Harm, p.9
Harm, page 9
I smiled, reaching my hand out. “Hi Mr. Riv—”
“None of that,” he countered, pulling me in for a hug, gentler than Harm’s but wonderful all the same. “Call me Roberto, or better yet, call me Pop or Pops.”
“How about we start with Roberto and see where the night leads,” I retorted.
“Oh, I like her,” he said with a chuckle.
“I do too,” Harm said, taking my hand.
“Come on back. I got steaks on the grill.”
We followed him down the hall and into the spacious kitchen. It had obviously been recently updated and I loved it.
“Bryn made potato salad,” Harm said, sliding my bowl into the fridge.
Roberto grinned. “That’s the way to my heart.”
“I may have heard that somewhere,” I admitted.
“Well, now I’m as in love with you as my son is.”
I blushed as Harm wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close, kissing my temple. “Told ya.”
“Well, that’s very sweet.” I smiled. “Can I help with anything?”
“Nope, I’m just about ready to pull the steaks off to rest. You make yourself at home.” He stepped out the sliding glass door and Harm gave me a squeeze.
“You still worried?”
I shook my head. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. You’re just like him. You even look like him.”
“That’s the biggest compliment anyone has given me.”
I hugged him. “All true.”
He kissed me gently. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Roberto walked back in, a giant platter filled with meat. “Hope you’re hungry.”
“Starved,” Harm said at the same time I said, “Not quite that hungry.”
Roberto laughed and set everything on the counter. “Now, where’s that potato salad?”
Harm made me sit at the little kitchen dinette while he and his dad served me. It was such a nice surprise being waited on by two gorgeous men.
“You talk to Marlene lately?” Roberto asked as we ate.
“Stella’s mom,” Harm said to me before answering Roberto’s question. “I actually saw her yesterday.”
“How’s she doin’?”
“She’s good, Pop. But you already know that because she told me you’ve been by at least once a week.”
“Can’t have secrets in this family,” he grumbled.
Harm laughed. “You gonna pull the trigger on that one?”
“Thinkin’ about it.” He cut into his steak. “She’s ten years younger than me... not sure I’m in her league.”
I choked on my wine and started coughing as I tried to clear my windpipe.
“You okay?” Harm asked, knowing all too well, I was not. And it had nothing to do with the wine and the choking. I glared at him as I took a swig of water.
“What’d I say?” Roberto asked.
“Bryn’s concerned about our age gap, which is about the same,” Harm said, and I kicked him under the table.
“No shit?” Roberto said. “Well, then maybe I have a chance. If my boy snagged a beauty like you, then I should probably try my luck with Marlene.”
“You realize I’m ten years older than Harm,” I pointed out.
Roberto waved his empty fork toward me. “Never woulda guessed and it don’t matter none. My boy’s got good taste.”
I blushed again. “Well, thank you.”
“I’m gonna ask her out tomorrow,” Roberto said.
I grinned. “She’d be an idiot to say no.”
“I’ll tell her you said that.”
I laughed. “You do that.”
For the rest of the evening, I was fully immersed and accepted into this tiny family unit. I had never felt so much love so quickly, and I was overwhelmed by it.
By the time we climbed into Harm’s truck to head home, I was a mess. I burst into tears as we hit the freeway back to my home.
“Shit, fuck,” he hissed. “Baby, what happened? Did he say something?”
I shook my head, hiccupping as I tried to bring myself under control.
“I’m pulling over.”
“No,” I rasped. “I’m okay. Just give me a second.”
It took another three or four minutes before I could find my voice and I squeezed his hand.
“What just happened?” he asked.
“Your dad is... amazing. Like, I’ve never experienced anything like that since my own dad died. It just reminded me how much I miss him.” I sniffed. “But I’m okay. I just felt so much love from both of you and I wasn’t prepared for it.”
Harm lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “You deserve it, Bryn. I fuckin’ hate what DC did to you, but this is fuckin’ ridiculous.”
“What’s ridiculous?”
“Him giving you the impression you’re unlovable. If he was standing in front of me, I’d beat the shit out of him.”
“I did let him get in my head.”
“No, we’re not doin’ that, Bryn. This is squarely on him. We’re gonna work on reversin’ whatever bullshit he dished out but don’t you dare take any of that on.” He glanced at me. “Got it?”
I nodded, new tears threatening to spill. “Got it.”
“We’re almost home, and I’m gonna fuck you until you can’t walk tomorrow, so pull yourself together.”
I shivered. “Yes, sir.”
He grinned. “Good girl.”
I gave his hand a squeeze, my heart full and my soul lifted.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Harm
Three weeks later, I walked into the club just as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I saw it was Lily calling which was unusual, so I answered. “Hey, Lil, what do I owe the—”
“Bryn passed out.”
My heart raced in my chest as I turned and headed back to my bike. “What the fuck?”
“She passed out here at work. They wheeled her down to emergency. She doesn’t know I called you, but I know you’d want to know. I can meet you when you get here.”
“Fuck. I’ll get there as soon as possible.”
I hung up and headed back up I-5. My mind inevitably turned back to Stella and the pain of losing her, but losing Bryn felt different, and a hell of a lot worse.
I broke every traffic law on the planet, but luckily wasn’t lit up, pulling into Legacy hospital twenty minutes later. I rushed to the emergency area to find Lily pacing the waiting area and as soon as she saw me, she waved me over.
“She’s awake,” she said. “I’ll show you.”
I followed her down the hall and into a private room where Bryn was sitting up in the middle of a hospital bed, all manner of monitors attached to her body, and she was arguing with a nurse, but stopped mid-sentence when I walked into the room.
“Harm?” She frowned. “What are you doing here?”
“Lily called me,” I said, rushing to her. “She said you passed out.”
“She didn’t need to call you.” She leaned around me and spoke directly to Lily. “It’s nothing. I just didn’t eat enough this morning.”
“Have you ever passed out like this before?” Lily asked.
“Yes, when I was pregn...” She gasped, pulling at her monitors, and swinging her legs off the bed. “Nope.”
I laid my hands on her hips and shook my head. “Do not move.”
Lily handed her a cup. “Pee.”
“I will do no such thing.”
She waved it at her. “Pee in the cup, Brynley, or I’ll make Harm hold you down and take blood from you.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” she growled.
“I absolutely would, and you know it.” She leaned down and whispered, “You’re now club business and we take care of our own, rules of the hospital and HIPAA be damned.”
I turned and grinned at the fierce little warrior standing beside me. “Nice one, Lil.”
Lily shoved the cup at Bryn again. “I’m coming in with you.”
“Oh my god, you are so lame.”
I helped Bryn slide off the bed, and Lily followed her into the bathroom. When they emerged, I wrapped an arm around Bryn and helped her back to the bed. Lily opened a drawer and pulled out a pregnancy test, dipping it in the sample before setting it on a paper towel, then removing her gloves.
“Now we wait,” she said. “I’m going to grab you some pudding. What flavor do you want?”
“Chocolate, please,” Bryn said, and Lily left us alone.
“I’m not pregnant,” Bryn said.
“Okay,” I said.
“I can’t be.”
“Okay,” I repeated.
“Go look at the stick,” she ordered.
“It’s been, like, ten seconds,” I said.
“Just look at it, Harm.”
I made my way to the counter and leaned down. “What am I looking for?”
“Is there one line or two?”
“There’s one pink line.”
“Oh, thank god,” she breathed out.
“Then there’s another kind of faint pink line next to it.”
“Shut the fuck up,” she hissed, pushing off the bed.
“Baby, get back on the bed,” I ordered.
“I need to see it.”
“I will get it for you,” I said, wrapping an arm around her waist and lifting her back onto the mattress. “But you’re gonna sit your ass back on that bed.”
“Okay, we’re out of chocolate, hopefully swirl’s okay,” Lily said as she walked in, handing Bryn the pudding. She stepped over to the counter, then turned to us. “Preggos, baby.”
Bryn dropped the pudding and covered her face with her hands. “No.”
“I’ll give you guys a minute.”
Lily left again and I sat beside Bryn, waiting for her to work things out in her head.
“I can’t have this baby,” she whispered.
“Whatever you decide to do, honey, I’m with you,” I said. “I’m your partner either way.”
She searched my face. “Are you saying that if I choose not to have it, you’ll support me in that decision?”
“One-hundred percent.”
“Will you resent me for it?”
“Not even for a second,” I said, truthfully.
“But if I choose to have the baby, then what?”
“Then I’ll be there every second you want me there,” I promised. “I’ll support you in that decision one-hundred percent, too.”
“Really?”
“Really. I’m your partner, Bryn. Until you say I’m not. That means whatever you go through, I go through. You never have to be alone again.”
“You mean that, don’t you?”
“Yeah, baby. I love you. I want you. It’s always been you.” I kissed her palm.
“I had really rough pregnancies the first two times around,” she said. “They put me out on disability, and I can’t afford—”
“Baby, if it’s about the money, I’ve got you.” I frowned. “Jesus, don’t ever let any decision you make be about money. I wanna marry you, but I don’t want you to think it’s because you’re pregnant that I’m askin’.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You’re saying you’d want to marry me even if I wasn’t pregnant?”
I slid my hand in my pocket and pulled out a leather box. “Even bought the ring.”
“When did you do that?”
“Last week,” I said. “I was tryin’ to figure out somethin’ romantic to do to propose.”
She blinked back tears.
“Will you marry me, baby?”
“I don’t want to say yes until I know what I’m doing.”
I frowned. “Did you not hear anything I just said? It doesn’t matter either way. I want you, honey.”
“Oh my god, Harm. I love you so much. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
“I love you, too.” I opened the box and slid the ring on her finger.
“Knock, knock. May I come in?”
I turned to the unmistakable sound of Maisie’s voice as she peeked her head in.
I smiled. “Hey, Maisie.”
“Hi, love.” She focused on Bryn. “Lily called and said you weren’t well.”
“I’m fine,” Bryn said. “Come on in.”
“I’m gonna take her home,” I said.
“I’ve got my car, honey,” Bryn said.
“Hatch is with me,” Maisie said. “He said he can ride your bike to Bryn’s so you can drive her home.”
“Thanks, Maisie, we’ll be out in a bit,” I said.
“Take your time, love.”
She left the room and I focused back on Bryn who sighed. “I guess everyone knows everything now, huh?”
“No one knows anything, baby. Lily would never tell anyone anything. I’d bet my life on it.” I squeezed her hand. “She might put her own career at risk to protect you, but she’d never betray your confidence.”
As if on cue, Lily walked into the room. “Oh my god, Bryn, I’m sorry. I told Maverick I might have to stay late because you weren’t feeling well, and he was with Hatch. I promise, Hatch just has this weird need to protect his people. He doesn’t know anything about the baby or you fainting.”
I smiled at Bryn. “Told ya.”
“It’s totally fine, Lil.”
“Okay, I’m just getting your paperwork together, so I’ll have something for you to sign in a bit. And you can sign out as well. Nancy said to take tomorrow off. She’s already texted you that to confirm. She’ll reset the schedule.”
Bryn nodded and Lily left the room again.
“I really want to keep this baby,” Bryn whispered, and my heart soared.
I tried to keep my expression neutral because I truly didn’t want any pressure to be put on her. I’d meant every word I said. But the thought of having a child with her filled me with more joy than I could even fathom and all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and hold her forever.
“Then I’ll be there the whole way,” I promised.
“We have to tell the boys.”
“However you want this to play, you lead the way, Bryn.”
She blinked back tears. “I’m terrified.”
“Baby, I got you,” I said, sliding my hands to her belly. “I’ve got you both.”
She nodded, looping her hands around my neck. “Okay.”
I grinned. “Okay.”
Kissing her, we sat there for a few minutes in quiet solitude, while we waited for Lily to return with the paperwork.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Bryn
Saturday morning was the day I typically video chatted with Baylor and Briggs, so I’d asked Harm to join us so we could deliver the news about the baby. I didn’t feel like I could relax and be happy about anything to do with this decision until I got the okay from them, and I knew Harm had been feeling my anxiety.
Harm and I sat huddled together at the dining room table in front of my laptop and three-way called my boys.
“Hey, Mom,” Baylor said, answering first. “Oh, hey, Harm.”
“Hey,” we said, in stereo.
It took Briggs a little extra time to answer, and when he did, it was obvious he’d just woken up. “Sorry,” he said. “Late night studying.”
Baylor covered his mouth in a snort. “Liar.”
“As long as you keep your grades up and stay out of the hospital and jail, I don’t want to know,” I said.
Briggs smiled. “Hi, Mom... and Harm.”
“Hi, honey,” I said. “We’re both here because we want to talk to you about something.”
“Mom, if you’re going to try and break the news to us that you’re sleeping together, we already figured that out,” Baylor said.
“Yeah, and we approve,” Briggs said.
“What?” I squeaked.
“Welcome to the family, Harm,” Briggs continued.
Harm chuckled. “Thanks, bud.”
“When exactly did you figure that out?” I asked.
“The night he offered up the truck. ‘Friend,’ my ass.”
Harm laughed. “I told you he was smart.”
“We weren’t sleeping together yet, so shows what you know,” I retorted.
“Matter of time,” Baylor pointed out.
“Okay, well, there’s been a development.”
“You’re engaged,” Baylor guessed.
“Okay, let your mom have a little glory,” Harm said.
“Sorry, Mom,” Baylor said.
I smiled, squeezing Harm’s thigh. “It’s all good, honey. Yes, we’re engaged. Um, but I’m also going to have a baby.”
“Holy shit,” Briggs said, at the same time as Baylor’s, “Right on!”
I grimaced, holding my breath, awaiting their responses.
“I’m gonna be a big brother,” Briggs said.
“I’ll feel more like an uncle,” Baylor said.
“We’ll be like bruncles,” Briggs said.
“Yeah, we’ll be bruncles,” Baylor agreed. “That’s awesome, Mom.”
I let out my breath. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, Mom,” Briggs said.
“Are you sure?”
“Hell, yeah,” Baylor said. “Oh my god, this is fantastic. We’re really happy for you. I can’t wait to meet our little brother or sister.”
“Me neither,” Briggs said.
I couldn’t stop the tears as I leaned heavily against Harm. “I love you both so much.”
“Love you too, Mom,” Briggs said.
“I hate to cut this short, but I have to meet my new boss for lunch,” Baylor said.
“No worries, honey,” I said. “We’ll talk this week.”
“Definitely,” he said. “Love you. Congratulations. See ya, Harm.”
“Bye, bud.”
We rang off with Briggs as well, then I faced Harm. “Wow.”
“You were worried about nothing,” he said.
“I totally was.”
He chuckled. “I love you, beautiful.”
“I love you, too.”
“Right, how about you go plant that sexy ass of yours on your recliner?” he said, standing to his feet, holding out his hand. “I’m gonna make you breakfast, then I’m gonna rub your feet.”
I let him pull me up, and I wrapped my arms around his waist. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
As I settled myself on the sofa, Harm’s phone buzzed and he raised an eyebrow. “Hey, Booker.” He glanced at me and smiled. “No shit? Yeah, let me talk to her and figure out how she wants to deal. Thanks, brother, I really appreciate it. Okay, bye.”
