“Quit school?!” she shrieked. “I can’t quit school.”
“Okay, that’s fine, too. Don’t quit school. We’ll figure this shit out. Just, calm down.”
“I can’t believe this,” she mumbled, blowing her nose. “I’m too young to have a kid. Twenty-one?”
“Doesn’t your friend have one?” I asked, remembering her telling me about it. “She might be able to give you some advice.”
“Yeah, Monica.” She started crying again. “What are we going to do? We can’t afford this right now. You even said –”
“Fuck what I said. Guys always say that because they know how much kids cost and it cuts into their play money. Don’t worry, Kitten, we’ve got this.”
“We do?”
“We do,” I insisted.
***
After I hung up with Adriana,
I called Tank and told him the news.
“No fucking way. You were just starting to adjust to the fact that you weren’t going to be a father. Jesus, you must be pissed.”
“I’m not… pissed,” I said. “I love Adriana. You know that. So, we’re having a baby earlier than we wanted. It is what it is.”
“You actually want kids?” asked Tank, surprised.
“Yeah, of course I do. Don’t you?”
“Maybe when I’m sixty,” he said, laughing. “I’ll need to start thinking about who’s going to take care of me when I hit those golden years. Until then, I’m wearing a rain suit when I’m in the trenches.”
“Rain suits can get holes.”
“Then maybe I’ll start doubling-up,” he said. “Or stay in back, where it’s safe.”
Laughing, I shook my head.
“I’m just giving you shit,” said Tank. “Congratulations, brother. I’m happy for you both.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“So, are you going to put a ring on her finger now?”
“Definitely. I want to do this right.”
“Make sure you buy it from Vanda, or she’s going to be pissed as all hell.”
“She’s going to be pissed, no matter what,” I said, not looking forward to that conversation.
“She’ll get over it. By the way, what was that chick’s name who helped Adriana and Brandy escape? The one with the big melons?”
“I think her name was April,” I said. “Why?”
“I turned on the news, when I got home, and apparently, her brother was found murdered. I recognized a picture of her when they flashed it across the scene. She’s wanted for questioning.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. April moved away from Hayward, didn’t she?”
“She left the night they escaped. From what Adriana says, she’d had enough of Mud and the rest of the Devil’s Rangers.”
“They must be trying to find her.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
“Do you think they blame April for the club being blown up?”
“No, I’m sure they know that we were involved.”
“Yeah. You’re right. Well, fuck, they’ll be retaliating again. Once they pull their shit together. Hell, I’m surprised they haven’t done it yet.”
“Nobody saw anything out of the ordinary when we were gone?”
“No. We checked in every day. Nothing strange,” said Tank.
Not all of our club members had joined us in Maui for Slammer’s wedding, including three prospects that were guaranteed membership after volunteering to keep an eye on the clubhouse, as well as Griffin’s. They’d also hired extra security for backup, because Slammer knew that the prospects were still wet behind the ears and might underestimate our enemy.
“You’d better keep a close eye on Adriana,” said Tank. “Does she own a gun?”
“I don’t think so,” I replied, remembering the night she’d freaked out on me when I’d pulled a gun on the asshole who’d tried raping her.
“She should. Maybe she’ll be open to carrying one around after that business in Hayward.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“What about Brandy? Where did she disappear to?”
“I think she went to her mother’s. I haven’t spoken to her since she moved out.”
“She might be in trouble, too. All three girls need protection. Anyone know where April went?”
“I don’t know. Adriana wasn’t even sure. If I remember correctly, though, April mentioned heading south, but I don’t think she really knew where she was going.”
“Someone will locate her unless she’s picked up some new identification. Too bad, she was a beautiful girl.” He sighed. “I should have gotten her number. We could have warned her.”
“I’m a little surprised that you didn’t.”
“I was exhausted at the time. Not thinking clearly.”
“The one time you should have been thinking with your dick and you weren’t.”
“I’ll try to make sure he thinks harder next time.” He laughed at his own pun.
Grunting, I looked at the clock. It was almost eleven and I was still feeling jet lag. “I’m crashing. I’ll meet you at the clubhouse tomorrow. Around ten?”
“We have church at three. You knew that, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. Slammer already told me.”
“You can drop the news to everyone. About the kid.”
“Maybe we’ll wait until she’s farther along. Just in case there’s a problem,” I said.
“What kind of problem?”
“You know. Like a miscarriage or something.”
“She won’t miscarriage,” said Tank. “Adriana seems like a strong woman. Just watch how hard you fuck her.”
My eyes widened. “Is that a danger?”
“I think so. Wait, you’re supposed to be gentle in their last trimester.”
“What’s a trimester,” I asked.
He explained.
“How in the hell is it that you, of all people, know about this shit?” I asked him.
“They were talking about it on this program called ‘The Doctors’.”
“Let me guess, daytime television?”
“Yeah.”
“Brother, you need to get off of that couch more.”
“Believe it or not, I was riding my elliptical when I watched it,” he replied, chuckling.
“When did you get an elliptical?”
“A few weeks ago. Hey, someone else is calling me. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.”
After we hung up, I called Slammer, worried about Adriana’s safety.
“You heard, huh?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Obviously, it’s the Devil’s Rangers.”
“We don’t know for sure and I told Tank not to jump to any conclusions, but you know him.”
“So, you don’t think they’re involved?” I said, surprised that he wasn’t too worried about it himself. Slammer was the one who usually jumped to conclusions.
“I don’t know, but when the remaining members of Mud’s Chapter try to avenge Mud’s death, they’ll be coming after us.”
“And our women,” I mumbled.
“They’re being watched right now. Any of them cross the Iowa border, I’ll get a phone call.”
“Good.”
“Now, stop worrying and get some sleep.”
“See you at church tomorrow.”
“Don’t be late,” he said, and then hung up.
Chapter Thirty-four
After I hung up with Trevor, I took a shower to try and calm my nerves. I stood under the warm water and closed my eyes, imagining my mother’s expression when I informed her that she was going to be a grandmother. I’d always pictured it to be a happy time, but this would not be the case, especially with Trevor being the father. Obviously, she was going to freak out but there really was no way around it. I decided to wait a few days, however, until I got used to the idea myself first.
I slid my hands over my stomach, surprised at my own stupidity. There was defi
nitely a fullness there that wasn’t normal. I’d been chalking it off as needing to do more sit-ups and cutting back on late-night snacks, but now that I knew I was pregnant, it all made sense.
I thought about the baby growing inside of me, and wondered if it would be a boy or a girl. I pictured Trevor as a child and couldn’t help but smile at the image. Something told me that he was going to be a wonderful father, which made everything a little easier to swallow. As for myself, I’ve never had much experience around babies. They’d always made me nervous, which was one of the reasons why I never took up babysitting as a teenager. Now I was going to have my own child and I didn’t even know how to change a diaper. I was going to be leaning on my mother a lot for support. I only hoped that she’d forgive us by the time the baby was born.
After the shower, I slipped into an over-sized T-shirt and a pair of boxers, then I grabbed my laptop computer and started surfing the web to learn more about being pregnant. As I was reading up on fetus growth, I heard my mother pull into the garage. I quickly shut down my computer and went downstairs to greet her.
“Adriana,” she smiled, pulling me into her arms. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too,” I said, breathing in her familiar scent of perfume. It was something that she’d worn since I was little and always comforted me.
She pulled away slightly and studied my face. “You certainly look like you’ve been on vacation, with that tan. Your skin is just glowing.”
“I just got out of the shower,” I said nervously, remembering that I’d read something about how pregnant women glowed, especially in their second or third trimester. “That’s probably why I’m glowing so much.”
Her eyes went to my hair. “I know, but your tan is reminding me that I haven’t been anywhere tropical in a very long time.”
“You’re going away with Jim on that trip still, aren’t you?”
“It’s just a weekend, although, now he’s been talking about going on a cruise.”
“A cruise? You should, Mom! You deserve a vacation. You work so much and you know that we can handle the store when you’re gone.”
She smiled. “I know, but it’s just a bad time to go.”
“A bad time to go? Why?”
She hung her coat up. “After what just happened.”
My eyes widened. “You mean with me being kidnapped? That has come and gone. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone. I mean, what if they come back for you?”
“Mom, nobody is coming back for me, okay? Don’t worry about me and think of yourself for a change.”
She patted me on the shoulder and walked toward the kitchen. “Easier said than done. Someday, when you have children, you will understand.”
Her words gave me goosebumps.
“Are you still hungry?” she called.
“No. I’ve already eaten some of that lasagna,” I replied. “Thanks, by the way. It was delicious.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied, disappearing into the kitchen.
Sighing, I followed her, to let her know that I was going to bed.
“By the way, I’ve invited Jim over for Christmas Eve,” she said.
“Isn’t the shop open, that day?”
“Only until four.”
“That’s earlier than usual,” I said, surprised. She usually kept the shop open until eight on Christmas Eve, for shoppers who needed to buy last minute gifts.
“I know, but Jim and I were talking and both of us agreed that there is no reason why we should be at the store, working so late on Christmas Eve. From now on, I’m closing early on that day.”
“What about the extra sales from those last minute shoppers?”
“Sometimes it’s not about the money, but about family. This year, I want everyone at the shop to spend more time with the people that mean the most to us, because you don’t always know how long you’ll have with them,” she said, looking at me. There was a sadness in her eyes and I had a feeling that she somehow knew that I would be moving out soon.
“Okay,” I replied. “You know that I certainly won’t complain.” I usually helped her close the store on that day. Now that Trevor was in my life, the last thing I wanted was to be stuck at the shop any later than I had to.
“If you want to invite Trevor over for dinner that night, you can certainly do so,” she said, forcing a smile.
“I’ll have to see what he has planned,” I replied, happy that she was trying, at least.
“You don’t know yet?”
“No.”
We hadn’t even talked about it. On Thanksgiving, he’d spent most of the day at Slammer’s and I’d stayed home with my mother, who’d made a giant turkey. It had just been the three of us – Jim, Mom, and me. Afterward, we’d met back at Trevor’s and spent the rest of the night, burning off the calories by having wild, passionate sex. It was one of the best Thanksgivings I’d ever had.
“I’m making prime rib with all of the fixings that you love,” she said. “You are planning on having dinner here, aren’t you?”
“Of course,” I replied, knowing that if I made other plans, she’d be heartbroken. We always spent it together, usually alone. This year, both of us had new men in our lives and next year, things would change yet again. The thought of buying Christmas presents for my son or daughter, brought a smile to my face.
“What is it?” she asked, noticing my grin.
I looked at her. “I’m just looking forward to the holidays.”
“Does Trevor spend much time with his family during Christmas?”
“No,” I replied. I filled her in on the kind of parents that Trevor grew up with and I could tell from her expression, she felt bad for him.
“I guess that might explain a little more about why he joined a motorcycle club.”
“They really are like one big family,” I said. “I really got to know a lot of them in Maui and they are nice people. You should really give them a chance.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything.
I yawned. “Well, I’m going to bed.”
“Goodnight,” she said, grabbing a bottle of wine out of the refrigerator.
“Since when have you started drinking wine?” I asked, surprised.
Vanda grabbed a glass from the cupboard. “This is just to help me sleep. I need something to unwind. Would you like some?”
It actually sounded good, but I had to watch myself, now that I was pregnant. “No, thanks.”
She began opening the bottle. “Okay. If you change your mind, help yourself.”
“Okay, thanks Mom,” I said, leaving kitchen.
“Goodnight,” she called out again.
I went upstairs and slid into bed. As I drifted off to sleep, I imagined Trevor dressed in a Santa-suit, with our son sitting on his knee. The image changed to a little girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes, squealing in delight as a Trevor presented her with a puppy peeking out of a red and green box. It brought another smile to my face. It was still there when I woke up the next morning.
Chapter Thirty-five
I woke up around seven o’clock in the morning, feeling lost without Adriana in my arms. I waited until nine, called her, and we made plans to meet after she was done working at Dazzle.
“I don’t think I can wait that long to see you.”
“I know,” she said. “I missed you last night and this morning.”
“Me, too. My penis is even having withdrawals, it missed you so much.”
She laughed. “Withdrawals? Have you been playing with yourself?”
“Hell yeah. I’ve been looking at some pictures of you on my phone. I needed to do something to get rid of my woody.”
“Oh, my God.” She giggled. “Next time take a picture and send it to me.”
“Of my cock?”
“Yes.”
I grinned. My little sex kitten. “How about you spend the night and see it in person?”
“That sounds even better.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. Pack an over-night bag.”
“Okay.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
After we hung up, I threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, then stepped into the kitchen to make some coffee. As the coffee began to brew, I heard the doorbell. Not expecting anyone, and knowing that most of my friends called before showing up, I grabbed my gun and approached the door cautiously. When I saw who was waiting for me on the other side, I was in shock.
“Hello, Trevor,” said my mother in a gravelly voice. She was smoking a cigarette and I could tell that both of her hands were shaking.
“Hi,” I said, hiding the gun behind my shirt. I hadn’t seen Mavis in almost fifteen years, and they’d been rough on her. From what I remembered, she was only in her fifties, but the lines on her face made her look decades older. She was also so thin, almost to the point of looking anorexic.
“You look good,” she said, smiling. Some of her teeth were missing.
Meth, I thought, not wanting to pity her but unable to help myself.
“Thanks,” I said.
She let out a ragged sigh. “We need to talk.”
“We do, huh?” Why now? I wanted to ask.
“Yes. It’s important.”
“Is it about my brother?”
Her eyes widened. “You know about him?”
“Slammer told me.”
“Oh. I forgot that he knows. Have you met him?”
“Briefly.”
“That’s more than what I’ve had. He refuses to see me,” she said sadly. “I don’t even know what he looks like.”
I stared at her hard. “Not being able to see the person you love hurts, doesn’t it?”
Mavis looked at me and her eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry, Trevor.”
I sighed. “Why are you here?”
“Can we talk inside?” she asked. “It’s cold out here.”
I wanted to tell her to get lost, but she was still my mother and there was a part of me that didn’t want her to leave. Not until she at least told me why she’d abandoned me.
I opened the door wider and stepped out of her way. “Come on in. Put your cigarette out first, though.”
Surviving The Biker (Motorcyle Club Romance) Page 14
