“We did. Man, I want to kill her mother. I’ve got Brick lookin’ into her and the accident that put Sheridan in the hospital and made her deliver our son early,” I answer him, getting pissed the fuck off all over again.
“What the hell is goin’ on? We haven’t had a chance to truly talk about anythin’ so I’m out of the loop. I know you’ve got guys at the hospital around the clock and near the house. Is there somethin’ goin’ on the rest of the club should know about?” my cousin asks me, his voice slightly colder than a minute ago as he waits for my answer.
“Sheridan’s mother has never been a mom to her. The accident from years ago the doctors were talkin’ about in the hospital was deliberate and planned by her in an attempt to kill my girl. That’s why her back is so damaged and she’s got problems with it. The reason there was so much concern about her havin’ another surgery. She’s already had multiple surgeries on her back and is in constant pain. Now, the skank is threatenin’ Sheridan and our son because the money that was left to Sheridan is hers. She doesn’t have any more stipulations or anythin’ like that. Sheridan’s mother feels entitled to the money and will do anythin’ to get her hands on it. She truly doesn’t give a fuck who she has to hurt or what she has to do,” I inform Knuckles as I let the rage fill me and think about the situation.
“Where the fuck is this bitch? Let the ol’ ladies get their hands on her and she won’t stand a chance,” Knuckles states the truth and voices the same thought I’ve already had.
Janessa, my mom, and Marie already love Sheridan and won’t let anyone hurt her. Once the other ol’ ladies get to know her, they’ll feel the same way. That’s one of the main reasons I love the club so much. We truly are a family and none of us go through anything alone. If one of us has a problem, we all help out in any way we can. Because we won’t hurt a woman, it doesn’t mean the ol’ ladies of the club won’t get their hands dirty. They’ll beat a bitch and not think twice about doing so.
“We don’t know where she is. Sheridan has no clue and I have yet to ask her dad. I’ll be talkin’ to him in the next day or so to see if he has any idea of where the bitch could be hidin’ out. The twatapotamus is gonna meet her maker and I plan on watchin’ it happen. I just hope my girl will finally beat the hell out of her mother and let her know she’s not the weak girl she once was. Sheridan is strong as hell and I know she’s been workin’ out the best she can and has taken a few classes in martial arts. She just can’t do a lot because of her back,” I inform my cousin as a smile fills my face with the image of Sheridan pounding the fuck out of the incubator who gave birth to her.
“You need me and Janessa, let us know. I know my girl will get her hands dirty in a second for Sheridan. She really likes her and wants to hang out with her more than what she’s had the chance so far. I think she was actually gonna head to the hospital with Sheridan today because everyone else is busy,” Knuckles says from up front. “We’ll get back home as soon as possible. I know you want to be home with your family. That’s where I’d wanna be. Just keep your head while we’re on the road so nothin’ happens to you. You’ve finally got your shit together and are buildin’ your family. Sheridan and Leo need your ass and I refuse to let anythin’ happen to you.”
“Don’t plan on anythin’ happenin’ to me, Cousin,” I state as we continue down the road and I push all thoughts of everything but the trip out of my head.
***
It’s almost midnight and we’re just getting back to the clubhouse. We would have been back hours ago, but the van broke down. One of the belts broke and we had to find a parts store to get a new one. It’s the one part we didn’t have in the order we picked up. Just my fucking luck. While we were waiting, I called Sheridan to let her know I was going to be late and then my mom so Sheridan wasn’t home alone once she got back from the hospital. My girl would have spent the night crying all alone and that’s not something I want to happen. It’s not like I believe Janessa would leave her alone, but she’s got kids to take care of and had to be with them. I know Sheridan wouldn’t have accepted an offer to spend time at Janessa and Knuckle’s house either. She would have wanted to be alone and away from everyone to get lost in her head about everything. I’m not gonna let her do that shit.
“Head home. I’ll meet Omen inside and go over everythin’ with him,” Knuckles says as we pull in the gate.
“Sounds good. See ya tomorrow,” I return, my voice excited with the thought of seeing Sheridan and holding her in my arms.
Without another word, I head for the house that’s slowly becoming a home with Sheridan living there and us getting things ready to bring Leo home. Riding closer to the house, I shut my bike off and push it in the driveway. If Sheridan is already asleep, I don’t want to wake her up. She has a hard enough time sleeping and if I wake her up, Sheridan won’t go back to sleep for hours.
Parking my bike, I quickly get off and head inside the house. My mom is sitting on the couch with a book in her hand and the TV off. She looks up and smiles at me as I remove my cut and place it over the back of the chair in front of me.
“How is she tonight?” I ask, my voice a whisper as I lean against the chair and run a hand down my face in exhaustion.
“She had a rough one. Janessa said she cried all the way back from the hospital. I was already here when she walked in the door. I got her to eat a little bit and then had her relax in a hot bath. She had a small snack before going in to lay down. I just checked on her and she was finally asleep. Broke my heart to see her crying in her sleep,” my mom answers me, standing from the couch and walking over to give me a hug. “Take care of her, Axel. Sheridan is special and I know you two are taking things slow. She’s trying so hard to be strong for Leo and you. Give her a soft space to land when she needs to break, Axel.”
“I have been. My girl knows I’m always here for her. I hold her every damn night as she cries and says she’s a horrible mom because our son is in the hospital still while she’s here at home. I can’t make her see that it doesn't make her a bad mom. She spends every single second at the NICU with Leo and is the last one to leave his side every night. She’s an amazin’ mom and it’s only goin’ to get better from here. I did call the doctor to see how he was doin’ when we were waitin’ on the belt. They said his oxygen levels didn’t drop hardly at all last night and it might be soon that he can finally come home,” I say, a smile on my face with the thought of Leo coming home and us never having to go back to the NICU to see him and then leave him there while we come home.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. Sheridan really wasn’t up for talking about things when she got back. Make sure she has a good breakfast when you guys get up. She really didn’teat much. Not when she’s breastfeeding and pumping when you’re home,” my mom says, happiness filling her face as she gives me a hug and lets herself out of the house.
I walk through and do my nightly check of the windows and doors before setting the alarm and heading straight for the bedroom. Pausing at the bed, I cover Sheridan up and wipe the tears from her face before making my way to the bathroom. I have to take a quick shower before I even think of climbing in bed with her. The day of riding has covered me in road grime and I don’t ever climb in bed like that. Rushing through my shower, I get out and dry off before pulling on a pair of sweats. I barely run a brush through my hair before I head back to the bedroom and climb in bed next to my girl. Sheridan turns to me the second she feels me near her and wraps her body around mine. She’s like a little koala bear and I’m not going to complain for a second about it. It fills me with a deep sense of pride to know even in sleep, Sheridan turns to me and wraps herself around me. It’s the best feeling in the world. I press my lips to her forehead before getting comfortable and closing my eyes. It doesn’t take long for me to fall asleep and dream of my girl and the future we’re slowly building together.
Chapter Sixteen
Sheridan
MY DAYS HAVE become routine and I do the same thing each and every one. I get up early, shower, get ready, and have breakfast Axel makes me. He always makes sure it’s balanced and full of nutrients and everything I need while breastfeeding. Axel gets up just before me and gets in a workout in the gym he has here at the house. It’s nothing like the one at the clubhouse or the gym the club owns and Knuckles runs. It’s enough for him to get a simple workout in though without him leaving. Once we’re done eating breakfast, I gather up the milk I’ve pumped overnight and we head to the hospital. I’ve packed a diaper bag and it goes with us each day. That’s what we use to take care of our son now. I don’t want to take supplies away from other babies who don’t have family members to visit them daily or have the resources to buy things and bring them in when we do.
Axel and I have even been allowed to dress Leo in clothes we bring from home. It’s mainly onesies and pajamas, but it makes it seem as if we’re that much closer to bringing him home. At least that’s what I tell myself every single day because it’s the only way I can get through each one without breaking more than I already do. The doctors are optimistic we’ll be able to bring Leo home sooner than they originally thought. It’s already been weeks and weeks of him being in the NICU and his oxygen levels are finally starting to remain stable throughout the night. He’s steadily gaining weight as well. My boy eats like a little piglet andI love sitting there nursing him as Axel watches on and makes sure I have water and a snack for when I’m done feeding our son.
Thinking of Axel, I can’t help but smile. He’s been so good. Not just with Leo, but with me as well. Every single night he holds me close and lets me cry for as long as I need to. There isn’t a single second he complains or treats me like shit because I’m so damn emotional about Leo not being home with us. There have been a few times he’s cried with me when we’re all alone in our room at night. We’ve both let down our walls and become our most vulnerable in those moments as we hold one another and whisper words of reassurance. Each of us blame ourselves for Leo not being home where he belongs. He’s once again my biggest support and the strength I need when I finally get home and can relax without a ton of eyes on me.
My dad has been to the house daily to help Axel and the guys put the finishing touches on the nursery once visiting hours are over. They finally finished it last night and I’m truly amazed with how it turned out. There’s a mural painted on the wall of motorcycles and teddy bears. The crib sits between two windows and the rocking chair is in the corner right near the crib. On the opposite wall is the changing table. Leo’s closet and dresser are already filled with a ton of clothes. Marie, Janessa, Jolene, and the rest of the ol’ ladies truly went overboard with their shopping. Plus, I’ve gotten more than a few packages shipped to me from Shelly. Leo definitely won’t have to worry about running out of clothing any time soon. I’ve loved washing them all and taking care of them. Our boy is spoiled already and I have a feeling it’s only going to get worse as he gets older and develops interests of his own.
“We gotta stop at the clubhouse on our way home,” Axel informs me on our way back to the house after spending the day with Leo. “Mom wants to see us for a second.”
“Okay. I don’t want to stay there very long though. I’m exhausted and about ready for bed already,” I tell him, stifling a yawn as I lean my head on Axel’s shoulder.
When we go to the hospital each day, we take Axel’s truck. I’m not cleared to ride on his bike yet after the accident and cesarean section. Axel doesn’t ever complain he’s not on his bike. When I asked him about it, he simply said instead of me being wrapped around him on the bike, I get to sit right next to him in the truck so he still gets to feel me up against his body. Honestly, I can’t wait until Axel and I can go for a ride on his bike. I’ve missed it over the years and Axel is the only one I’ve ever been on a bike with. We talked about it last night when we were in bed. Apparently he’s got a list of places he wants to take me on the bike when we aren’t home with Leo. It helped keep my mind off the fact that our son wasn’t home with us and distracted me just enough to fall asleep easier than I have in a very long time.
“We won’t. I’m not sure what’s goin’ on, but Mom was pretty insistent about us showin’ up,” Axel says as we pull up to the gate and the Prospect opens it for us.
“Has Brick found anything on my mom yet?” I ask, wondering what’s going on with the search for the evil bitch.
