I stayed in ICU for a night and then was moved to the maternity ward for two more days before we were released. I slept most of the time as I was recovering from my surgery, and Mac took care of Catori the whole time. He refused to let her out of his sight and wouldn’t let the nurses take her back to the nurse’s station. They had to weigh her and observe everything with him by their side. He aggravated every doctor and nurse that came in to check on us both. Hovering over them, making sure they were doing everything that was needed for me and Catori. I loved it though. I never had someone hover so much over my care, and it was nice.

Zeek and Jillian come to visit, and Jillian ran straight to Catori. Mac frowns at her, holding her tighter.

“Really? You’re not going to let me hold her?” Jillian pouts.

“Let her hold her, she’s fine!” I snap.

“She’s pre-term, she can’t get sick!” He narrows his eyes at me.

“I know she’s pre-term, I had her!”

“Guys!” Zeek steps in between us, his brows raised.

Jillian steps to the wall and squirts some hand sanitizer the hospital offers into her palm.

“Look, germ-free!” She holds up both hands and smiles.

Mac glares at me, and I scowl in return.

“Fine,” Mac groans. Turning, he places Catori in her arms, but not before he makes sure she holds her perfectly right.

“Oh my, she’s beautiful!” Jillian gasps. “Oh Zeek, we need another!”

Zeek’s face pales before he scoffs.

“Heard you had a rough delivery,” Jillian whispers, standing next to my bed. I shrug, looking at Catori.

“We’re alive, that’s all that matters.”

Jillian smiles. “Damn straight.”

Zeek steps up to my bed, crossing his arms. Something obviously on the tip of his tongue. Crossing his arms, his shoulders rise.

“Anybody been in here to ask you questions?”

Mac’s head snaps in my direction.

“What do you mean?” Mac asks defensively.

“The Devil’s Dust, Kane’s club, they want Veer badly, so I was just curious if they’ve sent anyone here to ask her questions yet,” Zeek informs, his rough tone making Catori upset.

I shake my head. “No, nobody has asked or said anything.”

Zeek gives a curt nod. “Good, don’t.” The warning in his voice is not missed, Jillian eyeing me and silently conveying for me to agree.

“Why?” I can’t help but need more than just that before I agree.

Zeek rubs his chin, looking Jillian and Catori over.

“Veer killed Gatz, and we called that Veer’s blood way before the Devils, that’s why.” Giving me a once over, he heads to Jillian, looking Catori over. The Outlaws want Veer for what he did to Gatz.

“I’m not standing in anyone’s way… just as long as Veer fucking pays for what he’s done.”

Whoever gets him first, gets him.

* * *

The day of release, Mac brought a frilly dark green dress with him and dressed Catori in it.

“That’s my favorite color,” I smiled.

“I know, that’s why I got it.” He grinned. That’s right, I did tell him that was my favorite color.

“You don’t think she should wear pink?”

He gives me an awkward eye.

“She’ll have enough pink crap her whole life, this dress is perfect for her first day in the real world.”

I laugh, looking Catori over in her dress. She’s so cute in green.

“One more thing,” Mac mutters, placing the purple dragon Gatz got her, next to her.

I gasp, tears filling my eyes.

“I may not be able to fill your daddy’s shoes, but I’ll be the second best,” he tells Catori, and I can’t control the sob that trembles from my mouth. God, when will these hormones go away?

“You’re all set, we just need to make sure you have a car seat, and she’s buckled in correctly before leaving,” A nurse enters the room handing us some papers.

“I- I don’t have a car seat.” Panic sets in, they’re going to take Catori, find me as an unfit mother.

“No, I got one,” Mac casually informs the nurse.

“You did?” My eyes dart to his. “When did you do that?”

He opens up a large cabinet next to the bed and pulls out a blue and pink car seat by Eddie Bower.

He places it on the bed next to me, and I rub my finger along the suede material.

“This morning.”

“This looks expensive,” I mutter.

“It has the best crash ratings and is most compatible with any vehicle.” Mac gently places Catori in her car seat, and his lecture on the specifications on the car seat make me go deaf. He’s going to be the most protective, annoying dad; I can see it. I love him and want to slap him.

A male nurse enters the room with a wheelchair, and Mac helps me out of the bed. The weight on my stomach causes it to sting and feels like it’s ripping apart. Sitting in the chair, I can’t help but sigh with relief.

I’m wheelchaired out, and Raven and Machete await outside the front doors of the hospital with Raven’s car. Motorcycles on each side of the car to escort us back to the club.

Mac buckles Catori in, and I swear he checks it five times to make sure it’s buckled in right.

Slowly climbing in next to Catori, Mac on the other side we pull away from the hospital.

“Slow down Raven, fuck!” Mac yells at Raven.

“I’m like going three over, chill out!”

They get into a full argument about how fast the car should be going with the amount of weight inside the vehicle. Even Machete jumps in on the argument.

I feel camouflaged in the moment. Catori and I, blending in with our new life. As two bikers covered in tattoos hash out what the speed limit should be when driving a baby back to a clubhouse.

I feel safe and comfortable for the first time in a long time. I’m laughing, and an amazing man is holding my hand that truly loves me and isn’t bound as a family obligation to care about me. It’s his choice to want to be with me, he wants to be in mine and Catori’s life.

A mansion filled with the most expensive things and people who are blood-related wasn’t a home.

This is home.

I know without a doubt every person in this car will protect me and Catori, even if it means taking a bullet to do it.