“O—okay…” I trail for a moment and take a deep breath. “Can you do me a favor?”
“Somehow, I have been doing them for the damn club for the last like 30 years.” I have to keep myself from laughing. “I’m kidding. Of course, I can.”
“It’s actually a couple of things. When he told you, did you automatically believe him or did you ask around first?”
“Both. I asked a couple of my colleagues, but I also saw the look in his eye when he was telling me.”
“So people here know?”
“They suspect, at the least.”
“He has to work later tonight. Can you have everyone who suspects document it in my file, yourself included?” He nods his head. “Then afterwards, can you make a physical copy and can I have it?”
“Of course.”
“Can I have it without having to document me taking it?”
“I can’t do that, but I can give you my suggestions on what to do with it.”
“But shortly after he leaves, I need to be discharged with my file.”
“I understand.” He nods his head. “Do you want me to call him and tell him?”
“No, Darren saw him leaving the hospital. There’s a good possibility that he will watch him after he leaves, at least for a while.”
“Okay. Now, when he comes back in and asks what we talked about. Tell him I told you it wasn’t your fault. These things happen. Asked you if you had concerns, reassured you. Explained that it’s okay to be angry, but don’t let it consume you… Things along those lines.”
“I think I get it. Even though I feel like my situation doesn’t really relate to most of that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m angry, that’s about it. The only thing I did wrong was not taking Zane up on his offer when he said it. But I didn’t feel like I had much of a choice. Still, I did nothing wrong. My body was taking care of everything. He did this. Just when I thought he couldn’t do anything worse. He killed my fucking baby… yeah, I’m fucking angry.”
“What’d he offer?”
“To protect me, help me with whatever I wanted to do. That whatever I decided, he would help.”
“He offered to help you raise the baby?”
“Yeah. I told him no, because it wasn’t fair.”
“Tatum, I’m going to give this little insight on him. The MC is a family.” I nod my head, understanding that. “None of them are blood, yet all of them act like they are. He grew up in that life, and has known from the day he was born that blood doesn’t mean shit. But…” He pauses and looks at me again. “If Darren knew you were pregnant, and you took his baby away and let Zane raise it. Darren wouldn’t just frame him for something. He would be out for blood. So no, you did what you thought was best in a situation with no good outcomes.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Darren walks back into the room as soon as Dan leaves.
“What did he talk to you about?” He snaps at me as he sits down next to the bed.
“He just wanted to assure me that sometimes these things happen and that I did what was best for the baby, and sometimes that just doesn’t work out.” He snickers as I say it, and I glare at him. “But did you?” I have no clue where all this courage is coming from.
“I dunno, are you sure you did?” He laughs, leaning into me. “I mean, if you weren’t such a whore, none of this would have happened.”
“Don’t you have to go to work?” I roll my eyes as I look at him. Watching the rage flame up in him.
Dan walks up to me as I’m signing my discharge paperwork and nods his head. “You have a ride home?”
