Banded Together (Rebel Walking #2.5)

by Storm, Hilary

  "How are you feeling?" Ev finally speaks. I probably shouldn't enjoy teasing people this much, but I do.

  "Great actually, other than not sleeping the best."

  "I can't wait to meet her! Are you going to tell me her name yet?" Taron and I have decided to keep the baby's name to ourselves until she’s born. His choice to name her Heaven melted my heart; I’m so proud to name my daughter after Eaven. I know she'll be excited when we announce the name.

  "Not until she's here. I promise that you two will be the first to hear her name."

  "Three weeks! I know you're so ready to meet her yourself. Is the nursery ready?"

  "No, we haven't been able to finish it with everything going on. I need to get it all together soon."

  "Well, I'm sure after the baby shower you won’t need anything!" My shower back home is planned for the Saturday after Ev's wedding. I feel like a terrible mom because I'm not prepared for her yet. The trial took everything out of me. I'm hoping now that it's over I'll be able to get everything ready to meet my baby girl.

  "Yeah, I know the grandmas have gone crazy with the shopping. I'm sure they'll load us up on all the required baby stuff."

  "You know they will!"

  "You girls want to take me by Luke's so you can do your chick shit?"

  "Really, Talon?" Ev smacks his shoulder with the back of her hand.

  "Hey, I have things to work on and I know you have plans to spend money today." He returns the gesture by smacking her on the ass.

  "This shit has got to stop. You don't get to make me feel like I'm off my game. You two are ridiculous." I continue my rant through the living room as I grab my purse and phone.

  "What, Miss Ivy? Is my brother not keeping you on your game?"

  "He's not here right now, so no, he's not keeping up with me."

  "Damn, Ivy. You usually grab Taron by his dick and lead him around, why not now?"

  "Never mind that I said anything. I'm just out of control. I'll be glad when these hormones are in check."

  We drop Talon off at Luke’s house and I notice Taron’s truck isn’t here. It reminds me that I was going to text him when I left.

  Ivy: Going out with Ev

  Taron: Have fun.

  Ivy: K. When will you be home?

  Taron: It'll be late.

  I'm not going to lie, I don't like his vagueness. I'm trying so hard to just let it go but it's eating at me very quickly. He said he was going to Luke's. The thought that he'd be anywhere else never crossed my mind. I type the next message and silently pray for him to answer correctly.

  Ivy: Where are you?

  My stomach tightens as I wait for his response.

  Taron: Working through details with Luke. See you tonight.

  My heart sinks. Again he's vague. Red flags begin to flash in my mind and I'm trying with everything I have to calm myself down.

  Ev pulls in to the dress shop parking lot just as a sharp pain causes me to grab my stomach. It's tightening again. This has happened before so I know if I eat and drink something it'll calm down.

  "Hey, can we get something to eat first?"

  "Sure! Ivy, are you okay?"

  "Yeah, I'm just hungry."

  "How does Italian sound?"

  "Great." I manage to get the word out before the Braxton Hicks contraction tightens everything again. Shit, these are a lot harder than they've been in the past.

  This one forces me to lean back in the seat and breathe through it.

  "Ivy. You're scaring me. Are you in labor?"

  "I don't think so, just go through the drive-thru somewhere and get me some water and chicken strips real fast."

  She orders quickly and I manage to get some water in me before it starts to happen again.

  "Shit, Ivy, I'm calling Taron."

  "No. Just wait and see if it stops. It usually does." I'm not going to tell her this is the worst I've ever had it. I have no desire to see Taron right now. I just know he's hiding something from me.

  "I'm going to time them." We sit in Talon's truck and count the contractions. One after the other they continue until I finally agree she can take me to the hospital.

  We get to the hospital and the nurses attach me to the monitor to watch the contractions. One of the nurses checks to see how dilated my cervix is. Eavan and I are both completely shocked when the nurse says I'm already dilated to a four.

  "I'm calling Taron now." I can't deny him this. No matter what happens between us, he loves this baby and he deserves to be here to see her when she enters the world.

  Chapter Five

  Taron

  She's finally out of the house. I have so much to do and not much time at all.

  "Luke, can you and Lilly start painting? Holden, this crib needs to be put together. Where the hell is Talon?"

  "He's coming, just chill your shit." Holden has to be tired of my hyper ass today. I've been going non-stop since I left Ivy this morning. It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't chosen to get my new ink today. I can't help it, some days I just have to have a new one; today is one of those days.

  I grab a paint roller and begin to roll on the paint I chose for Heaven's room. It's a special paint that looks almost silver with a bunch of glitter-like specks in it. It'll be perfect with the black furniture and dark pink everything else. I hope Ivy likes it.

  It doesn't take us long to paint the entire room. Lilly has been edging the whole time, so we manage to get the paint on rather quickly. Ivy has been texting, and I hate being vague with her, but she doesn't need to be dealing with all of this. I want her to relax and enjoy her time with Eaven.

  My phone rings and I struggle with it because of the damn paint all over my hands.

  "Taron, it's Ev. Get to the hospital, Ivy is in labor."

  "On my way." I don’t wait for her to say anything else; those words are all I need. My brother meets me at the door with more of the guys who were coming to help with the nursery.

  "Ivy is in labor. Got to go. NOW."

  "Let me drive you." Talon turns immediately to follow. He takes for-fucking-ever to get me to the hospital and I don't even let him completely stop the truck before I'm out and running.

  The nurse leads me to Ivy and I take in all of the machines strapped to her as well as the scared look on her face. Another nurse is moving an elastic strap around on her belly.

  "We'll keep and eye on her heart rate. I want you to lie on your left side for a little while. I'm going to call the doctor and make sure he’s nearby."

  My heart begins to panic. What's happening? Why is this happening so early and why are they worried about heart rates? My eyes meet Ivy's tear-filled gorgeous blue eyes and all I see is panic. I need to get my shit together and be here for her. Eaven begins to talk to Ivy.

  "Everything will be just fine. Dr. Simon is a great doctor and your baby is a fighter. She has no choice because it's in her blood." Ivy nods her head and grabs her lower back. I move in close and rub my hand over her belly, trying to reach around to rub her back for her.

  "Did they give her anything for pain?"

  "She told them she doesn't want any and no epidural." This is something we talked about. Ivy wants to do this naturally, but I told her to see how she feels during labor.

  Eaven moves to let me sit right next to Ivy. I take her hand and try to think of the words to say.

  "I love you." Those three words are the one only ones that come out.

  "You lied, you fucking asssssssshole." Asshole comes out through a crying scream. What the hell? Her grip becomes so tight and I'm not sure when the fuck she gained the strength of a bodybuilder, but she did.

  "What are you talking about?"

  "You said you were with Luke."

  "I was!"

  "Liar! And what the hell is with all the fucking glitter?"

  "Just a project I'm working on."

  "There you go again. I can't take it. Just leave me alone!" She starts to roll onto her back when the nurse walks in and reminds her to sta
y on her left side.

  "I'm not leaving you, so get over yourself." I grab her hand with both of mine and pull hers to my lips.

  "What did you do to your finger?" Shit. This is definitely not the time to show her what I've done. I talk to the nurse and try to avoid her question.

  "Taron, why do you have a fresh tattoo on your finger?"

  "Because I wanted a new one."

  "Let me see."

  "I will when you get out of here." I watch the monitor as her discomfort sets in again. Her pain is getting stronger with each contraction.

  "SHOW ME NOW!"

  How do you deny the woman delivering your baby anything in the world she wants? You know, the one who looks like she could reach out and rip your throat out with one hand? You don't.

  I slide the wrap off and hold up my left hand to show her my new ink.

  "Don't overreact. You can decide when you're ready. Until then, I want you to know that I'll wait for you no matter how long it takes.

  "You ASS! You're making me cry when a fucking watermelon is about to squeeze out of my vagina hole. Taron, that's not fair. You're not allowed to have my name wrapped around your finger without my permission."

  "Baby, if I wait until you're ready, I'll never have you around my finger." This time her hand squeezes even harder than before. The nurse comes in and talks about checking her dilation again. If this were any other situation, I'd think it was hot, but seriously, my girl is hurting while the nurse tries to check her tonsils through her vagina.

  "Already a nine. You're moving very fast. The doctor is in the building so he'll be in shortly. Her heart rate looks much better now that you're on your side, so keep lying in that position." The nurse leaves quickly and I take my last chance to remind Ivy that I'm here.

  "Baby, I love you. There is no one else I'd want to share this with. You are it for me. I'll prove that to you for the rest of my life if that's what you need. I won’t rush you anymore. You just let me know when you're ready." Tears fill her eyes.

  "I won’t trap you."

  "Don't you see? I'm already trapped. You trapped me a long time ago. Do you see me trying to break away? I'm exactly where I want to be. We are so much better together than we ever were apart."

  Her contraction hits harder this time so I hold her as much as I can and take in how important this moment is for us. Seeing her in pain kills me, but knowing she's choosing to go through this to protect the baby helps.

  "I think my water just broke." I pull away and look at her confused face.

  "Um... I'll get a nurse." We both laugh at the situation. I have no idea what to do about her water breaking and I can only suspect there is one hell of a mess in that bed. I find the call button and page the nurse. When one shows up, they quickly change the padding on the bed and begin to prep her for delivery.

  "Looks like we're about to have a baby in here." Dr. Simon opens the door and begins talking to the nurses following him in. "Let's get everything prepped. I'm going to check her again and see if she's ready."

  I watch Ivy as the doctor checks her and I place a kiss her forehead just as she starts to cry out from another contraction. I'm about to lose my shit because I can't do anything to help her. Her cries pierce through me and I'm trying not to yell at the doctor while his hand is inside her.

  "She's fully dilated. Let's do some preliminary pushes to get the baby into position." At this point everything feels like it’s moving in fast-forward. Nurses surround her, Ivy's legs get shoved up to her face, machines and carts get wheeled in and I get lost in all of the commotion.

  "Here, Dad, you get in on this side and help her hold this leg up when she pushes. Sister, you take the other side. I catch a glimpse of Ivy's swollen...... I'm not even sure what to call it right now.... and don't even recognize it. My girl is going through hell and all I can do is hold her leg. Fuck my life.

  "Baby, you are so important to me. I want you to do this without complications because I need you. Our baby needs you." She nods her head and continues to cry out as quietly as she can.

  "Okay, it's time to push."

  The nurse talks Ivy through her first push and counts it down for her. The doctor is in position to catch the baby and I just stare in awe as my beautiful baby girl is born into this world. Dr. Simon hands me the scissors to cut the cord and I proudly do the honors. He sets Heaven across Ivy's stomach and I get to see my daughter for the first time. She has a full head of dark hair and doesn't hesitate to protest the second she makes her appearance. Her little hands are shaking and she is so pissed off.

  I turn to look at Ivy and see that she's as teary-eyed as I am. Words can't really describe the feeling of meeting your daughter for the first time. "Look at her. She's beautiful!" Her little cry starts to sound pitiful and cute at the same time.

  "Let's get her cleaned up a little and finish up with mom. Dad, you come with baby and keep her company." I follow this tiny thing that already has me completely wrapped around her pinky finger.

  "Hey, baby girl! Don't cry. Daddy’s here!" Her cries stop when she hears the sound of my voice and I set the tip of my finger inside her hand. She starts to cry again so I decide to sing my song to her. She’s already heard it many times and I don't care if people think I'm crazy. I wrote this song for my daughter and it's time she gets a front row seat to hear it.

  "Rock and Roll, baby, it's in your genes, to sing like your daddy and look like your mommy. The world is ready for you, my baby girl, and I plan to be there for you every step of the way. I love you, little Heaven, more than you'll ever know............"

  The song calms her. I love that my voice has this effect on her; it tells me she knows her father. Holy shit, I'm a father.

  Chapter Six

  Eaven

  That was the craziest thing I've ever witnessed. Ivy is so strong and Taron made me proud. He's really going to be a great dad to my niece.

  I stay with Ivy while they finish with her and we watch Taron with the baby just across the room. He's already singing to her and falling in love with his little girl.

  "She's so pretty, Ivy. You did great."

  "Thanks."

  "Will you tell me her name now?"

  "Taron decided to name her Heaven... you know, like Eaven, but with an 'H'." Tears fill my eyes instantly and I struggle with a response to her words.

  "It's perfect. Thank you!" Watching all of this happen so fast has me emotional and so happy for them. Talon has been texting and asking for updates. He went to get my camera since I didn't have it with me when we left earlier. I step out to get it from him because I want to capture them in their first few minutes as parents.

  "Oh Talon, she is so beautiful! You should see how proud Taron is. He loves her already."

  "I knew he would. When do I get to meet my niece?"

  "I'll see if he can show her off soon. I'm going back in to take pictures."

  I walk back in and take pictures of Heaven and Taron, and once the doctor is done with Ivy, I get to take their very first family photo. You can just see the love from both Taron and Ivy when they look at their baby.

  Talon enters and the proud dad begins to show off his little princess. I watch Talon's face to see how this affects him. The loss of his own baby in the past has been extremely difficult for him, but he seems genuinely happy for his twin brother.

  "You did great, brother, but you’re going to have a hell of a time with these two women in your house."

  "I know, but I'm ready." The room fills with our closest friends. Our parents are on their way and the grandmas will soon take over this poor baby, leaving no one else a chance to hold her. I step toward Talon just as Taron hands her to him to hold. Talon cuddles her close and begins to talk to her.

  "What's your name, pretty girl?" Talon's voice becomes so soothing. It's hilarious how these big alpha males melt for such a tiny baby girl. Ivy looks over at me and grins as we wait for Taron to officially announce her name.

  "Guys, I'd like you to meet Heave
n Walker."

  "What's her middle name?" Talon asks the question I'm thinking.

  "With a name like that, she won’t need one." I speak up quickly and take her from Talon to enjoy her for only a few minutes until she’s stolen from me. Once our moms show up, we decide to leave and let the true spoiling begin.

  On our way to the truck, I can't keep from grinning for Ivy.

  "She's so cute, Talon!"

  "Yeah, she kind of is." He has an all too familiar look on his face just as he bends down to throw me over his shoulder.

  "What the hell, Talon?"

  "Let's go practice making our babies." I know not to even fight him carrying me. He does this shit to me all the time and I'm not going to lie, it's freaking hot. He flips me onto my ass in the seat of his truck.

  "You ready?"

  "Um.... for?"

  "To practice!"

  "Yes we can practice, but after what I just saw, I have no desire to have a baby anytime soon."

  "That bad, huh?" His laughter lightens the seriousness of our conversation.

  "It was a bit shocking, but I know Ivy wouldn't have it any other way."

  "One day we'll be ready to have a little girl or boy, but until then, we’ll just have lots of sex." He slides into the driver's seat and before he can start the engine, I turn to him and grab his leg.

  "You doin’ alright?"

  "I'm okay. I'm happy for them but I'm not really ready yet."

  "I'm not, either; we have the rest of our lives. We can just spoil her like we do Avery for now." Talon loves my little sister and she’s always loved him; the bond those two share is adorable. She has him wrapped up and can get him to do anything she wants.

  "What should we do about the wedding? Should we push it back?" He starts the engine and begins to drive.

  "Hell no! We push forward and do this!"

  "I still need a dress. Ivy and I didn't even get into the store before she went into labor and I really want to do this with her."