Page 147 of Preacher Man

“This is my friend, Seb. Do you want to say hello to Preacher?”

The kid made his first normal kid move and burrowed his face shyly into Ruby’s tits. Preacher grinned, he’d be there if he could too. “He’s nice, he just looks like a grizzly bear, doesn’t he?” She staged whispered to him. Sebastian took a small peek at Preacher and burrowed back in.

He rose, addressed the social worker. “Is there anything we can be doing, Ms Denton? As you can understand this is a difficult time for Ruby, she only wants the best for Sebastian. So, whatever we can do to make this go as smoothly as it can, we’ll do.”

“For right now, it’s all about making sure Sebastian is taken care of, health wise, the doctor wants to keep him in overnight and tomorrow, if we can’t locate his father.”Fat chance, lady. Not if that fuckwit started that fire.“Then he will be temporarily placed with foster carers.”

“What? But I am here.” Ruby insisted. “I’m his family.”

“Of course, Miss Steele, every circumstance will be made to ensure the best suitable placement for Sebastian.”

It sounded like wasp-chewer was blowing smoke up his old lady’s ass and from the look of fire in Ruby’s eyes, she was ten seconds away from erupting. He stepped forward, took her hand, gave it a little squeeze. “That’s fine. Please keep in mind Ruby is more than willing to take the boy. She’ll be staying here with him tonight.” He didn’t pose it as a question. There was no way Ruby would be leaving and he’d level the hospital to the ground to see that she got what she wanted. She smiled at him gratefully. He dropped a kiss to her forehead. “I’m going to go and grab you some coffee, beautiful, you need food. What can I bring the little man?”

It was way past his bedtime, all their bedtimes, Ruby was running on fumes.

“Maybe some juice. You want some OJ, Seb?” Cuddled into Ruby he nodded sneaking glances at Preacher.

Jesus. This kid was killing him. He’d never seen such a somber tiny human in his life. He had a want to make him laugh, to bring him every goddamn toy he could find just to see him smile, to have the kid see someone cared for him.

Kissing her forehead again, he stroked Ruby’s hair briefly. “I won’t be long, baby. I have my cell.”

Once he was outside the room, he searched the signs for directions to somewhere he could buy coffee, and he fished out his phone, hitting a number.

It rang and rang and then. “Hello? This better be fuckin’ good.” A sleep timbered Rider answered.

“It is, Prez. Sorry if I disturbed Zara.” Best to start on the right foot with the president and his girl was his Achilles heel, something Preacher was fast understanding, what with him jonesing out right now for leaving Ruby alone when all he wanted to do was rush back into that hospital room, grab her and the kid and take them somewhere secure.

The smell of antiseptic was strong in his nose. The distinct scent telling him he was walking the hallways among the diseased and dead. He hated hospitals, he’d seen enough military doctors to last a lifetime. Ignoring a lingering hungry look from a nurse walking by who did a double-take when she saw Preacher. Six months ago, he would have talked his way under her little uniform, now he felt nothing for that fast sex chase.

“Zara is sleepin’, lucky for you. What’s up, Preacher? Lawless said you took a trip out of town.”

He quickly relayed the situation. “Your girl okay?”

“She’s holding on by a thread. I need a favor, Prez. Do we still have Archie on retainer?” He was the club lawyer. A little bit crooked balancing a fine line of what he construed of the law but the Colorado-born guy could work miracles when they found themselves in hot water. Invaluable to any MC.

“Yeah. You thinkin’ you need him?”

“Not sure, yet. But I'd like his input to see where she stands legally. I don’t think the state is gonna let Ruby have him, I got a bad feeling from the social worker. And if it turns out the douchebag has killed her sister, not sure how it’ll go for the boy. As it stands now, the social worker is talking foster care. I can’t let that happen, Rider. It will kill Ruby.”

“Let me make a call and get that asshole out of bed. If we’re all awake then he should be too, it's what we pay a retainer for. Expect his call in a few, brother. Is there anythin’ else we can do on this end?” The instant offer of help from his president went some way into calming Preacher's nerves.

“Not sure, honestly, it’s not a situation I’ve been in before. The fucking kid, Rider, the fucking kid.” He had to take a long breath before his voice cracked. He kept on walking, he needed a task to do, to keep his head busy and steady to be a support she’d need, and bringing Ruby food was it. “He’s this sad little thing, it killed me, I don’t mind admitting. I gotta get him for Ruby.”

“I get it, brother.” And Rider did, Preacher had seen him last year, when Zara came back into his life, how his priorities had shifted slightly towards getting revenge for his old lady.

Preacher got it now. He totally fucking understood that single-mindedness of shielding your woman against the big-bad world from any hurt that might drip its nastiness on her shoes. Preacher was feeling it under his sternum, that steadfast superhero thump of needing to protect what belonged to him. He was crazy enough to do anything.

“She’s a single woman who works in a bar and a motorcycle club. It doesn’t favor well, Ri. I need Archie to … hell, I don’t know, advise, or work his magic on this, so we’re prepared for the worst.”

Rider agreed and told him to stand by for a call from their law-man if anyone knew how to bend the law to his advantage it was Archie.

“You know, you could always marry her.” He offered down the line with an amused snicker. Preacher’s lungs ceased working. “To check one of those restrictions off the list. The state looks more favorable for married people.”

Fuck.

Fuck.

His air bags inflated once more and began working as he sucked in air. But now it was his hearts turn to thump and roll around in his chest.