Chapter Twelve
Handle
Sitting in the seat, I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. I was fucking irritated because I hated waiting. We’d asked all results to be delivered to my doctor, one I trusted completely since she was an old family friend. We could have gotten it delivered in the mail, but we had to make an appointment anyway for a check-up on the baby.
A hand landed on my back and ran up and down. “Relax. You’re worse than me.” Shifting my head to the side, I looked at my woman. It’d been two weeks since the hospital visit, and I still couldn’t believe how fuckin’ lucky I was and how much I was obsessed with her and her body. It was like I was a teen again, and every time she walked into a room, I’d spring a hard-on. However, she was more than happy to help me with it. So far our routine was good. Still, no matter where we crashed for the night, I made sure she was right at my side. Even after I’d been out patrolling—we’d still come up empty in the search for Python, which made us all fucking ropable—or if I’d been working the strip joint, I always found my way back to Della. Didn’t want to go a day without seeing her.
We’d already had one appointment with a sonographer dude for an ultrasound. I fucking hated him touching her, and thought she would have too. Later she’d admitted she didn’t like it, but if I was there by her side, she could handle anything. That sentence made me feel like fucking He-Man.
It was just the previous day when we’d got the first sight of the baby. My throat had closed over. It was real. I was gonna be a father.
“Everything okay?” I’d asked.
“It looks to be. I’ll just do some measurements and let you know.”
Del had turned her face to grab my attention. Her eyes had shimmered with unshed tears. “That’s ours.” Her bottom lip had trembled.
Clenching my jaw, so I didn’t start blubbering like a baby, I’d nodded. She’d known, saw it in my eyes how affected I was by being there with her, seeing our baby inside of her.
“You’re definitely ten weeks, and the baby’s at a great size. Everything looks fine. I’ll send what I have to your doctor. You’re going tomorrow, right?”
I’d managed a nod before Della curled her arms around me and started sobbing into my chest. The guy, after printing out some pictures I didn’t really understand, but apparently, the bean was our baby, left us to have our moment.
When the door swished open, I actually jumped, lost in the memory of seeing our baby for the first time. Del grinned over at me. Doctor Ambers came in and smiled once she spotted me. “Finnegan Kaidion, it’s been too long.”
“Hey, Doc. Good to see you.”
“And who do we have here?” she asked, taking a seat opposite us.
“My woman, Mardella Kent.”
“Hi, Mardella.” The doctor smiled.
“Hi, and please call me Della.”
She nodded and opened my file. “Congratulations are in order. Everything is looking good for the baby, nothing to worry about. I see you’ve had some other blood work done.”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“More good news. Everything has come back as normal.”
Fucking hell. Turning to my woman, I found her already looking at me and smiling so goddamn big. I hooked the back of her neck with my hand and tugged her forward, taking her lips with my own.
A throat cleared, then again when I wouldn’t quit it.
Del broke the kiss with a laugh. She pulled back blushing, but still with that gorgeous fuckin’ smile.
Everything was fuckin’ perfect.
However, there was one thing I had to do to make my woman happier. At least, I hoped it would.
* * * *
We walked into the compound. The place wasn’t too busy since a lot of brothers were working or out searching for new information to locate the fucker Python. Even though the cunt who was gunning for strippers had cooled his game off, we were still involved and trying to gather information about him. We didn’t want him to hit one of our clubs. Though, it’d be a fool’s move to try, especially since we’d stepped security up in all places. Some of the old ladies bitched about always having a brother with them, but they understood it, and most only bitched in a jesting way to rile their man in some sort of way. It led to more fun times in the bedroom.
Something Del found out just the other day when she went to go to the supermarket with only Low. She tried to argue with me. I liked the fire she brought. It meant I got to settle her in ways we both enjoyed, and eventually, she saw my side of it.
Noise started from down the hallway, and when Josie, Nary, Low, Melissa, and Mena came into the common area, I froze. Fuck, there was too much oestrogen. I needed more brothers around.
“She’s ours,” Low called, glaring like I would fight her over having time with my woman. It was certain I would, but not when I was on my fucking own with five women striding towards me.
“You’ve got work anyway, right?” Josie asked with a smile.
“Even if he didn’t, we’d take her anyway,” Melissa said with an evil grin.
“Don’t worry, we’re staying here, and we’ll take care of her,” Nary added.
“What’s going on?” Del asked.
It was then Julian rounded the corner holding balloons. “A surprise baby shower.”
Fuck me.
Del glanced at me. “Hey, don’t look at me. The only others who knew, until we were sure things were cool with the baby were Dallas and Melissa.”
We glanced to Melissa. She looked everywhere but at us, then threw up her arms and said, “Fine. It was me. After I got Del’s text saying bubs was perfect, and since we know everything is great, I thought it time to share the happy news. I had to get it out! It was eating at me not to share it.”
Julian piped in, “It was lucky I was in town, my beauty. There is no way I would miss a chance to celebrate you getting knocked up by your biker.”
As one, they all came forward and crowded around Del and me, cooing, clapping, smiling, and congratulating us with tears in their eyes.
It was time to back the fuck out and make a run for it.
“Okay, ladies,” Low called. “The biker is looking ready to bolt. Let’s get him outta here so we can party,” she cried, her hands going in the air to make devil horns with her fingers.
“Drinks, cake, and strippers… couldn’t ask for a better day to celebrate a new arrival,” Melissa said.
My body locked. “No drinks or strippers or I grab her and get the fuck outta here,” I warned.
All women giggled.
Julian snorted. “Badarseness, they’re playing with you. Don’t fret, my pet, we’ll have a nice normal baby shower.”
Normal and the pussy posse just didn’t gel.
Stepping up to Del, I cupped her cheeks and ordered, “They piss you off, question you and you don’t want to answer, you come find me, and we’ll jet. Hear me?”
“Yes, Finn.” She smiled.
“Baby, take it easy for me, yeah?”
“I will. Promise I’ll only get one lap dance,” she teased. At least, she’d better be teasing.
Under my breath, I growled. She smirked and then kissed me. “I’ll be in and out checkin’ the situation.”
“Damn, cancel the strippers,” Melissa sighed. I sent her a death glare. “Go, work, and don’t worry about your woman. She’s in good hands.”
I snorted. “Doubt that.”
“Hey,” Josie complained.
Rolling my eyes, I added, “Okay, Josie and Nary are the saner ones. Stick with them.”
“I’ll be fine.” With another quick kiss, she added against my lips, “Love you.”
The tension rolled off me. “Back at you.”
“Come on,” Low groaned. “We haven’t got all day. Gotta get the kids later from school.”
My hands came up, and I stepped back. “All right, I’m gone.” Winking at Del, I added, “Have fun.” She saluted me.
I didn’t make it into the garage. Instead, I veered off down the hall to the room where we held church. Opening the door, I peered in to see no one was around. I walked in, closing the door behind me. Early that morning, while Del still slept, I’d grabbed her phone and searched through it before replacing it to where she’d left it. Taking out my own phone, I added in the number and placed it against my ear.
“Hello?”
“Mrs Kent?”
“Y-yes, who’s this?”
“You met me with your daughter. My names Finn Kaidion, only some people call me Handle, which is what I’d prefer you to call me.”
Silence for a beat and then she quietly said, “You came with Mardella that day, and the other lady, Melissa?”
“Yeah.”
“I-is she okay? Is Mardella okay?”
“She is. For once, she really is.”
A hiccup sounded on the other end. “I’m so glad.”
“She could be happier. Know she’s been missin’ her mum.”
I heard a sob. Then with a shaky voice, she asked, “S-she still calls me her mum? Oh God, after… after she left, I thought I’d lose her forever.”
“You both hurt her.”
“I know, I know, and I’m so very sorry. I tried calling her…. No, that’s a lie. I went to call her, but I felt so ashamed the way we were with her.”
“It’s time you reached out to her again.”
“Are you sure she’s okay?”
“Yes. I’m makin’ sure of it.”
“You’re, you and my Mardella…?”
“Yeah, she’s my woman, and I have to tell you, I’ll protect her in every fuckin’ way. Meanin’ if you want to reach out to her, I know she’d appreciate it a lot, but your husband doesn’t get this chance—”
“He’s sorry.”
“Don’t give a fuck. He screwed with her head when she already wasn’t in a good place. She’s finally back on track. Don’t want him messin’ her up again. Not now and not ever. You want this chance to have such an amazing woman back in your life, then take it without your husband. Those are the terms.”
“And you’ll help me see her? You know where she is?”
“She lives in Melbourne now. With me.”
“A-and she’s happy?”
“Come and see for yourself. But only you.”
“I will. I will. I… um, I just can’t leave work yet, but soon I want to come and talk with my daughter. Apologise, and hope she’ll have me back in her life. I’m sorry for everything said. It hasn’t been good for us since Ashley died, and then we didn’t know where—”
“Save it for Del.”
“Yes, you’re right. I will. Uh, thank you, um, Handle.”
“Don’t need your thanks. Just need to make sure you don’t screw this up for Del.”
“I won’t. I’ll talk to my husband. I— we, it’ll all work out. I’ll be in contact when I can make it.”
“Good,” I said, and then ended the call and fuckin’ hoped I hadn’t made the wrong decision.