Page 28 of Ghost’s Obsession (Savage Legion MC #14)

Heather

I sit curled up on the little loveseat by the window, still in my nightgown and slippers, cradling a mug of chamomile tea.

I mostly wanted something warm to hold, while worrying about Ghost and his club brothers.

All the shit I went through with Carnage is fresh in my mind.

There were moments when I didn’t think I’d make it out of that relationship in one piece.

From the stories I’ve heard from Ghost, Tusk, and Brittany, it’s pretty clear he was on his best behavior with me.

Unfortunately, his best is still the worst relationship I’ve ever been in.

I had no idea what that man was capable of when we were together, I just knew he wasn’t right in the head, and I had to get out of there.

The phone buzzes on the end table, pulling me out of my thoughts. I snatch the phone up so I can answer on the first ring. When I hear Ghost’s voice, my heart skips a beat.

“Hey, mama,” he says, his voice deep and warm. “You hangin’ tough for me?”

I relax back against the chair and rub my hand over my stomach. It’s small, but there’s a noticeable baby bump now. My answer sounds a little breathless to my own ears. “Always. I wish you were here with me.”

He chuckles, amused by the neediness in my voice. “You miss me that bad?”

“Yeah.” I lean over onto an oversized cushion. “I know that I’m being all kinds of extra right now. I also know you’re on this mission with your club brother and that means you’re pretty safe. I just have a hard time relaxing when I know you’re in danger.”

The pause on the other end of the line makes me wonder if I am annoying him or maybe I hit him right in the feels.

After a few seconds, he clears his throat.

“Don’t you worry about us, darlin’. We’re close.

Real close. Carnage ran, but we’re right on his trail.

That fucker is not getting away from us.

Rigs thinks he knows we’re onto him and got spooked.

If that’s true, he’s at high risk for making a stupid mistake about now. ”

This is good news. I’m glad he’s sharing it with me. “I hope so.”

“I thought you deserved an update but mostly, I just wanted to hear your voice.” After a second or two he adds, “Needed to make sure you and the baby are okay.”

“We’re fine,” I tell him. “That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Yeah, I got to thinkin’ and decided that if I don’t come right out and tell you what I’m feelin’, you’ll never know. I need you to know that you’re important to me.”

I can’t keep the smile off my face. “I love you too.”

He clears his throat again. “Yeah, I love you too, sweetness. Are they treatin’ you right today?”

“Yes,” I assure him. “Brittany’s been hanging out up here with me, and the prospects are checking in.”

“Good. I trust them but just wanted to double-check everything was fine. Stay in the clubhouse and tell the prospects if anything weird happens.” There’s a slight hesitation before he lowers his voice.

“I don’t like being away from you right now.

Not with Carnage on the loose. We’re tracking him in the next county over, which is almost five hundred miles.

Knowing that bastard is nowhere near you is the only thing keeping me sane right now. ”

Finding out that Carnage was far away loosens a tightness in my chest. “I’m glad he’s nowhere near me as well. Just do what you need to do and come back to me.”

His dark tone clears, “I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

He tells me goodbye too fast and gets off the call. That’s how I know he’s in the middle of something. I certainly don’t want to be the reason he’s distracted if danger is near.

I go back to sipping my tea. Only now, I’m worrying more about Ghost and less about myself because Carnage is far away from the clubhouse.

A couple of minutes later, my phone buzzes again.

I answer because it’s the lab. “Hello?”

“Hello, is this Heather Bryant?” The voice is female, brisk, and polished. “This is Sarah from Las Salinas Regional Lab Corp. I’m calling on behalf of Dr. Patchett regarding your recent prenatal labs.”

I jolt forward in my seat, almost spilling tea all over myself. “Yes, this is Heather Bryant. Did something bad come back in my bloodwork?”

“Oh, nothing like that,” she replies quickly. “There was a processing error on one of your blood draws. The vial wasn’t sealed properly, and the sample inside was compromised. We just need you to come in and redo that one today so that your file stays current.”

“Oh,” I stammer, my mind reeling. I can’t remember if any of the vials they used looked odd. “Are you sure it was my vial that was compromised?”

“Yes, ma’am. Heather Bryant. I’m holding the vial in my hand right now and it’s labeled with your name and patient number. The lab manager flagged it and asked us to reach out this morning.”

I hesitate again. “I need to come in today?”

“Yes. We just want to get this in your file so there’s no delay in creating your prenatal profile. A lot of people are going to be looking at that in order to coordinate your prenatal care moving forward. It won’t take long. Ten minutes, tops.”

Her voice is so calm. Reassuring. She knows my doctor’s name, my contact info, and the name of the lab that showed up as the contact number.

But Ghost said to stay put and I promised him that I would.

Still, this is important enough to hold up care for my baby.

I think Ghost would agree that the baby’s needs have to come first. The only danger in my world is probably hundreds of miles away.

I push through the anxiety twisting in my gut and agree to come.

“I can come in this afternoon,” I say slowly. “But I’d rather not travel alone.”

“No problem. Just let the desk know you’re here to redraw your prenatal bloodwork and we’ll get you back right away.”

I stare at the phone as the call disconnects. It says Las Salinas Regional Lab Corp right there on the screen when the call ends. Doing right by my unborn child should be a no-brainer. So why is this so hard for me?

Brittany walks back into the room and throws herself back into the armchair she’s been sitting in all morning. “Is everything okay?”

“I just had a couple of calls. The first was Ghost, saying they’re hot on Carnage’s trail almost five hundred miles away.”

She throws up one hand and says, “Hallelujah, and praise the Lord.”

That’s a really weird and out-of-character thing for a former club girl to say. It makes me wonder if she’s gotten into religion recently.

When she sees my confused expression, she explains, “I was raised a Mormon and sometimes it pops out when I least expect it.”

By the grin on her face, I can’t tell if she’s telling the truth or just pulling my leg. So, I slide right past that and tell her the bad news. “The other call was from the lab. One of my samples was bad, and they want me to come in and redo it.”

Her brow creases into a frown. “Seriously? Didn’t you just go to the lab a few days ago?”

“Yeah. They said one of the vials wasn’t sealed properly.”

Her expression immediately turns suspicious. “It’s shady that you’re getting a call like this at this particular moment in time, when your ex is stalking you and trying to get his hands on you.”

“Yeah, that’s the part that’s bugging me too. But the nurse said they really need me to come in or it could hold up creating a prenatal profile for the baby.” I hold up my phone and wiggle it in the air. “Their contact number said Las Salinas Regional Lab Corp. That means the call is legit, right?”

Brittany holds out her hand. “There is only one way to find out. We call them and see if the lab answers. It pays to take precautions. Did the nurse give a name?”

“Yeah, Sarah.”

Brittany takes my phone and pulls up the last call that came in, the one that says Lab Corp, and calls them. She asks to speak to Sarah and asks if we need an appointment or if we can drop by. Sarah verifies that it’s okay to come right now.

Shrugging, she tosses me the phone back. “Sounds legit to me. I’ll go with you. We’ll go straight there and back.”

Wringing my hands in my lap, I tell her, “I don’t want to take prospects away from guarding the clubhouse. They’ve got a lot on their hands today.”

“We won’t,” she states firmly. “We’ll slip out quietly and be back before they even realize we’re gone. It’s literally right up the road.”

“Okay, thanks for coming with me,” I tell her.

We grab our bags and head out. The prospects barely pay any attention to us leaving in Brittany’s vehicle.

Her SUV has tinted windows, and they’re distracted dealing with an auto parts delivery for the garage.

Of course, their focus would be on vetting everything coming into the clubhouse because that’s where they expect the danger to come from.

***

We drive about four miles up the road to the lab.

Brittany chatters away the whole time about what her own pregnancy was like, and that keeps my mind off the fact that I’m doing what I promised Ghost not to do.

I think briefly about calling him, then remember how fast he got off the phone with me earlier.

He sounded really busy, so I’d best not bother him right now.

Las Salinas Regional Lab Corp sits on the edge of town, all by itself.

We pull into the parking lot, and Brittany parks near the front.

There are a few cars in the parking lot and nothing looks out of place.

I don’t know why I’m getting so antsy about everything.

Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones? A mom with a toddler on her hip walks out of the main entrance, checking her phone.

Brittany glances around as we step out of the car. “So far, so good. Let’s get in and out. Don’t be afraid to rush them.”

We fast-walk to the door and step into the waiting room. The receptionist looks familiar. Maybe she was at the front desk when Ghost brought me here last time. If so, I can’t remember her name.

She smiles stiffly. “Hi there. Heather Bryant, right?”