The Bad Boy And His Baby

Chapter 45

My leg keeps bouncing as I hold Lumi in my arms. She's wrapped tightly in a pink blanket and is on the verge of falling asleep. We're in the hospital waiting room once again. Holt and Leo are patched up and Kofi and Nevan are here too. Lucky and Bronwyn glance at me occasionally, checking up on me. I didn't see Koda last night because I was shivering and just wanted to get into bed after such an eventful day.

Buck dropped me off at Koda's house and Lucky stayed the night with me even though I told her not to. Tobias is with Koda now. Everyone had a chance to see him except me. I'm too much of a nervous wreck.

What do I even say to him now that I know he's a gang member? And not to mention when he said he loves me. Did he really mean that or did he only say that because he was on the brink of death? Lumi's eyes flutter close as she rests in my arms and I feel a mix of emotions.

Tobias walks into the waiting room and his eyes are on me. "He really wants to see you." I shake my head. "No, he wants to see Lumi. You should take her to him, Lucky." Tobias walks closer to me and shakes his head. "No, he wants to see you. Let him explain everything and then decide whether you want to cut him off or not. You can't avoid him forever."

I open my mouth to say something but then close it. Tobias is right. I should at least let Koda explain and tell me what he wants. I just don't know how to feel about this because he's a gangster. He's dangerous and I can't be around gangsters. "Okay." With Lumi still in my arms, I get up and make my way to his hospital room which isn't too far away. I knock on the door before entering and find Koda on the bed.

My heart races as my eyes rake over him. He's still a bit pale and he looks tired. There's a drip in his arm and he's sitting back against the bed with a tray of half eaten food in front of him. His face lights up when he sees me, eyes crinkling at the sides as he smiles. "Hey beautiful."

I take a seat on the plastic chair next to him and manage a small smile. "Hi." The hospital room looks spacious enough and there's a constant beeping sound as a machine monitors his heart rate. Even the food in front of him looks nice; a hamburger with salad and a glass of juice. The constant smell of disinfectant is still there.

"Has she been good?" Koda asks as his gaze locks onto Lumi. I stand back up and bring her closer for him to see. "Yeah. She slept the whole night through." He brings his finger up to stroke her cheek and I can see the love in his eyes as he gazes at her. "Do you want to hold her?"

His lips tug up into a small smile and my heart melts. "Nah. She looks so peaceful in your arms." I sit back on the chair. "How are you feeling? How's the wound?"

"It hurts like shit, but I'm managing. I can't move as quickly as I want but at least I can walk and sit and sleep. Just not on my side." I nod. He looks weird in a hospital gown but I can still see those muscles of his in his arms. "Were you worried about me?" His tone is sly and he's smirking at me. I roll my eyes but there's a smile on my face. "Obviously. You looked terrible."

It's silent and I focus my gaze on the machine, watching the lines of his heartbeat. It speeds up just a bit before he speaks. "So, Rattlesnake Raid..." I bite the inside of my cheek. This is the conversation I've been dreading. "How did you find out?" I don't want to be angry. He just got shot and needs to rest and not stress about anything yet I can't help but feel the anger simmering beneath the surface.

"I was looking for my duffel bag and found a bag of yours. It was full of cash and guns." A shiver runs down my spine and I look everywhere but at him. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I was going to tell you."

"And when would that have been?"

"Baby, I can't just tell you whenever I want. I have to make sure you won't be able to rat me out. I'd have to get the approval of Kofi first." I scoff. "Right. Kofi's in on it too."

"He's our leader." My eyes widen slightly. "But he's young." Koda nods. "After his dad died in a shootout, he was made leader." Koda's voice is hushed in case someone hears even though the door is closed and we're alone in here. "And you're in a gang for what reason?"

"When I rebelled against my dad, he kicked me out. I made my way here with nothing. No money, no car, no house. I met with Kofi and we made an arrangement. I pledge my loyalty to him and he'd make sure I was taken care of." Lumi stirs slightly in her sleep and I rock her in my arms, looking down at her momentarily before looking back at Koda. "And what about Lumi? What if she gets taken away from you?" His face hardens, his jaw tight and his eyes dark. "That's why I'm keeping her a secret. I can't lose her, Quinn. I'm sorry and you have every right to be mad. I shouldn't have gotten involved with you."

The beeping of the machine is beginning to work on my nerves as it breaks the silence every 2 seconds. "I meant it, you know?" My eyes find Koda's. "Meant what?"

"When I said I love you." My heart flutters with excitement and I almost melt into a puddle. He looks vulnerable and his fingers mess with the hem of the hospital blanket covering him. "I don't expect you to feel the same way. I'd understand if you want nothing to do with me." There's a knock on the door before a nurse walks in with a cheerful smile on her face. "Time for your medication, Mr Ji. I hope you ate all your food up." The nurse smiles at me and I flash her a weak smile before I get up.

"Oh, you don't have to go, dear." She tells me as she bustles about Koda. "Actually, I do." I hold Lumi close against my chest before looking over to Koda. "I'll see you." He nods. "See you, beautiful."

Suddenly the constant smell of disinfectant is starting to make me quesy. I need some fresh air and I definitely need to think about what Koda just said. I almost walk past the waiting room and see that only Lucky, Tobias and Bronwyn are still there. "I'm going to go." I say even though I got a lift from Lucky. I just want to leave already. Lucky stands up. "I was hoping the three of us girls could go somewhere to a café or something." Bronwyn nods. "What about Lumi?"

"She'll be fine. It's a girls day out." Bronwyn says. She stands up with Tobias and kisses him on the cheek before walking out with Lucky and I. We get to her car and I put Lumi in her car seat. "Do you know how Quinn and I had to struggle to put that car seat in? They could've attached a guide or something." Lucky says as she gets in. Her car always seems to smell like jellybeans or something sweet and floral. I sit at the back next to Lumi and we drive off.

"What are you ladies in the mood for?" She asks and Bronwyn adjusts the volume of the radio. "Any place where they serve brownies." Answers Bronwyn. "There's a cute place I saw. It's a café with a cottage core kind of vibe. It's quite a drive though." Bronwyn looks at me through the front view mirror. "That okay with you, Quinn?" I nod.