A Demon's Song

by E. C. Land

  “What’s wrong?” Connors asks as she answers, hearing Huntson crying.

  “I’m outside the ER, Hunter is in the waiting room and Huntson has a fever of 103.4 and throwing up. I need to get him in the back,” I mutter, swinging my son in my arms.

  “Right, I’ll come back in. I’ll meet you at the doors,” she states before the line goes dead.

  Shoving my phone in my back pocket, I cup the back of Huntson’s head. “It’s okay, Hunt–Hunt,” I murmur soothingly to him as I turn on my heel and stroll back through the sliding glass doors and into the waiting room. As I do this, I try my hardest to keep from glancing in Hunter’s direction while walking to the doors leading to the back.

  The doors swing open and Connors is there reaching out to take Huntson. “There’s my little Hunt–Hunt. You’re not feeling well, are you?” she asks using the nickname she’d given him when he was born. I’ve never had a problem with her calling him this, but right now with Hunter standing with his friends, I didn’t want him to hear it. “Come on, let’s get him to the back,” she states.

  Nodding, I follow her, casting my eyes in Hunter’s direction one last time to find his were now in slits as he seems to be calculating something in his head.

  Great.

  This is not what I need him to find out today of all days. He’ll probably try and take Huntson away from me and that I can’t allow to happen. Huntson means everything to me. And I mean everything.

  Chapter Two

  Hunter

  As the electronic doors to the back open, I glance in the direction and freeze at the sight of Annslee making her way over to them at the same time Connors steps through. “There’s my little Hunt–Hunt. You’re not feeling well, are you?” she asks, taking the crying baby out of Annslee’s arms.

  Hunt–Hunt?

  What the hell?

  Focusing on the little boy, I cast my gaze on Annslee to find her nearly in a panic attack as Connors tells her they were going to the back. I don’t miss Annslee’s eyes coming in my direction as she goes to follow Connors.

  “Isn’t that Annslee?” Tanner asks from next to me.

  Lex and some of the guys from the Devil’s Riot MC left a few minutes ago to go after Mackenzie. This whole situation has me on the tips of my toes freaking out. Chaz, Tanner, and Lex are my brothers, not by blood but regardless of all that separates us we’re family. They keep me from going insane and falling over the edge, I do things in my own way for them.

  “Yeah,” I mutter, wanting to get back there more than ever. One, to put eyes on Chaz, the other, to find out about the little boy.

  Doing the math in my head, my gut twists at the thought he could be mine.

  “I didn’t know she had a kid,” Alexis says, confusion filtering through.

  “None of us have seen her since she moved out after Chaz healed from the bullet he took,” Tanner growls. This is something we all hate bringing up, what happened that day. We nearly lost him then too.

  “Yeah,” I mutter casting my gaze from the doors to Tanner and Alexis. “I’m gonna go back there with Chaz. You guys coming or staying out here?”

  “I’m coming with,” Tanner grumbles, removing his arm from around Alexis.

  “I need to go get Melody,” Alexis states.

  “That would be good. Chaz will want her here when Bethany gets out of surgery,” I say, nodding my head.

  “I’ll be back. Anything happens before then call me,” she says.

  “You got it baby,” Tanner murmurs, leaning down to kiss his woman. “Be careful.”

  “I will,” Alexis says as Tanner pulls back.

  “Alright, enough of the lovey-dovey shit, let’s go see Chaz,” I grumble, running a hand through my hair, an unsettling feeling filtering through me.

  I’m betting the feeling is due to seeing Annslee again.

  Fuck me.

  As we approach Chaz’s cubical, we can hear him getting frustrated, “Connors, you gotta give me something, I’m going nuts right now.”

  You’d think the stupid nurse, who was a bitch when we first got here, would have learned her lesson and allowed Tanner and I to go to the back right away. Nope, she went back to bitch mode refusing to grant us entrance. Only when Jordan stepped in from the back did we get to go back there. Why she was here I didn’t know? I mean I know she used to work here but I’d been under the impression she was working solely at the clinic.

  However, at that moment, I didn’t care. I could hear Chaz’s voice and I felt a small part of me breathe.

  “I just got back from checking on her and your little boy. Both are doing just fine. Bethany is banged up, has a concussion, and they will be monitoring her for this. Luckily for some reason God only knows, she wasn’t harmed more than that. Your little boy is precious as can be and has ten little fingers and toes,” Connors informs Chaz as we reach the curtain.

  “Thank fuck,” Chaz mutters.

  “Couldn’t agree more,” I declare, rounding the curtain.

  Chaz’s gaze snaps in mine and Tanner’s direction, “Lex?” he asks.

  Shaking my head, I close my eyes. “Went after Mackenzie,” I mutter.

  “Shit, tell me someone’s with him,” Chaz demands.

  “Yeah, Gadget and Dragon are with him as well as several other members of the Devil’s Riot MC,” Tanner states as he steps forward.

  “Fuckin’ hell. This shit is fucked,” Chaz snaps leaning back against the hospital bed. “I need to get to Bethany and my boy and until their done with me here, I’m not going to be able to do that.”

  “Chaz, I’m going to get you up to your family as soon as I can. She’ll be in recovery for a little bit. I promise you, by the time she wakes up, you’ll be sitting next to her. Now while you’re going to wait for that to happen, I’ve got a little boy to see to as well as his exhausted mom,” Connors says but as she states the last of this she’s looking directly at me.

  “He mine?” The question rolls off the tip of my tongue before I can stop it.

  “Do the math in your head, Hunter, and just know his name is Huntson,” she whispers.

  “Oh shit,” Tanner says in shock.

  “What the hell did I miss?” Chaz snaps.

  “Seems our brother here’s got a son as well,” Tanner informs Chaz.

  “With whom?” Chaz asks trying to hide the surprise.

  “Annslee,” I grind out through clenched teeth.

  Fuckin’ hell.

  What do I do now?

  Better yet, why didn’t she fuckin’ tell me her damn self.

  “Would you like to come with me?” Connors asks.

  Do I?

  This is a kid we’re talking about. One that doesn’t even know me and his mom named him after me. I have no doubt about that.

  But why?

  “Brother, I’d go with Connors if I were you,” Chaz advises.

  “Gotta agree, Hunter, if he were mine, I’d be over there in a heartbeat,” Tanner nods his head in agreement.

  “Yeah, alright. Seems Annslee and I have some things to discuss. First, though, I wanna see Huntson and make sure he’s okay,” I scoff.

  “Okay, then come on, I’ll take you to the room they’re in,” Connors grins mischievously.

  Shaking my head, I follow her out of the room with my brothers both calling out to me, “Good luck,” and “Keep your cool.”

  I’ll keep my cool for now considering, I’ve got a lot of shit swarming around in my head; however, I’m reserving the fuckin’ right to lose it later when I can speak with Annslee in private.

  Then I’ll find out what the hell she was thinking in not telling me about Huntson, as well as where the hell she’s been hiding for the past year and some change.

  Chapter Three

  Annslee

  Holding a crying Huntson in my arms, I do the best I can in soothing him. I’m nearly at my wits end when he steps into the room closing the door behind him and Connors.

  The ER is setup differentl
y than some of the others I’ve been in. This one has cubicles for some patients, others like Huntson, they have rooms with doors.

  “Let me have him,” Hunter says holding his arms out for Huntson.

  Heart pounding, I nod my head and let Hunter hold his son for the first time.

  Connors moves next to my side and slides her arm around my shoulders as I watch, in silence, Hunter with our son.

  “Hey, little man, it’s okay,” he soothes, looking down at Huntson who has now placed his head against his dad’s chest.

  Oh my God.

  Huntson’s screams begin to quiet down and it’s then I can hear Hunter humming to him. Tears well in my eyes when Hunter starts singing the very same song, I have played nearly every night for Huntson when he goes to sleep.

  A world filled with darkness comes

  Through the darkness is a light

  A voice as sweet as a melody shines through

  Becoming known as a dark lullaby.

  A lullaby that can only be heard in the dark of night

  Can you hear the melody

  The soothing sound of a dark lullaby

  God I’m a horrible person.

  Finally, Huntson stops crying, I take a deep breath.

  “Alright, now that we have him calm, I’m going to check his ears. Remember the last time he was sick it was due to a double ear infection,” Connors murmurs, letting go of my shoulders with a squeeze.

  “I know. That was my guess as well. My concern was his temp being so high and not going down. Plus, you know he’ll have to be given the antibiotic shot rather than the liquid,” I remind Connors.

  “Yep, I remember,” she chuckles, grabs the otoscope and steps up in front of Hunter to look inside Huntson’s ear. “Hunter, I’m going to turn his head to get a look at his other one.”

  “Why does he have to have a shot?” Hunter asks.

  “He, um, refuses any medications that is orally dispensed,” I whisper, casting my gaze to the floor.

  “Not even Tylenol?”

  “Nope, thankfully they make pain relief suppositories for infants and children. Logan was the same way until Dragon and Gadget worked their magic and got him to finally take liquids when needed,” Connors mutters answering Hunter’s question. “And yep as I thought, double ear infection. I’ll go order a shot and get Jordan to administer it.”

  “Thank you,” I say quietly.

  “No problem. Maybe we should look into getting approved for carrying antibiotic shots at the clinic,” she whispers almost to herself. “This would keep him from getting ER bills constantly for a damn shot I can give him there.”

  I’m barely able to keep my face from flaring up in embarrassment at Hunter finding out about this. I don’t need him to know about the ER bills or any other bills I have racking up on top of me suffocating me while I do everything I can to take care of Huntson. I’d even started working three nights a week elsewhere to help make ends meet.

  I wouldn’t be able to do this if Jordan and Connors didn’t help out with Huntson. Sinner’s Cove might not be something I ever wanted to do but working for Dean isn’t so bad. His wife is extremely sweet. Thankfully, I’m behind the bar rather than on the stage. Sure, I’d make more dancing but I would be tripping over myself constantly.

  “Be back,” Connors says as she leaves the room leaving the two of us alone with our son.

  “I’m not going to get into it here. But I need a time and an address that would be good for me to come over. Seems we have some shit to discuss,” Hunter mutters deadpan.

  Lifting my head, licking my lips, I meet his gaze to find him glaring at me as if I were beneath him right now. Inwardly flinching, I nod my head. “Okay. I’ll write down my address and you can come by, um, Sunday afternoon.”

  “Why not tonight or tomorrow?” he asks, quirking a brow.

  “I have to, um, work the next few nights.”

  “Thought you worked for Connors?”

  “I do but I have a second job,” I whisper, casting my gaze to the floor, unable to meet Hunter’s eyes anymore.

  “Who watches him when you’re working?”

  “Normally Connors or Jordan, sometimes my boss’s wife watches him for me; however, I’ve already called to tell them I’d be late and they told me to stay with Huntson.” Wrapping my arms around myself, I turn to face away from him. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you . . .”

  “Nope not talking about this now,” Hunter snaps quietly interrupting me. “Not the place for this conversation and I don’t have the fuckin’ time to deal with it right now. Give me your address. I’ll come over later when I get free.”

  “Oh, um, okay,” I murmur, nearly shaking in panic of him being anywhere near me let alone in my house.

  “Address,” he mutters as someone knocks on the door. “Yeah?” he calls out. The door opens to Tanner sticking his head in.

  “Everything good in here?” he asks, eyes focused on Huntson.

  “Yeah, we’re good. Any update?” Hunter returns.

  “They’re moving Bethany to a room now. Getting ready to take Chaz up there. Mackenzie also just came in,” Tanner states.

  “Fuck, she okay?”

  Who’s Mackenzie?

  “She’ll be okay once Lex gets here.”

  “Good, I’ll be out in a minute,” Hunter mutters.

  “Got it. I’ll be with Chaz.” The door closes directly behind Tanner as he informs Hunter where he’ll be.

  What in the world?

  Did Chaz get shot again?

  “Write down your address, Annslee, as well as your number so I can get in contact with you,” Hunter grumbles.

  “Okay.” Great, I’m internally freaking out in my head and right now the only thing I can say is ‘Okay’, seriously there has to be something completely wrong with me.

  Opening the diaper bag, I grab a sheet of paper out of the notebook I keep in there. I’m always forgetting things if I don’t write them down, if not I’m screwed this way and that. I’ve done this on several occasions whereas I forgot to go to the grocery store to buy tampons, or worse pay my utility bill, only to remember when they send a cutoff notice.

  I’m seriously screwed up and a horrible mom for keeping Huntson from his dad.

  It’s like my father always said to me before escaping his grasp, ‘Women are meant to be in the home. To cater to their husbands and birth sons for them. Women are beneath a man. You bow to the men in your life or reap what will be bestowed upon you.’

  Guess I’m now reaping what was bestowed upon me for being horrible in keeping a man from his son.

  Chapter Four

  Hunter

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  How the hell can I have a kid? There is no denying Huntson is mine. He’s the spitting image of me when I was a kid. Well, besides the eyes.

  Those were Annslee.

  Fuckin’ beautiful eyes when he looked up at me, tears streaming from his eyes as I started humming ‘Dark Lullabies’ to him. Hell once I started singing it to him, Huntson stopped altogether and fell asleep against my chest.

  Something inside me shifted in that moment. I don’t know what it is but for some reason, I almost felt completed again. Like the hole that’s been embedded in my soul was finally healed.

  Crazy as it sounds.

  Is it even possible for a baby you just met to do something as impossible as heal a soul?

  Don’t know, right now I don’t even care. All I want right now is to get to know him and find out why Annslee kept him from me for all this time.

  I have the right to know my son and I’ve missed a year of his life. More than a year, actually.

  Taking the paper Annslee gave me I shove it in my back pocket. I’d had to shut her down when she started speaking, trying to explain herself, make excuses. Nothing is right about what she did, but I want to hear what she has to say, only I have to see to the rest of my family first.

  It sucks though because Huntson was dealing with a dou
ble ear infection. To which he’d have to have a shot to help him get better. Hailey and I were the same way. Mom said until we hit seven, we wouldn’t take any medication by mouth. Even said if we thought something has medication in it, whether it was food or drink, we’d refuse it unless we watched her make it.

  I’m sure Huntson’s not that bad considering he’s only a year old. What also sucks is the face Annslee made at the mention of hospital bills. That and the fact she’s working two jobs, if I knew about Huntson this whole time I would have been able to help her. Keep her from having to work so much.

  Shit, hate to say it but I would have had her move into the house with all of us, put her in my wing, in one of the rooms I have.

  “Hunter, man, you good?” Chaz asks, pulling me out of my head.

  Meeting his eyes, the question marring his entire face.

  “No,” I mutter, shaking my head. “This shit is fucked, when the hell are we gonna get a break from all the bullshit we’ve been eating lately.”

  “Yeah, brother, I know what you mean,” Tanner grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest. “Did the nurse go get you a wheelchair? You know they’re not going to let you go unless you’re in one.”

  “I know,” Chaz grunts. “Jordan went to get one. Said she’d be right back. I’m ready to get my ass upstairs to where Bethany is, set eyes on her then see our son. This is not how any of this was supposed to go. I was supposed to be in the room with her.”

  “Sorry, Chaz, this sucks for you but just look at it this way. They’re both here and you’ll see them in a few minutes,” I say letting him read between the lines on what I meant about them both being here.

  “Right,” he scoffs. “One of you want to wait down here with Mackenzie for Lex?”

  “I will,” Alexis murmurs stepping into the cubical with Melody holding her hand.

  “Daddy,” Melody says softly, releasing her aunt’s hand, moving to her dad to look at him. “You gonna be okay, Daddy?” Fuck me, tears well in her eyes. Melody isn’t one for crying but I can see it about to happen.