Stripping Callum (Last Hangman MC Book 6) Read online

  “Come on in then, my friend.” Long haired guy clapped my back, and we walked in. They looked much younger than I was, and at any other time I would steer clear from hanging out with anyone, but I could do with the company tonight. No bartender likes a depressed drunk guy.

  “I’m Ant and this is Gabe,” the longhaired one, who is now identified as Ant, says.

  “Callum,” I reply shortly as we settle at the pool table. Ant flags the waitress down, and she comes over almost tripping over her own feet as she sees him giving her some attention. I guess being a biker and known for that has its perks.

  “Give us three beers, will ya, gorgeous.” He smiled and winked at her, and I swear I heard her mewl even with all the noise surrounding her.

  “Coming right up, sexy face.” She bit her lower lip in what I’m assuming is a seductive way but is far from it. I try not to laugh in case she’s close to them. I don’t want to start a fight, not now at least.

  “She’s getting worse every time we come here. You should just fuck her,” Gabe said, breaking into laughter and I joined him.

  “Not going there, brother. She’s a fucking weirdo and will be clingy as fuck if I ever do that.”

  “Exactly my point.” Gabe claps Ant’s shoulder, and they set up the balls to play a game of pool. “So, where are you from?” he asks looking at me.

  “Here and there.” I was purposely vague purely because I had no fucking clue who these guys were. It’s one thing to have drinks with them, it’s another to open up and tell them my life story.

  “So mysterious,” Gabe teased.

  “You gotta be. For all I know you could be after me and try to make me trust you, and kick my ass and rob me or try to kill me when I leave.”

  “We could, we have the means to.” Ant smirked at me, but something in his tone made me think he’s messing with me.

  “That’s what I said.” I took a long pull of my beer after the waitress brought them over, giving us all a once over. “What’s the deal with her?”

  “She wishes she could be an old lady when she’ll just be club pussy material. No offense to her, but all she thinks about is banging as many guys as she can. No respect for herself whatsoever,” Ant said, matter-of-factly rounding the table.

  “Charming.” I chuckled shaking my head. “So, I take it that you’re in an MC.”

  “That we are, my friend. What about you?” Gabe took the first shot breaking the balls and spreading them all over the table.

  “Just riding and enjoying the freedom.”

  “Best way to lead life,” Ant pointed out.

  “I have to agree with you on that one.”

  “What brings you to New Orleans?” Gabe asked before taking a pull of his beer.

  I considered for a minute, not sure what to answer, and decided to go with the truth for once. “I’m not entirely sure if I’m honest.”

  “A woman?” Ant chuckled.

  “You could say that.” I took a long sip of my beer thinking about her.

  “She worth the trouble?” Gabe asked with a smirk.

  “Depends which one you’re talking about.” I chuckled humorlessly.

  “You’re really not giving anything away, are you?” Ant took perfect aim of his shot and pocketed the ball.

  “Nope, I’ve learned not to let on too much about me.” I shrugged.

  “Don’t blame you, just know we’re good listeners, even if that just made us sound like women,” Ant said unashamedly.

  “It did.” I laughed and finished my beer.

  We kept talking, drinking, and playing pool for another hour until all hell broke loose.

  A bunch of bikers from what I’m assuming was a rival MC barged in and charged towards us. Now I had nothing to do with this, but when two men who offered me drinks and were there to listen to me if I wanted to pour my heart out are getting their asses kicked, I’m not going to sit back, relax and watch the show. Besides, I could do with some face bashing too, not mine, of course.

  Two guys jumped me, fists are flying, connecting with flesh. The sound of cracking bones resonated in my ears. It’s eerily quiet around us in the bar suddenly. The only sounds you could hear were the punches being thrown and the grunts when said punches connected with our assailants.

  We didn’t relent and kept going at them. They called for it as they were the ones who started this fight. It didn’t take long for the two men who attacked me to be flat out on the ground, unconscious, and they’d feel it tomorrow. I didn’t need many punches to knock someone out. I’d been in way too many fights and my military background helped, too.

  I moved to help Gabe get rid of the two guys who pounced on him. He was strong for his age, but there’s only so much you can do when two men are attacking you.

  Once they were joining their friends on the ground, we moved on to help Ant who’s still fighting one of the two guys who jumped him. I grabbed the guy off Ant and went to punch him, but he ducked at the last moment and my fist connected with Ant’s jaw. Gabe burst out laughing and so did the guy who ducked. One glare at Gabe was all it took to make him sober up as Ant was rubbing his sore jaw.

  “Can’t aim, old man?” the fucker asked, mocking me. I didn’t lose any more time. I moved my arm back and one punch carefully placed to his temple was all it took to knock him out.

  “Not laughing anymore now, are we?” I sneered at him and stood up looking at Ant.

  “You fucking punched me,” he said, rage oozing out of him.

  “It was an accident, you know it.”

  I barely got those words out when he jumped on me and punched me, much to Gabe’s amusement. He was laughing and snorting as he was watching us fight. I knew Ant was younger than me and it’s just payback, but I couldn’t let someone punch me without retaliating. My fist connected with Ant’s face, and he punched back straightaway. For being so young he could pack a punch.

  We fought for a couple of minutes until Gabe finally decided to break the fight, still laughing his head off.

  “Easy you two. We’re on the same side, remember?”

  “Why are you laughing then?” I wiped the blood coming from my eyebrow.

  “Because it’s fucking hilarious to see you two fight. You were fighting the same guy and then all hell really broke loose.” He sniggered.

  “Fucker,” I mumbled under my breath.

  “You’re not a biker, but you fight like one,” Ant said, spitting blood out.

  “Ex-Marines.”

  “Makes sense. If you ever want to ride with other bikers, come see us. We get in these fights regularly, if you need to let out some steam,” Ant chuckled, seeing the six men who attacked us on the ground still unconscious.

  “I’ll remember that.”

  “You should. Can we get another round of beers here?” Ant shouted and everybody scrambled away as beer appeared in front of us accompanied by the same waitress as earlier who looked at Ant with adoration. She’s pathetic. I didn’t know him, but it’s obvious he’d never go for someone like her.

  That’s how Gabe, Ant, and I became friends. I joined them a couple of weeks after that.

  I gave in on wallowing in my self-pity and went to their compound. We had a few drinks, chatted with the ladies hanging around the compound, and enjoyed good food. They accepted me straightaway and asked me to join them; even the older bikers approved of me joining them.

  I never intended on joining the MC. I wanted some riding companions, I’ve always wanted to see how it felt not to ride on your own, and I ended up with a family.

  They did make me fucking pay for being a prospect. The fucking stupid things I had to do were ridiculous, and even though I was older than some of the guys, their Prez included, I didn’t give a fuck. A part of me needed the acceptance into a new family, and it brought me out of the state that I was in.

  It also totally brought us closer together as a family, and we work great together. I climbed the steps into the MC world, and I wouldn’t change any of it.
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br />   Even the fucked up shit we’ve been through, they gave me a feeling of belonging and making sure everybody was safe and happy.

  I’d give my life for any of my brothers and their ladies. They are my family, my brothers and sisters. You don’t have to be blood-related to feel that way for others.

  Annabella

  April 10, 2012

  Tuesday evenings are spent at Gail’s mom, Suzie’s place. We have dinner and play games. It’s a tradition they’d had since Gail and her brother, Danny, were little and I’ve been included after living with Gail for only a couple of days. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. It’s like I’ve known them for ages. They never made me feel bad or anything about being so young and pregnant and being away from home. They do ask me sometimes, but they aren’t pushing me to open up to them. I do feel that it’s about time I open up to them. It’s only fair. I know they just want to help me.

  Gail knows some stuff, like what happened with my aunt and why I ran away, the rest she doesn’t know. I still can’t bring myself to talk about my parents. It’s too painful, and it’s been almost twelve years. One morning they were there, and the next they were gone. I wonder what they would think of me if they were still alive and knew I was pregnant. A part of me knows they would be disappointed because they would have taught me better, and the other part hopes they would be happy to be young grandparents. I’ll never know and that’s the hardest.

  “Are you okay, Anna?” Suzie asks, bringing me out of my reverie.

  “Yes, this is delicious, as always.” I smile, taking another bite of my orange chicken.

  “Thank you, but that’s not what I meant. You seem lost in your thoughts.”

  “I was.” I sigh and set my fork down before wiping my mouth and taking a sip of water. I can feel Danny, Suzie, and Gail’s eyes on me. It’s somewhat unnerving, but I know they just want to make sure I’m okay. “I was just wondering what my parents would think of me being seventeen and ready to pop a baby out.”

  “I’m sure they would be happy to be young grandparents. Hell, I would be. I had Gail when I was eighteen and Danny when I was twenty. Do I regret having them young? Never, it’s the best. I’m still young and able to follow up with them and enjoy doing things I might not have done had I had them later on in life. Things happen for a reason. You were meant to have little Elijah,” Suzie tries to reassure me.

  “Can’t you call your parents or something? I’m sure they would love to hear from you,” Danny chimes in.

  “Unless you have the number for the direct line to heaven, I don’t think I’ll be able to call them,” I say sadly but with a trace of humor.

  “Oh shit, I’m so sorry I didn’t know,” Danny apologizes profusely.

  “It’s okay, you didn’t know. I haven’t told anyone since I left my aunt. I don’t want to see the look of pity people get when I tell them.”

  “I just thought they kicked you out or something because you were a wild teenager,” he sniggers.

  “I was the most boring teenager ever, I think. I was living with my aunt when I left.”

  “Why did you leave?” Suzie asks, and I’m about to answer to her when I feel something wet run down my legs. “Are you okay?” The look of horror on my face must have alarmed her.

  “Either I just wet myself or my water broke.” I rub my tummy and look at Suzie.

  “Danny, take your sister to her place and get Anna’s hospital bag. I’m taking her to the hospital.” Suzie ushers him out of the house as Gail is already outside.

  “The baby is coming?” he asks, sounding totally lost.

  “Yes, and it will come on the dining room floor if you don’t hurry!”

  “Got it, boss.” He runs out of the house, and I hear the car engine start.

  “Are you ready?” Suzie asks me excitedly as she helps me up.

  “Not in the slightest.” I wince as I feel a contraction come.

  “You’ll do amazing. I’ll be with you every step of the way, don’t worry.”

  “You have no idea how much this means to me.” Another contraction takes my breath away as I hold onto the car while Suzie gets the door open for me to get in. I’ve never been in this much pain, and if it’s any indication of what’s to come, I’m not sure I want to go through it.

  The drive to the hospital is quick. Ten minutes at the most, but the contractions are getting closer and more painful as they come. I have an odd feeling that something is wrong with the baby, but Suzie reassures me all the way to the hospital.

  She called them as we were on the way so they would have someone ready to get me in, which is reassuring. I won’t have to wait for hours in the waiting room.

  Suzie stops the car by the ER entrance and two nurses are there waiting for us. They open the door and help me out of the car as I’m shaking in fear and pain. They place me in the wheelchair and rush me inside.

  “I’ll be right behind you, Anna. You’re doing amazing!” Suzie shouts, but her voice becomes faint as we pass the automated doors.

  I’m rushed into a room and the nurse helps me on the bed.

  “When is your due date?” one of them asks me as they help me get in the hospital gown.

  “Any day this week.”

  “Perfect,” the other one says, smiling as she gets me hooked on so many devices it’s overwhelming.

  “What’s all this?” I look around the room confused.

  “We need to track your vitals and the baby’s heartbeat.”

  “Oh God, is it beating?” I ask, terrified something went wrong.

  “Relax, the baby’s heart is strong,” nurse one tells me patting my hand.

  “Thank God.” I sigh in relief.

  They busy themselves around me and pump something to relax me after they put in the IV line. I work on my breathing, trying to breathe through the pain when I feel something wet drip on my tummy. I look up and see nurse two doing an ultrasound.

  “What’s going on?” I ask, sounding totally out of it.

  “The baby is breech,” nurse one says looking at me concerned.

  “What? What does that mean?” I ask in full-fledged panic attack now.

  “The baby is bottom down. It’s not uncommon, but we’ll have to see what the doctor says. Your pelvis seems narrow so you might need a C-section. Don’t worry, you’re in good hands.” She pats my hand as I’m getting faint. My vision is narrowing and clouding, and I feel like I’m running low on oxygen.

  Nurse two places an oxygen mask over my face and talks to me, but it’s too faint for me to understand what she’s saying. I can hear the blood rushing through my ears.

  I vaguely hear a male voice tell me that they need to take me to the operating room straightaway, but no words come out of my mouth. I’m between being conscious and unconscious. I feel like I’m floating but also weighing a ton. It’s such a weird, unpleasant feeling. I don’t know what they gave me to relax, but I don’t like it. I want to ask if my baby will be okay, but I’m unable to form a sentence.

  Everything turns into a blur as soon as they wheel me into the operating room. A dark haze is wrapping itself around me until everything fades to black.

  Nausea.

  Pain.

  Empty.

  Alone.

  I try to open my eyes, but the light is burning them. It takes them a few minutes to adjust to the brightness in the room. I look around, and I’m alone in a pastel yellow room. The beeping of the heart rate monitor is the only noise I hear, and I want to unplug it, the noise is doing my head in.

  I look down, and my tummy is still swollen but not as much as it was whenever I went into labor.

  Narrow pelvis.

  Breech.

  C-section.

  Where is my baby?

  Where is my little Elijah?

  What am I going to do?

  I’m seventeen and a mother. I have no one in my life. My family doesn’t know where I am nor do I know if they care in the slightest. Surely if my aunt went off
to look for me or called the cops to say that I ran away they would have found me? Or maybe she didn’t care enough.

  I wish my mom was still here. This is really selfish, but I need my mom. I need her to tell me that everything is going to be okay. That I don’t need to worry about anything. That she’ll help me through it all. But she’s not there. She’s dead. She won’t be able to help me through it all. I’ll have to do it all on my own, and that’s fucking scary.

  I don’t have the first clue on what to do once I’m allowed out of here with Elijah. I can’t possibly stay forever with Gail in her place. I’ll have to look for a place of my own and buy clothes and food and pay the bills. I’ll have to find another job and get a babysitter to watch Elijah or put him in daycare, which will cost more money, and I’ll need to get another job. I’ll be working most of the day to provide for my baby, and I won’t be able to see him grow up.

  What have I done?

  I break down crying, everything being overwhelming and too much for me to wrap my head around.

  “Knock, knock.” Suzie pokes her head through the door. “Oh, honey, what’s wrong?” She rushes to me and gives me a careful hug.

  “I’m a failure!” I whine, covering my face with my hands.

  “You’re not, you just had a beautiful little baby boy.”

  “I’m seventeen, and I just had a baby.” I throw my hands up in defeat.

  “Yes, you did, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’ll be harder on you emotionally because you might not be as strong as women with a couple of years on them, but with what you’ve been through in the past eleven years. I’d say you’re pretty strong and should be proud of yourself. Not everybody would be able to just up and leave and make their way down the country, get jobs, and find places to live, and then end up here and be able to go through a pregnancy without having a nervous breakdown. A lot of women feel depressed after having their babies. It’s normal. You’ll get through it, and we’ll help you get through it.” Suzie smiles at me squeezing my hand, and I double over in tears at her sweetness. “I didn’t say all this to make you cry even more.” She chuckles lightly and rubs my back as she sits next to me on the bed.