Chapter 27 Crazy how people get up at 5 in the morning to work out. I won't even get up to pee. -Creole to Audric CREOLE "She's okay," Audric whispered from the door to the living room. "She's just processing." "I can imagine," Webber murmured. "But we figured everything out at the hospital. Dr. Stoker was put on administrative leave. He's also in surgery having his jaw wired shut from where Gunner punched him." "Good," Audric grumbled. "When does he get released?" "Apollo said he read the patient notes, and he should be released today pending someone bringing him home," he murmured. "He should be home tonight, because the sister was already notified that he'd need a ride, and from what I gathered, she'd already started heading to the hospital." "Maybe he'll die while in surgery and I won't have to go take care of him later," Audric growled. I sat up, my eyes feeling so damn heavy, and looked around. We were at Gunner's place, and across the other side of the couch from me was Lottie. I smiled when she blinked open her eyes and smiled back at me. "Lorax." I looked at the screen to see that The Lorax had been on, but it'd ended. I hit the restart button, and she smiled then closed her eyes again. I waited until I was sure she was back to sleep and got up, heading into the kitchen. I was surprised to see Gunner, Audric, Webber, Copper, Cutter, Chevy, and Cakes making the large room look small. I instantly started walking toward Audric, who opened his arms to me and pulled me into his lap. I curled up and smiled, closing my eyes. Home. We could be anywhere, and as long as I was in his arms, I'd be home. "You okay?" he whispered into my hair. "I want to watch," I mumbled. "That sick bastard thought that he could pull his doctor card and break me. I want to watch you break him." Webber whistled. "Good for you, girl. Good for you." I bared my teeth at him. "I feel like it's much more effective to just eliminate my problems than live with them walking around out there, ready to hurt me again." There were chuckles all around, but I ignored them and focused on the man that had slowly worked himself deep into my heart. So deep that I'd never be able to dig him out. "I love you, Audi," I whispered into his ear. His arms convulsed around me. "I love you, too, Little Monster." His hand shifted up into my hair, and I closed my eyes as he slowly worked his fingers through the knotted locks. I needed to do my hair. I should've done my hair last night. I probably look a fright right now. "Apollo send his address yet?" Audric asked. "No," Webber groaned. "I swear, I think he really likes being a Texas representative. I mean, why else would he be there as much as he is? He can vote by proxy." "He likes it." I chuckled. "He likes having his fingers in all those pies. Plus, he can fact-check them all fairly easy. I'll bet he knows everyone's secrets at this point." "Lord help us," Cutter snorted. "Just what we need, Apollo to know even more than he does already. "It's not a bad thing to have all that information." I sat up and swept my hair back off my face. "Do I have enough time to do my hair before we go?" More chuckles. But it was Audric's touch, the sweep of his thumb across my jaw, that had me melting for him. "We'll wait as long as we have to." I popped up, then pointed at Gunner. "Order pizza. Oh, and someone find me some clothes!" Gunner gave me a salute. I blew Audric a kiss, then rushed into the bathroom. "Audric!" "Yeah?" he called back. "Did Gunner ever get all that curly hair product I asked him to get?" There was a long pause and then Gunner replied with, "Everything you asked for. But I have no clue how to use it. "Good," I called back. "Because I'm going to need it!" I went through my shower, using the baby shampoo that was on the shelf for my hair and my body. When I got out, I had a moment of sadness stab me in the heart as I remembered my little boy smelling just like this after his shower. All those memories assaulted me as I opened the door, dressed only in a towel, to find a bag filled with all the curly hair products waiting for me. Even better, there was also a hair dryer and diffuser. A t-shirt that I recognized as being Audric's, as well as a random pair of basketball shorts were also waiting for me. When I was clothed, I called out to Gunner. "Come in here and watch me do my hair so you'll know what to do with our sweet Lottie's!" Gunner arrived, as did Cutter... "What are you doing here?" "My baby girl has curly hair, too." So that was what I did for the next twenty minutes. I gave two hulking one-percenter bikers a tutorial on how to style curly hair. I couldn't wait to see the results the next time I was with them and their kids. By the time I was finished, more clothes had arrived for me to change into, thanks to Cutter's wife, Milena. She'd also stopped to get pizza and had brought dessert as well. It turned into an impromptu party as we waited for Apollo to get back to us on where we could find the doctor's house. I'd had a couple of glasses of wine when Lottie had walked up to me and held out her hands. I picked her up and cuddled her close, sweeping some of her loose curls off her head. "You look so much like your mama, sweet baby girl." And she did. But I also saw a lot of Gunner, too. It made me wonder what Gunner's son had looked like. Which had me opening my mouth before I could think better of it. "Gunner?" "Yeah?" he asked, a small smile on his face as he looked at me with Lottie. "What did your son look like?" I asked. He got very quiet as he looked down at his hands, then swallowed before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He pressed a few buttons, then he was spinning the phone around for me to see. My heart melted at the sight of the sweet, smiling baby boy. "I see those dimples run in the family." He chuckled. "He got all the attention with those dimples. When he was born, I was so young and dumb. His mom wanted nothing to do with him, and so he became my little sidekick. I took him to baseball practice. I took him to school when it was allowed. He came to the batting cages with me. I swear to God, he got all the attention." "As he should," I mused. "I used to take my son to college classes with me. I had this college professor who used to hold him through the entire class. He was the best teacher ever. I still keep in contact with him. He has a grandson who would've been Damon's age." "Let me see him," Gunner urged. I looked at Audric, ready to ask where my phone was since I hadn't seen or thought about it in hours, when he pulled out his own phone and swiped a few times. He set the phone down on the table and pushed it our way. My breath hitched because he was showing me a picture of my son that I'd never seen before. "When was that?" I asked quietly. "The last birthday party that he had," he murmured. "I brought him a birthday gift but didn't stay. Laney brought him outside." My heart physically hurt. "That's a good picture," I murmured, admiring two of my favorite people. One alive. The other one gone. "I wish you were his dad," I found myself saying. Audric pressed his lips to the side of my head before saying, "Gunner, this kid had an arm. I bought him that baseball, bat and glove and it was like a fish to water." "Jett was the same," Gunner mused as he absently took Lottie from me when she made a move in his direction. "Maybe we can talk Ms. Lottie here into playing baseball." "Not softball?" I laughed. "Softball is for losers." I snickered. "We'll see. Laney was really good at softball. I might have to help her learn it if you won't teach her. I'm not nearly as good, but at least I know the basics." "I tried softball once, and it scared the shit out of me, so I never tried it again," Milena interjected. "Plus, those girls that play are so competitive." Phones buzzed on the table, interrupting any more conversation about softball. Audric picked up his phone and glanced at the screen before flicking his gaze to me. "Got him."