Stryker’s Fight by Erin Osborne
Chapter Twelve
Stryker
RICH HAS SOMETHING to do today and can’t watch over Sally and Natalia. I volunteered to watch over my girls because it’s step one in trying to make things right with my girl. Sally needs to know I’m playing for keeps and I’m not going to let us go much longer without talking things through and finding a common ground we can begin again with. I’m not sure what it’s going to take for her to let Killian go or what it will take for me to let my walls down completely again, but we’ll find a way to make things work out in the end.
Killer let me know he told her what was going on with Chrome and what we found out. She didn’t appear to be overly upset about the news. I’m not sure why since I wasn’t there. Plus, Killer doesn’t know Sally like I do. He won’t be able to see her nonverbal clues the same way I can. Rich might be able to pick up on them, but I’m not sure he’ll be able to either. If I had been the one to tell her, I would have known without a doubt if she was scared or anything else. At this point, today will be the first time I’ve seen her since that day at the clubhouse when I was a complete ass to her.
I also got the message from her about moving out of our home. It pissed me off beyond belief and I almost shattered my phone before Killer and Fox walked in the room. When I told them what was wrong, they both laughed. Apparently, I was the only one who didn’t know she had moved out of a place I consider to be our home. Still, I haven’t stepped foot inside because I don’t want to be there without her. I’m sure the place still smells like her, and I’ll see everything we’ve done since moving her and Natalia in with me. Memories I cherish and don’t want to relive without my girls by my side.
Leaving the clubhouse this morning, I have a new toy I picked up for Natalia and I’m going to stop by to get breakfast for Sally before I get to her apartment. Rich has to leave as soon as I get there. Killer walks out to his bike at the same time I do and straddles it. Looking at him, he lets me know he’s stopping by his house to grab his SUV and family to head to Sally’s apartment. I’m not sure why they’re going there, but I’ll find out soon enough. Together we leave the compound and split off when Killer goes to get his women and kids. Since his house is on the compound, I’m not sure where they are right now that he needs to pick them up.
Pulling up behind the bakery after going to the diner and putting their breakfast in my saddle bags, I take a minute to look around the nearly empty parking lot. Rich is sitting on his bike, his hair wet from a recent shower as he waits for me to make my way over to him. I’m not pleased at all about him staying in the apartment with Sally and Natalia to the point he’s comfortable taking showers while they’re inside with him. I have no room to say a single word about it though. Getting off my bike, I grab the things from my saddle bag and make my way over to him.
“How are they this mornin’?” I ask him, not bothering to say anything else.
“Sally isn’t feelin’ too good. Natalia is the same as normal; full of energy and ready to start her day. Sally’s got an appointment she needs to head out to. Killer and Gwen will be here to watch over Natty while she’s gone. It’s her day off from the bakery so she’ll come right back here. More than likely they’ll either stay inside or they’ll head to the park for a while to get some of my bestie’s energy out,” Rich answers me.
“Who the fuck is your bestie?” I growl out, not sure I want the answer to my question.
“Natalia decided I’m her bestie. It’s what she calls me all the time.”
“Go on and get outta here. I’ve got watch until you’re ready to head back.”
I don’t stay to watch Rich leave the parking lot. Heading up the stairs to Sally’s new home, I knock on the door and wait for her to answer it. It takes her a few minutes and when she does, Sally is covered in a sheen of sweat and her hair is mussed up. I want to be angry as fuck because it appears as if she just got done with a round of sex with my Princess in the same house as her and whoever. However, I know better than that. It took me forever to get inside Sally’s pants because Natalia was under the same roof as us. My woman doesn’t take that shit lightly with her past and no one knows it better than me.
“Stryker, I didn’t know you’d be the one watching over us today,” Sally says, her face turning red and her eyes filling with tears she keeps in check.
“Stryker!” Natalia yells out, running from the front of the building and jumping into my arms.
I catch her just in time without dropping the bag of food in my hand or the toy I bought her. Natalia wraps her arms around my neck and buries her head in my neck. Her little body is shaking as she sniffles a few times. We’re doing this to her by not talking things out and trying to work on things between the two of us.
“How’s my Princess?” I ask, emotion clogging my own voice as Sally takes the bag and toy from my hands so I can wrap my arms around her better.
“I miss you! When are we gonna come home with you?” Natty asks, her voice filled with quiet sobs.
“Princess, a lot is goin’ on right now. Why don’t you get to the table so you and mommy can have some breakfast?”
Nodding her head, I set Natty down on the floor as she walks to the table off the right of the room. Sally walks over to her daughter and opens the bag. We don’t talk to one another as my girls eat the breakfast sandwiches and hash browns I got them on the way here. I sit on the couch while they eat taking in their new apartment. Sally has already made it a home for the two of them even if I doubt she’ll be here long term. The security isn’t good enough for my girls, new locks need to be added to the door, and that’s just from what I can see from a quick look. If I have my way, they’ll be back home with me where they belong before too much longer.
Sally continues to look at me from the corner of her eyes. She wants to say something to me, but hasn’t worked up the courage just yet. I’m a patient man and will wait until she’s ready. Sitting back further into the couch, I take in the blanket and pillow folded neatly at the opposite end from me. Rich is sleeping on the couch while the girls have the bedrooms. I already know there are two bedrooms here because I pulled up the blueprints as soon as I found out they had moved in here.
“What’s goin’ on?” I ask Sally when I know she’s ready to break in some form.
“Well, we need to have a conversation. I’d like to have it before I go to my appointment, but there’s not time since I have to shower and get Natty ready for the day before Gwen and Killer get here. Been trying to talk to you for a while now,” she tells me, getting up from the table to throw their garbage away.
“We’ll talk on the way to your appointment. Or, I can sit just outside the shower while you’re in there and you can tell me.”
“Need to be facing you when this conversation happens,” she returns, her voice softer than normal.
Now I’m kind of nervous about what we need to talk about. I know there’s a lot between us and a ton of things we need to talk about before we can move on. However, right now she doesn’t seem to want to talk. I did that to her. I’m the reason she doesn’t want to talk to me or have anything to do with me as much as possible. It hasn’t escaped my notice that she’s not coming around the clubhouse and has asked Gwen to watch my Princess away from there. It’s why I’ve barely seen them since I went off on Sally for no reason.
“Sally, what’s goin’ on? You can tell me anythin’ you want to,” I promise her.
“Look, let me get ready and if you’ll drive my car, I’ll tell you on the way to my appointment. That’s the best I can do right now,” she answers, her voice interrupted when Natalia calls out for help.
Sally walks toward the front of the apartment. I watch on from my spot on the couch as she disappears from sight around a corner. Sitting up when I hear footsteps on the stairs coming closer to the door. There’s a loud knock on the door as I pull the curtain aside to see Killer and Gwen waiting outside the door. Walking over, I let them in as they make their selves at home in the small apartment.
It’s not long before Sally and Natalia appear from the front of the apartment. They’re dressed in a shorts and tank tops with their hair up in messy buns. These are my favorite days when the two girls in my life dress the same. It makes Sally look younger than she is as if she doesn’t have the weight of the world resting on her shoulders and isn’t trying to figure out what direction to take her life in. Other than our relationship, she’s got a job and new place to live. Now, we have to get us sorted so we can figure out where to move on to next.
“I thought you were taking a shower?” I ask Sally, standing up from the couch.
“I’ll take one when we get back. I washed up in the bathroom when Natalia was brushing her teeth. It’s good enough for now. I’ll need to take a shower after the rest of my day anyway. It’s a day full of cleaning and playing with Nat,” she answers me, turning her attention toward Gwen as Natty runs to me again.
“What you bring me?” she whisper shouts when I pick her up in my arms.
“A new toy. I saw it when I was out runnin’ errands and knew it would be perfect for you,” I answer her, keeping my attention on the little girl in my arms instead of anyone else in the room. “Why don’t you go get it and see what it is?”
Natalia squirms to get down out of my arms. Running toward the table where the toy rests, she pulls it from the bag holding it. I found a bubble machine she can keep in her room to fill it with bubbles. She loves bubbles and wants them floating around her all the time. Even when she’s inside. I’m not sure how Sally will feel about the machine I got her with extra bubbles to put in it, but I couldn’t not buy it when I saw it was safe for use indoors.
“Mama look!” she yells out in excitement.
Sally walks over to check out the bubble machine in Natalia’s hands. With an indulgent smile on her face, she looks at me with retribution in her eyes. I know this isn’t going to end well for me. Sally has a devious side very few people get a chance to see. I happen to be one of those people and I love watching her try to even with me. it doesn’t always work out in her favor, but sometimes it does.
“Well, I have to head out,” Sally says, leaning down to kiss Natty goodbye. “I’ll be back as soon as we can. When I get home, we’ll bake your cupcakes. How does that sound?”
“Yay!” Natty cheers as she wraps her arms around Sally’s legs.
After grabbing her things and thanking Gwen and Killer, Sally and I leave the apartment. I have her follow me down to the parking lot, my eyes roaming over every square inch of the place. No one will sneak up on us when I’m here with her. I will give my life for the woman standing behind me as I hold out my hand for her keys. Unlocking the car, I make sure to open Sally’s door as she steps around me to get inside. After closing her safely inside, I walk around the front of the car and open the driver’s side door. Bending down, I move the seat all the way back, already having busted my knees more than enough times because she’s so much shorter than I am. It’s not a good feeling.
Getting in the seat, Sally can’t control her laughter at me. I laugh along with her, missing the sound immensely after not having heard it for so long. After starting her car, Sally reaches over to turn the radio down. She always loves listening to it so loud. Especially when Natalia isn’t in the car with her.
“So, well, I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to tell you what I have to talk to you about. There really is no easy way for me to say this, but I need you to know what’s going on before we get to my appointment,” Sally tells me as we still sit in the parking lot behind the bakery.
“Are you okay?” I ask her, concern filling me.
“I’m fine for the most part,” she says, wringing her hands in her lap. “I’m pregnant Stryker. I’ve been trying to tell you and I was going to the day you were covered in blood, but you were so mean to me. I’ve been debating writing a letter to you so you’d know, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell you that way. What you have to know is I’m going to have this baby no matter what. As the father, you have the right to know and I’m letting you know now. Today, my appointment is an ultrasound to find out how far along I am and to make sure everything is okay with the baby. You are more than welcome to come in with me if you want to. The decision about everything is completely up to you.”
Sally’s words are rushed out. She’s nervous as she sits next to me in the car. My entire body is completely numb as I realize my life is about to change forever. This is not how I wanted things to be when I had a baby. I wanted us to be together on solid ground without the worry about where we stand with one another and what’s going to happen in the future. Not to mention we don’t know what the hell is going on with that fucker Chrome and the Frozen Bastards. There are a lot of unknowns flooding my mind right now as I take in the news she just told me.
“How long have you known?” I ask her, my voice tight as I sit rigidly while I wait for her response.
“A few weeks,” she answers with her voice small as she shrinks in the seat next to me.
“A few weeks?” I question her, my voice still harsher than I want it to be. “You could have let me know anytime within the last few weeks and yet you haven’t. What the fuck Sally?”
“Look, I know I should’ve told you sooner, but the timing was never right. Then you told me exactly how you feel about me. So, now you know, and I have to get to the doctors before I miss my appointment. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before now.”
Pulling out of the parking lot, I don’t say a word to Sally. My mind is spinning out of control, and I need to figure out what to do with this new revelation. Sally is right to have kept this to herself on one hand. On the other, she should have told me as soon as she found out. I want to be there every step of the way with her. Without a doubt, I want this baby with her more than I’ve ever wanted a damn thing in my life. There is no doubt in my mind we’ll work things out. For now, I have to concentrate on not letting my anger get the better of me.
The only reason I’m angry to begin with is because of my past. Thoughts of betrayal fill me, and it feels almost the same as Sally not telling me she’s carrying my child. I have so many questions to ask her and the doctor to make sure nothing is wrong and Sally’s doing everything she needs to do for a healthy pregnancy and for our son or daughter to be born healthy.
