Chapter Sixteen

Wheels

OPHELIA AND SCORCH welcome a baby girl into their family. Leif was so excited when Hulk brought him up to the hospital to meet his baby sister. We watched from the waiting room as Hulk walked in with Leif in his arms. Little man had the largest smile on his face as he held one of those helium balloons in one little hand and Hulk had a bouquet of flowers in his. The two of them didn't stop or talk to anyone. Goliath would usually be the one to do this, but he didn't want to leave the hospital without Cricket by his side. So, Hulk volunteered to go get Leif. Goliath has been in the waiting room with the rest of us as we wait for our turn to go in and meet the new princess.

Thankfully, by the time they got to the hospital, Scorch had his head on right and was next to his wife every second of the twelve hours Fee was in labor. Apparently, she'd been having contractions and didn't tell anyone. At one point, they thought they were going to have to rush her in for a cesarean section, but it didn't come to that. Their princess didn't like the contractions and her heart rate kept dropping during each one. Scorch was scared as hell when he came out to update us while Cricket was in with his wife. The man only spent two seconds in the waiting room before he was rushing back to his woman's side.

"That's gonna be us," Soul says absentmindedly. "Before we know it, Brooklyn's gonna go into labor with our twins and we'll be in Scorch's position right now. I'm scared, Wheels. What if somethin' happens to them?"

"They'll be okay, Gavin. Our wife is strong as fuck and she'll do everythin' in her power to ensure the babies are healthy. You heard Dr. Matthews when we were at the appointment yesterday. She's been cleared for all normal activities again but can only work a few hours a day. Dr. Matthews knows Brooklyn isn't gonna do anythin' to put the babies at risk. Just like we know she's not gonna do anythin' she's not supposed to," I tell my best friend since we're sitting alone on one side of the filled waiting room.

"I know she won't. That's not what I'm sayin', Jayce. What I'm sayin' is that we don't know if she's gonna have a good, easy labor. She could have so many problems and we won't be able to help her through any of it. We'll have to rely on others to protect her and our little ones. That's scary as fuck," he says, fear filling his voice as he looks at me while leaning his head against the wall.

"I know, Gavin. We just have to think positive thoughts and realize that things can happen that are beyond our control. We'll be at her side every second and know if somethin' is goin' on. For now, let's think of anythin' other than what could possibly go wrong," I tell him, trying to force the thoughts out of my head now that they're there in front of everything else.

"You know she's worried about something big right now?" Gavin suddenly asks me.

"Yeah. I think she's lettin' her insecurities get to her and she doesn't know how to bring them up to us. We'll have to have a conversation about this with her as soon as we get home. I don't want Brooklyn getting lost in her head and thinkin' we're not all in with her the way we are. This is shit we'll have to stay on top of for now, Gavin. Bein' with Bennett for even a minute is makin' her feel as if our feelings for her aren't real and we don't really wanna be with her," I state, knowing this is the truth of the matter.

"That stupid fuck! I can't stand him for everythin' he's done to her over the years. Prison is too fuckin' good for him," Gavin growls, his voice hard and cold as fuck as he sits up straight in his chair.

We spend the rest of the night waiting for our chance to go in to meet the little princess. I don't have a problem waiting, but knowing Brooklyn is home all alone bothers me because she's gonna spend the night lost in her head and there's nothing we can do right now. We're always here for our family and this is no different. Dr. Matthews wouldn't recommend her to be sitting here with us after everything she's been through. So, we understand why she's stayed home. Robynn has checked on her, but she's got all the kids with her and can't go hang out at the house with her. If she didn't have the kids, I'm sure Robynn would be here at the hospital with us. She never misses the chance to be there for the family. None of the women do.

Tonight I've decided to have Nanny, Cricket, Goliath, Robynn, and Anguish over to the house for dinner. I'm gonna grill up some ribs and chicken for the adults and hot dogs for the kids. Brooklyn is sitting in the kitchen putting some salads together. She might not be allowed to do a lot right now, but she insisted that she make the salads for our dinner tonight. She doesn't want to be waited on hand and foot and won't let us do everything for her. Soul is working with her in the kitchen so she's not alone as I hear vehicles start to pull up to the house. Two trucks are here and I know our dinner guests have arrived. A smile fills my face because I know the women will be in with Brooklyn as the guys come and hang out with me. Soul will be kicked out of the house so they can have their girl talk.

Flipping the meat over on the grill, I wait for chaos to descend and the women and kids to fill our home. Maybe Cricket can talk to Brooklyn about having twins and what it means to take care of two babies dependent on you for everything. Cricket and Goliath have been doing a tremendous job with their twins and I think we'll be able to learn a lot from them. I'll have to mention something to Goliath when I can get him alone to see if they'd be willing to help us out before I talk to Soul and our wife about it. I don't want to bring an idea to them if it's not gonna happen. Though, I really don't see Cricket or Goliath turning down the chance to help anyone in the club. We rely on and help one another because we're family even if it's not by blood. We're one another's chosen family and sometimes that means more than anything else.

It doesn't take long for Anguish, Goliath, and Soul to join me outside. Soul hands me over a beer from the refrigerator while they open their own drinks.

"How's Brooklyn doin'?" Anguish asks me as he steps up next to me at the grill.

"She's doin' as good as she can. Just got the all clear from Dr. Matthews yesterday at her appointment. And she had another ultrasound done to ensure the babies are okay. I know almost everyone knows by now that she's pregnant but we still don't want to talk about it when things could still go so wrong after what happened with Bennett. We're takin' it a day at a time and have been helpin' her through the nightmares she has each night. I don't honestly know if she realizes she's havin' them," I answer Anguish as Goliath and Soul step up next to us.

"I don't think she knows about the nightmares either. Brooklyn never mentions them and in the mornings she wakes up with a red and puffy face from cryin', she looks confused as hell about why she's been cryin'," Soul adds in something I didn't even know about when it comes to our wife. Though, I'm usually gone before Brooklyn wakes up in the morning.

Brooklyn waits for Soul to get home from work to make sure he's not short staffed or anything without her being there. Most mornings, she does get out of bed with me before I head out to work. Over the last few weeks she hasn't been able to pull herself out of bed and I have a feeling part of it is due to the nightmares interrupting her sleep each night and another part of it is the pregnancy. I've read that women can be exhausted in the first trimester. It doesn't always happen, but sometimes it does. With our wife pregnant with twins, it wouldn't surprise me if that's a large reason why she no longer gets up with me in the morning. Brooklyn will end up feeling horrible and figure out a way to have nights where she waits up for Soul and then days where she gets up with me. Our wife will find a balance that works for her because it's what she always does.

"Does she know about her parents bein' released from jail and back here in Odin's Gap?" Goliath asks us as I continue to flip the meat while loud laughter filters through from inside the house as we all look up to see the women talking while the kids play right next to them.

"She does. We don't hide that kind of stuff from her. They're her parents and it's important she knows that they've been released. I have a feeling it won't be long before they show up here for one reason or another. I mean, Bennett had to have been givin' them somethin' to go along with all the bullshit he's put their daughter through over the years. Not that they'd ever be up for parents of the year," I state as Fetch rounds the house and almost runs straight into the grill in his haste to get to us.

"Fetch, what's wrong? Are you okay?" I ask him, my voice full of concern as he tries to catch his breath.

"I can't find my phone. That's not what's wrong though. Brooklyn's parents are here at the gate. They're demandin' to be let in to see their daughter. Right now Rion's holdin' them off with Creed at his side. They're bein' assholes and don't want to take no for an answer as if they have the right to demand anythin' ," Fetch informs us, his voice pissed as hell while he tries to catch his breath.

"We got this," Soul says, walking to the door of the house because Brooklyn deserves to decide what we do to her parents. That's something we've said from the very beginning and will stand by that every fucking day and in every situation.

Goliath, Anguish, and I follow Soul into the house where he's telling our wife about her parents being at the gate and demanding to be let in to see her. I watch as Brooklyn's face turns a shade of red I've never seen on her before.

"Take me there. Right. Now," Brooklyn demands as we all look at one another. "They aren't gonna touch me at all. I want to see them for the last time. After today, I'm done with them. I promise."

"Okay, Little Warrior. If I think you're gettin' too worked up, you're leavin'. Not gonna risk you or the babies for pieces of shit like them," I tell her as she wraps her arms around my waist and Soul plasters his body to her back.

"I'd prefer you not to go at all, but you gotta do what you have to do, Love. Let's get this done so we can get back here and enjoy a nice night with everyone here at the house. Nanny, Cricket, and Robynn, you stay here with the kids. We don't know why they're here and the less people they see, the better I'll feel," Soul adds in, trying not to sound too hard or angry as he talks to the women here in our home.

"Okay. Brooklyn, you take care of business and don't let those people treat you less than you deserve. You're so much better than they are and will never go back to them again," Nanny says, sitting down with one of the quadruplets in her arms.

"We'll be back in a few minutes," Anguish says, pulling Robynn into his arms and giving her a kiss while Goliath kisses Cricket.

The five of us walk to the front door of the house and out to Anguish's truck. He's parked behind Goliath. I help Brooklyn up to the back seat before sliding in after her. Soul gets in on the other side and we both wrap our arms around our wife while Goliath and Anguish get up in front and close their doors. Goliath is on his phone as Anguish drives us up front and straight to the gates of the compound. By the time I get our wife out of the truck, we're surrounded by the men of the club. The only people missing today are Scorch and Theo. Every member and Prospect of the club is here in support of our wife and us as she gets ready to confront her parents for the last time in her life.

"Brooklyn, what the fuck is your problem?" the man I assume is her father demands the second we get up to the gate. "You're going to do whatever it takes to fix the problem that you've created by marrying this man and committing to the second one. I didn't raise you to be a fucking slut. Then, you're going to go to Dobber's Cove and make them release Bennett and his parents from jail. If you're lucky, Bennett will take you back."

"No, I don't think I will. Bennett and his parents aren't only in jail awaiting trial because of what they've done to me. They have numerous victims and I'm one of many. I will not be getting any of them out of jail, recanting my statement, or any other bullshit you're going to allow to spew from your mouth next. What I am going to do is live my life here with my husbands and our children. I won't ever look at you two again and you won't get a damn dime from me. And you never raised me a day in your life. You were barely coherent enough to do anything more than get out of your bedroom to make it to the couch to beat the shit out of your wife or me. You're nothing more than a sperm donor while that bitch next to you is a fucking incubator. Neither one of you have ever given a damn about me. It's time for you to leave," Brooklyn states, her voice cold and lethal as she stares her parents down.

"You have no right to talk to us that way. We've given you everything," her mother lies while Brooklyn starts laughing her ass off.

"You've given me nothing. Every piece of clothing Bennett destroyed, every bite of food I had to eat, and anything else I had to my name is because I worked more than one job just to fucking pay the bills in that shitty trailer and try to bring food into the house. When I refused to support your habits, you stole my money, would eat all of the food I bought with my money, and treated me like a piece of shit that was unworthy of you. The truth of the matter is that I've always been better than you and you will never amount to anything more than the pieces of shit you are. You'd rather buy drugs with any money you earn from pimping out your own wife or stealing from everyone around you. You want Bennett and his parents out of jail, get them the fuck out on your own. Though, I know as well as every single man standing here with me that it won't work." Brooklyn states her truth as I place a hand on her lower back while Soul places a hand on her shoulder as we comfort her.

"You're nothing more than an ungrateful little slut. You think Bennett will ever want you again after laying with this biker scum?" her father taunts her and that's my fucking breaking point.

"Bennett will never fuckin' get near our wife again. She's not a slut or any other vile name you want to call her. Brooklyn is one of the best people I've ever met in my entire life and we will treat her like the fucking queen she is. All you're gonna do is bring her down because you hate your own lives and will do anything to bring those closest to you down with you. It's not gonna fuckin' work with Brooklyn any longer. We will pick up the pieces you shatter every fuckin' day until she's so strong you won't matter to her," I growl out, stepping up in front of my wife so her pieces of shit donors can't see her.

"You have five seconds to get off of our property or you'll be back in jail here in Odin's Gap. Darren is waitin' to get his fuckin' hands on the two of you. He can't stand idiots who don't treat their children the right way. If you're lucky, we'll leave you the fuck alone. If not, you'll soon be buried in an unmarked grave and no one will ever fuckin' find you," Soul adds in, anger lacing his voice as her parents fucking cower in fear.

"Hulk and everyone else, run these stupid fucks off of our property and make sure they find their way back to their side of town," Anguish orders everyone surrounding us.

Stepping back, Soul and I get Brooklyn loaded up in the truck once again. Anguish and Goliath join us before we head back to the house. Tears slide silently down her face as Soul and I hold her close between us and whisper words of comfort to her. Goliath turns back to keep an eye on her, but remains silent. Anguish looks every few seconds in the rearview mirror at our girl with a grim look on his face. We're not going to let those pieces of shit ruin our night. We'll give Brooklyn a few minutes to compose herself, but then I know the women in our house will pull her mind from what just happened between her parents and her. Looking at Soul, I know this isn't over for us. We're gonna take care of those assholes the first second we can. With or without the club's help.