Page 28 of Spider
“You ready to go home?”Spider asked.
Honestly?No, I wasn’t.I loved being at the house, knowing I was safe, but being outside the gates was nice too.Other than the one shopping trip, and now this visit to the doctor, I hadn’t left the compound since Spider had brought me here from the airstrip.I was starting to feel like I lived in a cage.A pretty, spacious one, but a cage just the same.After the life I’d led, I was used to being kept under lock and key, but this time it was different.I wasn’t being held hostage by my father and his men.Spider only wanted to keep me safe, and I appreciated that, but I was also ready to experience all I’d missed in my life.
“I’ll call in her prescription.The pharmacy on Main Street?”the doctor asked.
“That works,” Spider said, observing her.
“I’m sorry,” the doctor said, her tone grudging at best.“Your wife pointed out that I was judging you unfairly.”
“Bad experience with a biker?”he asked.
I tugged on Spider’s hand and shook my head, hoping my look conveyed enough that he’d leave it alone.I’d tell him just enough about the doctor that he wouldn’t judge her for her previous behavior, but otherwise it was her story to tell.I just knew my kindhearted husband would do his best to make her feel at ease once he knew that her background with bikers was less than pleasant.She may not have suffered as long as I had, but her experience was no less traumatic.She’d been abused by those men, violated, and I could understand her dislike and fear of Spider.
“Thank you for your time, Doc,” Spider said, holding out his hand.The doctor hesitantly shook it, a strange look crossing her face, before she darted out of the room.
“That went well,” I said.“Looks like you’ll be watching me even closer now.”
He snorted, then laughed.“We’ll get you back on track.Now that we know there’s a problem, we can fix it.Get changed while I go handle the bill and set up your next appointment, assuming you want to come back here.”
I nodded.“She had a really bad experience with bikers, but she knows the scars on my body aren’t from you.I told her that you and your club were honorable and not like the men who hurt her.”
Spider gave me a quick kiss, then ducked out of the room.I started pulling on my clothes and shoved the paper gown in the trash.When I reached the front lobby, Spider had a sheet in his hand with dietary suggestions.He took my hand and led me outside.Teller was waiting for us, along with Marauder and Hornet.Spider refused to let me leave without extra protection, in case we were attacked and he couldn’t keep me safe.I thought it was sweet, even though some women might feel stifled by it.I’d gladly go everywhere with a security detail if it meant my father, or men like him, wouldn’t get their hands on me.
Having lived through hell, I had a slightly different perspective than most people.Even women who had been assaulted might not appreciate all the muscle surrounding me, but I was more than happy to have them along.They didn’t make me feel any less independent, or weak.It just made me feel cherished that the club wanted to keep me safe, even at the possible cost of their own lives.Instead of driving over to the pharmacy, Spider took my hand and led me down the sidewalk.After a moment, I realized we were heading for a park.I couldn’t remember ever going to a park before.It was a beautiful day, and even though the news at the doctor’s office hadn’t been what I’d expected, I felt calmer and more at peace than ever before.
“Any idea what the baby is?”Teller asked from next to me.
“There’s two of them, but we don’t know the sexes yet,” I said.
“Wow, twins?”Teller blinked.“Congratulations!”
“She has to eat better and take vitamins,” Spider said.“The babies aren’t growing as well as they should, which means they want to keep a close eye on her.She goes back in a week.”
Teller frowned.“Will they be okay?”
My heart stopped a moment.I hadn’t even thought to ask.Spider had just said he’d do whatever it took to make me better, to make the babies better, and I hadn’t questioned it.But now I had to wonder if there was a chance the two children growing inside me wouldn’t live long enough to be born or would be born with problems.Was I already a bad mother?I’d been more concerned with how the doctor had treated my husband than over what was happening with the babies.
My stomach churned and I stumbled a little.I placed my hand over my belly and prayed that they would be all right.
“Shut it, youngster,” Spider muttered and wrapped his arm around my waist.“She’s going to be fine and so are the babies.”
Teller nodded.“Sorry.I didn’t mean anything by it.It’s just that we haven’t had any kids around the compound other than when Ryker visits with his family.I was kind of looking forward to it.”
I nearly stumbled again as I stopped to stare at Teller.“You want kids at the compound?Why?”
He shrugged.“I like them.They’re so innocent and unspoiled by life.You know they mean whatever they say, and there’s this look of wonder whenever they discover something new.Until they learn the world we live in is complete shit.”
It seemed Teller had depths that no one knew about, since Spider and Marauder were both looking at him like he’d grown a second head.I thought it was sweet, and I had no doubt he’d be a champion to all the kids at the compound -- if mine lived, and if any others came along.As much as I thought Violeta losing her baby was a blessing, I looked forward to raising a family with Spider.Since he’d gotten snipped, the babies inside me were probably my only chance.I knew there were other options like adoption or artificial insemination, but I didn’t know if Spider would go for either of those.He’d taken me on with the kids inside me already on board.Asking him to bring in more kids wouldn’t be fair.Not after he’d gone to the trouble to never have more.
“Why are we at the park?”Marauder asked.
“Luciana likes the tree out in front of Knox’s house.I thought she might enjoy a walk through the park.There’s lots of shit with flowers on it right now,” Spider said.
I bit my lip so I wouldn’t laugh at how eloquent he wasn’t.I was thrilled that he’d thought of something like this, but his delivery could use a little work.Then again, he wouldn’t be Spider if he had said it any other way.As we walked, I noticed that he no longer winced or rubbed at the gunshot wound in his shoulder, and that his back was looking much better too.It made me happy that he’d healed so well.When I’d seen all the blood, I’d been so scared I would lose him.That moment was when I’d known for sure that I loved him.I was just too damn scared to tell him.What if he didn’t feel the same?
“Why don’t the three of you give us a bit of room?”Spider asked as he tugged me over to a bench near a small pond.
Ducks paddled across the water and a breeze ruffled the leaves in the tree behind us.Spider slung his arm around my shoulders and pulled me tight against his side.I’d never done something so normal as enjoying the park with the man I loved.If it weren’t for the fact my babies were in trouble, my life would be pretty perfect.So perfect it scared me.I was waiting for something horrible to happen, for my father to come for me, or something else to happen to Spider.
