Broken Bonds, page 30
“Can you get the bacon started while I chop the cabbage and clean it?” I ask him, grabbing him a pan and passing it over.
“Alexa, play the best of nineties country,” I call out, grinning over my shoulder at Rion.
With the song “Maybe It Was Memphis” by Pam Tillis playing softly in the background, I chop the heads of cabbage as he cooks the bacon, humming along to the familiar tune. As I listen to Rion singing softly and the bacon sizzling in the pan, my heart stitches itself together some more. I sway my hips to the rhythm of the music, unable to keep the smile from my face.
It’s all very… homey. The two of us in the kitchen, country music playing in the background as we work together. It feels normal and nice to have someone in the kitchen with me. I almost wish he’d walk up behind me and wrap his arms around me, place his hands on my belly, and dance with me just because he wants to.
Maybe one day…
I rinse the cabbage once it’s all chopped and bring Rion a plate with a paper towel for the bacon. He finishes that up while I grab a pot and start the water to boil for the egg noodles, then I cut up the Velveeta. “Carried Away” by George Strait starts playing as Rion finishes the bacon and I throw the cabbage and bacon grease together in a bigger pot to cook down. Then I smile up at him and hold my hands out.
“Dance with me?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.
“Do you know how to two step? Because that’s about all my mama ever taught me to do,” he says, grabbing my right hand and I rest my left on his arm.
His right arm goes around my waist, his hand resting in the middle of my back, and he pulls me as close to him as he can without squishing my belly.
“Show me what you got, cowboy,” I tell him breathlessly, and he chuckles as he moves me across the kitchen floor.
When he spins me, I laugh in delight as I twirl out, then back into his arms, my back coming to rest against his chest. He sways with one arm wrapped around my chest while he rests the other on my stomach, sending the babies into a kicking and elbowing frenzy. He sings the lyrics to the song into my ear lowly, and my eyes close at the deep baritone of his voice tickling the shell of my ear.
As we move in sync to the rhythm of two more songs, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy. He rubs my belly tenderly, grazing his cheek against mine, his dark chocolate scent making my mouth water and a warmth fill my core.
There, in the middle of my kitchen being held by Rion, my heart clicks back together completely.
It’s a little cracked, not quite as shiny as it used to be, but if these alphas will have it, I’ll give it to them.
“Ray, this looks like a complete mishmash of ingredients,” Rion says as I stir everything together.
I laugh and elbow him in the side.
“I promise it’s good. Here, have a taste,” I say, grabbing a fork and spearing some noodles with the cabbage, holding it out for him.
The sight of his deep green eyes locking onto mine as he bends down and parts his lips to wrap them around the fork is enough to make my mouth go dry. I slowly lower the fork when he pulls back, unable to look away from this powerful alpha. He has a bit of melted cheese on the corner of his lip, and I reach up, swiping it away with my thumb. I suck it off, raising a brow at him in challenge when his eyes heat, and before I know it, his lips are on mine.
I groan, closing my eyes and curling my fingers in his shirt as his fingers tangle in my hair. His tongue swipes out, licking against the seam of my lips, and I open for him. I can taste the flavorings from the cabbage and bacon on his lips, but his underlying dark chocolate flavor is there just under the surface of it all. I suck on his tongue, pulling a deep growl from him before a purr rumbles in his chest, vibrating against my lips.
We’re pressed so closely together that I can feel when he hardens against me, and I moan, my panties becoming slick as a surge of hormones flood my system. My body is demanding release, and I want it so badly, but I also want to be sure before I do anything with any of them. I don’t want to have another panic attack after like I did with Forde. It’s not fair to any of them, or to me.
But kissing... Kissing doesn’t send me into a panic.
I smile against Rion’s lips just before he pulls back, and he pecks me on the lips one last time.
“I’ve been dying to do that for a while now,” he whispers gruffly.
“Yeah?”
“Oh, yeah,” he says, blowing out a breath and letting me go, stepping back so he can adjust himself.
He grimaces, and I chuckle.
“Sorry.”
“Nope. None of that. I’m flattered, and hopefully, one day soon, I’ll be able to take care of that,” I tell him huskily, standing on my tiptoes and nipping his bottom lip before grabbing my casserole dish and taking it to the table.
He stands frozen as I set the table, watching me the entire time, lighting my blood on fire as I feel his eyes on me. My skin feels warm and my clit is throbbing, begging me to throw caution to the wind, but I work to ignore what my body is demanding of me. Eventually, Rion unsticks himself, and helps me pour drinks into the glasses just as somebody knocks.
While he finishes setting the table, I answer the door, smiling at Forde and Link when I open the door. Forde grins at me, those adorable dimples of his appearing as he leans in and kisses me on the cheek.
“You look radiant, Baby Doll,” he says before shifting to my ear and whispering, “and thoroughly kissed.”
He chuckles when he pulls back and sees my cheeks burning, and I slap him lightly on the chest as he walks past me into the house.
“Hey, Sunshine. You look beautiful,” Link says, stepping up close to me.
Leaning my head back to look up at him, I’m met with a gentle, sweet kiss on the lips. In a state of bliss, I exhale a contented sigh and respond to his kiss, moving my lips in sync with his before he breaks away, causing me to follow after him, searching for more. He lets out a soft laugh and steps inside, shutting the door behind him.
“Smells good in here,” he says, touching my back and leading me to the kitchen.
At the table, he pulls my chair out for me, and I bite my lip as my heart seems to grow. I sit and he pushes my chair in before taking the seat on my left, and Rion and Forde jump for the empty seat on my right. Rion beats Forde to it, giving him a smug look. Forde pouts and I laugh under my breath at the two grown alphas acting like little kids.
“Gotta be quicker than that,” Rion taunts, and Forde sneers at him.
“Whatever. I get to look right at her beautiful face from my seat while both you get is a side view, so ha!” Forde says as he plops into his seat, winking at me.
“Can you two act like grown men for two seconds,” Link sighs, running his hand through his hair.
“He started it!” Forde exclaims, pointing at Rion.
“Grow up,” Rion says, rolling his eyes when Forde sticks his tongue out at him.
And I just keep smiling through it all because it reminds me so damn much of my alphas and their antics. The easy, brotherly camaraderie among these three is sweet, and you can tell how much they care for each other. I love that I’m seeing it all myself.
Link leans over, his lips touching the shell of my ear and sending a shiver down my spine.
“Are you sure you want us? Neither of them will ever grow up. Fair warning,” he whispers.
I laugh lightly and whisper back, “Who said I ever grew up?”
He laughs and shakes his head, and I glance back at the two bickering alphas.
“The food is going to get cold if you two don’t shut up,” Link finally says when he’s had enough, sounding so much like a dad that I can’t help but snort.
He glances over at me and raises a brow, and I cover my lips to hide my grin.
“Something funny, Omega?” he asks, and I bite my lip to hold in my laugh.
“Nope. Who’s hungry?” I choke out, winking at Forde and Rion when they look up at me, making them grin.
Everyone fills their plates after that, and we eat and talk.
They tell me about their days, and I tell them about everything I need to get ready before the babies arrive. They offer to help with anything I need, which I appreciate more than they could imagine. They don’t have to help me, but they want to, which is why it’s so easy to like all of them.
All three of them are so easy to talk to, and they make sure to keep a smile on my face all throughout dinner. We talk about everything, even my alphas, and I don’t cry. I smile even more, everything inside of me still and quiet. It feels like I’m with my family, and as we all sit there, them finding ways to touch me throughout dinner, comforting me in little ways without even realizing it, I see what my new future could look like.
It’s a lot different from what I envisioned before, different alphas sitting with me, but no less exciting.
“I’ll clean up. How about a movie, Baby Doll?” Forde asks when everyone has finished eating, grabbing our plates and taking them to the sink.
“Are you sure? I don’t mind,” I say, three pairs of alpha eyes swinging to glare at me.
I raise my hands in surrender.
“Alright, fine. Anything in particular you guys want to watch?” I ask, getting up and groaning as I do, rubbing my back.
Link glances at me with a worried frown and I wave him off.
“Back pain from all the extra weight. Nothing new. So, movie?”
“Whatever you want to watch is fine,” Rion says, putting the leftovers in the Tupperware he finds.
I settle on the couch and pull up one of the streaming apps to search for a movie. Link gathers pillows and blankets he finds sitting out and sets them all around me on the couch, building me a mini nest. It’s godsdamn adorable, and when he tucks a blanket around my hips, I grab him by the shirt and pull him in for a quick.
“What was that for?” he asks when I pull back.
I shrug and smile at him.
“Because you’re freaking sweet as hell and I wanted to,” I tell him unashamedly, then pull the blanket he just tucked around me up. “Now get in here and help me pick a movie.”
Taking a seat, he embraces me and carefully adjusts my position so that I’m lying with my head nestled in his lap, with a pillow placed between us for added comfort. After that, he hands me another pillow and tells me to position it under my belly, and then he slides his hand up the back of my shirt. My skin breaks out in goosebumps the moment his hand touches my bare back, and a moan that I’m slightly embarrassed about escapes me when his fingers dig into my lower back. He pretends not to hear it, taking the remote from my slack hand with his free one. He puts on 10 Things I Hate About You from my list, relaxing completely.
Rion and Forde join us as the opening credits start, but I’m so comfortable that I can’t move. Rion sits on the floor in front of me while Forde takes up the other end of the couch, pulling my feet into his lap. I can’t resist closing my eyes as Rion leans his head against my belly and Forde massages my feet while Link continues to rub my back.
A sense of rightness settles into my heart as I lay cocooned by these three alphas, their attention riveted on me.
I feel whole again.
Is this what it feels like to finally start moving on?
Chapter Thirty-Five
RAMSEY
Something’s wrong.
I’ve had this feeling in my gut since I woke up that something is wrong or that something is coming. I just don’t know what.
I’ve been nauseated today, so I’ve been on the couch since I woke up, just watching movies and being lazy, but there’s been this feeling of dread surrounding me. One of the babies kicks me right in the bladder and I wince at the lightning bolt of pain that hits moments before the intense urge to pee. I push myself up off the couch, frowning when I feel a gush and groan.
Don’t tell me I peed myself?
I waddle to the bathroom quickly and sit down, sighing in relief when my bladder is emptied. And then I hear a loud pop, before I feel chunks fall out of me and into the toilet. I gasp as pain grips my midsection and look down, seeing so much blood. There are clots and pieces of something I can’t even identify sitting in bright red water. My thighs are coated in blood, my toilet looking like a crime scene, and fear grips my heart.
My breath stalls, my hands shaking as I clean myself off as best I can with a wet cloth and pull my pants up. I find some pads I’d bought for after having the babies and stuff one in my underwear, tears filling my eyes and making it hard to see.
My chest is heaving with each breath I take as I hurriedly exit the bathroom to grab my phone, my heart racing in fear. I dial Jilly first as I walk into my room to change and grab my hospital bag. She doesn’t answer and I groan when another stabbing pain takes hold of my middle. When I catch my breath, I dial Forde, but he doesn’t answer either, and I cry out in frustration. I try them each a few more times with no answer, more tears filling my eyes. I can feel the pad I put on quickly filling up with blood and more clots, sending me into a panic.
Shit.
I take a deep breath before deciding to try Link, tears streaming down my cheeks.
He answers after two rings, and I don’t even give him a chance to answer before I’m frantically crying into the speaker.
“Link! I need you to come get me right now and take me to the hospital,” I tell him urgently, my voice shaking.
“I’m on my way,” he says without missing a beat, the sound of his keys jangling as he picks them up echoing down the line.
“Please hurry.”
I hang up when he assures me he’ll be here in just a minute and walk outside to wait for him. My mind is a riotous storm, fear for my babies’ lives strangling me, making it hard to breathe.
Will they be okay?
Will I be okay?
Everything has been fine my whole pregnancy. I should be going in for my scheduled c-section next week, and everything should still be fine.
Now, everything is an unknown.
Now, I don’t know what will happen.
The panic that has its grip on me leaves me feeling sick. There’s a pit in my stomach and my heart is beating painfully in my chest as I wait.
True to his word, Link comes barreling down my driveway, dust flying behind him. Throwing his truck into park and jumping out, he runs over to me, blue eyes filled with concern as he looks me over. He wraps his arms around me when I can’t stop crying and I collapse against him.
“Shh. It’s okay. Everything will be okay, baby.”
“I don’t know if it will be. You’ve got to get me to the hospital, Link. There’s so much blood,” I cry into his chest, and he tenses, his arms tightening around me.
He curses under his breath, bending his knees as he picks me up, cradling me safely against his chest. Taking my bag from my hand, he gets me into his truck faster than I can blink, whispering reassuring words in my ear as he speed walks to hop in the driver’s seat.
On the way to the hospital, Link holds my hand and tries to get ahold of Forde and Jillian over the Bluetooth. He gets Rion when he can’t get through to either of them and tells him what’s going on, his voice coming out strangled. Rion assures us he’ll let Forde and Jillian know, promising me they’ll meet us at the hospital before the call clicks off.
I can’t stop stressing the entire drive, and Link can sense it, squeezing my hand in his as he keeps a steady purr rattling in his chest in an attempt to soothe me. With his hazard lights on, he speeds through the streets, blowing through red lights and stop signs when he’s sure it’s safe. I’m almost positive I’m bleeding through my pants and onto his seat, and I feel like I’m going to throw up. He doesn’t let go of my hand the entire time, not complaining once about how hard I squeeze his fingers when a cramp seizes me.
He continues to reassure me as he pulls up to the emergency awning, parking right in front of the sliding doors. Jumping out, he runs around to my side and helps me out as a nurse comes out with a wheelchair.
“Hey guys. What’s going on?” she asks as Link picks me up and sits me in the chair.
“I’m thirty-one weeks pregnant with triplets and am having bright red bleeding with clots. I’m scheduled for a c-section next week, but my OB told me to come straight to labor and delivery if I experienced any bleeding or pain before then,” I tell her as calmly as I can, my pants sticking to my thighs with more blood.
“I’m just going to park the car, Ramsey. I’ll meet you up there, okay?” Link tells me, kissing my hand.
The nurse tells him she’s taking me up to labor and delivery before he runs off and she rolls me inside.
“Can you tell me if anything happened before the bleeding started?” she asks as she hurries down the hallways to the elevators.
“I-I just got up to go to the b-bathroom and felt a gush. When I sat down to pee, I heard a loud p-popping sound and then felt the c-clots and another gush of blood. It was s-so much. Oh gods, please, don’t let anything happen to my babies,” I tell her, sobbing as I curl in on myself around my belly.
“Hey, hey, don’t think like that. It’s okay. We’re going to get you upstairs and get everything figured out. Just try to stay calm for me, sweetie,” the nurse tells me, aiming to be soothing, so I try to listen to her and take deep breaths.
“Who’s your doctor?”
“Doctor Moreno,” I hiccup, and she pulls her phone out, fingers flying over the screen as she sends a message.
The doors to one of the three elevators finally opens and we get on, my stomach dropping when the car jolts before moving up. In seconds, the doors are opening again on the third floor and the nurse is wheeling me down the hall to a room. When we enter, she hands me a gown to change into that closes in the front and a pair of thick socks.
I undress quickly, taking the wet rag she hands me so I can clean myself off and throw my pants and underwear in the trash. I slip my arms into the gown and tie it at the top of my belly before the nurse helps me into the bed and gives me paperwork to fill out, asking for my name and date of birth.
