by Nicola Jane
I go into the bathroom and leave the door open slightly so I can hear her. “Why aren’t you and Riggs talking?”
“A difference of opinion,” she says.
“Where are you staying?”
“At Eva’s old place. It’s ideal because the room was already set up for Malia,” she explains.
“Anna’s with you?” I ask.
“Yeah, Riggs managed to upset her too.”
“He never said,” I mutter, feeling isolated again.
“He probably doesn’t want to worry you with your ol’ lady being in here.”
“She isn’t my ol’ lady,” I correct her and then feel that guilt creep in again. “It’s not like that between us.”
“Well, whatever. He just didn’t want to bother you.”
I dress quickly and step out of the bathroom. “Couldn’t they get a jumper to fit you?” I joke. She looks down at the baggy jumper and smiles, shrugging her shoulders.
Chapter Twelve
Leia
I sit at the top of the stairs listening to Riggs beg Anna back. She’s strong, refusing to go back and pretend to be happy any longer. “You might put on a smile, but I know you’re unhappy,” she says. “You hardly look at me. I don’t remember the last time you touched me.”
“That's ridiculous. I’ve had shit to deal with,” he snaps defensively.
“Alright,” she says. “Touch me.”
Riggs laughs, but it’s uncomfortable. “What?”
“You heard. Take me to bed now and fuck me. Touch me. Kiss me.”
“You're acting crazy,” he mutters.
“You can’t. I repulse you. Just be honest.”
“I love you. You’re mine. I don’t wanna hurt the baby. That’s why I haven’t touched you,” he says.
“Bullshit. Get out, Riggs. You’re wasting my time.”
“Anna, stop this now. You belong with me, not here renting your friend’s house with my pregnant sister.”
“When you prove to me that you love me, that you want me around, that's when I’ll come home.”
“You realize there’s some crazy fucker still on the loose. You’re not safe here.”
“I’ll take my chances.” She sighs and I hear his low growl before the front door opens and then slams closed.
I go down to Anna. “That was intense.”
“Everything is intense when it comes to your brother. I miss how we were in the beginning.” She sighs. “I know I shouldn’t say it, but keeping this baby was—”
“Don’t,” I warn. “Don’t finish those words. We all have regrets, but this can’t be one of them. We’re strong, independent women. We got this.”
Anna smiles weakly. “I guess. I just didn’t imagine doing this alone again.”
“You’re not alone. You have me, Eva, Gia, and my mum.”
I get to work earlier than when my shift starts, so I grab a coffee for Chains, which is becoming a habit. I knock lightly on the door and stick my head in, pausing when I see Raven sitting up awake and Chains inches from her face, whispering to her. They both look at me. “You’re awake,” I murmur and she smiles. I see why Chains likes her—she’s gorgeous.
“A nurse already did her vitals,” says Chains coldly.
My mouth opens and closes a few times. I’m not sure what to say, so I back out of the room. The door opens shortly after and Chains steps out, closing it gently behind him. “I don’t want her upsetting,” he says bluntly.
“Of course. I just thought you’d need coffee. I’m sorry to intrude. I . . . ” I close my lips and press them together. I’m babbling. How does he still have the ability to hurt me after all this time? “I’ll go.”
“I’ve gotta look after her. She’s my responsibility,” he explains.
I wave my hand in the air and fake a smile. “Of course. I get it.” I rush off to start my shift. I need to occupy my mind and take my own advice. I’m a strong, independent woman. I don’t need Chains. I don’t need any man.
“Leia.” The ward sister smiles. “You’re on the high dependency ward today. They’re short. Is that okay?”
My step falters. That’s where Raven is currently staying. “Really?” I ask. “Isn’t there anyone else?”
“Of course, but the ward sister told me you’re always down there and everyone else is scared of that huge biker in room three. She asked for you.” I groan and turn back around. Just what I needed.
I read through Raven’s notes—raped, broken leg, shattered pelvis, to name just a few of her injuries.
“Leia, I need you,” says the ward sister.
I stand and gel my hands. “Sure, where do ya want me?”
“The police are here to talk with the girl in room three. Thing is, that friend of yours, he’s not very welcoming when it comes to the cops. He refused to let them in earlier and they really need to talk to her. Any chance you could occupy him?”
“I can’t lie to him. I’ll tell him straight.”
I breeze into the room, ignoring the way Chains is stroking her hand. How can I be jealous after everything this poor woman’s been through? “I just need to do some checks,” I say with a smile. “I’ll be your nurse for the next eight hours.” I take the clipboard from the end of her bed and write the time in. “How are you feeling today?” I ask.
“How do you think she’s feeling?” snaps Chains.
“Baby,” whispers Raven, gently stroking his face. “Be nice.”
“It’s a stupid question,” he grumbles.
I ignore him and smile at Raven. “Any headaches, nausea?”
“No. I feel much better than last night when I first woke. My head feels clearer.”
I smile and write that in the notes. I do her observations in silence, but I feel his eyes on me the entire time. “Everything looks good considering,” I say, hanging the clipboard back in place. “The police need to talk with you.”
“I already told them no,” snaps Chains. “She’s just woken up.”
“It’s best to get it out the way. They’ll only keep returning,” I say.
“She’s right, Chains,” Raven says.
“I said no!” he snaps.
“It’s not your call,” I say firmly, finally bringing my eyes to him. “I’ll send them in.”
“Are you fuckin’ stupid? I just told you no!” he yells. He marches towards me and I square my shoulders.
“Sit back down or I will have you removed from this ward,” I say through gritted teeth.
“You and whose army?” He smirks.
“Do I need to call Riggs?” I ask and he scowls. I’ve given the game away and he looks pissed as hell. “I have an army, if that's how you want this to play out.”
“Leia,” he growls in warning.
“Leia?” repeats Raven. “The Leia?”
“I’ll send the cops in,” I say, leaving.
I make it two steps from the door before I’m hauled off my feet and pulled into an empty room next to Raven’s. He presses me against the wall and I feel his hot breath against my ear. “You think you’re clever?” he growls.
“Get over yourself, Chains.”
“Why you? Why are you her nurse?” he snaps.
“You wanna choose a nurse, then pay for private care, asshole,” I snap, trying to push back against him to free myself.
He laughs at my attempts and holds me steady. “Don’t fight me, Leia.”
“You scared how your body will react if I do?” I smirk, pushing back against him again. He hisses and I smile to myself. Asshole.
His hand moves under my baggy jumper and I panic, struggling to push him away. His hand stops on my stomach and I feel him tense. He spins me to face him and rips my jumper up, exposing my tiny bump. He looks from my bump to my face and then back again, his hand resting against it.
The door crashes open and three security guards bustle in. “Are you okay?” asks one.
I nod, unable to get my words together. “Yes,” I eventually mutter.
&
nbsp; “Get out,” growls Chains.
“I’m good. You can leave,” I say quickly before Chains loses it with these poor guys.
“We’ll be right outside if you need us,” they say, retreating.
Chains stares into my eyes for a silent minute. “You’re pregnant,” he eventually whispers. I nod. “How far?”
“I have to go, Chains. You should be with Raven.” I squeeze my way from under him and get as far as the door before he’s wrapped around me again, his face buried in my hair.
“Leia, please,” he whispers. “Is it mine?”
My eyes fill with tears. “No,” I whisper. I almost choke on the lie. Chains releases me and I stumble from the room, tears falling down my face as I rush for the bathroom.
CHAINS
I watch her run from me. Leia’s pregnant. My Leia. I shake my head, because she isn’t my Leia. I watch two police officers go into Raven’s room. I should be with her, but hearing the stuff she went through kills me. I should never have left her and I’ve vowed to never leave her again, but right now, I can’t breathe. I have to get out of here.
I rush down the stairs and break out into the fresh air, taking a deep breath and filling my lungs. I make my way to the Windsor. It’s just around the corner from the hospital and I can be back there quickly if Raven needs me.
Pinky places a glass down in front of me and hands me the bottle of whiskey. “You look like you need it.”
“You have no idea,” I mutter.
“Haven’t seen you for months. I heard what happened to your ol’ lady. How she doing?” she asks.
“Good. She’s getting better,” I mumble, filling my glass and knocking it back in one.
“I’ll be in the back room if you need me,” she says, and I know she’s going to call Riggs. I snatch the bottle and go sit at Riggs’ table, or his dad’s table. It’s always empty outta respect. The only man who ever sits here is Riggs, but it’s the furthest table away from everyone else and I need the quiet.
My eyes hurt, and when I try to look at my watch, the hands blur together. I have no fuckin’ idea what time it is. “Almost eight.” I look up as two Riggs approach me.
I smile. “Pres,” I say in greeting. “Join me.” I hold up the bottle and laugh when I see it’s empty.
“What’s up, brother?” he asks, taking a seat.
“Nothing. I am alllll good.” I grin. “Hey, Pinky, get me another bottle.”
Riggs shakes his head to Pinky and then turns back to me. “I went to see Raven before stopping by here,” he says. “She looks good, brother. Leia’s taking care of her.”
At the mention of Leia’s name, my smile fades. “I should get back to her,” I mumble, pushing myself to stand. I wobble and fall back into my chair.
“No need. She’s good. You need to talk to me, Chains?” he asks and I shake my head. “Cos you look like a man with the world on his shoulders.”
“I don’t love Raven,” I slur. “Least, not like that.”
“Okay.” He nods. “And that’s what’s bothering you?”
I shake my head. “When you went away, I—”
“Everything okay?” comes Cree’s voice. He fixes me with a hard stare that tells me he knew what I was about to say.
“Good timing, brother. Help me get him back to the club. He needs to sleep this off.”
They take an arm each and haul me to my feet. “I tried to stop loving her,” I mutter.
“Enough talk, brother. You know how I hate that shit,” says Cree, slapping me on the back. “Talk tomorrow, when you’re sober and we all have a clear head.”
Fuck, my head hurts. A wave of sickness washes over me and I dry heave. I open my eyes and I’m back in my old room at the club. I eventually stumble down to breakfast. I need something to soak up the shit tonne of alcohol I drank last night before getting back to Raven.
Frankie hugs me. “I missed you,” she says with a smile. I nod because I don’t trust myself to speak. “Sit down. I’ll get you some food,” she orders.
I rest my head on my arms on the table and close my eyes. “Feeling it?” asks Cree, taking a seat next to me. “What the fuck was that all about?” he whisper-hisses into my ear. “You almost got yourself killed last night.”
“Leia’s pregnant,” I say accusingly and Cree’s face softens.
“I know it’s hard, Chains, but it’s for the best. She’s moved on and so have you. Now we can all get back to normal.”
“It’s mine!” I snap.
Cree frowns. “No, it’s the nerd’s baby.”
I shake my head. I know it’s mine. “I’ve gotta tell Riggs,” I mumble.
“You gotta keep your mouth shut. I’m tryin’ to keep you alive. That baby is Ryan’s. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep quiet.”
“I looked in her eyes. I know what I saw.”
“Suddenly you read minds?” he scoffs. “Look, so what if the baby is yours? This Ryan kid’s claiming it and she’s letting him, so you’re off the hook. That’s a good thing, right? You can come back to the club and we can get back to how it was.”
“And watch some rich kid bring up my baby?” I snap.
Cree looks around to make sure no one heard us. “Leia’s happy. The nerd is happy. You and Raven are happy. What’s the big deal?”
I shake my head and rise to my feet just as Frankie places a plate of eggs and bacon in front of me. “Sorry, Frankie,” I say. “I’ve gotta go. Thanks, though.”
I knock loudly and the door opens. Ryan stares at me for a few seconds and then smiles. “Bodyguard,” he greets.
“Nerd,” I mutter as I push inside. The place is so clinical, it makes me shiver. Who the fuck lives like this with white furniture and walls? Even the damn carpet is white. “You’re not the dad,” I say bluntly and Ryan laughs. “I know you ain’t got the shit to get Leia pregnant. What I want to know is if you know that or is she lying to you too?”
“Shit. You’re the guy who got her pregnant and ran,” he says accusingly. “No wonder she didn’t want her brother to know.”
I grip his collar and slam him against the wall. “Listen to me, you little shit. I just need to hear it from your mouth. Did you know it wasn’t yours?”
“Of course, I did. I’m not stupid. We used protection every time. I wouldn’t have screwed her over like that because she’s special. You fucked her and ran.”
“And now you get to play the hero who swoops in to rescue her,” I scoff, slamming him again.
“Clearing up your mess,” he snaps. “You should know better at your age.”
“How the fuck hasn’t Riggs killed you,” I growl, pushing him away from me and heading for the door.
“Because Leia loves me. Riggs knows I’ll look after her. What the hell can you offer her and a child?” I leave with his words ringing in my ears. It’s like he read my mind.
Chapter Thirteen
Leia
“Come home,” Riggs says with a sigh.
“I’m happy where I am,” I say.
He leans over the nurses desk and takes my hand. “I promise, I’ll welcome Ryan into the club. I’ll do whatever you want. Just come back.”
“You think that if I come back, Anna will?”
“Mum is giving me shit every hour of every day. I shouldn’t have gone off at you like I did. You’re an adult. I accept that now.”
“I’m over it, Riggs. Living away from the club is great. I can come and go as I please,” I say. I don’t admit that I miss the club, that I miss the noise and the kids running around. Even Diesel seems sad, although he and Malia have become the best of friends.
“Fuck, Leia. Everything’s going to shit. You’re gone, Anna and Malia have gone, Chains is crazy, and Mum hates me. I feel like I'm losing grip on the club.”
“Because you have no control,” I say. “You like to be in control, bossing us all around, and now you can’t. You’re not losing the club. You haven’t lost me. I’m just taking a break.”
/> “You don’t get it,” he mutters, releasing my hand. “It’s my job to protect you all. That’s what I agreed to when I became president.”
My heart aches for him and I move around the desk until I’m standing in front of him. “Let go of the control, Riggs. It makes you miserable. I miss your laugh and your cheeky banter. We all do.”
“It’s not that simple. I have responsibilities.”
“And that means you can’t laugh anymore? Share the responsibility. That’s what Cree and Blu are for. Even Chains, when he’s back with you.”
“Promise me you’ll think about coming home and I’ll try and take a step back.”
I nod. “Fine, I’ll think about it.”
When I get off work after a double shift, my feet hurt and I’m exhausted, so when Chains steps out in front of me, my heart sinks. I’ve managed to avoid him since our run-in. “We need to talk,” he utters.
“I don't think we do.”
I try to walk past him, but he grips my wrist and pulls me towards his truck. People stare, so I don’t make a fuss. The last thing I need is an audience. We drive in silence to the house I share with Anna. Luckily, she’s out.
“I know it's mine. I saw nerd boy.”
I spin to face him. Ryan never mentioned he’d seen Chains. “When?”
“Yesterday. You lied to me,” he says bluntly.
“You’re off the hook. Go live your life,” I snap.
“How can I do that knowing my kid’s out there with another man raising him?” he snaps. He takes a breath and releases it slowly. “I need to take care of Raven. She has no one else.” I nod. “But I’ll support you and the baby. You can stop working. I’ll make sure you want for nothing,” he continues and I feel myself bristle at his words. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. I press my lips into a hard line as he pulls out a pile of notes and lays them on the kitchen counter. “There’s more to come. Whatever you need, just bill me for it,” he says.
