“I’ll go,” Ryder mutters, making his way to the hallway Chains went down.
“You might want to go too, Breaker,” Nora states.
“Um, I suggest you go as well,” Faith whispers.
“Yeah, I’ll be back. Stay here,” I murmur, giving her arm a squeeze.
“I’ll be here,” she utters through a hitched breath.
Nodding, I release her and make my way in the direction Ryder and Breaker were heading. It takes us a minute to find Chains outside, squatting on his knees, head bent down, hands clasped behind his head, a cigarette hanging from his mouth.
Fuck this isn’t good.
“Chains,” Ryder speaks up first as we all step closer to him.
“Can’t lose her,” Chains says, his voice cracking.
“You’re not gonna lose her, brother,” Tyres declares moving to squat down next to Prez.
“Can’t, man, she’s all that matters to me besides the club.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this broken up about anything or anyone.
“And you won’t, Tiny’s going to be okay, so will those two babies.” Breaker moves in to kneel in next to Tyres.
“Can’t lose her, don’t want to lose any more people.” Fuck Chains’ head right now is fucked. This shit is fuckin’ with his head in a way not many people would understand. He’d lost his parents then his sister was sold by her aunts, didn’t matter he was still able to see her thanks to Ryder figuring a way to make it happen. Now he’s scared of losing his ol’ lady.
Moving in I squat down in front of him, “Prez, brother, it’s going to be good. No one is takin’ that woman from you, not even God could be that cruel.”
Chains finally lifts his head as he releases his hands from behind his head and grips the cigarette between his lips. Pulling it away he holds it in his hand while reaching into the inside pocket of his cut for his lighter. We all know it’s where he keeps it for when he wants a smoke. “She don’t make it put a bullet in my head,” he mutters, lifting his gaze to Ryder’s.
“Son,” Ryder whispers, shaking his head.
“Not going to be able to do it, Ryder. Not without her. I finally found pure innocence in this world. All of that being my woman, if she doesn’t make it, she dies, I die. Where she goes, I’m going. Got me?”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Prez is definitely fucked right now.
It took us a bit to get Prez finally back up to the waiting room, but we did. All of us standing close to him as he moves to the window and stands there staring out into nothing.
“Alex, let me talk to him,” Faith murmurs quietly drawing my attention to her. Something in her voice tells me she might be able to help Chains. Nodding I release my hold from around her waist as she steps forward.
I keep close to her not knowing how Chains will react to her in the state he is in.
“Chains?” she calls his name as she steps next to him and I take a step closer to her.
None of us had spoken since we’d come back up, but the air grows even more intense as Faith places a gentle hand on Chains’ arm. No one wanted to see her hurt if he lashes out.
“She’ll be okay, Chains,” she whispers softly when Chains turns his gaze to hers. “The doctors will make sure she comes out of this to be with you. I remember when Alec was born, I was scared out of my mind. When I delivered him, he wasn’t breathing, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his shoulder and neck. It also had a knot in the damn thing. I was crying as they worked to get him breathing. I felt helpless because I couldn’t do anything for my baby and he was so tiny, so, so tiny, but he was a fighter. They were able to get him stable and when they did,” Faith closes her eyes and shakes her head.
“I can still hear him cry. Right now, I know what you’re feeling. I know this ‘cause during those few precious seconds I didn’t know if he would be okay, I thought I’d die. To me he was the only thing keeping me connected to Axel. Tiny will fight to make it through this, so will those babies. Just breathe and know she’ll be ready for you when that doctor steps out here and calls your name.”
“Faith,” Chains rasps.
“Trust me, just breathe and everything will be okay. I promise,” Faith nods reassuringly.
Chains closes his eyes, nods his head, lifts his arm, and pulls Faith into him. “Thank you, Faith.”
“You’re welcome, Chains, remember just breathe. Keep breathing. Everything will be okay. You’ll be back there in no time,” my woman declares as she hugs my Prez in return.
“Yeah,” Chains mutters quietly.
This right here is another reason I fuckin’ love my woman. Why I always have, though she wasn’t with me. Her light around her shines bright.
Having heard her share her story about Alec’s birth, I’m tormented by the knowledge she had to experience that fear all alone. I promise myself more than ever she will never fuckin’ feel another moment of pain for the rest of her life.
As Chains releases his hold on my woman, I gather her into my arms and pull her into my chest where I secure her in my embrace, needing to feel her. To know she’s mine once again.
“Sloane Garnier family?” The voice breaks through the fog of emotions swarming amongst us all.
They’d called for Tiny by her name. Well, her first name. She wasn’t a Garnier yet but I’m betting after this Chains will be making sure to have his ring on her finger.
Tilting my head up, I find a
