CHAPTER FOURTEEN

REBEL

The Next Day

As we race into the hospital with Phantom by my side carrying Kinzley, Kenna runs beside me. Her little feet can’t keep up fast enough. I speed through the halls, my heart beating faster than I thought possible as I spot the guys and women standing vigil, and my stomach sinks. Tears flood my eyes when Phantom reaches out to grab Kenna’s hand, and he smiles at her. “C’mon, firefly, let’s go say hi to everyone.”

She giggles nonchalantly. “Okay.” He takes off with the girls as Zero and Prinie step up to greet me, their faces ashen and tired.

The sight of their forlorn faces concerns me instantly.

“How bad is it?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

Prinie pulls me into a tight embrace, and Zero weakly smiles. “He’s gonna be okay. He’s weak. We haven’t told him you’re coming. I think maybe he felt like he had nothing here to fight for.”

The moment Zero’s words hit me, it felt like the ground disappeared beneath my feet.

Nothing to fight for.

My soul dies a little.

My bottom lip trembles, and I swipe a tear falling down my cheek. My chest tightens painfully, like someone is squeezing the life out of my heart, and I can’t stop the sob that breaks free. My bottom lip quivers uncontrollably, and the tear that falls down my cheek feels like it’s cutting straight through me.

How could Six ever think that?

How could he believe for even a second that I wasn’t here for him?

Well, you weren’t here, were you?

I swipe at the tears with trembling fingers, but they keep coming, blurring my vision as I nod. “Okay... we’re here now,” I whisper, my voice shaky but determined. I have to see him. I need to see him. “Can I go to him?”

My legs feel weak like they might give out from under me, but I force myself to stand tall. My heart is pounding, fear and guilt colliding inside me like a storm, but all I care about is getting to him.

To let him know he’s everything.

And that he’s always had something to fight for.

Me.

Us.

Zero dips his chin. “I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard in the last couple of days.”

“Is it okay to leave the girls out here with you?”

“Go. Just be with him,” Prinie urges, practically shoving me toward his room.

Nodding, I turn for the door and gently crack it. As I peek through, Chills is running vitals while Six is peering out the window absentmindedly. Chills checks over her shoulder and smiles. “Six, there’s someone here I think you’ll want to see.”

He shrugs but says nothing.

My man is normally so sure of himself.

Seeing him like this breaks a part of me, but Chills gestures for me to enter, so I push the door open fully and walk in.

“I’ll give you guys some time,” Chills states, and I dip my head at her.

Walking over to the side of the bed, he still isn’t looking at me as I take a seat beside his bed. “Koda?” I whisper.

He snaps his head around to look at me, his nostrils flaring, and his eyes droop like he’s trying to keep his emotions in check while he stares at me. “You’re here?”

“We all are… me and the girls.”

He clenches his eyes shut tight, squeezing them, and I reach out my hand to grab his and hold on tight. “I’m so sorry.”

His eyes open, meeting mine. “I should have listened to you. You warned me. You told me to watch my six when it came to Amber. I thought she was someone I needed to save. Instead, she tried to take me from our family. From the girls, from you—”

“It’s in your nature to try to rescue everyone, Koda. It’s just who you are. You shouldn’t get down on yourself for that.”

“If it stops me from seeing my girls growing up, from being there to threaten the first boy to break their hearts, from being there to walk them down the aisle, from holding my grandchildren in my arms… then it’s not worth it, Thayleah.”

Sniffling, I nod, holding his hand tighter. “You don’t want to be the savior anymore?”

He turns up his nose, shaking his head. “I need to be like Zero was… tough but fair. I can’t help everyone because Lord knows the people who you think you’re trying to help will only turn around and shit on you… or poison you in this case.”

My stomach sinks, falling through the floor as I let out a stuttered breath. “I can’t believe she did that. Have you had Zero check the footage to see if she did anything else around the clubhouse?”

He shakes his head. “No, I didn’t think anything else was suspicious.”

“The girls being locked in containers wasn’t suspicious to you?”

He raises his brow. “You think Amber did that?”

Snorting out a laugh, I nod my head. “I’ll put money on it.”

He moves to sit up in the bed. “If she did…” He shakes his head. “Fuck! I’m so fucking sorry. I brought this lunatic into our home only to destroy it.”

I lean forward, bringing my hand up and caressing his bearded face. “It’s not destroyed. We had a blip. I had a moment where I thought I needed to be away from the club and you, but all it took was a phone call from Zero saying you’d been hurt for me to realize that my place is by your side. It always was and always will be. I’m sorry I left. I was angry. Hurt. More than likely hormonal from the pregnancy and probably a little jealous of Amber’s affection for you.”

“You had nothing to be worried ab—”

“No, I know. I was just so confused over the Snow White container debacle that I didn’t know where my head was at. I needed a moment. Avery was very helpful, actually.”

“She was?” He raises his brow in question.

I weakly smile. “Told me I needed to accept that club life comes with dangers and that no matter what, the girls and our son will always be in some form of danger, whether they’re here with their family or at the Brothers by Blood clubhouse. It doesn’t matter where we are, trouble will find us. We just have to have the right people around us when it does happen.” I sigh. “And I know that place is here. With the brotherhood who adores them all.”

Six smiles wide. “And us?”

I lean closer, pressing my lips to his. That spark, that tingle I always feel when I kiss him, is there tenfold. Pulling back, mainly because I don’t want to exhaust him, I look him in his eyes. “We’re totally fine. And regarding your question…” I smile wide. “I think we should set a date for the wedding.”

His lips turn up so wide I think his cheeks must be hurting. “You sure?”

“More than anything. I love you, Koda. I don’t want to be in a world you’re not a part of. When I thought you might be dying…” I sniffle, my emotions getting the better of me. “I’d never felt such pain like it in my life. Getting on that plane from Phoenix and knowing I wouldn’t have any updates on you for that time in the air was unbearable . I never want to be apart from you again.”

He leans his forehead against mine and exhales. “You never have to be. I’m gonna marry the fuck out of you.”

I burst out laughing as the tears run down my face. “I’m gonna marry the fuck out of you too.”

“Now, where are my girls?”