Raine Falling (Hells Saints Motorcycle Club) (31 page)

CHAPTER 79

T
hey were waiting. They were pacing. They were waiting and pacing and filling up the small room with their big bodies. Their inked biceps flexing as they brought cups filled with strong coffee and splashes of a little somethin’-somethin’ from the flasks they kept hidden on the insides of their worn leather cuts.

And they were scared. Prosper could see it in their faces, could feel it in the way they moved. They were frightened for Raine.

He looked around him. His boys. They were like caged jungle cats. Revved up on strong coffee and hard liquor, trying to keep themselves checked and on their best behavior waiting on the arrival of Raine and Diego’s baby.

Raine’s first baby.

Maggie would have been proud. Prosper couldn’t help but think of her. She would have been so proud of Raine.

And of Claire. That one had turned out to be a little firebrand. She sure had. Still waters . . . yeah, in Claire’s case, they sure as hell ran deep.

The first thing she had done, the very first thing she had done, after they had gotten Raine safely to the hospital, had been to move towards Diego and hit him.

Hard.

Claire had walked up to Diego and without a word had slapped him so hard that the sound had echoed against the cold tiles of the hospital waiting room.

Dolly had gasped and Reno made a move to stand in front of Claire. Diego put his hand out to halt him.

She had let them have their reunion. Had let them have their hugs and kisses and had allowed Diego to show Raine how worried he had been.

Claire had kept herself in check for hours.

Little sister had stepped aside while Diego had pushed past her to ride in the ambulance with Raine.

She had listened respectfully and intently with him while Dr. Gideon had explained the risks of delivering the baby a month early.

Then when she was sure it was all said and done, when she was sure that everything was stable and in place and working towards the good, she had walked up to Diego and slugged him.

Without a damn word, the little bit of a thing had let him have it, and she had to stand on tiptoes to do it.

She cracked him so hard that Prosper, sitting across the room, had felt it.

Everyone had held their breath.

“That’s for—” Claire began.

“I know what that’s for, Claire, and I fucking deserve it. Have at it. You might as well get it all out because I ain’t going anywhere and when Raine and my baby get on the other side of this, I don’t want anything getting in the way of us being a family. And I get that you being okay with this is a big part of her being happy. I get that my woman, my baby . . . you come with that.”

“Damn right!” She spat at him.

Then she looked at him hard. “You in this?”

“All the way,” Diego replied.

“You know, Diego, what’s gonna happen in that room? That baby being born, that’s just the beginning of it. I know what happened to you before, and I’m sorry for it. But it’s done. It’s over. I pray to God it never happens again to you or to anyone you love. But the truth is, Diego, it could. Getting past this day, that’s the first part. Babies, they get sick. They puke, get ear infections and have been known to cry at ear-splitting decibels for hours at a time. You showed up today. That’s one day.
One day. Being a father, that means showing up every
day
.”

The whole room held their breath. Reno placed his feet wide apart, getting ready to lunge between D and Claire if it came to that. Claire was going for it, and after what D had been through in the past few hours, Reno wasn’t sure how he was going to react. But then, his girl had been through some crap too. D was right; better she get it out.

Prosper folded his arms over his big chest.
Shit had to be said
, he thought to himself. So he let Claire continue.

Claire continued. “Diego, you cannot,
cannot
fall apart on them every time something happens because of letting those old memories get in the way. Later on when the kid falls off a swing or a bike or a goddamn high chair, you gonna be there to catch that fall, Diego? You gonna be able to get past that old grief and
man up
?”

At
man up
half the brothers in the room unwound their crossed arms and legs and stood straight up.

Prosper raised an eyebrow. Reno tensed.

“Because, Diego, Raine and I, we were raised by a man who could not get past his grief. And I cannot even begin to count the many, the very many ways that it sucked. This baby does not deserve that. If you don’t think you have it in you, if you have one shred of doubt of what you feel for my sister and this baby, it’s better for everyone that you leave right now. Because if you stay, I am going to be there every step of the way making sure you do
what the good daddies do
.” At that she looked at Prosper.

Then back again at Diego. “I need you to be what we never had. I need you to be that for Raine. I need you to be that for the baby. And I need you to be that for me. Because I have got to tell you, Diego, I am getting really fucking exhausted.”

Then she slumped forward just a little bit.

Reno was all over that, but Prosper put out his hand and stopped him.

Diego’s eyes went soft when he saw Claire finally let herself feel the tired. When he answered her, he did it from his heart.

“I love her, Claire. I love that baby. And even though you are a little pain in the ass, I love you too, Little Sister. So yeah, I am here. For the puking and the falls and the infections. For the croup and the nightmares. I am here for the first day of kindergarten and the first day of college. I am here on Sundays, Saturdays, and every day in between. I am here every night and every fucking morning. I am here.”

“That good enough for you, Little Sister?” Diego was looking at her.

Claire looked at Diego long and hard.

Well, finally.

Yeah, that was good enough for her.

Dr. Gideon came bursting through the swinging doors.

“Ready to come help me deliver that baby, son?” The good doctor twinkled.

And he was. Oh hell, yeah. Diego was.

EPILOGUE

I
t was Willow’s second birthday. We had decided to celebrate it together with the housewarming of our newly built home up on the grassy knoll beside the little stream. Crow and Diego had begun drawing up the plans right after Willow’s birth. The house was made of stone and timber. It was beautifully rustic and filled with large windows that let in lots of natural light.

The house sat in the middle of the meadow where I had made love to Diego and had thanked the heavens for sending him to me. And I still gave thanks for him. My beautiful bad man had given me this perfect little dark-haired, blue-eyed baby girl. Willow Magaskawee Montesalto was a happy, chubby imp and the apple of her father’s eye.

We had gotten married as soon as our whole little family had been up to it. The birth of the baby had gone quickly, but Willow had been small and had needed some extra time in the hospital. Diego and I had kept a constant vigil. I honestly believed that I heard the entire nursing staff heave a collective sigh of relief when little Willow had been released.

Diego kept his word to Claire. He did what
the good daddies do
and he did it all the time. He left us only once and that was to go to Nevada. He had stopped at the florist and brought Janey and his son a beautiful bouquet of flowers. He also brought the ring that was now too small for him, the one he had kept in his wallet under the only picture he had left of Janey. He took the picture and the wedding ring, buried them deep in the soil below the gravestone, placed the flowers lovingly on top, and said his good-byes. He had explained to me that it was not the memory of them he was saying good-bye to, but the crippling fear that had risen from their ashes and had almost destroyed him.

Then he had come home to Willow and me. That night he’d planted the seed of our next child deep within me. I rubbed my round little belly lovingly. Willow would have a baby brother or sister in the fall. I could not be happier.

It had been a good couple of years for the brotherhood. The deal that Prosper had been working on came through and had proven as lucrative as he had known it would be. Apparently the Italians had been instrumental in seeing it through. Gianni’s crew had worked alongside the Saints on a couple of deals since then. In an odd turn of events, I had met Gianni’s family and I had liked them.

The MC had used the money to move towards more legitimate enterprises and they were all taking off. The brothers were rolling deep in green. Life was good.

Gradually, Glory began to open up to us more and more. And although she stayed on at the lake house, she eventually found the courage to step back out into the world.

Claire, secure in the knowledge that Diego was going continue to do right by Willow and me, finally felt free to follow her dreams. And some of those dreams included Reno.

Dolly and Pinky remained as thick as thieves and spent a whole lot of time spoiling Willow.

Dusk was setting in and the boys had begun to stoke the fire in the pit. Prosper was playing Seger on his harp. Reno and Jules were setting up the deck table for a poker game. The women were beginning to clean up from the cake and presents.

Willow was rubbing her sleepy little eyes with her chubby fist. I picked her up from the middle of her cache of new toys. She held on to me sleepily until she saw her daddy. Then she wiggled out of my arms and into his. Together we walked with her into the house. I watched as Diego washed her little hands and face, changed her diaper, and put her into her little pajamas. It always amazed me to see how much he loved doing both the “mommy and daddy” things for her. I settled into the rocking chair and he handed her to me. I snuggled her little body against me. Softly singing, I rocked her. Diego kissed me, then her, and moved to the door.

I stayed with Willow, holding her in my arms long after she had fallen asleep. I rocked her lovingly, watching the light of the shadow people dancing on the warm wood patina of the light pine.

I watched as the silhouettes caught in the firelight, casting long shadows on my daughter’s walls.

I looked at her sleeping peacefully under the dancing images, satisfied that she had nothing to fear.

I kissed her softly, placed her in her warm, safe crib, and gently closed the door.

Then I went to find my husband.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I
would like to thank my husband, Pasquale, for being the hero in my story. Thank you for everything you are, and for everything I am when I am with you. This would not have been possible without your love guiding me.

I would like to thank my son, Jake, who helped me to navigate through the choppy waters and gave me the courage to put myself and my words out there. Thank you for your patience; I know I wasn’t easy.

I would like to thank my daughter, Leah, who is currently teaching English two continents away from me. Your fearlessness, sense of adventure, wit, and talent inspire me. You are the bravest person I know.

I would like to thank my sister, Linda. Thank you for your enthusiasm, encouragement, and technical support. Who would have thought that those long, sad days at Kaplan House would turn into something wonderful and lasting?

My girl posse . . . Laurie and Angie. What would I do without the laughs? I am so blessed to be sharing this wonderful new adventure with you.

To Donna . . . Thanks for the times you have had to be the both of us. I know it is exhausting. You are my bestie forever. xxoo

To my Allendale and Crosby friends. I am honored to stand among you. Thank you for taking time away from evaluations, grades, lesson plans, and the rest of the growing list of academic craziness to support me. Where you find the time to read I will never know, but I thank you for it!

My Goodreads girls . . . Chaddy and Diana. Your encouragement, support, and friendship have meant so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And last but not ever, ever least, thanks to all the readers who took a chance on a new author. I thank you for your fearlessness! And for your support, and your encouragement. I look forward to continuing this journey with you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo © 2014 Pasquale Marinaro

P
aula Marinaro was born and raised on the North Shore of Boston. She lives with her husband, Pasquale, in the beautiful Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. She is the proud mother of two children, Jake and Leah.

She enjoys creating worlds and stories for others to enjoy.