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And thank you for your continued support, your kind words...everything!
Original name: Reaper's Legacy
Author: Joanna Wylde
I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I own Reaper's Legacy.
Prologue...
EIGHT YEARS AGO...
COLORADO...
MERCEDES
"I'm gonna stick it in now."
My boyfriend Shaun's voice was rough and full of urgent need.
I smelled him all around me, sweaty and hungry and so beautiful I could die.
And after tonight he'd be mine for real.
His hand reached down between us, guiding the round, rubbery head of his condom-clad penis until it nudged my opening.
It felt weird.
He pushed at me and I guess he missed, because it hit me too high and...
"Ouch! Shit, Shaun! That hurts. I think you're doing it wrong."
He stopped immediately and grinned down at me, the gap between his front teeth teasing.
Holy crap! I loved that grin.
I've had the biggest crush on him since we were freshmen, but he never noticed me...not until a couple months ago.
My parents didn't let me out much, but in July I'd managed to get permission to stay with a friend for a night and we snuck out and went to a party.
Shaun had homed in then, and we've been a couple ever since.
And since then, I've gotten really good at sneaking out.
"Sorry, babe," he murmured, leaning down to kiss me.
I softened immediately, loving the feel of his lips ghosting across mine.
He adjusted himself and started sliding into me again, slow and steady. This time he didn't miss, and I stiffened as he stretched me open wide.
Then he hit a barrier and paused.
I chose then to open my eyes and look up at him. He looked back down at me and I knew right then and there, that I would never ever love anyone half much as I loved Shaun Carson.
"Ready?" he whispered.
I nodded.
At that, he shoved into me and I squealed, pain ripping between my legs. But he kept me pinned with his hips as I gasped in shock.
Then he pulled out and I tried to catch my breath. But before I could, he thrusted back into me.
Hard.
Ouch!
"Holy shit, you're tight," he muttered.
He pushed himself up on his hands, throwing his head back as he pumped into my body, over and over, eyes closed and face straining with hunger.
I don't know what I'd expected.
I mean, I wasn't stupid. I knew it wouldn't be perfect the first time...no matter what the romance books said.
And it didn't hurt that much. But it sure as shit didn't feel good, either.
Shaun moved faster, and I turned my head on the couch to look across the small apartment.
It was his brother's, apparently. But we had it for the night. It was supposed to be our special, perfect time together.
To be honest, I'd expected flowers or soft music and wine or something. Stupid, I know. But Shaun had pizza and some beer from his brother's fridge.
"Ouch!" I muttered again as he paused, face twisting.
"Shit, I'm gonna come," he gasped.
And right at that moment, I felt his penis throb deep inside, almost twitching.
It was weird. Really weird.
And nothing like I'd seen in movies.
Not even a little bit.
Wait...was that it?
"Oh, fuck that's good..." Shaun moaned.
Apparently, that was it...
Then the apartment door opened, just as he collapsed between my legs, oblivious to the world.
And I couldn't do anything but watch in horror as a man walked in.
I didn't know him, but he couldn't have been Shaun's brother. Because he didn't look anything like him.
Shaun was taller than me, but not by a whole lot.
But this guy was really tall. And muscular. In the way men who work with their hands get from heavy lifting on the job.
He wore a black leather vest with patches over a ratty T-shirt, and jeans that had streaks of dark motor oil or grease or something.
A half rack of beer dangled from one hand. And his hair was short and blonde. Almost military.
His eyebrow was pierced and his features were distinctly handsome, so much so, you could call him pretty.
Big black boots covered his feet and the chain from his wallet hung low across his hip.
One of his arms had some type of tattoos on it. But I couldn't quite make them out. The other had a skull with crossed blades behind it...
The man stopped in the doorway and looked us over, slowly shaking his head.
"I told you what I'd do if you broke into my place again," he said quietly. And Shaun popped up, his face immediately going white.
His entire body...with one notable exception...stiffened. And I felt said exception slither out of me, along with some fluid.
Then to my horror, I realized we hadn't even bothered to put a towel down or anything.
Eww.
But how was I supposed to know we'd need a towel?
"Shit!" Shaun said, his voice a tight squeak. "Wringer, I can explain..."
"Don't fuckin' explain," Wringer drawled, pushing forward into the room. He slammed the door shut behind him and walked over to the couch.
I tried to hide my head in Shaun's chest, more ashamed and embarrassed than I'd ever been in my life.
"Jesus Christ! What is she? Twelve?" Wringer asked, giving the couch a kick.
It shuddered under me, and Shaun sat up, pulling away from my body.
An instant shriek escaped me and I pushed my hands down between us, trying to cover myself from his brother's gaze.
Shit! DOUBLE SHIT!
Then it got worse...
The brother...Wringer, whatever the hell kind of name that was...looked right at me as he leaned across my body, grabbing a folded blanket from the back of the couch.
And tossed it over my crotch area.
I moaned and died a little inside. My legs were still spread wide, and my skirt up high around my waist.
He'd seen everything.
Everything.
This was supposed to be the most romantic night of my life and now, I just wanted to go home and cry.
"I'm takin' a shower and by the time I'm done, you need to be gone," Wringer said, getting in Shaun's face. My boyfriend flinched. "And stay the fuck outta my apartment!"
With that, he walked down the hall to the bathroom, banging the door shut.
Seconds later, I heard the shower come on. And Shaun jumped up, muttering,
"Asshole. He's such a goddamn asshole!"
"Was that your brother?"
"Yeah. He's a prick."
I sat up and straightened my shirt. Thank God I hadn't taken it off.
Shaun loved to touch my breasts, but we'd actually moved pretty fast once we got started.
I managed to get to my feet, holding the blanket in front of me while I pulled down my skirt. I had no idea where my panties had gone, and a quick look around didn't reveal them.
I leaned over the couch, digging in the pillows, hunting. No luck, but I managed to stick my hand in the disgusting wet spot we'd left behind.
I felt like such a whore.
"Fuck!" Shaun yelled behind me, scaring the shit out of me.
My head jerked up...
The way he looked...how could things possibly get any worse?
"Holy fuck! I cannot fucking believe this!" he yelled.
"What's wrong?"
"The condom broke," he said, eyes wide. "The fucking condom broke. This has got to be the worst night of my life. You better not be pregnant."
The air froze in my lungs.
Apparently, things could get worse...
Shaun held the broken rubber out towards me. And I stared down at the nasty thing, not quite believing my bad luck.
"Did you do it wrong?" I whispered. He shrugged, not answering.
"It's probably okay," I said after another long pause. "I mean, my period just ended. You can't get pregnant that soon after your period, right?"
"Um, yeah, probably," he said, flushing and looking away. "I didn't really pay attention to that shit in class. I mean, I always use a condom. Always. They never break, not even..."
My breath caught and I felt hot tears well up in my eyes.
"You told me you'd only done it once before," I said softly.
He winced.
"I've never done it with anyone I loved before," he said, dropping the broken rubber and grabbing for my hand.
I tried to tug away. The mess on his fingers grossed me out, but when he pulled me in tight and wrapped his arms around me, I caved.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay," he muttered, rubbing my back as I sniffled against his shirt. "It'll be fine. We're fine. And I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you. I was afraid you wouldn't stick with me if you knew I'd been stupid before. I don't care about any other girls and I never will. I just want to be with you."
"Okay," I said, pulling myself together.
He shouldn't have lied, but at least he owned up to it. Mature couples worked through hard stuff all the time, right?
"Um, we should probably get out of here. Your brother looked pretty pissed. I thought he gave you a key?"
"My stepmom has an emergency key," he said, shrugging. "I took it. He was supposed to be out of town. Grab the pizza."
"Should we leave some for your brother?"
"Screw him. And he's my stepbrother. We're not even really related."
Oookay.
I found my shoes and slipped them on, then got my purse and the pizza. I still didn't know where my panties were, but just then I heard the shower stop.
That meant, we needed to get out.
Shaun glanced over at the bathroom, then winked at me as he grabbed the half rack of beer off the counter.
"C'mon," he said, taking my hand and pulling me towards the door.
"You're stealing his beer?" I asked, feeling a little sick. "Seriously?"
"Fuck him!" he said, narrowing his eyes at me. "He's a total dick, thinks he's better than everyone else. Him and his stupid fucking motorcycle club. They're all assholes and criminals. And he is, too. Probably stole it in the first place. And he can buy more anytime he wants, not like us. We'll take it to Marley's. Her parents are in Mexico."
We jogged down the apartment complex stairs, then crossed the parking lot to Shaun's truck. It was kind of old, but at least the full-size Ford's king cab had plenty of room.
We'd take it out sometimes, just the two of us and spend hours lying in the bed under the stars, kissing and laughing.
Other times, we packed three or four couples in, all sitting on each other's laps.
Shaun hadn't done such a great job tonight, but that wasn't his fault. Sometimes life just didn't follow the plan.
I was still crazy about him, though.
"Hey," I said, stopping him as he opened the driver's-side door. I turned him around and popped up onto my toes, kissing him long and slow. "I love you."
"I love you, too, babe," he said, smoothing my hair back behind my ear. I melted when he did that. It made me feel safe and protected. "Now let's go kill some of those beers. Tonight was a crazy night. And my brother is the biggest dick ever."
I rolled my eyes and laughed as I hauled ass around the truck.
So losing my virginity hadn't been perfect and beautiful and all that. But at least it was over and Shaun loved me.
Too bad about the panties, though.
I'd bought them special and everything.
EIGHT MONTHS LATER
SAM...AKA...WRINGER
"Fuck, it's my mom. I gotta grab that," I yelled across the table at my date, holding up my cell.
The band hadn't started yet, but the place was still packed, and I couldn't hear a damn thing.
I didn't get out much since I'd started prospecting the Collectors. Earning a place in the club was a full-time job by itself, and I pulled shifts at the pawnshop, too.
Ma knew that, and she wouldn't have called if it wasn't important.
"Hey, lemme get outside," I said loudly into the phone, walking towards the door with long strides.
People got the fuck out of my way...fast, and I bit back a smile. I've always been a big guy, but now that I wore an MC cut?
Fuckers practically dove under the tables when they saw the club patches on my vest.
"Okay, I'm outside," I said, moving away from the crowd in front of the Ironhorse.
"Sam, Mercedes needs you," mom said.
"What do you mean?" I asked, peering at my bike parked down the street. 'Was that guy getting close to it? Oh, not gonna happen...'
"So, are you going?" she said. Shit! She'd been talking.
"Sorry, Ma. I missed what you said."
"I just got a panicked phone call from Mercedes," she repeated. "Stupid kids. She went to a kegger with your brother and now she thinks she might be in labor. He's too drunk to drive her and she's having contractions, so she can't drive herself. I'm gonna kill him. I can't believe he'd take her somewhere like that, especially now."
"Are you fuckin' kidding me?"
"Sam, don't use that language with me," she snapped. "Can you help her or not? I'm in Spokane and it'll take at least an hour to get there. I'll start making more phone calls if you can't do it."
"Wait, isn't it too early?"
"A little too early, yes," she replied, her voice tense. "I wanted to call an ambulance but Mercedes insists it's just Braxton Hicks. Ambulance rides cost a fortune, you know, and she's scared of the bills. She wants to go home but I think she might need the hospital. Can you get her or not? I can meet you there as soon as I hit town. I've got a real bad feeling about this, Sammy. Didn't sound like Braxton Hicks to me."
"Yeah, of course," I replied, wondering what the hell Braxton Hicks were.
I saw my date come out of the bar, smiling at me ruefully. She knew all about sudden phone calls and changes in plans.
She was used to them.
"Where are they?" I asked my mom.
I got the information and hung up.
This sucked.
I wanted to get laid tonight. And not at the clubhouse.
Some privacy would be nice for a change, cause my date...Misty...was as wild as they got.
I walked over to her shrugging my shoulders.
"Club business?" she asked lightly. Thank God she wasn't a drama queen.
"Nope, family," I replied. "My asshole stepbrother knocked up his girlfriend and now she's going into labor. She needs a ride to the hospital. I'm gonna go get her."
Misty's eyes widened.
"You should definitely go, then," she said quickly. "I'll take a cab home. Shit, that sucks. How old is she?"
"Just turned seventeen."
"Damn!" she said, shivering with genuine horror. "I can't imagine having a kid that young. Call me later, okay?"
I gave her a fast but hard kiss. And she reached down and offered my dick a quick squeeze.
I groaned, feeling myself stiffen. I really needed to get laid...
Instead, I pulled away and walked over to my bike.
The party was halfway to Boulder, off in some field that I vaguely remembered visiting when I was in high school.
I found Shaun's truck easy enough. Mercedes was standing next to it, looking scared in the summer twilight.
Suddenly, her face tightened and she hunched over her giant belly, groaning. Now she looked terrified.
I parked my bike and realized I'd have to leave it in the field...there was no way she could ride with me.
Fucking great!
These asshat little shits would probably run over it or something.
But Mercedes' face was ashen with strain. So there was no room to mess around.
She needed to get into the truck, and clearly she needed to go now.
I shook my head, glancing around for my brother.
I still couldn't figure out why a smart, beautiful girl like her would pick Shaun, of all people.
She had long, dark hair, beautiful brown eyes, and a way about her that screamed feminine softness...a softness I'd spent more than one night imagining with my dick in my hand.
Even pregnant in the middle of a field party, she was still gorgeous.
Way too young, though.
She saw me and winced, reaching around to put one hand against her back, stretching as the contraction ended.
I knew she didn't like me. And I didn't blame her.
After all, we hadn't met under the best of circumstances, and things between me and Shaun went further to shit every day.
I hated the way he treated our mom and I hated the way he lived his life. But more than anything else, I hated the way the little freak was already running around on Mercedes behind her back.
That cocksucker didn't deserve a girl like her, and their kid sure as hell hadn't won the lottery when it came to his future daddy.
"How you doing?" I asked, coming up to Mercedes and hunkering down so I could see her face.
Her eyes were full of panic.
"My water broke," she said, her voice a hoarse whisper. "The contractions are coming really fast. Way too fast. It's supposed to be slow with your first baby, it never happens this fast. I need to get to the hospital, Wringer. I shouldn't have come here."
"Fucking hell," I muttered. "You got the keys?"
She shook her head.
"Shaun does. He's over by the bonfire. Maybe we should call an ambulance? Oh..." she groaned, leaning over.
"Hang in there," I said. "I'll get Shaun. I can drive you to the hospital faster than an ambulance at this point."
She groaned again and leaned back against the truck. And I took off towards the bonfire, finding Shaun half passed out on the ground.
"On your feet, asshole!" I demanded, grabbing him by the shirt and dragging him upright. "Keys. Now!"
Shaun looked at me blankly.
Was that barf on his shirt?
High school kids stood around watching, eyes wide as they clutched their big red Solo cups of cheap beer.
"Fucking hell!" I muttered again, digging down into my brother's pants pocket, hoping like hell he hadn't lost them.
Luck! I pulled out the keys, dropping him back onto the dirt.
"You wanna see your kid gettin' born, get your ass in the truck now," I told him. "I'm not waiting for you."
With that, I took off towards the Ford, wrenching open the door, then lifting Mercedes into the backseat.
I heard a thudding noise and saw Shaun climb into the truck bed out of the corner of my eye.
Little prick.
I turned on the engine and popped the truck into gear, ready to go. Then I slammed it back into park, jumped out, and ran over to my bike.
I had a little first aid kit in there. Nothing fancy, but at this rate, we might need it.
I climbed back into the truck, pulled out of the field, and started towards the highway, watching Mercedes anxiously in the rearview mirror.
She was panting hard.
Then she screamed...
And every hair on the back of my neck stood up.
"Holy shit! I feel like I need to push," she cried. "Oh, God, it hurts. It hurts so bad. I've never felt anything like this. Drive faster...we need to get there fast..."
Her voice trailed off as she groaned again.
I drove faster, wondering if Shaun had something to hold on to. I couldn't see him back there. Maybe he'd passed out in the bed.
Hell, maybe he'd bounced out. Either way, I really didn't care.
I'd almost made it to the highway when Mercedes started shouting.
"Stop! Stop the truck!"
Abruptly, I stopped, hoping to hell that didn't mean what I thought it did.
Nevertheless, I threw on the parking brake and turned to see her eyes closed, face scrunched and full of agony.
She was crouching forward, moaning.
"We need an ambulance," I said, my voice grim. And she nodded tightly.
I made the call, giving the operator the details of our situation. Afterwards, I put the phone on speaker and dropped it onto the seat.
Then I got out and opened the back door, leaning in.
"I'm here with you, Mercedes," the 911 operator told them. "Hold on. The paramedics are on their way. You'll see them soon."
Mercedes groaned through another contraction.
"I have to push."
"The ambulance is ten minutes out," the operator said. "Can you hold on until they reach you? They have everything they need to help you with this."
"FUCK!" Mercedes screamed, squeezing my hands so hard, my fingers went numb.
"All right. It's unlikely the baby will be born before they arrive, but I want you to get ready, Wringer," the operator said, her voice so calm she sounded stoned.
How did she do that?
I felt about thirty seconds away from a heart attack.
"Mercedes needs you now. The good news is that childbirth is natural and her body knows what to do. A baby born this fast usually means a very smooth delivery. Do you have a way to wash your hands?"
"Yeah," Sam muttered. "You gotta let go for a sec, Mercedes."
She shook her head, but I pried her hands free. Then I ripped into the first aid kit, pulling out a couple of ridiculously small sanitary wipe packets.
I attacked my hands and tried to go after hers. But she screamed and punched me in the face.
Holy shit! The girl had some power behind her.
I shook my head, then pulled it together even as my cheekbone started throbbing.
Another contraction rolled through...
"It's too early," Mercedes gasped. "I can't stop it. I have to push now."
"When is she due?" the operator asked just as Mercedes moaned long and low.
"In about a month," I told her. "It's too early."
"All right. The most important thing is to make sure the baby is breathing. Don't let it fall on the ground if it's born before the EMTs arrive. You'll have to catch it. Now don't panic...it can take hours to push out a baby, especially the first one. But just as a precaution, I want you to find something warm to wrap around the child if Mercedes delivers. You'll have to check the baby's breathing. If it's good, you'll lay him...or her...on the mother's bare chest, facedown, skin to skin. Then put whatever you have over him...or her. Don't tug on the cord, cut it, tie it off, or anything. Just keep your hands away from the birth canal. If the afterbirth comes out, wrap it with the child..."
That's when it hit me.
Mercedes was going to have her baby right here on the side of the road.
My nephew.
Right now!
Holy shit! She needed to get her pants off first!
Mercedes wore leggings and I tried to pull them down with her still inside the cab. It didn't work, and she couldn't seem to find a comfortable position, either.
"We have to get you out of here," I said.
She shook her head, teeth gritted, but I picked her up and set her feet on the ground anyway. Then I pulled down her sopping wet leggings and panties in one smooth move, lifting one foot and then the other to free her legs from the clinging fabric.
Now what?
She cried out again, face tight as she bore down next to me, falling into a squat beside the truck.
Fuck! I needed something to keep the baby warm.
I glanced around frantically, finding exactly nothing, so I pulled off my cut and tossed it into the truck. Then I ripped my T-shirt over my head. It wasn't the best, but it was relatively clean...
Mercedes pushed for an eternity, crouched down and digging her fingers deep into my shoulders. I'll definitely have bruises there in the morning.
Probably cuts from her nails, too. Whatever.
The 911 operator's calm voice encouraged us, saying the ambulance was only five minutes out. But Mercedes ignored her, lost in her own world of pain and urgency, giving loud, low groans with every contraction.
"Can you see the baby's head?" the operator asked.
And I froze.
"You want me to look?"
"Yes."
I was pretty damned sure I didn't want to look. Fuck!
Mercedes needed me, though. The kid needed me, too.
So I dropped down to peer between her legs.
That's when I saw it.
A tiny head, coming out of her body, covered with dark hair.
Holy crap!
Mercedes sucked in a deep breath and gripped my shoulders even harder. Next, she let out one loud, long moan as she pushed again.
Then it happened...
And I reached down...almost in a trance...as the world's most perfect little human slid right out of her...and into my hands.
Mercedes started crying with relief, even as blood streaked her thighs.
"What's happening?" the operator asked. I could hear a siren in the distance.
"The baby just came out," I muttered, awed. I'd seen a calf born, but that had nothing on this. "I'm holding it."
"Is it breathing?"
I watched as the newborn opened its little eyes for the first time and looked right at me. They were bluish and round and confused.
And fucking gorgeous.
They closed again though, as the baby screwed up its tiny mouth, sucked in a deep breath and let out a piercing wail.
"Yeah. Shit! The kid is fine."
I looked up at Mercedes and raised the baby between us. She smiled hesitantly and reached for her child.
Her exhausted, tear-streaked, yet radiant face was the second-most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life.
Right after the baby's tiny bluish eyes.
"You did good, babe," I whispered to Mercedes.
"Yeah," she whispered back. "I did, didn't I?"
Then she kissed the baby's head softly.
"Hey, Braylon Noah Jones, it's mommy," she said. "I'm gonna take such good care of you. I promise. Always."
What say you?
Stay safe!