Lake’s Legacy (Demon Dawgs MC: New Orleans #3)

Chapter Two Olivia

CHAPTER TWO: OLIVIA

“Here you go, mama,” I coo before placing the tiny, wriggling bundle in his mother's hands. The new mama shows all the signs of exhaustion one would expect after twelve hours of labor, but she smiles wide as she cuddles her newborn son.

“He’s perfect, isn’t he?” Abigail asks as she strokes her son’s cheek. “Hello, Max.”

“He is perfect. You do good work,” I say with a grin. “You both do,” I add when the muscular man beside her leans over and covers the baby’s tiny head with his large hand.

“He’s not the biological father. That asshole left me when I told him I was pregnant,” Abigail says, her eyes on the man bent over her. “Steve is my hero. Our hero.”

The man grins at her and softly kisses her temple. He shakes his head as he strokes Max’s head.

“You both saved me,” he says. His voice is rough with emotion and gravelly as if he doesn’t use it often. “I’m just glad I was there when you needed me.”

“What happened?” I ask, unable to stop myself.

“About two months ago, my car broke down on the way home from work. I was searching for my phone to call a tow truck when a white van pulled behind me. Two guys got out. They opened my door before I knew what was happening and pulled me out of the car. Steve came out of nowhere and took them both on. The men jumped back into their van and took off. I don’t know what would have happened to us if he hadn’t been there.” She cups his cheek and stares into his eyes. He wraps his fingers around her wrist and lays his forehead against hers. Taking out my phone, I snap a picture.

“It’s a good thing you were there,” I say before showing them the picture I took. “You three make a good-looking family.”

“Oh, I love it,” Abigail says. “Can you send that to me?” She rattles off her phone number.

I send them the picture before helping the new mama breastfeed. Once Max has had his fill, I put him in the bassinet so Mama can rest.

“So, how has your first week been?” Sylvia asks me when I step up to the nurse’s station. She’s a few years older than me, with light brown hair and eyes that are the color of dark chocolate. Sylvia is a little on the pudgy side, but she’s incredibly sweet.

I moved from Omega Hospital to Tulane five days ago. At Omega, I mainly worked with older patients who too often left our care to go into hospice. Dealing with those at the end of their lives had taken a toll on me, and I wanted something different. Besides, I needed to add to my experience as I worked toward my nurse practitioner certification. So, when the obstetrics position at Tulane came up, I applied for it and got it.

“I love it. Watching new life coming into the world has been uplifting, especially after my last position.”

“That’s what Talia said when she transferred over,” Sylvia says. “She loved it here, which is why I don’t get why she would just leave.”

“You think she left?” I ask her. “I thought the police were investigating her disappearance as a kidnapping.”

“Are they?” Joyce, who sits next to Sylvia, asks. Where Sylvia is sweet and approachable, Joyce is prickly. “A detective questioned us but said nothing about her being a kidnap victim. How do you know?”

“They questioned me, too, since we worked together for over a year.” I lie. The cops did question me, but they never mentioned kidnapping. No, I’m the one who thinks Talia’s disappearance was not her doing. I’m the one who suggested it to them.

“You guys worked together at Omega Hospital, right?” Sylvia asks.

I nod. “We did. I didn’t know Talia was missing until I tried calling her to tell her about a patient we shared passing away.”

“I thought you said you talked to the cops about her disappearance,” Joyce says, narrowing her eyes.

“I did. I’m the one who suggested Talia’s disappearance might be connected to Dr. Carver’s,” I explain.

“You think their disappearances are connected? Why?” Sylvia asks.

“Do you think it has something to do with them both transferring from Omega? Maybe someone doesn’t like it when nurses and doctors leave Omega,” Joyce offers. “You need to be careful.”

She’s likely joking, but I can’t say I hadn’t considered the connection. They both dated Dr. Calder, who works at Omega in pediatrics. He’s dated almost every female nurse and doctor at the hospital. His dalliances last between one and two weeks. He tried it on with me before I left, but he backed off when I told him I was dating a motorcycle club member. I don’t see him caring about either Marcia or Talia leaving Omega. He seemed pretty happy when they both left.

“I doubt their disappearances have anything to do with Omega. They didn’t work in the same department until they transferred here,” I say.

“But they both got dumped by the same doctor,” Joyce smirks.

“That’s right. Dr. Calder,” Sylvia says. “Talia mentioned him. She said she wasn’t surprised when he ghosted her. She knew their relationship had an expiration date. However, I remember Marcia was more upset. He pursued her after she told him she wasn’t interested. He claimed that she was different, but of course, that was just a line. She was angry for falling for it, especially after she found out…” Sylvia’s voice trails off.

“Found out what?” I ask.

“She wanted to keep it a secret, but it no longer matters. She’s probably had it by now. Marcia was pregnant. She was four months along when she disappeared. The baby would be two months old by now.”

Marcia was pregnant? “Was Dr. Calder the father?”

Sylvia shrugs. “I think so, but she didn’t say only that the father was the world’s biggest asshole. Which is the same thing she said about Dr. Calder.”

I frown as I consider the ramifications. Would Dr. Calder be so despicable as to attack the mother of his child? He’s a narcissist, but is he also a psychopath? My gut screams yes.

“She might have just left town to have the baby somewhere else,” Joyce supplies.

“Wouldn’t she have given notice first?” I ask. “She wouldn’t just disappear. Neither of them would.”

“I don’t see Talia burning bridges. Although she’s a good nurse and probably wouldn’t have trouble finding another job. Marcia is a doctor. She wouldn’t have to give notice. It isn’t like they’d take her license. Maybe she wanted to set up a private practice somewhere else.”

“I’m hoping they both found hot guys with lots of money who swept them off their feet,” Sylvia says.

Joyce snorts. “You read too many romance novels. That would never happen in real life.”

“Don’t any of you have work to do?” Dr. Merkel asks.

“Sorry, doctor,” Joyce simpers. I may have only been in the department for five days, but I know Joyce has a massive crush on the attractive doctor. His golden blonde hair is thick with a touch of a wave at the top. His sculpted cheekbones and straight nose create a handsome face, highlighted by his dark green eyes. I can understand her attraction, but he reminds me too much of Dr. Calder for him to do anything for me. However, Joyce pulls out all the stops when it comes to enticing Dr. Calder. She’s blonde, but I doubt it is her natural color. She also wears a tad too much makeup for her position. I don’t wear much makeup as a rule, primarily because it is too much of a hassle. However, I’ve seen the reaction of new mothers around Joyce, especially when the eyes of the new fathers follow Joyce around the room, mainly because she wears her scrubs that are at least one size too small to enhance her ass and tits.

Checking my watch, I have another two hours before I can leave. The guys should be home by then. I can’t wait to see Lake. He’s only been gone two weeks, but I’ve missed him. Hell, I’ve missed all of them. The clubhouse has been eerily quiet with them gone. I know Cleo and Delphine have missed their men, too.

Those two hours fly by. I shower quickly, change into street clothes, and stuff my scrubs into a bag. My focus is only on seeing Lake again and welcoming him home. I’m thinking of the two of us naked in his bed, so I don’t notice my car losing speed until I hear a horn blare behind me.

Jerking, I press the gas, but the car lurches before slowing down further. What the hell? Pulling to the side, the car behind me flies by. I see the one-finger gesture the driver gives me before he turns the corner and takes off. Jerk. Turning off the engine, I wait several seconds before trying the ignition. The clicking sound is not what I want to hear. What the hell? I just took the damn car in last month. What’s going on?

I’m parked next to an empty park about three blocks from the hospital. The only lights come from the streetlamps. Apartment buildings surround me, but they look deserted. I don’t spot a convenience store, gas station, or bar. Grabbing my purse, I dig around inside, looking for my phone. When I can’t find it, I dump the contents on the seat, but still no phone. Where is my phone? I had it earlier when I photographed Abigail and her new family.

Abigail! Thinking about her reminds me of her story. How her car broke down, and two men tried to kidnap her. The cops found Talia’s abandoned car, but not Talia. My gut screams to escape the vehicle and find a hiding place. Grabbing my keys and wallet, I yank open my door. When I slam it shut, I spot headlights passing by the entrance to the park. The van passes under a streetlamp—a white van heading directly toward me. I’m fucked!