Page 21 of Deadly North
“But…”
“No buts, G. This shit is serious now. It’s okay. We’ll get through this.”
We.Yeah.
As long as G is going through this, I’m gonna fuckin’ be here together through it.
10
GIGI
The firefighters won’t let me go back into my place to get any of my stuff until they’re sure it’s not dangerous. Connor calls Kat and asks her to bring something to the clubhouse for me to sleep in and a change of clothes for tomorrow.
On the way to the clubhouse, the weather starts to darken, storm clouds appearing on the horizon. Their black oppressiveness looming over us fits my mood. Just as we arrive, the first crack of thunder startles Tedward, who sinks his claws deep into my arms through the blanket. I do my best to soothe him as Mack runs around to the passenger side of his truck to open the door for me. As I climb out of the cab, we lock eyes, and suddenly all the emotions I’ve been trying to keep under control flood to the surface again. My eyes sting with tears, my throat closing around a sob I struggle to choke down. Mack’s expression softens, which only makes me want to cry more. I clear my throat. “Thanks, Mack. For everything. This is a nightmare.”
He puts a careful arm around me. “Come on. We’ll get you settled in. Kat’ll be here soon.”
Inside the clubhouse, Mack brings me to one of the empty apartments they keep for club members and guests to crash in. Mack tells me he’s going to go talk to Fury and Magnus. The second the latch clicks behind him, I sink onto the bed and burst into tears.
I’m not a crier. Never have been. But the last few days have just been… too much. To think that Tedward almost died in that fire has me hiccup-sobbing into his fur. I’m damp and shivering, holding on to my cat for dear life, feeling miserable and alone.
A knock at the door startles me out of my pity party. Tedward struggles in my arms, so I put him down and he immediately races under the bed. Sniffling, I wipe my nose with the back of my hand. “Come in!”
Kat rushes in, wearing little Julia on her chest and carrying a plastic bag. “Oh my god, honey, are you okay?” she cries. “Connor told me what happened.”
I embrace her carefully around the gurgling baby. “I’m okay,” I say shakily. I take the bag of clothes and things that she offers me.
“I grabbed some stuff I thought would fit you, but the sweats are probably a little long in the legs,” Kat says apologetically. “Hope that’s okay.”
“That’s so nice of you.” I can see her peering at my red-rimmed eyes. I swipe at them self-consciously. “I’m fine,” I say again. “Really. Or I will be. It’s just been kind of a rough day.”
“I can’t even imagine.” Kat carefully lifts baby Julia out of her wrap and lays her on the bed. She pulls a toy that rattles out of the pocket of her jumper and shakes it gently in front of the baby girl, who reaches out to grab at it. “You must have been totally freaking out.”
“I was. Thank god Mack was there with me. He saved Tedward’s life.” I tell her how Mack rushed into the burning house to save my cat.
“Wow. I’m not surprised that Mack did that, though. He’d do anything for you.”
I scoff. How Kat doesn’t know by now that Mack can’t stand me, I have no idea. “It had nothing to do with me. Mack’s orders from the club are to protect me. He’s just doing what he’s supposed to do.”
“Do you know who set the fire?”
“We have a pretty good idea. It was this guy who has been trying to get me to go out with him. A biker from the Bloody Scorpions club. I have no idea why he’s so fixated on me, though.”
“Ah. That explains why you now live here in the clubhouse, and the MC is dealing with it.”
“Yeah. So silver lining, I’ve got an entire MC guarding me now.” Which I absolutely hate, if I’m being honest. I can’t stand the idea of inconveniencing even more people. “Thanks for bringing Julia,” I say, gazing down lovingly at my niece. I hold a finger in front of her, and she reaches for it and grasps it in her tiny palm. “You know, if you’d asked me a year ago, I would have told you I didn’t even like kids. But just looking at her is like therapy.”
“She is adorable, isn’t she?” Kat agrees. “Exhausting, but adorable. She is one-hundred percent worth every second of fatigue and pain I ever experienced being pregnant with her.”
“Even the crazy emergency birth?” I ask.
Kat snickers. “Even that.”
Julia’s birth was one of those wild situations you hear about sometimes on the news. She and Connor were in Las Vegas for a quick babymoon when Kat was eight months pregnant. While they were in Nevada, they decided to make a stop in Tonopah, where one of the other Royal Bastards chapters is located. Then, while they were there, Kat unexpectedly went into labor a month early. Unfortunately, there’s no hospital near Tonopah for a hundred miles. But fortunately, the Sergeant at Arms Rael’s old lady, Nylah, is a nurse — and coincidentally, so is Kat. Between them, they were able to deliver baby Julia without incident.
Kat tickles Julia under the chin. “It’s amazing how my life has completely transformed since this little one was born.” She gives me a sly look. “You should try it sometime.”
“No fucking — excuse me,effing— thank you,” I say firmly. Even though I have to admit that both Kat and my brother have been completely transformed by parenthood, I am not crazy enough to think it’s in the cards for me. It’s not even the kid part I’m so against, even though I’m not exactly a maternal person. It’s the fact that I’d need a guy to help me make one. And I very much doubt I’ll ever be lucky enough to be in a long-term relationship stable enough to bring a child into it.