He touched the tip of her nose and did his best to lean forward and kiss her. “I was clear-headed when I asked you to move in, you know.”
She smirked. “Yes, and now you’re going to be clean-headed for a while, too, it would seem.”
Vince made a face in disgust. “I don’t want to talk about it. I’ll be sporting the Pound look with a handkerchief covering the reflective surface until it grows back.” He shook his head, instantly regretting it. “My head isn’t shaped well to be bald.” He searched her face, finding no hesitation, no disappointment, and no disapproval, and that warmed his heart. Maybe she was going to survive this lifestyle after all. Vince looked forward to it.
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
Three months later
Ariana worked in the kitchen, alongside Kendra and Sal’s wife, Martina. Perry was in the yard, playing with his new dog, who was more of a companion animal than a pet but loved to catch a Frisbee. Sal was in the dining room with Vince and her father, who had actually come out in his wheelchair, bringing his IVs and all, to join the celebration.
As she chopped up vegetables that were going out on the grill, Martina shook her head. “I hope you don’t mind, but Sal kept me informed of the situation, and I can’t believe those putos could treat your father like that. No one in the medical profession should ever want to hurt anyone else. And I think that because of their knowledge and access to the right materials, they should be prosecuted like they are armed and dangerous.”
She was a sassy woman Ariana had to admit, but in a way, she agreed with Martina. The only reason she’d held back from pressing individual charges was her memory of Kendra’s precaution to not lose sight of what was most important. Her father was relatively well. Plus, Vince was healing nicely with some physical therapy for his leg, and he’d finally gotten back on his bike for the first time two weeks ago. He was riding like a fiend now, and Ariana was relieved because Vince had been on the verge of deep depression by the time he was allowed to ride again.
Ariana, who was basting the ribs for the barbecue, fell into her own thoughts as she worked absently and watched the action around her. There were so many things to celebrate. Her father’s health—although he still suffered—might actually get him on the transplant list before it was too late. Plus, Vince’s club had put their enemies behind bars. She still didn’t know what Vince was into, and she figured it wasn’t exactly legal or he would have told her, but there hadn’t been any retaliation or incident since he’d been injured.
As for Sal and his family, his son had just scored his first A on a test, and they’d framed it for him in his room as a reminder of what he was capable of when he applied himself and fought past the dyslexia. Perry was also working through his anger at the situation with a therapist and seemed very well adjusted.
As Sal had expected, once all the evidence was presented and criminal negligence and medical abuse charges leveled against the hospital, they’d rushed to settle out of court, trying to avoid as much negative publicity as possible. They hadn’t kept their feet out of the fire, but the administrative directors had all resigned and been replaced once the eight million had been paid out.
Ariana had, at first, been overwhelmed. She had no idea what to do with that kind of money; but, over time, she’d found her way. She’d paid for school, resigned from work, and enrolled in medical school full-time. Now, she was looking at starting her internship in another six months or so, and no one looked at her without vast amounts of respect. After all, she’d been the one with her eyes wide open to the mistreatment of her father.
Several other patients and their families had come forward, too, and the class action lawsuit was about to be settled. The hospital was almost bankrupt now. Ariana had donated one million to a complete investigation and audit of the facility, uncovering a number of other problems, including employee theft of drugs for personal use and sales on the street. Another million had gone to research for her father’s condition, which was now getting national media attention. She’d replaced Vince’s bike…again. He was still upset over the loss of his last one, but this one was another upgrade, and she’d been on it with him twice now.
She’d also bought a new car and a new wardrobe—something she’d always dreamed of doing. However, that was the extent of her extravagance. She’d invested most of the rest of the money with the help of a financial advisor, and it was already growing. The rest she’d kept out in a savings account that would pay for her wedding to Vince and their honeymoon in the Bahamas. He’d asked her to marry him three weeks ago.
She also used it to pay for her own medical care, as well as that of the child on the way. Three days after Vince’s proposal, she’d realized she was late, and she’d discovered she was pregnant. It was a shock to her, and she was terrified of being a mother, especially since the example set for her was probably the poorest possible. However, she was also elated to be better than her own mother. With people like Kendra and Martina as friends, she had the support system she needed to do right by her child, and the money in the bank would assure a bright future for the kid.
She’d never been able to reconcile with her mother or sister, but she’d heard that Lorraine had finally left her husband and was seeking counseling, as well as perhaps planning to go to school for one thing or another. Ariana had hope that, one day, Lorraine would come around, and they could be real sisters. She was willing to be patient while the younger girl got herself together. However, she doubted her mother—who had fallen into a depressed funk and started drinking, according to some mutual contacts—would ever speak to any of them again.
That was alright. It made Ariana feel sorry for her mother, but it was also poetic justice since the older woman cared about no one but herself. Plus, she had family. The club was welcoming her with open arms, and Pound, Jude, and a couple of the others were starting to grow on her, like big brothers who teased and got in trouble all the time.
“Vince!” she called, breaking up some sort of hilarious conversation.
“Yes, dear?” he called back, his tone filled with joy and contentment.
It made her smile. “You should go light up the grill, and Sal can carry this out so the two of you can do your jobs before the rest of us waste away into nothing. I’m starving.”
Vince was behind her in no time, his arms circling her waist and caressing her stomach—which barely stuck out. “I know something that’ll feed your hunger,” he growled in her ear, nibbling at her lobe.
She batted him away with a smile before turning and wrapping her arms around his neck. Quietly, with a seductive smile, she said, “You aren’t pulling me away from the first party I’ve ever hosted. Save it for dessert.”
He waggled his eyebrows, kissed her soundly, and headed for the backyard. Sal came and took the platter piled high with basted meat from her, trailing after Vince. Kendra shook her head, as Sal smacked Martina’s ass on the way by. “You two make me sick!”
“Just wait. Your day will come, and then we’ll all gag over you and your lover,” Martina told her.
Ariana doubted it. Being in love was something she didn’t think she’d ever gag over. Plus, she had plans for Kendra. She and Pound were going to come face-to-face at her wedding, and it was going to be instant chemistry. As Kendra had once said, she just had a sense about these things.
THE END
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Books by Claire St. Rose
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SECRET BABY AT THE ALTAR: Blood Brothers MC
WE GOT AWAY FROM HIM ONCE. THIS TIME, WE WON’T BE SO LUCKY.
Because my baby’s father is back to claim what’s his:
Us.
Five years in prison is enough to change anybody.
And Kane has certainly changed.
He’s darker than he was before.
Bigger.
But the hunger that drove him to take me in the first place… that hasn’t changed one bit.
He took the fall for me when I needed it.
But now that he’s returned, he wants to take back everything he once owned.
That includes me.
And once he finds out about our baby…
He’s going to drag me to the altar so I can never escape again.
The sickest part of it all is…
That I’m helpless to say no.
DADDY AT THE ALTAR: Iron Claws MC
I SWORE OFF WOMEN LONG AGO. BUT IT MIGHT BE TIME TO BREAK MY PROMISE.
Because I haven’t felt hunger like this since my first love died.
Ariana might look untouched and innocent…
But by the time I’ll done, she’ll be utterly wrecked. Thoroughly ruined.
And pregnant with my baby.
Years ago, as I put the dirt on the coffin of my dead old lady, I made myself a promise:
Never again.
I’d kept that oath in the years since.
No emotions.
Nothing permanent.
One. Night. Only.
But that was before Ariana waltzed into my life.
She might hate me – but I just don’t give a damn.
Because she’s everything I’ve always wanted.
And I’m not gonna rest until I have her.
Not just for a taste.
Not just for a night.
No, this one needs to be long, slow, and special.
I want to savor breaking her down.
Because once she’s putty in my hands, I’m going to drag her to the altar.
I don’t just want a woman.
I want a wife.
A baby.
A future.
And she’s going to give me all of that…
Or else.
PREGNANT AT THE ALTAR: Immortal Souls MC
HE WANTS MY BODY, MY WOMB, AND HIS RING ON MY FINGER.
Hammer is just looking for someone to nail.
That much is obvious.
But what I didn’t know is everything else he wants:
Like a wife and a baby.
I’m the newest cop on the force.
Being a female in uniform means everyone is trying to get a piece of me.
I fend them all of, no sweat...
Until Hammer.
He’s an ex-soldier, a fighter, a biker...
Bad news all around.
I know i should stay away.
But when he offers to show me how to handle my body, I can’t say no.
Needless to say, our lessons didn’t stop on wrestling mat.
He took me to his bed and taught me a few more things.
And God, I loved it.
But this is all happening too fast.
I’m a cop – the last place I belong is in a biker’s bed.
Especially one in the middle of a complex web of crime and lies.
Falling for Hammer might cost me everything.
I just hope I can pay the price.
BENT AT THE ALTAR: Broken Lions MC
I’LL DRAG HER TO THE ALTAR AND BEND HER OVER RIGHT THERE.
The pretty doctor never asked for me to enter her life.
But fate brought me here.
And I’ve laid down my claim.
This one is mine now.
She can blame my brother for all this, if she wants to.
He’s the one who got poisoned and ended up half-dead on her operating table.
That’s where it all started.
But once I got a glimpse of her sexy body in that lab coat, I knew exactly how it was going to end.
With the doctor bent over and my ring on her finger.
She saved my brother, so I have to thank her properly.
And I’ve got a couple filthy ideas in mind.
But it’s not all fun and games with me.
It’s a dangerous world.
And I’m a dangerous man.
She’s gonna have to trust me if she wants to stay alive.
But I can make one promise I’ll never, ever break:
As long as you’re mine, baby…
No one is gonna lay a damn finger on you.
Because I’ll kill any man who touches my wife.
BIKER’S GIFT: Chrome Kings MC
HE GAVE ME A BABY AND LEFT ME ALONE. UNTIL NOW.
The biker gave me a gift: his baby in my belly.
Then he left me to raise her myself.
But just when there’s finally hope for my daughter’s future…
Gabriel comes storming back into town.
It was a night to remember.
The biker’s mouth…
Hot and persistent…
Taking me higher and higher than I ever thought possible.
But just as suddenly as it started…
He was gone.
Not all of him, though.
He left something behind.
Something small.
Something precious.
His baby in my belly.
It’s been years since then.
I have a life now – it’s me and my little girl against the world.
I work hard to provide for us, but she’s worth every second.
Someday, I’ll get her out of this place.
At least, that’s what I used to think.
But when Gabriel rides back into town, all bets are off.
Because when he learns he has a daughter…
He’ll do whatever it takes to stake his claim to her.
And to me, too.
Try as I might, there’s no stopping him.
The bad boy always gets what he wants.
BIKER’S CHILD: The Saint’s Disciples MC
I’M GONNA PUT A BABY IN MY DAUGHTER’S TEACHER.
Single dad biker? I’m one of a kind.
My daughter Opal is my whole world.
And if her spitfire teacher thinks she’s going to come between me and my baby girl…
I’m gonna have to teach her a lesson or two.
I didn’t ask for a daughter.
But as long as she’s my responsibility, I’m gonna be the best damn dad I can be.
That means teaching my baby girl everything I know.
How to ride a bike.
Throw a punch.
She ain’t gonna be a damsel in distress.
Not on my watch.
But her teacher seems to have an issue with my parenting style.
And when she gets in my face to tell me how to raise my daughter…
It ignites something in me.
It won’t be enough to yell back.
No, I need to break this woman down.
I’m going to take her.
Own her.
And when it’s all said and done…
I’m gonna put my baby in her belly.
BIKER DADDY: The Chain Gang MC
The biker wanted me raw and ready.
Some mistakes haunt you for life.
I let the biker have me exactly how he wanted – wild, reckless, and raw.
Then he left me in his dust, just like everyone said he would.
But he also left a baby in my belly.
It was a mistake to sleep with him.
But God, not many mistakes feel that good.
My knees still quiver at the memory.
His body – chiseled, inked.
His hands – aggressive, strong.
His words – filthier and more dominant than I ever thought possible.
He had me every way he could.
And then he left me alone.
Well, not quite alone.
There was also the matter of the baby.
It’s been a year, and I’ve tried to forget about him.
He’s not coming back – or so I thought.
But when Jackdaw hears he has a son, he comes roaring back in town.
He’s coming to claim what’s
his.
My body.
My soul.
And our child.
RECKLESS: The Hangman’s Crows MC
I LIVED MY LIFE INSIDE THE LINES… UNTIL HE CAME ALONG AND WRECKED IT.
Strict. Careful. Safe.
That’s how I lived my life.
But then Micah came crashing in…
And showed me how to be a bad girl for him.
I was raised to obey authority, not to question it.
So when Micah said he wanted to make me his…
I didn’t know how to say no.
HANDS OFF MY BRIDE: Scarred Angels MC Page 73
