Chapter Twenty-Eight

ALIANA

I’m swallowed by darkness and pain. It’s all I can feel, all I can think about. What happened? Where am I? Why does this feel so eerily familiar? Like I’ve been here before.

I remember Alex and everything that happened before I managed to escape. I remember discovering I was pregnant and the safe house. I remember everything, but I can't seem to recall what brought me here this time.

There’s a warm sensation on my hand, and I try to move my fingers. I’m not sure if I succeeded, but the warmth disappears, so I guess I did.

“Ali. Baby? Can you hear me? Baby, open your eyes for me, sweetheart. Let me see those beautiful eyes.” Axyl? His voice is unmistakable. I don’t feel swollen in my belly anymore.

I should still be swollen. I’m eight months pregnant. Did something happen to my babies? Are they okay? Suddenly, memories rush back to me like a tidal wave.

Alex and his men. My water breaking. Blood pooling around my feet. Trigger taking them out then falling unconscious. I try to open my eyes and after a few failed attempts, I manage to do it.

I can only open them a sliver before I have to shut them again because of the bright light.

“L-lights.” My voice is raspy, and my throat feels like it’s on fire. I see the lights dimming, and I’m able to open my eyes and keep them open this time. I look around the room and realize I’m in a hospital.

Axyl and Reaper are in my room. I look down and see my flat stomach. “Babies?” I clear my throat and try to speak again. “Water? Please.”

Axyl quickly fills a cup with water from the bedside table and puts the straw to my lips. I take small sips until my throat feels better, then I gulp down the rest. “Thank you. Where are my babies?”

I look at Axyl as he puts the water back on the table and comes over to hold my hand.

“They’re in the nursery. They wanted to wait until you woke up to bring them in. God Ali, they’re perfect. They look just like you. I’m so glad you’re okay, baby. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”

I squeeze his hand, and he meets my gaze.

“Don’t. Don’t blame yourself. Alex would have found me sooner or later. I’m here. The girls are here. Please, don’t blame yourself. We didn’t even know that Alex was still alive.”

He nods and kisses me.

“I’m going to step out and let everyone know you’re awake and get Doc.” He leaves the room, and I close my eyes.

“Don’t you dare blame yourself either, Reaper. I’ll kick your ass if you do. No one could have stopped him. You were with the club.

“I know you’re thinking you could have done something, but we both know you couldn’t have.” I don’t even have to look at him to know what he’s thinking. We’ve been inseparable since we were kids.

I know him better than he knows himself and vice versa.

“You know me too well, Ali. Too damn well. Get some rest.” With that, I surrender to the darkness.

I wake up to the sound of crying, and it takes me a moment to realize that I’m hearing my babies cry for the first time. My eyes open, and tears instantly start streaming down my cheeks.

I take one look at them, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more in love in my life. I gaze at them for what feels like hours before I notice that the room is full of the club members. My brothers. My protectors. My family.

I smile as I look around the room at my family welcoming our newest additions. “So, can I hold my babies yet?” All eyes turn to me before Doc comes up to me and gives me a once-over.

“I checked you out when I got here, but I couldn’t do much with you snoring away. I’m just going to check your incisions and then we’ll go over what happened. After all that, you can hold your babies all you want.”

I nod and Doc lifts my shirt to check on my cut and replaces the bandage with a clean one.

“The OB/GYN will want to check out your womanly parts because no matter how much I love you, I love my life more and I know your man over there would murder me before I got the blanket up.”

“Damn right I would. No man gets to see that but me. No woman either, unless it’s the doctor, but no male doctors.” He’s rambling and I can’t help but smile.

He’s holding one of the babies and it’s making my ovaries ache for more babies.

“Just shut up. I don’t want to hear about you fucking my daughter. Or that you’re the only one that gets to see her…area.” My dad chimes in with my brother’s agreement.

“So, can I meet my daughters?” Doc nods and Axyl brings over one of the twins. I notice her light hair when she’s close. She has Alex’s hair and nose, but everything else is all me. I see Westyn walk over with the other twin.

She has Alex’s mouth, but my hair and nose. They’re amazing and I can’t believe they came from me. I’ll make sure that they don’t turn out anything like their father. I’ll protect them with my life.

“This is Jacey,” Axyl says, placing her in the crook of my left arm while Westyn places Macey in the crook of my right arm. I’m speechless. I just look at them as happy tears fall down my face.

“Hey, baby girls. I’m your mommy. I see you’ve met your daddy and uncles. You’re going to be so protected, you’re going to want to escape, but I won’t let you.

“I’m going to make sure you never want to leave the way I did. I love you both so much.”

AXYL

Watching her with our girls is a sight I could never tire of. She’s a natural with them. She took the news of everything that happened with surprising grace. I think holding the girls in her arms helped.

I suddenly realize that we don’t have anything ready at the house because we’ve been staying at the clubhouse. We’ve got things set up there, but not at home.

I decide that while Ali and the girls are sleeping, I'll head to the house to get everything ready. Westyn stays with her while the rest of the guys come with me.

With all the guys helping, it doesn’t take long to get everything set up. The only thing we had done to the nursery was paint it a soothing grayish blue. We assemble the two cribs and the changing table.

We put together the dresser and organize the clothes. The guys had stopped on their way here and picked up some gifts for the girls.

Mostly stuffed animals. Reaper went a little overboard with mattress covers, blankets, and the biggest stuffed dogs they had. I just shook my head and went along with it.

I know that the girls are going to be spoiled beyond belief. It’s the same with Murdock and Danny. Speaking of which, I need to get their rooms ready too.

We bought a two-story home on ten acres of land that’s close to the clubhouse. It’s a strategic location in case we need to get there fast, or someone needs to get here if I have to go on a run.

The top floor has four bedrooms: the master, the twins’ room, and the boys’ rooms, plus two bathrooms, including the one in the master.

The bottom floor has two guest bedrooms, a bathroom, the living room, kitchen, and dining room. Aliana wanted a wrap-around porch, so that’s what she got.

Outside, we have a playset for the boys and a cozy firepit area. The fire pit is surrounded by swings on each side and tables in between. There’s a barbecue area and then there’s the pool.

That’s what sold Ali on the house.

“All right guys, we need to get the boys’ rooms done too. We’ve been so tied up at the clubhouse, we haven’t had a chance to set up the rooms. Everything is in each room, but not assembled.”

“Well, we’ll get everything set up. Each of us takes a room and gets this done. Ali doesn’t need to worry about this when she gets home,” Reaper says.

Everyone heads to a room and before I know it, it’s time for dinner and I’m heading back to the hospital.

Doc said she should be able to come home within the next week. I know it’s going to be tough for her being in there. I just hope that having the girls there will help keep her calm.

Even though they’ll be heading home in the next couple of days. The guys did a great job with the house, and we managed to get everything set up.

We had enough time before we had to go to the clubhouse to get the living room, kitchen, dining room, and our room set up, so those rooms are done.

I’m just relieved we had everything in the room where it belonged.

I pull into the hospital and head inside after parking the truck. I walk into her room and see her nursing the girls.

She and Westyn are laughing about something, and Westyn looks a bit awkward because his sister is breastfeeding in front of him.

He’ll have to get used to it because I’m not going to make her hide what’s natural and I’ll be damned if I let anyone try to make her. “Hey, baby girl. How are you feeling?”

“They took me off the meds after I woke up so it could get out of my system for me to be able to nurse the girls. I’m in a little bit of pain, but it’s all worth it to be able to feed them. Where were you?”

“We were out getting the house set up for when you guys get to come home.” She nods before handing me Jacey to burp, switching out babies to feed. I love this woman. I always will.