Forever Your Touch

by Apryl Baker

  Only God knew the answer to that one.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mason sat in the chair by Jo’s hospital bed, his feet propped up on her mattress and well away from her injured leg. They were going to keep her for a few days to monitor for blood clots and infection. The girl had done a number on herself. They didn’t want her walking for at least six weeks. Mason wasn’t sure what that meant for school. He’d check with the dean for her. Maybe she could do her stuff online and through email.

  Nik was passed out in the other chair, not wanting to leave him alone. Lily took the other hospital bed in the room and was out to the world. She and Nik had just had their little girl, Rose, three weeks ago. This had to be hitting them both hard.

  He scrubbed at his tired and burning eyes and checked the time. A little after midnight. Keith had gone to the airport to pick up his parents. They’d flown in on the next available flight. Keith grabbed the only open seat on the one he took.

  There was a soft knock at the door, and Angel, Kade’s wife, came in. She had some kind of fuzzy throws with her. She used one to cover both Nik and Lily and gave the other to him. “How’s she doing?”

  “The pain meds she’s on are pretty much keeping her asleep,” he whispered. He didn’t want to wake up Nik or Lily. They were both worn out, thanks to the new baby. “Otherwise, as well as can be expected. You want to sit? I need to stand up and stretch, anyway.”

  “No, you stay there. I’ve been sitting all night. Kade went to meet the doctor at the airport and bring her back. We should know something soon about Ava.”

  Becca had named her daughters Sasha Irinia and Ava Jaqueline, after their mother and her brother, Jackson. She said Jackson was the most stubborn person she’d ever met, including all the Kincaid men. She wanted to give her daughter a fighting chance, and giving her Jackson’s name was as good as anything. Dimitri was “allowed” to give them their first names on the condition they didn’t suck. Becca’s words, not his.

  They were all terrified for little Ava, but all they could do right now was wait and pray.

  “Did he take Mateo home?”

  “No.” Angel shook her head, her red hair swaying with the movement. “He’s asleep on Conner’s lap.”

  “Ava will be okay.” Mason took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Just look at Mateo. He survived the impossible. She’s a Kincaid, and she’ll beat this too.”

  “I hope so.” Angel’s face softened. “I haven’t even seen her, and I already love her.”

  “Me too.” Mason took his sister-in-law’s hand and squeezed. “She’s got a fierce family rooting for her, Angel girl. She’ll make it.” They’d all adopted Nik’s nickname for Angel. He’d gotten to know her in the bar he frequented back in Boston, never knowing she was his sister-in-law.

  “You decide what you’re going to do about her yet?” Angel nodded toward Jo, still fast asleep.

  “Yeah, I guess I have. I just need to talk to Keith first.” It was only right. Keith asked him to look out for Jo, not fall for her. Wasn’t it some kind of taboo thing to date your best friend’s sister? Mason didn’t really care, though. He wanted Jo, and he was going to fight for her. He knew he was going to have a hard road, because she loved the asshole, but she was worth it.

  “You want some coffee? Your dad found an all-night Starbucks across the street.”

  “Yeah, but send Conner. You shouldn’t be out this time of night by yourself.”

  She laughed. “You know, for the sweetest of the bunch, you have their same overprotective tendencies.”

  Mason shrugged. “We were all raised by the same man.”

  “That, you were.” Angel gave him another small smile. “What kind of coffee do you want, and please don’t give me a huge complicated order. It’s late, and my brain can’t handle it.”

  If it were any other day, he’d call BS. Angel owned a bar and could remember a customer’s favorite drink long after they’d left her establishment. It was how she got people back. Well, that and employing hot bartenders, both male and female. The stress of today, though? He’d cut her some slack. They were all wiped.

  He gave her his very simple order of half cream, half coffee, which happened to be her own order since he’d learned it from her, and then sat back to wait for Jo’s family to arrive. He’d never met them, since Keith drove home, and he’d gone to Dimitri’s when the school closed for holidays.

  The last time Mason remembered feeling this drained was his high school championship football game. They’d won, but barely. The team they’d faced gave them all a beatdown that lasted for days.

  Jo shifted in her sleep, muttering something. He leaned closer and heard her call for Ray. It was like a little knife twisting in his gut. How could she love a guy who didn’t even come to the hospital when she was seriously hurt? He understood her family’s dislike of him now, all too well.

  Ray went and pulled a stunt like this after Mason decided to try to like him for Jo’s sake. That went out the window as the hours passed and he didn’t show. It brought out those overprotective instincts Angel had been talking about.

  He just needed a plan.

  And telling her his intentions right now was out of the question. She had enough to deal with. Besides, Mason wasn’t sure how she’d react, and he couldn’t run the risk of her flipping out and telling him to leave. She needed someone who had her best interest at heart.

  The door opened, and Keith came in followed by who he assumed were their parents. They were both older, late forties, maybe early fifties for their father. Josephine could have been her mother’s twin sister. They were alike right down to the facial expressions.

  “She’s still asleep?” Keith frowned, concerned.

  “They gave her some heavy-duty pain meds. The nurse said not to be surprised if she slept through the morning.” Mason kept his voice down so as not to wake anyone.

  “Mom, Dad, meet Mason Kincaid, my best friend and Jo’s fill-in big brother.”

  “Mason.” Keith’s mom rushed over and hugged him. “Keith told us everything you’ve been doing for Jo. Thank you, honey. If you hadn’t been there today, God knows how bad it would have been.”

  “You slept over at her house?” Her father’s brown eyes narrowed, the expression in them calculating.

  “Yes, sir. She and Ray let me sleep on the couch. My dad just arrived from Russia. He has cancer, and yesterday was a bad day for me. Jo helped me not to go out of my mind.”

  “Keith mentioned your father was sick. I’m sorry to hear that.” Some of the tension went out of Cooper Maxwell. “Are these friends of Jo’s?” Mr. Maxwell gestured to Nik and Lily.

  “No, they’re my brother and sister-in-law. They came to wait with her too.”

  “Why?” Mr. Maxwell frowned.

  “Jo’s family to me, which means she’s family to them. There’s not a chance they’d let her stay here by herself. Even if Becca wasn’t in the hospital, there would be a revolving door of my family in and out.”

  “Dimitri’s wife?” Keith asked.

  “Yeah. She went into labor, and we found out she’s having twins, and there’s a problem with one of the babies. Twin to twin transfusion or something. Ava is tiny, and they’re telling us she might not survive.”

  “And you’re here instead of with her?”

  Mason nodded. “I promised Jo I wouldn’t leave her. I’ve been in to see Becca, said a few prayers in the chapel for her and Ava, but otherwise, I’ve kept my butt planted right here in this chair. My entire family’s been in and out checking on her. She hasn’t been alone today. I promise.”

  “You’re a good boy, Mason.” Jo’s mother kissed his cheek, and he barely hid the wince at the word boy. “Jo’s lucky to have you.”

  “I’m the lucky one.” Mason glanced at Jo, and he actually felt his expression soften. “She made me think about a lot of stuff, and it’s changed me for the better.”

  Keith’s expression changed, and Mason knew it was time to
get the hell out of Dodge. He wasn’t ready to talk to his best friend yet. Soon, but not yet.

  “I’ll go and let you guys spend some time with her. I need to check on Becca anyway. These two have a newborn at home, so they’re not getting any sleep. I would appreciate it if you could let them snooze until they wake up.”

  “Of course,” Mrs. Maxwell said and took the seat Mason vacated. He should have offered her the chair straightaway. His mother would be disappointed in him, which was why he wasn’t about to tell her. He blamed it on him being damn tired.

  “Keith, I’ll catch up to you in a bit.”

  “Sure, man. I think we need to talk, yeah?”

  Keith knew exactly what they needed to talk about. He’d never been able to hide a damn thing from him.

  “Yeah, we do.”

  With that, Mason left them alone and went in search of his family, his thoughts turning to Becca and baby Ava.

  He only hoped the specialist could keep his niece alive.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Mason walked outside, unable to take seeing his family in so much pain. Some fresh air would be good for him. Well, it wasn’t exactly fresh, but it would do. It was times like this he missed his uncle’s farm out in Virginia. The autumn air would be crisp and smell of the coming winter. New York had an odd scent. It smelled of machines, of the fumes from the subway, of urine in some places, but amidst all that you caught the various delicious smells of the food vendors and the coffee shops. It wasn’t unpleasant, just different.

  He walked around the side of the building, wanting to stay out of the ambulances’ way should they pull up. The emergency room exit was the only one open this time of night.

  There was another guy lounging against the building smoking a cigarette. What caught Mason’s attention was the MC cut he wore. The black leather looked worn and dusty, like he’d just stopped from a long ride. Becca’s brother, maybe?

  The light wasn’t great out here, but Mason could make out short cropped brownish-blond hair. He was tall, well over six feet. Mason figured he was about Dimitri’s height. D was the tallest of the brothers. Hell, all of Mason’s brothers were bigger than he was. He was the runt of the litter. Sure, he worked out so he could eat like a horse, but he wasn’t as tall or nearly as broad as his brothers. Mason wasn’t short—he was six-two, himself—but he felt short in his family of muscled giants, something he’d learned not to let bother him over the years.

  “Hey,” he greeted the guy when he got closer. “You Jackson?”

  The man turned and studied him. He had eyes as blue as Becca’s. This had to be her brother.

  “Who’s asking?”

  “I’m Mason Kincaid, her brother-in-law.”

  All the tension eased from his shoulders. He didn’t smile, but he did nod. “Yeah, I’m Jackson.”

  “It’s good you’re here. At least you’ll get to see Ava in case…” He trailed off, unable to even say it. The kid would be okay.

  “In case?” Jackson tilted his head, his blue eyes turning to ice.

  “Didn’t anyone call you?” Mason frowned. Surely Dimitri or Becca would have at least texted Jackson?

  “She called earlier today to say she was going into labor. I was already on my way, so I checked out of the hotel and hit the road. Just got in. Wanted a smoke before I went upstairs. Is something wrong with the baby?”

  Mason explained about the twins and why Ava was in danger. Jackson got paler and paler as Mason talked.

  “Shit. I need to go see Becca.” Jackson started to run a hand through his hair before realizing it was too short for that. Mason remembered Dimitri saying he’d just gotten out of jail. They must have made him keep it short while behind bars.

  “I just came from there. She finally went to sleep, but I can take you up to the nursery to see Sasha. I’m not sure if you’re on the list to see Ava or not. NICU requirements. If you’re not, I’m sure Becca will add you when she wakes up.”

  “Thanks.” Jackson took another hit off his cigarette. “I need to quit these damn things, but they help with the stress.”

  “My Papa has lung cancer now because of those things, but you can’t keep them from him either. My brother caught him sneaking one last week.”

  Jackson threw the butt end of the cigarette down and used his foot to snuff it out. “These things are as bad as alcohol, but I’m not about to quit that either. Let’s head up to the nursery, kid.”

  Once they were back inside, Mason was able to see Jackson’s cut much better. Knights of Carnage. The emblem of a knight holding a reaper’s scythe with flames bursting out behind the knight took up most of the back of his cut. The front held his name, no other patches. Mason frowned. He knew for a fact Jackson held some kind of position with the MC. He’d asked Becca about it, but according to his cut, he was just a member.

  “You staying long?” Mason hit the button in the elevator for the maternity ward.

  “Yeah. I transferred up from Virginia so I could be near Becca. We have a charter in the same town she’s in.”

  “Really? I’ve never seen any bikes cruising the streets.”

  “That’s because most of us just got out. Last big sting the feds did took down over half the members in all our chapters. We all agreed to keep things quiet and out of sight.”

  “If you’re gonna be around for a while, think you might help me with my bike?”

  Jackson didn’t answer right away because the door sprang open, and Mason led him to the nursery window. “Sasha’s the third one in the front row.”

  The biker finally cracked a smile when he saw Sasha. “She looks like a little old woman with all those wrinkles.”

  “My babushka says we come in this world the same as we go out, wrinkled and grouchy as hell.”

  “What’s a babushka?”

  “My grandmother.”

  “She’s not wrong, then.” Jackson rotated his head, working some of the kinks out of his neck. “So, you like bikes?”

  “Yeah. My parents aren’t any happier about that than me not wanting to join the respectable workplace either.”

  “You’re in college, yeah?”

  Mason nodded. “Studying computers. I figured might as well major in something I’m already good at. I do some hacking too. That’s why my brother Kade gave me a part-time job at his security firm. He thinks if I hack legally it’ll keep me away from the illegal stuff.”

  “Does it?”

  “No.”

  Jackson laughed. “Nice. Tell you what. Once this shit with Ava gets sorted, I’ll look at your bike. Might bring you by the clubhouse. Those guys know a lot about them too.”

  “Cool.” Mason leaned against the wall while Jackson went in to hold his niece. He was going to get to visit a real MC clubhouse.

  Awesome.

  ***

  Jo blinked, the light from the windows hurting her eyes. She heard the steady beeping of machines, and yesterday hit her full throttle. As soon as she remembered, the pain came back. Why the brain did that, she had no clue, but it always worked like that. You didn’t feel the pain until you either saw the injury or remembered it. The weirdness of the human brain.

  She looked around and saw her parents quietly talking in the corner and a strange guy passed out in the chair against the wall. The bed held a strange girl as well. She didn’t look to be a patient. She wasn’t hooked up to anything, and she still had all her clothes.

  “Finally.” Her head twisted around to see Keith sitting in the chair. His familiar face was a welcome sight. She’d missed him so much. Despite her anger at him trying to control her life, she loved her brother. More than she did her sisters, but she’d never admit that out loud.

  “Honey!” Her mother rushed over and hugged her, tears slipping down her face. “Thank God.”

  “Mom, I’m okay.” She patted her back awkwardly. “Really.”

  “What the hell were you thinking?” Her father might look relieved, but he was pissed as hell.

  “
That I was gonna mow the grass?” She cleared her throat. “Is there any water in here?”

  Keith got it for her, and she took several long gulps. Her throat and mouth resembled sandpaper more than anything else.

  “Thanks.” She handed the Styrofoam cup back to him. “Where’s Ray?”

  “Not here.” At Keith’s clipped words, her heart sank. He hadn’t come.

  “Who are the strange people asleep?”

  “Nik and Lily. They’re Mason’s family. Mase said they came up here to stay with you while he went to the chapel to pray for the baby.”

  “Baby?”

  “His sister-in-law went into labor with her twins. Something’s wrong with one of them.”

  “Oh no,” she murmured. Mason had to be going out of his mind with worry. He loved his family like she did her own.

  “His family has been in and out all day yesterday and all night checking on you,” Keith went on. “Just because you’re important to Mason.”

  “They did?” Something fluttered in her stomach, and she felt her chest tighten. His family, who didn’t know her, for the most part, checked on her? Ray’s parents had never done that.

  “Yes. We thanked them for watching out for you. The Kincaids are the nicest people.” Her mother took the last empty chair by her bed. “I like them, especially Mason. He cares a lot about you.”

  “He’s turned into my best friend.” She moved, and pain shot up her entire leg into her hip, ripping a cry out of her. Damn, that hurt.

  It woke both Lily and Nik, who sat up, their eyes going straight to her. Nik looked like Mason, but there were small differences. The signature black hair and eyes were prominent, though.

  “Oh, hey.” Nik ran a hand through his very messy hair. “How you feeling, Jo?”

  “Like my leg got run over with a lawnmower?” She noticed how quickly he got up and went over to where Lily was sitting quietly, her blue eyes wide. She reminded Jo of Snow White. Creamy ivory skin, hair as black as Nik’s, and the most beautiful dark blue eyes.