“I understand,” I say, my voice shaky. “We’ll let no harm come to him.”

With a heart-wrenching sob, she extends her arms and hands the tiny bundle to me. My heart breaks and tears spill down my cheeks as I stare at the baby, who looks just like his daddy. He’s so warm, he smells so beautiful. My own baby hormones erupt and I begin sobbing, too. Ash rushes down, taking the baby from my arms.

I reach out and hug Tracy, because I can’t imagine how this feels for her. She holds onto me for a long while, and then lets go.

“Here’s my number,” she croaks, pulling out a tiny slip of paper. “Please...let me know he’s okay.”

“I promise.”

She nods and with one last broken stare at the baby, she leaves. My shoulders slump as I watch her car disappear. I turn to the small bundle in Ash’s arms.

“Shit’s going to hit the fan.”

She stares at the baby. “You’re right about that.”

~*~*~*~

“What the fuck were you thinkin’?” Maddox growls, pacing the living room.

I’ve got Diesel tucked tightly in my arms, sitting on the couch. We’re still waiting for Mack to come back.

“It’s his son, Maddox.”

“And he’s losin’ his shit somewhere. It wasn’t your choice to make.”

“Seriously?” I cry. “You would rather I let her give him up for adoption? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

He stops, sighs, and turns to me. “Fuck...no...that’s not what I want. But Mack is goin’ to be in a bad way...he can’t look after a kid.”

“I can...”

“You’ve got our baby growin’ inside you, you need to be there when he or she is born. You can’t be this baby’s mother...”

“No, but I can take care of him and help Mack until he figures something out. If this baby gets put up for adoption, it needs to be by him, Maddox.”

“I know that,” he mutters, staring at the ceiling.

“Until then, there are enough ladies in the club to make sure he is taken care of.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah,” I agree.

We hear the sound of a bike rumbling up the driveway, and I stare at Maddox. Here we go. A few moments later, the front door swings open and Mack enters. He looks at Maddox, then his eyes turn to me and he stiffens. “What the fuckin’ hell have you got...that baby for?”

“He’s your son, Mack. She couldn’t take him.”

“No,” he barks. “You didn’t get to make that choice.”

“I did, and I would do it again. Go ahead and scream at me, this is your son, you fucking selfish asshole. His mother is dead. There’s no way you’re just letting him get passed off. You’re a better man than that.”

“I know his mother is dead,” he bellows so loudly I flinch. “You think I don’t fuckin’ know!”

“Come on,” Maddox says, taking Mack’s shoulder. “We’re gonna figure this shit out right now.”

“I can’t have that baby,” he almost pleads, sounding desperate.

“We’re gonna sort it out,” Maddox says again.

“Fuckin’ can’t...”

God, my heart breaks for Mack.

It breaks for the baby.

It breaks for his mother.

I don’t know how we’re going to fix this problem...

THE END