Chapter Nineteen

Genesis

THE LAST WEEK things with the guys have changed. I'm not sure if it's better or if I'm even ready for the relationship we're now apparently in. Dylan and Wade are with me every minute of the day they're not at work or sleeping. Doc still hasn't cleared me to return to work despite my change in position at Enchantment. I've been using my arm a little bit here and there while also attending physical therapy. That's fucking killing me, but I'll do whatever is necessary to be cleared to return to work and not have to worry about someone being with me all the time with Matie. For the next few months my life will consist of therapy three times a week. Since Devil and Wade work opposite shifts, one of them will always be available to take me and then hang out with Matie once I'm done and back at the house. Physical therapy exhausts me and makes the ache that was starting to go away come back full force. Some days, it feels as if I'm in as much pain as when my shoulder was dislocated by Ricky's men.

Dylan and Wade have also moved into the bedroom with me. Well, we've moved into the master bedroom up on the second floor of the house. The bed in there is one of the largest I've ever seen and it's so damn comfortable. Our room has its own bathroom attached to it and the shower is more than big enough to fit the three of us with plenty of room to spare. Yes, we've broken it in along with almost every single room in the house. We have a walk-in closet as well. My clothes don't even fill the dresser and it's pathetic. But, I've noticed new clothes appearing over the last few days that I know I haven't bought. These guys are spoiling me and I don't know how to feel about it. I've never had anyone buy me things just because they wanted to. Dylan keeps assuring me they both have more money than they know what to do with at such a young age so it's nothing to get Matie and I everything we need and want.

Matie has a nursery that we'll convert to his room once he gets older and knows what he wants in his room. There's a large crib that converts into a toddler bed when he's too big for it. We'll buy him a new mattress at that point and change out what he doesn't need in there. Right now, he's got a changing table, rocking chair, the crib, and a toy box. Everything is handmade and carved with the club's colors. All the kids have a matching set of furniture like this from a man named Pops. He's a member of a different club the Phantom Bastards have ties to called the Wild Kings. I would love to meet him from the stories I've been told about him. Anyway, the toy box is stuffed full of age appropriate toys and his closet is full of clothing I've never seen before.

When I asked the guys how the furniture got here so quickly, they told me that Pops is always building it for the future of the clubs and one of their Prospects drove it down. Apparently, Tank is a member of the same club. He's not here anymore, but I did get a chance to meet him. Before Maddie and him left, I did ask them to thank Pops for me. Maddie is Dylan's aunt and she's a great woman. I can't believe the triplets I also met briefly are her sons. They're so tall and take after Tank. To think of her carrying all three of them at the same time made me squeeze my legs together in pain. Everyone laughed because I don't honestly know if multiples run in my family. It could be something the guys and I have to worry about if I ever do get pregnant.

Anyway, we've made adjustments in the house and things seem to be getting better every day we spend together. We all drive one another a little crazy every now and then, but I think that's to be expected. The guys don't know how to put their dirty clothes in the hamper when they take them off. Instead, they land on the floor and that's where they remain until I walk through and pick them up. Wade gets driven mad because I'm always cleaning. I worry they'll get tired of the mess Matie can make when he's playing in the living room. He tries to assure me that a little mess from him playing throughout the day isn't a big deal and it's just a part of life. Messes are expected and can be cleaned at a later time of the day. When I cook or bake, I'm always cleaning along the way as well. Again, Wade goes crazy and tries to distract me so I don't clean. It never works.

Today, I'm sitting at the clubhouse with Sam and Shy. The other ol' ladies are at work and Morgan is resting. She's not feeling good and I have a feeling I know what's wrong with her. It seems she spent the night with the Prospect she likes and she can't be certain they used condoms every time they had sex. I'm not sure if she's happy about the possibility of being pregnant or scared to death. I've seen the two of them talking since they slept together, but she's not sure if he's into her the way she's into him or not. I'm keeping her secret because it's not my business to share.

As Shy brings us in some lunch while Sam holds Matie, my phone starts vibrating on the table in front of me. The guys got me a new phone yesterday because they said mine was trash and I had to agree with them. Once it was found behind Enchantment, the screen was busted to hell and it wouldn't even turn on after I tried to charge it. King looked at it for me and determined it was just too damn old to bother fixing. That it would honestly cost more to fix than it was worth. So, we went to the phone store yesterday and we picked out a new phone. I tried to get the simplest one they had, but Dylan and Wade weren't having it.

Devil is sleeping and Wade's working so it wouldn't be one of them. Picking it up, I see a number I don't recognize on the screen. Looking up at Sam and Shy, they immediately move closer to me. Shy nods for me to answer the call and find out who it is. Yes, they know all about the situation with Melinda and Ricky.

"Hello," I answer the phone hesitantly and wait for the person calling to respond.

"Is this Miss Genesis Camden?" a woman asks me, her voice upbeat and cherry as part of me relaxes the slightest bit.

"It is. May I ask who's calling?" I return, putting the phone on speaker when Shy motions me to.

"This is Regina from Cedar Bay hospital. I'm calling on behalf of a woman named Virginia Camden. She says she's your mother and would like you to come see her at the hospital. There is a man claiming to be her husband in with her right now, but they are insistent about seeing you," Regina tells me, shocking the hell out of me because I don't know anyone named Virginia Camden.

"Um, I don't know anyone by that name. Are you sure she gave you my name and number?" I question her, not sure why I'm bothering because I'm literally on the phone right now. "Can you tell me what's wrong with her?"

"I'm afraid I can't give out patient information over the phone. Mrs. Camden has signed a waiver allowing the staff to talk to you once you get here. Until then, she just asks that you please show up because they need to see you with their own eyes," Regina says, a gentle voice filling the common room as I spot Dylan making his way to us.

"Regina, I'm sorry. This has to be some kind of cruel joke someone is playing. I've never met my parents. I've been in foster care since the day I was born and could leave the hospital. No one could ever tell me about my parents and I was led to believe that my last name came from the street the hospital is on. I wasn't born in Cedar Bay so I'm not sure how you do things there. Please, don't call me again with this. It's very hurtful," I tell her, hanging up the phone as Dylan lifts me in his arms and sits down in the chair he just took me from.

"Sweetness, what's wrong?" he asks, wrapping his arms tight around my body and holding me close as I sob and shake in his arms.

"That was supposedly some woman from the hospital in Cedar Bay. She told me that a woman named Virginia Camden is there and asking for me. Regina, the woman who called me, said this woman is claiming to be my mother. And there's a man there with her claiming to be her husband. I honestly have no clue why someone would play such a cruel prank on me like this, Dylan? Is this Ricky behind it? I don't know what to do or think about this situation," I tell him, starting to sob all over again as I bury my face in his shoulder and try to shut the world around me out.

"I don't know what's goin' on, Sweetness. I will figure it out though. I'm gonna call Wade and talk to King to see if he can figure out if these people are legitimate or if they're tryin' to fuck you over. Once we know more information, I'll come back to talk to you so you can make a decision about what to do. Wade is gonna be pissed this shit is happenin'. When he comes in the clubhouse, let him love on you, Sweetness. He's gonna need it," Dylan tells me but makes no move to get up or stop holding me.

Instead he holds me tighter to his body and I get that he needs this just as much as he's claiming Wade will need it when he gets here. I don't think much about it as I try to stop sobbing. When my tears dry up and I finally get myself back under control, I push off of Dylan so he can go do what he has to. Sam and Shy remain with me as Annabell and Savannah join us with their kids. I love seeing all the kids around the clubhouse and it only makes me hate Liz that much more for wanting to banish them from the clubhouse because she's a selfish bitch.

I have no clue how much time has passed since I got the call and Dylan held me. He's been gone for a long time doing whatever it is he's trying to do to help me figure this shit out. Wade got here a few minutes after Dylan left me in the common room with his mom and grandma. He immediately picked me up and held me close while sitting back in my chair with me in his lap. Wade hasn't let me go since he walked in the clubhouse. He hasn't talked to anyone but me either.

"Sweetness, Wade. You guys need to come back to King's room with me," Dylan says, walking up to us and pulling us both out of our heads.

Wade stands up with me in his arms and carries me from the common room. I don't even bother trying to tell him I can walk on my own because there's no point in it. We both need one another it seems and this is one way we can accomplish remaining as close as possible. Dylan opens the door to King's room for us and Wade steps in to see Playboy, Slim, Fox, Boy Scout, Wood, and Killer standing around the small room. They're such larger than life men that it doesn't seem as if there's room in here for us.

"So, Dylan filled us in on the phone call you received, Genesis. I ran the number and it is in fact from the hospital in Cedar Bay. I've also found a nurse who works there named Regina. I can't be a hundred percent sure she's the same woman who called you, but she does work there. I've been workin' with my dad to run Virginia Camden's name. She is in fact a real person and is married to her high school sweetheart. They've been married for about twenty-five years now and are happy. There's no children that I can find but their names are listed on a birth certificate of a Genesis Camden born September twenty-eighth. Is that by chance your birthday, Genesis?" King informs us as my eyes widen in shock and tears fill my eyes once again.

"It is. So you're saying there's a chance this woman is telling the truth and my birth parents are alive and in Cedar Bay? That I could actually talk to them to find out why I was abandoned at the hospital when I was first born?" I ask him, my voice wavering as Dylan steps up and rests his hand on my back in comfort.

"That's what I'm sayin', Genesis. I suggest the three of you go there with these men and see what this woman has to say. If there's a man with her, it's her husband and your dad. I'm sure they can answer the questions you have. We can have Doc meet you there and he can do a paternity test to see if these people are actually your parents or if someone put them up to this shit. If they did, all of these document I'm findin' are perfect and I can't see that they're fake. My dad can't either. This is the shit we live for so we're always lookin' to find the fake shit. These documents about your parents look real," he says, his voice soft as I try to once again wipe the tears away from my face so I don't get Wade any wetter than he already is.

"Do you wanna go there and see what they have to say, Angel?" Wade asks me, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I think I do. If for no other reason than to get some answers about why they left me," I answer him without hesitation.

"Then we'll head there now. Let me make sure our moms can keep an eye on Matie. Until we know for sure they're your parents, I don't think we should take Matie around them. And do we need to call Doc to meet us there?" Wade asks me, his voice still just as low as he turns and starts to walk out of the room.

"Thank you, King and Fox. Yes, please call Doc. I don't want to waste time on these people if they aren't my family members," I answer him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I'll make the call, Sweetness. Go talk to my mom and grandma while the rest of us get ready," Dylan says as Wade and I keep moving forward to the common room.

Everything happens in the blur as we talk to Sam and Shy about keeping the baby while we go to the hospital. By the time I've made sure the diaper bag is fully stocked and they have everything they'll need, Dylan and the rest of the guys are back and ready to go. I'm ushered out of the clubhouse and loaded up in one of the SUVs with Dylan on one side and Wade on the other as Slim and Playboy get up front to drive us there. Everyone else surrounds us on their bikes and we take off for Cedar Bay. I close my eyes and try to push away the nerves filling me at the thought of possibly seeing people who gave birth to me.

Walking into the hospital completely surrounded by my men and their family members, I keep putting one foot in front of the other. Dylan and Wade hold my hands as we talk to the receptionist and figure out what room my so-called mother is in. The second we're given directions to the floor and room, we're off again and no one can get close to me. Most people scatter out of the way as our group makes our way through the hospital and up to the third floor where this woman's room is. When we get outside of her door, Wade and Dylan don't let me go as I take a few deep breaths before we knock and enter.

My eyes move around the room and take in the private room of the hospital. There's a woman with all kinds of things attached to her resting in the bed and the man sitting next to her is holding her hand in both of his while looking at me. He's got tears in his eyes as the woman turns her head to look in our direction.

"Genesis?" she asks, her voice broken and raspy as she starts coughing so hard her entire body is shaking and trembling. It honestly scares me with how hard she's coughing and I don't even know this woman.

"I'm Genesis. I don't understand why you'd want to see me here with you like this when you gave me up for adoption the second you had me," I say, trying not to have a hard edge to my voice as I look closer at the man and woman before me.

In a way I can see a mixture of them in myself. The color of my hair is the same as the woman while my eyes are all the man's. They're the same shape and exact color as mine. Tears fill them as I continue to find similarities between them and myself.

"We never willingly gave you up, Genesis. My parents pulled a horrible trick on us the day you were born. They paid off the staff to say you had died while taking you from us and then calling Child Protection Services. We just found out that you were stolen from us. My parents lied to everyone in order to try and sabotage our relationship. They never felt your dad was good enough for me and that's how they tried to break us," Virginia says, crying and coughing as her husband stands up and holds her close to his body.

"My family wasn't as rich as they were. That's the only reason they felt I wasn't good enough for Ginny. When we eloped without their permission, they got pissed and vowed to make us pay for what they viewed as crimes against the family name. Ginny's dad passed away years ago and pissed her mother off by leavin' everythin' in his name to his beloved daughter. While he went along with his wife's schemes, nothing could take away the love he had for his only child. Now, her mother passed away and that's when we discovered the trail of deception. She wrote everything down. Every single name she was in contact with, the families you were sent to, and everything else. Ginny paid to have you tracked down. She managed to get your name and number from the private investigator we hired," the man says, his voice rough and full of emotion as he stares at me.

"Can I ask what your name is?" Dylan asks him, stepping even closer to me in a sign of comfort and to give me the strength I'm needing right now.

"My name is Richard Camden," he answers, his voice warm and inviting while being strong as he stands up taller and faces one of my men.

"Dick, is that you?" Slim questions him, stepping further into the room and staring at the man in front of us.

"Slim?" Richard returns, a small smile on his face.

"You two know one another?" Playboy asks his dad, stepping up right behind us.

"We do. Served in the military together. He knows all the guys from the club. Sadly, there's not many of us left. What the fuck is goin' on here? Is Genesis really your daughter?" Slim answers his son before turning back to face my possible dad again.

"She is. What we've just said is the truth. If your paternity test comes back the way we believe it will, Genesis is our daughter and we were all robbed of bein' together," Richard answers him as Virginia starts coughing so bad once again.

"What's wrong with her? Is she going to be okay?" I question, needing to know what's wrong with her.

"She'll be okay. Ginny has pneumonia and the medicine they've been trying to give her so far hasn't worked to get rid of it. So, she got admitted and hopefully they can find the right combination to kick it out of her system once and for all. Personally, I think she got too worn down from trying to go through her parents' house. It seems her mother never got around to changing her will so everything they own goes to Ginny. She doesn't want any of it, but once we get the results of the test, you might be interested in having it all in your name, Genesis," Richard answers as his wife puts the oxygen mask back on her face and sinks deeper into the pillows behind her.

‘Okay. This is a lot to take in. Can I have a few days to think about it?" I ask, knowing this is way too much for me to process.

"Of course. Take all the time you need. Doc already took the samples he needs from us. He wanted us to tell you to stop by his office so he can get yours and we'll go from there. Said it shouldn't take all that long to get the results back," Richard informs us as I turn with my men and start to leave the room.

"I'm gonna hang out here for a while. Have one of the Prospects come back and get me later. I'll let Shy know what's goin' on," Slim says, handing the keys for the SUV over to his son before we leave the room.

The second we're out of the room, Wade goes to say something and I tell him it's not the time. I'm not ready to talk about anything and I need some time to process what the hell just happened. We remain silent as we make our way back out to the SUV so we can head back to the clubhouse after stopping in to see Doc. How much more shit am I gonna have to deal with before things calm down and I can get one day of peace? That's all I fucking want.