by K. J. Dahlen
Charlie backed away. “No, he walked out of our Mom’s life a long time ago. Junie raised us on her own and that’s the way its gong to remain!”
“Junie?” Gator started and dropped his cup. “Are you talking about Junie Blackman?”
Deke turned to stare at his friend.
Charlie turned to glare at Gator. “How the hell do you know my mother’s name?”
“You’re Junie’s kid?” Gator looked stunned. “I thought she had a girl?”
“She does.” Charlie growled. “She also had me. How do you know my mother?”
Gator sat down hard next to Reva. Running his hands through his hair, he stared at Charlie. “I haven’t heard that name for thirty years.”
“Yeah, well you wouldn’t have heard it again, if Quinn didn’t need Deke’s blood,” Charlie grumbled.
Deke sat down and stared at Gator. “So you knew Junie Blackman back in the day?”
Gator nodded. “I told you I’ve known Bones a long time. He met Junie shortly after he got out of the service. You have to know Sam was a totally different man back then. He was brash and a hell of a lot more stupid. He and I made it back from Nam when a lot of our friends didn’t.”
“You knew him in the service?” Melora asked.
Gator nodded. “I’ve known him for a long time. We met in boot camp, then served together and when we both came back alive, we just sort of stuck together. We both joined the same MC and have been together until I left to join Jr. here. Now, it seems like we’re together again. Anyway, we were riding through New York when we met Junie and her friend Paula. Bones went for Junie and I hung around Paula. We were there all that summer and when the days got shorter, Sam decided to go back home to Maine.”
“Yeah, well when he left, he left Mom and the baby behind,” Charlie groused.
“Yes, he did.” Gator shook his head. “I never could figure out how he could leave them behind but he did. I told you he was stupid back then.”
“He knew about the baby before he left?” Deke asked.
Gator nodded. “Yeah he knew, but he left anyway.”
“He’s made a habit of that.” Deke growled. “Did he know about me before the day he found me again?”
“Hell kid, I don’t know.” Gator shook his head. “With Sam you never know.”
“Well, I guess I know what’s coming then don’t I?” Melora stated solemnly.
Gator frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“If Bones runs true to form, he’s going to walk away from her,” Reva told him.
“Why would he do that?” Gator asked. “He’s been so happy the last few months.”
“Because she pregnant,” Deke informed him. “Sam likes to walk away from the women he gets pregnant.” He turned to Melora. “You don’t have to leave you know. You can stay right here and raise your child with the protection of this MC.”
Melora shook her head. “As much as I appreciate that I couldn’t stay where I’m not wanted. Izzy and I are making plans to live together.”
“Izzy is welcome here as well,” Deke assured her. He pointed at her belly. “You’re carrying my sister or brother and I want to know he or she is safe. It doesn’t matter what the hell Sam does or doesn’t do. Hopefully, he’ll man up but if he doesn’t, you and the baby are welcome to stay right here.”
“Not sure I can do that but I appreciate the offer.”
“Hey, I for one will be glad for the help.” Cassie patted her own belly. “Little Sam and Jemmia are such a handful I don’t know what I’m going to do with another one.”
Deke wrapped his arms around her. “We’ll love this one just like the others.”
“Damn right we will.” Cassie grinned.
“So what’s wrong with Quinn?” Gator asked.
“She has aplastic anemia just like Junie. Junie was sick with it when she was pregnant with her and held off treatment until she delivered the baby,” Deke explained. “Apparently, the anemia was passed on to the baby and although dormant all this time, it presented itself now. The only thing is her body is rejecting the drugs because of her rare blood type. She needs a marrow transfusion to build herself up enough for the drugs to work.”
“What does Junie think about all this?” Gator asked.
“My mother is dead,” Charlie informed him. “The anemia finally killed her the last time around. I couldn’t put Quinn through all that, so I went behind her back and contacted Deke. She’s gonna kill me when she finds out.”
“While Sam might not care about family, I do,” Deke stated. “Quinn, whether she wants to admit it or not is family, my blood, my family.”
“You two aren’t alone anymore, is what he’s saying,” Cassie backed up what her husband meant.
“Let’s hope Quinn sees it that way. She can be most stubborn when she believes in something strong enough,” Charlie assured them.
“Now, why does that sound so familiar?” Deke asked as he stared at Gator.
Gator wore the same grin on his face. They both were thinking it sounded just like Bones. Only Sam could be that stubborn.
CHAPTER THREE
Sam rode up to the clubhouse and sat on his bike for a minute. He knew Melora was hiding something from him for a while now, he just wasn’t sure what it might be. Last night, she’d been in bed when he came home and this morning he left before she got up, but he got a feeling he would find out what was wrong tonight.
He swung his leg off the bike and walked inside. The hairs on the back of his neck kept twitching and that always made him nervous. It wasn’t the same feeling he’d had a few months ago when he first met Melora but there was something coming he wasn’t sure about. He thought it had to do with Melora but now he wasn’t so sure.
Opening the door, he went inside. He found everyone sitting at the main table. When he looked over, he found Gator and Deke staring back at him. Neither of them said anything but they both had a look in their eyes that said volumes.
Cassie, Reva, Melora and a younger man were sitting there as well. When Sam got closer, he saw the other man glaring at him. Sam’s eyes narrowed as he stared back. He didn’t know this kid but the kid seemed to know him. He stared at him for a minute then glanced at Deke. “What’s going on here? Who is this?”
The kid got to his feet. His glare was more pronounced now and his hands hung at his sides, clenched into fists. “My name is Charlie Blackman. Does that name mean anything to you?”
Sam hesitated for a moment then asked, “Should it?”
“Yeah, it really should, old man.” Charlie sneered.
Sam paused then asked, “Have we ever met before?”
“No, we haven’t but we should have.”
Sam reared back slightly. “And why is that?”
Charlie kicked the chair, turned and walked away.
Sam watched him go and when the back door closed behind him, he stared at Deke. “Who was that? And why is he mad at me?”
“Does the name Junie Blackman mean anything to you?” Deke asked.
Sam sat down on a chair hard. “Junie?” he whispered. Turning his head to the back door he asked, “That’s Junie’s kid?”
“That’s her son. She also had a daughter. Her name is Quinn.”
Sam paled. “Quinn, huh?”
“Yeah, Quinn,” Deke acknowledged. “Do you know anything about her?”
Sam hung his head. “Yeah, I know about her” He finally replied. “I haven’t heard that name in almost thirty years.”
“You are a bastard, you know that?” Deke stated in a low tone.
“Yeah, I know that,” Sam admitted. “But that was a long time ago.”
Now Gator spoke up, “Well, Junie is dead now, Bones.”
“Well, let’s test this theory,” Melora chimed into the conversation, not really paying attention to Gator’s announcement. “So far, you walked away from your responsibility twice now when the women you were screwing told you they were pregnant. Let’s go for the third time.”<
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Sam turned his head and frowned at her. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“I’m pregnant Sam. I’m going to have your baby.”
Sam got to his feet. The chair skidded out behind him. “What?”
Melora got to her feet. “Yeah, you’re gonna be a daddy again.”
Sam just stared at her for a moment then he turned and walked out of the clubhouse.
~* * * *~
In the silence that followed his escape, everyone heard his engine start and his pipes roar before he excelled out of the parking lot.
Melora sat down again but wouldn’t cry.
Izzy wrapped her arms around Melora’s shoulders.
“It doesn’t make any difference,” Deke finally told her.
“Oh, I think it does,” Melora replied. “I won’t stand between him and this club. He belongs here, I don’t.”
“The hell you don’t.” Cassie swore. “Sam’s a big boy, he can leave if he wants to, but you’re having a baby! It’s gonna be hard enough without worrying about where you’re going to be staying and who’s taking care of you. At least here, you’ll have family close enough.”
“I still have to call Mountain and tell him about the baby. I have a feeling he’ll be around as well,” Melora informed them.
“Good, the more in your support group the better.” Cassie nodded.
“Just don’t think about leaving,” Deke warned her. “Sam can be an ass but you’re family now, whether you want to be or not. Whether Mountain says so or not. I will find you and bring you back here. That’s my brother or sister you have in your belly and I don’t bail on family.”
“Yeah, I have no idea what he’s gonna do.” Melora shrugged. “He might not be happy with Sam.”
“Bones is a grown man.” Gator snorted. “Don’t worry about him, he can take care of himself. He always has.”
“Yeah, but Mountain told him he’d come after him if he ever hurt me,” Melora warned them in a whisper.
“Maybe Texas is a safer place for Mountain at the moment,” Izzy spoke up.
“Maybe, but do you really think he’ll stay there once he knows about the baby?” Cassie countered.
Melora shrugged. “Probably not, but I don’t want blood shed over this either.” She paused, then added, “Sam will either step up or he won’t. I’m going to prepare for the worst and go from there. He’s already waked away.” She got to her feet and turning to Deke asked, “Can I have our old room? I don’t want to go back to Sam’s tonight and suddenly, I’m tired.”
Deke nodded. “Honey, you can stay as long as you like.”
“Izzy and I will find a place in town as soon as we can. This is Sam’s club.” Shaking her head, she said, “I’m a big girl and can take care of myself.”
They watched as she walked down the hall. When the door closed behind her Izzy turned to Deke. “Your father sucks.”
“Yeah well, he can’t run forever and I won’t back off.” Deke nodded at the closed door. “She’s only part of this. He has another daughter that needs our help too.”
Charlie came back in the clubhouse, came over to the table and sat down. “I’m sorry I stormed out like a brat. I just couldn’t be in the same room as him.”
Deke turned and stared at Charlie. “So tell me about our sister.”
Charlie grinned. “She’s a lot like Mom. I know you never knew Junie but she was great. She had a way of making you feel like you belonged in her world. I know that sounds weird but it’s true. If she liked you, you became part of her family.”
Gator chuckled. “That’s our Junie. I think that’s what drew Sam into her world. She gave him a taste of what it felt like to belong somewhere. And to a man like Sam that meant something. I don’t think he ever felt that way before.”
Charlie stared at the table for a moment then looked up at Deke. “Mom never said the words but I think she loved Sam all this time. Every time she looked at Quinn, I would see a look come into her eyes almost as if she were reliving the past and there was so much love in her eyes. Oh, I knew she loved me but there was just something special about Quinn.”
“You said the anemia finally got her, what did you mean?” Cassie asked.
“Mom got real sick when she was pregnant with Quinn. The doctors told her then it was aplastic anemia and they would have to give her harsh drugs to combat the illness. The drugs might cause a miscarriage, especially if the baby had a different blood type. Mom never considered the treatment because of the baby. She wouldn’t risk her baby’s health. So, she put off treatment until after Quinn was born. By then the anemia had damaged her organs and the whole time we were growing up Quinn took care of us and Mom. The doctors monitored Quinn most of her life as well. The anemia was in her bloodstream but it was dormant this whole time. About a year ago, Mom got sick again. With the damage that had already been done, her body couldn’t stand up to the disease and the drugs wouldn’t work as well as they had the first time. Finally, she couldn’t stand the pain anymore and she just gave up.”
Everyone at the table remained quiet as they listened.
“Quinn wore herself out trying to take care of Mom. Quinn couldn’t work anymore and still take care of Mom, so she quit her job. I tried to help as much as I could but one of us had to work. I took care of the bills and she took care of mom. Then Quinn got sick and I wasn’t going to go through that again. When Dr. Bright tested her blood and found it a rare type, I knew I had to contact you to see if you could donate the marrow she needed. It was a selfish idea but I would do it again, if it meant a way to save my sister.”
“I’d like to meet her, this time in person.” Deke said. Looking over at Charlie he also suggested, “I want you and Quinn to consider moving up here. She’ll need a place to recover and we have cabins you could live in. If you need a job I can give you work.”
“I’ll talk to Quinn and see if we can work it out.” Charlie nodded. “I think she’s as curious about you as you are about her.” Shrugging, he admitted, “Maybe it’s time for her to meet her father too.”
~* * * *~
A few hours later, Melora opened the door and walked back to the main room.
Izzy, Reva, Cassie and Gator were still sitting there. When she sat down Izzy asked, “Are you okay?”
Melora nodded. “Just a head’s up, Mountain will be here in a couple of days.”
“And how did he take the news?” Gator asked the question that all of them were thinking.
Melora shrugged. “He was stunned but I think he was okay once he had time to think about it.” She hesitated then added, “He did threaten to cut off Sam’s balls and make them into dangly earrings. He said he would even pay to dip them in chrome while they were still attached. I made him promise not to shed blood if he came up here.”
Gator chuckled. “I might even pay to see that.”
“I wouldn’t.” Melora snorted. “If Sam doesn’t want this baby that’s on him. He’s going to have to deal with that. I mean it’s not the first time he’s walked away from his child but I want this baby and that’s all that matters.”
“So when is the baby due?” Reva asked.
Melora shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess I should find a doctor first.”
“You can see my doctor,” Cassie suggested. “He’s wonderful. In fact, we can go together, but first we have to get through this Quinn deal.”
~* * * *~
Charlie walked down the hall of the hospital to his sister’s room. When he got to the door, he pushed it open and saw her laying on the bed.
She looked pale and appeared worn out. Her long dark hair lacked the luster it once had. He knew if she were awake, he would see that her deep green eyes would look bleary and tired too.
His heart sank as he watched the monitors beeping. The numbers on display were very low.
Making his way over to the nearest chair, he sat down and reached for her hand. Quinn didn’t stir and it broke Charlie’s heart. He lifted her hand to
his lips and kissed her fingers gently. “I hope you don’t kill me, but I couldn’t watch you die too.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Cassie and Deke walked down the hospital corridor. The sun was barely up but the hospital was busy. Charlie was waiting for them down the hall and when they got closer, Cassie could see he appeared nervous.
When they all took their seats, Charlie fidgeted in his seat. “I want to thank you for doing this.”
“Hey, she’s my sister too.” Deke shrugged. “I just wish I knew her before this. Neither one of you had to go through this alone.”
“But Sam is your dad. He never would have allowed you to meet us before this.”
Deke snorted. “Sam may be a lot of things but he’s not my master. I’ve been on my own for a while now. I’m my own man and as such, he can’t tell me who I can see and who I can’t see. If I’d known Quinn was my sister, you can bet your life she would have been around, Sam or no Sam.”
“I wish I had known that,” Charlie whispered.
“Well, you know it now,” Deke whispered back.
They all watched as Dr. Bright came down the hall. He stopped by the waiting room and motioned for them to join him. He led them to a treatment room and motioned for Deke to sit on the table.
Cassie came to stand behind him and Charlie lounged beside him.
Dr. Bright gazed at Deke and asked, “Are you ready?”
Deke nodded.
“Good, let’s do this.” Handing him a paper gown he told the other man, “Strip and put this on. My nurse will join us and we’ll go in and take the marrow. It’s going to hurt a bit, we have to burrow into your hip bone to get to the bit we want to extract.”
“How long after you take the marrow can you give it to Quinn?” Cassie asked.
“Not long. What will take the time is how quickly Quinn’s body absorbs the new marrow.”
“How bad is she right now?” Deke wanted to know.
