I hug her tightly. “You are so correct, you have your whole life ahead of you. You can do whatever you want to in life; you can be anything. The world is yours now.” She hugs me back, “I love you, Lani.”
“I love you too, sweet girl. I’m so excited to see how you’re going to take on the world.” I push her hair out of her face.
“Let’s go get your labs done. I think Trey is bringing Michaela for her checkup now.” We wanted to get all of the others almost finished so we can all concentrate on her.
I check on Vinny in the waiting room, and Trey walks in with Michaela, who is holding a stuffed animal under her arm. “Did you get a new toy, sweetheart?” I ask her, and she nods, smiling.
I lean up and kiss Trey. “You guys have fun?”
“We had the best time, didn’t we, angel?” He kisses the top of her head and Vinny makes his way to us and kisses me too.
“How are they?” Vinny asks. I can see the worry in his eyes.
“Etta did really well. Lynn, on the other hand, is struggling a bit more,” I tell him honestly. “Braelyn is with her. I stayed with Etta.”
Vinny looks heartbroken. He runs his hand over his beard. Trey puts his hand on his back and rubs it comfortingly.
Lynn comes out of her room a few minutes later. She looks like she’s been crying. She slips in another room to get labs.
Braelyn makes her way over to us. “She’s having a hard time with this. She’s been in survivor mode for so long and now she’s starting to feel the things she’s never allowed herself to feel. She has severe CPTSD. She doesn’t have any major damage, but I’m worried about the scarring in her heart and not her body,” Braelyn says sadly.
“Time is what will help them the most. You’re giving her the best chance at fighting this. They are survivors, they will overcome.” Braelyn leaves us and goes to check on the girls, and the doctor comes out and motions that she’s ready for Michaela.
I go to tell Lynn. “The doctor is ready for Michaela,” I tell her, and she jumps up, gently lifting her from Trey’s arms.
“Do you want me with you?” I ask her. She nods, her eyes pleading with me.
I follow her inside and smile to the guys as the door is shut. Lynn sets Michaela on the table. The doctor smiles at us and starts asking questions. “Are you okay with immunizations?”
Lynn nods. “That’s fine.”
The doctor sets her clipboard down onto the counter. “I have to ask, Lynn, do you think she was sexually abused?”
Lynn shakes her head. “Nope, after he got done with me, I would crawl in bed with her. She was never out of my sight ever. I would have killed him if he ever dared to touch my baby.” Her eyes fill with tears at the thought.
“You did so amazingly. You protected her. I’m so proud of you,” I whisper to her. She smiles at me, tears falling down her face before she wipes them away.
The doctor examines Michaela. “I would like to do blood work on her also to make sure nothing is wrong under the surface, but she looks completely healthy besides a slight ear infection. With some antibiotics, it will clear up soon.” She writes the prescription and hands it to Lynn. “I’ll see you guys in a few weeks.”
* * *
When we arrive home, the girls are completely exhausted. Trey orders a bunch of different kinds of Mexican food family-style so they can try different things since they’ve never had it before.
I sit down on the couch with a groan, feeling drained.
I hear a buzzing sound throughout the living room. I look at the security screen to see a man at the front gate.
Trey and Vinny walk over to the screen. Vinny’s face changes to one of pure shock. I walk over to him, concerned, and he unlocks the gate and the guy drives inside.
He throws the truck into park and runs up to the front door like he has this big emergency.
When I finally get a good look at his face, I notice right away how much he looks like Vinny and the girls.
Is this their brother Danny?
Vinny opens the door and Danny stops in his tracks when he sees Vinny. “Brother, it’s been so long,” Danny says.
My first impression of Danny is that he’s a big-ass guy. I get military vibes from him—straight-backed and clean-cut.
Vinny splits the distance and hugs him tightly. Danny closes his eyes. I take Trey’s hand at the sight of this reunion. I know that Vinny wondered about Danny all the time.
“Fuck, baby, they’re all back together.” I lean my head on Trey’s shoulder and enjoy this beautiful moment.
Vinny and Danny part. “I just got out of the special forces. I went back home to see Lynn and Etta, but the house was completely abandoned. I found a neighbor and she told me that you got the girls. Then I asked around town and found you here,” Danny explains.
“Brother, I need to speak to you in private.” Vinny pulls him down the porch and sits on the steps.
I close the door and allow them privacy. The girls are in the kitchen eating dinner at the island, where we were about to join them before their brother arrived.
Trey looks out the door, keeping an eye on Vinny, making sure he is okay. He’s always in protector mode.
Fifteen minutes later Vinny and Danny walk inside of the house. I stand up and take Vinny’s hand.
Danny walks into the kitchen where the girls are sitting, “Etta? Lynn?” They turn around in unison, then they take off running, hugging Danny.
“I missed you girls.” Danny holds the both of them. The girls are crying and I can see Danny is trying to hold back his tears.
“We missed you too!” Lynn wipes her eyes. “We’re all together again,” Etta finishes, and my heart is so happy for them.
“Danny, this is my girlfriend Lani and this is my man Trey,” Vinny introduces us, and I wince inwardly, hoping for a good reaction.
Danny shakes Trey’s hand before he hugs me. “Thank you for taking care of my brother. It’s nice to see him happy.”
Okay he is truly a nice guy, I can see that, but I can also see a deadly side of him. He has a darkness in him that is deeper than even Vinny’s.
We all get some food and take it into the living room so we can all sit together. Michaela wakes up crying and Lynn gets her and carries her into the living room with the rest of us.
Danny looks confused when he sees Michaela. “Vinny, why didn’t you tell me you had a baby?” He smiles at her, touching her hand.
Lynn clears her throat. “She’s mine.”
Danny sets his plate down, confused. “What the fuck do you mean she’s yours, Lynn? Vinny, you never told me.”
“I told you about me, how I brought the girls home with us, but it’s not my place to tell their story.” Vinny tells him bluntly, and I have to agree. They may not want him to know.
Lynn sits down and takes out some food for Michaela. “Etta and I were forced to marry right after you left. I was married at thirteen and she was fifteen.”
Danny sits back on the couch. I can see the pain in his face. “You both are babies! Dad is a piece of shit. I hope to god he didn’t hurt you, too.”
Pain slices through my heart because he just confirmed that he was another victim of their fucking stupid father. I wish I could dig him up and tear him apart.
The girls look down, confirming exactly what he wanted to know. “I am so fucking sorry.” He reaches out and grabs both of their hands, then looks at Vinny, giving him a look of empathy.
“We’ll be okay, we’re in therapy and Vinny has taken good care of us. Time is all we have now. We’ll get where we need to be.”
Danny has a look of a proud brother. I am so proud of all of them. They changed everything around and look at them now.
7
Lani
Two Months Later
“Baby, time to wake up.” Trey kisses my forehand, rubbing my bare back. I can hear wrappers opening in the background and I peek one eye open to see Vinny holding a small box.
“I’m awake.” I sit
up and the blanket falls down to my lap, exposing my breasts. Trey hands me a T-shirt and I slide out of bed.
Last night Vinny randomly told me that he can’t remember the last time I had a period, and you know what? I haven’t had one since I’ve been living with them. I got off my period right before I met them.
Vinny must have run out and got some tests as soon as he woke up, but me? I wanted to sleep in. I’m still so tired, but we did have a huge sex fest last night.
I walk into the bathroom and I pee on multiple sticks, then I carry the tests into the bedroom with me.
Vinny and Trey climb into bed beside me and we wait for the results, the little blinking symbol driving me crazy.
“Just don’t look at it, baby.” Trey turns my face away from the pregnancy test, kissing me and pulling me into his chest, still tired.
We’ve been setting up the homes for the girls we’ll be rescuing. Lynn and Etta have been a huge help and have been writing down names and addresses of the underage girls they know were married and the ones who would want out.
I’ll be there. I’ll be in a car with a prospect, along with Braelyn and the girls because they insist on being there to help make the girls feel comfortable.
The MC have purchased land right next to Trey’s family. It’s a huge-ass farm with multiple big houses and a ton of little ones for the families being rehomed. The Grim Sinners have also donated a ton of money. We have had people working twenty-four hours a day to make sure it’s all finished, because tomorrow?
It’s all going down.
I look over at the test and pick it up. My heart starts beating so fast because of one single word.
Pregnant.
“Fuck, you’re carrying our baby!” Vinny takes the test and pulls me into his lap, holding me tightly.
Trey puts his hand on my stomach. We’re all shocked that it happened this soon. Trey kisses me so sweetly and strips me out of my clothes, laying me back so gently on the bed.
They both make love to me so sweetly and we’re all in tears, feeling so much in this moment. It’s a moment that’s going to change our lives forever. Nothing will be the same after this.
I have never been happier. Life is exactly what it’s meant to be.
Trey scoots down the bed, resting his head on my stomach, and cups the bottom of my belly in his head. “I’m your daddy. I can’t wait to meet you,” he whispers against my stomach.
Vinny scoots down next to Trey on the other side. “Hi angel, your dads can’t wait for you to be here. I can’t wait to see you grow inside of your mommy’s belly.”
I smile widely at the ceiling, basking in this beautiful moment. “You have a doctor’s appointment in thirty minutes. We need to leave in a minute,” Trey interrupts the moment and helps me out of bed like I’m fragile.
“I can get out of bed just fine,” I tease them, but my heart is beyond light right now.
Trey just smiles. “Let me baby you? You’re growing our child right now and you’re doing all of the work, but the only thing we can do is take care of you.”
Since he put it that way, I can understand why he insists on treating me like I’m made of spun sugar. “Okay, you can take care of me all you want.”
Vinny snorts. “We always take care of you.” He smacks my ass before he grabs a pair of leggings and a shirt.
He hands them to me, and I get dressed. I sit down on the bed and Trey brushes my hair for me.
This is love.
Words mean a lot, but their actions mean so much more. It’s the small things that mean to the most to me.
We walk to the truck and both of them have a hand on me somewhere. Lynn and Michaela are outside playing on the playset that Danny bought for her.
Danny has decided to prospect for the MC and he’s already a favorite of the guys. They like that he has a military background.
I can see a huge difference in Vinny. He’s much happier, but the biggest difference is the girls.
They’ve changed right before my eyes. I am in awe of how much they have changed. They’ve come out of their shell. They’re themselves now and it’s beautiful.
Lynn sassed Danny for picking on her the other day and I wanted to cheer her on because that is such a huge deal for her.
She’s still scared of me, both she and Etta are, but they also know that not everyone is out to hurt them and are learning to trust a little each and every day.
The ride to the doctor’s office is nerve wracking. What if the test was a fluke? What if I'm not really pregnant and I break their hearts?
I look over at Vinny, who is grinning from ear to ear. Usually we would be on the back of the bike, but since I could be pregnant, the truck is much safer.
We walk into the clinic and are taken straight back. They do blood work on me and I’m taken to the back of the clinic to change into a gown and wait for the doctor.
Trey and Vinny each hold my hands. “Are you nervous?” Vinny asks.
I let out a deep breath. “I’m scared that I’m not pregnant. I already have my hopes up. I want to be a mom so bad,” I admit honestly.
Trey stands up and hugs me. “Angel, if you aren’t pregnant, then it’s not the time for us. Things happen when things are meant to happen.” He kisses the back of my hand and sits back down in the chair.
The door opens and I stop breathing, waiting for the doctor’s verdict. “Well it looks like you’re pregnant!” She grins at me.
Relief fills my whole body. The guys squeeze my hands. She asks some questions and I tell her when my last period was.
“NO!” I hear someone yell at the top of their lungs outside the doors. I jump, startled at the loud and unexpected noise.
Trey gets up and looks outside the door, but no one is there. I laugh uneasily. “Uhh, do you have ghosts here?” I ask the doctor, and she looks just as confused as I do.
That was really weird.
Trey sits back down and takes my hand again, the doctor getting back to business.
She has me lie back to do a vaginal ultrasound, and the guys spot the wand. “What the fuck is that? Is that going up your…?” Trey stops and stands up like he’s going to snatch it out of the doctor’s hands.
I laugh. “Trey, that’s how she does an ultrasound since I’m still very early,” I point out. He reluctantly sits down, but I can see he is still on edge about it.
Trey holds my hand but doesn’t take his eyes off of the doctor, and I relax and look at the screen next to the bed.
The screen is fuzzy. She pushes a few buttons and then I hear this whooshing sound. “That is your baby’s heartbeat. You’re around seven weeks along.”
Vinny kisses my shoulder, our eyes glued to the screen. I can’t really make anything out, but the sound of the heartbeat is enough for me.
“Trey, can you record the heartbeat for me?” I ask.
He takes out his phone and records for a minute. Vinny rubs my tummy. I feel like I could burst. I never dreamed that I could be this happy.
The doctor writes me out a prescription for some prenatal meds and hands us some papers with information we may need.
“I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for you to come on the raid tomorrow,” Trey tells me once we’re in the truck.
“Why don’t you want me to?” My first thought is to be angry that he would suggest something like that. I take his hand and hold it as he pulls away.
He looks over at me and his eyes go to my belly. “I just can’t bear the thought of something happening to you.”
“I really want to go. We’ve put so much effort into getting it ready. Do you think we could find a solution?” I offer, and he smiles.
“Baby, you are too fucking sweet. I want you out of harm’s way. I want extra protection with you. I want Danny to stay with you guys until it’s safe. Deal?” Trey asks me and Vinny both.
“I like that idea. I’ll be careful and I’ll stay put until one of you come get me.” I can understand the need to make sure I’m safe.
They make sure I feel so safe that I forgot that Freddy even existed. California feels like it’s such a long time ago, a different part of my life even.
Everyone in Raleigh, Texas has left me alone or they’re just intimidated by the guys. Not even fans approach me anymore and that’s what I wanted.
What I have wanted for so long is happening before my very eyes. Next week I’m going to look at places for lease to put in a clothes store.
There are a lot of boutique stores, but not a lot of them carry plus size clothes and everyone should be able to feel pretty. I’d like to have someone in the store to help alter clothes if needed.
I look out of the window, watching the small town of Raleigh pass by. “I’m excited to tell people.”
Vinny grins. “The girls will be so excited.”
“Our baby and Michaela can grow up together.” I’m excited at the idea of them growing up, to see them playing together.
I rest my head on Vinny’s shoulder. I couldn’t stop the smile on my face even if I tried.
Freddy
She’s pregnant? She can’t be. She’s meant to be mine! I punch the wall outside of the clinic, where she’s sitting with those stupid fuckers who’ve kidnapped her!
They’ve taken her from me. They both use her and abuse her!
That is the only way she could have let them touch her. She knows she’s mine. That’s the only reason, isn’t it?
I stand in the alley as they push her along to get in the truck. Why are they touching her so much?
They’re going regret it. I will have her and she’ll be thankful that I’ve taken her away from those devil men.
I’m waiting and watching to find the right moment to make my move and take her with me.
The truck door closes with her inside. I’m so close but so far away.
I will have her.
Soon, my darling.
* * *
Vinny
Today is the day we’ve been planning for. We were all shocked at how many underage marriages had taken the place in the last five years alone.
Lani Page 10
