by London Casey
Only one thought came to mind: she’s having the baby. Right here. Right now. And I’m alone with her.
“Eden…” I touched her shoulder. “Is it the baby?”
She looked at me as tears rolled down her cheeks. “What?”
“Are you having the baby?”
She smiled and a tear trickled over her top lip. I hurried to wipe it away.
“Why are you crying and smiling?”
“Do you think Trev is fucking someone else?”
“What?” I asked.
“I’m serious. He’s away right now. He always has to go away. Look at me. My feet are bloated. My ass is huge. I can’t help my stomach. It’s…”
“You’re beautiful, Eden,” I said. “You’re doing something that Trev can never take away from you. There’s no chance…”
“Harlee,” Eden said. “It’s the life. Do you even know where they are?”
“Some fight thing.”
“Yeah. All these gatherings involve fights, drinking, and women. And the women are young, stunning, and willing to do anything. It’s part of it all, okay? What happens on a run stays on a run, I guess. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think about it. Or that it doesn’t hurt me.”
“So Trev has done…”
Eden shook her head. “No. But look at me now.”
I quickly moved off the couch and crouched in front of her. I touched her face. She was genuinely upset. And me? I was greedy.
Why?
Because if Trev was… what about Trent?
“You’re pregnant,” I said. “You’re beautifully pregnant. I’ve seen the way Trev looks at you. Nothing compares to you. Nothing ever will.”
“Pussy is pussy,” Eden said.
I had to admit - that took me back a few breaths to hear that come from her mouth. She was fast, smart, and face it, she had more experience in this life than I did. My existence with Night Soul was basically almost being the woman Eden was afraid of right then.
I lowered my head. “Dammit. I’m sorry, Eden. I wish I could say something.” I looked at her again. “You don’t have faith in him?”
“Of course I do,” she said. “I love Trev with all my heart. But drinks are drinks, guys are guys, and they all want the girls. Maybe there’s some brunette with nipple rings and that thing catches his attention for one night. I can’t compete with that.”
Compete? That’s what we were doing?
“I don’t want to believe that,” I said, damn well knowing I was lying and that Eden could see I was lying. “I…”
“I shouldn’t have brought it up,” Eden said. “I’ve just been thinking it for a while now. I know Trev is under a lot of pressure with things. But it gets to me, okay? I know I was tough back in the clubhouse, but I’m scared. I said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m scared for my daughter.”
“And I told you before she’s going to have the biggest and baddest family ever.”
“If they survive,” Eden said. “How soon will my daughter experience death?”
Yeah, that took my breath away again. Eden was going down a dark road that I had no answer for.
“Oh, Eden,” I said. “It could be anyone, anytime, wearing any shirt, jacket, leather. You know how death is.”
“They fuck with it though.”
“I know they do. I know.”
We just stared at each other. I felt like I was going to cry. Maybe somewhere in my mind I had already known that Trent claiming me didn’t mean I’d only be his. That’s not how it worked. I’d wear his ink. I’d wear his ring. I’d have his kids. But if his dick wanted to explore… that was the life. As long as he crawled back home to me to fuck me, let me care for him, give me his heart, and most of all, protect me. That’s all that mattered.
“Oh, I feel like an idiot,” Eden said.
I sat back and sat on the coffee table. “Don’t. You have every right to feel how you want. I’ve just been so caught up in everything going on I haven’t had a chance to really think about things.” I looked to the diamond ring on my finger. “Like this…”
“Shit. I hope you’re not worried about Trent. I’ll hate myself forever, Harlee.”
“Trent is going to do what he wants, when he wants. That’s what I’ve learned.”
“That’s Trev,” Eden said. “He was just a guy at the table when I met him. He knew about my father and was right there to help me. I watched him go from this bad ass guy into a charter President.”
“I don’t think Trent will be a President. He likes his patch. He likes to hurt people.”
“Only those who deserve it,” Eden said. “That’s the hardest thing to remember.”
I shook my head. “Look at us. Sitting here, worrying about what our guys are doing. Or who they’re doing. They’re out there fighting for us. Trent is going to win a fight to get back at the people that hurt me. Trev is doing it to make sure you’re safe… and your baby.”
“Still… if they’re fucking other women…”
“There’s no way we could find out right now,” I said. “Hey, maybe we should call some prospects in here to give us some action.”
Eden snorted. “Seriously? Have you seen Trev? No man could make happen what he does.”
I laughed. I felt the same way about Trent.
“Ugh, I still have to pee,” Eden said.
I stood up and grabbed her hands. I pulled her to her feet. “We’re going to be fine. All of us. I’ve seen the other side of this, Eden. With those guys from Night Soul. The way it was here before Trev was pretty rough. It’ll get cleaned up.”
“I know. Trev is smart. He trusts the guys he has.”
“Make sure you trust him then,” I said.
“I’ll blame it on hormones,” Eden said. “Just don’t tell anyone about this.”
“I never would,” I said. “I’m glad I have you.”
Eden turned and waddled away, her hair dancing left to right as she did so. When she was out of sight, I felt my face and heart drop. I couldn’t help but think that Trent was doing the same damn thing Eden was worried about with Trev. Is that what they did?
Hell, I knew that answer.
I saw that answer every night in the other clubhouse. The guys would pass women around like they were fresh beers. Going from room to room, it was like they were competing. Some of them were. They wanted to be claimed by one of the guys to get protection. Until then, they needed to keep their mouths open and legs spread.
“Shit,” I whispered.
I suddenly couldn’t calm down.
I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a glass and filled it with water. Now would have been a great time to get drunk and forget the night. But Eden couldn’t do that. She was living with the same fear as me and she was carrying a child.
I drank the water and filled the glass again.
I looked at myself in the reflection of the dark window.
All I could do was hope that Trent was okay. That whatever he was doing, he’d do good at it and come back to me safe and in one piece. That whatever happened, it would be the benefit of the club.
As I put the glass down and continued to stare at myself, I saw something. Not in the reflection, but something coming toward the window. There was a split second hesitation before the glass exploded at me.
I jumped back and crashed into the kitchen table. I tripped and fell, smacking my head on the floor. To my right there was a bottle on the ground, on fire. A moment later, there was more fire. Then the sound of liquid splashing. The smell of gasoline hit me just as the flames ignited even worse. I rolled to my left and climbed to my feet. The door was just a few feet away. I could escape the fiery hell with ease, but I couldn’t.
Eden.
The kitchen was burning, the room filled with smoke already. I jumped through the growing flames and knew I needed to save Eden. She didn’t deserve to die like this. Nor did her unborn daughter. Hell, I didn’t deserve to die like that either.
The second I crossed the thresh
old of the flames, I knew I had made a mistake.
I wasn’t going to be able to make it out.
**
Eden was on the toilet. I felt bad bursting in on her, but I had good reason. Before I could tell her what happened there was a billow of smoke behind me.
“Fire?” she asked.
“Someone is trying kill us,” I said. “We have to get out of here.”
Eden got to her feet and I grabbed her hand.
The hallway was filled with smoke. It kept climbing toward us. I backed down the hallway and went into the bedroom. I ran toward the window and it exploded within a foot of me getting there. Again, another bottle, lit on fire. It was accompanied by a smell that went straight to my stomach and throat. I felt like I was going to throw up and that my throat was going to shut. I turned and ran toward Eden again.
The smell was some kind of gas or something.
I put my hand to her mouth and we left the bedroom.
I didn’t know what to do. I pulled Eden to the ground and screamed for her to crawl. That made sense, right? Get under the smoke and climb to safety.
But where was safety?
Who was trying to kill us?
Were they going to bust in and just finish us off?
Poor Eden couldn’t get completely flat because of her pregnant belly. I felt her hand squeeze mine tighter. We were just near the living room when she let my hand go and touched my face.
“Go,” she said. “I can’t breathe.”
“No,” I said. “I’m not leaving you.”
The smoke was so thick and it started to feel like I was swallowing razorblades. It burned my eyes not to mention the heat made me sweat and our sight was almost at zero. I was going to have to do it all by feel, which was impossible enough. Add in a pregnant woman who was losing herself…
“Shit,” I yelled as Eden fell to her left side.
She grabbed her shirt and put her face into it. I grabbed for her arms, thinking maybe I could drag her out of the apartment. I’d find anyway possible to make it happen. I couldn’t lose Eden as a friend and she couldn’t lose her baby. The hell that would ripple through the MC would end up killing all of us.
I sat up and pulled, screaming as I did so.
I felt like my back was on fire.
The smoke poured throughout the apartment and into my mouth, deep into my chest. Each breath got harder. Even though I was touching Eden I was barely able to see her. True panic began to set in.
Attacking the MC was one thing. Taking out one of the guys was another. But to come after Eden and her unborn baby? Her unborn daughter?
“Help!” I screamed. “Someone!”
My mind demanded to know who did this. I wanted to face the attacker and see the man who was going to kill us.
I heard a large crashing sound.
I tried to pull at Eden one more time and felt our grips slip away. I toppled back and knew I’d never see Eden again. I reached my hands out, wondering what I could grab onto. I touched something and then I saw something through the heavy smoke.
It was a face.
The person behind the attack. The fire. The smoke.
The person who wanted me, Eden, and her unborn child to not see tomorrow.
The face got closer and I knew exactly who it was.
It was Duke.
twenty-nine.
(trent)
Denis sliced the piece of glass to my shoulder, cutting me open. I twisted out of reflex and then saw the bloody shard of glass coming for my throat.
This really had become life and death here.
I half expected the guys to come rushing to the ring to help me, but they knew better. If they fucked with what was happening, we’d lose the cash. No cash meant no guns. No guns meant not settling all the old bullshit so the MC could push forward.
I lifted my arm at the last second and blocked the attack. I grabbed for Denis’s wrist and twisted, driving him back. I brought my other hand up to his hand and grabbed his hand, squeezing the glass. Denis growled and screamed, blood pouring between both of our hands.
I took him back to the ropes and pressed harder, slowing putting the glass to his face. As I dug the jagged tip into his cheek, I gritted my teeth and sliced. It was only a few inches, but it was enough to get Denis off his game.
He turned, throwing his shoulder at my face, hitting me in the jaw. I stumbled back as he rolled into the corner, clutching his face. Everywhere I stepped, glass crunched under my feet. Most of the pieces were too damn small to use as a knife. So I just went forward, fists ready, as normal.
I started to unleash on Denis, fist after fist to his ribs and stomach.
In a moment of complete stupidity, I let it slip my mind that Denis could have still had the piece of glass in his hand. I found out a second later that he did have the piece of glass still in his hand when he reached around and tried to stab me in the back.
I wiggled away and threw a left, smacking him in the eye.
He slashed at me, getting nothing but air.
I punched with a hard right, blood spraying out of the ring.
He stepped forward from the comfort of the ropes and the corner. He was ready to go down and I could see it in his eyes he knew he was fucked. He kept slashing at me, desperate to get lucky and slit my throat.
When we got to the middle of the ring, that was it for me. He tried to stab me one last time and I grabbed his wrist again. I twisted it hard, feeling something pop. I stabbed him in the throat but didn’t get enough to kill him. So I hit Denis with one more left punch and sent his ass to the mat.
He fell face first, down into the shattered glass.
He hit with a hard thud and then it was just me standing there.
The entire place was quiet and it felt that way for about a goddamn hour.
In truth, it was only a couple seconds before the place erupted in cheers.
Cash and Jasper jumped up on the mat and climbed into the ring to get to me. Cash wrapped his arms around me and lifted me.
“Holy fuck, brother!” he screamed. “You did it! We get money. We get pussy.”
Jasper put his hands to my face. “Hey, Trent. Are you good?”
“I’m fine,” I said.
After the fight - or any fight or kill - I was calm. I didn’t let it all get to me. I let it all wash away. That’s what made me the monster. I was already moving on to the next mission. The next fight. Shit, I was thinking about showering and heading back to Daurian so I could get into Harlee’s panties and have that sweet pussy again.
Trev got into the ring as two men entered the ring to tend to Denis. He was moving, slowly climbing to his knees. The guy was completely out of it. He probably wouldn’t be coherent until tomorrow.
We got out of the ring and walked back to the same room where we had to meet with Peter. He stood there, door open, waiting for me. His hands were out and a big smile grazed his face.
When he tried to touch me, I knocked his hands out of the way. “Don’t fuck with me.”
“Whoa, whoa,” Trev said, slipping between us. “Let’s give Trent a few minutes here.”
“How about a shower?” Miller asked. “Guy needs to be patched up here.”
“I take good care,” Peter said. He whistled and pointed.
I turned my head and saw a woman slowly walking down the hallway. Everything on her body was too tight. Her tits were huge. Her face, eyes, everything were wildly put together.
Not a single person made a sound as she walked right by all of us.
“That is nurse,” Peter said. “She take good care of you, fighter. Stitch you and suck you.”
“Fuck,” Cash said. “Someone give me a knife. I’ll cut my leg off right now to get a piece of that ass.”
“Easy now,” Trev said. He then looked at me. “Go get cleaned up, okay?”
“No, Prez,” I said. “We’re not done here yet.”
“You won the fight,” Trev said.
“You’ve earned that,�
�� Miller chimed in. “That was a hell of a showing out there.”
I looked at Peter. “What the fuck was that about?”
“What?” he asked.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” I said. “The fucking window. That was on purpose. You stalled the fight out. Why?”
Peter let out a deep laugh. He put up a finger and stepped back into the office. I felt my heart starting to race again. Adrenaline pumped through my veins like fresh gasoline. The pain in my shoulder subsided, along with all the other other cuts and bruises.
Peter grabbed a wad of cash and brought it to me. “Take all, fighter. Take all.”
“Whoa,” Cash said. “That’s double of what you said.”
Peter nodded. “You help.”
I looked at Trev.
“Give us the reason,” Trev said. “We have to know what we were part of.”
Peter nodded. “Fair, fair. Let’s say…” He puckered his lips. “Diversion. Everyone is here, nobody is over there. Understand?”
“Christ,” I said. I slapped the wad of cash off Trev’s chest. “We were pawns for their attack.”
“Anyone we should worry about?” Miller asked. “Friends of ours? Enemies of ours?”
“No,” Peter said. “Nothing to care for. The extra is showing of good faith.”
“That guy wanted to slit my throat and kill me,” I said to Peter. “What was that?”
“Entertaining,” he said with a grin.
I pushed forward and locked up my left fist. I was going to hit him until Xavier and Max grabbed my arm to stop me from hitting the Russian guy. If I had actually hit him, things would have taken a serious turn for the worse.
“Calm now,” Peter said. “Go shower. Clean up. Then we all go home happy.”
“That protection in Nevada,” Trev said, pointing at Peter, “comes with an understanding that we know the truth of what you’re up to.”
“Deal,” Peter said. He put up a finger and walked back to the desk again. He grabbed another smaller wad of cash and gave that to Trev. “Trust money.”
“Yeah, trust,” Trev said. He then handed that money to Miller. “For riding up here, brother.”
“Our ride was easier than yours,” Miller said.
