Page 47 of Everlasting

Ever

I turned to go down the hall where Deck’s infirmary room was, but when I saw Kane standing outside of his door, looking for all the world like he might actually kill my husband, I back peddled. Kane offered a tight smile for me and then mouthed, “Later”. That was enough to know that some intense shit must be going down and I wouldn’t be welcome again. Instead, I turned on my heel, and noted that the clubhouse seemed pretty damned empty. “Are you sure you want to do this with me?” I asked MiMi one last time.

She laughed. “Are you kidding me? I’m the queen of dumb and dangerous decision making.”

I left it at that and the two of us moved as quickly as we possibly could to the entrance to the pit. It was an old, in-ground swimming pool at one time that had been converted to a wet work spot for the club, in case they needed one. They had occasion to use it a few times since I had become aware of it. I knew that was where they were housing the woman and I also knew they had video surveillance down there. I didn’t bother hiding what we were doing. They would all figure it out eventually. I still didn’t know what the hell was going on that we’d been allowed to get that far without someone stopping us, but as luck would have it, we were able to get in, grab the bitch, and haul her ass to the van we had arrived in without a single soul stopping us.

“Where do you think you’re taking me? They won’t like that you’ve taken me!” She was shrieking.

“I need you to understand that I have zero qualms about knocking a pregnant bitch out. Shut the fuck up, or I’ll make it happen,” MiMi threatened her. I had to hold back my laughter, because damn, even I believed she’d do it. The woman had an insane poker face.

Once I found out I was technically the new owner of Ava’s property, I went to investigate her house a bit better. She had mentioned before that her father dabbled in some shadier things, and I hoped that meant that he had a space somewhere in the house that would accommodate those endeavors and be of use to me too. I hadn’t been wrong. The attic, which was technically a third-floor space, had reinforced bars on the windows, but those windows were also shuttered so that no one could see into them even if they were outside on a ladder. The attic door locked from the outside with the aid of several locks, and there was the bonus that Ava had no neighbors within close enough proximity to hear someone screaming.

We were getting Sasha out of the van when a motorcycle came blazing into the driveway of Ava’s house. “What the hell do the two of you think you’re doing?” Christina questioned.

“I thought you were in Canada?” MiMi asked.

“I was. We brought Merc back this morning. Everyone is at the hospital checking in on him.” I glanced at MiMi. That explained why it was so easy to get the bitch out of the clubhouse unseen. “Now, you want to tell me what the two of you are up to?”

“The bitch is about to pop and have this baby. The guys are just going to freak out, pull someone in to help her deliver, and possibly lose her to some fucked up plot her family had to get her back and then Deck will never be safe again. This way, we can interrogate the bitch, deliver the baby, find out if it’s Deck’s. Then, we can figure out where to go from there.”

“I have an idea where the baby is concerned,” MiMi mentioned. I turned to her and waited. “Dane and I are looking to adopt another baby,” she explained quickly. “We would be more than happy to take it.”

“Wait, I appreciate what you’re saying, but if that’s Deck’s baby, we will be keeping it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t we?”

“Honestly? I don’t know of too many women who would welcome a child made by a man that they were married to or involved with. Then there’s the fact that I can’t see too many men who would want to have a child made from rape be a constant reminder.”

I smiled. “I was that child once. My father’s issues were not quite as out there as Deck’s, but my Momma Luce took me in and loved me fiercely. My dad was a bit more like what you imagine. We had our issues, but he grew to realize and regret his mistake in treating me as if I were at fault for what happened to him. I didn’t get a choice in my parentage. I simply had to play the hand that was dealt me. That child shouldn’t suffer because his mother is a psychopath.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

“MiMi, it’s fine. It makes me happy that you would step up and take the baby.”

“You whores are crazy as fuck if you think any of you is getting my baby!” Sasha screamed at us. We’d all sort of ignored her presence up until then.

“Let’s get her in the house,” I told the other women and that’s exactly what we did.

“The men from the club will realize I’m gone before long, if they haven’t already, and then they’ll come for me.”

I laughed. “First of all, they have no clue where we are considering I just inherited this place, and no one knows yet. Secondly, you seem to be working under some delusion that you’re important to them.”

“I am. I happen to be the only bargaining chip they have to keep the peace with my family.”

I laughed again and this time MiMi and Christina joined in. “Honey, I hate to tell ya, but the only thing you’re useful for right now is that you’ve been an incubator for that baby you’re carrying. Nothing else matters. You could stop breathing right now, and we’d just deliver the baby and throw your body in a pit somewhere.” MiMi informed her.

“My brother will come for me!”

“Is that the younger one? The bastard? Or would that be the oldest of the legitimate children?” Christina asked. Sasha refused to answer and simply narrowed her eyes at the three of us. “Allow me to clue you in. The oldest two, that includes the bastard, hate you and the youngest is dead.”

“No, he’s not!” She screamed. “He’s not dead! I just saw him before I was…” she shut her mouth quickly and thought about it.

“Mmm, not so sure now, are you, sweetie?” MiMi asked in a syrupy-sweet southern twang. “The boys took him out before any of y’all ever left Canada.”

Sasha doubled over in pain before she could form a rebuttal, and then the best thing that could have happened, did. Her water broke. I reached into my pocket, pulled out the phone, and dialed my sister.

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