Page 7 of A New Era

My girls.

Mom busies herself making them breakfast and I lean closer to Holly to see what’s got her so preoccupied on her phone.

She flicks through photos of River that Victoria has sent this morning and I slide my arm around her, gently squeezing her shoulder. She gives me a secret smile and powers down her phone.

“Can we go see the baby now?” Rayna asks, looking up at me.

“After breakfast,” I tell her.

Rudi walks in and a shudder runs down my spine. My dad told me that it’s probably because of her that I’m still alive today. When I was shot, she was the one to keep me alive until they got me to the hospital.

She pours herself a coffee into a travel mug and says her goodbyes as she leaves the kitchen. Pushing out of my seat, I follow her out into the bar.

“Rudi.”

She stops and turns to me. “Hey. I don’t have long. I’m already running late for work.”

“I won’t keep you long, but this is more than overdue. I just wanted to thank you for what you did the night I got shot. If you weren’t there, I could’ve died. I probably would’ve died.”

“Leo…”

I hold my hand up to stop her. “If you ever need anything and Angel isn’t around or for whatever reason you can’t go to him, know that you can come to me. I’ll help you in any way I can.”

Her mouth opens but nothing comes out.

“I won’t forget.”

“Leo, of course, I did everything I could. I’d do it again, though I hope you’re never in that position again.”

“Me too.”

Angel jogs down the stairs, looks between us, and asks Rudi, “You’re ready to leave?”

She nods and squeezes my arm. “Besides, I couldn’t let the future president of the club die, could I?”

Laughing, I tip my chin and watch them go. Arms slide around my waist, and I tightly turn around and come face to face with Holly.

“Victoria text, she’s ready for visitors.”

I enjoy her excitement and nod. “I guess we’re leaving then.”

* * *

It doesn’t matter which hospital you’re in, they’re all the fucking same. The eerie quietness, the smell, the nurses walking around in scrubs, and the doctors in their white coats. With my arm around Holly, Rayna skips off in front with Mom and Dad and Harper keeps close with Jay and Gunner. Luca is waiting for us out in the corridor.

Mom, Holly, and Rayna don’t look back as they walk into Victoria’s room but the look on Luca’s face has me and Dad hanging back. Luca closes the door and clenches his hands into fists.

“What’s up?” I ask.

He motions for us to follow and in the next room, a woman is asleep in her bed and a baby in a cot beside her.

He points to a huge bouquet of flowers through the small glass window. “They were delivered to Tor early this morning.”

“So why are they in this woman’s room?” Dad asks.

“Because they’re from Effie offering her congratulations to us.”

Arching my brow, I sigh. “I’ll see if Slade and Zach can track down where they were sent from.”

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