We both looked down at the puddle beneath my legs and I gingerly stepped out of it.
“Okay. Give me a sec, honey, I’ll call Cade.” Steg pulled out his phone, trying not to look freaked, but he didn’t hide it that well.
Bikers were weird, they could wrestle men with guns but couldn’t handle a woman about to give birth.
“Cade, we’ve got a situation, Gwen’s—” Steg barked into the phone, but a gunshot cut him off. And so did the bullet that went through his chest.
I screamed as he collapsed onto me, giving me no choice but to go down to the floor with him.
“Didn’t hit me hard enough old man,” Taylor sneered standing above us, brandishing another weapon. “Didn’t count on me having a second piece either, stupid fuck. Too busy worrying about this cunt. Everyone’s so concerned about you, Gwen. What’s so special bout you? Got a magic pussy? You let the whole club have a piece?” he asked grinning down at me.
Steg’s blood was pouring out of his chest, his back leaning against my knees. I pressed my hands against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, trying not to panic.
“You’ve just shot the club’s President, Taylor. They’ll come after you now. Won’t stop until you’re dead. You need to leave now before they get back, maybe we can get Steg some help. If he survives, maybe they won’t kill you.”
I desperately tried to reason with him, knowing if Steg was going to survive he needed a hospital now. Not to mention, so did I. I couldn’t let this freak know I was in labor. He seemed to consider it while pacing back and forward, gun trained on me.
“I think it’s just a bonus I’ve got the Prez as well as the Princess,” he said, eyes flaring. “Maybe I’ll keep you around though, just until you push that kid out, then I’ll put a bullet in you, sell the baby off to the highest bidder. I could get some serious cash for the VP’s kid,” he informed me calmly. The psychopath.
Bitter anger washed over me at the thought of this fucker harming my child. Not going to happen. I sucked in a labored breath as a vice tightened on my stomach, my first contraction whipping through me.
Luckily Taylor was focused on his phone and was furiously typing, so he didn’t notice. I focused on breathing through the pain, on being strong enough to get myself through this. A couple of minutes passed and I got my bearings, thankful that Taylor was still glued to his phone, muttering to himself. I took a moment to look down at Steg.
“Can you hear me Steg? Don’t die, please don’t die,” I whispered, pleading silently for him to open his eyes.
His breath rattled and his arm lifted weakly. “Gwen,” he spluttered. “My pants.” He coughed again, blood running down the side of his mouth.
Pants? The gun!
The one that he had shoved down the back of his pants. The way he was positioned meant I could slip one of my hands under him to reach it. That meant letting go of the wound in his chest that I was trying to stop bleeding. If I didn’t, we’d both probably die anyway. And my little Bun would too. The roar of motorcycles gave me the distraction I needed as Taylor darted to the window.
“Fuck!” he roared turning the gun to me. “Fucking Fletcher! Get up now, bitch, you’re my only chance to get out of this breathing.” He strode towards me, just as my hand closed around the gun tucked into Steg’s jeans. I didn’t hesitate, I pointed it at his approaching form.
Cafe
Cade flew into the compound, fear and rage curled at the pit of his stomach. His shaking hands could hardly grip his bike, he was that afraid.
Steg’s call ending in a gunshot and Gwen’s scream had put ice in his veins and fire in his belly. They had been five minutes away, stopped at some fucking bar. Cade had assured himself that Gwen was safe and his brothers had joked it was his last time to enjoy a cold one before the baby came along.
Not that he gave a fuck.
He couldn’t wait for his kid to get here. He also planned on getting Gwen pregnant again the first chance he could. His woman was stunning, but swollen with his child, she was out of this world.
Now all he could hear was the shot and her scream. He couldn’t see straight at the thought of a bullet anywhere fucking near Gwen. His fucking kid. He was as good as dead if anything happened to the two most precious things on this earth. Fury coursed through his body as he thought of what he would do to the motherfucker threatening his family.
He launched off his bike, not even noticing it crash onto the concrete. His gun was in his hand and he was sprinting towards the clubhouse when he heard it. Three gunshots. It felt as if three rounds had been drilled into him, but he didn’t slow his pace. He was about to rip open the door when a strong hand gripped his shoulder.
“Let me the fuck go now, brother! Or I won’t be responsible for my actions,” Cade snarled.
“You can’t go bursting through the door without backup, not knowing what’s on the other side brother. Do this smart. So we can get Gwen out safe. Without her Old Man getting full of lead.” Bull’s face was an inch from his, his voice was flat, but his eyes glittered with fury.
Cade nodded stiffly, every fiber of his being was screaming at him to kick through that door, no matter what was on the other side. He’d happily face a thousand bullets if it meant Gwen and the baby were safe.
An agonizing thirty seconds later, everyone was in place and they burst through the door. His stomach roiled at what he saw. Gwen trembling, covered in blood, trying to stop a flow of blood that was streaming out of his President’s chest. A body was face down in front of them, missing half a head. He didn’t take any of it in, he just rushed to his woman.
Gwen
I shot him three times, just in case. I think his head was gone after the first, but I kept going anyway. Once I was sure he was dead I threw the gun beside me and plugged my fingers back in Steg’s chest, trying to listen for his breath. I panicked when he was silent.
“Please breathe, please be alive,” I chanted down at his ashen face.
My whole body tightened as I felt another contraction.
I barely noticed the door crash open and someone gently remove Steg from my lap. I panicked until I saw it was Cade kneeling in front of me, I met his eyes.
“I shot him. Three times. I’m pretty sure he’s dead now. I had to though, he was going to hurt my baby,” I babbled, not registering the paleness of Cade’s face.
“You did good, baby, real good. I’m so proud of you,” he reassured me, stroking my face, eyes darting over my body.
His presence made relief settle over me, this was short lived when a contraction made me scream. Cade’s hands were running over my bloodstained clothes frantically searching for a wound. I was aware of him barking orders at men surrounding us.
“Baby coming…now,” I choked out between breaths.
He froze and his eyes met mine before he lifted my dress to see blood running down my leg.
“Someone get a fucking truck. Now!” he roared gathering me in his arms.
I screamed again. Shit, this was happening too quickly. “No, no, put me down, the baby is coming right now,” I bit out against the pain, feeling an overwhelming need to push.
Cade nodded, his face determined, calm. He placed me down on the couch, the Walking Dead still on the TV. He propped me on the arm, so I was sitting up slightly, spreading my legs and taking off my underwear.