It’s not a request.
It’s a demand.
“Nothing happens before Sunshine gives birth. Understand?” he clarifies.
Sunshine is five years younger than me. When I was twelve, I used to babysit her and some of the other club kids when our parents were having one of those nights where watching their children wasn’t at the top of their priority lists. Her giving birth to my brother is a bit of a mind fuck.
“Fine.” I look at Otto and the other biker. “Help your friend onto the bed and stay with him. I’ll be back with some pain medication.”
As I pass Otto, he grabs my wrist. “It’s good to see you’re back with the club.”
I wrench my hand away. “It isn’t by choice,” I reply, walking out.
Like I said, I’m just like the doc.
I have no choice but to be here.
DOC
My prediction is correct. The day turns out to be excruciatingly long.
Sunshine’s labor is slow to progress, and without the right equipment, it’s hard to determine exactly what’s happening.
I’m also irritated by my situation, and my headache only compounds it. I’m desperate for coffee and even though having caffeine after a concussion isn’t advisable, I am beyond caring right now.
My thoughts drift to my Kings of Mayhem brothers again. By now, Jack will have organized a search party and alerted Sheriff Pinkwater. He’s a powerful ally of the Kings, and a fat monthly retainer ensures he stays out of our business when we want and in our business when we need him.
But the Inferno are notorious for their hidden hideouts. Chances are, this one is so well-hidden the Kings or the sheriff have already driven past it.
That’s if they’ve even worked out it was the Inferno who took me.
After a painful spasm, Sunshine grabs my wrist. “Tell me, Doc, is this baby coming or not?”
Her words make me think of yesterday when Bronte asked me the same thing, and I feel desperate to get back to my brothers and my clubhouse.
I look at her. She’s exhausted and worn down, so I take advantage of it and try to convince her to go to the hospital. “Listen, you need to tell your husband that you want to go to the hospital. Your baby could be in distress, plus your blood pressure is through the roof. You need to talk to Max and convince him to let you go because he could lose you, the baby, or both. Do you understand?”
Sunshine glares at me through another spasm. “You trying to frighten me?”
“Yes, I am… because it’s the truth. You’re putting both your lives in danger by not going to the hospital.”
“Nice try, Doc, but it ain’t happening.”
“What if your baby dies?” I ask harshly.
She grits her teeth. “My baby ain’t dying, you cocksucker. My body knows what to do, you hear me. Women have been doing this without hospitals for thousands of years.”
“And a lot of women and babies didn't make it.”
She grabs me by the front of my hoodie. “You listen to me, you goddamn sonofabitch, you mention the hospital again, and I’ll climb off the fucking bed and stab you in the fucking eye with the first sharp thing I find. Do you fucking understand me?”
A fierce contraction overwhelms her, causing her to let me go.
I straighten and take a step back in case she feels the need to put her hands on me again.
The door opens, and Lily reappears, and again, I feel that hit of excitement when those sea-green eyes find me.
“Everything okay?” I ask, ignoring my reaction.
Lily nods, but I can tell by the look on her face she’s lying. She glances at Sunshine and then back to me. “Can we talk?”
Sunshine shakes her head as she fights off another wave of pain. “No point in dragging him off for a secret chat, honey. I’ll find out about it when I get this baby out of me,” she says.
Lily ignores her, and I follow her across the room and into the tiny bathroom.
“How is she doing?” Lily asks.
“Almost fully dilated. I don’t think it will be much longer now.”
“Good because we’ve got a situation unfolding down the hallway.”
“A situation?”
“One of Max’s men got hurt, and it doesn’t look good.”
“When you say hurt… what are we talking? GSW? Knife wound? Bone trauma?”
“Burns.” I see the concern in her eyes. “Bad ones.”
As far as injuries go, burns require rapid treatment, or death can occur quickly.
“First, second, or third?”
“All of the above.”
“Where?”
“Everywhere… but mainly the upper torso.”
Fuck.
“I better take a look.”
Lily stops me by placing a hand on my chest, and my stomach tightens at the sensation. “Max won’t let you. Not until Sunshine has given birth. I’ve done what I can, but he needs pain meds, and he needs them quick. Do you have any morphine in your bag?”
I do a mental audit of my medical bag.