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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Violet

I’m helping Skyler behind the counter as she shows me the new schedule changes and her interview schedule for the next week to find us a new hire. We want to have time to train them before she has to go out on leave with the baby.

The phone rings and Skyler picks it up before I can. The guys are already gone to do whatever errands Gabe sent them on. I didn’t ask because I think Declan is right. The less I know, the better.

“Hey, Violet,” a male voice says from behind me. I turn and find Dr. Halloway leaning on the front counter.

He’s a handsome man. Tall, slender build, with shaggy blond hair and a slightly crocked smile. His icy blue eyes lock on mine, but he seems angry about something.

“Can I help you, Dr. Halloway?”

His smile is dark. “We’re friends aren’t we, Violet? Please call me Paul.”

“Okay,” I reply hesitantly, not liking the way my body shivers. Something feels strange about the way he’s looking at me. It’s not the same shiver I get with Declan. It’s a familiar, unpleasant feeling. One that says I should run.

Hoping to diffuse whatever issue he may have with the gym, I ask, “You look upset. Was there something wrong with the equipment this morning?”

Calm down. You’re safe here. It’s just all the talk of James lately that’s got you on edge.

I mentally scold myself. But I can’t shake the uneasiness in the pit of my stomach.

Paul scrubs his hand behind his neck, standing to his full height, looking back and forth between me and the front door. When he points at the door, then turns back to me, he asks, “So, when did you and, uh, the biker become a thing?”

Caught off guard by his question, I take a small step back. I don’t like the way he says the word biker, like Declan is lower or less than him, but maybe I’m reading too much into it.

He’s a customer. Be nice.

“It’s new,” I reply.

“Must be really new. Because I seem to recall when I asked you out last week, you said you weren’t in a place where you felt you should date anyone. Then you leave for a few days and come back with him.” His icy tone causes me to pause, scanning for ways to escape.

“Violet had to leave town on personal business. As for her relationship, that’s her business and not that of the gym members.” Skyler stands firmly behind me. Her hand on my back soothes some of my fear.

You’re not alone. He can’t hurt you.

“What seems to be the trouble, lass?” Kieran’s thick Irish brogue gives me the extra bit of comfort I need to breathe.

“We were just pointing out that Dr. Halloway seems a little snippier than usual. I’m guessing he forgot how to keep out of other people’s business. Especially Kings business. Isn’t that right, Paul?” Skyler doesn’t hesitate to put his ass on blast.

Kieran stands tall, crossing his arms over his chest. “Is that so?” Kieran drawls. “And here I thought doctors were supposed to be smarter than most. All that learning they do. Guess it goes to show some lessons can’t be taught in school.” I don’t miss the warning in Kieran’s voice.

Dr. Halloway raises his hands in surrender. “I meant no harm. I was just surprised to see Violet dating someone. My mistake. I can see you’re happy with your decision.” His eyes find mine, the anger from earlier all but gone. “I’ll see you around.” He pushes off the counter and walks out the door.

I turn around and Skyler is typing away on her phone.

“What are you doing?” I’m pretty sure she’s texting Declan.

“I’m letting Ethan know to keep an eye on Dr. Halloway. We don’t need members making our employees uncomfortable.”

No argument here.

The rest of the day goes by quickly. Skyler shows me the changes she’s made to the schedule. The new membership perks and the packages they’ll be offering for the next two months to try to increase attendance. We look over the applications for the upcoming interviews as well. These are things I think are way above my pay grade, yet here she is showing me.

“Sky, what’s your plan when the baby comes?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“I want to take some time off. I’ll still help with the back-office stuff, but most of that can be done remotely from home or the apartment upstairs. I want to be with the baby as much as I can for as long as I can.” Her eyes glass over. “When we lost our first child, I was alone, and I grieved for all the things I would miss seeing as that child grew. Then we found Lilah, and I absolutely adore our daughter, but I missed thirteen years of her life, too. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for the moments and milestones we’ve shared with Lilah. And maybe it’s silly, but I want to be sure I don’t miss any milestone moments with this baby.”

Squeezing her shoulder, I tell her, “It’s not silly at all.”

Ethan, Declan, and Hawk come strolling into the gym after six in the evening. Ethan lights up the moment he sees Skyler. She’s sitting in a chair behind the counter, looking like she’s ready to pass out.

“Hey, Sunshine. You doing all right?” He doesn’t wait for an answer. He grips her neck and kisses her soundly.

Must be a biker thing. I giggle to myself.

“Something funny, Dove?” A tremor runs through me as Declan’s smooth tone slides over me. It’s alarming how something as simple as his voice can set every nerve on edge in a good way.

The way he commands my body with just his voice and the words he says.

I feel my face flush with heat at his knowing smile. “Nothing I care to share,” I say quickly. He leans in to kiss me, but his ringing phone breaks the moment.

“Yeah,” he answers.

I watch as his face contorts into something akin to fear.

“Declan?”

“We’re on our way. No. No. Just get him there. We’ll meet you in the ER.” My heart stutters at the mention of the hospital.

“What’s wrong? Who’s hurt?” It’s Skyler who asks, but I know before he says it. I feel it in my gut.

“Carter,” I whisper.

Declan nods, grabbing my hand. “He’s okay. He fell off Midnight and hurt his arm. Caleb and Liz are almost to the hospital now. Grab your things and I’ll take you to him.” Declan is talking, and though I hear his words, I can’t make my feet move. Thrown back into memories of all the times we’ve done this. All the lies we told because we couldn’t tell the truth.

I fell down the stairs. Two cracked ribs.

I ran into a door. Broken nose and two black eyes.

Carter fell off his bike. Broken wrist.

He flipped ass over head off his skateboard. Mild concussion.

None of it was true. Every bit was James’s fault. Everything we’ve ever endured was caused by his temper. His need for power and control.

Tears start streaming down my face. The lump in my throat makes it hard to swallow.

“Dove?” Declan reaches for my face. “Violet!” I make eye contact, but I can’t seem to get my body to come back online. “Baby, we have to go. Carter needs us. Grab your things and I’ll take you to him.”

Carter needs us.

“Here.” Skyler hands me my purse. “Your baby needs you.” She has her hand on her belly, and something gives way inside me.

Your baby needs you.

My baby.

My son.

“Shit. Carter.” Come on Violet! Move your ass. “Okay. Okay. Let’s go.” The fog clears from my mind and my feet finally start moving. Declan doesn’t let go of me, dragging me to the truck with him, watching me closely.

“I’m okay. I just, I got caught in a memory,” I tell him, in hopes of easing his concern.

“This was an honest fall, baby. No one put hands on our boy. It was an accident. No one at the farm would ever hurt Carter. You know that, don’t you?” His face looks pained as he asks me.

“I know.”

“We’ll be right behind you, Dec.” I hear Ethan call out as Declan lifts me into the passenger seat of his truck. He reaches over, buckling my seatbelt, then cradles my cheek in his hand.

“He’ll be okay, baby. We’ll go sit with him and as soon as the doctor gets him patched up, we’ll take our boy home.”

“Thank you.” I don’t know what else to say. I feel horrible about the way I’m reacting. I don’t know why I can’t think straight. I’ve never faltered before when something has happened to Carter. I always know exactly what to do.

I’m his mother.

“You panicked. Something from your past was triggered and your body responded by shutting down.” I nod, unable to speak. What he says makes sense. “It’s almost like a flashback. It happens to people who’ve been through traumatic experiences. The difference is with a flashback, you get stuck in the moment, sometimes delusional, believing it’s happening in the now. What happened to you was more of a muscle memory. Your mind took you to a moment similar to the situation. You knew it wasn’t really happening, but you couldn’t get your body to cooperate with what you knew you needed to do because the memory was holding you captive.”

“H-how do you know about all of this?”

“I served in missions I wish I could forget. Saw things no one should ever have to endure and unfortunately, I remember them all,” he says solemnly. “It took a while for me to get my head back on straight and to be able to recognize the things that were triggering for me. Then I talked to Caleb, and he helped me work through them, so they no longer have the same hold on me. Sometimes I still have nightmares, or something will bring back an old memory, but it doesn’t hold me captive anymore.” His hand squeezes my thigh as he turns to meet my eyes. “We will help you through this too, Dove. You’re family now. Kings take care of their own.”