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

Chapter Fifteen Lake

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: LAKE

Joseph stares after his wife with concern.

“She’s in good hands,” I assure him.

“I know Annette, but I don’t know…”

“Olivia. She’s my woman. She’s an obstetrics nurse at Tulane Hospital in New Orleans. Like I said, Celeste and your baby are in good hands.”

I remember Joseph from school. He was a year behind me, but we’d been friendly. Our community was small enough that all the kids knew each other. Some outsiders attended our school, but the tribe had the majority.

“Pieter was in here earlier with Muriel and Marie,” I say, getting Joseph’s attention. “He mentioned the men who threatened him and his family. He said they visited you. I was hoping you could tell me what happened.”

Joseph runs his hand over his face. “Fuckers. Three of them came roaring onto our property when I was docking my boat. They came after me. After they punched and kicked me, they stopped long enough to lay out their threat. They told me they’d kill me and take my wife and child if I didn’t clear out. Lucky for me, Stefen showed up, and they took off. Since then, Celeste has stayed with her folks whenever I go on the boat. I’m scared I’ll come home and find my home destroyed or the assholes waiting for me.”

“Did you tell the chief or Crow?”

“Spoke with Crow. He said they’re looking into it. Crow and some others have been patrolling the community, but so far, no one knows where these assholes are hiding out. They show up, create havoc, and then disappear.”

“Have they attacked others? Pieter thought it was just him and you. I found motorcycle tracks in the back. I think they may have caused the damage to the clinic.”

“Yeah, Crow mentioned the tracks. They took out the clinic after they approached Pieter. Then they attacked me. I haven’t heard of anyone else getting a visit from them, but they ride around the bayou and shoot off their guns. They’re terrorizing our community.”

“I hadn’t heard about them causing havoc,” I murmur. “Toff didn’t mention it.”

“This started happening two days ago. I heard them one night and ran into Baptiste, who mentioned it.”

I consider why only the men have directly threatened the Oxbridge and the Billiot families and no one else. Maybe because Pieter and Joseph were alone? Three against one are good odds. Before I can ask any more questions, Toff stumbles into the room with his hand on the back of his head. When he pulls his hand free, blood coats his fingers.

“What the hell happened?” I ask, rushing forward.

“Guy jumped me when I was taking out the trash. Hit me over the head with something. I just woke up.”

I force Toff into a chair so I can examine his head, but then a crash from down the hall has the three of us running into the almost empty exam room. Celeste is on the exam table, her feet inside the stirrups as she doubles up in pain. Someone zip-tied her ankles to the stirrups. I know neither Annette nor Olivia would have done that. Neither woman is in the room, but a surgical tray with gauze, scissors, and forceps lies on the floor.

“What happened?” I demand, only then realizing someone had wrapped gauze around Celeste’s head to silence her.

“Baby,” Josephy cries out, removing the gauze before kissing her forehead. “What happened?”

“Three men came into the room. One had a gun. They tied me up. They took Annette and Olivia. Same men. Same men who came to our house.” Celeste gasps out. She screams as she clutches Joseph’s hand.

“Fuck, you’re having the baby. Okay. I’ve delivered a baby before. You’re not alone in this. Toff, call for an ambulance. This baby isn’t going to wait until they get here, but I want them on their way. Then, pick up the tray and the other stuff off the ground. I need you to find me sterile versions of everything that was on that tray.”

“What about Annette and Olivia?”

I close my eyes and take a breath. “They have to be strong. This baby is coming. We need to focus on her and her mother.”

“Okay, be right back.” Toff takes off while I wheel a stool near the end of the exam table. I can see her dilated cervix and know she’s close.

“How far apart are the contractions?” I ask.

“How the fuck should I know?” Celeste growls at me.

I chuckle. “Are they right on top of each other, or is there some time between them?”

“Fast, they’re coming fast,” she pants.

“Joseph, time the contractions. Help her breathe through them. I take it you attended the birthing classes and know what to do?”

Joseph nods.

“We don’t have time to set up the monitors, so we’re winging it. But you’re young and healthy. Do you know if the baby turned?” I ask, remembering that this was something that had Dr. Sinclair concerned.

“Olivia said it turned. She saw the baby’s foot high up on my stomach. My water broke before they did the sonogram.” She screams through another contraction while Joseph lets her squeeze the hell out of his hand.

“Two minutes,” Joseph says. I nod because I’d also been counting. This baby is about to make its appearance.

I’m about to yell for Toff when he comes rushing in with the requested supplies. He places them on the table and rolls them over to me. “What else do you need?”

“Fill that tub with warm water, then find me a baby blanket and several washcloths. When you’ve done that, call Crow and get everyone out there looking for those assholes and the women. Then call Hex. Tell him what happened. What about the ambulance?”

“They’re forty-five minutes out, but they’re on their way. They have a doctor you can call if you need her to walk you through the birth or have complications.”

“I’ve done this before, in worse circumstances, but that’s good. Now, little mama, let’s bring your baby into the world. Shall we?”

Several minutes later, I’m holding a screaming baby in my hands.

“Congratulations, you have a son.”

Joseph clasps Celeste’s hand as he stares in awe at the bundle in my hands.

“He’s so small,” Joseph whispers as if raising his voice would make the infant disappear.

“I’m going to clean him off, and then I need you to cut the umbilical cord.”

“What?” Joseph stammers, clutching Celeste’s hands so tight she squeaks. “Sorry, baby.”

“Come over here and pick up the scissors. Let me clamp the cord first.” I attach one clamp about three inches from the baby’s stomach and place the second clamp nearer to Celeste.

“Just cut there, on this side of the clamp,” I instruct Joseph. With shaking hands, he completes the task. I dry the stump before instructing Joseph on how to diaper his son while leaving the stump of the cord exposed. He leaves to follow my instructions while I focus on helping Celeste through the afterbirth.

Joseph returns to place the baby against Celeste’s chest. Mother and son are both exhausted. Joseph is right there with them.

I step out of the room to find Toff. He’s pacing the waiting room with the phone to his ear. He has a map of the community laid out in front of him. I step over to find he’d drawn grids across the map. He’d scribbled a name into each grid box. Two of the grids contain large Xs. He marks another grid with an X as I watch. “Keep me posted.” Ending the call, he looks at me. “I’ve mobilized the tribe. They’re searching for the girls. We can stay here and monitor the progress or head out and join the search.”

“Leave me your phone, and I’ll stay here and monitor,” Joseph offers. “Celeste is resting with the baby. She wants me to help you find Annette and Olivia.”

“Thanks, man,” I tell him, clasping him on the shoulder. As I turn away, I remember what Celeste said.

I rush into the exam room. Celeste, who is breastfeeding her son, looks up. “Did you find them?”

“No, we’re still looking. Thank you for letting Joseph help us. I have a question for you. You said they were the same men who attacked Joseph. How do you know? Did you see their faces?”

“No, I saw what they were wearing. They had on denim vests with a bald eagle on the back. I think they’re part of a motorcycle gang. The bald eagle was clutching two flags in its talons. One was the Confederate Flag, and the other was a Swastika. At the top was the word ‘Third,’ but that’s all I could see.”

“Thank you, that helps. You rest and take care of your son.”

I return to the waiting room to find Toff giving Joseph last-minute instructions.

“You have my phone. Lake’s number is in there. Everyone knows to call my number to check in as they finish their sweep of their assigned areas. The areas without a name are the ones that still need someone assigned to search.”

I’m studying the map and see two grids without names. They’re on the outskirts of the community. “We’ll take these two,” I tell Joseph. When he leans over to write in our names, I tug on Toff’s arm and propel him towards the door.

“Who lives out where we’re going?”

“No one. That’s why I had assigned no one to search the area yet. There’s only one homestead out there. It used to belong to Running Bear. He died last summer, and it’s sat abandoned since.”

I share a look with Toff. Our first stop is Running Bear’s former cabin. As Toff drives, I text Pirate with the information Celeste gave me.