I own nothing you recognize. All original characters and storylines are my own.
Chapter Eleven
Something was up. Something huge and I didn't know a god damned thing about it. For the last day and a half I'd been on blackout. No information came to me. I got calls from Juice who was still on protection detail and I knew serious shit was going down in Belfast. What worried me most was the fact that I hadn't heard from or seen Tara, she was my rock right now and I had no idea where the fuck she was. Paco and Chick were both on alert and neither were at liberty to discuss why my protection detail had been increased yet again. I felt like I was going insane, the last time I'd been under such an information lockdown was Donna's shooting and I prayed that this wasn't another epic clusterfuck.
"Hey there sweetheart." I was shaken out of my thoughts when I heard the voice that could calm the most savage of beasts.
"Neeta, I'm so glad you're here." I felt such relief it was insane.
"My little blackbird's comin' home today, where else would I be?" She asked and I smiled.
"What do you mean Neeta? I haven't gotten the release paperwork or anything." I was confused, no one had talked to me about it but yesterday both Dr. Nior and Dr. Bremmer had come in to say that I'd made amazing leaps in my recovery. Most likely due to extreme stubbornness and frustration.
"Just procedure sweetheart. Thank the good lord Jesus that you're gonna be home and soon enough that little baby's gonna be comin' home too." That made me smile; I truly couldn't wait until Esperanza made her appearance, then my smile dropped. She'd be coming into the world but she wouldn't have a chance to know her Daddy for a long time. "Put that frown away girl. Everything will work out."
"Sorry, just thinking about Juice." She nodded in understanding and picked up my crochet bag from the side of the bed and chuckled.
"I remember when I taught you how to do this. You made a blanket for Jackson took you an entire summer. He still has that blanket; he kept it in Abel's room." I didn't know why but that revelation caused tears to form in my eyes and she moved from the chair and held me like she used to when I was little. Things were truly coming full circle. "Let it out, just let it out baby."
"I don't know what I'm gonna do without him Neeta." I cried harder and she just kept on holding me.
"You're gonna survive sweetheart. It's all you can do. Now, I'm gonna sit here with you before the doctors come in and give you that last examination. Then one of the boys and Harry's girl Lyla are comin' to bring you home. Once you're home I'm puttin' you to bed then you're going to relax and let that baby girl get some rest." I nodded against her chest before she smoothed down my hair and went to sit down again.
"Have you talked to any of the doctors yet?" I asked after I calmed myself down sufficiently.
"Just your physical therapist. We'll start those hand exercises tomorrow. As soon as we get you home, you're resting. Don't give me no lip about it either." She pointed at me and I smiled.
"No Ma'am, no lip." She smiled and I rested against the pillows.
"Now Milla, the most important thing that both Dr. Bremmer and myself stress is that you are not to put yourself under undue stress. That means that you rest your body and mind as much as possible. No work, no family drama, no sexual excitement. You need to remain calm, cool and collected. We also want you to walk as little as possible. According to your home healthcare aide your house has two levels, she has already outfitted a room for you on your lower level to meet our requirements for you and we have been assured that you will receive around the clock care. Does this sound reasonable?" Dr. Nior asked and I almost laughed. "No family drama"? Jesus Christ all our family had was drama, but I nodded anyway. I'd do anything to go home. Dr. Nior was still looking at me so I nodded.
"Perfectly reasonable Doctor." She seemed satisfied as she made a note on my chart.
"Very well, I'll go to Dr. Bremmer and get his signature, then you can go home." She turned on her heel and walked out of the room, probably as eager to get me gone as I was.
I started getting my things from around my bed as I waited for Neeta to come back. I smiled as I thought about how things in my world always seemed to circle back. When I was a child Neeta had been my nanny, helping with things while Mom was busy being Queen. Now she'd care for me again and when my baby was born she'd take care of her. I started humming "Circle of Life" which had just popped into my head when the prepay in my drawer started ringing. I went into alert mode. Juice was still on protection and he'd given me a very specific time for his call so something had to be up. I quickly grabbed the phone and answered as butterflies flew furiously in my stomach.
"Hello?" The number wasn't Juice's but I knew it had to be one of the guys' prepays.
"Millipede…" When I heard Jax's voice my heart started pounding and I willed it to go back to normal but he sounded so broken, so upset that my heart wouldn't listen.
"Jax, what's wrong?" I didn't even know what was up but my heart was breaking for him. He wouldn't be this upset unless…"Oh god, did you find Abel?"
I took a deep breath and could hear his tears over the phone. No, my nephew was alive, he had to be.
"I don't know what to do Milla, don't know anything." I felt tears in my eyes, Abel was involved but if it was something that tragic they would have had Juice tell me.
"What do you need to do big brother?" I asked as softly as I could, keeping the panic out of my voice.
"I can't do this, can't be this." He was making no sense, he'd cracked and I was scared. "I tortured and killed a man yesterday. I'm not a good man."
"No, you're a great man Jackson and everything you did was to preserve your family, preserve our family. Jax, what happened? You're scaring me." I was going from scared to terrified.
"I gotta go Millipede, I love you." He hung up and I was beyond confused. He was obviously wrestling with something and I found myself in the same boat as him. I didn't know what to do. I closed the cell and stuffed it in my bag with my other phone and willed my heart to slow. This time it worked and by the time Neeta came in with a change of clothes in her arms I was ready to go.
"Ok, Milla just sign there and you are free to go." I smiled at Dixie and signed the discharge papers. I was going home and I couldn't have been happier. I handed the clipboard back to her and hopped out of bed. Neeta had been good enough to get me a dress that I could just pull over my head and sandals I could just slip my feet into. As soon as she brought me the clothes I had her help me get dressed. Now all I needed was the wheel chair and my ride and I was outta here. While I waited I picked up the phone again, ever since Jax called I'd been spooked.
For once there was no drama as Neeta helped me into the wheelchair and drove carefully to my house. I did cry when I saw my home, I missed the horrible yellow paint job with the peeling blue trim. The cracked mortar and the garage Juice spent so much time modifying for his bike. I thought that thinking of him would make me cry harder, instead it stopped the tears and I was able to smile. I missed him but he would be home, I could feel it.
"Ready to go home little bird?" Neeta asked as we stopped as close to the door as we could and I nodded. I waited patiently while she got out of the car and helped me out. I looked around and saw that the lawn had been mowed, my garden weeded and our hedges trimmed. I loved having Prospects around.
With Neeta's assistance I got into the house and stood in shock at the chaos around me. There were jeans and t-shirts draped over the couch, empties and full ashtrays scattered around the living room and the smell of burnt bacon wafting from the kitchen. Oh yeah, Koz was staying here.
"Dear Lord give me strength." Neeta muttered as she guided me to one of our guestrooms. My guess was that Koz was staying in the large basement guestroom, though if the couch was any indication he'd been sleeping there instead. When we went through the door I had to smile, there was a fully functional hospital bed, rails and all, with a recliner next to it and a bassinet in the corner. There was medical equipment next to the bed and one of the closets looked equipped with everything I'd need medically
"Here we are sweetheart. Let's get you in some pajamas and settled in this bed then you can rest and I'll give you some medication." I nodded and sat patiently on the bed while Neeta got me a loose nightgown and what looked like a new robe. I raised my eyebrows and she chuckled. "Lyla did some shopping. We all thought it would be good for you to have good, clean clothes that you could handle yourself."
As if speaking of the devil we heard the sound of a car pulling up followed by a bike. A few seconds later there was the sound of people talking, then the door opening. Neeta helped me
"I'm running late but why aren't her bodyguards here?" I grinned wide. Lyla was here with one of the guys.
"Some shit's going down but Chick's going to sleep on the couch tonight." Good, Koz was here, I missed him even if he was a slob.
Neeta had just helped me into my robe and I was settling into the bed when Lyla and Koz walked in. They both gave me grins before Lyla moved quickly and carefully hugged me before she joined me on the bed; she knew where her place was. Koz stayed leaning against the doorway while Neeta shook her head at him.
"You better be plannin' on cleaning that living room." She had walked up to him giving no mistake as to who she was talking to.
"What?" He looked confused for a second before he drew out his most charming smile. I knew Neeta, she wouldn't fall for it.
"That little girl needs a clean, orderly house and in the last week and a half between you and your visitors it's a mess. I may be black honey but I'm no maid. If you love her clean up your damn mess." He looked taken aback while Lyla and I shared a laugh.
"I'll have the Prospects do it. Too much shit's going on but I am sorry Mills, really." I nodded; I knew that making things tough for me would be the last thing he'd want.
"No problem now tell me what this shit is that's going down." He looked sick before he shook his head.
"No, no one's telling you a fucking thing until this gets resolved. If I give you a heart attack I'll be killed four times over. First Juice'll kill me, then Clay, then Jax and finally Tiggy. This face is too pretty to go six feet under." I was ticked but I couldn't help but giggle, he did always know how to make me laugh. His phone beeped then and he took it out. "Fuck, I gotta go. I'll have the Prospects come over to clean up shit. So good to have you home sweetheart."
He rushed over and leaned over Lyla to kiss my forehead before he made a mad dash out. I knew that whatever was up was big and involved Tara. Anything else and he would have told me. I sat back and talked with Lyla a while and bullied her into bringing my godbabies and Hunter over. I missed those kids and as long as I was monitored it would be fine.
Later that night I was sitting in bed while Neeta was directing Miles and Phil in the living room with the cleanup. I'd have Chantal and Chick to help me during the night with my staff starting the next day. Now if only someone would tell me where Tara was everything would be perfect. So far I was either around people who had no idea what was going on or were remaining quiet around me. I admitted that I wasn't in peak condition but I was ok, my heart was stronger and I was getting better at controlling my emotions. I understood on a practical level that they felt a need to protect me but I wish they would have understood that not telling me was stressing me out more. With Juice I could pull the "no info, no pussy" card but I held no power over the others…except the Prospects. Shit why didn't I think about that before I could get Phil to do just about anything for me. He knew the pull I had with Juice and my Dad. With a grin that I knew had to be evil a plan formed in my mind.
"Phil! Can you come in here?" I called out as I sat back in the bed and tried to look as pathetic as possible. I schooled my face to keep from laughing as he practically ran in the room.
"Is everything ok Milla?" He asked as he nervously wrung the rag in his hands.
"Not really, could you sit and talk with me for a minute?" I asked in a quiet voice and he looked concerned. I'd feel bad about this later but for now I needed information.
"Need me to get Neeta or call Chanty and tell to get her ass here?" He looked anxiously at the door and I shook my head and motioned to the chair. With a deep breath he moved across the room and sat in the chair. "What can I help you with?"
"I need you to tell me what's going on."I looked into Phil's eyes and saw fear flashing in them. "It's ok, in fact it's better it you tell me now so that I don't have to worry and…get worse. Wouldn't it be better for Juice and my parent's to see me hale and hearty when they return. Not knowing is stressing me out. I'm...I'm worried how this unease is affecting the baby, Juice's baby."
Oh yeah, it was low. Probably the lowest thing I'd ever done but it was working I had dropped my head during the little speech so I lifted my eyes and gazed at him through my bangs. He was warring with himself so I decided to play even dirtier. I smiled internally before I added the piece de resistance I sniffled and it was the push I needed. He reached over and placed a hand on my arm.
"Don't cry, I'll tell you but please, please don't have a heart attack." I nodded and he took a really deep breath before he started, "Tara and her boss went missing about two days ago. We found out she was taken. Don't freak out please don't freak out!"
I took a deep breath and swallowed before I motioned for him to continue. I told Jax she'd be a target, told the selfish fucker. Now she was gone.
"We know who took her and we're taking steps to get her back. The situation with her is part of the reason you have more protection and why no one's been around." I nodded and took another deep breath before I trusted myself to speak.
"Who took her?" I asked and he reached up to brush my hair behind my ear. Damn, he was such a nice guy.
"Hector Salazar, the piece of shit that stole Juice's cut." My eyes went wide, no wonder I was under protection. I could have been taken for similar reasons; I was attached to too many members of the club.
"Keep me informed, or I may have to talk to my Dad about you not following orders." Another low blow but if you couldn't fuck with Prospects, who could you fuck with?
"Right, um, I should get back to Miles." He rushed out of the room and I took a deep breath. Tara was gone but my faith in the club was unflappable, if they were doing everything in their power to get her back, they would get her back.
"I cannot wait to get on that plane baby." I smiled as Juice's voice took on an excited edge.
"I can't wait for you to get home either. I miss you and need you with me." I took a deep breath. I would not cry, I would not cry.
"I'll be home before you know it. There's serious shit going down so I don't know when I'll see you." A soon as he said it I felt a smile tug my lips.
"If you think I won't be camping out in the clubhouse waiting, you don't know me at all baby." I smiled wider when I heard a quiet laugh from his end.
"I had some wishful thinking baby. How are you? How's the house?" I smiled wider.
"I'll honestly be better when you're here but I'm in better control of my heart and emotions. Espy's still strong and she's started kicking up a storm again. As for the house, the Prospects brought it back into tip top shape, Neeta was in rare form as she made them clean up Koz's mess." I lay back in my pillows and could hear noises in the background through the phone and humming coming from my kitchen where Neeta and Chantal were making supper for everyone. Neeta may not have been a maid but her roast beef was to die for.
"Good, I don't want anything to stress you out baby. God I can't wait until I can hold you in my arms again. Is your bed big enough for two?" I took a look at my bed and nodded to myself.
"Yep, they got me an extra wide one. They knew my penchant for inviting the girls to sit with me and of course my husband. How're Abel and Jax?" I bit my lip as I waited for a response.
"Good, things were touch and go for a while but our nephew's coming home. I need you so much baby, need my family." I heard Hap's gravelly voice in the background and Juice's impatient response. "We're packing up, gonna be heading out soon. I love you."
"Love you too baby, don't make Happy angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry." This got a laugh from him and I felt a small tear in my eye. Damn it I thought I was under control.
"Goodbye baby, I can't wait to see you." He hung up and I did likewise before I found a comfortable position and decided to get some rest before dinner. There was no way I was missing Neeta's roast beef.