Chapter Twenty-Four

ALIANA

Pain. That’s the only thing I can feel right now. I’m not even noticing the ghost sitting on my bed, acting like he hasn’t been dead for months. I’m not even noticing the other two men in the room.

All I can focus on is the pain that’s making it hard for me to breathe. I can’t be in labor yet... can I? It’s too early for them to come. I’m not ready. Maybe it’s just Braxton Hicks... yeah... that’s what it is.

The pain finally eases, and I can focus on the other thing that’s happening right now.

“Alex. Why are you here? You’re supposed to be dead.” I’m relieved my voice sounds strong, hiding the fear that’s racing through my veins right now. I can’t let him see my weakness.

I can’t let him see what his presence is doing to me.

“I came to get what’s mine, my love.”

“I don’t belong to you and neither do these babies. How are you even still alive? Axyl killed you.”

“Your ~boyfriend~ was so worried about you, he missed the shot. A few centimeters to the left and he would have hit the artery in my heart. They thought I was dead, but I wasn’t.

“It took me a while to recover, but here I am. Don’t forget Aliana, you and those girls you’re carrying ~do~ belong to me. They’re my flesh and blood.

“You’ve belonged to me since the day you met me, you just didn’t know it. I hid who I was pretty well and how big of a monster I truly am. You suspected nothing until it was too late.

“Now, it’s time for you to come home and start repaying me for all the hell you put me through over the past eight months. Don’t worry though, I have big plans for our daughters.” He lets out a chilling laugh.

“You’ll never get your hands on them. Axyl will know you’re here. He wouldn’t leave without leaving some men here.”

He laughs again, but I don’t have time to be scared of it because I scream as another contraction hits.

“Shut up bitch!” One of Alex’s goons speaks up.

“I-I c-can’t! I-it hurts!” I manage to get out through gritted teeth. Something wet runs down my legs and I know then that I’m in labor. It isn’t supposed to happen this fast, is it?

I let out a scream and I can hear footsteps rushing up the stairs and toward the room.

“Shut her up! I’ll handle the company.” He rushes out the door and I hear the gunshots as his two minions come toward me.

I move as well as I can, given the circumstances, but the contraction is subsiding enough for me to get around the bed. The gunfire stops and the door to my room bursts open.

Trigger and Diego are standing there, guns drawn. The two minions grab me, and I can feel the cold metal of their gun pressed against my temple.

“Let her go!” Trigger is the one to speak. I figured as much because Diego is still a prospect.

“Can’t do that. Where’s the prez? He wants what’s his and that would be her and what she’s carrying.” Minion one says. Why can’t I remember his name?

Just then, a new contraction hits and I try to hunch over as I let out a deafening scream. “Shut the fuck up!”

“Ali! What’s happening?” Trigger asks.

“W-water broke. Babies c-coming.” There’s something wrong. Something is seriously wrong with this. It hurts too much. “I-I think there’s something w-wrong.”

Another scream escapes my throat.

“Let her the fuck go!” Trigger takes out minion number one, the one that’s not holding me. They don’t have a clear shot on minion number two.

“Please. It hurts so bad.” I feel more liquid coming out from between my legs. With the arm I can move, I reach down. I feel something sticky. I bring my hand to the front of my face and see blood.

No, no, no. This can’t be happening. A wave of pain erupts through my body and I can’t stay upright anymore. I crumple over myself and hear a gunshot go off.

Minion two drops to the ground. He must not have had a good hold on me.

“Ali. Stay with me. We need to get you to the hospital and fast!”

“Axyl. Where’s Axyl? He said he’d be here.”

“They had a meeting. It was a trap. Let’s go.” Trigger scoops me up in his arms and takes off toward the vehicles. That’s the last thing that I remember before everything goes black.

AXYL

Gunshots echo through the building. We all take cover. There are six of them and nine of us, not including Elaine and my mom. Robert and my dad would have gotten them to safety first.

“What the fuck did you do to her?”

“It’s not what I did. It’s what my brother is doing right now.”

“He’s dead.” I shot him. I watched him go down. Fuck! “We need to get out of here. Now!” Westyn nods and we go on the defensive. We take out two of his men. Down to four. Reaper goes down.

“He’s still breathing, but I can’t tell where he got hit. “Doc!” Doc rushes over to where he’s laid out.

“He needs the hospital. It’s a deep wound.” Fuck me!

“Let’s end this.”

“He’s not dead, you know. You didn’t hit the vital artery in his heart. He’s been healing all this time. He went to reclaim what’s his.” My phone vibrates. I can’t pick it up right now.

Two more guys drop, then Snoopy. He’s just got a shoulder wound. He’ll be okay. Looks like a graze. Two left. Everything stops and it’s silent. Too silent. I glance at Westyn and see he’s as puzzled as I am.

We don’t have time for games. We have two people who need a hospital and I need to get back to my girl.

“I’m going to lure them out. There’s only two left.” I whisper to Westyn who nods in agreement. I slowly shift into a crouched position and sneak my way up to my feet.

I peek over the counter to see they’re hiding behind an overturned table. “There’s no escape. You might as well surrender now.” I inch my way out from behind the counter, basically revealing myself to them.

“You won’t win this one, Cannon. Give it up. We just want what’s ours.” I sneak over to the table and shoot the man next to Striker in the head. One left.

“You have two options. One, you can surrender and come with us willingly and face the consequences for what you did to my woman, or two, you can die right here, right now.”

He pretends to consider it before his face goes blank. He slowly stands up, but I can see in his eyes that he’s planning something.

Apparently, I’m not the only one because he drops before he can even lift his gun.

“Let’s get these two to the hospital. Ghost and Griller, help mom and pops clean up this mess.” With that, we all spring into action.

Griller brings the SUV around and we load Reaper in the back while Snoopy gets in by himself. Doc said it’s just a flesh wound, but it’ll need stitches. Doc climbs into the driver’s seat and Westyn and I head to our bikes.

We speed out of there like we’re being chased. It takes us less than five minutes to reach the hospital before we’re rushing Reaper in. Doc called ahead and told them to be ready.

Doc follows the doctors back with Reaper and Snoopy, and the rest of us head into the waiting area.

I’m not sure how much time passes before I try to call Aliana’s phone. I was so caught up with everything happening that I couldn’t think straight, and I barely had time to check my phone. No answer.

Maybe she’s asleep. I step out of the waiting room where the rest of my brothers are, and what I see stops me in my tracks.

Trigger is rushing in with Aliana, wrapped in a towel, bleeding heavily from between her legs.

“Help! Someone! We need help here!” That snaps me out of my shock, and I rush to them.

“Ali? Baby?” No, no, no. This can’t be happening.