Chapter Thirty
D io, Rush, Link, and Maverick pulled into the lot behind the clubhouse. Ruger followed, backing the Harley up to the brick wall. Now that they no longer had to deal with the dirty money, the hours running security crawled by with each shift.
Three weeks had passed since he'd ended the search for Shady, and there was still no word about Rachel's brother. It was as if he'd disappeared completely.
He feared what Rachel would do if she found out Los Li had killed Shady. It would set her recovery back when she was finally getting through each night without a nightmare.
Jagger stepped out of the clubhouse. "Where's Wire?"
He shook his head. He hadn't seen his brother-in-law all day.
"Last I heard, he was out on an emergency electrical problem." Cord slung his duffle over his shoulder. "He called me earlier to take his spot on the crew."
Jagger headed toward the club's pickup. "We need to find him now. Cora's having pains and needs a ride to the hospital. I'll go over and pick her up. Someone find Wire—"
"I'll take care of her." Jagger tossed his helmet toward his motorcycle.
Jagger tossed him the keys. "Keep me updated. I'll ride out and look for Wire."
As he jumped in the truck and took off, he called Rachel and informed her he'd be late. It was a short ride to Wire and Cora's place. All the lights were on in the house. He pulled to a stop and jogged up the path.
The door was locked.
He banged. "Cora? It's Ruger."
Several minutes later, the door opened. Cora bent at the waist and reached out for him. He put his arm around her, keeping her on her feet.
"The baby's coming." Cora hugged her stomach as if she tried to keep the baby from coming out. "I can feel—"
"Fuck." He picked her up and stormed out of the house without shutting the door. "Just hang on."
"I need the bag. The baby bag." She clamped down on his shoulder. "I need...Wire."
"We're trying to find him." He put her in the passenger side of the truck. "He didn't give you an address of where he'd be?"
She shook her head and grunted. "He called from the clubhouse and said one of his regular customers had an emergency. Sparks were coming from their electrical panel or something." She panted. "God, this hurts."
He wouldn't tell her that having a baby was the most challenging thing she'd ever experience. Instead, he went around the truck and slipped behind the steering wheel.
A deep guttural sound erupted from the seat beside him. He frowned, putting the truck in reverse and driving out of the driveway. Cora was in more pain than he remembered Katrina's mother going through.
"I c-can't have the baby yet." She threw her head back against the seat. "It's too early."
The tires squealed against the pavement. The hospital was fifteen minutes away.
He knew Cora and Katrina were two weeks apart on their due date but thought Katrina was due first. He clenched his teeth, having no idea if it was too early or not to have a baby.
"Hang on." He sped through the streets. "I'll get you to the hospital."
Cora reached over and gripped his arm, squeezing tight as another contraction hit her. Once she got over the worst part, he gave her his hand and held on.
"I'm so glad you're here." Cora closed her eyes. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I need Wire here."
He cut through a parking lot instead of waiting for the light to change.
"Well, it looks like you've got me." He grunted. "It won't be the first time I've seen a baby enter the world."
She looked at him. He put his attention back on the road and turned onto the road that would take them to the hospital—five more minutes.
"You don't want to be with me." Cora panted.
"I never said that."
"Liar."
"I'm here now." He glanced at her. "I'll help you."
Another contraction hit Cora. He held on as she squeezed the blood out of his hand. The grip on her lasted longer than the last one and was coming faster.
She groaned loudly. "I want my mom."
He couldn't understand why she'd want a woman who could turn her back on one of her children, but she'd had a different life with her parents than he had with them. He wasn't bitter. He was glad she would never have to carry the burden of being unwanted and not good enough.
Sobs filled the cab as Cora tried to catch her breath. "I can't do this alone."
"You can do this." He spotted the sign for the Hospital again. "You're an Albright. We're tough."
"I'm entitled." Cora grabbed her stomach. "That's what you called me. Spoiled."
"You are, but I never said that was a bad thing." He pressed the pedal, needing to get to the hospital now. "That means you're tough and stubborn. You'll have the baby and do what you have to do."
"I can't."
"Yes, you can. It's time to get tough, sis." Never in his wildest dreams had he thought he'd be the one coaching his little sister as she brought his niece into the world. "Show me how strong you are."
"You'll stay with me the whole time?"
Hell, no. The minute Wire showed up, he planned to leave. He wanted to run, pretend Cora wasn't his baby sister, but he couldn't leave her. She was blood, and unlike his parents, she seemed to accept him for all his faults and disappointments.
He glanced at her. "I'll be with you as long as you need me."
He gave her that, not because she was scared and no one knew what would happen in the coming hours. He gave her that because he had Rachel in his life.
He wanted to give Rachel a reason to stay. The more support she had around her, the more she'd be able to love him.
"Hold on." He turned toward the hospital. "I'll get you into the emergency room and then park the truck. I'll find you and stay with you."
"Call Wire again." She gritted her teeth. "He needs to be here."
The next several minutes of nurses taking Cora from him was a blur. He stood around useless, hating the way they made him feel. Now that he committed to being there, he hurried to park. Jogging back to the hospital, he took out his phone. Where were the fucking contacts? What would Rachel put him under?
Wire. Found it.
He pushed the button. Nothing happened.
He stopped in the middle of the road and slowly touched the connect button. The screen changed. It was dialing. Thank, fuck.
A recording came on.
"Hey. You there?" He looked both ways as he crossed the street. "I'm with Cora. She's having a baby. Get your ass to the St. Joseph Hospital." Thinking better of leaving the rushed message, he slowed down. "She's okay, man. You'd be proud of her. She's strong."
He pocketed his cell phone. Inside the hospital, the woman at the desk ushered him beyond the doors into the room where Cora sat propped up in a bed.
A nurse hung a saline bag and smiled at him. "Looks like your baby is going to arrive at any time. She's fully dilated—"
"She's my sister." He went to the head of the bed and put his hand on her forehead, smoothing back her hair. "You ready?"
Cora nodded, fear in her eyes but strength in her jaw.
"Wire will be here soon." He leaned over her. "He's on his way."
He had no idea where his MC brother was, but he better get his ass over here if he wanted to experience his wife giving birth.
"Okay, we'll roll you up to the next floor and put you in delivery." The nurse unlocked the wheels on the bed. "Once we get up there, we can ask the doctor about an epidural. But he might not want to do that and delay the birth. Your little one is ready to come out and greet the world."
In the elevator, a contraction gripped Cora.
Pressed against the wall, he could only keep Cora's hair from falling on her face. The doors opened. He followed beside the gurney, never letting go of his sister.
Taken into a bigger room, he stood beside Cora as they hooked up a monitor around her belly and put her feet in stirrups. It took him back to when Katrina's mom had given birth. Sheila couldn't handle the relationship with him, much less the idea of having a baby that would stop her from partying. It should've surprised him that Katrina was left at the hospital, and he was called to come pick her up.
He'd held on to her abandoning them for years, blaming her for the hardships and tacking her name on the list of yet another person who couldn't love him. But the truth was, he hadn't missed her. Katrina was the one who missed out on having a mom. He was angry because of what it'd done to his daughter.
"I need to push." Cora panted.
He grabbed her hand and looked toward the end of the bed. Another nurse had joined the first one.
"The doctor is two minutes away." The nurse put on gloves. "Mom, you're doing great."
Cora gritted down. Her face turned bright red.
Ruger kissed the top of Cora's head. "That's it, sis. You've got it."
When the contraction let up, and Cora could breathe again, the doctor swept into the room and sat on a stool at the end of the hospital bed. "Congratulations, Mom. I can see the crown of the head. You are doing everything you can do to see this little...Do we know what we're having? A boy or a girl?"
Cora sobbed. "A girl."
"Right on." The doctor lifted his head above the sheet. "I'm Dr. Mendez. You probably expected your OB/GYN, but you got me since you're in a hurry to deliver this little girl. I've delivered over a thousand babies in my career, and we're going to get you through this so you can hold your little one."
Cora groaned with a contraction, pulling her head up off the bed. Ruger ignored the doctor.
"You're doing great," he whispered. "It won't be long now."
He wanted to ask if the baby was going to be okay. Was it too early? Would Cora be okay?
He shifted his body sideways, keeping the outline of the pistol tucked under his belt out of view. He had no time to prepare for a hospital visit.
Cora grabbed his vest. "Wire. Get. Him."
"I'm not going to leave you."
"Where the hell is he?" Cora's brows lowered. "Damnit. I'm not supposed to do this alone."
"He'll come," he said, hoping his promise was good.
The next contraction came. Cora screamed for her husband in the throes of pain.
"Everyone stand by. The next contraction, I'm going to have Mom push." The doctor lowered his head. "We'll work together to get your baby out."
Ruger gripped her hand. "You've got this, sis."
He found himself ready to support Cora. She was strong. She was going to make a wonderful mom.
The door swung open.
Wire burst in with wild eyes, zeroing in on the bed. "Cora."
His sister dissolved into tears, letting go of Ruger and reaching out for her husband. Ruger stepped back as his brother-in-law reached her side.
"Where have you been?" Cora grabbed Wire's beard, his face, and his vest. "I couldn't stop the baby from coming. It's too soon. She's not supposed to be here for another three weeks."
"It's perfect timing," bellowed the doctor. "Your little girl will be fine."
Relief swept through Ruger. He'd lost track of time. It was closer to her estimated due date than he remembered. The baby would be okay.
"Phone went dead." Wire kissed her. "Jagger found me. I rode as fast as I could."
Cora's face contorted. She held her breath.
Wire's gaze snapped to the nurse. "What's happening? Help her."
The nurse smiled. "Your wife is having a baby."
"She's not supposed to hurt."
"She's doing her job." The nurse patted Cora's forehead with a wet washcloth. "You can help her push. With the next contraction, count so she knows it won't last forever."
Ruger stepped back, making his way to the door. He wasn't needed any longer. Wire arrived in time to see his daughter take her first breath.
"Ruger?" Cora lifted her head off the bed. "You promised to stay."
He cleared his throat. "Wire's here to help you."
Wire met his gaze. "She wants you, brother."
He dipped his chin and returned to the head of the bed. The next hour was the longest and the shortest of his life as he watched his niece enter the world.