Quieting the Biker's Rage

by Piper Davenport

  Doom and I were officially ‘hitched.’ It had been a small ceremony in my back yard with the club and my family, but it was perfect. We’d both signed prenups, but let’s be honest, divorce wasn’t an option. Just murder.

  Things with the Spiders weren’t good, but as promised, the conflict was staying away from the women and kids. Doom didn’t share what was going on with the clubs and I didn’t ask. I didn’t really want to know and I figured if I needed to know, he’d tell me.

  In the end, Joey’s trial never happened. Shawn had uncovered evidence to prove Joey’s innocence, so the case was thrown out and Joey was released from jail. Tammy was ecstatic. I warned the kid about hanging out with the wrong crowd, but I knew he’d never listen. He was trapped in the Spiders’ web and there’d never be an easy way out for him.

  “Directing,” Doom reminded me as we walked into the house.

  “Yeah, honey, I know.”

  “In a chair.”

  “Yep.”

  “If you try to lift a lamp, I’m gonna lose my shit,” he warned.

  “So, there’ll be spanking?” I asked hopefully.

  He rolled his eyes. “There will be if you sit in that chair and direct.”

  I smiled big. “Deal.”

  Doom guided me to my snuggle chair, now in the front room, and kissed me quickly before heading back outside to start moving the rest of our stuff in.

  For the next hour, the club moved all of my newly purchased furniture in, including office furniture, basement furniture, and the baby’s set up. Once they were done, they left us alone with the plan to return the U-haul and come back later for the housewarming party that the ladies had planned on our behalf.

  “Ready to see the nursery?” Doom asked, walking into the front room.

  I clapped my hands. “Yes.”

  I reached out to him and he took my hands, hoisting me out of the seat, and positioning himself behind me. I waddled up the stairs with him supporting me from behind and I teared up as we made our way down the hallway. All of the family photos we’d spent hours sorting through had been framed and hung on both sides of the walls, including a couple of gorgeous pictures of Jennifer and Ezra. “When did you hang the pictures?”

  “Yesterday,” he said.

  I faced him. “Were you okay?”

  He smiled, stroking my cheek. “Yeah, baby. I was okay. I didn’t know why you wanted them on the wall, but I see it now.”

  I nodded. “They’re part of our family. Even if they’re not here physically, they’re part of our hearts.”

  He nodded. “Yeah.” He kissed me gently. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Doom turned me back around and guided me into the nursery and I gasped. “Oh, honey, it’s perfect.”

  The club had transformed the room into the cutest little biker’s bedroom anyone could imagine. Our ultrasound had revealed a very big boy, so we were ecstatic to plan for the next generation of bikers. A black crib sat against the wall with a painting of a vintage Harley-Davidson hanging above it. The changing table was fully stocked with diapers, wipes, powder, and cream, and they’d anchored the dresser to the wall so it wouldn’t fall. There was a glider in the corner with a baby leather cut, complete with Dogs logo on the back, all ready for the baby’s patch to be attached, and I just couldn’t contain my gratitude.

  Wrapping my arms around my man, I burst into tears and hugged him tight. “Thank you. I love it. It’s perfect.”

  He chuckled, stroking my back. “You’re welcome.”

  As we stood in the middle of our child’s bedroom, I sent up a silent prayer of thanks for the miracles that had been lavished on me. I don’t know what I did to deserve them, but I would never take them for granted.

  Lyric

  Two months later…

  “DOOM,” I MOANED, coming awake as pain sliced through my belly. I reached for his arm and squeezed. Hard. “Lincoln.”

  He knifed up. “I’m awake. What’s wrong?”

  “He’s coming.”

  “He’s early.”

  “I’ll let you have a conversation with your son when he’s old enough to understand words. For the moment, however, we should probably get to the hospit—aaah…” More pain radiated and I couldn’t breathe.

  Doom slid off the mattress and turned on his lamp, then made his way to my side of the bed. “Okay, baby, you got this. Take some deep breaths. I’m going to get your bag and we’ll head out.”

  “Okay,” I whispered.

  Doom helped me sit up, and I gripped the edge of the bed as I attempted to do my breathing exercises.

  “It’s not helping!” I growled.

  “I know, Angel,” Doom commiserated, as he kneeled in front of me. “Lift.”

  I lifted my feet and he helped me slide my feet into a pair of maternity sweatpants, then pulled them up my body. After zipping me into my hoodie, he lifted me off the bed and wrapped an arm around my waist. “Okay, baby, let’s get you in the car.”

  We moved slowly down the stairs and into the garage where he gingerly loaded me into the Volvo and buckled me in. We stopped twice to wait out contractions and then I had another one while he was securing my seatbelt, so just getting ready to go took forever, but once Doom was finally in the driver seat, we headed out and I tried my best not to scream every time the pain made me feel like I might die.

  Doom took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You got this, Angel.”

  “No, I don’t actually think I do.”

  Pulling up to the hospital, Doom helped me inside and a nurse was waiting with a wheelchair. “We’ll get you settled into a room, then you can fill out the paperwork,” she offered.

  “What about the bag?” I asked.

  “I’ll get it when you’re comfortable,” Doom said.

  For the next two hours, I was subjected to poking, prodding, and the torturous ‘checking,’ until it was determined I could have an epidural.

  “Once the doc gives you the epidural, we can break your water,” the nurse informed me.

  This was all great information, however, it ended up taking a little longer than expected, so by the time the doctor arrived to administer the epidural, I was about to kill someone. And that someone was Doom because he was the closest to me.

  “Okay, Lyric,” Dr. Morther said gently, “I’m going to have you bend over like a cat and I need you not to move. It’s easier than it sounds, but it’s important.”

  I nodded and Doom helped me swing my legs over the side of the hospital bed, taking my hands and holding me as I dropped my head to his shoulder. Dr. Morther slid the needle into my back and all of a sudden the pain of my contractions stopped and I let out a sigh of relief.

  I met Doom’s eyes and stroked his cheek. “I’m so sorry I’ve been a shrew.”

  He chuckled. “You’re not a shrew, Angel. You’re in pain. Don’t even give it another thought.”

  A nurse and Dr. Morther helped position me back into the bed so I could keep the epidural in place, and then I was given space to sleep since nothing was really happening yet.

  “Doc and Olivia are here,” Doom said. “So are Alamo and Jasmine.”

  “Oh, honey, Olivia doesn’t need to be here. This must be killing her.”

  “Let our friend decide what she can handle,” Doom suggested. “You focus on having our baby.”

  I grabbed his hand. “Tell Doc to let her off the hook.”

  “Okay, baby. I’ll take care of it.” He leaned down and kissed me. “If you rest.”

  I closed my eyes and nodded.

  * * *

  Doom

  Lyric fell asleep almost immediately and I used the reprieve to step outside. I still hadn’t grabbed her bag from the car and I knew she’d need a few things once the baby came.

  “How is she?” Willow asked as soon as I stepped into the hallway. Dash, Badger, and Quin smiled in anticipation as I walked out.

  “Asleep for the moment,” I said.

>   I saw Olivia pull away from Doc, wiping her tears and forcing a smile. “Do you need anything?”

  Jesus, this woman was made of steel. “I was just going to grab Lyric’s bag from the car.”

  “I can do that,” Olivia offered.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. It’ll give me something to do. Got the keys?”

  I nodded and handed them to her. “It’s parked in B7.”

  “Okay.”

  “Thanks, sweetheart.”

  “No problem.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Willow said, and the women headed to the elevators.

  “Lyric’s worried about Liv,” I told Doc.

  He nodded. “She wants to be here. I told her she didn’t have to be, but she was adamant.”

  “Well, let her know if she needs to bail, Lyric understands.”

  “Thanks, brother.”

  “I’m gonna go back in.”

  Doc smiled. “Good luck.”

  I’d been back in the room for just a few minutes when the nurse walked in and discovered Lyric’s water had broken on its own, which meant we were close, and the doctor walked in soon after, checking her to declare she was dilated to ten and fully effaced, so it was time to push.

  “We’re going to back the epidural off just a little so you can feel enough to push,” the doctor said. “Ready?”

  “No,” Lyric retorted, and I smiled.

  “You got this, Angel.”

  Thirty minutes later, Sterling Ezra Marxx came screaming into the world. Nine pounds six ounces, twenty-three inches long, a full head of dark hair, and he was my healing.

  Lyric kissed his forehead as she sobbed and held him close. “Hey, beautiful boy. Oh my word, you look just like your daddy.” She smiled up at me. “He’s perfect.”

  I smiled through my own watery eyes and stroked her cheek, kissing her gently, then our son. “He is. So are you. Thank you, Angel. For everything.”

  My rage was quieted, my demons were gone, and I’d finally found peace.

  I’d been given a second chance at love and I was going to cherish it forever.

  Unedited Excerpt ©2019

  ©2019 Trixie Publishing, Inc.

  Doc

  Three years ago, Olivia and I endured an unimaginable tragedy and she tried to force me out of her life.

  I have done all I know to show her she’s everything to me, but with a civil war brewing with a rival club, I’m distracted and she’s spiraling.

  Olivia

  I am a shell of who I once was, unable to find my purpose, and I have an irritating man who won’t let me hide from the world.

  When the unthinkable happens, I am forced to face my demons, and I have to make a choice between walking into the light or crawling back into the dark.

  PROLOGUE

  Olivia

  Three years ago…

  I opened my eyes and whimpered. Pain sliced through my head as the light hit my face and I realized I was in a hospital bed.

  “Baby,” Doc whispered, leaning over me. “Hey, I’m here.”

  “What happened?”

  “Marvin Irvine kidnapped you.”

  I remember arriving at my office and setting my purse on the desk and then pain in my skull and blackness. I woke a few times, but I had a pillowcase over my head and had been zip tied to something, with no idea how long I’d been held, where I was or who had taken me.

  “It was Marvin?”

  “Yeah.”

  Marvin was one of my clients. I was a counselor and he had been going through a really nasty divorce and custody battle, but he seemed to be doing better. He’d been working hard, doing the homework, and meeting with me once a week.

  I tried to sit up, but everything hurt. “I don’t understand.”

  “Careful, honey,” Doc warned.

  “Why, Tristan?”

  “Let’s not worry about that right now, okay? You need to heal.”

  I felt cramping in my abdomen and my hands automatically cradled our baby, but the slight bump that had been there days ago was suddenly gone. “Tris?” I rasped.

  He pulled my hands away from my belly and leaned over me, pulling my arms to his chest. “Look at me, baby.”

  I met his eyes and knew. I just knew our baby was gone. I shook my head, the sting of tears starting in the back of my throat. “No.”

  “I’m sorry—”

  “No!” I screamed. “No!”

  He pulled me gently against his chest and held me as I sobbed against him until I had nothing left. So much nothing, in fact, I fell into a blissful oblivion after the pain overwhelmed me to the point of incoherence.

  * * *

  Doc

  Olivia passed out after I ordered a dose of sedatives and oxy. I couldn’t watch her fall apart anymore and if she kept up with her wracking sobs, she could damage her already broken ribs further.

  Stepping out of her hospital room, I found two of my club brothers pacing the hallway. Alamo and Doom made their way to me and I forced myself not to break down.

  “How is she?” Doom asked.

  “Asleep.”

  “What do you need?” Alamo asked.

  “No fuckin’ clue, brother,” I admitted. “She needs time to heal, but outside of that, I’m at a loss. I called her parents. They’re on their way.”

  Alamo raised an eyebrow. “Does she know?”

  I shook my head.

  “Jesus,” Doom hissed. “She’s gonna be pissed.”

  “Our baby’s gone, brother,” I said, shoving my emotions down. “She’s gonna need her mom.”

  Olivia’s parents did not approve of me and had very vocally cut her off financially. Not that she needed their money, but the fact that they’d felt they could buy her to begin with didn’t sit well with my woman and Olivia went postal on their ass and cut ties with them completely.

  But if I knew anything about women, it was that they needed their moms. Especially when tragedy struck.

  “What about what you need?” Doom asked.

  “Doesn’t matter what I need. She’s the priority.”

  “Dr. Brooks?”

  I turned to the sound of my name and a nurse gave me a gentle smile.

  “She’s asking for you.”

  I nodded and headed into the room.

  “You fucking asshole,” she hissed.

  “You sound like you’re feeling better.”

  “You called my mother?” she squealed. “Why the fuck would you do that?”

  “Because I figured you’d need her.”

  “Oh, so you don’t have to be left holding the bag of your emotionally damaged woman. Got it.”

  “Baby, you are so far off the mark, it’s not even funny.”

  “Then, why the hell would you call my mother?” she accused. “I spent a lot of time training you. Jesus, you disappoint me.”

  I couldn’t stop a smile as I sat on the edge of the bed. “You’re going through a massive trauma and you used to be really close to your mom. I know shit’s gone down since then, but I wanted to give you the chance to have her close if you needed her.”

  “Is that your medical opinion, doctor?”

  I sighed. “If you wanna stay here, Liv, I’m all over it. I just want you to have whatever you need.”

  She nodded. “I think I should go home for a little while.”

  Shit. ‘Home’ was in Cummings, close to five hours away. It was also a place she hadn’t been back to in close to eight years. Not exactly what I had in mind. “Yeah?”

  “A change of scenery.”

  “Okay, baby. I’ll drive you and I’ll stay with Dash’s aunt. It’s a—”

  “No,” she interrupted. “I feel like I need to get my head straight. Alone.”

  “Baby, don’t shut me out.”

  “I’m not shutting you out,” she said. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

  I frowned. She was calm. Resolved. Blank. Liv was never calm, resolved, or blank. This was not good. M
y girl was spiraling and I needed to pull her back, I just didn’t know how.

  “Sweetness—”

  “I’m really tired.” She closed her eyes. “I’m going to try and rest now.”

  “I’m here, Liv. Whatever you need.”

  She didn’t answer, but I knew she heard me and I also knew she was feigning sleep. I let her escape for the moment. There would be plenty of time for us to face the pain together.

  I had no idea, however, how wrong I was.

  * * *

  Two days later, I walked into Olivia’s room to find it empty. I stalked out to the nurse’s desk with as scowl. “Where’s Olivia Worthington?”

  The nurse cocked her head. “She left about an hour ago. She said you approved it.”

  “I did not,” I growled. “Did she leave alone?”

  “No. I believe her brother collected her.”

  “Goddammit,” I snapped, and headed for the exit.

  Fucking Hayes!

  * * *

  Olivia

  Hayes helped me out of the car and into the house. He’d promised to keep my visit from our parents, but I knew he couldn’t do it forever. I’d already called my bestie, Clementine, and she’d insisted I stay with her for a few weeks until I could figure out what I wanted to do going forward.

  Hayes pulled his phone from his pocket and frowned. “It’s Tristan. Again.”

  “Ignore it,” I said. Again.

  “You sure you want to play this game with him?”

  “Not a game, Hayes,” I said sadly. “We’re over and the sooner he figures that out, the better.”

  “He’s good for you, Liv.”

  “But I’m not good for him.”

  “Jesus, sissy, that’s Mom’s poison speaking through you.” He frowned. “You know, as a counselor, I figured you’d be more self-aware.”

  I flipped him off and he laughed.

  He sat beside me and settled his head in his hand. “Why are you dumping him? I thought things were going well.”

  He would think that. Because it’s what I told him.

  But the truth was, I had no idea where I stood with Doc because we’d never really gotten to know each other. I mean, we did, but it was on warp drive, so we were both on our best behavior. We’d met in a continuing education class, fell into bed, continued to fall into bed for about six months, and then I found out I was pregnant.