“I am pregnant,” I correct.
“Oh,” she says, leaning back in her plush leather chair. “Are you going to keep it?”
My face heats with anger at her question. I now understand exactly what she was talking about. She thought I had an abortion and that’s why I needed the time off. I straighten my back, clearing my throat. “Yes I am.”
She blows out a deep breath and I notice a slight shake of her head. “I need an assistant that is one hundred percent mine. You’ll be taking a lot of time off, time I can’t afford to give you. I need someone who I can depend on. I thought that person was you.”
The anger I was feeling was nothing compared to now. I can feel my face heating up and my body slightly shaking. “A child will not make me any less dependable,” I say, searching her cold eyes.
“A child will make you less accessible to me. We were only just beginning here. I need you to travel with me and take care of things when I’m not around. You won’t be able to do that now. I hired you because you told me you were looking for a chance, a new start. I didn’t realize that the new start was a family,” she says, disappointment clear on her face.
“Are you firing me for being pregnant?” I ask, completely stunned.
She laughs, folding her hands on her desk. “Of course not, sweetie. I’m firing you because you aren’t a good fit for this position. It’s taking you far too long to learn simple tasks and I can’t hold your hand every day.” She stands up and crosses to the side of the desk I am on. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out. I’m sure you will find something more fitting.”
I feel tears and blink rapidly to keep them back. I refuse to show her how she’s hurt me. How she’s just fired a pregnant woman who now has no income to provide for the baby, pay for my apartment, buy damn groceries. I take a deep breath, letting the pad fall to the floor with a bang. I stare into her eyes and realize she has no soul. She’s a heartless bitch who cares only about money. She’s not confident and convincing, she’s conniving and pushy. She can tell everyone that I sucked at my job, but we both know that’s not true. She doesn’t want my pregnancy getting in the way. Fuck her.
“I had no idea you had a black heart. Makes sense now that you’re divorced,” I say with a smirk. I turn toward the door as she shouts my name. “You’ll be hearing from my attorney.” I walk out and slam the door behind me.
I grab my purse and call Mia as I head out of the building. I tell her what happened as I try to keep the tears from falling. Debra won’t be hearing from my attorney; I can’t afford one. I just needed one more dig. She just destroyed my world, and I don’t know what the fuck I’m going to do now. I won’t be able to find a job that will allow me to afford my apartment, a baby, and all my other bills.
“Hey, don’t cry. Debra is a cunt. We’ll figure it out when I come over. Go home, take a hot bath and relax,” Mia says, cutting into my thoughts.
I didn’t even realize I was crying as I climb into my car. “Okay, I’ll talk to you tonight.”
Once I’m home I do exactly what Mia suggested. I run a hot bath and try to let the water wash away my feelings. I’m angry, sad, and scared. I don’t know what I’m going to do now. In this moment I can understand Kace hurting someone because I’d love to cause her some pain right now. I close my eyes and try to relax my tight muscles.
My phone rings startling me, and I splash water out of the tub. I grab it and see it’s Harper. “Hey,” I mumble.
“Damn, what’s wrong?”
“Oh, you know, just got fired because I’m having a baby. I have no money now, so I have no idea how I’m supposed to afford this apartment, never mind a baby,” I say, letting the anger take over.
“She fired you because you’re pregnant?” she yells. I hear voices in the background, and she is shushing them.
“You got fired because you’re pregnant?” Kace’s deep, sexy face comes through the phone.
Suddenly my body is feeling something completely different. It’s burning with desire for his hands on me in this tub. To feel his talented tongue between my aching legs. Feel his piercing dragging against me making me scream in pleasure. His large, strong hands touching me all over. “Ivy?”
Fuck. I clear my throat as I snap out of my erotic thoughts. “Yeah, I got fired for being pregnant,” I say, and the tears start again. These hormones are going to kill me.
“Are you alright?” he asks. His voice is so calm and full of sympathy.
“No,” I say around a sob.
“Oh sweetheart, don’t cry,” he says. “What do you need?”
I laugh around my tears. If only he knew what I was just thinking. “I need a job,” I whisper, deciding to leave out the part of his hands on me.
“You need money. I can help with that. Give me your account number and I’ll transfer some in,” he says.
“What? No,” I shout, splashing more water out of the tub.
“What was that?” he asks.
“Don’t change the subject. I don’t need your money, Kace. It’s extremely sweet, but not necessary,” I say.
“The need to take care of you and my baby is very necessary,” he almost whispers. His words wash over me, making more tears fall. I can’t find the words, so I just silently cry with the phone to my ear. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.”
“You can be a good guy, Kace,” I say around the lump in my throat.
“I am a good guy. You just keep focusing on other shit,” he says.
He’s right, I do. This guy on the phone right now is the one that I started falling for. The protective, sexy, caring guy I saw so many times. “I know you are, Kace. I just sometimes forget,” I say, wiping my tears on the towel.
“Come back for a few days. Let’s talk for real,” he suggests.
“I need to stay and find a new job,” I explain.
“She can’t fire you for being pregnant,” he says.
I stand and step out of the tub, slipping on the wet floor. I yell as I drop the phone but grab onto the sink. My heart is pounding as I look around. “Shit,” I whisper to myself. I look down and see my shattered phone on the floor. I shake my head as I drop a towel on the floor to stand on and another to wrap around myself. I squat down and look at the completely broken phone. As if it wasn’t bad enough, now I need to get a new phone.
I don’t even bother picking it up, I go into my bedroom to dry off and get dressed. I opt for pink and white striped sleep shorts and a long sleeve white shirt that hangs off one shoulder. I pull my wet hair into a bun on top of my head and forego the makeup.
As I make my way to the kitchen, I feel exhausted. My emotions are all over the place and it’s draining. I know Mia is coming over, but I wish now I could just crawl into bed and sleep. I don’t though, I make a cup of tea and sit down on the couch to focus on the beautiful view. I have no idea how much longer I will see it, which breaks my heart. I really thought coming out here was going to be the change I needed, but it seems that everything is dragging me back to Vegas. I have no idea how long it will take me to find a new job here, but I’m pretty sure if I asked Harper, she’d hire me back in a heartbeat. I know that I wouldn’t be homeless there either.
As I watch the sun shining through the palm trees, I start to wonder if coming back to Vegas is my best option. I’ll be close to the only friends I have besides Mia, I’ll have a job, and I’ll be close to Kace. I decide that once I get my new phone, I’ll call Harper and talk to her, but for now I’m going to enjoy my view.
I have no idea how much time has passed when my door opens, and Mia’s cheerful voice fills the silent apartment. “Honey, I’m home,” she says laughing.
“Hey,” I say, standing to meet her in the kitchen.
“Ivy, I’m so sorry about today. I can’t believe Debra fired you. Are you alright?” she asks, pulling out all the Chinese food she brought.
I lift my shoulders and grab some plates. “Not really. I have no money, no job, and I broke my cell phone. I have n
o idea what I’m gonna do.”
We quickly fill out plates and take them into the living room. “You’re going to tell me what happened when you went to Vegas and we’ll go from there,” she says smiling.
I spend the next half hour telling her everything that happened. She doesn’t interrupt or even make a facial expression that would let me know what she’s thinking. So, when I finish, I stare at her as my stomach turns.
She smiles that bright smile of hers and puts down her empty plate. “Are you scared of him?”
“I know he’d never hurt me, it’s the club,” I say honestly.
“I don’t know anything about the club, so correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t they furiously protective of their families?” she asks.
I think for a second, even though it’s not necessary. I know from everything that happened with Harper just how furiously protective they are. “Yes,” I whisper.
“So, you have a guy that would be protective of you and the baby, who wants to be involved, hell who wants you to move in with him but you’re second guessing it. Why?”
I blow out a breath and wrap my arms around myself. “Because I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Falling in love with him and then losing him,” I say, dropping my gaze to the floor.
I’ve never admitted it until now, but that’s what it comes down to. I know I could fall in love with Kace, but I also know he was also shot once already. What happens when the next one kills him? I can’t handle even thinking about it, never mind going through it.
“Ivy, love is scary. You never know how it’s going to end, but it’s everything that happens in between that matters. It doesn’t matter if they are part of a club or a businessman on Wall Street, tomorrow is not promised to anyone. You have to live for today,” Mia says, grabbing my hand. As usual, the tears are running down my face. She’s right and it scares me even more. “If I had someone who protected me and loved me furiously, I’d move to the ends of the earth for him.”
I lift my tear stained face to hers. “What about Rob?”
For the first time since I’ve met her the brightness in her eyes disappears. But I have no time to question it as pounding on my front door scares the shit out of us.
“Stay there,” she whispers.
“Ivy!” I hear and my heart stops. She opens the door and Kace rushes in.
“Holy shit,” she whispers.
I pay no attention to her as Kace rushes to me, pulling me off the couch and wrapping his strong arms around me. “Fuck, sweetheart. Are you alright?”
I bury my head into his chest and let my emotions take over. “What are you doing here?” I whisper.
“You screamed and you were gone. I thought something happened. I couldn’t get here fast enough,” he says, tightening his hold on me.
“Holy shit,” Mia says again.
“I slipped getting out of the bath and broke my phone. I’m sorry I didn’t think to call you to let you know.”
He pulls back slightly, lighting my chin with his thumb. “I was never so scared,” he whispers, wiping my tears with his thumb.
“How’d you get here so fast?” I question, tightening my hold on him. I suddenly don’t want him to be any further away than he is right now.
“My bike,” he says, lifting one side of his mouth. “I’ll be getting a few tickets in the mail.”
I can’t help the laugh that escapes me, and he follows. He pulls me close again, resting his chin on the top of my head.
Mia clears her throat and I quickly realize we aren’t alone and slip out of his hold. I immediately regret the decision, missing his warmth. “Sorry,” I say glancing at Mia. “Mia this is Kace, Kace this is my friend Mia.”
Kace lifts his chin toward her. “Hey, nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” she says, pushing her chest out a little more. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Kace looks at me and grins. “Oh yeah.”
I feel the blush take over my face as his gaze turns darker. “I might have mentioned you.”
Mia laughs, but it’s flirty causing me to snap my head toward her. She’s got a huge smile on her face as she steps into the living room to join us. “She didn’t mention everything,” she says, looking him up and down.
He chuckles and a jealousy I’ve never felt wraps around me. This is a side of Mia I’ve never seen, and I don’t like it. Not when it’s focused toward Kace. I step closer to him, getting his attention from her. “I’m surprised Zane let you come alone,” I say, needing to change the subject and try to keep his attention off Mia.
“Oh, he’ll be here.” He brushes his fingers across my cheek and gives me that sexy grin. “I told you, sweetheart, I’ll be getting tickets.”
The warmth I feel from his protectiveness is overwhelming, but in a good way. He was so worried about me that he drove to California to check on me. Who does that?
Chapter 7
Kace
The relief I felt when I realized that Ivy was alright, was unreal. When that phone went dead, I thought all the possible worst things. I never drove so fast in my life. The thought of something bad happening to her was more than I could handle. She’s too far away and I need her to come back to Vegas. I just need to figure out how to do that without fighting with her again. I promised myself if I got here and she was alright that I would let her make her own decision without arguing.
“So, more people are coming?” Ivy’s friend Mia asks.
I snap out of my thoughts and glance at her. She’s pretty, but nothing compared to Ivy. My heart doesn’t race when I look at her. My pulse doesn’t pick up and my dick doesn’t press against my zipper. I am glad that Ivy has a friend though. I often wondered if she had friends here.
“Yeah there will be,” Ivy answers for me.
“I texted Z. They’ll be here in a few minutes,” I say.
“Do you mind if I stay or would you like some privacy?”
Ivy steps away from me and hugs Mia quickly. “I’d like you to stay. You can meet everyone.”
“I’d like that,” Mia says. I notice a bit of sadness in her, but it’s not my business. Ivy is.
I pull a burner phone out of my pocket and hand it to Ivy. “Use this until we get you a new phone.”
“You don’t need to do that,” she says.
“Yeah I do,” I say. Now that my heart has stopped racing, I take in her place. It’s nice, small but updated. I take note of the colors and the style as I look around. “This is a great place.”
“Thanks,” she says, dipping her head. I know even without seeing her face that she is blushing. It makes me grin as I walk toward her.
I glance at Mia before lifting Ivy’s chin to have her look at me. I smile as I search her beautiful face. “How can you still blush when I say something? I’ve been inside you,” I whisper for only her to hear.
Her face turns a shade of red I didn’t know it could, but we get interrupted when Harper bangs on the door. “Ivy!” She rushes to the door and opens it. “Fuck, are you trying to get us all killed? What the hell happened?” Harper yells, coming in.
“I’m fine. I dropped my phone and broke it. I’m sorry I made you all worry,” Ivy says.
Z looks at me as he walks in and I nod my head letting him know everything is alright. Riley and Finn follow, and I laugh when Finn almost trips on himself when he sees Mia.
“Damn, nice place Ivy,” Riley says, kissing her cheek.
“Hey,” Finn says, giving her a hug.
I can see the tears in her eyes, and it squeezes my heart. She says she hates the club, but that’s not true. She just has trouble with some of the shit we get caught up in. I can work with that.
“Seriously, you’re alright?” Harper asks, looking her over.
“Yes, I’m fine.” She looks around at everyone and a small smile plays at her lips. “I can order some pizza if you guys are hungry.”
“No, it’s alright,” Finn says.
“Kace will pay since he wouldn’t listen to logic and we all drove out here,” Z says, walking into the kitchen.
I laugh as I pull out my credit card and hand it to Ivy. “Order a few pizzas and whatever else you want.”
“Who’s the chick standing in the corner?” Riley asks, jerking his thumb toward Mia.
“Shit sorry,” Ivy says, motioning Mia to come over. “This is my friend Mia. Mia, this is Riley, Finn, Harper, and Zane.”
“Ivy’s told me a lot about you,” Harper says, looking her up and down. I get the feeling she doesn’t like Ivy having another friend that she’s been close to.
“You too, it’s nice to meet you,” Mia says. She turns to Ivy with wide eyes. “You left out a lot of details.”
I go into the kitchen with Z while the rest of them talk after Ivy orders food. “We need to send Finn for beer, there’s none here,” he says with a smirk.
I flip him off and lean against the counter. “You would’ve done the same shit if it was Harper.”
“You’re right I would cause she’s the love of my life. I would die before I let anything bad happen to her again,” he says, lifting an eyebrow.
I sigh and scrub my face. “I care for her and she’s pregnant with my kid.”
“I know brother, I’m not saying you shouldn’t have. I’m just saying maybe think about why you did.”
He’s right, but I’ll never admit it. Maybe I do have feelings for Ivy that I never wanted to admit because I thought she deserved better. My trust issues run deep, and I never wanted that to ruin anything that we could have, but it’s all different now. Now that she’s pregnant I don’t want to be away from her. I see what Harper and Zane have and a part of me longs to have that and maybe with Ivy it is a possibility. It scares the fuck out of me but being without her scares me more.
“Any word from New York?” I ask, trying to change the subject.
“Brooks is making some phone calls, so we’ll see what happens. I know we’d all like to stay, but tomorrow we need to go. You can stay a few days if that’s what you guys want, but I wouldn’t stay too long, makes it look like you’re hiding,” he says.
Kace (Shattered Souls MC Book 3) Page 8
