“You’re gonna be okay, Ant. I’m gonna take care of you.”
“It hurts, Leo. What if I can never use my hand again?” Her fears kill me. They rip me apart inside but none of that matters. As long as she’s still with me, that’s all I need.
“I got you, Antonia. Don’t worry.”
Epilogue
Antonia
6 weeks later . . .
Happily-ever-afters don’t exist. That’s what I told myself growing up with two parents who tossed me back and forth like a football. If the two people I’d loved with all of my existence couldn’t find their person, how was I ever going to?
At sixteen, I was sure I understood the cruelty of the world. But oh, how I wish I could tell her about the man I’d be with today. The one who somehow ignites a fire deep within her. Someone who is the reason she smiles every day, encourages her to go after what she desires, and reminds her she can get through anything because she isn’t alone.
Men like Leo are hard to come by, but man, I consider myself lucky every damn day.
“How’s your hand?” The man questions, sitting back in his leather chair. His eyes are glued on my hand like it’s a piece of porcelain only moments from shattering.
I had one massive reconstruction surgery the morning after he pulled me from my father’s club. I was in so much pain when the surgeons were explaining what needed to be done to save my hand, but from what I gather they put lots of titanium inside my hand, in an attempt to get it back to where it was. Only, there are no guarantees.
I have a few more weeks of healing to do before my second surgery where they go in again and refine things, but I’m looking forward to having the weird 80s style contraption off my hand for the time being.
“It’s fine, Leo.” I mutter, scrolling on my phone. I got a text from one of my mother’s men, Lorenzo, who’s now one of my men actually. She sent him and his brother here to be with me after everything went down. My own sort of personal protection. I guess she’s not too keen on something happening to the woman who will inherit her crown one day.
If it weren’t for Magnum somehow slipping away, I might not need the additional security. He was the only body I didn’t see, and I know for a fact Leo and his brothers shot down everyone inside the club.
“You sure? I mean, the rods just came off yesterday. You hurtin’ or anything?” The man has barely left my side since it all went down, and for that I’m grateful, but I’m not Humpty Dumpty.
“I promise you, I’m not as fragile as you’ve convinced yourself I am.”
He furrows his brows, “What?”
“Leo, I love you, but if I’m in any sort of pain I promise you I will take an ibuprofen.”
He presses his lips together in a frown, “Yeah, alright, ‘cause you aren’t stubborn as shit. You only took the pain meds the docs gave you for what, the first day or two? Shit, Ant. You don’t gotta be so damn hard on yourself.”
“I’ll be as hard on myself as I want. You can’t control every aspect of my life, babe.” I gently remind him. He keeps wanting to rule over every damn thing, and I’m never going to be the type of woman who lets him do that. For fuck’s sake, I need to live my own life too.
“Whatever, bullheaded, crazy, woman.”
“Whatever, stubborn, overbearing, man.” I mock him, rolling my eyes and everything.
“Mock me again, young lady, and see what I do to your ass.” Leo threatens, causing Lorenzo to cock up a brow from the corner of the clubhouse.
Grinder on the other hand snickers from behind the bar. “Ooo, what you gonna do, man?!”
The front door to the club comes bursting open, and in runs a woman I’ve never seen before. She’s short and has a pixie cut with the brightest magenta hair. “Winnie, what the hell? Somethin’ on fire?” Leo rises from his chair immediately.
Who the fuck is this Winnie bitch?
My hand might be fucked, but I’ll lay a cunt down if I need to.
“Kenna, she’s in labor. My car isn’t running. Can one of you fuckers take me to the hospital?” The girl looks desperate at this point, and I’m doing my best to settle myself down, trying to think this girl is only a friend of Kenna’s and not some ex of Leo’s.
Leo draws his brows together as he thinks. “Wasn’t one of Ascher’s boys supposed to be pickin’ up a car from you about now?”
Ascher, Phoenix’s identical twin brother, who has a street gang.
“Yeah, and I got the damn paint job done, but it wasn’t Ascher’s boy who came to get the car. That’s when I got the call from Phoenix, and I’m not gonna fuckin’ sit in a car with that piece of shit ever again. Now, who in this fucking club can get me to the hospital? She went into labor two months early, Leo, I need to get there and I need to get there fast.”
“Grinder, get Winnie’s ass up to the hospital.” Leo shoots out the order, and Grinder drops everything he’s doing and walks her out.
“Who is she?” I waste no time getting the information I want.
“Kenna’s best friend. She does body jobs on cars, paints ‘em and shit. She even did a sick piece on Phoenix’s bike a couple weeks back. She’s as much family as you are, babe.”
“Leo, we should get over to the hospital too, yeah?” Lynch, the club enforcer, asks.
Leo nods automatically, “Yeah, let’s all get ready and roll. We need to make sure they’re okay.”
I know Kenna’s had a really rough pregnancy. It’s part of the reason Phoenix asked Leo to be the interim president until he could get things under control with her. I just pray this baby is going to be okay.