Raptor (Fury Vipers MC: Dublin Chapter #2)

16. Raptor

Chapter 16

Raptor

M allory's face is pale and she looks exhausted. Her body is tense and her gaze is focused solely on the door.

"Darlin'," I say softly. "You need to breathe."

She lets out a harsh breath and laughs. "I've been waiting for this day. I just didn't expected it to be this way. Me battered and with everyone watching."

"Why Shay?" I ask, wondering where the name came from.

She gives me that soft smile I love. "Your name's Shane. I wanted him to be a part of you too, even if I was a bitch and kept my pregnancy a secret. I didn't ever want you or him to think you're not important. I got scared and I fucked up. For what it's worth, I truly am sorry."

The sincerity in her voice is real. She knows she's fucked up and I'm glad she's taking accountability. I have so many questions, but right now, they're all on the back burner. I help her off the table and she grips a hold of my hand tightly. She sinks down onto a seat and I take the one to her left. Fuck, with all the shit that's gone down, I'm glad she's here. I could have fucking lost her. I'm numb. Angry but numb. I know once I get the full story from her, my anger is going to need to be unleashed, and I fucking pray that the cunt who harmed her is the recipient.

"Just to warn you, Ma’s going to be really overprotective," she says, her voice louder than it had been.

"Can't blame her," Pyro says as he takes the seat to her right. "You were bleeding and beaten. How long ago did it happen?"

She glances at me before her gaze moves to her clasped hands. "Around one a.m. last night."

Acid burns in my gut. Christ. What the fuck?

"What happened?" Pyro asks, but before she's able to answer, the door opens and a woman with short black hair rushes into the building, a kid on her hip, her gaze moving around the room. Recognition hits her when she sees Maverick, but she doesn't speak. She continues to scan the room. I know the exact moment she finds Mallory. Her knees buckle, her eyes fill with tears, and she looks as though she's about to pass out.

"Fuck," Maverick hisses as he steps forward. "Jayne, she's okay. She's okay."

Jayne nods, pulling in a deep breath. "What did he do to her this time?" she asks, her voice filled with rage.

It pisses me off that it's happened more than once.

"Ma, I'm okay Gráinne patched me up," Mallory says as she rises to her feet.

"You need to sit your ass down," I snap. "You've just been fucking stitched up."

"Raptor," she sighs as she moves away from the seats and toward her mom. "I'm fine, trust me."

"Oh, that's Raptor?" Jayne asks with a raised brow.

I watch as Mallory's cheeks heat and she shakes her head. "Shut it, Ma," she hisses. "And give me my baby."

Jayne doesn't hesitate to hand over our son to her daughter. I keep my gaze on my woman, who snuggles our son close to her chest as she holds him tight. Jayne wraps her arms around the two of them, and I watch as both mother and daughter cry into each other's arms.

"Brother," Pyro says low. "This shit is beyond fucked up. The shit she's been through..." He shakes his head. "It's fucked up to admit this, but I'm glad she didn’t tell Chloe. I don't think she'd have been able to deal with it."

I don't say anything. It is fucked up that he thinks that, but I get it. I don't agree with it but I get it. Chloe's been through something traumatic and is still living through the nightmares and aftermath. Mallory's been going through hell alone just to protect her friends. I fucking hate that she's not had anyone but her mom to lean on. I'm pissed that no one thought that something was going on and just let her slip into hiding without saying a fucking word.

"What are you going to do about the kid?" he questions.

"What'cha mean?" I ask, still not taking my gaze off Mallory. She's talking in hushed tones with her mom, Maverick, and Freddie.

"You know what happened with Preacher," he says. "Are you goin' to ensure that it's?—"

"Don't," I snarl, and it comes out as a deep rumble. My anger is now at the fucking surface. "You're my brother, my president, but don't fuckin' finish that sentence."

He raises his brows as he sits back in his seat. "I didn't mean?—"

I don't let him finish. I'm not fucking doing this shit. "Just don't."

"It's okay," Mallory says softly. "We'll set up the test. Chloe told me about what happened. I never wanted you to think I trapped you."

I glare at Pyro. Fucking asshole. She heard what he said, and I won't have anyone make her feel like a fucking whore.

"Mallory," Bozo says as he joins us. "What do you mean Chloe told you?"

She turns to him, her eyes wide. "When I found out I was pregnant, I came to see Chloe, and she was talking with Hayley about how the women were trying to get pregnant at the club." She shrugs. "They were so angry. I get it; I would be too. I felt so bad for getting pregnant that I couldn't tell anyone."

Fucking Chloe. Damn it.

"Alright, we're done here," Maverick says, stepping in. "Mallory needs to rest and she and Raptor need to speak. So let them do that."

"I want to go home," she whispers and turns to me. "Can we do that? Shay has nothing here."

I don't hesitate. I get to my feet. "Your mom's driving, not you."

Her eyes soften and she looks at me like I'm fucking hung from the moon. "Thank you."

I walk over to her and take a look at the boy snuggled into her chest. He's so fucking gorgeous. Utter perfection, as she said he was. His eyes are open and they're staring at me. He's got his mom's eyes, so bright and beautiful. But he looks exactly like me. Fuck, it's like looking in the mirror.

"Shay honey, this is your daddy," Mallory whispers as she gently passes him to me.

I've held kids before because my brothers have children, but nothing could ever prepare you to hold your own child in your arms. Christ, it's like my entire world has shifted. He's everything I could have wanted and yet never knew I needed.

"Ma will drive us, if you want to be with him in the back?" Mallory whispers as she steps close to me.

I want that, but fuck, I need my own fucking ride. "Can his car seat be moved?" I question.

"The one in my car can be," she replies. "It's parked out front. Why?"

"I've got my truck. I'll drive us. It'll give us time to talk."

Jayne opens her mouth, no doubt to protest. She looks worried, and while I understand that she's Mallory's mom, I'm not going to let her get between us. There's so fucking much we have to say to one another. I'd prefer to do it when no one else is around.

"Jayne, no offense, but right now, I'm keeping Mallory and Shay close."

"Brother, I'll help you install it in your car," Wrath says as he strolls toward the door, a smirk etched on his face.

"Jayne, why don't you go see Mam?" Callie says softly. "She'll be delighted that she's not the only grandmother."

I watch as Jayne sighs and pulls Mallory into her arms once again. The two of them seem close, a lot closer than what I recall Mallory had said previously. I'm grateful Jayne's been around to help her when I wasn't.

I keep Mallory and Shay close as we walk out of the clubhouse. Mallory's wincing with every step she takes, and I know she's in a lot of pain. I need to find out why she wouldn't take any pain pills when the doctor offered them to her. Wrath's already at my truck, the car seat in hand as he prepares to install it.

"I can do it," Mallory says as she steps forward.

"Darlin', the man's got two kids. He knows what he's doin'," I assure her.

She sighs. "Sorry," she says sheepishly. "I'm not used to the help."

It fucking burns me that she had no one other than her mom to help her. I don't understand why Maverick and Freddie didn't help. Fuck, even Stephen. That fucker set this shit in motion by killing that bastard. Why did no one check in with Mallory since that shit went down? I'll never wrap my head around the fact not one person seemed to give a fuck about her wellbeing.

"All set, brother. You good puttin' your boy in?" he asks, unable to keep the smile from his face. He's pleased as fuck for me, and I can't lie, it feels good to have my brother have my back. "He's the spittin' image of you, Rap."

Mallory laughs. "I do all the hard work and he comes out looking like his da," she says dramatically.

I glance down at my boy, who's watching me with those curious eyes of his. He's taking everything in and I fucking love it. "We're good, brother," I tell Wrath. "Thanks, man."

He slaps me on my shoulder. "Any time. Mallory, it was fuckin' great to see you again. Next time, stay a little longer. Hayley would love to catch up."

Mallory nods but there's no happiness in her eyes. Now I have even more questions to ask.

Once Wrath leaves, Mallory shows me how to put Shay into his car seat. She's patient as she explains it. "He'll be asleep before you even hit the city center," she says with a small smile. "He loves the car."

I help her into the passenger's side of the truck, and once she's secure, I hop into the driver's side while she inputs her address into the GPS system. "Okay, darlin', let's get this out of the way," I say as I start the truck.

"I was so scared when I found out I was pregnant," she says, hesitating to give me what I need. "I was around three months along when I found out. I wasn't sure how far along I was. I didn't know if it happened in New York or when you came here." She starts to wring her hands together nervously. "When I found out, I told Ma, and I wasn't sure what was going to happen."

I reach over and place my hand on her thigh. "Keep goin'," I encourage.

"I felt conflicted. I wanted to tell you but I had this dread. It felt so suffocating. I didn't want to upend your life. You lived in New York, Rap. You lived there with your brothers and you were happy. I didn't want you to resent me and Shay. I couldn't do that to our son. But I had so many doubts. I wasn't sure if I should tell you or not and it weighed heavily on my mind daily. I was selfish. I just didn't want to force you into doing something you never wanted to do."

"I get it," I say evenly. I'm still pissed, but I get her reasonings. She was eighteen, alone and pregnant. I lived over three thousand miles away. I get why she did it. It doesn't mean I agree with it, but I understand. "What about your conversation with Chloe?"

She glances out the window. "She told me about what was going on with the club women; how they were trying to get pregnant on purpose." There's a sadness in her tone and I fucking hate it.

"I'm goin' to make somethin' perfectly clear. I haven't fucked anyone since I met you, Mallory."

She turns to face me, her lips parted. I've shocked her. Good. "You haven't?"

I shake my head. "Babe, for fuck’s sake. I gave you my name. No one, not even my brothers, have that. You think I'm givin' you that and goin' to fuck anything that walks? Seriously? I thought you knew this was more than just a casual hookup?"

She blinks, tears shining in her eyes. "What?" she breathes.

"Mallory, darlin', you really need to open your eyes and realize what's happenin'."

She inhales deeply. "I didn't know," she whispers. "I didn't know that was what you wanted. How was I to know? You're all I know, Raptor."

I grin, loving the reassurance she's given me—not that I needed it. She's not the type to sleep around, not to mention she was pregnant and had a fucking shit ton of drama going on. "Darlin', my name's Shane. Fuckin' use it."

Her lips twitch. "Really?" she asks. "After everything I've done?"

“You're the only one who gets to use it. What you did was fucked up, and I've missed a fuck of a lot, but I had some part in this too. I should have made it fuckin' clearer what was goin' on between us, not to mention given you my new number or a number for you to contact." I reach for her hand and intertwine my fingers with hers. "Now carry on. What else did Chloe say to you?"

"She said it was despicable for a woman to trap a man into getting pregnant. I panicked, Shane. I couldn't breathe. All I kept thinking was: is that what everyone's going to think about me? I panicked, and I'm so sorry. I really am."

"Alright, darlin'. You've explained why you kept your pregnancy a secret. I get your reasoning, though it doesn't mean I'm not angry. I've lost months with my son, with you. But I'm goin' to deal and we're goin' to move on."

She sobs softly as she nods. "Thank you. I always knew this day would come. I thought you'd hate me."

Christ, she really thinks badly about me. "That could never happen."

"When did you arrive in Dublin?" she asks once she's gotten her tears under control.

"I told you I was comin', didn't I?" I ask and she nods. "What I hadn't let you in on was that the club voted and now I'm the vice president of the Fury Vipers MC: Dublin chapter."

Silence spreads between us. "Wait... does that mean you live here now?"

I grin at the happiness in her voice. "Yeah, darlin', that's exactly what it means."

"Oh," she breathes. "But what about your family and the club in New York?"

"Darlin', I knew the moment I met you that you were somethin' special. Bein' apart was fuckin' torture. Pyro is my best friend and has been since he joined the club. He lives here and so do you. There was only one place I was comin'."

"Shane," she cries. "God, you gave up everything."

"Trust me, Mal, it's not everything. You and Shay are."

Her shoulders begin to shake as she sobs. "God, you're killing me. I don't deserve you, I really don't."

Her low self-esteem is something we're going to work on. I fucking hate how she puts herself down. That shit is stopping now.

"We're here," she tells me. "And I'm pretty sure Shay needs a nappy change."

I chuckle as the smell hits me. Damn, how can something so little make such a nasty smell?

"Let's get you inside," I say. Now that we have the secrecy about the pregnancy out of the way, we're going to unpack everything else.

No more fucking secrets.