by Franca Storm
What? What’s happening here? “Wait. So, you are on board then? We do see eye-to-eye?”
“Looks like.”
“Then why we fighting?”
She grins. “I was just making sure.”
“Making sure of what?”
“That you could be a little open-minded and that you understand that not everything will be your way or the highway.” She takes my hands and tells me, “Zeb, believe me, I knew exactly what I was getting into with a man like you. You want a woman who stays at home and takes care of you and the house and the kids. A woman who has your meals prepared when you want them. Luckily for you, that’s already who I am. In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been doing that already while we’ve been living together. I like it. I like doing that for the man I love. And you like me doing it. We work well together. The only thing is, I want to keep my diner. I want to keep working, but, no, not early on in the baby’s life. Also, I’d like a break once in a while and for you to cook once in a blue moon if I’m busy with other stuff.”
“See, that’s what I thought ‘bout you. Shit, woman. You really had me going there. I were real worried you’d turned into Rox. She’s your friend and my best friend’s wife, but she ain’t a woman I’d ever wanna handle.” I smile down at her. “And, yeah, I can cook once in a while, too, if you teach me some more stuff ‘bout it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Above everything, my main job is making you happy. And if that and your diner make you happy, you got it, darlin’.”
“Aww,” she says, hugging me tight. “So, as we’re compromising, we can go halves on the baby stuff, right?”
I shake my head. “I got this.”
She pulls away from me and I see her ‘bout to argue back.
But I cut her off, telling her, “Wait ‘til your diner’s up and running and starts making money again. I got everything ‘til then. You underestimate how much I make with the club, Sarah.”
“But, I—”
“What I want you worrying ‘bout is taking care of our kid inside you. We want him, or her, coming out strong and healthy. That’s the most important job above everything else, yeah?”
She smiles that cute little smile of hers and rubs her belly. “Yes. Yes, it is.” She eyes me as she takes hold of the stroller I picked out and pulls it to her. “This one, it is.”
“Good.”
I grab the cart and we start down the aisles together. She reaches for my hand and I take it, squeezing it.
“Do you think it’s gonna be a boy or a girl?” she asks me.
“Dunno. Gonna be cute, no matter what, cuz of you.”
She laughs. “You’re such a charmer, Zeb.”
“You know it.”
“I’m three months in now. We can find out the sex.”
I frown at her. “That what you want? To know now?”
She shrugs, looking unsure. “I don’t know. Why? You don’t want to?”
“Figured on finding out when it’s born.”
She grins. “Okay.”
“What? Just like that?”
“Yeah. I like that idea.”
“Okay, darlin’.”
She rubs my arm and tells me, “I can’t believe you’re here doing all of this with me.”
“‘Course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“When Rox had to do it, I went with her, not Ax.”
That’s news to me. “Huh. Didn’t know that. Well, I wanna be here. Good start to learning ‘bout it all, too, ain’t it? Right now, I dunno what half this shit is, Sarah.”
“Baby, me neither. Between your hectic work schedule and getting the diner and my house ready for the move here, it’s been crazy. Neither of us has had the chance.”
“You know way more than me.”
“Nowhere near enough, though. And that’s okay. We can learn together. We can start reading one of my baby books tomorrow night, if you want.”
“How ‘bout the weekend?”
She stops pushing the stroller suddenly, her hand pulling on mine and making me stop, too. “You’re working late again? Tonight. Tomorrow night? And now you’re saying not until the weekend, I’m assuming Friday, too?”
“Yeah. Gotta, darlin’. You ain’t good with that? You said you were okay to miss a couple of nights going down to the diner.”
“I am. My staff will be fine for a bit. I’m just wondering what’s going on.”
Shit. Here come the questions I can’t answer. “Remember when we talked ‘bout me not being able to tell you club business stuff? I explained to you how that worked with the club when you asked me to teach you ‘bout Thorns, right?”
“Yes, I know. I just…I’m worried.”
“Worried?”
She shrugs and looks away, turning her back to me and starting to push the stroller down the aisle.
I reach out and grab hold of it, stopping her escape. “Talk to me.”
She turns back and yells, “About you! I’m worried about you, Zeb!”
She’s so loud with it that I see a bunch of people in the store look our way. Shit. This must be the start of that hormone stuff I read ‘bout. It ain’t like her normally. Even when she’s upset, if we’re in public and ‘round people, she won’t never yell or air our business in public like this.
I lunge at her, catching her off guard, and pick her up with one arm. With my other I lift up the stroller and put it in the cart.
“Time to go,” I tell her as I spin it ‘round and start heading to the checkouts on the other side of the store.
“No, Zeb! Put me down!” she hisses in my ear. “You’re embarrassing me!”
“Your mood’s changed. Don’t wanna be doing this with you when you’re like this. Ain’t fun for neither of us. We’re gonna go back home. Gonna give you a rest.”
“No. I want to finish. We’re not even halfway down the list yet.”
“We got a good start. We’ll come back again and finish real soon.” I kiss her cheek. “Besides, gives me time to put all the stuff we are getting today together, yeah?”
She smiles at that and then rests her head against my shoulder. Yeah, she’s tired, all right. Tired and hormonal? Worst combo ever.
It woulda been even worse if she knew what I’m gonna be working late on tonight and through to Friday, if I gotta.
Tracking down Ben and Torvin.
I ain’t gonna be in no danger. It’s just recon. No contact’s gonna be made. But she wouldn’t see it that way. Women never do. Only see the worst case scenarios. She’d be freaking out on me right now if she knew. Even if it weren’t club business, I wouldn’t tell her, cuz she’d be stressed out over nothing.
Don’t like leaving her at night, especially when she’s pregnant. But I gotta find those dickheads, or she’s never gonna sleep easy and neither am I. Gonna be looking over our shoulders ‘til they’re off the streets.
Rox and Ax are gonna be with her and they’re bringing Ava, so that’ll keep Sarah happy, having ‘em and the baby ‘round. Good chance for her to ask Rox anything she wants ‘bout motherhood, too. It’ll be good for her. It’s Ax who’s gonna be cursing my name by the end of the night, stuck in my tiny place with three girls. Well, if he’d let me track Ben right when I’d wanted to, this wouldn’t be happening now. I just hope I have a good night of it, so I don’t gotta be away another two nights on top of tonight. Telling Sarah I’m gonna be out late for the next three days were to give me enough time. But I’m a hell of a good tracker. I can find anybody. Doubt I’m gonna need that long. But better safe than sorry.
Chapter 35
~Sarah~
“She likes you,” Rox tells me.
I smile down at Ava in my arms. I watch her little eyes flutter for a while, before closing completely.
“I think she’s going to sleep. Is that okay? Is it too early for her?”
Rox chuckles. “Relax, it’s all good.”
Wow. I really do need to relax. I could hear the tension in my voice right
away.
Normally, I’m completely at ease with babies. Holding them. Babysitting them. I’ve done that a lot with my diner staff. All of them have had babies at some point and they’ve all asked me to look after them, because I’m apparently the maternal type. I love babies. But right now, being pregnant is making me anxious and nervous around other babies, like Ava. I guess I’m just really nervous about becoming a mother. I’m worrying I don’t know enough. There are so many little things to be aware of. What if I mess something up? What if I miss something with my own baby?
Rox reaches out from beside me on Zeb’s couch and rubs my arm in an effort to comfort me. “It’s all gonna be fine, Sarah. I promise.”
“But there’s so much I don’t know. What if—and I could miss—”
“Stop,” she tells me. “You were born to be a mom. You’re the most nurturing person I’ve ever known. It’s gonna come so naturally to you.”
“Really?” I ask, hesitantly.
“Yeah. I mean it. Look at me. You know I was far from the motherly type. But as soon as Ava was born, all that changed. Yeah, there’s a lot to learn, but you don’t need to know it all in one go. It’s one step at a time.”
“Yeah, okay,” I breathe. “Not all in one go. Yeah. That’s…that makes it better. It’ll be okay.”
She chuckles. “It will. And I know Runner is the father and, let’s face it, he’s pretty clueless, but he wants to learn and be there with everything. For fuck’s sake, he even went baby shopping with you. And Ax caught him reading one of your baby books the other day at the bike shop.”
“Oh my God! He was?”
“Yep.”
“He’s so sweet. You don’t even know.”
I know she hasn’t always been his biggest fan, but I want her to know he’s a good man. He deserves all the credit in the world for the way he’s been with me.
“Yeah, I’m getting that,” she admits. “You guys seem really good together.”
“Thanks. I’m happy.”
She gives me a squeeze and then holds out her hands for Ava. “I’m gonna put her down.”
I hand her over gently and watch as Rox walks to the other side of the coffee table where Ava’s basinet is. She places her down gently and tucks her in. I watch the loving smile on her face as she looks at her baby girl, before returning to me on the couch.
She relaxes against the couch and starts getting absorbed back into some sort of action movie we’d been watching until about ten minutes ago when Ax had left the room to take a private call out on Zeb’s balcony. I’m not really a fan of action movies. I’m more into chick flicks, but I know neither of them would ever be caught dead watching one of those, so we’d gone the action movie route.
“I’m gonna make some more popcorn.”
“You need help?”
“No, I’ve got it. It’s just one of those microwavable bag thingies.”
“I always burn those.”
I laugh as I get to my feet. Rox and any sort of cooking really doesn’t go well together. I know she’s not joking about the popcorn either. I can definitely see her burning it and pretty much anything. It’s not that she’s incompetent. It’s because cooking requires patience and Rox really doesn’t have any of that—not in the cooking area anyway. She hates the very idea of it. Luckily, her husband makes up for it by being an amazing cook. Ax might be known for his crazy temper, but I know he’s patient when it comes to cooking. It’s relaxing for him, like it is for me. We’re the opposite of Rox and Zeb in that respect. Each to their own.
As I make my way into Zeb’s tiny kitchen, I can hear Ax talking on the phone. I glance at the balcony door and see that it’s open. He’s pacing up and down, smoking as he talks. I quickly look away and focus on the task at hand—making another bowl of popcorn. It’s none of my business what he’s talking about on his private call and I don’t want him to think I’m being nosey and listening, despite the fact that his deep, gritty voice really does carry.
But then I hear him say Runner and I can no longer block it out.
He’s talking to Zeb?
I grab a popcorn bag and pop it in the microwave. As it’s cooking away, I listen in, despite myself.
“You sure? It’s Ben? Yeah? All right. Gotta say, Runner, thought it’d take you longer than this. What? No. Argh. Fine. Okay. Yeah, you’re the best tracker Thorns has got. That make you happy? Like your ego ain’t big enough. Yeah, I know. Woulda been good if Torvin woulda been there with him. No, leave it. You’re done. The cops are gonna be there soon to take Ben in, like we sorted. You got a record, so get outta there. No. Let it go. Come home. That’s a direct order from your Prez. You feel me? Good. Anyhow, it’s likely Ben’s gonna do our work for us when it comes to Torvin. He’ll probably sell him out to the cops to save his own ass. Yeah, Sarah’s good. With Rox and Ava. Come home and be with your girl. Let that Torvin shit go. Priorities, brother. What? Yeah. Good. See ya soon.”
I hear him hang up.
I quickly open the microwave and grab the bag and start emptying it out into a bowl, trying to look busy and like I haven’t just listened into Ax’s conversation with Zeb.
A second later, I hear his footsteps coming into the kitchen.
Just play it cool. Don’t act skittish, or you’ll look as guilty as you feel.
He lays his hand on my shoulder and says, “Sweet, more popcorn.”
I turn my head and smile. “Yep.”
“You doing okay?”
“Great.”
“Good. You need anything, just let me know, yeah?”
I nod. “I will. Thank you.”
“Anytime. You’re family now, Sarah.”
“Thanks.”
He gives me a head nod and smiles kindly, before heading back into the living room.
Phew.
I can’t even imagine how pissed off he’d be if he knew I’d been listening. The club is really uptight about secrecy and stuff.
I can’t believe what I heard though. I can’t believe what Zeb is doing. That’s why he’s had to work late? He’s gone after Ben and Eddie?
He’d promised me he wouldn’t.
How could he do this behind my back? He broke his promise to me.
And what’s more is he’s putting himself in danger by going after them.
He knows better than that.
At least, I thought he did.
I thought we were on the same page.
We’re having a baby and he’s off risking his life behind my back?
I am so pissed at him for doing it that my hands are shaking with anger, which is making me spill popcorn all over the counter.
Wait until he gets home!
Chapter 36
~Runner~
I shut the door after saying goodnight to Ax, Rox and Ava. It’s just after midnight and I been back for ‘bout ten minutes. Ax told me they had fun tonight watching some movies.
I glance ‘round the living room. All the bowls and plates are gone from the coffee table and Sarah ain’t there sitting on the couch no more. Wow, she moves fast.
I hear water running from the kitchen and some clanging. She must be doing the dishes.
I walk in there and lean against the archway. She don’t look up as I’m standing there. She’s got her back to me, seeming real focused on the dishes.
“Leave ‘em. I’ll do ‘em in the morning. Let’s hit the sack, yeah?”
“They’re greasy,” she says, not looking at me.
“So, soak ‘em. They’ll be fine.”
She spins ‘round then and snaps, “Will they? Will they be fine, Zeb? Will everything just be fine?”
What the hell? “Uh…yeah. They will be fine. For sure.” I walk up to her. “They’re just dishes, darlin’.” I reach for her, but she jerks her arm away. Must be another hormonal episode, like earlier. “Let’s go to bed. You’re overtired.”
Her eyes narrow and the look on her face is real fierce. Uh oh. “I’m not tired!” she yells.
&
nbsp; “Well, it’s the hormones then, I guess.”
“What?” she growls. “What did you just say?”
Oh shit. “Just tryin’ to help. Don’t want you upset.”
She stomps over to me, getting in my face. “So, if I’m upset, it can only be because I’m overtired or crazy with pregnancy hormones?”
“No, that ain’t what—”
“It can’t possibly be your fault, that you did something majorly wrong?”
Jesus Christ. “What you talking ‘bout? What’s my fault?”
“Wow. I really can’t believe you can actually stand here and act like you don’t know.”
She tries to brush past me then. Like hell. We’re gonna sort this shit out, cuz I ain’t having this all night long.
I grab her arm, making sure I’m gentle, cuz anything aggressive scares her real bad. “Sarah, you ain’t leaving this kitchen ‘til you tell me what’s up. Don’t like you being so upset. Ain’t good for you, or the baby.”
She spins on me and rips her arm outta my grip, screaming, “You lied to me!”
Shit. I get it now. She knows. She fucking knows.
“Ax told you?” I ask. Can’t be the truth. The shit I did tonight were club business. He’d never tell nobody outside Thorns. But how the hell else could she know? Were he stupid ‘bout it and told Rox? I know he tells her more club shit than he should, in my opinion. But sometimes, he’s gotta bring her in on things, cuz of her expertise on some stuff and the contacts she’s got. But this? Ain’t no reason I can think of for him telling her ‘bout it.
“I overheard him talking to you.”
“You listened in on my Prez’s private call?” I ask, shocked. Jesus Christ. That’s going down a real bad road. “Can’t do that, Sarah. That’s a major security breach. You gotta shut that shit down right now. Real important you do. Could get in some major trouble with Thorns if you don’t. It’s real serious business. You hear me? You gotta promise me. Right fucking now.”
