Page 78 of Ghost's Obsession

My skin’s still cold. He wraps his other hand over mine, trying to give me warmth.

The tech shifts the wand and suddenly, we hear whump. Whump. Whump.

The heartbeat hits the speakers loud and strong. It’s faster than I would have thought, but the tech assures us that it’s normal. Something stirs in my emotions when I hear the steady beat.

“The baby sounds strong and healthy,” Ghost murmurs under his breath.

“As you can probably tell, your baby has a strong, steady heartbeat,” the tech says excitedly. “The baby looks great. About fourteen weeks. Moving around a bit.”

My eyes well up, but I don’t make a sound.

I squeeze his hand and feel him give me a little squeeze back.

Relief surges through my entire body. Not the kind you get when something turns out okay. The kind that crashes through you and makes you realize how close you came to losing everything.

He brushes his thumb over my hand. He doesn’t let go, not even for a second.

Me, the baby, and this sweet, fierce, protective man. We’re still here, still together. And I suspect he’ll do whatever he can to keep it that way

Chapter 25

Ghost

Heather’s arms are wrapped around my waist the whole ride back to the clubhouse. I keep my hands on the handlebars. My old lady is precious cargo, and I won’t risk her life by taking my hands off the handlebars. She leans her cheek against the back of my cut. When she’s on the back of my bike holding me tight, my world tilts back into alignment. We sit there for a minute while I take off my helmet. That’s when her arms finally slide away. She doesn’t move to get off the bike until I do. She still seems rattled from the shitstorm I just pulled her out of back at the candy factory. She gives a faint smile and that’s when I know she’s still hanging tough.

I guide her in through the back entrance of the clubhouse. It’s quieter, more controlled, and there won’t be so many eyes on her when she first walks through the door. Inside, the brothers are high on fighting the good fight and winning. The Sons of Rage MC brothers linger in the main room, mixing and mingling. They fit in well with the Legion even though they might be a bit rougher around the edges.

But the second I walk in with Heather, the atmosphere shifts.

This clubhouse runs on a code, and right now, everyone just saw me walk in with my woman. She’s not wearing my cut yet, but she’s clearly with me, right here tucked under my arm. No one says it out loud, but they all know I risked everything for her and brought her home. She’s as good as claimed in their eyes.

We barely get six feet in before someone steps into our path. He’s a tall man with dark hair and broad shoulders, and afamiliar jawline. Jasper. Rock and Queenie’s oldest boy. I clock him before he says a word as Brittany’s uncle. His old man is named Rock for a reason, because he’s huge like a boulder. Jasper takes after his old man when it comes to his formidable appearance. He’s got muscle sitting on top of muscles.

He lifts his hands in a slow, respectful gesture. Not quite a surrender, to be honest, it’s more of a calming gesture. “I come in peace,” he says. “Mostly.”

I don’t answer because I don’t know quite how to take him. He’s an ally, but that doesn’t quite make him a friend to my mind.

His eyes slide from me to Heather. “You must be the one my niece damn near died for.”

I feel Heather tense under my arm. I’m so damn proud of her. Even after everything she’s been through, my old lady still managed to find her voice. “Yeah, she jumped my attackers. Beat the hell out of them with whatever she could get her hands on. Unfortunately, they were bigger, stronger, and messed her up pretty bad.”

“That’s what I heard from my mom and dad.” His tone softens. “I’m Jasper. Brittany’s uncle. She said you were solid, that you stood up to them and didn’t fold when the going got tough.”

Heather goes quiet and nods. She clears her throat and speaks again. This time her voice is more strained. “We just got back from visiting her. She’s still in pain but was sitting up and eating fries. If anyone is strong enough to make it through this, Brittany is.”

I shift a little, step in close enough for him to catch the warning in my body language. And Jasper is smart. He gets it pretty damn fast.

He jerks his chin at me, acknowledging my unspoken message for him to tread with care. He’s angry that his niece got injured. But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna let him take it out on the woman I love.

He steps back and lets out a deep breath. “I just wanted to stop by and meet you. Tell you that if you ever need anything, you give Brittany a call. The Sons of Rage take care of our own and their friends.”

Heather relaxes a little. “I definitely consider Brittany my friend. I plan to stay close and make sure she doesn’t want for anything while she heals up.”

I take some of the spotlight off Heather by asking, “How about yourself? Do you have plans to stay for very long? I know Siege told Rock that you are all more than welcome.”

“Queenie and Rock may stay on for a while. I’ve got to get back to the clubhouse. We’ve got businesses to run. I’m trying to prove I’m fit to be our next club president. Dad’s talking about stepping down soon. Sons of Rage will need someone with a good head for business, a leader with more spine and less blood on his boots. I’m not here to shake things up or make any kind of trouble. Just wanted to say thank you, Heather, for being my niece’s friend and you, Ghost, for helping our club get vengeance on that fucker who messed her up.”

I hold his gaze. One beat too long. Then nod. “Then you’ll find a friend in me. So far, your crew has been a fuckin’ delight to host. Let’s make a vow to do whatever it takes to keep the alliance between our two clubs going.”

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