by Harley Wylde
Speaking of my beautiful wife… she wandered into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes as she blinked sleepily. Her hair was disheveled but she looked adorable, especially wearing one of my shirts and nothing else. Well, almost nothing else I amended as she stretched to reach for a glass and the shirt rode up, exposing a pair of pink panties.
“Morning,” I said.
“I didn’t sleep too long, did I?” she asked.
“You can sleep as long as you want. You’re growing another person, Luciana. It’s going to make you more tired than usual.”
She nodded and pulled the orange juice from the fridge, then filled a glass. She set the carton down, then stared at it. I bit my lip so I wouldn’t laugh. I’d learned that Luciana wasn’t much of a morning person and it took a good half hour before she became fully alert. She seemed to shake it off and put away the orange juice, then sat at the table with her glass.
“I made an appointment for you this morning,” I said. “Just to make sure everything is all right with the baby.”
“Should you --”
I held up a hand and cut her off. “I’m perfectly fine, Luciana. I’m not dying, the stitches dissolved nearly two weeks ago, the infection is gone. I’m plenty capable of driving you to an appointment, but since I still don’t know what’s going on with your father we’ll take a few men with us. Better safe than sorry.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry. I’ve just been so worried about you.”
“I know.” I reached out and grabbed her hand. “It’s nice to have someone worry over me, but I’m perfectly fine, and all the stress isn’t good for you and the baby.”
She dropped her gaze. “Violeta should have an appointment.”
“Because she’s pregnant?” I asked, wondering if she’d known about her sister and had kept quiet.
Slowly, she nodded, then chanced a glance in my direction. I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile.
“Sweetheart, I hate to tell you this, but Violeta lost her baby. She’s fine, and Rocket is taking good care of her.”
The tension eased from her shoulders. “Good. Is it horrible that I’m glad she isn’t pregnant anymore?”
“No, not considering the circumstances. She’s young. Too young. But if she’d had the baby and decided to give it up, we’d have made sure the kid found a good home. And if she’d had it and wanted to keep it, then we’d have helped with that too. Neither of you are alone anymore, Luciana. You have an entire family standing behind you, whether they’re blood or not.”
“When’s my appointment?” she asked.
“You have enough time to have some breakfast, shower, and get ready to go without rushing.”
“So I can sit here a little longer?” she asked.
“Of course.” I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Drink your juice and I’ll fix you something to eat. Eggs and toast sound okay?”
She nodded and yawned widely.
I smiled as I pulled the eggs and milk from the fridge. I couldn’t remember ever thinking a woman was as cute as Luciana. Everything she did fascinated me in some way. I’d be perfectly content to just sit and watch her. Although, that sounded a little creepy now that I thought about it. But I did like watching her twirl her hair around her finger, or the way she bit her lip when she was nervous. The shy smile she gave me at times. Everything about her made me want to learn even more.
Fuck. Me. I was falling in love with my wife. I’d realized a while back that I cared about her, more than I’d ever cared about a woman, but this was more than just caring. I wanted to see her smile, wanted to make her happy, give her everything she’d ever wanted and never had. Yep. I was in love with my wife. I glanced her way, but she wasn’t paying me the least bit of attention. I didn’t know if she’d be happy to hear that I’d fallen for her, or if it would scare her off. We hadn’t entered into this with love on either of our minds. It had been an agreement and nothing more. Yeah, sex had been part of it, but not emotions.
I finished the eggs and stuck the bread into the toaster. I knew she liked hers barely browned, so the level popped a minute later and I slathered the slices in butter before plating them. When I set the dish down in front of Luciana, she gave me a smile and her eyes shone with warmth. Taking care of her felt good. I’d taken care of my club for most of my life, even before I’d been the President, but this was different. With Ryker’s mom, we’d tolerated each other, but I hadn’t been ready to settle down. I’d run around on her and not treated her very well. I wouldn’t make that mistake with Luciana.
“You’re not eating?” she asked.
“I had something earlier. Fox came by early to discuss club business so I grabbed a quick meal before he showed up. I didn’t want to wake you since you were sleeping so peacefully.”
“He doesn’t scare me anymore,” she said, not looking at me. “If that’s part of why you didn’t wake me. I know he’s not the same man who hurt me. Everyone has treated me really well, and I’m comfortable here now.”
“I’m glad. They would lay down their lives for you, or for Violeta.”
“I know. It was hard not to see all men as evil. I’d never known anything else. Even Mr. VanHorne left me feeling skeptical. I’d only known that he was working with my father, but I hadn’t realized he was trying to make us safe. I thought he was a broker of sorts.”
“That’s what he wanted your father to think. I believe Mateo Gomez is on borrowed time. Not just as the head of the Colombian cartel, but in life as well. If Casper doesn’t end him, I damn sure will find a way to do it. I don’t want you to feel like you have to look over your shoulder all the time.”
“It’s not just him,” Luciana said. “You’d have to take down all his men as well. There isn’t a single one who is redeemable. All of them are rotten to the core.”
I nodded. “I figured as much. I’m hoping we can find enough of your father’s businesses that we can rescue any women who might be suffering at his hands, or because of his actions. If not my club directly, then others I trust.”
“You’re a good man. Honorable. I’m lucky to be your wife, even if we didn’t say vows in a church.”
I paused, my cup of coffee halfway to my mouth. “You want that? A church wedding?”
She shook her head. “It’s not important to me. When I was little, I would dream of my wedding day and finding the perfect prince who would adore me. As I got older and learned about the monsters living in the world, those dreams changed. I only wanted a place where I could feel safe. I have that with you, and more. I’m happy, Spider, and I don’t need a dress, flowers, or a church to make me feel any more married to you than I am.”
“Surge printed off a copy of a marriage certificate, even if it is completely fabricated by his computer skills, just like our marriage. As far as the state is concerned, we’re legally married thanks to his hacking, but you didn’t exactly agree to all this. If you’d like, we can frame it and hang it somewhere in the house, or I’ll give you a real wedding if you want one.”
She smiled brightly. “I’d like that. Framing the certificate. I don’t need a wedding.”
“You won’t have wedding pictures. Don’t women want that sort of thing?” I asked.
“Maybe we could just take some together here at the compound,” she said almost shyly. “Two houses down there’s a pretty tree with flowers. It would make a nice picture.”
“The dogwood outside Knox’s home?” I asked. Then I wasn’t sure she’d know what a dogwood was. Did they have those in Colombia? “Small tree with white flowers?”
She nodded.
“I think that can be arranged. And if you want to plant flowers or anything else around here, you’re welcome to. Just let me know what you need.”
“I guess if I have an appointment, I should start getting ready.” She leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Thank you. For everything you’ve done for me.”
I waved off her thanks, not needing it. If anyone was thankful, it was me. I hadn’t rea
lized until now that I’d just been living through one day at a time without any true meaning in my life. My club had been my entire world, and there wasn’t anything wrong with that, but Luciana was showing me that I’d been missing out on something amazing.
While Luciana got ready, I cleaned up the kitchen, then browsed SUVs on my phone. With a baby coming, we’d need something other than my bike. Using the club vehicle was fine for now, but we needed a family car that was just ours. Never thought I’d be looking at car seats and shit. It amazed me that I wasn’t the least bit bothered by the thought of raising another kid. Ryker had turned out okay. Hopefully I wouldn’t screw up this one either.
Chapter Eight
Luciana
I stared at the doctor and blinked a few times. “I’m what?”
“Carrying twins,” the doctor repeated. “And you’re severely underweight considering how far along you are. The babies aren’t developing as well as they should be. I’m going to write you a prescription for prenatal vitamins and give you a diet plan to follow to ensure the babies get all the nutrients they need. I’ll want to monitor you closely the next few weeks.”
Spider gripped my hand. “She’s been under a great deal of stress. I’ll make sure she gets plenty of rest and eats properly. Whatever she needs, I’ll make sure she gets it.”
The doctor looked at his cut and stared down her nose at him. I could have sworn her lip even curled in a snarl for a moment. It was clear she didn’t think much of him, and that bothered me a great deal. I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and hoped he’d give in to the request I was about to make. I knew Spider wouldn’t lose his cool with the doctor for fear of upsetting me, especially after the news she’d just given us, but I wasn’t about to stand for her to treat him like he was trash.
Now that I was getting more comfortable with my new life, I’d found that I was more outspoken around other people. I didn’t cower anymore, or fear being reprimanded for disagreeing with someone. Under Spider’s care, I was flourishing, and I loved my new life. With him by my side, I felt like I could do anything. Even take an uppity doctor down a few notches. “Do you think you could give me a minute with the doctor?” I asked.
He glowered at the woman, but kissed my cheek. “I’ll be right outside the door in the hallway.”
The doctor backed as far away from him as she could as Spider walked out, closing the door a little harder than necessary. She folded her arms over her chest and stared at me, her chin jutted out and her jaw tight. Yeah, she wasn’t happy, but I didn’t much care. That man had given me a new life, a home where I was safe and cared for, had family other than my sisters. He wasn’t a bad guy, and I wouldn’t let anyone think otherwise.
“You don’t like him,” I said.
“I don’t like what they stand for. Drugs. Murder. Rape.”
I held up a hand. “I can’t speak as to whether or not they deal in drugs, but I do know that none of the men in Spider’s club, him included, would ever kill an innocent person. I also know they don’t rape anyone.”
I couldn’t say they wouldn’t kill anyone because I had no doubt they’d all murder my father if they had the chance, and I wouldn’t stand in their way. Some people deserved to die, and if Spider and the Hades Abyss wanted to take care of the trash, then I wouldn’t utter a word of complaint. One rotten life in exchange for a bunch of innocents? Wasn’t a hard decision, not for me.
The doctor opened her mouth, but I stopped her before she could spew more hatred.
“Spider is a good, honorable man. This baby isn’t his. Or rather babies,” I said pointing to my stomach. “But I’m his wife now and he’s accepting these children, even though neither of us knows who the father is other than a complete monster. The scars you saw on my body aren’t from my husband. He would never hurt me.”
I told her about my father, about what I’d endured since I was just a teenager, and I made sure she understood that Spider had saved me and Violeta. I couldn’t stand the thought of her believing such horrible things about him, or any of the men in Hades Abyss. As far as I was concerned, they were saints. Angels. Avenging angels maybe, since I knew every last man I’d spoken to wanted my father’s blood for what he’d done to me and my sisters.
“They’re good men,” I said softly. “If you can’t see that, if you can’t give them a chance, then I’ll have to ask Spider to find a different doctor for me. I won’t be seen by someone who’s going to treat him like something she stepped in.”
The doctor sighed and gave me a slight nod, but not before I saw the sheen of tears in her eyes. I wondered if those were for me and my unborn babies, for my sisters, or if something had happened to her. She’d seemed so insistent that Hades Abyss was full of evil men. It made me wonder if she’d known bikers before, maybe some who weren’t as good as the men I now lived with.
“What club hurt you?” I asked, taking a gamble that she’d been mistreated by a biker at some point, or several of them.
Her gaze jerked to mine.
“You’re too adamant they’re bad people without truly knowing them, which means you’ve had a previous experience with bikers. A bad one from what I can tell,” I said.
“I was gang raped by a club before I moved here about six years ago. They caught me by my car on my way home from med school. I was twenty and completely naïve despite what I’d seen in the hospital. My daughter is the product of that night.”
“I knew you looked young,” I said with a smile.
She shrugged. “Graduated high school when I was fifteen and went straight to college. Took the max course load and petitioned for more so I could finish my degrees faster. I haven’t been practicing all that long, but I pride myself on being the best at what I do.”
“You’re amazing,” I said softly. “But so are the men of Hades Abyss. I understand why you don’t want to give them a chance, but I can’t keep seeing you if you’re going to look at them with hate and contempt.”
“Maybe I do have a biased opinion of men like your Spider. If he’s as good as you say, then I’ll give the Hades Abyss a chance. I wouldn’t want anyone to judge me based on someone else’s actions, so I’ll try to do the same for them.”
“Thank you,” I said softly.
The doctor crossed the room and pulled open the door, letting Spider back inside the room. He raised his eyebrows as he looked at me, and I gave him a smile and a nod. I was fine. Although, I did wonder if it would be okay to invite the doctor to the compound sometime. Maybe if she got a chance to spend time with Hades Abyss, she’d see how good they were. I didn’t fool myself into thinking they were law-abiding by any means, but I also didn’t think they would hurt women and children. Assholes like my father were another matter, and I was behind them one hundred percent if they wanted to wipe that type of filth from the face of the earth.
“You ready to go home?” Spider asked.
Honestly? No, I wasn’t. I loved being at the house, knowing I was safe, but being outside the gates was nice too. Other than the one shopping trip, and now this visit to the doctor, I hadn’t left the compound since Spider had brought me here from the airstrip. I was starting to feel like I lived in a cage. A pretty, spacious one, but a cage just the same. After the life I’d led, I was used to being kept under lock and key, but this time it was different. I wasn’t being held hostage by my father and his men. Spider only wanted to keep me safe, and I appreciated that, but I was also ready to experience all I’d missed in my life.
“I’ll call in her prescription. The pharmacy on Main Street?” the doctor asked.
“That works,” Spider said, observing her.
“I’m sorry,” the doctor said, her tone grudging at best. “Your wife pointed out that I was judging you unfairly.”
“Bad experience with a biker?” he asked.
I tugged on Spider’s hand and shook my head, hoping my look conveyed enough that he’d leave it alone. I’d tell him just enough about the doctor that he wouldn’t judge her for
her previous behavior, but otherwise it was her story to tell. I just knew my kindhearted husband would do his best to make her feel at ease once he knew that her background with bikers was less than pleasant. She may not have suffered as long as I had, but her experience was no less traumatic. She’d been abused by those men, violated, and I could understand her dislike and fear of Spider.
“Thank you for your time, Doc,” Spider said, holding out his hand. The doctor hesitantly shook it, a strange look crossing her face, before she darted out of the room.
“That went well,” I said. “Looks like you’ll be watching me even closer now.”
He snorted, then laughed. “We’ll get you back on track. Now that we know there’s a problem, we can fix it. Get changed while I go handle the bill and set up your next appointment, assuming you want to come back here.”
I nodded. “She had a really bad experience with bikers, but she knows the scars on my body aren’t from you. I told her that you and your club were honorable and not like the men who hurt her.”
Spider gave me a quick kiss, then ducked out of the room. I started pulling on my clothes and shoved the paper gown in the trash. When I reached the front lobby, Spider had a sheet in his hand with dietary suggestions. He took my hand and led me outside. Teller was waiting for us, along with Marauder and Hornet. Spider refused to let me leave without extra protection, in case we were attacked and he couldn’t keep me safe. I thought it was sweet, even though some women might feel stifled by it. I’d gladly go everywhere with a security detail if it meant my father, or men like him, wouldn’t get their hands on me.
