Chas's Fervor: Insurgents Motorcycle Club (Insurgents MC Romance Book 3) (47 page)

She squeezed his hand.

“Oh, precious, you don’t know how long I waited for you to wake up. Can you hear and understand me okay?”

One more squeeze.

“Fuck, this is awesome!” When he brought her hand to his lips, he kissed it repeatedly, a few wet drops falling on it.

Addie wished she could talk so she could find out what was going on. The last thing she remembered was being petrified in a car with Ian driving like a madman. She’d been sure they were going to careen off the mountain, and she was so scared for her unborn baby.
Oh, shit! The baby.
Her insides froze, and an icy fear slowly climbed up her spine.
Is our baby still in me?
Damn, I wish I could talk!

Chas continued to press the nurse’s button. When the nurse came in, she looked at Chas while she turned off the call light.

“Do you need something?” she asked.

Pointing at Addie, Chas said, “She’s awake. Get the doctor in here.”

The nurse looked at Addie and smiled. “All right. This is wonderful. I’ll put a call in to Dr. Hendren.” She hurried out of the room.

Chas bent over Addie. “Fuck, precious. I was so worried about you. I didn’t think you’d ever recover. You just lay there day after day with your eyes closed and this machine,” he gestured to the tubes connected to the respirator, “breathing for you. I was so scared, babe.”

So, I’m on a respirator. No wonder my throat is sore and feels like it’s full of cobwebs.

“You being so sick and just lying there was the worst. Now you’re awake, and it’s gonna go up from here. You’re just gonna get better and stronger every day.” Chas lowered his face and kissed the top of her head. “I love you, precious, and I want you to be a part of mine and Jack’s life. And Jack is thrilled to have a sibling coming.” He looked into her glistening eyes. “I’m thrilled about the baby, too,” he said in a low voice.

When he mentioned the baby, her eyes widened and she looked down toward her stomach. Chas nodded. “Yeah, the baby’s good.”

As two tears trickled from the corner of her eyes, Chas’s calloused thumb wiped them away. Even though her throat felt like sandpaper and her whole body ached—even her hair—her heart soared as happiness exploded inside her.

Chas whispered in her ear, “You don’t need to worry about Ian. He had an accident and slipped off the mountain. You’re free of him, precious.”

Addie was no longer in pain; rather, she was on a cloud above her bruised body, soaring high. Joy cradled her and carried her to a new life, a new future. She saw her parents’ smiling faces as they embraced her, their white light pulling her in like a beacon of hope.

“You’ve found your place, honey,” her father said.

“You done good, Lizzie.” Her mother stroked her face as she pulled away into the light.

“We’ll always be with you, but you have a new, wonderful journey ahead of you.” Her father also blended into the light until she could no longer see her parents, only a bright ball floating higher and higher until it was no more.

“Addie? Addie, can you hear me. Fuck, what’s wrong?”

She opened her eyes and blinked rapidly as if to tell Chas that everything was fantastic, and she couldn’t wait to heal so they could start their life.

“Fuck, babe. You scared the shit outta me. You were out of it for a couple of minutes. Must be the narcs they’re giving you for the pain.” He brushed a few strands of hair off her face. “When you get better and stronger, we gotta whole lot of fucking we have to catch up on.” He winked at her.

Addie’s heart soared.
How I wish I could tell him what I feel. I love him so much. I love Jack, and I can’t wait to be a total part of Chas’s life.
She squeezed his hand and brought it up to her heart, holding it there as she gazed intently into his black eyes.

“Are you telling me you love me?” His breathing became heavier.

One squeeze.

Grinning, he placed his arm around her waist, and in that moment, she realized Chas was hers. After all this time, she’d finally found a home.

One month later

“I
t’s now been
confirmed that some of the guys from the defunct Kilson charter have joined with the Deadly Riders. Dustin and Shack are in that group, so we gotta keep our eyes on the club, ’cause those two sonsofbitches can’t be trusted. I know we haven’t heard the last of them, and they’re gonna be involved in all kinds of shit that can fly back in the Insurgents’ faces.”

“Are the Deadly Demons still honoring our truce?” Jax asked.

“As far as we can tell. With those assholes, we can never be sure of what they’re doing behind the scenes,” Hawk said.

“I don’t trust ’em for a minute. If shit starts to happen with the Deadly Riders, you can bet the Demons aren’t far behind,” Throttle added as he reclined back in his chair.

“All I can say is Snake better keep outta my way if he wants to keep living,” Chas snarled.

“I shoulda told you to slit Dustin’s and Shack’s throats while you were breaking up the club. I let a past friendship with Dustin cloud my judgment. I just hope we don’t lose brothers over it if shit happens with the Deadly Riders.” Banger’s weathered face looked older than usual.

The members yelled out their support for Banger, saying killing a brother, even pieces of disloyal shit like Dustin and Shack, was always hard. They told Banger they were behind him all the way.

“Appreciate it. Now, moving on to other business.” Banger looked Axe in the eyes and said, “Axe will start working with Derry, Decker, and Vale Architecture Firm. He’ll help in constructing and overseeing the strip mall project.”

Axe tilted his chin in acknowledgement.

As the finances of the club’s businesses were discussed, Chas squirmed around in his chair, impatient for church to end so he could get back home to his sweet Addie. He couldn’t believe it’d been a month already since she’d come home from the hospital. Over her protests, he moved her into his house where he could watch over her and help her recover.

Chas’s mom, as well as the old ladies, lent a helping hand, and he didn’t know what he would’ve done without their support. Stubborn as always, Addie went back to work at the library. She’d told him she missed it and it was important to her. Chas was outnumbered with his mom and Jack in agreement with Addie, so he gave in but was still pissed as hell.

Ian’s SUV was found by snowshoers, and his death was deemed an accident. Only the Insurgents and Addie knew the whole truth. Cara knew of Addie’s implication in the crime in Chicago, and she arranged a meeting with her, Addie, and Cara’s friend, Jim—an agent with the Colorado Bureau of Investigations.

After many sleepless nights, the investigation cleared Lizabeth Quinn of any involvement with the murder. Even though she knew Ian was the killer, under the law, Addie did not have to report the crime. A thorough search of Ian’s condo and computer hard drive revealed more than the Chicago investigators had bargained for. All the evidence indicated that Ian Quinn was a paid assassin. The husband of the murdered woman was apprehended shortly thereafter, and was awaiting trial on the charge of hiring a hitman to kill his wife.

After two and a half long years, Lizzie Quinn, AKA Addie O’Leary, had been cleared. Chas had driven Addie to the courthouse to file the paperwork Cara had given her to finally put to rest Lizzie Quinn. Addie leapt with joy and threw her arms around Chas when the paperwork went through, legally changing her name to Addie O’Leary.

As Chas thought about it during church, he smiled. He had plans to change her name one last time.

“Church adjourned. Let’s have some fun,” Banger said, as the gavel hit the table.

The chairs scraped against the concrete floor as members rose to their feet, laughing and talking while they headed to the great room to grab some beers, play some pool, and get some pussy.

“You stayin’?” Axe asked Chas.

“Nah. I gotta pick up Jack and take him over to his friend’s house. He’s doing a sleepover.”

“Nice. You get your woman all to yourself tonight, huh? Good plan.” Axe smiled as his eyes fixed on a pretty brunette in a low-cut red spandex dress.

Chas laughed and shook his head. “I can see you’re stayin’.”

“Fuck yeah. I’m still a free agent. It’s great.” Axe clapped Chas’s arm then walked over to the brunette.

Outside, the frosty air licked at Chas’s face, and the heat from his breaths turned into puffs of vapor, which dissipated into the approaching darkness. The parking lot was laid white with frost, and as he walked to his Harley, he felt the icy asphalt under his boots. Chas wrapped the black and gray scarf Addie had knit him around his nose and mouth then revved up his bike and roared out of the clubhouse’s lot.

The smell of firewood wafted around Chas as he came back from dropping Jack off at his friend’s house. From the foyer, he could see the glow of the pinewood burning in the fireplace. He padded into the kitchen and saw Addie bent over, taking out a skillet from the wood cabinet next to the stove. He hooked his arm around her waist, nudging her upright.

Startled, she gasped. “You scared me.”

Nuzzling her neck, he whispered in her ear, “Sorry. I thought you heard me come in. You smell wonderful, precious.” His teeth grazed her earlobe, and he felt her shiver under his touch.

“I was just getting ready to start dinner.” Addie placed her hands on top of Chas’s.

He lightly kneaded her belly. “How’re you feeling? How’s our baby feeling?”

Addie laughed. “We’re both good. My doctor’s appointment today went great. She said the baby is right where she should be.”

“She? What if it’s a he?”

“Either way, it doesn’t matter to me. Does it to you?”

“Nah. I just want a healthy baby, who has your beautiful hair.”

“Chas?”

“Yeah, babe.”

“Will you answer me truthfully? You’re happy about the baby, aren’t you?”

Chas squeezed her tighter. “Yeah. Of course I am. It’s just that I still can’t believe I’m gonna be a father again. For me, it’s great news.”

“I’m glad. I’m thrilled we’re having a baby. I didn’t think I could ever have one. You know, I tried to when I was married, but I could never get pregnant. Ian always blamed me, but now I know it wasn’t my fault. When I asked the doctor how I could’ve gotten pregnant since I was on the pill, she told me I was part of the two percent who became pregnant while on contraceptives. I’m happy, though, real happy.”

Chas whispered, “Me, too, babe.” He kissed the spot under her earlobe.

Addie moaned softly then said, “Now, go into the other room so I can start dinner. Otherwise, we’ll never eat.”

“No way. You’re gonna get dressed, and I’m taking you out to dinner at a nice restaurant. You know, tonight is the first time we’ve been all alone since you came back from the hospital.” Nipping her neck, his hand cupped her breasts. “And I intend to take full advantage of it.”

Addie giggled and pushed back into Chas, her sweet ass swaying around his hardening dick. “I’m so tired tonight. Would you mind if we just stayed in and ordered a pizza?” She rested her head against his chest, slightly tilting it up.

With lowered face, his lips covered hers as he kissed Addie, his tongue pushing into her mouth. Breaking away, Chas said, “Not at all. I’ll order the pizza and salad. Why don’t you pick out a movie?”

“A chick flick?” she asked, hopefulness lacing her voice.

Chas groaned then sighed. “Okay. A chick flick.”

She whirled around and kissed Chas on the chin. “Next movie night, you can pick whatever violent movie you want. Deal?”

“You’re so precious,” he said as he tweaked the tip of her nose.

Smiling, she said, “I’m going to change. You order the food. I’m starving.”

*     *     *

The empty pizza
box laid on the coffee table as Chas and Addie snuggled up on the couch with popcorn in hand and one large afghan tucked around them. The flames in the fireplace curled and swayed as they burned the dry wood, crackling and popping like a bowl of Rice Krispies.

Chas leaned forward and grabbed his beer and a few tissues for Addie. She’d been sniffling and tearing during a good portion of the movie,
The Lucky One
. He handed her the tissues and suppressed a smile as she blew her nose. With his hand, he drew her head to his shoulder, kissing the top of it.

After Addie finished crying, she turned to Chas and gushed, “Wasn’t that a good movie? I loved it.”

“It was okay. I’m trying to figure out why you like a movie that makes you cry so much. What’s up with that?”

“It touched my heart, and even though I cried, it was good crying, you know?”

Chas didn’t have a clue what she was talking about, but it seemed to make sense to her, so he just nodded.

“I’m going to clean up a bit,” she said as she rose from the couch then started picking up empty beer cans and the pizza box. “Why don’t you bring the salad bowls to the kitchen so I can put them in the dishwasher?”

Chas jumped up and grabbed all the items in Addie’s hands. “Sit down, woman. Why are you carrying anything when you have a man around?” When she started to protest, he silenced her with a deep kiss. “Relax, precious.”