The Last Riders: Winter's Touch Part 20

"What the f.u.c.k is going on?" Tate Porter shoved him back toward his brothers Greer and Dustin.

"Megan Dawkins thinks Viper's child is hers." Rachel's pale face looking up at them convinced her brothers to release Viper.

"Sorry, man, I thought you lost your s.h.i.+t. Rachel said your baby isn't doing well." Dustin had compa.s.sion. As a father himself, he knew the h.e.l.l Viper was going through.

Knox and the security guard had started using their knives to remove the door hinges.

"Where are the keys to the f.u.c.king door?" Knox grunted.

Viper had moved back to the door as Shade knocked on it. "Can I come in? Curt told me he's on his way and wants me to protect you until he can get here."

Megan lifted her head. "Curt's on his way?" She stopped rocking the baby as indecision filled her face. "How do I know you're telling me the truth?"

"Hasn't he told you we've been getting beers before he goes home from work? Curt and I are friends. I told him I would watch out for you."

"You won't let them come in?"

"I promise. Let me in, Megan. Curt wanted me to say he was sorry for doubting you. He said he can prove the baby is yours."

"He can?"

"Yes, let me in. Curt will be here any minute. We don't want to make him mad, do we?"

"No." Megan walked to the door.

"Everybody get back." Viper kept his voice low when all he wanted to do was scream at the girl to hurry. The red alarms on the machines had been giving shrill screeches.

As soon as Megan unlocked the door, she turned back to the rocking chair.

Viper wanted Shade to s.n.a.t.c.h his daughter from her arms, but Shade forestalled him.

"Let me hold her until you sit down. I don't want you to drop her." He held out his arms, and she turned to see that no one else had come into the nursery.

"Okay." She placed the baby in his arms.

As soon as Viper knew Shade had the baby, he and the nurses came running into the room.

"Knox!" Viper grabbed Megan, preventing her from trying to s.n.a.t.c.h the baby back.

"I got her. You can let her go." Knox took Megan, leading her away from the nursery.

"I called the doctor. He's on his way." A nurse took his daughter from Shade, and Viper anxiously watched as she put the infant back in the incubator, straightening the tubes Megan had twisted loose.

"Wait outside," one nurse ordered him, as she worked on the baby.

Feeling helpless, he didn't move. "I'm not leaving my daughter."

The window outside the nursery was filled with the Last Riders. Cash must have called them when he had run out of Winter's room.

Shade went outside to join them, leaving Viper inside.

The Last Riders made room for Dr. Price to rush inside. He immediately went to work on her tiny body that was slipping away as Winter still slept, unaware. She was never going to be able to hold her baby and say her goodbyes.

Rachel held the door open as if she were going to convince him to leave. He couldn't leave before one of her parents told her how much she had meant to them. He remembered how many times he had regretted not saying goodbye to Gavin, and he wasn't going to have the same regrets with his daughter.

"Please don't go, sweet girl. You're going to break your mama's heart like you're breaking mine. I haven't even been able to hold you yet.

"I'm not a nice man, but I was planning on being a good father to you. I would have held you when you cried. I even told your mama I didn't mind changing your diaper. I would have all the boys afraid of me when they tried to date you, and I would have made an a.s.s of myself when you married. We would have loved you so much. You would have never doubted that G.o.d meant for you to belong to us.

"Your mama thinks she's the jealous one, but I am. I'm jealous of the angels who will hold you and keep you safe until we can join you. I want you to know that every time you hear your name, I'm thinking of you. Aisha, you will be alive in our hearts." Viper broke, crumbling to his knees, crying.

"Sweet girl... Please, G.o.d, don't take my baby." Tears fell down his cheeks as he begged G.o.d for Aisha's life. The pain of losing Gavin, was nothing, compared to losing his child.

"Greer." Viper heard Rachel calling for her brother, thinking she was going to ask his a.s.sistance to help him leave. He started to leave on his own, but stopped when he heard her pleading for Greer.

"You can help, Greer."

"No, I can't. If that doctor can't save her, I can't either."

"You saved me, and you saved Pappy. You can. Please, at least try." Rachel pushed Greer into the nursery. "Look at her! For once in your life, think of someone besides yourself."

Greer stared down at the baby while the doctor reached for the needle the nurse was handing him.

"Move."

The hair on Viper's arms stood up at the expression that came over Greer's face.

The doctor and nurses tried to stop Greer as he raised his hands to touch Aisha.

"Viper, please trust me." Rachel took his arm, raising him to his feet. "They have to look away, or it won't work."

Dr. Price tried to pull him away, "Stop! I'm trying to-"

"You can't help her anymore. Let him try," Rachel pleaded, begging them to give Greer a chance.

"Can you save her?" Viper asked the doctor.

He shook his head.

"Then let him try."

"Turn around," Greer ordered everyone.

Viper turned around to face the doorway. Everyone who had been watching turned around when Shade repeated what Rachel had asked. Even the doctor and the nurses had moved to his side, facing away so Greer was s.h.i.+elded from anyone tempted to see what was happening.

Viper could hear the rustling movements of Greer's clothes, as the man asked, "Aisha, where are you? Aisha, you are going where you don't belong. Hear my voice, spirit world. Help me heal this child. With my touch on your head, my voice will reach out for you. Aw... I see you, Aisha.

"With my touch on your heart, it will beat again. With my hands on your chest, you will breathe again." Seconds pa.s.sed before Greer started speaking again, his voice becoming weaker.

"Breathe Aisha, just breathe."

Viper refused to loose hope, it was all he had left.

"Spirits, guide me to bring her back to those who love her. Rachel?" Greer called out to his sister.

"I'm here, Greer." Rachel turned to her brother, and Viper saw Rachel take Greer's hand. Viper quickly turned his gaze forward again. "Take my hand, Viper."

He took her hand, feeling the scorching heat enfolding his palm. He began shaking, her heat becoming too intense to hold on to. Dr. Price took his other hand as it began shaking. Then, one by one, everyone in the nursery linked their hands to make a chain.

Dustin and Tate moved from the doorway, bridging the gap between them and linking their hands together, stretching their arms out to reach Shade. One by one, each of the Last Riders held out their hands to help guide Aisha home.

Viper didn't know what he was experiencing, but the outpouring of love for his and Winter's baby was a gift. In a world that didn't believe in miracles anymore, he was seeing one tonight.

"As a spirit, I leave your world, giving you my thanks."

"Thank you," Rachel said.

"Thank you," Viper repeated, using the same humble tone that Greer and Rachel had used.

One by one, each person in the line did the same.

When Viper felt the scorching heat leaving his hands, he turned to the incubator to see Rachel trying to catch Greer. Viper caught his other arm, holding him until Dustin and Tate took Greer from him. Then Viper slowly moved toward the incubator, holding his breath.

The doctor moved to the other side, checking the baby's lungs. Aisha's skin was a healthy pink, her tiny legs kicking, and her arms were reaching out.

Dr. Price turned off the respirator, removing the tubes. "If I hadn't seen her stats before, I wouldn't believe my eyes."

"Can I hold her?" Viper asked, when he got his breath back.

"Just for a minute. She's not out of the woods yet."

Viper put on the gown and gloves the nurse held out to him. When he was ready, he gently held his daughter for the first time.

Clearing his throat, he stared down at the tiny replica of Winter. "h.e.l.lo, sweet girl. Daddy's here."

20.

"Isn't she the most beautiful thing in the world?" Winter said in an awestruck voice, staring at the tiny being she and Viper had created. She pressed her hands against the s.h.i.+eld preventing her from holding her baby. "I want to hold her."

"Just for a minute." Dr. Price nodded at the primary nurse who was standing nearby.

She raised the top of the incubator and lifted Aisha from the warming pad before placing her in Winter's arms.

Winter couldn't help herself; she began crying as maternal instinct overwhelmed her. When Aisha's face scrunched up and she began crying, Winter started to hand her back to the nurse.

"She doesn't like me." Winter cried harder.

Viper moved from behind her, kneeling down beside her wheelchair. "She's sensing your distress." He stroked a finger against Aisha palm, and their child grasped it, clinging to it as she cried.

"I never wanted anything as badly as I wanted her," Winter managed to say, tears clogging her throat. "I used to imagine what she would look like and all the things we could do together. Now all I can think about is, what if I'm not going to be there for her."

Viper's solemn gaze lifted from his daughter to her. "You're going to be there for every d.a.m.n second of it. Do you understand me, Winter? Every second. All your tests are coming back clear, and I will make f.u.c.king sure you live to raise her, even if I have to sell my soul to the devil."

Viper believed he could plan every minute of their lives, refusing to believe that some things were inevitable. Death was one of them.

"You can't promise me that." Winter started to regain her composure, seeing the faces of The Last Riders watching them from the hallway.

Beth was standing next to Razer; Shade stood behind Lily, his arms wrapped around her waist; Cash and Rachel stood hand in hand; King and Evie were also holding hands; and Knox's arm was around Diamond's shoulder as they stood at the back of the crowd. They were there to give their support. Even Bliss and Drake, who was holding Darcy so she could look into the room.

Looking down into Aisha's eyes, Winter knew how precious time was. If G.o.d took her tomorrow, she didn't want this time marred by worries about tomorrow. She would take one day at a time, and if G.o.d decided to take her, she would leave enough memories to last Aisha a lifetime.

Winter cupped Aisha's head, using her fingers to stroke her fine hair. "I love you, Aisha. You're going to have to get used to me. I will always be by your side, just like your daddy and The Last Riders. All babies are given a guardian angel, but you have dozens." Winter raised her voice, hoping everyone could hear her. "I was gifted with The Last Riders when I married your father, and now I'm pa.s.sing them on to you. My love will always surround you and keep you safe, but when I can't, G.o.d knows their love will be there in my place."

Winter brushed Aisha's cheek with a soft kiss before reluctantly handing her baby back to the nurse, who placed Aisha back into the incubator, closing the top.

"Lucky?" Winter said as she took the tissues Viper held out to her.

Winter saw Willa crying as Lucky moved forward to give Aisha a blessing. She had received permission for Lucky to enter the nursery, but he had waited, giving them a moment alone to greet their daughter together.

"Psalms 32:8. 'I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye'. " Lucky laid his hand on the incubator as he spoke.

Winter and Viper bowed their heads as he prayed over their daughter.

When he finished, Winter gave Lucky a misty smile. "Thank you. Whatever I or Viper or The Last Riders can't fix, I know He can."

"Are you already thinking I'm going to screw up being a father?" Viper raised an imperious brow.

Winter raised one back at him. "No, but she is a Last Rider, and the Lord knows, if she takes after me, she's going to need all the help she can get."

"That's enough for today." The nurse helped Winter sit in the chair by her hospital bed.

The simple act of moving out of the bed had involved enough pain that she felt as if she would pa.s.s out. She had already broken out in a cold sweat. Thankfully, though, once she was settled on the chair with a cus.h.i.+on in place to support her tailbone, she was actually more comfortable than being in bed.

"Can I get you anything else?"

"Could you hand me my brush and my cell phone? I want to put my hair up," Winter asked.

"I'll take care of it," Viper said, coming through the door.

The nurse left as Viper went to the table beside her bed, picking up the brush and hair tie. Instead of placing the brush in her hand, Viper moved behind her, gently brus.h.i.+ng the knots out of her hair.