25.

Beau

At Elise’s call, my stomach dropped. We’ve been in the city for a few days now, she just never knew it.

Blood tracked a hot trail up Chicago way, no doubt now, Houdini’d been comin’ after Liv. We thought we could get to him before he got to our women. Clearly we underestimated the son of a bitch.

As upset as Blood got with word of his sister’s kidnapping, understandably, Chaos went ballistic. An out of his mind, blinded by fear and rage, kind of ballistic I couldn’t sweep under the rug as mere friendship any longer.

Blood knows now.

Duke knows now.

Neither have confronted Chaos yet because he’d probably kill them second degree for doin’ it, before we get her back safely. Lord help us if we don’t get her back safely. He won’t make it if she don’t. And I know he won’t, because I wouldn’t make it if Elise didn’t. Women. Biggest practical joke God ever played on men. Get us to care. Feed us the need to protect. So much that a woman gets under your skin, really and truly under your skin, there’s no digging her out again. A real man’ll give his life to make sure hers is good.

Life would be so much easier if we were all the heartless fuckers most women accused us of being. Yet knowin’ I have my Elise to go home to, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Goin’ off the messages Houdini left us, we’d looked up the magician Houdini’s greatest escapes, and knocked the ones he’d already done off the list, or the ones too benign for him to use against our women. This was about the time I’d gotten the call from a scared Elise, and Blood got the call from a paid informant that he’d seen some outside the normal operations goin’ down at the shipyard.

Duke, Blood, me and Chaos race down to the end of the pier where a together enough to catch it Chaos had seen the glint of what he thought was metal. He’d been right. The metal came from a chain wrapped around one of the pylons holdin’ the pier up in the water. More brothers file in, each grab a length of chain and we haul up whatever’s attached to the end of that chain. Several times I look to Chaos, whose face has gone blank. Completely blank.

One final tug has us successfully raise the end of the chain, wrapped around a large, soggy wooden box about the size of a beanbag chair. Water drips in heavy rivulets to the ground until we set the box carefully onto the solid plank board, and then the water begins to pool around our feet.

One of our brothers from the Missouri chapter hands off a crowbar to Chaos where he immediately begins to dig under the outside slat of the wood and pries it up.

Two more slats broken away.

He throws the crowbar to the ground where it bounces and clanks, then he reaches inside to pull a trembling, soakin’ wet, yet very much alive Livvy out of the lake water, fillin’ up half the box. Between the water in the box and pooled at our feet, she had to have been completely submerged. She wasn’t coughin’ which means we got to her before her lungs gave out from holdin’ her breath.

Thank God.

Arm under her knees, arm around her back, Chaos pulls Liv to his chest plantin’ a very public, very unchaste, highly un-platonic kiss to her slightly blue lips. He keeps on kissin’ her until she whimpers into his mouth, and he pulls back. His breaths come heavy.

Her breaths come as heavily as a woman’s pulled from a wooden box which had been submerged under water would, which ain’t that heavy at all.

“Blanket,” he calls out.

Another brother appears from the crowd with an old Indian print woolen blanket. Chaos only lets her go enough to wrap her snuggly.

“We got to get her to a hospital. I’m taking her to the truck. You grabbing Elise, Boss, or she coming with us?”

“I’ll grab her. Levi’ll ride your bike back home.”

Blood opens his mouth to protest, but I stop him with a hand to his chest and a headshake.

“Not now. You gotta have words, do it back home. Let him have this. Let them have this.”

He scowls at me and glares at Chaos, yet he nods his acceptance and heads off to follow Chaos and Liv on his bike. The hunt’s still on to find Crass. Though, we leave the Illinois and Missouri brothers to handle that for now while we make sure Liv won’t suffer any residual effects.

Probably the most beautiful sight I’ve seen in weeks, my Elise sits in the cab of the truck, thin arms wrapped around her middle, her eyes on Chaos and Liv so much that she don’t notice me until I reach the door and knock. She jumps and turns toward the window, visibly relaxin’ for only a second before she throws open the door to launch herself into my waitin’ arms.

“Darlin’,” I whisper into her hair.

That’s all it takes for her to break, tears well and fall freely down her rosy cheeks. Then for the first time in seven weeks, my lips find hers, their home. She’s so beautiful. My arms stay locked around her shoulders even as I pull her away to allow Chaos to gently set Livvy inside the cab.

“Liv?” Elise calls to her. But Liv won’t take her eyes off Chaos.

“He’s got her. Let him take care of her. You’ll see her back home at the compound, yeah?” I end that last statement waitin’ on his reply.

Elise squeezes me tighter when he nods.

“Yeah.” Chaos says, and nods a second time before roundin’ the hood to fold himself behind the steering wheel.

We let them go, me movin’ a shakin’ Elise to my bike and lift to plant her on the back.

“Someone will get your stuff from Liv’s. We’re headin’ home now.”

***

Not sure what just happened. I woke to Elise’s mouth wrapped around my cock, suckin’ me hard. And this, after spendin’ the night makin’ love until we passed out from exhaustion. Seven weeks apart, we deserved our time to reconnect.

My balls pulled tight and I was about to let loose a fuckin’ great orgasm when out of nowhere, she threw her hand over her mouth, and stumbled off the bed. She ran to the bathroom barely makin’ it to the toilet before the retching began.

Elise groans in pain when I fall behind her to hold her hair back. The sound just about rips my heart out. And she keeps spillin’ her guts into the commode until there’s nothing left but dry heaves.

Fuck.

She’s gray with sweat beading along her temples, dew-dampened skin over the rest of her face.

“Baby girl, you feel sick or you think you ate somethin’ bad?”

“Neither,” she says. Grabbing my hand, she pulls me to sit next to her so our backs rest against the bathroom wall tiles where she lays me out. “Beau, baby, I have to tell you something.”

I freeze.

Think my heart might’ve just stopped. “Go on,” I prod.

“Seven weeks ago, Beau…” she breaths in a deep breath and lets it out slowly before she continues. “Seven weeks ago you took me to Chicago and gave me a proper goodbye, but you don’t bother with condoms.”

What the fuck?

“Are you tellin’ me you’re carryin’ my baby?”

“Yes.”

“You’re havin’ my baby?”

“Yes.”

“I’m gonna be a daddy?”

“Yes.”

“Ho-ly shit!”

“Beau,” she starts on me. And I know I should probably handle this differently, but shit, she just told me she’s havin’ my baby. I shove up off the floor and run out of our bedroom into the hall.

Still buck-ass naked, I shout down the hallway to anyone who’s close enough to hear me. “I’m gonna be a fuckin’ father!” To that there comes at me the hoots and hollers of congratulations from my brothers.

Elise sits on the bed, my T-shirt draped over her newly pregnant body, knees bent, her chin resting on those bent knees, her feet crossed at the ankles. “So you aren’t mad?” she asks me.

Really?

“Mad? Darlin’ this is all I’ve ever wanted with you. You wearin’ my diamond, my baby in your belly. Bit unconventional, but now I just got to get my gold band around your finger, and we’ll be set. Beau and Elise Hollister livin’ the life we were meant to live. Raisin’ the kid we were meant to raise. This is so damn good, baby girl.”

“I’m scared to death. Yeah, we both know I was young, but Jesus, Beau. I wanted that baby.”

“Know you did. I wanted it too, ‘cuz it was a part of you.” Elise don’t look me in the eye as I slide on the bed next to her. She don’t as I lift and deposit her onto my lap to wrap my arms around her, and kiss her cheek either.

“What if…” The pain in her voice slices through me. I know where she’s about to go.

“This baby’s gonna be fine, darlin’. We’ll make sure you get to all your doctor’s appointments, I’ll keep you fed healthy. We got this.”

“You can’t guarantee that. You can’t promise we’ll have a healthy baby at the end of it all.”

“Nobody can make that promise, Elise. I won’t even try. But I know it has to work out for us this time.”

“Why?”

“Because I have faith. It’s our second chance to get it right. In what? Thirty-three short weeks, we’re gonna be holdin’ a sweeter than anything you’ve seen in your life baby girl who looks just like her mama.”

“Or a baby boy the spitting image of his daddy.”

“Speaking of gettin’ my girl fed properly.” I ignore her wishful thinking. “Throw some pants on so your man can cook for you.”

“Food? I don’t know… I’ll just end up puking it back into the toilet.”

“Which is why I gotta get you fed again. Please don’t argue. Your stomach feel queasy now?” She shakes her head in the negative. “Then you need to make up for what you just got rid of.” And that, as they say, is that.

Me in my jeans I’d slipped back on and her in my shirt and a tight pair of yoga pants, I lead her by the hand down the hall through the entry into the main common. ‘Course I don’t expect it, but damn does it feel good when my brothers begin slapping my back and hugging Elise, giving us both their sincere congratulations.

Then Duke clomps in the room from his office, boots hitting hard against the wood flooring, he keeps coming on a direct trajectory until he stops in front of us. “So you’re giving us a legacy.”

“Yes?” Elise hesitantly answers.

With a headshake, he lights the cigarette hangin’ from between his lips and talks around it. “A second generation Lord.” Then he turns his head to blow the smoke away from Elise’s face, and offers me one. I want one too, but wave it away because I should probably quit, what with the baby on the way.

“Oh, well then, yes.”

Duke’s next words belie the badass mountain of a man speakin’ them and reiterates the reason I joined the club. “Can’t tell you how special…my Dawna, she couldn’t have babies. Radiation killed her eggs as a kid. Married her knowing we’d never have that. Don’t regret it, but still, yours’ll be the first legacy to be born to this club in years. Pleased as punch it’s you and Boss giving it to us.”

“Must admit, I’m pleased as punch to be givin’ it,” I tell him.

“Too right, know you are, brother.” He pulls me with one hand to the back of my neck into a big hug and pats my back usin’ his other. And he tells me in his unusually low, gravelly drawl, “Congratulation. Dawna would be so happy.” Then back to his normally booming gravelly drawl, he claps his hands together. “Little prince or princess of the Brimstone Lords. God help ya, brother, you get a girl. Might need a deal with the devil if she looks anything like her mama. Beauty like that…when it’s good to have your brothers. The pricks you can’t get, we’ll have your back.”

“Forget looks like her mama, heaven help you she acts like her.” Chaos comes out of the kitchen carrying a tray of food. Haven’t seen him look this light in ages.

“Was thinking it, just didn’t want to spoil the moment for ‘em,” Duke tells him, which makes me laugh. Elise says nothing.

“Ah, Elise doesn’t mind, do you sweetheart? Just good natured ribbing. She knows I think the world of her.”

“You’re lucky I like you,” she replies with her own light-hearted dig. “Speaking of people I like, how’s Liv? Where’s Liv?”

“She’s good, hospital only kept her a few hours. Told her to rest. Resting now. Made us some food. She’s just not ready to see everyone yet.” Then he shifts the tray to get a better hold. “Blood won’t talk to me.”

“Did you expect anything less?” Duke asks.

“Not really, but it’s, well, Liv’ll need his support. He wouldn’t talk to her at the hospital. Just stayed long enough to see her alright and took off. He wants to get shitty with me, I can take it like a man. But I can’t let his stink touch Livvy. And she wants to see him, she’s been asking.”

“Give it time.” I offer. It ain’t much, but it’s somethin’. “He’ll come around. Your sister and one of your best friends? Then to find out it started years ago. He’ll be lickin’ those wounds for a while. You just stick to carin’ for her, get her mind healthy.”

“Plan on it.”

“If she wants to talk, even just about stupid girl stuff, I’m here.” Elise throws her two cents in.

“I’ll remind her.”

“I mean it, any time.” Elise then sinks back against me. “What about Crass?”

Pitying stares aim at her, including mine. I know how close the two of ‘em got. I been tryin’ to shield her from the blow for as long as possible. Guess it stopped bein’ possible.

“Got him up in trauma center at Rush. His brothers’ been keeping us informed since they found him.” Duke shakes his head. “Sorry, Elise. Blunt force trauma. He’s been placed in a medically induced coma to hopefully help him heal.”

I tuck her in close under my arm.

Her eyes begin to water. “Then I have to go to him. Beau, you have to let me go to him.”

The pleading in her voice makes me feel like shit for denyin’ her. But my hands are tied. “Sorry darlin’, can’t do that. Houdini’s still out there, and you carryin’ our baby.” I bend my head to kiss the corner of her mouth. “I want him safe just like you, but I’m selfish and need for this baby to be safe. You need to help Liv recover here and tend to our family growin’ inside you. Crass’ll understand. I know. And you know it, too.”

“It just doesn’t feel right.” She hangs her head.

I know it don’t. Especially not to someone with as big a heart as Elise. Crass was all business when it came to the women, but Livvy’s updates made me feel as if he’d really put himself in to the big brother role for those two. Although Liv has Blood, Elise has no one. So I know she’s feelin’ this deep. But again, no matter how deep she feels him, we’ve got us a little one to protect now, and I damn well intend on protecting her.

“Get that food back to your woman before it gets cold,” I tell Chaos, and don’t miss the smirk he shoots my way at the use of ‘your woman’ as he heads toward the back rooms. Of anybody here, I know how good that one feels. With Elise under my arm, I start for the kitchen again. “Come on, gotta get my baby mama fed.”

“I hate to disappoint you, but baby mamas don’t wear their man’s ring. I have a diamond on my left finger that says I’m more than a baby mama.”

Damn she’s cute when she’s feisty. She’s cute when she’s right. My woman is just plain cute. And I’m one lucky son of a bitch.

Depositing her on a bar stool, I go to the fridge and grab out a package of bacon, cheddar cheese, a tomato and lettuce. BLT with cheese’ll be good for my pregnant woman. Usin’ all the food groups.

Then from one shelf lower I grab a bag of raw broccoli cuts and a dill dip. Setting my haul on the counter, I open the cupboard for the bread and a can of Sour Cream and Onion Pringles.

The smell of fryin’ bacon draws several of the brothers into the kitchen, so I set Scotch to work slicing tomato and Sneak, toastin’ bread.

“Trisha’s out in the common talking with Hannah.” Sneak rambles while pushin’ down the toast into the toaster. Hannah’s one of the hot mamas who lives here on a semi-permanent basis. “Just wanna say thanks a lot, brother.”

“What’d I do?” Flippin’ the bacon like the boss I am, I look over my shoulder at him.

“Knocked up your woman. That’s whatcha did. Got lucky Trish didn’t want babies until other old ladies in the club started popping out kids. She didn’t wanna be the only one not partying and wanted our kids to have cousins, shit that woman comes up with. God dammed pain in my ass is what she is.” Four slices of toast pop from the toaster. Sneak grabs them up and tosses the pieces on a paper plate, then he loads the toaster with four more slices of bread.

“Anyway, she wanted our kid to have cousins to grow up with. And since there were no other old ladies popping out kids, I didn’t even have to think about it. Now that you knocked up Elise, she’s gonna be all over my shit. So thanks for that. You know I can’t say no to my woman. So now I’ll have to impregnate her and the Lords clubhouse goes from biker compound to fucking Romper Room daycare.”

Scotch lays his knife down next to the slices of tomato, and pins me with a deadly serious glare. “Kids start taking over, Boss, I’m transferring charters. No offense, Lass,” he says to Elise.

“He says that now.” She goads him. “But you all wait, he’s gonna fall head over heels for some woman and will be eating his words when she ends up preggers with a Scotsman’s baby.”

“Curse you, woman,” Scotch growls back.

We all laugh, Elise throwing her head back to really let loose. It’s a beautiful sound, and an even more beautiful sight.

I’d be remiss to say Crass and Houdini ain’t perched right at the edge of all our thoughts. But bein’ here, right now, laughin’ and cookin’ with my brothers. The woman I’ve loved since I was eighteen on a stool in my club, wearing my T-shirt and my ring and giving me everything she’s giving me, waiting for that food we’re cooking, being here right now is abso-fucking-lutely perfect.