Page 15 of The Queen of Nightmares

“Okay, here we go. It’s warm, so it shouldn’t be too much of a shock.” Shana leaned over, squirted a large glob of the jelly substance over my lower belly, and then placed the doppler on my skin. It wasn’t unpleasant, just a strange sensation that made me want to squirm.

All thoughts of weird jelly-like substances and exposed flesh flew from my mind as soon as the staticky sounds from the machine evened out into a steady beating. My breath caught at the sound, and Jack’s arm tightened around me.

“There we are,” Shana murmured quietly and used one hand to shift dials and press buttons while holding the wand steady. She shifted the wand a little and held still before shifting again. “It looks like your little bean is doing good. Heartbeat is nice and strong.” She turned the screen so I wouldn’t have to crane my neck. There, in a pool of black and white, was a small image of a heart beating wildly. “It isn’t always easy to see the fetus this early in your pregnancy, but this is a great shot.”

She spoke some more, but I couldn’t focus on her words. All I could do was stare at the beautiful sight of the little heart fluttering. “Jack,” I whispered in awe, reaching up and grabbing onto his hand.

“I see it, little Queen.” His voice was gruff with the emotions he was holding in. “I love you.” He whispered the words into my hair, and we both took in the moment we saw our baby and heard the heartbeat for the first time. I blinked back the tears that threatened to cloud my vision. I didn’t want to miss a single second of this moment.

After several more minutes of tapping buttons and moving the wand around, Shana removed the doppler and smiled down at me. “I’ll send the images to the doctor, but it looks like everything is right on track for your estimated date of conception.” She handed me a towel and started cleaning up the doppler. “Congratulations!”

I gave her a watery smile as I swiped the towel over the gel on my abdomen. “Thank you.”

“There’s only one in there, right?” It was the first time I thought I’d ever heard Jack sound hesitant, but the girl laughed.

“Only one.” She winked as she held out a strip of paper to Jack. He took it gingerly in his big, tattooed hand. I tilted my head back to see what he was holding but got stuck on the absolute awe on his face as he stared down at the images of our baby. Seeing Jack fall in love with our baby made my heart feel like it was swelling with more love than I could possibly contain.

Shana slipped out of the room quietly as we both stared at the grainy images. “I’m going to be the best father I can, Sally. I promise.”

I turned in the bed and crawled back up to rest against his chest again. His arms wrapped around me, holding me close, his chin on my shoulder.

“I know you will, Jack. You’re going to be an amazing father.”

He tore his eyes from the pictures to gaze down at me as I tilted my head up to look at his handsome face. “Thank you.”

I shrugged and gave him a lopsided smile. “It’s the truth.”

“No. I mean, thank you for giving me what I never thought I could have. Until you came into my life, I was barely living. I had my club, my bike, and my dog. Now, I have everything.”

“Jack,” I cupped his cheek and let out a breath heavy with emotion. “It’s you that gave me hope for a better life. I was dead inside after what I had gone through. I was in constant fear, always wondering if I would ever be able to walk outside and not be afraid. I didn’t know if I would ever be able to find a way to live again. You gave me back my life. You make me feel safe, loved, and cherished.”

He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch before opening his dark eyes again. He looked deep into my soul. “We brought each other to life.”

“Yes.” His lips touched mine in a soft caress. His kiss was gentle, reverent.

“Marry me.”

The words were whispered against my lips, and it took a long second for them to penetrate. I pulled back and stared up at him, eyes wide. My gaze took him in, seeing his fierce determination, the firm set to his jaw. I searched for any signs of regret that the words had come out of him. The longer I stared, the narrower his gaze became until he was glaring at me.

“Youwillmarry me.”

I let out a breathless laugh. “Are you sure?”

He let out a growl before grabbing me by the hips and turning me to face him on the hospital bed. His hands were tight, just shy of bruising, as he crushed me to him. His mouth took mine in the type of brutal kiss I was used to from him, making me melt against his hard chest. When he broke the kiss, he glared at me some more.

“I’m not asking. You are my woman, my Queen. You are going to marry me and make me the happiest fucking biker there has ever been, or I will put you over my knee and spank your ass until you do.”

I burst into tears again for the hundredth time that day and threw my arms around his shoulders as I cried into his neck. He held me tight against him, rubbing my back as I let out the last bit of anxiety I’d been holding on to.

That was how Doc found us when he walked into the room a few minutes later. He stood there with a bemused look on his face, staring at the emotional mess I was, when Jack decided to announce loudly that Doc would be his best man and the club’s Vice President—whether he liked it or not.

ChapterEleven

THE QUEEN OF NIGHTMARES

After Jack’s declaration said in a tone full of stark finality coupled with a glare, daring Doc to argue, he and Doc stepped outside the room for a quiet discussion. Before leaving, Jack kissed me lightly on the lips and gave my still flat belly a gentle rub. He let me know that he was planning to run to the cafeteria for some terrible coffee, but there would be a prospect standing guard outside the room just in case the Boogeymen tried to make a move. At this point, it seemed unlikely, but the chance of an attack couldn’t be eliminated completely, and I couldn’t deny that having someone there made me feel better.

I lay in the bed, trying desperately not to scratch at the itchy spots, and waited for the Benadryl to kick in. Doc had assured both of us that it would be perfectly safe to take. Even so, Jack did a quick internet search to verify for himself while Doc stood by the door, glaring with his arms crossed over his chest. I had to smile, even as I rolled my eyes for Doc’s benefit at Jack’s overprotectiveness. The brothers were more alike than either of them realized.

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