by K E Osborn
Over the weeks, patients would come and go. Some nice, some kept to themselves, some talked to me, most didn’t. But one always made an effort to spend time with me. In fact, his attention toward me seemed a little more like infatuation.
Everett Scott—he was the man walking toward me right now.
The hallway was dimly lit, the flickering of the one light that always seemed to be faulty made me cringe. It was so cliché. The psych ward having a flickering light, like something from a horror movie. I thought that shit was only shot in Hollywood, seemed I was wrong. My mood was down. I felt particularly low as I stood against the end of the hall while Everett stalked toward me. His eyes twitching like he was aggravated.
I knew when he got this way, it was best to avoid him. He could get restless. Sometimes say weird shit. So I made the move to walk off, but he rushed forward, blocking me into the corner of the hall. His arms coming up either side of me, his bulky frame trapping me against the peeling plasterboard. That damn flickering light enhanced my already racing heart rate as I looked to the floor. The walls feeling like they were closing in on me. Those ever-present storm clouds rolling in.
“Mylee, don’t try to run from me. Is it the government? Did they tell you to run?” he asked.
I risked glancing up at him confused by his words. But the hard look in his eyes teamed with the red puffiness surrounding them, only made me more frightened. I shook my head. “Everett, I… d-don’t know what you mean?” I stuttered.
“The damn government. They’re the ones in on this, they have been all along. Can’t you see? But we should fight it, Mylee. This conspiracy is bigger than them. We should fight it. My life is tied to yours… you should be able to see that by now?” He spoke with such passion, he truly believed every word he said as a shudder ran down my spine while his hand came up and caressed the side of my face.
I had nowhere to go. I was trapped. Tears pricked in my eyes as I looked at him. He had been my friend in this place, but he was slowly making less and less sense. His government theories and words about our lives being tied together were really starting to terrify me. But I wasn’t sure if maybe I was going a little crazy—maybe this was all a hallucination.
“Mylee, you need to realize we’re tied together. If you die, I die, right?” he murmured.
I opened my eyes wide wondering why he’d say something like that. Was it a threat?
“Why would you say that, Everett?” I blurted out as he brought both his hands to my face holding me tight. My body riddled with fear as I shook uncontrollably in the moment. I had no idea what to do. My mind a complete haze from not only the deep depression I was suffering but also the medication I had taken. I was almost drunk from the overwhelming anxiety. Everett was scaring me, his words so twisted, so confronting, so confusing. His face contorted in what looked like pain.
“We need to keep each other safe, we can do it this time. I can keep you safe,” he whispered the last part as he leaned in, his eyes closing as I registered his actions. My body went rigid to the spot frozen in fear. He was so all over the place. He was angry one moment, and now, now he was leaning in about to kiss me. He inched closer, my body unable to move, his hands tightening on my face holding me into position. My eyes squinting, my muscles contracting, retreating from the intrusion. I didn’t want him to kiss me. I felt violated as he came closer, so close I could feel his breath against my skin. But I was so lost, my mind not functioning, my body not moving. I was paralyzed in the moment.
“Hey!” someone called out as stomping feet came rushing down the hall.
Everett quickly backed off before the kiss made contact as the male nurse rushed toward us. “No fraternization between patients, Everett. You know that!” he said looking to me raising his brow as if to question if I was all right.
My body shook—fear, adrenaline, anxiety swallowing me whole. I didn’t hesitate. Everett was far enough away from me that I could make a run for it. So I did. My feet fled. I took off, one foot after the other as tears filled my eyes. My arms wrapping around myself as I raced down the hall toward my room. The comfort of my room, where I would lock myself in my bathroom and shower to wash away the feeling of Everett’s hands on me. Where I would cry into the rivulets of the water until my tears ran dry.
Until tomorrow, when it would all happen again.
Dad looks at me, grabbing my hand. “Hey, where did you just go?”
Shaking my head, I try to fight off the memory. “Nowhere good. Everett slipped into my mind.”
“I’m sorry I left you in that hospital with him for so long. If I knew he was playing tricks on your damn mind, Mylee… if I knew he was hurting you—”
“It’s no one’s fault. I wasn’t strong enough to realize he was a threat at the time. I know now, and so we can fight against him. But as long as he doesn’t know I’m here, we’re good. I’m okay.”
Dad exhales. “Last I heard he was going mad not knowing where you are. I think they’re getting ready to commit him again. If they do that, the threat might resolve itself.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice? I mean I don’t like that a man is so crazy within his own mind he can’t function properly. Hospitals are the best place for him where they can keep him under watch and guard.”
“Exactly. So you can get on with your life, your new family, and not have to worry about a thing.”
I weakly smile. “Here’s hoping.”
“Trax will look out for you, I have no doubt. He knows if he doesn’t, he’ll have me to answer to.”
“Not just you, but the entire Notorious Knights.”
Dad laughs. “Exactly. Everyone back home misses you, Myls.”
“I miss them, too, but eventually I was going to spread my wings.”
“Yeah… just didn’t think it would be four fuckin’ hours away. Thought you’d end up with someone from our club… Aero maybe?” He stands up moving in pulling me into a tight embrace as I wince. “I’m so proud of you, Mylee. I thought I’d walk in here and you’d be a mess. But you’re holding yourself together well. You’ve come so far from the girl who was diagnosed two years ago.” He pulls back looking into my eyes.
“Me and Aero, we were never gonna work. It was always Trax, Dad.” I smile. “I couldn’t be this girl without you. You made me into this woman, this much stronger, capable woman. That’s why I know I can do this with Trax and the club. We can do this… together.”
He looks at me and smiles. “I believe you can, and you will. This baby will be good for you. I know you always had an opinion about having children, but, Mylee, when your mother and I had you, it was the best-damned thing we ever did. We knew the risks of passing on her illness to you, so we went through the same thing you’re going through now, but to us, having you was more important. You’re so worth all the uncertainty. We were scared, we felt guilty, and the moment I saw your symptoms coming on, I felt like shit because we knew you were going to more than likely end up there. But it was worth it… to have you in our lives, baby girl. Because you are the most precious gift to have ever graced mine and your mother’s lives.”
I sniff. “Thanks, Dad, it means everything. I… I just miss Mom so much sometimes it completely paralyzes me. The thought I’m going to be going through this without her advice about how to raise this child …” My eyes mist up as I try to rid the tears.
“I know, I know, baby. She would have loved nothing more than to see you become a mother, even though I know she’d feel all your torment right with you. It’s a cross you must bear, but what’s done is done, Mylee, and unfortunately there’s nothing you can do to change anything now. If this baby has issues, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. You just have to be prepared for when it’s triggered.”
“I know. I hate I’ve cursed this baby before it’s even born.”
“It is not a curse, Mylee. It’s an adjustment. It’s a test you’re given to work with to guide you in life. You work with it, you move with it, you flow with it. It pushes you, an
d you push back. It’s a part of you. You can’t change it. You accept and embrace it. Bipolar disorder is not what you are, it doesn’t define you, it’s simply one piece of the complicated puzzle. We all know that puzzles have way more than one piece to them, right?”
“Right… when did you become so insightful?”
He chuckles. “I’ve been to a lot of psychiatrist appointments in my life between you and your mother. So I’ve picked up some of their wisdom.”
I lean in gripping his hand tighter. “I’m glad they rubbed off on you because I really needed to hear that. You know exactly what to say and when to say it.”
“I’m your dad, I’m meant to be perfect.”
I snort rolling my eyes. “You’re crazy.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, a hell of a lot of the time, I am. But we all have a little crazy in us.”
I raise my brow. “Ain’t that the truth?”
Movement in the doorway makes me eyes swing to it. I see Trax beaming from ear to ear.
Dad looks to Trax letting out a deep throaty groan like he’s annoyed. “Right, I have some business to attend to. I’m going to be here for a couple of days before I have to go back. So relax, let us all take care of you, okay?”
“Okay. And Dad?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Don’t be too hard on, Trax.”
He grunts as Trax heads back out of the room obviously knowing Dad’s coming for him.
“I make no promises,” Dad sneers as he steps out of the room his footsteps pounding like lead weights.
Oh fuck.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
TRAX
Standing in the hall waiting for Crest has me anxious. I know he’s coming, I’m just waiting for him. I saw him briefly when he arrived, but he was way too concerned about seeing Mylee to care about talking to me, but I know we’re about to get into it now.
Crest rounds the door of Mylee’s room, his finger coming out, pointing straight at me, then down the hall with a grunt. I sigh in understanding. He wants to take this argument away from Mylee’s room so she can’t hear us. She doesn’t need the added stress of hearing her father ream me a new one.
We walk down the hall in awkward silence until we reach an outdoor area where it’s completely void of people.
As soon as the door shuts, Crest lets out a grunt throwing his hands in the air, his booming voice echoing around the vast area. “You claimed her!”
I tense as I gauge his level of anger. “She’s been mine for years, Crest. I know it. She knows it. Hell, you know it, too. We just needed for everything to fall into place.”
“You fucking claimed her!” he reiterates stepping so close I can smell the tobacco on his breath.
I look him dead in his eyes with an exhale. “I did. And I’d do it again in a second. I mean it, Crest. I love her.”
His eyes are cold with a stern glint in them as he steps even closer. His hands grab at my shirt, scrunching tightly as he bores into my eyes. “You. Claimed. Her. Trax.”
I shrug not knowing what else to do. It only makes him worse as he shoves me hard. I stumble back a step almost falling, but it’s like everything moves in slow motion as his fist clenches. My eyes widen as I follow his movement, his weathered tight knuckles flying straight at my jaw, but I’m too stunned to deflect before searing pain sweeps over me. A crunching sound reverbs through my ears as the firm knock to the side of my cheek pushes me to the side. I grip onto my jaw as I spit out a small line of blood.
The punch was hard.
It was deserved.
Suddenly, it sinks in—I claimed her without running it past him, without asking for his permission. It’s like asking your father-in-law for permission to marry his daughter but in a different kind of way. She’s a biker brat, she belongs to another club, and now I have taken over her ownership without seeking permission. When I had full intentions of talking to him about it. Fuck!
Slowly, I raise up clenching the side of my face. His eyes are hard as he stares while he shakes out his hand.
“I should’ve asked your permission. Agreed. I should’ve come to you, asked if you were good. Agreed. But you have to know if you said no, I would’ve done it anyway.”
A slow grin crosses his face as he shoves me away from him again. “Yeah, I fucking know it. What I didn’t know was this was going to happen so soon. One month, Trax! She’s been here not even two damn months, and you’re already taking her from me.”
“I’ll never take her from you, Crest, but she’s my woman now. I’ll do everything I can to look after her, to take care of her and our baby.”
Slumping his body, he sighs. “Yeah, yeah. I trust my daughter and my grandchild in your hands. That’s why I brought her to you in the first place. No one loves her the way you do. I’ve always known it. But if you ever… and I mean ever fucking undermine me again, so help me God, Trax, I’ll do more than thrust my fist through your motherfucking teeth.”
Chuckling, I rub my jaw again. “Okay, for the next big question that needs to be asked, I’ll get your permission first.”
He cockily smirks. “Let’s just get through this pregnancy before we start thinking about that big fucking question.”
“Right. We’ll get settled, but I can promise you, Crest, I will come to you one day asking for your permission for Mylee’s hand.”
He groans. “Prove yourself during this pregnancy, then we’ll fuckin’ talk.”
“Deal.” I place out my hand for him to shake. He lets out a small laugh as he slaps my hand away making me flinch at his reaction. He steps up, wrapping his arms around me in a tight bear hug. Closing my eyes, I feel the warmth of a father figure, something I haven’t had for six long years since my father’s accident with Zoey. It’s good to have a connection to Crest that isn’t brute manliness. It’s a deeper connection, and while living in the brotherhood is all about being a man and showing your tougher side all the time, sometimes when connected by someone who brings two men together, it’s showing your softer side that truly connects you to each other, making your bond even stronger than you know. He is, and always will be, a part of my family. He’s the grandfather of my child, a man I look up to, and he’s the father of my woman, a man I respect above all else.
I’m normally a hard man, a broken man, but right now with Crest and Mylee down the hall carrying our unborn baby, I’m starting to feel like all the fractured pieces of me might be finally starting to meld back together.
One small piece at a time.
Crest pulls back slapping my back a few times for good measure. “You’re going to be good for her, kid. I can feel it.”
“I’m gonna do my best. I’m gonna do everything I can for her, for our baby. Make a life for us, protect us from everything coming our way… every-fucking-thing.”
“I trust you. If there’s one thing I know in all of this mess, it’s the fact you’ll lay down your life for Mylee. I’ve never once doubted that.”
“I’ll never give you a reason to doubt it, Crest. I promise you, my kid, my woman, I’m gonna make us the happiest fucking family you’ve ever seen.”
“Yeah, you will. ‘Cause if you don’t, I’m going to ream you a new damn asshole.”
I snort out a laugh. “Are we good?”
He chuckles. “Yeah, we’re always good. You have the best interest of my baby girl at heart. Just don’t leave me out, that’s all I ask.”
I sigh regretting my actions. I should have asked him, but my claim on Mylee came out before I had a chance. “You’ll know about everything as it happens. You have my word.”
“Good, now let’s go sit with our girl and make her laugh. She needs to keep her spirits up because tomorrow’s going to be a hard day for you both.”
I take a deep breath knowing tomorrow’s where the rest of our lives change dramatically. I feel good knowing we have a great support team around us—my family, her family, the club. Everyone’s here for us. We just have to take this leap of faith together.
> We can do this.
MYLEE
Leaving the hospital was a wake-up call. It brought home the fact that I have to step into the real world and actually do this pregnancy thing. Trax has been nothing but the doting partner, and while everyone’s being so unbelievably supportive, it’s a scary thought coming back to the clubhouse.
As Trax leads me through the door—my heart’s racing so fast, my leg’s aching from the accident—I take a breath remembering this is my home. These are my people. I can fucking do this.
I step inside, and the moment I do, a roaring cheer erupts through the clubhouse. A small laugh escapes my mouth as Trax pushes me inside. I hadn’t realized I’d stopped walking as I glance back to him with a wide smile.
“See… everyone’s happy for us,” he murmurs.
Lala and Freckles bound over to us. Lala instantly rushes her hand to my stomach as Freckles swats her daughter’s hand away while I giggle.
“Lala, you don’t randomly go touchin’ people’s stomachs,” Freckles calls out.
But Lala takes no notice and bends down in front of me, her face to my tummy. “Hello in there, my little niece. Your Auntie Lala is going to have so much fun with you.”
Trax shakes his head as Freckles rolls her eyes, and Lala finally straightens herself upright after she’s finished talking to the baby.
“He’s going to be a boy,” Trax corrects.
I turn to him raising my brow with a smirk.
Lala’s mouth twists up. “Nope, it’s a girl. I can feel it,” she coos, then places her hand on my tummy once again. I look back at her with a chuckle while warmth floods through me.
