Hurricane pulls on his jeans, shirt, and his Defiance cut, the leather looking extra intimidating tonight. I slip into one of his oversized T-shirts and a pair of maternity leggings, my movements slow and awkward.
“I have to brief the boys,” he says, his voice back to presidential mode, but I can see the cracks in his armor.
I nod, not trusting my voice.
He comes to me one more time, his hands framing my face. “Ineedyou to stay strong for me, Sha. Ineedyou to take care of our babies and trust that I’m comin’ back to ya.”
“I’ll try,” I whisper.
“Don’t try. Do it! Promise me?”
“I promise.”
He kisses me one more time, soft and lingering, then he’s gone.
Leaving me alone in our bedroom with the ghost of his presence and the terrifying reality of what’s about to happen.
Chapter Ten
KAIA
The clubhouse feels different in the early hours of the morning. There’s a heaviness in the air, a solemnity that always settles over us before the men ride out and into uncertainty, into war. I sit in the main room with the other old ladies, Izzy, Novah, Lani, and the few other women whose men are staying behind to protect the compound.
Nobody talks much.
What is there to say?
We all know the risks.
We all know that some of the men who ride out tonight might not come back.
Frankie brings me a cup of coffee, her usual flirtatious demeanor replaced by genuine concern. “You okay, honey?”
“As okay as I can be,” I answer honestly.
Lani reaches over and squeezes my hand. We’ve all been through this before, the waiting, the not knowing. “They are the best fighters I’ve ever seen,” she says quietly. “Hurricane’s smart and experienced. He’ll bring them home. He has to. Because if Grit gets hurt out there, I will personally kill him.”
A slow smile crosses my face. “Who Grit or Hurricane?”
She snorts out a half laugh. “Both of them!”
I nod, but the fear is still there, sitting like a stone weighing heavily in my chest.
Frankie slides into the chair opposite me, her eyes settling on Raid. “I can’t even imagine my life without that grumpy bastard. I can’t even fathom what it would do to Addi. They’re really getting to know each other now that her mother’s gone, and…”She sighs. “Shit! I hate nights like this. It was easier being a club girl than an Old Lady.”
The rest of us chuckle as Novah shoves some cake into her mouth. “Well, I’m stress eating, so… that’s fun.”
Lani’s eyes widen in excitement. “Oh, I’m down for that. Is there more?”
Novah giggles, pointing to the kitchen. “I made a whole cake. Go, knock yourself out.”
Frankie and Lani both stand abruptly, heading for the kitchen, and I smile as Lani glances over her shoulder. “Want some?”
I glance down at my enlarged stomach, but figure I may as well jump on this bandwagon. “Hell yeah.”
Lani winks at me as she and Frankie take off for the kitchen, and I place my hand on my belly. The twins are restless, kicking and squirming like they’re picking up on my anxiety. I rub my belly absently, trying to calm them and myself at the same time.
At exactly two a.m., we hear the rumble of van engines starting up. My heart clenches as I realizethis is it.
