“Love you, baby,” I told her as she mumbled back to me, already half asleep.
Reaching the bottom of my stairs, my entire family were sitting around with somber expressions.
“Call Reaper. Tell him we’ll be there in twenty. I don’t want to be away from Fiona for too long.” Guard nodded and stepped onto the porch as I looked at my mom and sister.
“Thank you. For being here. And please text me any and all updates, even if it’s just her getting up for a glass of water. I need to know. I just need to know she’s okay.” I swallowed thickly, and my mom pulled me into a hug.
“I’m so proud of you, son. You and Fiona will get through this together. You two are going to have a beautiful life,” Mom told me as she held me in her embrace.
“Love you, bro. Now, get out of here so you can come back and get some sleep. You look like shit.” I snorted at Charlie’s response, but gave her a hug once Ma released me. The ride to the clubhouse was silent, and the tension was palpable.
Walking straight to Reaper’s office, no one stopped us. Either the determination or clear exhaustion on my face deterred them. Once the door closed behind me, I finally hesitated. Reaper sat behind his desk, his expression weary. Running a hand through my hair, I paced the office, rather than sitting trying to get my thoughts in order.
“Cops picked up Ginger. Made sure they had enough proof of her stealing to keep her away for a long time. Will keep you updated, but she’s being held without bail,” he informed me, breaking the silence. “How’s Fiona doing?” he continued.
“Fiona is tough. She would say she’s okay, but that’s not the term I’d use. Regardless, she’s the reason I’m here. Crow had a lot to say. She wanted to make sure you were informed.” He sagged back in his seat, as if recovering from a physical blow.
“I’m listening.”
As I told him about Crow’s plans and his beliefs about his paternity, a myriad of expressions crossed Reaper’s face. When I finished, he sighed deeply before sitting up in his seat. After a few minutes, he started talking.
“When we found out Seph was pregnant, we knew there was a chance I wasn’t the father. We could have done a test, but it didn’t matter to me. I loved Seph, and in my heart, that baby was already mine,” Reaper revealed on an exhale. Taking a minute, he went on. “I love that boy. It never mattered to me whose blood he was. After he was born, I never felt a reason to pursue a paternity test. Maybe that’s the problem, though. It’s not about how I felt. We should have thought more about how he would feel. I guess we thought we were protecting him. Maybe that wasn’t our place, though.
“I was hard on him. I wanted to prepare him, make sure he could be a good President. I knew, as my son, people would always question if he earned the position or was just given it out of nepotism. Shoulda talked to him more.
“Thank you for coming to me with this, and I’m sorry that I got Fiona involved. Anything you need, just say the word. I’ll hold Church to update everyone about Crow after I talk to Seph,” he told me, and I nodded.
Reaper put the club first, even if that meant sending them after his own family. I was sorry for the position he was in.
“Thanks, Reaper, and I’m sorry. I never noticed anything…” I stumbled for a response, and he waved me off.
“Not on you. Now, get some rest.” I nodded and left his office, exhaustion dragging at me.
Guard got me into the passenger seat of the truck and drove us back to my house. Once inside, I mindlessly made my way upstairs, quickly stripping down to my boxers before collapsing next to Fiona in bed.
Pulling her warm body against mine, I inhaled her familiar scent, and felt something inside me ease. With my woman safe in my arms, and my family standing guard downstairs, I finally allowed sleep to pull me under.
Chapter 28
Fiona
By the time I woke up after returning from the hospital, most of the day had passed. Rolling over, Bash was asleep next to me. I wasn’t sure what time he had gotten back from the clubhouse, but I was happy he was able to get a few hours of sleep with me.
I slid out of bed as quietly as I could in an attempt not to wake him. When I saw it was almost 4 p.m., I was taken aback, but after the night we’d had, it made sense. When I was finished in the bathroom, Bash was awake and sitting up. I stepped over to the bed, and he tugged me forward until I was standing in front of him.
Wrapping his arms around me, he rested his head on my stomach. My hands instinctively wrapped around him, my fingers tangling in his hair. We stayed like that, holding each other for several minutes. Exhaling, Bash stood up and reached for my hand.
“Let’s see what the crazies have been up to,” he said, and I smiled.
It was oddly quiet when we reached the bottom of the stairs, just the muted sound of TV coming from the living room. Walking toward the noise, I stopped short at the sight of Jackson looking uncomfortable. Sitting on the edge of the couch, he chose a spot as far away from Bash’s family as possible.
Guard had Cece tucked into his side, his arm stretched behind her as he leaned back, seemingly at ease. Although he gave the appearance of being relaxed, it was obvious to me that Guard was on high alert. Charlie sat in the middle of the couch, eyeing Jackson unabashedly with a frown. Her lips pursed, as if she physically was holding back from asking him a million questions.
Once we entered the room, all heads turned toward us. In an instant, Jackson was on his feet, heading for me. Without letting myself think too much about it, I took the last step to close the gap between us. When he pulled me to him for a hug, I sagged, my arms going around his back.
“Fiona. I was so fucking scared,” he spoke softly, the words ragged, and I was surprised to feel a lump in my throat.
“Thank you. For coming after me, helping find me,” I replied, vaguely aware of Cece ushering everyone out of the room.
