I pull up in front of the hospital and park close to the entrance. I help Jessica out and get her to the emergency room, while she squeezes my arm as hard as she can. Torch stays far away.
Walking in, Jessica yells at the top of her lungs, “Get me a wheelchair! I have a head coming out of my hooch!” Squeezing my lips together, I try not to laugh as the nurse freaks out and runs around the desk. She is hitting seventy years old. I’m positive she shouldn’t be running.
She pushes the wheelchair to Jessica, and she eases down into it. I follow behind as they take her up to the maternity wing on the third floor and straight into a room. Another nurse follows us in. Torch walks directly behind me. I can feel the uncomfortable vibes coming off him.
The nurse helps Jessica out of the wheelchair and then looks at Torch. “Wait outside until I get her changed.”
He looks relieved and steps out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him. Jessica raises her arms so the nurse can pull the shirt over her head, then she helps her undress the rest of the way.
I find a chair and pull it up by Jessica’s bed. The nurse helps her into bed and then puts her hand between her legs, doing God knows what.
“You’re dilated to a seven. You’re in active labor. If you want an epidural, you need to get that now or you won’t be able to.” The nurse stands back up and takes off her gloves, throwing them into the trash.
“No, I don’t want anything,” she replies. Her face scrunches up again as she has another contraction.
I take out my phone to shoot Ethan a text telling him I’m at the hospital with Jessica.
“Braelyn, please don’t leave me,” Jessica sobs. The door clicks as the nurse leaves the room. I hold her hand. “I wouldn’t ever leave, babe. I will be with you through it all.” I kiss her forehead.
Two nurses walk back into the room, and I step out into the hallway. “I’ll be back. I’m just going to step out into the hallway for a second.” I stand beside Torch and try to call Ethan, but it goes straight to voicemail.
Torch does the same as me. I’m assuming something is going down with the MC, because Liam ran out of the house and burned rubber out of the driveway. Most people wonder why I let him do whatever he wants. One, because he lived a shit life and has basically raised himself. Two, he wouldn’t do stupid stuff like drugs because we saw what drugs do to people over and over again. He is a good kid and hasn’t once given me the idea he is doing anything stupid. His mom died of overdose.
The door opens to Jessica’s room and the two nurses come back out. I walk back in. Jessica is lying in bed, crying. My heart breaks because it’s hard seeing my best friend like this.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” I smooth her hair away from her face.
“I’m so fucking alone. I don’t have any parents, and the baby’s daddy is in some kind of trouble. I know he is trying to find me. I feel so helpless right now,” she says through sobs.
“You’ll never be alone again. I know how you are feeling right now, Jessica. You will get through this and I will be here through the whole entire thing. I promise.” I look her straight in the eye, willing her to understand she will never be alone again.
“Why do you know how I feel?” she asks.
Closing my eyes, I turn my head to the side, not wanting to tell her, but it’s time I become more open about my past. I start from the beginning, when I was a kid getting hit by my own father who was supposed to love and protect me above everything else.
Then I move on to what happened in college, and then what came after: my life on the streets, how I met Ethan, our story. I tell her everything. Her eyes fill with tears. I watch as they fall down her face, hating that someone is crying for me. Every few minutes, she cries out in pain, interrupting me, and then begs me to finish.
“You are so strong, Braelyn. Looking at you, I wouldn’t have ever known the hell you’ve been through.” She lets out a deep breath and turns over in bed so she is looking up at the ceiling.
“Ouch, holy eff! I feel like I need to poop!” Jessica yells, breaking the moment. I jump, startled. I click the button to call the nurse. She walks in a minute later with a doctor.
“I feel like I need to push,” she tells them.
The doctor ducks between her legs after putting on some gloves. “You’re dilated to ten,” he tells her, at which the nurse moves into action.
The next few minutes are a flurry of people running around, getting everything prepped. Jessica is scared out of her mind. They push the bed in so her butt is hanging off the end with the metal stirrups sticking out to put her legs on.
“Oh my God. I’m about to have a baby,” Jessica croaks and looks like she is ready to pass out.
“You got this, girl! Your hooch will never be the same again,” I tease her. She looks up at me. If looks could kill.
The doctor laughs between Jessica’s legs.
“Just know I haven’t shaved in months. Enjoy the beast!” she cackles to the doctor, who continues laughing.
Oh my God... Did she just say that? Don’t laugh, Braelyn, reel it in!
“All right, next time you have a contraction, I want you to push.” The doctor looks up and tells Jessica.
A few seconds later, her hand tightens in mine again. “Holy shit fuck!” Her face is turning blood red, while my hand is turning blue.
Thirty Minutes Later
Hunter comes into the world kicking and screaming, weighing in at close to nine pounds. A nurse sets the baby on Jessica’s chest. The look on her face is one of pure awe and love. I know in that moment all that pain is worth it, because loving a child is one of the purest loves imaginable.
I caress Hunter’s little cheek as I smile down at him. “He’s beautiful, Jessica.” She grins from ear to ear.
“He’s my kid, isn’t he?” she teases then bends down to kiss the top of his head.
My phone buzzes in my pocket.
Ethan: We are at the hospital too. We got Sydney, but we may need you.
Me: You in the ER?
He replies a second later.
Ethan: Yeah.
Me: OMW
I put my phone back in my pocket then turn to Jessica, who is still staring at her baby. “Jessica, Ethan’s back. They have Sydney. I’m going to go see them. I’ll be back in a bit, okay?”
“I’ll be fine. Go check on Syd.” She smiles up at me and then looks back down at her son.
I walk to the door and see Torch still standing there. He’s talking on his phone. “ER?” I ask.
He nods and motions for me to walk in front of him. It feels like the elevator takes forever. I’m anxious to see how Sydney is and make sure Ethan is okay.
Once we make it to the first floor, we step out into the hallway and hear a blood-curdling scream that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I look up at Torch, who has the same expression on his face.
Shaking, I walk slowly around the corner, spotting Ethan immediately. I take off running and tackle him in a hug. He lifts me completely off the ground and into his lap, where he holds me tightly against him.
“What happened, Ethan?” I ask even though I’m terrified. I pray to God that scream wasn’t Sydney’s.
“Kane tracked Sydney’s phone outside of town and inside of an old house. Me, Kane, Isaac, and Chase were going down the hallway with Kyle and the rest of the club behind us. It just so happened they were there to stop that trafficking ring. The janitor at the school who attacked Paisley is a part of that gang.” He stops and runs a shaky hand over his face. I know the next part is going to be the worst.
“We made it to the basement. Sydney was there hanging by her arms from the ceiling. She is relatively unharmed, but this other girl isn’t.” He winces thinking about it. “She was hanging the same way Sydney was, but was whipped to the point her back is unrecognizable.”
I stare at him in horror. That poor girl. I can’t imagine what she is feeling right now. I feel like I need to throw up.
Another scream sounds from the hallway, then it stops. “I’m going to go see her.” I don’t wait for Ethan’s response as I sprint down the hallway toward the room I heard the scream come from.
When I walk through the door, I see her sitting up with her arms wrapped around Isaac’s neck. He is holding her hips. Her back... there are no words. She will have scars for the rest of her life. That alone will haunt her every time she looks in the mirror.
Isaac looks up and sees me in the door. He takes one hand from her hip and motions me over. I hesitantly walk over to the other side of the bed so she will be facing me. Pulling up a chair, I sit down in front of her. Her eyes take me in and widen in fear.
“Shhh, I’m not going to hurt you,” I whisper to her, trying not to frighten her. Even though she is caked in dirt and blood, she is absolutely stunning. Her eyes are such a pretty blue they’re almost gray.
“You’ll be okay, Emily. I will fucking make sure nothing ever touches you again. You can bet my life on that,” Isaac growls as he holds her hips tighter to him.
I know in that moment she will be fine. If Isaac is one fourth of the man Ethan is, she will get through this; and I will be right alongside him, helping her.
A nurse walks in with a needle. “I need to give her this so we can treat her.” She moves to stand beside me. Emily stiffens in fear and looks up at the nurse.
“I won’t leave you, Emily, I promise,” Isaac promises her. I see her relax. She nods and closes her eyes.
The nurse gives her the shot, and a few moments later, she is asleep. “If you would lay her down on the bed.”
Isaac unfolds his powerful body from the bed with Emily in his arms. I notice how tiny she is. How can anyone hurt someone like that? Someone who looks so tiny and frail?
He tucks her into the bed and covers her gently. I see the look of determination on his face. I look down at her. I want to cry, because she looks around twenty years old. More nurses come into the room and unlock the bed then push her out of the room.
Isaac watches them leave. I can see it’s taking everything in him not to follow them. I move closer to him and touch his arm. He relaxes and looks at me. “She will be okay.”
He looks defeated and mutters, “How?” under his breath.
“Because you’ll make sure of that.” I smile at him and walk out of the door. Ethan and the rest of the MC are still in the waiting room. Looking in the room beside Emily’s, I see Sydney in bed with Kane.
I go and stand at the foot of the bed. Kane has his eyes closed; the next second I have a gun pointed at my face. I jump back in shock and put my hands up. When he realizes it’s me, he puts the gun back down.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I look over at Sydney to see bruises on her wrists, a bruise on her cheek, and a knot on her head. “How is she?”
“She will be okay.” He nods and kisses the top of her head.
“Text me when she wakes up?” I ask Kane. He nods, and I walk to the waiting room. I sit down in Ethan’s lap and let out a deep breath, feeling emotionally drained.
“Jessica have her baby?” he asks me.
“Yeah, he is close to nine pounds and twenty-three inches long. Hunter’s a monster.” I laugh and rest my head on his chest.
“Jessica had her baby?”
Looking up, I see Chase standing there shocked. “Yeah, just a little bit ago.”
“What room is she in?”
I smile to myself as I tell him the room and floor. He turns around and runs out of the room. “I guess I better check on Jessica too.”
Ethan stands with me. I spot Kyle standing in the corner with Chrystal. “Jessica had her baby,” I tell Chrystal. I don’t think she knew.
“She did?” she asks, shocked.
“Yeah, she did. Want to go see her with us?”
She nods and walks over to me. I notice the look Kyle gives Ethan.
Watch my girl, or else
. Ethan gives him a head nod and puts a hand at the small of my back, leading me toward the elevator.
Once we get to Jessica’s room, I hear yelling and Jessica screaming. Ethan pushes Chrystal and me behind him so he will enter the room first.
Jessica is holding her baby and has her body curled around him. Chase is fighting a man on the ground with a gun in his hand. Gasping, I grab onto Chrystal, who is holding me back just as tightly. Ethan charges into the room and snatches the gun from the man, then pulls out a set of handcuffs.
Once the man is detained, I run over to Jessica, who is as pale as a ghost. “What happened?” I ask frantically.
“That’s my ex. He is here to kill me and take Hunter,” she gasps.
My mouth hits the floor. I look over at the man on the ground, who is glaring at Jessica.
Braelyn
The next morning, I lie in bed with Ethan, emotionally exhausted from the events from yesterday. Sydney getting kidnapped and Jessica’s ex showing up have left my mind reeling.
Ethan held me so tightly to him the whole night with his back facing the door while his gun was under his pillow.
Groaning, I roll over and grab my phone that is lying next to the bed. The light momentarily blinds me as I look at the phone with one eye open.