Chapter 17
Bella
We’re at the doctor’s office, at the hospital in Deland, waiting for Sam and Dr. Metcalf, my new OB/GYN, to join us in the sonogram room. Sam and Dr. Metcalf are talking in the hallway to give me time to prepare myself, get undressed and cover-up.
We met the doctor, talked to her, and she did an exam on me already. We’ve discussed how to reduce my stress and get my blood pressure down. We also discussed what would happen if I don’t.
The doctor is a very nice woman. She is around the same age as Sam, mid-thirties. They went to medical school together. They both worked well together at easing some of my fears. The rest will come in time and more therapy.
I’m lying on the table half-naked, from the waist down with a paper blanket over me. We are going to see our little one, on the big screen TV on the wall in a few minutes.
I’m so excited and can’t wait to get back to the Clubhouse to show everyone the pictures. First, though, Gio and I agreed we would tell Gigi privately, before telling the Club. I want her to be the first to know about the new baby, her niece or nephew, since my brothers already found out. My baby sister is going to be an auntie, my brothers are going to be uncles. Can you believe it! I still cannot believe this is my life.
Aunt Cindy is waiting in the waiting room with Jules, Ace, and Blaze for us to call them back. They wanted to give us a few minutes alone to see the baby before they joined us. Plus, Gio didn’t want the guys in the room with my bottoms off and...
“Baby, are you going to be comfortable with this thing,” Gio says, pointing to the wand by the sonogram machine. “I know it sure as hell bothers the fuck out of me. My cock should be the only thing that goes into that pussy of mine.” I want to laugh at him, but I can’t, I’m panicking about that too, and trying not to think about it. I don’t know how I’ll feel about it, not just because it’s not him, per say. I’m just not sure about any of this yet; it’s still all new to me.
The vaginal exam took me by surprise and was hard for me at first. Thankfully, Sam explained my situation to the doctor, and she understood. Dr. Metcalf walked me through the whole exam step by step, before touching me, to keep me calm and comfortable. The exam took longer than it should have, but if she didn’t walk me through the process, I never would have been able to let her touch me. Then Gio would have had a shit fit on her.
Gio, on the other hand, wasn’t happy about her touching me, but he knew I had to have it done.
That was the best thing Sam could have done for us, though, find a woman doctor. Gio still had a problem with her examining me down there, hovering over her every move, but if it was a man, I don’t think we would have made it this far. He would have shut it down before it even started and made us wait. Instead, he just stood beside me, held my hand, and did his best he could to keep us both distracted.
Gio places a soft kiss on my lips, then on my nose. We gaze into each other’s eyes for a few heartbeats.
“Just stay by my side and hold my hand. After that exam, I think I’ll be okay,” I say giving him an apprehensive look. He can tell I’m indecisive about this whole thing. He nods and is about to speak when there is a knock on the door. Sam and the doctor walk in.
“Are you two ready to see your little peanut?” Dr. Metcalf asks, striding over to the machine. We both say yes, as she sits and places a condom on the stick with gel, then turns on the monitor. I swallow hard and my breathing hitches. Gio squeezes my hand, giving me a reassuring look. I gape into his eyes instead of looking at the machine. She explained all of this to me before we came in here, so I knew what to expect, but hearing it... seeing it... I just don’t know.
“Careful doc, you take it easy on my wife, or you’ll have to find another way to do this shit.”
She nods and smiles at us before getting me prepared. I don’t move my eyes from Gio’s until she has the screen ready for us. Then I move when I hear the swish, swoosh sounds coming from the machine in double time it seems like.
I stare at the black and white, fuzzy screen not knowing what I’m looking at. It looks like a large bubble with two round balls, and like an alien is inside of it with numerous limbs. As the doctor clicks away on the keyboard, I stare in amazement.
“Oh... my... word,” she says, and I don’t like her tone. “Holy shit,” Sam says from the other side of me, and I begin to feel an uneasiness wash over me. Is something wrong with our baby? I look from the monitor to Gio, Sam, the doctor, and back to the monitor.
“What’s wrong? Is our baby okay? Did I hurt our baby already?” I blurt out with tears in my eyes, scared to death that I hurt our baby. Gio takes me in his arms to placid me.
“Nothing is wrong, sweet pea,” Dr. Metcalf says, then continues. “The babies are eight weeks along and growing perfectly. They are doing just fine,” she says enunciating her words. I take a deep breath and freeze for a second. Wait, did she just say babies, not a baby. No! Shit! She can’t be right. Before I have a chance to question her, Gio beats me to the punch.
“Hold up a second there Doc, did you just say babies as in two babies? Are we having twins?” Twins, holy shit, twins. We’re having two babies, not one. HOLY MOTHER OF GOD! TWINS!
I feel like I’m going to pass out again. She can’t be right.
“Yes, you’re pregnant with twins, identical twins. Do either of you have twins in your families?” she asks, and I have to think about it for a minute, so I don’t panic. I don’t remember ever hearing about twins running in my family. Gio’s either if I’m not mistaken.
“Ya, my dad, he had an identical twin brother, and I also have male identical twin cousins on his side,” Gio says, and I gawk at him. I never knew that.
“Uncle Lorenzo was a twin? What!” I ask him, and the doctor gives us a horrified look, I ignore her. Before Gio can answer me, she blurts out, shocked, “Uncle... are you two related?”
“No, we’re not related. We grew up together, and my father worked for her father. Out of respect, we called all our elders aunt and uncle,” Gio says without hesitation. Then he finally turns his attention back to me to answer my question.
“Baby, dad’s brother died when you were two. Do you remember them ever talking about Uncle Louis or Uncle Lou, which most people called him? Lou was dad’s twin.” I do remember hearing about him. He was in the organization under my grandfather. I think I remember hearing something about him being shot in the line of duty. I nod my head and then turn back to the doctor.
“Show us our babies, Doc,” I say. For the next half an hour, she points them out to us on the big screen TV. As I lay here on the table, listening to the doctor, watching her point both our babies parts out to us, little nubby arms, legs, and their heads, I can’t help but freak out a little bit. I panicked when I knew we were having one baby, now I find out we’re having two. I... I... I can’t freak out. It will all be okay. I’m happy, don’t get me wrong, but two... We will have two babies to take care of not one. I have to put all this aside for now. Aunt Cindy and I will talk later, and she will ease all my worries, I’m sure. I need to focus on the good and go with it just like my therapist told me. This is a happy moment, and I’m going to enjoy this ride.
She does all her calculations and measurements of the babies, and then she takes some pictures for us to keep.
Our babies are growing properly and will continue to do so as long as I follow the doctor’s orders. Eat right, drink lots of water, rest, exercise, and take my prenatal vitamins. I can and will do all of that and keep myself calm, I need to reduce my blood pressure and not stress out. I also need to start seeing my therapist more for a while.
When she’s done with everything, she freezes the screen for our family to see the babies. Sam and Dr. Metcalf leave the room to gather them while I get dressed before they join us.
I quickly dress, in my shorts, and spend a minute in Gio’s arms until the room fills up with our family and the Doctor. Once they all gather in, Doc gives the floor to Gio. I stay in his arms sitting on the table while he speaks.
“Bella is eight weeks pregnant, and we’re due April 5th. She’s a candidate for early labor, so she will probably be on bed rest towards the end,” he says and takes a deep breath before hitting them with the big news. “The babies are healthy, and their growth is on target. You can see them,” Gio says, removing his right arm from around me and pointing to the screen on the wall. We wait for someone to catch his words. After looking at the screen for a second, they all say at once, “Babies.” We now have four shocked faces gawking at us.
Gio and I look at each other with huge smiles on our faces, and we nod our heads. Then we start cracking up, hysterically laughing from their expressions.
“Damn, bro, that’s some super sperm you got there,” Blaze says, and the room erupts in laughter and cheer. We all stay like that for a minute, taking it all in and then compose ourselves.
“Just like your dad,” Aunt Cindy mutters beside me. She has a huge smile on her face and tears in her eyes.
At that moment, Ace’s phone rings, interrupting our announcement.
“Hey, Gator, we just got the most awesome news from Beast and...” he stops mid-sentence and all you hear is Gator yelling, but I can’t make out what he’s saying. The look in Ace’s eyes worries me. He’s trying to control his emotions, as he looks straight at me. What the hell is going on now?
“We’re leaving now. Where are the guys?” he asks and waits for the answer.
“You did, okay, we’ll be back in 30 and figure it out,” he says and hangs up.
“What was that all about?” Gio asks, and I get a shiver up my spine. This is bad, really bad I can tell from the look in his eyes.
“We need to get back to the Clubhouse now, there’s trouble. Beast, I need to speak to you, alone. Blaze, you take mom and the girls out to the cage, including you, Sam, Gator’s orders. We’ll meet you out there in a few minutes. Don’t let them out of your sight for a second,” he says the last part sternly to Blaze. Then he whispers something else to Blaze.
Gio helps me down from the table and hands me his keys. He gives me a kiss and tells me everything is fine and he will see me in a couple of minutes. Aunt Cindy takes my hand, and I grab Jules’ hand after she kisses Ace, and then we head out of the room.
Something is going on that they don’t want me to know about, and that worries me. When Gio gets in the SUV with me, he’s going to have to answer my questions. I know this has nothing to do with Club business and he can’t use that excuse this time. He wants to protect me from things, I get that, I really do, but he can’t always. It’s the not knowing that worries me and if I’m worried, that’s not good for our babies or me.
We make our way through the hospital in silence. My panic rises as we walk out the doors and I see two black sedans with blacked out windows not far from our SUV and the guy’s bikes. The motors are running, and I don’t see anyone outside of them or anywhere around. I feel eyes on me, and my gut is telling me it’s him. Daddy and Val always taught me to trust my gut, and I do.
I start to shake and rush, pulling Aunt Cindy and Jules towards the SUV. No, please, let me be wrong, I have to be wrong. I can feel it in my gut it's exactly what I think, though.
It’s that slimy bastard and his lazy goons, it has to be. What has that bastard done now? What is he up to, nothing good that’s for damn sure? He’s got to be here for me, I know it. He must be here to get Jules, Gigi and me himself.
Sweet Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, please protect us. Oh dear God, don’t let him hurt me again or my babies. Please watch over and protect us.
“Bella, unlock the cage, get in the driver seat and start it up. Everyone get in and lock up. I’m going to stay out here and wait for my brothers. If anything happens, or I give you a signal, Bella, you book it to the Clubhouse and mom you call Gator. Can you do that for me, sweetie, if not, let mom get in the driver’s seat and drive,” Blaze says sternly, but with compassion. All I can do is shake and nod my head yes.
I can do this. I need to be in control. I have to be strong for my babies and keep them safe. I need to get back to Gigi and make sure she’s safe behind the locked gates at the Clubhouse.
We all do as we are ordered and hurry into the SUV. Blaze shuts my door for me, waits while I lock the doors, and start it up before he moves to the front of the SUV. He scans the area and pulls out his phone.
My heart is hammering so fast in my chest, and my anxiety is climbing up, I can feel it. Aunt Cindy takes my hand in her’s to reassure me and talk me through this, so I don’t panic. I don’t hear a word she’s saying, but her tone is almost like a soft lullaby. I stare at the hospital front doors the whole time she speaks, waiting and watching to see Gio’s reassuring face come through them.