Page 47 of Knuckle's Dispute

“We need to talk about things, Knuckles.Mallory and Janessa can you go to the cafeteria with Marie to get somethin’ to eat?”Rooster questions and I know he’s wanting to get all the details of what I’ve been through out now before anything else happens.

I don’t know if the guys have been captured or if they’re still running free.Fear consumes me with the knowledge they’ll be after Janessa too.I turn my attention to Rooster long enough for him to see what I’m thinking and his response is to shake his head slightly.Turning back to Janessa, I reach out with one hand and pull her down to me.I don’t give a fuck what injuries I have, the need to kiss my girl is consuming me.It’s been forever since I’ve been with her and had her lips pressed against mine.

Janessa doesn’t hesitate to kiss me, our lips pressed tightly together and I know she’s as desperate as I am for this.I hold her cheek in my hand just to prove to myself she’s real and I’m not dreaming this is happening.When I go to deepen the kiss, Janessa pulls back and I groan in response because the last thing I want is to break the kiss and be separated from her.

“I’ll be back soon,” she promises me, giving me one final kiss before disappearing from sight with Marie and my sister.

“Is she gonna be safe on her own?”I question Rooster with pure fear filling my voice and body.

“She’s safe, Knuckles.They’re all locked up in the cells at the clubhouse waitin’ for you to get out to deal with them.The guys are havin’ fun checkin’ on them each day and givin’ them the same treatment you went through.No one’s gonna hurt Janessa again.You can count on that.Need to know what happened,” Rooster answers me, moving to stand at the end of my bed while grasping the bed frame and leaning forward slightly.

“I went and had lunch with Mal.It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to meet up.I spent a few hours with her before headin’ back home.You all know I check my mirrors and surroundin’ obsessively.It’s been ingrained in me to be aware for as long as I can remember.No one was followin’ me until I got back in Frostford.They were drivin’ an older, rusted out car that was meant to blend in and not stand out.Unfortunately, those cars always stand out to me because you don’t see many of them on the roads all over the city.

“I knew they were gonna try somethin’ and I couldn’t have innocent people get hurt.That’s when I drove to the backroad.I was about to go around a curve when I was shot the first time.It was in my arm and little more than a graze.When the second shot hit, that’s when my bike went down.I couldn’t keep it up.I slid into a guardrail and it wasn’t long before I passed the fuck out.I’m not sure how many people were there or what kind of vehicle I was taken away in.It could have been a car or some other vehicle.

“When I woke up, I was chained to the chair Omen and Grudge found me in.I wasn’t given anythin’ to eat or drink the entire time I was there.Never once left the chair or room.I can’t even tell you how many men were there or what truly happened.I was beaten and spent more time out of it than I was awake.I can barely recall any of the conversations I overheard.The one thing I do know is that they were plannin’ on gettin’ Janessa and Kaden too.You’re positive all of them have been captured and no one’s left out there to get their hands on my girl to use as a bargainin’ chip?”I ask, trying to sit up in bed until Tease stops me once again.

“Lay the fuck back, Micah!I already told you there are stitches in your torso and you need to be careful not to pull them out.If you get out of this bed, I will fuckin’ handcuff you to the rails.Don’t fuckin’ test me on this,” he says, his voice breaking as he looks directly in my eyes because I need to see the pain he’s still in when he thinks of what I’ve been through.

“I’m okay, Axel.I’m here with you and no one is gonna get their hands on me again.I know you’ve been protectin’ my girl and son while I was gone.You can relax now, Cousin.You don’t need to be in fight mode anymore, Axel,” I tell him, knowing he needs to hear this shit from me and no one else.

I watch as Axel’s body releases the tension and he slumps down in the seat next to me.Axel drops his head in his hands and I turn away from him.He needs a minute to compose himself and doesn’t need an audience while he does it.My cousin is a very private person and will hate this many people being in the room with him as he breaks down.Axel has been strong the entire time I was gone and didn’t let himself have a moment of peace.Now, he needs to unwind and quit holding the tension coiled tight in his body.

“Fuck!”Homicide says, slamming his fist against the wall behind him.

“How long will I have to be in rehab?”I ask, not sure if they have the answers or if I’ll have to wait for the doctor to come in and see me.

“We don’t know anythin’ yet, Knuckles.The doctor has been in to check on you every single day and has no answers at all.He couldn’t tell us anythin’ until you wake up.Hell, I can’t remember all of your injuries at this point.There was a long list.Though I can say it looks like the damage to your wrists was done by yourself.I’m gonna guess you tried to free yourself from chains like the dumbass we all are when it comes to bein’ held captive,” Rooster answers me, slight laughter in his voice.

“Tell me honestly how Janessa was while I was gone,” I tell them, looking around the room at the men surrounding me and needing to know what my girl was put through.

“You claimin’ her, Knuckles?”Rooster questions me and waits as I nod my head in response just as Tease looks up with a smile on his face that quickly disappears.

“J wasn’t good at all, Cousin,” Tease says, his voice wavering with the emotion he’s trying to keep bottled up.“She didn’t eat, barely slept, and cried all day long.It took every ounce of me to get her to eat a few bites more than once a day.The only reason she even got out of bed is to take care of Kaden.If your son wasn’t there, she would’ve collapsed in on herself and probably would’ve ended up in the hospital.The day everythin’ happened at the diner was the first day she willingly decided to eat.I’m not sure what changed, but somethin’ did.Maybe her body was ready to give out and she was tryin’ to prevent it from happenin’.”

My heart shatters in my chest hearing how hard this shit hit her.Janessa doesn’t deserve to ever feel that way again.I’ll do everything in my power to ensure she doesn’t suffer in that way again.My Little Fighter deserves to have every good thing in her life and no one, especially me, should ever make her upset to the point she doesn’t eat or want to get out of bed.I’m grateful she had my cousin and her brothers around her to help her through the ordeal while I was gone.And our son.

“Bring them back in.I want my woman and son,” I state, not knowing what else to say because there’s not much I can say to change what’s already happened.

“They’re right outside the door, Knuckles,” Omen assures me as he steps over and opens it to call Janessa back in the room.

Janessa walks directly up to me and lays our son down on my chest.I can’t hold him the way I want to, so my girl keeps her hand on his little body to prevent him from getting hurt.My full attention is on our son between us when I hear the guys leaving us alone in the room.The doctor hasn’t been in today to see me yet, but I have no doubt it will happen soon.For now, I just want to be alone with Kaden and Janessa.

“I, um, I have something to tell you, Micah,” Janessa says as more tears slide down her face and I’m unsure what’s going on with her right now.

“What’s goin’ on, Little Fighter?”I question her, my voice soft so I don’t wake up Kaden.

“Well, when I was bein’ examined the day everythin’ happened, I got some information.I’m not sure how you’re gonna react, but you need to be the first to know.Well, other than Aaron because he was in the room with me,” she starts, her eyes looking everywhere but at me until I reach up and place my fingers under her chin to force her to look at me.“I’m pregnant, Micah.I don’t know how the hell it happened, but I am.The baby is okay, but I have to be careful and get in to see an obstetrician for a follow-up soon.”

I’m fucking speechless.That’s the last thing I was expecting my girl to tell me today.As I try to figure out how I’m feeling about this news, I realize I’m not angry or upset.I’ve thought about having more kids with my girl, it’s just happening sooner rather than later.

“Okay, Little Fighter.I’m good with this if you are,” I tell her honestly.“I can’t wait to be there for every step of the journey this time.I want to know everythin’ and be there for every single appointment you have.I’ll go out on those runs for shit you’re cravin’ in the middle of the night when nothin’ is open.We’re in this together and I wouldn’t change it for the world.I love you, Janessa.Kaden and you are my entire reason for gettin’ up every fuckin’ day and now this little one will be added to our family.”

“Really?You’re not mad at me for this?”she returns, fear in her eyes and I can’t blame her for it.

“Really.I was there with you and didn’t wear a condom.This is on both of us and we’ll deal with it together.Maybe we’ll have a daughter who looks just like you this time.Janessa, I’m dead serious when I say I’m in this with you and nothin’ will pull me from your side,” I promise her as I continue looking at her so she knows this is my truth.

“I love you, Micah,” she finally says, leaning forward and kissing me with our son cradled between the two of us.

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