CHAPTER 4
Jaime
Gloria absolutely refused to take an ambulance to the hospital. Fuck. She could be so damn stubborn.
“All pregnant women about to have a baby have contractions,” she winced as I carried her out of the studio. I was almost running.
“But you’re not all pregnant women. You’re four weeks early and you’re having twins. Our twins.”
She spasmed in my arms again. “Tyrone’s right outside the building. He’ll take us to Cedars,” she managed under a harsh breath.
Tyrone Turrell was Gloria’s trusted driver. A handsome, strapping black man in his early twenties, he’d been rescued from the drug-infested streets of South Central LA by Gloria, and he was forever beholden to her. Like all her employees, he worshipped her, and he’d even been a best man at our wedding.
As soon as Tyrone saw us approaching the black Range Rover, he jumped out of the SUV. He sprinted toward us, meeting us halfway. His eyes were wide with alarm.
“Is Mrs. Z. okay?”
“I’m having our babies,” Gloria responded weakly, a faint smile on her face.
The whites of his eyes popped. “Oh my!”
“Help me get her into the car, Ty.”
“Yes, sir.” Ty immediately swung open the back door, and then as the big man took Gloria from me, I hopped into the car and flung down the seat divider in case Gloria needed to lie down. With a frightened look, Ty gently placed Gloria just where I wanted her. On my lap. With my heart beating a mile a minute and my stomach in knots, I held her close to me. Still clenching her tummy, she wrapped an arm around my shoulder and rested her pained face on my chest. In the blink of an eye, Ty was behind the wheel.
“Floor it, Ty. We’re going to Cedars.”
“Yes, sir.” Gloria’s driver stepped hard on the gas, and the Rover peeled away from the curb with a screech. Thank fucking God, the hospital wasn’t far away. I prayed we wouldn’t hit too much traffic. Fortunately, it wasn’t yet rush hour, but Los Angeles traffic could be unpredictably nasty any time of the day.
“Lie down, angel.” I urged, smoothing her hair.
Another contraction. Her face scrunched up in pain. I’d always loved when Gloria scrunched her face, but not this way. She gasped and gripped her belly. I felt her pain and I felt fucking helpless.