“Yes, I can. You need to get this shit settled once and for all.”
“No.” Lach turns his attention back to me. “Okay, Evie, this is going to be a little cold. If I can’t get a clear picture, we’ll have to wait until you go to Foster, where the practice there will have a probe available. I don’t think Judge would let me insert one into you.”
“Okay.”
He places the Doppler device on my stomach and presses harder until something finally shows on the monitor. “Okay, there is a baby, but we’re too early to get any more information. I’m going to refer you to Dr. Edgemont in Foster. She’s good and will check you out more in-depth.”
I look at Lucian, who shakes his head. “She’ll be seeing Dr. Neighbors. I’ll message her myself right now.”
“The fuck you say. That woman isn’t stepping foot in my practice and using any of my equipment.”
I sit up and take Lucian’s hand before I pat Lach’s. “How about you let me go home and rest, and if I have any problems, I promise that I’ll have Lucian take me to Smithfield.”
“Okay,” Lach acquiesces.
“I’ll still call her.” Lucian is so stubborn.
“Get dressed, Evie. If you need me, you know how to reach me.” He then points at Lucian. “You get the fuck out of my practice; I don’t want to speak to you for a while.”
Lucian helps me get dressed, and we leave with Loco tagging along.
“You piss off Lach again?” Loco asks. He must know what’s going on.
“Yep.”
“You told him.”
“I can’t keep her hidden much longer.”
“What did you do, Lucian?” I turn to look at him.
“What I had to. Don’t worry about it, it’s club business, baby.”
That statement means I won’t get to know anything else.
Judge
* * *
We pull into the compound, and I carry Evie up the stairs. She protests the whole way. In the bathroom, I strip her and myself before walking us under the multiheaded shower and washing her off. She is covered in Justin’s blood and brain matter, which I assume is from the detective.
Cupping her stomach, I say, “Baby, I can’t lose either of you. I wouldn’t survive it.” My forehead falls to hers, and my body locks up with emotion.
Just the thought of what could have happened to her tears me up inside. If Justin had raped her, I’d drop him in a vat of acid while still alive. If he’d hurt her, I’d keep him breathing, torturing him until the pain subsided, which would be never. My mind would become unhinged without her.
When she’s completely clean, I drag her to straddle me on the bench and get her dirty again before cleaning her up once more and carrying her tired body to bed. I climb in naked with her as she sleeps and rejuvenates, but as time passes, ignoring all the phone messages is no longer an option, so I begrudgingly get up and head to my office.
My men are all waiting for me.
“Church,” I say, and everyone drops their cell phones into the locker that only a few of us have the combo to, and steps into the vault-style room. No devices are capable of recording in here.
Lach leans against the wall, paying me no attention. All the other board members, including Torch, are at the table with a few members standing around. He and Ruby arrived an hour ago, and she has been secured in his third-floor suite since.
Not wanting Chump to figure out we’re discussing him, I leave Rusty and Loco out there as well. No prospects and no nomads allowed.
“Start the vote first by patching in Rusty and Loco?” I ask.
We go around the table, beginning with our Sgt. at Arms, Spike; then Road Captain, Racer; next is secretary, Spider; treasurer, Hooks; enforcer, Hammer; tail gunner, Gus; then our Chaplain, Grave, and finally my second-in-command, Torch. All vote yea. Mal, Lach, and Law all agree, even though their votes don’t really count.
