That was all Smokey needed.
Aiming at Creed’s head, he shot a single bullet, and it went straight through his head.
Ava let out a cry, moving out of Creed’s hold.
Carlos came forward as Ava screamed.
Smokey watched as liquid fell between her thighs, coating the floor. He went to his woman.
“The baby’s coming, Smokey.” She sobbed.
“I’ve got you.”
He glanced over at Carlos, who had picked up Raven.
“She’s got a pulse, but it’s faint. I will take her to the hospital.”
“If anything happens to her—” Smokey said.
“Nothing will happen to her.”
Smokey knew that sound. He knew what Carlos was thinking and feeling.
“You don’t get to have her,” he said.
Carlos didn’t say a word. He turned on his heel, and Smokey went to put that shit to right, but Ava screamed and he watched as she began to turn red.
“Our baby’s coming. I’m not in the hospital and it’s coming.”
“We need to get her to the hospital,” Ugly Beast said.
Ava chose that moment to scream again. He grabbed her hands as she spread her legs.
“Check,” Smokey said.
“Dude, I’m not checking.”
“I need to know if I can get her to the hospital. You’re the only one who knows what you’re looking for.”
“Dude, that requires me looking at your woman’s … parts.”
“Do it,” Smokey yelled as his woman screamed some more.
Ugly Beast looked like he wanted to kill him.
He did as asked.
Ugly Beast lifted up Ava’s skirt and quickly pushed it down. “Oh, yeah, that baby is coming.”
Ava shook her head. “No. No. No. No. It can’t come here. There’s so much blood. I watched Raven fight for me.” She sobbed. “I never got to tell her that I forgive her. I saw what they did, Smokey.”
“Raven is going to be okay. What we’ve got to do now is focus on you.”
Kinky, Hunter, Brick, Elijah, and Demon were there.
“Let’s get this out of the way.” He pointed at the body behind him as he removed his leather cut. “You’re not going to make it to the hospital, but we’ll take you there as soon as we can.” He looked at Ugly Beast. “You’re going to help deliver.”
“What? Fuck no. I don’t know how to do that shit.”
Smokey was already taking out his cell phone, dialing Ava’s doctor.
“It hurts. I need to push.”
The doctor answered, and Smokey quickly brought him up to speed.
“You need to bring her into the hospital.”
“Not happening. She’s having this baby right here. Right now. We’ll bring her to you as soon as it’s safe for us to move her.”
Ava chose that moment to scream.
The next few minutes were the most surreal of Smokey’s life. With the doctor instructing, Ugly Beast helped them to give birth to his son.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“It’s good to see you awake,” Ava said.
Raven groaned. “Thanks.”
The woman looked so damn small in the hospital bed.
“Can you ask Smokey when I get out of here? I can’t stand hospitals.”
“I know.” Ava wanted to get closer. “Thank you.”
Raven opened the one eye that wasn’t badly swollen. “For what?”
“For protecting me and Umberto.”
Raven groaned. “Umberto? Why the fuck would you call your kid that?”
“Smokey told me it was important. Ugly Beast helped to bring him into the world. I don’t think he’d like the name Raven, but if I have a little girl, I’m going to call her that.” She smiled at the other woman. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I did.”
“No, you really didn’t.” She got to her feet and moved a little close to the bed. Her son made a little moaning sound that caught at her heart. “I forgive you, Raven. Don’t ever put yourself in danger for me again.”
“I care about you, Ava. It wasn’t out of guilt that I did what I did. You’re Smokey’s woman, and you’re one of my friends. I fucked up. I wasn’t a good friend.”
“Then let’s agree from this day forward, what happened in that basement, stays in it. You and I, we’re good. We’re friends again.”
Tears fell from Raven’s eyes, but the woman didn’t sob or show any other indication that she was crying. “I’d like that.”
“Would you like to see him?”
Raven nodded.
Ava chuckled. “He’s such a big boy.”
“I love kids,” Raven said.
“I’ve seen the way you are with Bella. You’re good with kids.”
“How’s Harlow?” Raven asked.
“She’s fine. She lost a lot of blood, but the glass didn’t hit any major arteries,” Ava said. She’d already gone to see Harlow. The other woman was in good spirits. Her parents were angry, but Harlow wouldn’t hear a bad word said about her or the club. She was due to go home tomorrow. She was already talking about returning to work.
The sound of a voice clearing had her turning to see Smokey standing in the doorway.
“I’m sorry I failed you,” Raven said. “I will hand in my leather cut.”
“Don’t talk so fucking stupid.” Smokey entered the room, coming to her side. “I’m not here to take your cut from you, Raven. I came to thank you.”