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Wicked and I remain in the NICU with our daughter for as long as we possibly can. I don’t care about eating or anything else. The only thing that matters is spending time with Brindley and watching over her. The only time one of us leaves is so that our parents can come in to see her. Pictures are taken and she’s fussed over by everyone we allow in. Not everyone in our family gets to come in, but our parents do. We don’t want a lot of people around her right now. The day feels as if it passes in a blink before I’m being wheeled back to my room and we have to leave our daughter alone in the NICU. My brother and dad, along with Gage, remain there to watch over her. They’re her fierce protectors and that’s going to last the rest of her life. Brindley is a lucky little girl and I can’t wait to hold her and for each milestone she slams through for the rest of her life.
Chapter Seventeen
Wicked
THREE DAYS LATER and all I can think about is what happened when Quinn had our daughter.
Everything was happening so damn fast and at first I didn’t understand what was going on. All I knew is our daughter was born and screaming up a storm as the nurses worked on her while Doc was shouting out instructions to everyone else who would be working on Quinn. I couldn’t understand anything she was saying but the look of fear filling Harley’s face was enough to let me know whatever was happening wasn’t good. Doc told us that Quinn would need to have emergency surgery and a hysterectomy in order to get the bleeding to stop. Again, I had no clue what the hell was going on. Until I saw the blood pouring from Quinn’s body. Somehow I knew that wasn’t supposed to be happening.
My wife was rushed from the room after we all agreed for her to have the surgery she’d need to save her life regardless of what she was gonna feel after the fact. We couldn’t risk losing her over the chance of her having more kids when we were ready to have them. Harley had to explain it all to me before I fully understood things. Steel didn’t give a shit about what the consequences were as long as his daughter was saved and the bleeding was stopped. We were moved to the surgical waiting room while my daughter was taken to the NICU. She was having trouble breathing on her own and they wanted to make sure nothing else happened to her. I guess she was what they call jaundice as well. Again, I don’t know what that means. Something about needing to be under some kind of light. Everything was a jumble in my mind and I couldn’t comprehend a damn thing knowing my wife’s life was hanging by a thread.
Once we were in the room, I couldn’t sit still. I paced the room from one side to the other. Harley was being held by her husband while Brick was like a caged lion. Not a single one of us said a word to one another. Though, it wasn’t long before Steel and Brick left the room and made their way to the NICU to watch over the baby. All I know is we had a little girl. I don’t know anything else after that. As I paced the room, my thoughts kept drifting back to the blood I saw on the bed from my wife. The color was literally draining from her face as the blood continued to leave her body.
“She’s gonna be okay, Wicked. Our girl is strong and will fight to come back to us. To come back for her daughter,” Harley tells me as more and more people fill the waiting room to be there for us and Quinn.
I don’t stop pacing until my parents show up. My dad walks straight over to me and pulls me into his arms. I fucking break. Tears filled my eyes and spilled over as all my fears filled me and tumbled out.
“I can’t lose her, Dad. She’s my entire world and what I live to wake up to every fuckin’ day. There’s nothin’ I won’t do for her and I can’t do a damn thing to fix this for her. I can’t be in that room to make sure nothin’ happens to her and she lives through this surgery,” I cry out as my parents hold me close to them.
“Quinn’s a fighter, son,” my dad whispers, holding me as tight as he can. “She’s gonna pull through this surgery and be fine. It’s gonna take some time, but she’ll bounce back stronger and better than ever before. You’re gonna stand at her side every fuckin’ second for the rest of your lives. My daughter-in-law has so fuckin’ much to live for and she’s not gonna let this stop her from livin’ an amazin’ life with your daughter and you. This is just a bump in the road.”
“You didn’t see all the blood, Dad. There was so much blood and they couldn’t stop it. What if this surgery doesn’t work?” I question him, my voice breaking as more tears fall and I want to collapse on the ground. “I won’t be able to go on and be there for our daughter if I don’t have her by my side.”
“Yes, you will, baby,” my mom says, turning me to face her. “Regardless of what happens during this surgery, you’re gonna be there for that fucking baby because she’s your daughter. She’s half of Quinn and will need you to love and guide her. However, that’s not something we have to worry about because Quinn is going to be just fine. This shit happens for whatever reason and Doc is going to do everything in her power to bring our girl back to us. Get the rest of that shit out of your head and focus on her coming back to us.”
“I’ll try, Mama,” I say, my voice once again breaking as I try to collect myself.
Brantley and a few other guys go on a food and coffee run. I don’t take anything because I can’t stomach food or anything to drink. Not until I know my wife is okay and nothing is wrong with our daughter. More and more people poured into the room to wait for any word on what was happening. Apparently we were going to be told about Quinn and what was going on with our daughter. I don’t remember that being said, but I don’t remember much about that time in the room.
Nothing shocks me more than when members from the Clifton Falls chapter of the Wild Kings start to walk in the room. Grim and Bailey are the first ones to show up. They each hug me and we talk for a few minutes before they move to sit down with some of the other parents. Otter doesn’t leave my side as the members and ol’ ladies make their way in to the point that no one else can fit in here with us. Every single seat is taken and it’s standing room only now. That’s how we remain for just over four fucking hours.
Doc finally comes in and lets us know they got the bleeding stopped and the hysterectomy was a success. More tears fill my eyes and spill over as relief fills my body and I can barely hold myself up. My legs go weak as my dad wraps his arm around me to hold me up. Harley is about the same as my mom holds her up. Grim quickly leaves the room after letting us know he’ll fill her dad and brother in on what Doc said so they don’t have to leave the baby.
We’re told it will be a little bit before she’ll be brought back to her room since she has to spend some time in recovery. Once she’s there, we’ll be able to go back in and see her for a few minutes at a time. Doc already knows I’m not leaving my wife’s side and has made sure everyone on the floor knows not to try and force me to leave. She also let them know that someone will be outside the NICU and Quinn’s room to watch over them and they won’t be leaving the hall either. She’s totally going against protocol, but she doesn’t give a fuck.
Shaking my head, I clear the thoughts swirling through my mind. We’re currently in the NICU and I look over to watch Quinn holding our little warrior against her bare chest. They’re doing the skin-on-skin contact right now because it’s what our little one needs. The wires and oxygen are still attached to her as she holds her and runs her finger carefully down Brindley’s back. I listen on as she sings softly to our daughter while smiling as large as she can. The only time my wife smiles these days is when we’re in the NICU with our girl. No one can make her smile or laugh because she’s so upset about not having any more children in the future. This is something she has to work out on her own and I’ll be there when I can to help her through it.
Today, I have to leave for a few minutes so we can figure out what to do about all the dirty cops and Horton. This is bigger than anything we’ve dealt with and Grim and my dad actually brought up someone we can have help us. He’s an ally of the club through the Phantom Bastards and I’ve only met the man once before. Venom is going to make the call while we’re still here at the hospital because I’m not going anywhere until Quinn and Brindley are able to leave. We don’t know when Brindley will be able to leave the NICU and come home with us. Quinn will be here for at least another two days after her surgery.
“Baby, your dad is gonna come in here for a while. I won’t be too far. Just down the hallway in the conference room,” I tell Quinn as I make my way over to my entire world sitting in a rocking chair. These two females make up my entire world and they’re gonna know it every fucking day of my life.
“Okay. We’ll be just fine here. They’re gonna let me feed her when she’s ready to eat. Maybe you can feed her next time,” she says with hope filling her voice.
“I can’t wait, baby. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Leaving the NICU, I strip the gown off and toss it away before leaving the nursery. Steel is waiting to come in as we pass in the hallway. He assures me he’ll watch over my girls while I’m gone. Nodding my head, I continue down to the conference room. Venom and the rest of the guys are already waiting in there for me. Taking a seat at the end of the table since none of us are in church and sitting in our normal seats. We’re all just kind of gathered around and waiting for Venom to start talking.
“Okay. I’m gonna make this shit quick as fuck. Wicked needs to be in with his girls and I’m not gonna keep him away from them with this shit. We’re gonna call Rossi and see if he can come help us with Horton and the dirty cops he’s got workin’ for him. That’s the last of this shit we have to fuckin’ clean up so we don’t have to look over our shoulders every fuckin’ day and Quinn and Sami don’t live with the nightmares on repeat. Both of those women have more than enough goin’ on and don’t need more shit added to it,” Venom says, his voice not as loud as normal.
Pulling out his phone, he calls Rossi. It doesn’t take long for the man to answer the phone and already know who’s calling.
“Venom, it’s good to hear from you,” Rossi answers, his thick accent filling the room. “I hear you’re havin’ some trouble we might be able to help you out with.”
“Yes. We’ve got a dirty mayor and cops. We’ve already gone and taken some victims from the mayor, but it’s just a matter of time before he gets more. He’s taken one of our ol’ ladies and had her car blown up. All of this while she was pregnant. Now she’s in the hospital and their baby is in the NICU. I can’t say for sure, but I’m guessin’ it has somethin’ to do with all the shit the mayor and cop is doin’ to her. One cop is Lopez and he’s got a real hard on for Quinn. He’s the one who took her right in front of her fuckin’ father. She’s Steel’s daughter,” Venom informs Rossi as anger fills me once again.
“Fuck,” Rossi breathes out, his voice barely above a whisper. “Guessin’ the cocksucker had a gun on her and she’s the one who just had the baby. Steel had to be pissed as fuck. I don’t want to be on his bad side. We don’t have much goin’ on at the minute so we’ll be there in a day or two. Do you have room to put us up?”
“Yeah. We bought an entire fuckin’ hotel here. There’s some of his victims stayin’ here so you can hear their story if that’s somethin’ you need. They are willin’ to talk about it. Well, some of them are. The older ones will definitely talk because they’ve talked a little bit out in the common room about what happened to them. Goose has been workin’ nonstop on diggin’ up all the information he can on everyone involved. This is just bigger than us since we’ll be takin’ down some dirty cops. We just need some help,” Venom says as he looks around the table.
