Chapter 23

Tate

Seeing Teddy faint, even from the safety of her wheelchair had shaved at least ten years off my life. One minute we were talking and I was holding my breath, waiting for her to let me down gently or declare her love for me, in her sassy, brash way, and the next I was carrying her in my arms through the ER doors, demanding they help her. To their credit, the nurses and the doctor moved as fast as any emergency room ever did, taking her vitals and pumping her full of fluids.

“Do you hear that?” The doctor wore a bright smile as a low glug-glug sound pulsed through the air.

I heard it and it sounded damn weird. It was fast and I knew it had something to do with the baby because of the big plastic wand rolling over her belly. “What is it?”

“It’s the baby’s heartbeat,” Teddy said in a teary whisper.

“That’s right, Mom. Your baby has a good, strong heartbeat.”

Our baby’s heartbeat. That left me stunned. I could hear my kid’s little heart beating. “Is that too fast?”

“No, it’s perfect,” she assured both of us with a friendly smile.

I barely noticed her clean the gel off Teddy’s belly, and the conversation between them came out muddled like I was under water. All of it suddenly became more real than it was even an hour ago. She was no more pregnant than she’d been then, but now the baby was real, even though Teddy was still as thin as she ever was. We drove home in a daze, after one of the most stressful three hours of my life, second only to the first twenty-four hours in prison. “Do you need any help?” I asked when I got her inside and back on the sofa.

Teddy rolled her eyes but I saw the small, sweet smile she tried to hide. “No, I’m fine. I’m going to try and clean the hospital stink off me.” She looked away and sighed before turning back to me. “Thank you, Tate. For being there for me. We’ll talk over dinner?” She moved to the wheelchair and looked up at me again. Waiting.

I gave a short nod and disappeared into the kitchen, making as much noise as possible so I wouldn’t hear the spray of the shower and think about the water droplets drip over the swell of her breast, down her long legs. I tried to push those thoughts out of my mind by thinking about the fact that she still hadn’t said anything about us. I poured out my fucking heart and told her I loved her, but she kept her thoughts and feelings to herself.

Patience wasn’t my strong suit, but I was trying to be the man Teddy needed me to be. The man she deserved. That man would’ve understood her reluctance to talk until she knew the baby was safe. Instead, I tried to push it while we waited and she’d shut down completely.

So now I was in the kitchen, making a healthy dinner for the mother of my child. The only woman to ever hold my heart. By the time Teddy made it back to the kitchen wearing a smile and a pretty little dress, the potatoes were boiling and the steaks sat in marinade, waiting for the broiler. “Hospital stink gone?”

She laughed and shrugged. “As much as I can get it done without a shower.”

“Duh. That’s right. You can’t get that thing wet. I could help, you know, and for once I don’t mean it in a dirty way.” But I smiled and wiggled my brows anyway, because I was a man and this woman was mine. I’d never pass up a chance to get dirty with her.

“Careful, Golden Boy, I might take you up on that offer.”

“Please do,” I told her as I drained the potatoes and put the steaks in the oven before turning to her. “It would be my pleasure and punishment to help you get clean.” She smiled up at me and I had to blink because I thought maybe I saw love there, but it was gone so quickly I couldn’t be sure.

“It smells delicious in here.”

“I figured after that scare in the parking lot we could both use a good meal.”

“I appreciate it, but you didn’t have to.”

This was starting to piss me off. “Teddy we both know I don’t do shit I don’t want to do, so cut it out.” I brought all the food to the table and we sat across from one another, eating in silence. “I didn’t know what exactly was good for the baby, but I knew those stinky ass cheeses weren’t good and neither was shrimp. Can’t go wrong with steak.”

She hummed her agreement.

“Need me to cut it for you?”

She waved me away and forked the steak whole, lifting it to her mouth with a satisfied smile on her face. When half her steak was eaten, she sat back and looked at me.

“I’m sorry about lying about the baby, but I needed to wrap my head around it first. I couldn’t let anyone else’s opinion influence me.”

I sighed, trying really fucking hard not to be offended. “You thought I would tell you to get rid of it?” If so, she definitely didn’t love me because she didn’t fucking know me.

Her blue eyes went so wide they practically bugged out of her head. “No, I thought you would urge me to keep it and I wasn’t sure if that was the right decision.” She blew out a breath, like it was a relief to get it out there.

But I frowned. “Because of me?”

She laughed but the sound was hollow and bitter. “No, Tate. Because of me. I don’t know jack shit about how a family is supposed to behave. I’m not sure I even know how to behave.” She snorted another laugh. “Every mother figure I’ve ever had in my life let me down and I wasn’t sure I was willing to risk bringing a child into that.”

“And now?” I had to know.

“Now I’m sure I’ll do better. I’ll read every mommy book under the sun, do my best by hovering and helicoptering and whatever else comes along to make sure this kid is the smartest, funniest, best kid around.”

She was definitely certain. It was evident in her tone, in that look of fierce determination and that sexy smile she wore. But I only nodded, waiting to see if I played any role in this future she laid out.

“Then there’s us,” she began, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “You were...unexpected. Together we were...two ships in the night, maybe.”

“And now? What are we now?”

She smiled again and nodded. “We are...us.”

“You’re not anything bitch. Golden Boy is mine, damn you!”

We both turned, startled at Sheena’s yelling. How in the hell did she get inside the house?

I barked out, “No I’m not, Sheena.”

“You are, dammit!” She had a gun, a simple nine-millimeter clutched between her shaky hands, wild eyes darting between Teddy and me. The table set for two between us. “Did I interrupt another romantic dinner? Did I?”

Teddy shook her head, skin pale and lips drawn and nervous. “It wasn’t romantic, just dinner.”

“Shut up, bitch! This is all your fault, coming around and flaunting your long legs and fancy gear. I was a good little bitch for years, now it’s my turn!” She was so angry, so filled with rage I had a bad feeling about how this would end.

I kept my voice even. As even as I could with a gun in my face. “I was never yours, Sheena.”

“But you could have been, Golden Boy. Don’t you see? We could have been fucking amazing together. I’m the kind of bitch that could have made you club president but you passed me over.” She shook her head, smacking it with her palm. “I had it all planned out. I would show you a good time, fuck your brains out after being without a woman for so long. I would’ve let you do anything, Golden Boy. Anything!”

Teddy snorted out a laugh and my eyes went wide with shock. Was she crazy?

Sheena turned on her and my heart leaped into my throat when the gun stretched out, pointing to her face. “You have something to say, whore?”

Teddy just sneered. “You’re so wrong about everything, do you even care about the truth?”

“Teddy,” I began, hoping to warn her not to poke the crazy ass bear.

“No, Golden Boy, let her speak. Let the little slut tell us what’s on her slutty little mind. Go ahead,” she waved the gun in Teddy’s direction. “Speak, bitch!”

I had to give Teddy credit; she looked way calmer than I felt even as she surreptitiously covered her belly as her gaze settled on Sheena. “You’re the one who brought us together.”

“Liar! Fucking liar!”

“It’s true. We were just friends of circumstance before. His brother is marrying my best friend. But then some crazy psycho started stalking me and Tate offered his protection. Then we really started spending time together and well, you know the rest.”

“His name is Golden Boy, you stupid bitch!”

Teddy shrugged like Sheena didn’t have a gun aimed at her head. “Either way, this is on you Sheena. I should thank you.”

Sheena raised the gun level with Teddy’s forehead and grinned with crazy eyes. “For ending your misery tonight?”

“No.” Teddy turned her gaze to me and smiled. “For pushing me into the arms of the love of my life.”

Sheena let out a little shriek of pain. “Are you fucking serious right now? I have the gun so you both will fucking listen to me. To me!”

Teddy was like a freight train and wouldn’t stop. I was sending her thought messages. Baby, she’s crazy, please, stop. She’ll kill us. But she just barreled on.

“You interrupted our evening, Sheena, not the other way around. This was a private conversation and since you’re trying to steal my man, I figured it was the perfect time to step up.”

Teddy looked back at me and grinned. “I know I have the worst timing in the world, but I figured this was a now or never type deal. I love you, Tate. I am madly, crazily, sappily in love with you. So much that I just want to hop on your lap and run my fingers through your hair like Jana does to Max.”

I barked out a laugh over my pounding heart. We had to be delirious. It was the only explanation for both of us to be laughing and staring at each other with googly eyes as a crazy woman held us at gunpoint. “I like that,” I said, my voice as shaky as Sheena’s hand holding the Glock.

I don’t know if Sheena was high or what but she quickly snapped, “Oh, please! Don’t listen to her, Golden Boy, she’s full of shit. A girl like her, she doesn’t want a biker. She wants you for your money.”

And then the lights went on. Thank you, Sheena. Suddenly it was all very clear. My breath started to calm and I took my eyes off Teddy and faced Sheena, shaking my head. What a dumb ass I’d been. If I hadn’t had my head up my ass about being so pissed off about being falsely accused and the raw deal I got from the government and all that shit maybe I could have seen what was right in front of my eyes. But no. I had to put Teddy’s life on the line and make everything about me. I went running off to Reno and all that shit and I still didn’t figure it out. What the fuck took me so long?

“Goddammit, Sheena. Now it all makes fucking sense. You focused on me because you want the money.” The next laugh came out harsher. Louder. “Of course you do. There are plenty of guys you could’ve tried to get it on with, and now I know why they wouldn’t do. The money.”

Sheena didn’t blink an eye. “Okay, well, this has been fun and all, but I came here to get my man.” She raised her arm again so the barrel of the gun was aimed right between Teddy’s eyes. “And the only way to do that is to make sure you’re not around anymore.”

But Teddy didn’t blink, either. “Do what you have to do, Sheena. Just remember that Tate won’t visit you in prison. Will you, baby?”

I shook my head and thought this must be the most surreal night of my life.

“Never. Sorry,” I told Sheena, because one of us had to try and keep the crazy bitch happy.

“That’s okay, I have no plans to get caught. We’ll use some of Golden Boy’s money to get out of here, and by the time they find you we’ll be on a beach somewhere sipping ice cold beers. You’ll just be a memory.”

The next few seconds happened in slow motion. Teddy’s hands went to her belly and I knew it was coming but I couldn’t stop it. “And he’ll love being by the side of the woman who killed his first child. Won’t you, babe?”

I knew it would either piss Sheena off or send her over the edge. She shot me a look that dared to cut me in half, then turned back to Teddy. “You’re lying! You’re a lying fucking bitch.”

“Maybe I am, who knows? You’ll only find out after the fact.”

What was she doing? I put up my hand, as if that was going to stop Teddy. She had fire in her eyes. “No, babe. Do you want her to kill you?”

I knew she was a fighter, but it seemed like she was just giving up, asking Sheena to pull the trigger. I’d never felt so helpless in my life.

“I can’t change her mind, Tate, and I refuse to feed her delusion.” Those were the last words she spoke as the front and back door burst open at the same time and a dozen officers stormed the house.

“Down on the ground, right now! On the fucking ground!” I moved slowly, lifting my arms over my head and slid to the floor.

“On the fucking ground!” I couldn’t see what was happening but I heard it all.

“I don’t think so, pigs! If I can’t have him …”

Two shots sounded and a body collapsed to the floor. Teddy screamed.

“Fucking pigs, you shot me! I’ll sue you all!”

“On the goddamn ground right now or I’ll shoot you!”

“I can’t, you asshole!” Teddy’s words were distorted by tears and fear. But at least she wasn’t dead.

“I’m in a wheelchair and I’m pregnant!”

“She’s the vic,” a deep voice I recognized as Detective Haynes said, seconds before he was lifting me off the ground. “You all right?”

My gaze went to Teddy. “I’m fine,” I told him and dropped to my knees in front of her, wrapping my arms around her waist. “Are you okay?”

She nodded quickly. “A little sh-sh-shaken, but okay.” Her smile wobbled, giving away her fear.

“You’re okay, baby. I’m right here, the man you love.”

She laughed. “You couldn’t wait to rub it in, could you?”

“I just wanted to get it out there on the record.” I turned to see the cops cuffing Sheena, a paramedic attending to her wound.

“With witnesses.” Teddy laughed and it was the sweetest sound, light and airy, full of life.

With her uninjured hand, she cupped my jaw and leaned in for a kiss. “I love you Tate Ellison.”

“Are you fucking crazy? You know she could have shot you.”

“Baby, I looked at her and you and thought about baby Tate and decided I was done being afraid. She’s been ruining my life these last few months and it pissed me off. It was time to take my life back. Maybe I’m pumped with too much adrenaline or baby hormones, I don’t know. But something inside me said enough. I saw she had as much fear in her eyes as bravado and if she gave me the chance, I was going to knock the shit out of her with this cast or die trying. But she wasn’t going to ruin my life anymore.”

I put my arms around her and while Haynes and his team finished up their business, Teddy whispered in my ear, “She had also broken through the security code at the front door and knew the cops were on their way, so I might not be as brave as you think.”