Spike’s Perdition (Saints Purgatory MC #7)

9. Ivory

CHAPTER 9

IVORY

TWO MONTHS LATER…

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Megan holds my hair back as I vomit for the third time after stopping for a break. We have one more day of rafting before the trip is over. The rapids were extremely rough today due to the strong winds and the torrential downpour we had last night. Everyone is tired and sore from navigating the river.

“Yeah, I’m good.” I straighten and wipe my mouth with the paper towel Megan hands me. “The current was stronger than I was expecting. All that bouncing around… I don’t remember the last time it was that bad.”

“It was a few years ago,” Megan confirms. “I don’t remember you getting sick, though.”

I laugh. “No, last time I held your hair back.”

Megan snaps her fingers. “That’s right. I guess this is payback.”

“I’ve been saving up.”

“Obviously,” she deadpans.

“At least it’s not raining today.”

“True,” she says and points to the other rafters. “And you’re not the only one who’s turned a nasty shade of green.”

I glance over to see several of our guests holding their stomachs. Kiera is dry-heaving next to another guy. I can’t tell if it’s because she was affected by the ride or if it’s seeing other people getting sick. Either way, it’s nice to know I’m not alone.

“Alright, everyone!” I holler. “Let’s get our tents put up and a fire started so we can hunker down for the night. Then we can start dinner.”

“Heifer, it’s been over a week, and you still look like shit,” Eric criticizes.

I narrow my brows. “Thanks for your opinion, Queenie.”

Megan’s head shoots up from her computer. “He’s not wrong, Ivory. Maybe you caught a bug on the rapids trip. You haven’t felt good for a while now. Go to the doctor.”

“You know I hate doctors,” I state firmly.

“What’s wrong with doctors?” Eric asks, his lashes fluttering. “Some of them are yummy to look at while they lean in close to examine every single inch of you.”

“Gross!” Megan complains. “Don’t make me tell RaRa you’re thinking about other men.”

“Wench!” Eric screeches. “Believe me when I say that that man covers all my needs, but I’m not dead. I can enjoy a nice specimen if I see one. Looky, but no touchy.”

I roll my eyes. “Doctors mean needles. Needles are the devil and a hard pass.”

Eric gasps. “Girl, you put your life on the line daily for the thrill of the adrenaline rush, but needles still send you running for the hills?”

Megan laughs. “Yep! Last time she went to the doctor was because we needed a physical for life insurance policies. The lab tech came in to draw blood, and Ms. Chase the High over there, fainted.”

“It was a big fucking needle!” I shout. I grab my purse out of my drawer and stand up. “Fine, I’ll go to the doctor, but you two are dicks!”

Laughter follows me out of the office as I stomp through the lobby. Little do they know, I already have an appointment. Who knows what I could have picked up to make me feel so horrible? Parasites come to mind as I pull into my primary care’s parking lot.

After getting checked in, the nurse escorts me to one of the bathrooms.

“Let’s get a urine sample first,” she says, handing me a plastic cup. “Then we’ll see what Dr. Hardy says after her exam and any other tests she might want.”

“Okay.” I take the cup and do my business, placing it behind the metal door on the wall when I’m done. Once I step into the hallway, the nurse beckons me to follow her to the exam room.

A few minutes later, Dr. Hardy bursts in. “Ah, Ivory, my favorite patient. To what do I owe this pleasure?” Dr. Hardy winks. “Is it time for another physical?”

Dr. Hardy has been my doctor for years, and she knows I won’t willingly come to see her unless my hand is forced.

I really hate fucking needles.

“Um… no… nothing like that.”

Dr. Hardy looks down at my chart. “I’m teasing you, but just a heads up, we might have to draw blood today.”

I blanch. “I have faith in your abilities, so we definitely won’t need to do that.”

Dr. Hardy smirks. “When did your symptoms start?”

I quickly explain how I got sick a week ago, on the yearly camping trip, and how bad the rapids were. I also tell her that I’m still nauseous, dizzy, and tired.

“Could I have a parasite?” I ask nervously.

Dr. Hardy narrows her gaze. “What have I told you about WebMD?”

“To stay away from it.”

“Let’s go ahead and get started.” She pokes and prods around my mouth, nose, and ears before making me lie down on the crinkly paper-covered exam table. Dr. Hardy pushes around on my stomach. “Does this hurt?”

“No,” I say, while silently thanking God it doesn’t and for not hurling all over her shoes.

Dr. Hardy tugs my hand to help me sit back up. The room spins around me, and I close my eyes, breathe deeply through my nose, and exhale through my mouth.

“Dizzy?”

“I got up too fast, I think.”

“Hmm.”

Before I can ask what she’s thinking, a knock on the door interrupts us.

The nurse rushes forward and gives Dr. Hardy a piece of paper. “Here’re Ms. Whitman’s urine results.”

She studies it for a moment before a smile spreads across her face.

“I take it by that smile on your face, I passed, and it’s good news,” I say, relieved.

“Yes, I’d say it’s good news, but also possibly bad news.”

My heart hammers in my chest. “What’s the bad news?”

“We’re gonna have to draw some blood today.”

“Fuck,” I mutter. “If that’s the bad news, what the hell could possibly be the good news?”

“I’d like to take some blood to be a hundred percent accurate, but judging on the levels of your HCG, you’re pregnant. Congratulations!”

“No… no… no,” I deny. “That can’t be right. I’m on the shot.”

Dr. Hardy’s smile falls. “Ivory, you know that any type of birth control, other than abstinence, isn’t foolproof. Have you missed a shot?”

“I was a week late getting it a couple of months ago, but I didn’t miss it.”

“I take it this wasn’t planned then?” she asks. I shake my head vigorously. “Even missing a dosage for a couple of days in between your schedule can result in ovulation.

“I’m always careful.”

“I’m not saying you aren’t,” she replies gently. “Before we go off the deep end, I’m gonna have Jill come in and draw some blood. I’ll be back once I have the results.

Jill has me lie back down on the table due to my history of fainting while she preps to take blood. Numbness spreads through my body, and I’m so focused on Dr. Hardy’s words, ‘You’re pregnant’ , that I don’t even register the needle going into my arm.

“All done.” Jill pats my arm. “Do you want me to help you sit up, or do you want to lay here for a while?”

“I’m fine here,” I respond.

“Dr. Hardy will be back soon.”

There’s no way I’m pregnant. The urine test has to be wrong.

When Dr. Hardy comes back in about twenty minutes later, her expression shows no sign of what the tests are.

“Was the urine test wrong?” I ask pleadingly.

Dr. Hardy’s eyes soften with remorse. “I’m sorry, Ivory. You’re pregnant.”

“I-I-I can’t be,” I stutter.

“The blood test confirms it,” she explains, looking back down at her notes. “I can’t guess how far along you are due to you being on the shot. Do you know when this could have happened?”

Only one night comes to mind because I haven’t been with anyone since Purgatory. Before that, it’d been months since I broke up with Keith.

Spike.

It’s a good thing I’m still lying on the exam table because my world suddenly tilts on its axis, and blackness engulfs me.

“Ivory, open your eyes,” a voice commands. “Come on, you can do it.”

I slowly peel open my eyelids, blinking the room into focus. “What happened? Where am I?”

“There she is,” Dr. Hardy says as she looms over me, shining a light in my eyes.

I flinch away from the light as everything that’s happened barrels forward in my mind.

Purgatory, a one-night stand with Spike, the camping trip, and Dr. Hardy telling me I’m pregnant. Please, please, please let this be a dream.

A single tear runs down the side of my face as it all hits me all over again.

Someone squeezes my hand, and I slowly turn my head to see Megan sitting next to me, her brows pinched with concern. I slowly sit up, hating that I look vulnerable.

“Easy, Ivory,” Dr. Hardy warns. “Nice and slow.”

“What are you doing here?” I ask Megan, but it’s Dr. Hardy who answers.

“You fainted,” Dr. Hardy explains. “We called your emergency contact.”

“You’re okay,” Megan reassures me once she’s sure I’m going to remain upright. “You should’ve told me you were coming to the doctor. We both know how you are when they break out the needles.”

That’s all it takes for the waterworks to start. Sobs wrack my body as Megan jumps up and pulls me closer to her.

“Ivory, what’s wrong?”

“I’m going to leave you two alone now. Ivory, I don’t want you driving the rest of the day. You need to rest,” Dr. Hardy commands as she opens the door.

“Don’t worry, Doc,” Megan answers, rubbing my back. “I’ll take care of her.”

After the door closes, I pull away from Megan’s embrace. “I’m pregnant,” I blurt, knowing it’s the last thing she’s expecting me to say.

Megan steps back, shock registering in her eyes, and scans my face. “What did you say?”

“Please don’t make me say it again,” I beg. “Megan, what am I going to do?”

“Do you know who the father is?” she asks as I glare at her. “You know I didn’t mean it like that. I know you were with Spike that one time, but I didn’t know if you moved on and were seeing someone else.”

“I fucking wish I could tell you that,” I reply, chuckling bitterly. “Unfortunately, no, this is all Spike.”

“You don’t have to go through this alone if you decide to keep it,” she says softly. “I’ll be the greatest auntie in the world, and Eric is going to go nuts. But you don’t have to decide now.”

I grimace. “Spike’s the father. He has a right to know before I make any decisions.”

“Call him,” she encourages.

“I can’t. We didn’t exactly exchange numbers.”

Megan taps her chin in thought. “Wait a couple of days and go find him at Purgatory. At least you know the club owns it, and they’re there all the time.”

“No,” I say firmly. “I need to do this today, or I’ll lose my nerve.”

“Alright,” she hesitates. “I’ll drive you.”

“I have to do this myself.”

“You heard the doctor,” she argues. “You can’t drive. In fact, you’re supposed to rest.” Megan holds up her hand to silence me when I open my mouth to protest. “I’ll stay in the car, but I’ll be damned if you do this alone.”

“Fine, let's go,” I concede.

Forty-five minutes later, we pull up outside of Purgatory. It’s only five-thirty, and it doesn’t appear too busy yet. I grip my purse and say a silent prayer as I reach for the door handle.

“I can go in with you,” Megan offers again.

“I love you, but I have to handle this on my own.” I slip one leg out of the car. “You got your phone?”

“Always,” she promises.

“I’ll text you if I need rescuing,” I joke, trying to ease the tension.

“Good luck,” she calls as I shut the door.

It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust once I’m inside. I scan the floor but only see a couple of members of Saint Purgatory, none of whom are Spike. I take a relieved breath.

I’m not as ready for this conversation as I thought.

“Ivory!” Skye hollers from the bar. I walk over and take a seat in front of her. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Did we scare you and your friends off? RaRa won’t quit gabbing about Eric,” she gushes without taking a breath.

I giggle. “Eric won’t shut up about him either.”

“So, where’s your posse?”

“I’m alone,” I lie. “Is Spike here today?”

An unreadable look crosses her features, but before I can ask her what it’s about, she responds. “No, he had some club business to take care of and probably won’t be in.”

My shoulders slump. “Do you have his number?”

Skye fidgets behind the counter, her face at war with itself. “I’m not supposed to give out the guys’ numbers.”

“Oh.”

“It’s not that I don’t wa?—”

“It’s okay,” I reassure her. “I understand. I’m basically a stranger, and you’re looking out for them.”

“You can give me your number, and I’ll make sure he gets it.”

“That’d be great, thank you.”

Skye slides her phone across the bar. “Here, put it in my phone, if you’re okay with that, so I don’t lose it.” I type my number into her phone, and she sends me a text after I hand it back. “Now you have my number, too. Can I get you anything to drink?”

“I better head back home, no DD tonight.” I slide off the stool. “Thanks again for giving him my number.”

Skye waves. “See ya soon?”

I shrug. “We’ll see.”

Before she can ask any more questions, I spin on my heel and head for the door.

Ball’s in your court, Spike.