Page 39 of Pirate

“Please tell me you were not going to try to drive like this,” Pirate gently reprimanded.

Harper shook her head, strands of her raven hair falling loose from the tight bun she had it in. “I was hoping you could take Scotty home. I can head out once it passes.”

“Sure and get home just in time to see Lucky flay me alive for leaving you here while you’re suffering from…whatever you just said you were suffering from.”

She chuckled. “Braxton Hicks contractions.”

“Tomato, tomoto,” Pirate scoffed. “Why didn’t you call me? Or Lucky? Hell, Angel just picked up the other kids. Why didn’t you tell her?”

“It’s fine,” she hissed. They were making very slow progress to her cage. Scotty was walking slowly on Harper’s other side. Though he had her arm too, Pirate knew Harper was not leaningany of her weight on him. “I just…” She winced. “I just need to get through it. It was the same with Conner. It’s just my body getting ready to go into labor next month.”

They finally made it to her cage. Pirate got her passenger door open and guided her to sit. She had trouble lifting her legs into the footwell. Pirate lifted her legs in before instructing Scotty to get into the back seat and buckled up.

Pirate rushed around to the driver’s side. After adjusting the seat to fit his longer legs, he repositioned the mirrors. Turning to Harper, he held his hand out for her keys. She frowned at him as if she thought he was being ridiculous about insisting on driving her home.

“I value my life too much to let you drive,” he deadpanned as he turned the ignition. Harper’s mouth at least quirked in an attempt at a smile. Before he backed out of the parking spot, he turned to Harper. “Are you sure you want to go home?” he asked cryptically.

The glance behind her at Scotty told him she understood his real question as to whether she needed to go to the hospital or home.

Her hesitation was answer enough.

As he pulled out of the employee parking lot behind the school, Pirate pulled out his phone and called Lucky.

“Hey,” Lucky’s deep voice answered the call. “We’re at the clubhouse waiting for you.”

“Well, that’s sweet of you, but both of us are going to miss the meeting.”

Concern filled his voice, Lucky asked, “Why’s that?”

“I’ve got Harper and Scotty in her cage, but we’re headed to get her checked out.” Pirate tried to sound calm to keep Scotty from picking up on the fact that he was scared shitless. Pirate had no idea what to do if Harper suddenly went into labor. “She’s been having those fake contractions all day. I just metthem at the back door. Silly woman was going to drive herself home.”

Harper threw a glare in his direction as he practically threw her under the bus to her extremely overprotective husband. But then another contraction must have hit because she suddenly gasped out and grabbed the side of her large belly.

“I’m on my way!” From the noise in the background, Pirate imagined Lucky was running towards the clubhouse doors.

“Tell him not to rush,” Harper gritted out. “I’m fine.”

Keeping an eye on the road, Pirate looked over at her. Then he turned to Lucky on the phone. “Don’t break any speed limits but get there.”

“Is she in labor?” Lucky demanded. His voice changed, becoming more muffled, which told Pirate the call had switched to theBluetoothin his helmet.

Lowering his voice, because he was very aware of Scotty in the backseat, he asked, “How the hell am I supposed to know?”

“Did her water break?”

Pirate looked over at Harper. He saw the briefcase she carried with her and her purse, but no water bottle. “I have no idea.”

Lucky growled, “Ask her, dumbass.”

Pirate turned to Harper. “Did your water break?”

Harper shook her head. She was now clutching her belly with two hands.

“Shit,” Pirate breathed out. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like Scotty had heard him because the teen didn’t say anything about Pirate owing money to Aunt Angel’s swear jar. “She says no, but you might want to break those speed limits after all,” he told Lucky. “I need to call Carlos so neither of us get arrested for reckless driving.”

Hanging up with Lucky before the man could argue, Pirate dialed Carlos.

“Hey, Pirate, what’s up?”

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