With a single finger pressed under her chin, I forced her gaze back to me. “But if you are…?”
“I’ve never thought about it before. I haven’t even considered—” Ayda broke off, her eyes fierce. “Now, it’s all I can think about. I can’t feel any other part of my body but there.”
My eyes drifted without permission, finding her stomach and locking on it hard. I swallowed compulsively, over and over again as I looked at it, not knowing what to do or how to feel, only knowing one thing for damn certain.
If my baby was in there, Owen had just put it in danger.
“Eric,” I called out hoarsely, my voice breaking halfway through and my gaze drifting back up to Ayda’s eyes. “Eric!” I shouted again, faster that time, more urgent.
He was by our side in seconds, his breaths panting in my ear when he crouched down and rested a hand on my shoulder. “What is it? Is she hurt?”
I couldn’t look at him when I spoke. Ayda held all my attention as my face twisted in some kind of pain and I rocked her in my arms again.
“I need you to take Owen to the training room,” I told him.
“Drew—”
“Now,” I said firmly, cutting him off. “No questions. Get it done. Tie him up. Make it tight. And then I need you to get Ayda some water. I need someone to hold her and sit with her a minute. Just a minute. I need…”
“I need to be where you are,” Ayda said, matter-of-factly.
“You’re hurt,” I whispered, wanting to press my hand to her stomach, just in case there was something magical growing there. To cover its ears and not let it know that both its parents were fucking crazy before it was even a real thing yet.
“I’ll be fine, and I have a right to be there, Drew. Please.”
She, like always, looked adamant about what she wanted.
I probably should have barked, shouted, and told her enough was enough for one day. No more blood. No more accidents. But she wasn’t the girl I’d met all those months ago anymore. She was stronger now. She had MC life in her veins, and no one knew how strong that made you more than I did.
“You sure?” I asked just once.
Ayda nodded. Resolute. Unnerved. Her eyes were ice cold and made of stone, but her hand dropped to her stomach before she could think about what she was doing.
Eric’s eyes followed her movements. His attention shifted to where she was cradling before he slowly, ever so calmly, turned back to look at me. When our eyes connected, neither one of us had to say a damn word.
I could see his anger rising, too. And just like that, he gave me a small nod, and he rose to stand behind me, a rush of air leaving his cheeks as Slater and Jedd pushed a squealing,grunting Owen around.
“Get him to the training room,” Eric ordered. “Tie him up. Fuck him up a little bit too, if you want to. But no one gets to kill him but Drew.”
“Got it,” Slater answered.
“Move, fucker,” Jedd growled just as I glanced over my shoulder and saw him begin to push a limping Owen down the stairs.
My eyes landed on a wide-eyed looking Rubin, watching the two more experienced brothers as they led Owen away from Ayda and me. When Rubin turned to look back at The Hut, it wasn’t me he chose to focus on. It was Eric.
“Is he going to die?” he asked my father innocently.
“Ain’t we all?”
“Not all of us will die today.”
“Rather him than us then, hey?”
Rubin nodded a slow understanding nod and stared up at Eric. “I didn’t get to help this time.”
Eric began toward Rubin. “One step at a time, kid. Don’t rush into the fire every time. You’ll only end up getting burned.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven