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“Looks like we missed the action.” Jax gripes as he and Blakely rush in from the public access entrance to the parking structure.
“Not entirely, man. We gotta get these two dealt with. Any idea where Frankie’s stuff is?” The woman never goes anywhere without the ridiculously oversized tote bag she calls a purse.
“Probably back in the hospital room. Want me to go get it?” Blakely offers.
“Yeah, if you don’t mind? Just tell them Lughan discharged her, and she’s waiting in the car because she’s tired.”
It’s risky, but Blake’s got such a sweetly innocent look to her, except for the times she and Jax have played rough. No one will look twice at her for helping her pregnant friend.
“Babe and I got these two. You get her home.” Jax has his arms under the doc’s and is dragging him to the van. “FAME and Bender are on the way with Blu in Bender’s truck. They’ll pick up the bikes, and she’ll drive the truck home with me and Blake. You can take mine.”
“Thanks, brother.” Knowing FAME, that’s Shaw who is our club president, and Bender, who is Konrad the VP are on the way lets me know everything is going to be alright. Konrad will ensure there’s no video surveillance footage remaining from any of this, and Shaw will coordinate everything.
That’s what being Ghost Born means. Even a fuck up like me, one who is still in the doghouse with most of them for the shit I pulled, is family. And when family needs backup, my brothers organize and execute with zero hesitation.
Should I be involved in whatever will go down next with Benson and Lughan? Before meeting Frankie, I absolutely would have been. Priorities shift. Now, she’s mine. I can rely on my brothers to handle the dirty doctor and the dirtier cop.
Frankie needs me, and I need to get her and our baby back to the clubhouse to be checked out. I’ll message Doc Charm on the way to meet us there. He’s not a brother, at least, not yet. At the rate he’s been called on when we need medical care, he might as well have a cut of his own.
“Come on, Cuteness. You’re safe now. Let’s get you home. You didn’t need more tests or anything, did you?” I ask. I’m not sure what we’ll do if she says she needs to be hospitalized.
“Nah, the pain’s better now. Guess Doctor Lughan was right when he said walking would help the symptoms go away.” Exhaustion turns her words into a mumble, and she sags against me.
I’ll always take every chance I get to have her in my arms. I just wish the circumstances weren’t so scary for her to be in them now. This was a close call. Too damn close. Whatever information we get from Benson and Lughan will never be enough to justify the risk they pose to my woman if they’re allowed to live.
I catch Jaxon’s attention before I carry Frankie away. He meets my stare with a nod of acknowledgement. We don’t need speech for the message to be clear. Before he and Ace come home, Jax will make sure the doctor and the cop never return to theirs.
Chapter
Nineteen
FRANKIE
I’m unsure how we got back to the clubhouse. And I don’t even recall much of the next couple hours when Arlo’s doctor friend, Vincent Charmden, came and checked me over. I’m pretty sure, the instant I laid eyes on Arlo and Ace, my brain recognized safety and shut all the way down. Now, I’m just floating in the security of his arms. Conversations are happening around me, and I’m just not actively dialing into them.
“Cuteness, are you listening to Doc Charm?” Arlo’s voice is the only thing tethering me to the moment.
“I, um, no?” My cheeks must be cherry red.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m sure Arlo, here, was paying attention.” Vincent Charmden is a flirt. A totally respectful one, but yeah.
Arlo growls, actually growls, and steps between the doctor and the bed where I’m tipped back into a pile of pillows.
“Watch it, Doc. You’re here to check her out. Not check her out.” Arlo bites through each word like a dog claiming a tasty bone, and I don’t hate it. His claiming me the way he does lets me know how serious he is about keeping me safe.
“Relax, Romeo. I’m not hitting on your girlfriend.” Vince chuckles, his hands held in the air in a faked innocence gesture.
“Not girlfriend. Wife,” Arlo dictates.
“Wait! Excuse me, what?” My brain belatedly engages to pick now as the moment to jump into the conversation.
“Fine. Not wife. Yet. But before the baby gets here, she damn sure will be.” Though he’s responding to my sputtered question, he’s still glaring at Vince.
“I think I get a say.” I’m not sure why I’m arguing. I think I’ve been falling in love with the man this whole time.
“You do get a say. You get to say ‘I do.’ Now, pay attention to the doc, so he can tell us what we need to know and then he can fuck off. Respectfully.” That last bit is tacked on, but by now, I’ve learned Arlo’s tells and see the humor in his glower.
Vince explains what lightning crotch is, and while it sounds absolutely horrible, it’s really no big deal. He says the baby’s not in any danger. Neither am I, which is a relief as well. It sucks I’m still getting occasional bolts of white hot pain through my lower abdomen. I can tolerate it, though, so long as it doesn’t mean there’s a real problem.
