Page 58 of Sniper

He narrows his eyes and commands, “Please tell me, Juicy, you were not about to fucking attack an old lady, a pregnant one to boot, over a brother who only used you as a hole?”

My brows hit my hairline, but Doc subtly shakes his head, and the woman, Juicy, breathes hard before shaking her head, knowing she can’t disrespect a patched brother, a council one at that, without losing the roof over her head.

He nods and shoves her hard, causing her to stumble a little before she runs away. He looks my way, and I tilt my head at him and state, “I’m not his old lady,” ignoring how he treated her. The Huntsmen were the same. If they treat them like they are fragile, they instantly think they have you wrapped around their finger, and then the drama begins.

They know what they are, and they hope for more. Some because they want protection from the hard knocks of life, but others want the patch, the money, and the power it gives them. Then, some love sex, like Crystal. She’s in part-time college like me, but she’s getting a business degree, and she wants to use it to help the club…while also getting laid.

She loves sex but also likes to wind up some brothers, like Pitbull. She says he’s like a brother and never slept with him.

Doc chuckles, walking into the room, his dark green eyes sparkling with silent laughter, and he comments, “You don’t seem bothered by how I just treated a clubwhore.” He tilts his head. “I’m beginning to think you’ve grown up around an MC, Rory.”

I lick my bottom lip, and then bite it, knowing he’s caught me, before admitting, “My grandfather, my mother’s father, was a brother in the Huntsmen MC before he was killed. I never met him; he died before I was born, but my parents remained with the brothers. My father is friends with Steel the V.P., even after my mom died when I was a teen—hit and run.”

He nods, leaning against the bed frame, and asks, “Is that why you hate MCs? You blame them for your mother’s death?”

God, if only.

I give him a sad smile but shake my head. “No. I saw them as family, even after mom died. It wasn’t club-related, her death. It was just an idiot teenager trying to steal from the grocery store. Mom was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

He hums. “If that’s the case, then why the hatred? Sweetheart, I can see the love you have for Sniper. He consumes you the way my Kennedy consumes me.”

I swallow hard and look around the room again before whispering, “I didn’t come here to speak about my past….”

I look his way to see him studying me, and he states, “Then why did you, Rory? Because if you’ve snuck away from Timmy, who, by the way, asked for my help to find you….” I wince, and he smirks, continuing, “If you’ve snuck away hoping I’d perform the abortion, then you’ve got another think coming. You’ll regret ending the pregnancy, darling, and you know it.”

I flinch at the word “darling,” his voice hitting my ears, and I squeeze my eyes shut, whispering, “I-I…I need you not to call me darling, anything but that….”

He’s quiet for a few moments, causing me to look at him. He’s studying me again, his eyes flashing. I can see when the realization hits him, causing my eyes to tear up as I silently beg him not to ask.

He nods, crossing his arms over his chest, and asks instead, “What can I do for you, sweetheart?”

I give him a small smile, grateful, before admitting, “I haven’t had a check-up since early on in the pregnancy.” His eyes widen, and I shrug. “I was kind of busy being held hostage by my husband to book a check-up.” He chuckles, and I continue, “I’m supposed to be roughly fourteen weeks, but,” I look down at my stomach, “as you can see, I’m much larger than I should be.” I look at him. “Or this is just one very large baby because my husband’s a giant?”

He laughs. “Alright, climb on the bed, I’ll do an ultrasound.”

I raise a brow. “And how exactly did you get that kind of machine?”

He shrugs. “I just had it lying around….”

I hum and nod, knowing he most likely ‘borrowed’ it from the hospital. His smirk confirms my thoughts. Shaking my head, I walk over to the bed and lay down, lifting my shirt.

He brings the machine over, squirting some gel on my bump, hovering the doppler over my stomach before looking at me.

He raises a brow. “Do you want to me call Sniper?”

I swallow hard. I want him here, but I need to know what’s happening first. Something just isn’t right with my size. Besides, I’ve been threatening an abortion because my fear took over, my past clouding my judgment.

His momma has been talking nonstop in my ear for weeks, and she doesn’t know it, but she and Emily have helped bring me out of my head.

The woman has slowly worked her way into my life and heart. She’s become like a mother to me, but my guilt is building, and I can’t have Theo here. Not right now.

I shake my head and whisper, “I need to know everything is okay first. I-I need to know I didn’t curse myself with bad karma for thinking abortion was the way to go, for letting my fears take over….”

His eyes soften, but he nods, placing the doppler on my stomach, then he presses a few buttons on the machine. Instantly, my baby’s heartbeat echoes through the room, and my tears fall. Realization hits me hard, and I sob, Doc grabbing my hand in support as guilt outweighs everything.

I was going to abort a baby who has a really strong heartbeat.

Another heartbeat echoes along with the first one, and I freeze.

---