Heartless Savage (Angels Halo MC Next Gen 7)

He gathered his bags, leaving the ultrasound machine where it was. With how often he’d needed to use it for Cali, I’d bought one just for us and planned on donating it to the clinic once Cali delivered. There had been more money than I’d expected in Cali’s inheritance, and I’d taken over investing it as well as running the business. I’d been helping my family run all of their businesses and shadowing Ryan every summer, so I had a little experience. But it sure as hell wasn’t easy.

I waited until we were walking down the stairs before either of us spoke again. “How dangerous is it for her not to be in a hospital?”

The doctor shook his head sadly. “Her womb is very weak. She could have a placental abruption at any time, and the risk will only increase as the baby’s growth stretches everything. If that happens, her life, as well as the baby’s, will be at risk. She will need an emergency C-section, and while I could possibly do that at my clinic if it came down to it, I don’t have the equipment that will be needed if the baby is severely premature. If Cali is admitted to a hospital, should something happen, she will have immediate help.”

He paused at the bottom of the stairs and gently touched a hand to my arm. “She listens to you, Miss Nova. You must convince her that this is in the best interest of her and her child.”

Clenching my jaw, I nodded. “I’ll do whatever I need to ensure both of them are safe.”

“Then I leave her in your capable hands. If either of you needs anything, you have my number. I will be back on Friday to do another ultrasound.”

I walked him to the front door, where a guard was waiting to drive the doctor back to his clinic. As I started back up the stairs to return to Cali’s room, I already had an idea of how to convince her to do as the doctor suggested. But it was going to take some help.

My heart lifted at the thought of what I needed to do, even as anger filled me that I had to do it in the first place.

Cali’s door opened, and Guzman exited the room, his face set in tense lines when he spotted me. I stopped and waited for him, knowing from the expression on his face he wanted to talk.

“You have to make her go to the hospital,” he gritted out. “She’s so stubborn, just like Matias always said her mother was. We’ve lost Matias and her mother. We can’t lose her too.”

“I have an idea, but it means I have to take a quick trip.” His eyes narrowed as I told him my plan.

“It’s not safe for you. We need you just as much as we need her.”

His words warmed me, but I knew this would work as long as I could pull it off. “I will be fine. Besides, it’s a risk we have to take if it means changing Cali’s mind.”

“I will go with you.”

“No,” I said firmly. “Cali needs you here, and if she knew you went with me, it would only make her worry. I’ll go alone, and we can tell her it’s a business trip. But I want hourly updates on her and security while I’m away.”

“I’ll get the cargo plane ready,” he muttered, still not happy about my plan but obviously not about to stop me. Whether he liked it or not, he knew I was right.

43

Nova

Ryan Age 23 : Nova Age 17

Unless my dad was gone on a run for the MC, my parents were creatures of habit. I didn’t imagine that had changed in the more than two months since I’d been gone. To be fair, to them, I’d supposedly been dead. While I could understand how devastating that must be for them, I couldn’t understand how they couldn’t feel the wrongness about the whole situation.

Especially my mom. She had literally carried me inside her. Our hearts had once been right up against each other. That was a bond only a mother and child could understand. Didn’t that give us some kind of connection that would alert her that I was still very much alive?

I pushed the thought away, knowing how ridiculous it truly was. It hadn’t meant shit where Ryan was concerned, and apparently it didn’t work with my mom either.

Hoping my parents were still those same creatures of habit, I drove the nondescript black car through town and parked a few blocks from my childhood home. That was one of the great things about having a cargo plane at my disposal. I could take a car with me so I didn’t have to rent one—or, if push came to shove, steal one. Not that I was opposed to grand theft, but it just made things so much easier in the long run.

It was nearly midnight, but it was a Saturday night, one of the busiest for the bar. Dad would be helping out his brothers, and Mom would be at home, waiting up for him. I’d logged in to Ryan’s app to check on the cameras he’d put up around the house to watch me while I was still living with my parents, only to find they had been turned off. From what I could tell, the cameras were still there and could be activated with a click of a button, but for the moment, they weren’t on. The only people I needed to worry about were Aunt Raven and Uncle Bash, but if things got really crazy at Hannigans’, then they both went in to help out.

With my hair pulled into a ponytail and tucked under the black hood of my sweatshirt, I moved like a shadow through the darkness. My bedroom was on the second floor, but much to Ryan’s frustration, I’d always kept my window unlocked. Hoping it still was, I climbed up the tree in the backyard. My shoulder still wasn’t fully healed, but I hadn’t told anyone about the continued issues I had with it. Between worrying over Cali and the baby as well as running the business, I already had too much on my plate to deal with possible surgery if something happened to be torn in it. I had to take it as easy as I could getting from branch to branch, all while making sure no one was looking out the window next door at Matt and Rory’s house.

It was a relief when I got high enough to jump onto the roof. Finding the window to my room thankfully unlocked, I slipped inside and closed it just as soundlessly. I hadn’t seen my aunt’s SUV in the driveway, and both Dad’s and Uncle Bash’s motorcycles were absent. The only vehicle I’d seen was Mom’s, which was what I’d expected and hoped for.

But it wasn’t like I could just ring the doorbell. If I did while Mom still thought I was dead, it would probably make her scream the house down. I wasn’t all that confident she wouldn’t anyway, but answering the door at midnight and finding your supposedly dead daughter on the front steps would give just about anyone a heart attack.

Still being stealthy, I moved through the house, listening for any sign of Mom.

Movement in the kitchen pulled my attention. As I descended the stairs, I pushed the hood off my head. The television was on in the living room, and I could smell popcorn. My stomach rumbled at the scent of one of my favorite snacks. Mom would always mix M&Ms in with the salted, buttery goodness and add a handful of white cheddar Cheetos. I licked my lips hungrily as I eased the door to the kitchen open.

Mom’s back was to me as she poured hot water into a mug. Normally she would have been humming to herself, always so happy and content. But right then, her shoulders were stiff, and I caught the faint sound of sniffling. Realizing she was crying, I stepped into the kitchen and quietly eased the swinging door closed.