt in her hands, joy swimming in her eyes. That’s what I like to see.

“And you a mom. Love you, Angel.” My lips sweep hers in a chaste kiss. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

The day dragged on as we waited for Casey’s phone to ring. She paced the floor back and forth; she barely ate a bite of food. Doctor is right, I’m going to have to help her chill the fuck out. Good thing I have a sister and mom to help me with that shit.

The phone buzzes in Casey’s pocket and she answers it fast. I listen to the one-sided conversation, but don’t get much info from it. She hits end and comes up to me full of smiles.

“Baby is doing great. All the hormone levels are exactly where they should be for a six-week-old baby. He or she will be here in about eight months.” She jumps a bit, letting her excitement show, and I am grateful. “The nurse said that everything in my blood came back normal and there is no reason for any concerns.”

I wrap my arms around her body and slightly lift her up off the floor, her hands gripping my shoulders. I kiss her with all my excitement pouring into it. Damn, this is great news.

Casey pulls away. “I want to wait to tell people until after my next appointment. They want to see me in two weeks, just to get another blood sample to check my levels to make sure. The nurse said it would help alleviate some of the unknown and might help me with the stress.” Her words are like a punch to the gut.

“We have to tell our family, babe. They’ll be happy for us.” I set her down on her feet, but still keep her locked in my arms as I stare into her eyes. This is not something that I want to keep from my family or my brothers.

“I know they will and they will suffer with us if something happens. I just want to make sure. Can you do that for me?” Her eyes plead and as much as I don’t fucking want to, I cave. Fucking hell.

“Fine. But after that appointment, we tell my parents and then announce it to the club.” Fuck me. Ma will have a shit fit if she finds out we didn’t tell her.

She hugs me tight, her body relaxed. “Thank you, baby. I love you so much.”

This is definitely going to be one hell of a wild ride.

Waiting for the next appointment seemed like the longest two weeks of my life. The actual visit was fast as they only took my blood and scooted me along the way. Getting the call that all of my hormone levels were exactly where they should be and everything else was on target was a huge relief. GT already called Ma, Harlow, and Becs to invite them over for dinner. I’ve been cooking for the past hour and trying to make everything great. Last time, I didn’t have an opportunity to tell anyone, so this is a first for me, and I’m pretty excited about it.

When I asked Ma about working in the office with her for a while, she got a really funny look on her face like she knew. I’ve been a bit hesitant around her, wondering when she was going to ask me, but she never has. And I’m grateful for that.

The doorbell rings and I place my towel on the counter. Excitement bubbles and I know I am ready to tell them all. I still have a huge part of me that is terrified, but I’m going to enjoy this moment. I
need
this moment. I walk into the living room to say hi, giving hugs as everyone files into the house.

Pops, Ma, Becs, Cruz, and Harlow enter the house, Harlow watching me weirdly. I try not to meet her eyes. She’ll pull me aside and beat it out of me if I don’t tell her. She’ll know. She always knows.

“Aunt Casey… Uncie GT.” Little Cooper barrels through the door and I kneel down to the floor as he runs into my arms. My hands move to his stomach, tickling him relentlessly. His laugh is infectious and I love every second of it.

“Hey, bub. How have ya been?” I ask, stopping to let him catch his breath for a moment, his dark hair covering his face from the tussle.

“I pay cars and trucks. Mommy take me to da park and Daddy let me help clean the bike.” I wasn’t expecting a rundown of his day, but so be it.

“Sounds fun.” He giggles and runs for GT’s leg, squeezing it tight. I watch their interaction and tears form in the back of my eyes. GT picks Cooper up and tosses him around in the air, making him full-out laugh. Beautiful.

GT sets Coop down and he runs off into the house. GT pulls me up to his side, a huge smile gracing his sexy face, and I can see the pride pouring out of his eyes.

“We have something to tell ya.” He looks down at me, his eyes glowing as he addresses the small group. “We’re having a baby.”

Low and Ma scream, then Ma runs up and clutches me to her body. She holds me so tight, air is less available, but the large smile spreading across my lips never diminishes.

“I just knew it!” she screams and I smile. “Oh, Angel, I’m so happy for you. Anything you need, anything at all, you let me know. You hear?” I nod my head, loving the compassion and warmth from the only mother figure I’ve ever known. She pulls away and I’m bombarded with hugs and kisses. GT gets slaps on the back and praise.

Becs strides up and wraps his arms around me, and for a brief moment, I envision my father, but snap out of it. “Baby girl, anything you need, I’m here for you.”

I pull back and look into Becs’s eyes that are swimming with love. “Love you,” I whisper and he smiles.