Strays (Red Kings #1) (30 page)

37

August 1
st

Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven. Breathe in, breathe out. In… out.

Lincoln grunted and did another push-up, trying to block out the sounds coming from the other prisoners. He had been stuck in a six by eight cell at the Jacksonville County jail for the past week waiting to be transferred to the Florida State Prison in Raiford. The thoughts running through his head were driving him mad. He couldn’t go to sleep at night if he wasn’t physically exhausted. The events leading up to his conviction kept flashing through his mind, and all he could do was continue with his push-ups.

“He’s gorgeous.”

Lincoln glanced up and smiled at Bianca, looking every bit the proud father. Running a finger along his newborn son’s cheek, he kissed his wife on the head and nodded. “Yeah… Yeah, he is.”

Moving away from the door, the matriarch made her way further into the room and dropped the large teddy bear she was carrying in a chair before going to stand next to the hospital bed. Lana had given birth the previous day, the healthy baby boy currently laying in her arms bringing enormous joy to everyone.

“How you feeling, honey?” The biker queen smiled at the mother, taking in her tired but content expression.

“Exhausted.” Lana laughed and passed the infant to her husband. “I had a great night’s sleep after the birth, but I still feel like I was hit by a truck.” She looked at Bianca and grinned. “A huge truck.”

“Yeah, well, he’s a big, strong boy.” Glancing at where Lincoln was standing by the window, rocking the baby and quietly speaking to him, the older woman let out a laugh. “Just like his daddy.”

Forty-three, forty-four…

“Linc, please don’t go.” Lana looked at her husband worriedly and rocked the fussing baby in her arms, trying to shush him. “I have a bad feeling about this. Just stay here with us.”

“I can’t, Lana. You know I have to do this. The club needs me.”

“
I
need you! Look, even Benny doesn’t want you to go. Please? Just this once.”

Lincoln shook his head and embraced his wife, giving her a kiss first and then kissing his crying son on the head. “I have to go. I’ll be back later.”

The distressed woman clutched at his cut, trying to keep him with her. “Promise me.” She looked him in the eyes, the same ones he shared with the baby. “Promise me you’ll be safe.”

He kissed her one last time before turning towards the door. “I promise. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Another push, another grunt, another memory.

“Jacksonville Police! Get down on the ground!”

Lincoln raised his hands above his head and sighed in defeat before slowly lowering himself onto his stomach, groaning when he felt a knee slam into his back as an officer cuffed him.

“You’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law.”

Sixty-seven, sixty-eight, sixty-nine…

The stocky officer that was interrogating him banged his fist on the metal table, frustrated beyond belief. Taking a deep breath, he composed himself, trying once again to be nice.

“We know you didn’t work alone. Now give us what we need to get your buddies and we’ll reduce your sentence. You’ll be in and out like that!” He snapped his fingers in front of Lincoln’s face and continued trying to make him turn on his friends, on his
brothers
. “You’ll be back in Lakeside and with your family in no time. I bet your wife would appreciate that. You’ll see your daughter, your newborn son.”

Putting his elbows on the table and leaning forward, the biker locked eyes with his interrogator. “I told you, I worked alone.” He wasn’t giving up the club. No way.

Getting up, the officer made his way to the door. “You wanna take the fall, that’s fine with me. I would’ve loved getting your buddies, but one is more than enough.” He stopped before exiting the room and smirked in the biker's direction. “Good luck at your trial, tough guy.”

Eighty-two, eighty-three… Sweat covered his whole body, but he refused to stop.

“Order!” The judge banged her gavel and tried to get all of the bikers in the courtroom under control. When they all quieted down, she put her glasses on and looked at the prisoner. “Lincoln Daniels, you’ve been arrested for trespassing, breaking and entering, and arson. How do you plead?”

Lincoln got up along with his lawyer and looked at the judge. “Guilty.” He heard a sob the moment that word passed his lips, and he turned his head a little, seeing Lana. She was sitting between Bianca and Jackie, both of them supporting her frail frame. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she had tears sliding down her cheeks. He turned to the front again, waiting for his punishment.

The judge sighed and shook her head. “I hereby sentence you to ten years in prison, with right to parole after five. You will serve your sentence in the Florida State Penitentiary. Court dismissed.”

Banging at the door to his cell startled him out of his reverie and he looked over his shoulder. Seeing his jail cell being opened, he got up and wiped his face, moving to the bed.

“You’ve got a visitor.”

Lincoln put his shirt on and stepped out, letting the guard pat him down. Protocol. After that was over and done with, he was led out of the cell block and towards the visiting area. Looking through the bars, he could see Finn sitting at a table, arms crossed and gaze downcast.

“You’ve got twenty minutes.”

He nodded at the guard and made his way towards his visitor, not paying any mind to the heavy doors that closed behind him. Stopping in front of the table, he waited for the man to look at him and nodded his head in greeting.

“Finn.”

“Hey, brother.” The vice president got up to hug his childhood friend, then sat down in the cold, metal chair on one side of the table. “How've you been?”

Lincoln lifted one of his eyebrows, letting out a brief laugh. “I’m in jail. How do you think I've been?”

Finn gave him an apologetic look. “Come on, man, I didn’t mean anything by it. We’re all worried about you. Me, the guys, mom… Lana.”

Sighing when he heard his wife’s name, Lincoln nodded his head solemnly. “Yeah, I know.” He looked at the prisoners around him, talking to wives, sisters, mothers, and his heart clenched a bit. “How's she doing?”

“She’s… coping.” Taking a few pieces of paper from the inside pocket of his cut, the blond man slid them across the table. “Mom and Jackie are with her all the time, helping with the kids and stuff.”

“Tell them thanks for me, yeah?” The bigger man looked down, picking up the photos his friend had brought him. “He’s so big.” He breathed out the words, his gaze not moving from the first picture.

Lana was sitting in an old rocking chair, their son in her arms. Her hair was tucked behind her ear and she was looking down at little Benny, a radiant smile on her face. She had a few more worry lines and looked exhausted, but that didn’t detract from her beauty. The baby was yawning, with one tiny fist rubbing his eyes and his other hand reaching for his mother’s hair. They were both gorgeous and Lincoln cursed his circumstances.

Flipping to the next photo, he smiled again. Lana was grinning at his daughter Addison. The little girl was holding her baby brother, standing proud in front of the camera. He was missing them terribly already. The next five to ten years were going to be hell.

Lincoln let out a gruff laugh, looking up at his companion. “Thanks, Finn. I appreciate these.”

“You’re welcome. You’ll be out soon, though, so you won’t need them for long.”

“Yeah.” The imprisoned man snorted and shook his head. “If it wasn’t for that punk Max… We shouldn’t have patched him in. He doesn’t have what it takes to be a King.”

“He’s out.” The blond man’s eyes turned cold, his expression hard. “Excommunicated.”

“You stripped his patch?”

“Of course. Did it as soon as we found out what happened.”

“Good move. That douche didn’t deserve his patch.”

“Daniels!” Lincoln looked at the guard standing near the doors, motioning for him to exit the visitors’ area. “Your time’s up. Come on.”

Rising from his chair, he looked at the man across the table. “Thanks, Finn. For the pictures and everything you’re doing for Lana.”

“Don’t worry, your family is taken care of. You don’t have anything to thank me for. That’s what we do.” He nodded at his long-time friend. “Just look out for yourself while you’re in, okay?”

Making his way to the guard, Lincoln looked over his shoulder for the last time and nodded. “I’ll see you soon, brother.”

38

August 4
th

“What do you mean you forgot?” Jackie shouted into the phone as she paced around the apartment. “Tyler, I reminded you yesterday that I had an appointment this afternoon.”

“
I know and I'm sorry
,” he replied, hardly sounding apologetic. “
Some stuff came up at the garage, and there's just no way I'm gonna be able to get off to take you.
”

She made a noise of frustration, then signed in defeat. “Whatever. I'll just call Bianca-”

“
No, no. Don't worry. I got it all figured out for you. Someone should be there to pick you up any second.
”

“Tyler-”

“
It'll be fine. Trust me
.”

A knock echoing through her apartment halted any chance of an argument, and she went to open the door. To say that she was surprised to see the tattooed Macon biker standing uncomfortably in the hall, hands shoved into his jean pockets, would be an understatement. In retrospect, she should have seen this last-ditch attempt at getting them to talk coming from a mile away.

“You're
such
an asshole,” she said coldly to Tyler, waving a hand nonchalantly at Dean as he looked at her in confusion.

“
Gotta go. Play nice
.” Tyler's excited tone as he hung up made it clear that this was his plan all along.

Rolling her eyes, she closed her cell phone and smiled at the man in her doorway. “Hi.”

“Hey. I'm guessing Tyler didn't tell you I was coming.”

“Nope. He just loves to keep me guessing. But it's fine. Let me just get my bag.”

“Right. Where am I taking you anyways?” Jackie stopped mid-turn, silently cursing Tyler in her head for not telling him the details. “He just asked if I could pick you up since you haven't had a chance to get a new car yet.”

“Uhm, it's an appointment with the OB... for the baby.”

“Is everything okay?” he asked with a hint of worry.

“Yeah, the baby is good. It's just a check-up. The doctor wants to make sure everything is still working like it's supposed to after the car accident.”

“Oh... well that's good.”

“You know what, I can just call Bianca. You don't need to take me.”

“No, it's okay. I don't mind.” He ran a hand through his shaggy dark hair awkwardly. “Besides, I borrowed her cage so you wouldn't have to ride on the back of my bike.”

“Well, you can just drive me to the garage and she can take me from there.”

“I can handle it, Jackie. Now hurry up and get your stuff. You don't want to be late.”

Sighing reluctantly, she picked up her bag and house keys before locking the door behind them and heading to the stairs.

The ride to the hospital was filled with basic small talk and the occasional bout of silence. Jackie was glad that they had managed to remain amicable in the days since his arrival to Lakeside. She had always imagined an epic showdown would occur should they ever meet again, but it was quite the opposite. It was almost as if they had never been apart, save for the baby now added into the mix.

It made her really miss their old life back in Macon. The thought of having an abortion crossed her mind again, but she knew things would never go back to the way they were, even with the baby gone.

Arriving at the hospital a few minutes later, Dean parked the car and shut it off.

“You can wait out here until I'm done,” Jackie said as she opened the door to get out. “I totally understand you not wanting to come in.”

“I'll walk you upstairs,” he replied, exiting the car as well. “I can just sit in the waiting area.”

“You sure? I'm completely capable of going by myself.”

“Yeah, but just my luck, the elevator would get stuck and you'd go into labor or something.”

She pinned him with a look as she hoisted her bag higher on her shoulder. “And what exactly would you do to help the situation if you were there? Have you been taking child delivery classes in your spare time?”

“How'd you guess?” he asked sarcastically and paused just outside of the automatic entrance doors.

Jackie stopped inside and watched his hesitation sympathetically. “Dean, you really don't have to come in.”

He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. Going inside would solidify the fact that Jackie was really going to have a baby. It would completely ruin his ridiculous theory that she was just eating too much junk food and getting fat.

It made everything so real.

“I'm fine,” he finally said and stepped into the hospital. They made their way up to the maternity ward on the fourth floor, and Jackie checked in at the front desk. Dean watched a woman only a few months into her pregnancy and her husband as they waited in chairs. Both of them were smiling joyfully and discussing how they were going to decorate the nursery as they looked through a magazine for first-time parents.

“Hey.” Jackie placed a hand on his arm to get his attention. “You want to sit down?” He nodded slowly and the pair joined the other couple.

“Oh my goodness!” The wholesome woman in her early thirties exclaimed. “You are so beautiful. How far along are you?”

Jackie smiled and laid a hand on her stomach. “About twenty two weeks.”

“You must be so excited,
dad
,” the husband said to the biker with a wink. Dean sat in stunned silence, having no idea how to respond. Thankfully, he didn't have to as the doctor chose that moment to walk into the room and call their name.

“Jackie, it's so lovely to see you again.” Doctor Christian Hodge cheerfully pulled her in for a quick hug as the pair approached him. “And who is this lovely gentleman?” he asked with a raised eyebrow as he took in her companion's appearance.

“This is Dean, my uh... baby daddy. Dean, this is Doctor Hodge.” The killer's only response was a grunt and a slight nod.

“It is such a pleasure to finally meet you, Dean,” Christian said with a hint of sarcasm and a bright smile. “Well, come on back.” He motioned for the pair to follow him down the hall. “Let's go take a look at the youngster.” When Dean made no move to join them, the doctor turned and looked at him expectantly. “Well come on,
dad
. Don't you want to see your kid?”

The man stood where he was, his brain refusing to put any words together as yet another person referred to him as a parent with complete and utter confidence. Thankfully, Jackie came to his rescue. “We're not actually together,” she said quietly, sending a soft smile to the tattooed man. “He just got roped into driving me today. He's just gonna wait here.”

Christian sighed and closed the distance between Dean and himself. “Son, let me give you a little piece of wisdom I've picked up. Every father that refused to go in and see their flesh and blood on the screen has regretted it. Doesn't matter if you're going to be in the kid's life or not. I think you should see this.”

The two men stared at each other for what seemed like hours, one set of eyes hard and steely, the other kind and knowing. Jackie could only stand to the side and watch as Dean finally relented with a nod.

With a smile, the doctor turned and led the way down the hall. Dean leaned down towards Jackie, keeping his eyes on the man in front of them. “Who the hell is this guy? Did they run out of lady docs or something?”

She rolled her eyes and looked up at him incredulously. “Afraid I'm gonna run off with my sixty year old obstetrician?” He aimed a glare in her direction as they entered an exam room. “Relax, he's also Bianca's gynecologist.” She smiled and patted him on the chest before hopping up onto the table. Dean got situated on a stool in the corner, putting as much distance between himself and the monitor as he could. 

“Alright, let's take a look at the little angel, shall we?” The doctor set up the ultrasound machine and had the picture on the screen within a few minutes. “There it is. Seems to be as healthy as ever.” Jackie breathed a sigh of relief, thankful the crash hadn't done any damage to the baby. “Would you like to know the gender?”

She thought about it for a moment, then nodded her head excitedly. “That would be great.”

He moved the adapter around on her stomach to get the best view, then smiled triumphantly as he saw what he was looking for. “That is without a doubt a boy.”

Jackie grinned with watery eyes, elated at the news. “My very own little hellion,” she whispered softly as she stared at the monitor. “What do you think, Dean?” When she got no answer, she turned her head to look at him.

Dean was sitting with his elbows braced on his knees and his head balanced on his hands, his eyes glued to the image on the screen. He said nothing, merely watched as the baby moved.

“I'll just leave you two alone for a few minutes,” the doctor said as he froze the picture on the monitor for them to see and put the rest of the equipment back on the cart before exiting the room.

“Dean?”

He got off of the stool and slowly walked over to the monitor, placing himself in front of it. He held his hand up to the image on the screen and compared the size of his palm to the baby. “It's so tiny. He... he's so tiny. Holy shit.” Jackie watched on silently as he marveled over the picture. “That's not mine... can't be mine... Why aren't you freaking out?” He turned momentarily to look at her, waiting for a response.

“I freaked out four months ago, I promise.”

He moved his attention back to the monitor, bracing his hands on either side of the ultrasound cart and resting his forehead against the screen. “A fucking baby... ” he whispered hoarsely, not moving from his position. “Do you think he'll turn out like me? Some coldblooded asshole that kills people for a living?”

Jackie smiled sadly and silently moved off of the bed to stand behind him, resting a comforting hand on his leather-clad back. “If he's even half the man you are, he'll be damn lucky. Because you're honest and loyal and you're willing to do anything for your brothers. Even kill. But you're a good guy. I don't regret anything that happened between us.” And she truly didn’t. She was still scared, she still had her doubts about him, but deep down she did know that he was a good guy. He did what he did and it still made her uneasy, but like Bianca had said, she had to accept it and move on.

He finally broke his gaze from the image of his unborn child and looked down at her. “But what if I regret letting you leave? What if I wake up in six months and I'm just as angry and confused as I am now? What if I'm supposed to make you stay?”

“You're not
supposed
to do anything. You do what you
want
to do.” She tilted her head and stared at him curiously. “So what do you want?”

Dean stood there in silence like he had many times in the past hour, once again at a loss for words. He had never really stopped to ask himself what
he
wanted. It had always been “
What's best for the club
?” and “
What does the club need
?” Rarely was he ever concerned about what it was that he wanted.

“I want to be happy,” he replied simply with a shrug of his broad shoulders. “And the club makes me happy.” Jackie could only nod in response, knowing he would say something like that. “But for the year that I spent with you, I was happier than ever. And I don't know what it is, but you make me so fucking happy. I don't know if it's because you're so damn hot or because you can cut right through all  the bullshit, or maybe just 'cause you don't see me the way the guys do.”