“When Rocky died, a piece of me died along with him,” he begins then clears his throat again and looks at Sutton.“When you and Raegan came into the mix, he was immediately drawn to you, and I couldn’t figure out why at first.The more I got to know you, the more I understood.A lot of people avoid those who have a disability or are lacking what society deems normal, but you didn’t.You always made time for him and included him in everything.Rocky could be a handful at times, but you never showed that it bothered you.When Melissa roped you in on the house project, you jumped in with both feet not even batting an eye, and he loved doing those projects with you.Blaze and I started feeling like you were his only sibling in the world when we had family meals and you were all he could talk about.”Stone pauses for a second then sniffs.“There isn’t a single person on this earth that I’d be more honored to carry that name, and I swear on my life that I’ll protect you and this baby.”He turns and points over at our brothers loitering the hallway.“They will protect you and this little one with their lives.”
Each of the brothers takes their palm and hits their cuts over his hearts, sending a loud thud echoing on the walls.
“Thank you,” Sutton whispers as she cries and then steps into Stone’s waiting arms.He whispers something that I can’t hear and she nods.
Later that night, I watch as Sutton peacefully sleeps in the bed.Zane is coming up tomorrow to meet his little brother.We video chatted earlier, but he was more interested in showing us his new building blocks than looking at the baby.I have a feeling that he’s going to have a hard time sharing Sutton with his brother.
“You’re still awake?”my wife sleepily asks.The light to the bathroom is on, and it lights half the room up.Being shut in a dark tornado shelter for two months with little light has her not wanting to be in dark rooms.Melissa said that it’ll take some time for my wife to adjust to sleeping with the lights off, but it only fuels my blood to make the man responsible hurt a little more each day.
We’ve got good ol’ Shepherd Walter strung up in our guesthouse.Been there for weeks.He receives daily whippings and is on ice until I’m able to leave my little family and give him the attention I think he should have.We still have some questions that need answers, and until I’ve made sure that Sutton and little Rocky are good and safe, I’m putting him on the backburner.
“Just thinking about stuff,” I answer.
“’Bout what?”
“How lucky I am that Stone kicked my ass the day we met, and I went for a ride and stopped to have a drink at Frankie’s,” I tell her.Our paths were going to cross at a later time, but I’m sure glad I got to taste heaven that night.
“Come lie down and hold me,” she mumbles, not even opening her eyes.
Slowly I get up from the chair and make my way over to the bed.I slide in next to her as she attempts to scoot over.She molds to me like a second skin, brushing up against my dick.
“Careful, Darlin’, this is how we ended up here in the first place,” I say next to her earlobe.
She moans at my words, “Okay, but the next one better be a girl, I’m a little outnumbered here.”
I’m walking the halls of the hospital doing a loop in the middle of the night.We’re on high alert until we know the full extent of the cartel bullshit Juan José Sanchez is going to bring our way now that we interrupted his pipeline into America.It was only a bonus that we killed his worthless grandson Hector.The Vipers MC were trash and needed to be plowed down.
I pass Bull when I step outside of the emergency department doors.He’s got a lit cigarette hanging from his lips as he looks out to the parking lot.We’ve got a total of ten brothers here watching the hospital while Sutton and little Rocky are recovering.They’ve been here for four days and both get to go home tomorrow.Little guy has improved leaps and bounds and gets to blow this joint early.
A lot of changes are being made at the clubhouse or I should say compound now.Stone bought the fifty acres next to us on either side of the clubhouse.He has one side designated for our own housing community if we want to build a home or if we want something other than just a room at the clubhouse.We all voted in favor for it.It’ll be nice to have a place to escape if we need a reprieve from each other.He and Crusher have a crew of a hundred men working on five homes at the moment.It’s like our own neighborhood but secured and gated.Ain’t no motherfucker getting past those walls.Now that we’ve got babies coming into the mix, we need to have our property guarded so that everyone inside is shielded.No exploding homes inside our walls.
“How’s it going?”I ask, coming up behind Bull.
“Fuck, Reap.”Bull’s cancer stick falls from his lips onto the ground.“Give a man some notice or some bullshit.”
I can’t help but chuckle.“Where’s the fun in that?Gotta keep you on your toes,” I say and gaze out over the inky lot.
“Quiet as hell.Just the way we like it,” he remarks and bends down to retrieve his smoke.
“Calm before the storm,” I murmur.
With a slap on the back, I walk through the doors and move towards the front of the hospital where Twitch is leaning against the information desk.He’s drinking from a coffee mug as he sees me coming.Unlike Bull, Twitch never leaves his back open.
“Everything good?”he asks as I look around the lobby.
“So far,” I answer.
“You ever wanted that?”
“What?”I ask, not understanding the question.
“Bro…a family.Prez and Havoc make it look appealing,” he says, and it makes me burst out laughing in the empty area of the hospital.
“Says the man who refuses to keep the same woman in his bed every night,” I rat him out.
He scoffs like I didn’t just tell the truth.
“I’m just saying,” he tries again.
