Cowboys & Angels

Twenty Four

Did he cheat?
Did he lie?
Did he love to make you cry
And call you crazy?
Was he drunk?
Was he drama
And mean to his mama
And call your best friend "baby"?
When it comes to him
I know I'm gonna win
Nobody's ever done that better
I've got the best worst ex ever

Best Worst Ex x Julia Cole & Alexandra Kay

Beckham
37 weeks pregnant, most definitely in labor

"So I hate to break this party up, but I'm about 97% sure I'm in in labor," I inform the dipshit duo.

Carter looks at me with wide eyes while Karrie just rolls her.

"Har-har, nice try. Not falling for that," comes from Karrie.

"I'm serious, I think my water broke. I know I'm a smartass but I absolutely would not joke about my child," I reply, tone surprisingly even through the pain.

"Honestly, I don't give a shit," she replies. 

Carter walks up to her and pulls her to the side.  "Karrie, we need to take her to the hospital.  She can't have the baby here," he whispers.  "If anything happens to both of them, it's a double murder charge."  Carter tells her in attempt to reason with her. 

"I DON'T CARE!" She screams back at him.  "She took my entire life away, I will take hers away!"

"This isn't what we agreed to!  We're supposed to get rid of everyone else and she goes with me, the baby will be mine too,"  Carter snaps, panicked.

"Fine!  If that's how you wanna be, it's time for you to choose.  Me or her?  Your sister, or the whore who opened her legs and let another man get her pregnant?" Karrie shoots me an evil look, absolutely sure he'll choose her. 

"Don't make me do that," he pleads with her.

"Choose, Carter!  Or I'll choose for you!"

Another contraction hits and I groan in pain, making Carter look over at me.  With a heavy sigh and tears in his eyes, he pulls his gun out of the holster at his side.  A murmured "I'm sorry" slips past his lips before a loud bang goes off and my world goes black as my eyes squeeze shut.

I peel my eyes open, wondering if adrenaline is keeping pain at bay or shit, if I did actually die. 

I quickly discover the answer is actually neither, my gaze falling on a lifeless Karrie.  Holy. Fucking. Shit.  He shot his sister. 

Carter makes his way over and I can't help but flinch as he reaches for me.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, I'm gonna cut the zip ties.  We have to get out of here, I'm sure the gunshot was loud enough to garner some attention," he explains, pulling a switchblade out of his belt and reaching behind me to my hands. 

I know what I have to do if I want Emmy Jett and I both to make it out of here alive. 

"Oh, thank God, Carter!  I'm so glad you rescued me.  I knew you'd choose me," I say as I throw my arms around his neck and resist the urge to puke while I hug him.  His arms move to wrap around me and I jolt in pain. 

"What is it, my love?  What's wrong?" Carter eyes me with concern. 

"She's coming, we need to get to a hospital like now."

"I can't do that, there are eyes everywhere looking for you.  I can't lose you again!"  His tone is desperate as he searches my eyes.  "I have someone who can help us, I talked to her when I knew you were getting close to the end since I knew there was a chance this would happen.  Her name is Carla and she used to be a labor and delivery nurse, she's one of my guys' wives.  She'll take care of my girls."

His use of the phrase "my girls" makes my blood boil, but I know I have to play along. 

"Thank you for taking care of us," I tell him as I pat his cheek.  He stands up and collect his things, forgetting his blade on the floor.  I quickly scoop it up and tuck it into my waistband, hoping it doesn't cross his mind again. Carter helps me out to a car in the alley outside of the door and pulls onto a street I soon recognize.  I know exactly where I am, about a mile from the hospital and we're heading right towards it.   I sit impatiently in the passenger seat, praying for a stop sign or a red light. My prayers are answered when we're maybe a block away from the entrance of where I need to be, and I decide it's the perfect time to strike.  I slip the blade into my hand, turn, sink it into Carter's jugular, and fling myself from the car.  I hear his shocked screaming as I, quite literally, run for my life towards the hospital.  I'm sure I look like hammered dog shit when I stumble through the ER doors.  The receptionist looks only mildly horrified at my bloodied state, but quickly moves to help me.  She steers me into a wheelchair after she pages a doctor to the front, then I'm urgently rolled to the labor and delivery floor.  I explain my situation and that the blood that's covering me isn't my own. 

"There's a huge search underway for you right now, we've been on high alert looking for you," the nurse says as she hooks me up to all the monitors in my delivery room.  "One of the other girls is calling the contact we've been provided with as I speak.  Your family will be here soon."  

I sigh in relief and my brain finally lets the levity of the situation settle, making me realize how much pain I'm in. 

"Can I get something for the pain ASAP?  I feel like my body is literally on fire," I whimper.

"Absolutely, honey.  Let me check you real quick to see how much you've dilated.  Your contractions are pretty regular but still far enough apart that I think you have some time yet."   Rubber gloves in place, she quickly measures my cervix.  "Ok looks like you're at a 4, so you still have time for an epidural if you're interested," she offers.

"Oh I'm definitely interested, give me all the papers to sign please!" I stutter out on a groan. The nurse moved quickly, handing me the consent forms and promises to have the anesthesiologist come by as soon as possible.  About ten minutes pass when I hear thundering footsteps down the hall and I smile.  The cavalry has arrived.  Jake skids into the room, relief flooding his face, replaced with worry when he sees the blood on me.

"It's not mine, it's Carter's.  I might have stabbed him in the neck," I attempt to laugh before tears start flowing.  Jake is by my side before I can blink, pressing his forehead to mine.  I can feel the warm, salty tears dripping from his eyes and onto my face and mixing with mine.  We just cry together for a minute before he leans in and kisses me deeply. 

"I thought I lost you, I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you," he sobs.

"Oh, honey.  It's not your fault, I'm just so happy we're all here and ok."   The anesthesiologist knocks on the door, ready to shove a giant needle in my spine so I can at least get a small reprieve from the pain that today has brought. 

"Before I forget, Carter shot Karrie in a warehouse about a mile east.  Pretty sure she was dead, also he's about a block away, maybe less if he made it more than five feet with a knife in his neck," I explain, and Jake passes on the message to Mav who will undoubtedly take care of it.  I sign in relief, feeling the pain ease as Jake strokes my face.  "Ready to meet our girl?"  I grin up at him. 

"Let's meet our girl," he grins back, then presses a soft kiss to my temple.  "I'm so fucking proud of you, my little badass.  So proud."