Page 41 of Property of Doc

“You still have that to build on,” she replies, much like Doc told me. “And it wasn’t like you deliberately chose to break it, Gretchen. Give yourself some grace and credit. Youshouldbe safe walking through a parking lot that was no doubt well-lit with plenty of people around. Sadly, that’s something that women deal with on a constant basis. We’re never truly safe on our own which is bullshit if you ask me. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t care what the club gets involved in because I know at the end of the day, every single woman in our clubhouse is beyond protected. So are you, honey, because all it took was the new brother calling to immobilize every man with a Kings cut.”

“I just… I wish it was done and over with,” I reply. “And yes, my comfort level being around the club has increased, especially after what Mongrel did the day they tried to abduct me again. Did you know that heranto where I was after they pushed him and his bike off the road? He got hurt too, but his first thought was to protect me.”

“The Kings are their own unique brand of man, that’s for sure, so it doesn’t surprise me in the least that he did that, and I’m willing to bet that it’s the reason he earned his patch. It’s one thing to be on a protective detail over an old lady, but it’s another to keep going when you’ve been knocked down in an effort to ensure she’s safe.”

We sit there quietly talking until Doc comes rushing over. “Are you okay, baby?” he asks once he reaches my side.

“I am, thanks to Mongrel,” I reply.

“Well, you’re all sold out of your stuff, so I’m taking you back to the clubhouse,” he says.

“Did… did they catch them?” I stammer.

“No, baby, they didn’t, but Nerd is tracking them through the city’s camera system now to see where they go. We’ll figure it out, don’t you worry,” he states.

“I’ll try.” Suddenly exhausted, I look up at him and say, “Take me home, please.”

“You ever been so tired, but it was a good tired?” I ask Doc as I lay sprawled on the bed while he wanders around, gathering the dirty clothes that have spread beyond the basket.

“Yes, I have,” he replies. “How can two people generate so many items of clothing?” he mutters.

I shrug because that’s how it was when it was just me. But what he’s forgetting is on clinic days, he wears his scrubs which he immediately changes out of when he gets home after he’s showered. Then, depending on what our evening plans are, there’s his biker ensemble, or a pair of cut off sweats and a T-shirt. None of it is worn again, either, so in essence, that’s two, sometimes three outfits in one day. Times two people, only now, with my pregnancy definitively confirmed, I just have one change of clothes these days. Even still, that’s a minimum of twenty-one outfits per week.

I’d explain it to him, but my brain has short circuited after the busyness of the farmer’s market, so instead, I fall into a light doze.

I’m not sure how long I was sleeping, but when I wake up, the baskets of dirty clothes are gone, and the room is quiet and dark. Sighing, I get up, go to the bathroom then after washing myhands, decide to head downstairs to see what’s happening since it’s the last night both of the other chapters will be here.

“It’s going to be glorious,” I murmur as I start down the stairs only to walk into complete bedlam.

“What’s going on?” I ask Issy, who’s standing there with her hands across her chest as she watches Doc and Rio going toe to toe.

“I’m not one-hundred-percent sure, but from what I understand, Nerd found another warehouse full of people who were abducted like you were. Doc wants to go in and rescue them while Rafe, surprisingly, wants to use a contact that Rip has to tip off the feds. He thinks this is much bigger than it looks.”

I’m kind of shocked that they’re not pushing for an all-out rescue, but I kind of agree with Rio. I heard enough while I was there to know that the big boss was trying to set up an infrastructure that would allow him to transport those who were taken through the southern states. I think our area was targeted because we’re not far from Mexico, and we’ve got access to various waterways that would help them move people.

“I’m sure Doc wants to be able to check them to assess their health,” I reply. “I guess I can see both sides, honestly. This has to piss the brothers off that someone came into their territory and set something like this up, but I have vague memories of them talking about establishing their empire. So, maybe getting the officials involved is the best way to go.”

“Enough!” Big Daddy roars. “Riptide, get Rio your man’s information so he can send in an anonymous tip. In the meantime, Rio, you and your brothers keep looking for thesefuckers. I suspect they’re like cockroaches and will keep turning up. Let them know what’ll happen if they fuck with the Kings.”

“Got it, sir,” Rio replies. Turning to Doc, he says, “If there’s a way for you to get in there without detection to check on those that’ve been taken, then we’ll do it, but we’re making a plan, because we don’t need another warehouse popping up in a few weeks. We need to cut the head off the snake, once and for all. Donnelly is the key, he’s just well-hidden.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FOUR

Doc

It’s been three weeks since Big Daddy and his crew went back to California, and the East Texas crew went home, and we’re still no closer to finding Donnelly. Rip’s contact came through and we’ve seen an increased black suit presence in and around town. From Nerd’s reports, they’re coming up empty, outside of the second warehouse that we had found. Nerd’s been able to find out that every person is now in a treatment facility, although one did die because of an overdose.

Today, Gretchen and I are going in for her first obstetrician appointment. As a doctor, I should know how long they can take getting set up, but Gretchen wouldn’t let me use my clout as she calls it and pull in a few favors to get her in sooner to be seen.

“I don’t know what to wear!” she exclaims, coming out of the closet with two different sundresses held up in the air.

“The blue would be my choice, it looks beautiful on you,” I reply from my position sitting against the headboard.

“Okay, the blue it is,” she murmurs as she carries it into the bathroom. I know it’s still early, but her hips have started rounding slightly and her breasts are already fuller. She even has the tiniest pooch which she says looks like a food baby.

“And that’s your baby’s heartbeat,” the tech says as we hearwhoosh whooshreverberate around the room.