Greed (Seven Deadlies MC Book 4)

by Kaitlyn Ewald

  He really isn’t going to let me go?

  Confused, she ran her hands through her hair and lifted the heavy weight of it off the back of her neck.

  “Green, I just don’t know if I can…I mean, if I still want that.”

  His eyes searched her gaze for a long moment before he muttered, “Truth.”

  He looked so hurt, so saddened, that she gripped his hand when he tried to pull away from her, and guilt filled her to the brim.

  “I’m sorry, that wasn’t fair. I’m just not sure how to…proceed here, ya know?”

  He grunted and nodded, his ringed fingers shaking out of her tight grip. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to snap at her, but instead, he planted his hands on his hips and shook his head.

  “I don’t mind workin’ my ass off to earn your trust again if its gonna get me somewhere, Em. I don’t mind putttin’ in the hours, sleeping in that uncomfortable chair from hell at the side of your bed, holdin’ your hair while you puke, tuckin’ you in to sleep at night, if there’s a chance that one day you’ll let me in.”

  Emily, put on the spot, whispered, “I loved you both.”

  Green frowned.

  “What?”

  “The day that Rider died, the day you came to me and told me to come back to you- I was going to Sexy Sinners to see Rider so I could tell him the truth, let him make the choice.”

  Her tears fell when she admitted that out loud, and Green sank down in the chair he’d only just vacated as he watched her.

  “What’s the truth?”

  He asked this hesitantly, like he wasn’t exactly sure he wanted the real answer, but Emily knew that if she ever wanted to heal fully, she’d have to start being honest.

  With Green, and with herself.

  “I loved Rider, but I wasn’t in love with him the way I loved you. I tried, but it just didn’t happen. I’d convinced myself that if I just gave it time, that I’d be able to grow to love him like that, but I felt so fucking guilty after you came to me that day, that I wanted to tell him the truth!”

  His eyes were wide, filled with trepidation.

  “You never got the chance?”

  She shook her head no.

  He sighed and rested his hands on his upper thighs.

  “Em, that was probably the only kindness he got that day. He got to die knowin’ that you loved him, and it’s really that simple.”

  Emily shook her head. She couldn’t make eye contact with him, but he tipped her chin up so he could see into her eyes again.

  “All I need to know is that I’ve got a chance with you. I don’t care how small, baby. I really don’t. Just…tell me if it’s over for you.”

  Her lower lip trembled slightly before she whispered, “It was never over for me.”

  He looked so fucking relieved when she told him that. His shoulders sagged, his eyes closed for a second; his hand holding her chin moved to grip her cheek.

  “I’m gonna kiss you, just once, because today was such a big step for the both of us.”

  Emily didn’t have time to argue because Green leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers, his beard tickling her chin. He worked his lips gently over hers, no pressure, and just when she thought about responding, he pulled away.

  She brought one hand up to her mouth and pressed her fingers against her sensitive lips.

  He sent a smirk in her direction and motioned towards her clothes.

  “Next time we kiss, it will be because you want to. Now, go on and get dressed. Prettyboy texted me and told me to tell you that we’re having a lot barbeque tonight. You’ll be attending.”

  Emily wanted to argue, wanted to ask him who the hell he thought he was, but he shook his head.

  “No more hiding, Emily.”

  No more hiding.

  As he left the room and the silence settled around her, Emily realized that Green was right. And, a night with friends and family sounded amazing. She deserved to get out and have a little fun, relax a little…

  After everything Green had said in the last hour, she felt like she needed the distraction to calm her nerves and clear her head. He was pulling her in like quick sand, slow and steady and so damn easy, but Emily wasn’t ready yet.

  She figured she’d know when she was, but until then, she had no intentions to rush the process. Not this time around.

  Not with Green.

  Not when he’s working so hard to make up for what he did to me before…

  And suddenly, that flicker of contentment she’d felt before washed over her like a tidal wave, and Emily didn’t feel like she was teetering on the brink anymore.

  No, now, she felt like she could stand on her own two feet and like she could make it. She didn’t really have a choice anyways, but just like it had before, the L word bounced around inside her head.

  I could fall in love with him again.

  “As if I ever really stopped,” She whispered to herself as she tugged her shirt back on and lifted her yoga pants to rest where they should.

  All she really wanted in that moment however, was to bask in the glory the small photos in her hands brought to her life.

  She smiled down at them, tucked them close to her chest. She was having a baby, a gorgeous, healthy baby, and for the first time since she’d peed on a stick, it felt real.

  Even better, she was happy.

  Chapter 15

  Scarlett was in the process of washing her hands behind the bar when Torch stepped next to her and grunted.

  “Hold your horses, I’ll be gone in a second.”

  He cast a smile her way and asked, “How was the vacation?”

  Scarlett shrugged.

  “Great, but I wish Em would have come.”

  Torch smiled wider, and that caught Scarlett’s attention. She pointed a finger at him and nodded.

  “You know something. Spill.”

  He laughed and shrugged, his hands working open a beer.

  “Emily did just fine without you, Scarlett. In fact, I haven’t seen her this happy in a long, long while.”

  Scarlett’s mouth fell open at his small confession, her eyes searching the clubhouse for her friend.

  “Really? What’d I miss?”

  Torch cleared his throat.

  “Her and Green have been spending a lot of time together.”

  Scarlett nodded as she planted a hand on her hip.

  “Okay?”

  “They went out to the park yesterday, and today he took her to her doctor’s appointment. He tucked her into bed for a nap two hours ago,” Torch said.

  Scarlett let that sink in before she glanced around, looking for the familiar head of red hair she’d become accustomed to avoiding.

  “If he hurts her-”

  “He won’t, Scar. He’s fuckin’ madly in love with her.”

  Scarlett snorted, but Torch nodded towards the man she’d just been looking for.

  “I’m serious. When they got back, he pulled out a sonogram picture of the baby and showed it to anyone who would listen,” Torch said softly.

  Scarlett had a hard time letting go of how he’d hurt her best friend, though. She knew that Green was a good guy, of course he was, but…he’d hurt Emily.

  Bad.

  B-a-d.

  “I’m gonna go check on her.”

  Torch smiled before he pointed to her hand.

  “Nice rock, by the way. I never got a chance to tell you. You two pick a date yet?”

  She shook her head, because it was looking like her and Limit would end up going for a simple court house ceremony, which was just fine with her.

  As she rounded the bar, Green nodded in her direction as he headed down the opposite hallway, presumably towards his own room.

  As much as she wanted to follow him and lay down the best-friend-law about hurting Em, she didn’t, because Emily could handle herself.

  Most of the time.

  She knocked softly on Emily’s door and when she heard a soft ‘come in,’ she pushed it open a
nd closed it behind her.

  Emily was snuggled up in bed, her arms wrapped around a body pillow that Scarlett hadn’t seen before.

  “Where’d ya get that fancy pillow?,” She asked with a smile.

  Emily rubbed her palms along the soft material of the pillow as she sat up a little straighter.

  “Green bought it for me the day you guys left for vacation.”

  Scarlett raised her eyebrows as she came to rest on the end of Emily’s bed and spread her fingers along the edges of the blanket wrapped around her.

  “I heard you saw the little peanut today. You wanna talk about it?”

  Emily seemed to hesitate before she pulled a bundle of photos from beneath her pillow and handed them to Scarlett. Her eyes filled with tears but Scarlett didn’t comment on them right away.

  “It’s becoming so real, Scar. There’s a human growing inside me. A baby! I never thought I’d have kids of my own, but now…I don’t know. It kind of feels like it was always supposed to be this way, ya know?”

  Scarlett nodded as she leafed through the photos. She couldn’t even grasp the excitement she felt for her best friend, because even though it hadn’t exactly happened in a traditional fashion, Emily was going to have a baby and that was a miracle everyone should be happy about.

  “I know it seems hard right now, but Em, you can do this. I know you can.”

  Emily laid back against her blanket, Rider’s blanket, and nodded.

  “I know I can. It was almost like a curtain was lifted when I saw that baby today. I’ve been lost in my head for so fucking long, and I just want to come back to the land of the living. I wanna buy baby clothes and pick out nursery furniture and names and…I wanna be happy.”

  Scarlett smiled as she handed the photos back to Emily and gestured towards the hallway.

  “A little birdy told me you and Green have been spending some time together.”

  Emily’s cheeks flushed and Scarlett gasped.

  “Em! Spill!”

  “I don’t know, okay? We’re just taking things slow. My first priority is being a mom now. I want to focus on that, but…Green’s been really supportive and helpful. He’s been a good friend. And, today he…kissed me.”

  Scarlett squealed something unintelligible, but Emily started to smile.

  “I know this sounds so fucking dumb, but I just feel better,” Emily admitted.

  Scarlett climbed up next to her friend and wrapped her arms around her.

  “I don’t care if you feel like you need the moon hanging from your ceiling! I never thought I would hear those words from you again, so do whatever the fuck makes you happy.”

  Scarlett squeezed Emily tight, her chin resting on her shoulder.

  “I’m gonna start painting again. My dad has been very patient with me, but I think I’m ready.”

  Scarlett sighed into her ear, “That’s great.”

  “You really think so? You don’t think I’m being foolish?”

  Scarlett shook her head.

  “Me thinks you should do whatever you need to, to survive. To thrive. To take your life back. Starting with coming outside with me while Limit cooks us some food.”

  ◆◆◆

  Green’s eyes strayed to Emily, who was wrapped in an adorable apron that read Kiss me, I taste good, while she held out a pair of tongs to Limit. Ox was talking to the both of them, and while Green knew that he shouldn’t, he felt a pang of jealousy at the idea of her having such a good time with anyone but him.

  Don’t be ridiculous.

  She’s a grown ass woman and can do as she damn well pleases.

  While he obviously knew that, when she tipped her head back and laughed, he almost rose out of his chair so he could catch the sound and keep it for later.

  “Dude, you’re bein’ a total creeper.”

  Slayer sat back in his cheap plastic chair and eyes Green with obvious distaste.

  “I am not.”

  “Lies, you’re bein’ the biggest creeper. And, I would know- I’m usually the one to take the cake in the creeper department,” Slayer said proudly.

  Green scoffed as he sat up straighter in his chair and lit a cigarette.

  The sweet nicotine coated his throat and stung his lungs, and it reminded him of how fucking Emily used to feel.

  Marvelous.

  One of the gifts that they’d talked about the day before that he’d gotten her was little t-shirt with a cartoon dick tucked between a pair of angel wings. Obviously, because her pussy took him straight to heaven, and a criminal like him didn’t expect to ever make it that far without an angel like her perched on his shoulder- or his cock.

  Emily was his weakness.

  “Man, you’re practically drooling. It’s kind of disgusting.”

  Green glared at Slayer and shook his head.

  “I am not. Why are you bein’ such a cock gobbler anyways?”

  Slayer snorted and stuck his tongue out like a five-year-old boy. He picked at a loose thread on his pant leg before he dropped his gaze to his knees.

  “I know I’m not the smartest man.”

  Green was confused by the turn of conversation, but he gave Slayer his undivided attention anyways.

  “What do you mean? There’s nothin’ wrong with you.”

  Slayer gave Green an eye-roll before he rubbed his palms against the seams of his jeans, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

  “I’m not smart like the rest of ya, Killian. I just, I keep watchin’ everyone move on, and I wonder if I can ever be there for someone like that.”

  Green laughed mirthlessly, his eyes alight with far less than humor.

  “Haven’t you been payin’ attention, man? I fucked up so bad. So bad. I lost the one thing I ever cared about. Believe me, you’re not missin’ out on anything. You’ll do just fine. And, if you wanna settle down, there’s nothing wrong with that…but, do you even know what that means?”

  Slayer glanced at Emily out of the corner of his eye before he nodded.

  “I just never felt good about keepin’ a woman before. Staying with one never seemed right to me,” He admitted.

  Green shrugged, because he’d been under the same impression before he met Emily at the bar with Scarlett all those months ago.

  “I feel ya. I didn’t think settling down in this life would ever make sense, but I see what Rayna and Fury have, and I want it.”

  Slayer’s blue eyes widened, “You do?”

  “Fuck yeah, I do. And, I want it with her. But, I have to prove myself.”

  Slayer took a swig of his beer, his knee rocking against his chair.

  “Not to be a mega-dick, but what have you been doing?”

  That’s a damn good question, isn’t it?

  “Why don’t you call one of your girls to keep you company tonight?”

  Laughter caught their attention, and both men looked over to see Ox and Fury cooing over baby Flora while Emily watched on, stars in her eyes.

  She’s going to make an amazing mother.

  “They’re not my girls, they’re just girls. All of them. I want someone willing to hold a gun to my head just to make a point, Green. Emily is one badass bitch. I want someone like that, who won’t care if I’m a little slower than most.”

  Green didn’t like hearing his friend talk about himself like that, but he couldn’t fault him for feeling left out. Every time any of them turned around, someone else was getting an old lady, a family.

  “This may sound super corny, but when the time is right, you’ll find someone who understands you, no matter how slow ya think you are.”

  Slayer smiled appreciatively at him, and Green smiled back.

  “What do you say we grab some wieners and some buns?,” Slayer asked with a wide grin, his eyebrows wiggling.

  Green laughed a loud booming sound and gestured towards the grill, where Limit was piling food onto a plate, wieners included.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  As they rose to their feet and moved to the oth
er side of the lot, Emily looked up at them and waved them over happily.

  “Come on! Limit is makin’ us some Coney dogs, and they’re delicious.”

  Green smiled at her, his hands gesturing for her to give him a bite. She didn’t hesitate before she hefted one freshly made wiener towards his mouth, and as he closed his lips around the delectable treat, flavor exploded on his tongue.

  She was still smiling wide at him, “It’s good, right?”

  He nodded as he wiped his chin and reached for her waist instinctually, his hand pressing against her belly.

  “What does the baby think?”

  Emily giggled, fucking giggled and slayed him all in the same breath, as she nodded.

  “Baby loves them, but I’m sure I’ll retract that statement later.”

  Green was still smiling when he leaned down to kiss her, so caught up in the moment that he didn’t even realize he was doing it…

  Or, that she was kissing him back.

  It didn’t last, was barely a kiss at all, but she was still smiling when he pulled away, a look of wonder in her eyes.

  Both of them sucked in a cautious breath as they pulled apart, only to be interrupted by the sound of Limit fake-gagging.

  “Oh, stop. You and Scarlett suck face all the time,” Green argued.

  Emily was blushing by the time Green glanced at her again, but he didn’t say anything since he didn’t want to embarrass her more. Instead, he took the plate out of her hand and gestured towards the tables Torch had lined up earlier.

  “Come on, why don’t you let me feed you?”

  She hesitated, but took the hand he held out to her anyways. As he led her towards the table he pulled out a chair for her before he seated himself. Emily smiled at him as she pressed one hand to her belly.

  “How are you feeling? Still tired?”

  Emily shook her head no before she accepted a bite of potato salad he held out to her. He watched her mouth close around the head of the plastic fork, his cock twitching. He’d heard about this ‘glow’ thing pregnant women got, but he’d never seen it before.

  Not before her.

  She looked gorgeous, and she didn’t even know it.

  Green could easily get lost in her glow…

  “Why are you staring at me like that?,” She asked.

  Green smirked as he fed her another bite, his gaze riveted on her pouty mouth.