“Right,” he scoffs. “One of you want to wait down here with Mackenzie for Lex?”
“I will,” Alexis murmurs stepping into the cubical with Melody holding her hand.
“Daddy,” Melody says softly, releasing her aunt’s hand, moving to her dad to look at him. “You gonna be okay, Daddy?” Fuck me, tears well in her eyes. Melody isn’t one for crying but I can see it about to happen.
“Come here, pipsqueak,” Chaz demands holding his arms out for her to step into while he sits on the side of the hospital bed. “I’m okay.”
“You’re not gonna leave me like Mommy did, are you?” Fuck there it is. She’s scared of losing her dad.
“Never gonna happen, baby,” my brother murmurs holding his daughter close.
“Where’s Momma?” Melody asks wanting to know where Bethany was.
“We’re about to go see her and your little brother,” Chaz announces, grinning at his daughter.
“Momma had the baby?” Her brows furrowed. “How come you’re not with them right now?” confusion filtering through her voice.
“Because Daddy had a booboo that needed to be seen to. Now let’s get up there, see them. I’m sure Papa Tombstone, Uncle Angel, and Reaper will be here tomorrow.”
“Is Hellhound coming with them?” Melody asks in excitement.
Inwardly groaning, I look up at the ceiling. Out of all the members of the Satan’s Keepers we’ve met, Hellhound is one of her favorites, besides her papa and uncles.
“I don’t know, baby,” Chaz chuckles.
“Alrighty, who’s ready to blow this joint to go to the baby ward?” Jordan asks coming around the rest of us.
“Me. Me. Me,” Melody says jumping up and down in excitement, waving her hand in the air.
“Then let’s get you up there, little missy,” Jordan smiles.
“Yay,” Melody giggles.
“I’m gonna head to Mackenzie’s room. Be up there in a bit,” Alexis says.
“Thanks, baby,” Tanner murmurs to his woman.
“No problem, you guys need to stick together right now.” Alexis is one of the few women who would be able to understand the bond my brothers and I have.
“Yeah, more than ever,” Tanner grunts, eyes casting in my direction.
“Did I miss something?” Alexis asks.
“Fill you in later,” muttering, Tanner wraps Alexis in for a hug.
“If you’re talking about Huntson, I know, and just to let you know I gave him his shot before coming in here with the wheelchair,” Jordan announces, eyes on me.
“Huntson?” Alexis asks.
“Shot?” Chaz furrows his brow at me.
“He needed an antibiotic shot for a double ear infection,” I murmur, holding my brother’s gaze.
“Who’s Huntson?” Alexis asks again.
“My son,” I say turning to face her. “The little boy we saw Annslee holding in the waiting room, he’s mine. I’m going to her place later tonight to talk with her.”
“Are you sure she’s not playing you?” This is one reason I love Alexis; she is very protective of all of us. Though she doesn’t replace Hailey, she does remind me of her, or what she might have been like if she lived.
“She’s not playing him. I can promise you that. Annslee can’t lie for nothing,” Jordan speaks up, coming to Annslee’s defense.
“I still would suggest a DNA test or something,” Alexis mutters crossing her arms over her chest.
“Don’t need one,” I declare. “He looks just like me from when I was his age.”
“Looks aren’t everything you kno . . .” Tanner cover’s her mouth with his hand to keep her from finishing her sentence.
“Baby, go see to Mackenzie. We don’t need to argue about this. We gotta get Chaz upstairs to Bethany. Huntson is Hunter’s there’s no denying it, let’s leave it at that.” Thank fuck for Tanner.
“Right, I’ll be up later when I can,” she mutters, glaring at her husband, stepping away from him and leaving the room.
“Come on, let’s get going,” Chaz commands. Melody sitting on his lap.
Nodding, I step behind the wheelchair taking the reins.
“Hunter, I know you have a lot on your mind right now. I get it, I do, but will you do one thing for me? When you speak to Annslee later, ask her to tell you about her childhood when you demand an explanation. Not saying what she did was right. Because it wasn’t. What I’m saying is listen. And if she doesn’t tell you go to Gadget, he’s got the answers you’ll want,” Jordan whispers then strolls out of the cubical, leaving me fuckin’ baffled more so than ever.
Chapter Five
Annslee
My nerves are nearly shot as I look at the time on the microwave. T minus five minutes until Hunter shows.
A few minutes after he left Huntson and I in the ER, Jordan came in and gave my son the shot he needed, shortly after receiving it, we were off.
Jordan nor Connors said anything about the encounter with Hunter. They knew I was freaking; they also knew I’d shut down on them if they tried. I have enough stress in my life as it is.
Getting home from the hospital, I found a note folded in half and taped to my door. I knew the script on the front of it all too well. It’s one of the reasons my nerves are more than a little jumpy. They found me. After five years, they did it. I haven’t read what was inside yet. I’m completely unsure of what to do with it.
Every instinct inside me says pack up everything Huntson needs, a few things for me, and run. I don’t want them to get a hold of me, let alone my son. They do, they’ll kill him for being born out of wedlock as well as the fact he was born not to the man I was supposed to marry.
Terry Nelson isn’t a man to be trifled with. As the most powerful man in my hometown, when he snaps his fingers, you ask how high you’re expected to jump. The deal my father and him made was for me to go
