Split - Coffin Nails MC (Contemporary New Adult Erotic Dark Romance) (Sex & Mayhem Book 7)

by Merikan, Miss

  Lucky smiled widely. “He’s Manson. And there’s Slayer and Megadeth around somewhere here. Though we just call him Mega.”

  “And my cat, Behemoth, but you’ve seen him around the club,” added Asty, who petted Manson’s back while the cat rested comfortably in Hunter’s arms.

  “Good to see you,” said Tooth, who looked especially silly in an elf hat, but he didn’t seem to even remember he was wearing it.

  Hunter held the cat with his arm and shook Tooth’s hand. “Thank you for inviting me. I’d be stuck with a turkey sandwich at the club otherwise.”

  Tooth looked back at Lucky, who rushed back to the kitchen, and lowered his voice. “Well, you deserve it for saving my proposal.”

  Hunter shrugged and leaned down for Asty to put a hat on him. “Fucker had it coming.”

  Tooth sneered. “He should have known to keep his mug shut. Anyway, I need to help Lucky a bit. Asty, take care of him?” he asked, blissfully unaware of just how well Asty had been taking care of Hunter recently.

  “You can show him the cat room!” Lucky yelled from the kitchen where he was taking something out of the oven in a pair of kitchen gloves adorned with skull patches.

  Hunter smiled, realizing he hadn’t been in a home this cozy in years. His uncle always made Christmas an opportunity to drink to excess with his buddies.

  “The cats it is then,” said Asty when Priest migrated toward the kitchen as well. She kissed Manson between the ears and approached the stairs. She walked very slowly, and Hunter half-expected it to be intentional. Her ass swayed, as if drawing the infinity sign, and her long legs made him want to slide his hand up her dress and touch the heat between her thighs. But it was too risky, so he waited for her to walk up a few stairs, watching her thighs in the silky stockings.

  A ginger cat with white spots meowed loudly as they passed by and followed them.

  “That’s Slayer,” Asty said, looking at Hunter over her shoulder.

  “Are they unofficially Tooth and Lucky’s bastards?”

  Asty snorted. “More like Lucky’s secret babies. He got Slayer and Mega while Tooth was doing time.”

  Hunter laughed when he followed Asty into the ‘cat room.’ Manson started getting restless, so he put him on a bridge under the ceiling leading from one cat tower to another. “He’s a crazy cat boy …” He looked around at the many ladders, scratchers, toys, and shelves in amazement. A winding tunnel led toward the window from the floor, and a few jangling fake birds hung from the ceiling.

  “He is.” Asty walked up to Manson, who hung out of a pipe-like element of the tower, and she tickled him behind the ear. “Dad got him Manson so that he’d have something to take care of when he was all over the place, and it worked. He didn’t try to run anymore.”

  “He really is lucky. Being gay wouldn't fly in my old club.” Hunter sighed thinking of all the things that ‘didn’t fly’ with Head. He sat on the floor when he noticed Behemoth’s white, fluffy tail peeking out of the tunnel on the floor.

  “Yeah.” Asty sank to the floor next to him and pulled the fourth cat, Mega, into the cradle of her legs as she crossed them to sit. “Dad wasn’t all that open-minded in the beginning, but I think that he’s now happy that Lucky’s back.” She pulled her hair behind her ears and looked at Hunter.

  “My mom sends me a Christmas invitation every year. She says that all I need to do is accept Jesus into my heart. They don’t really want to see me otherwise. There’s a big family reunion next year, but they only want me there on their terms. Fuck that, you know? It’s like they don’t want to know the real me.” Hunter lay on the floor and started teasing Behemoth’s tail until he turned around to show his flat face. A white Persian was a strange choice for a goth girl, but maybe, just as Beast, Behemoth was a rescue animal?

  Asty shifted closer and kissed Mega between the ears. Her dark eyes moved over Hunter’s face, betraying real sympathy. “You are so right. They don’t know what they are missing. Why does it matter to them so much what you believe in? Don’t they want to see you?”

  “I never got it. If they’re so confident in their religion, they should have no reason to be so furious over me challenging it. And we could just meet and not talk about that part of life.” Hunter grabbed Behemoth once the cat got out of the tunnel, and cradled him in his arms with a smile. “I like cats. They don’t care if I love Jesus.”

  Asty nodded and brushed her shoulder against his. “I know. Animals don’t judge anyone. They’re so honest, and they give back much more than they get.” She was silent for a few seconds, watching Slayer scratch the base of the cat tree.

  “True. They don’t have all the concepts that society has.” Hunter teased the cat in his arms with his fingers. “You just care about who gives you food, right?”

  Behemoth blinked and patted Hunter’s digits with his paw. He was so ridiculously soft that it was pure pleasure to touch him.

  “He likes you.” Astaroth pulled out her cell phone and raised it higher to take a picture.

  Hunter snorted and posed for it, kissing Behemoth, but the cat pushed at his lips with its paw. Asty laughed and shuffled closer, resting against Hunter as she raised the phone again. Their faces were pressed closely together in the screen, but Behemoth chose that moment to meow and try to climb out of Hunter’s lap. Asty managed to catch him in the picture in the last moment.

  Hunter let Behemoth go, and the cat skittered off into a box under a scratching post.

  “Oh no, you looked so cute with it,” Lucky moaned from the door, and Hunter pulled away from Asty, trying to look inconspicuous.

  Asty turned away, opening and closing her mouth as she looked at her brother. “Hi, Lucky. Why are you creeping on us?”

  “The remaining guests came, so I wanted to call you downstairs.” He raised his eyebrows. “Do I have reason to creep on you?”

  “No. Of course not,” said Asty quickly. “You just scared me.” She put her hand on her chest, as if to show just how anxious Lucky had made her.

  Lucky sighed. “Anyway, you looked so cute with Behemoth. Like you had a little furry baby. You planning any cats when you settle in outside of the clubhouse?”

  Hunter laughed and leaned over to pet Slayer. “I’ll think about it next year, but I like cats. And kids. I’m from a big family.”

  Asty pulled Mega closer to her chest. “So you had younger siblings?”

  “Yes. Two brothers and three sisters.” Hunter felt a weird pang of pain in his chest even mentioning his siblings. He hadn’t seen them in such a long time, it was as if they lived in another universe. “I’d like to have a big family someday.”

  Asty kissed the cat on the head and petted its chest, watching the carpet. “You must feel lonely in the clubhouse.”

  “It’s not … ugh, optimal. It’s not like I have Ray to chat to.”

  Lucky smirked. “Thanks for standing up for me. That was badass.”

  “It really was,” mumbled Asty when she finally released the cat and scrambled to her feet.

  Hunter followed and patted Lucky’s back. “I like that you guys don’t give a fuck what others think. No one should live their lives by other people’s rules. Unless they’re, you know, serial killers.”

  Asty nodded. “My parents were both very much for personal freedom. At least in theory,” she finished somewhat flatly. “I mean ... Dad can be a bit conservative when he forgets that he’s progressive.”

  Lucky grinned, and they all walked out of the cat room covered in hair. “He’s getting there.”

  Judging from the loud shouting downstairs, Milk and Kat were there, and so were their kids. They were all tiny blonds with pinkish skin, each dressed in a Christmas sweater, including the toddler. Once the three of them walked into the living room, it turned out Don had also been invited with his wife, which made the table seem much fuller than before.

  “So, when do we get to eat, Mr. Host?” asked Asty and poked Lucky in the ribs.

  “Now.” Lucky smi
led and ran over to the kitchen. “Everybody sit down, please!”

  *

  The Christmas dinner was everything Hunter could have wished for. The food was much better than at Head’s, and it actually reminded him of the succulent holiday feasts at his family home. Lucky was a great cook, and with the relaxed atmosphere, Hunter could just let go and enjoy himself. The television was off—despite Priest and Don’s complaints that were quickly silenced—the kids sang some carols and were hilariously cute at it, and the conversation varied from sports to honest discussions on topics that were important to everyone.

  “Do you have wedding plans yet?” Kat, Milk’s wife asked Tooth when Lucky finished clearing plates and started serving up dessert. Hunter was salivating as he watched the pies, cakes, and cookies emerge on the table. Some had been made by other guests, but it was still amazing to Hunter that two guys could pull off such a feast.

  Tooth scratched his head. “We want to get married when it’s a bit hotter and then ride to California for our honeymoon. Lucky’s really excited.”

  “I’ve always wanted to go,” Lucky said with a smile. “Beaches, concerts, a true vacation for just me and Tooth.”

  Milk snorted. “You gonna adopt next?”

  Tooth grunted and glanced at Lucky with a face that made Hunter think of grumbling. It looked especially silly with the green, white, and red hat Tooth still had on.

  “We’re not planning, no. Tooth won’t even let me get another cat. If you’re wondering about prolonging the Horton bloodline, you need to look to the other side of the table.” Lucky shook his head and sat down next to Tooth after putting a bowl of whipped cream on the table.

  Asty shifted in her seat while all the older members of the club chuckled, as if they all found her obvious discomfort hilarious. Don grinned, combed back his thinning hair, and winked at her like a sleazy uncle. “When will we hear the good news? I bet Priest can’t wait—”

  “I’m pregnant,” said Asty, and the table grew silent before a few awkward laughs erupted on the other side.

  Hunter froze. His heart stopped. Even his toes became cold. Was she joking? If she was, it was a pretty fucked-up joke to make next to him.

  Lucky frowned. “Like what? You’re getting a baby goat?”

  Asty’s fingers grabbed the edge of the table, twisting the tablecloth. “I’m not joking. I’m pregnant,” she said a bit more quietly as she looked around to the stunned silence.

  She was serious. Now Hunter became hot all of a sudden, burning up like a furnace fueled with a bucketful of questions. He’d been sure she was on the pill. That was why they had been doing it bare all this time. If she wasn’t on the pill, then what was she thinking saying no to condoms?

  Priest turned to her with a deep frown, his body somehow stiffer than usual. “Asty, who did you get pregnant with?”

  Hunter still couldn’t wrap his mind around this. He was going to have a baby? With Asty? Did she choose this moment to out their relationship without consulting him? This was so not on. She was the one who wanted to hide it in the first place. But as fucked up as this was, so be it. He would not try to wiggle out of responsibility.

  Asty cleared her throat and gathered the tablecloth in her small fists. “This one guy I met at a Halloween party. He’s not from Detroit,” she said in the end.

  Even Milk was stunned into silence and stared at the empty plate in front of him.

  Hunter started playing with his fork. So she didn’t want to out them. She was just fucking pregnant and didn’t even tell him first. What the fuck was up with that? Bile rose in his throat. The baby had to be almost two months now. His temples pulsed so hard he couldn’t think clearly.

  And to top that, Lucky had to speak. “You had a one-night stand two months ago, and you didn’t tell me?”

  Priest punched the table so hard everyone’s cutlery jangled. “Shut up. This is not about you.”

  Asty jumped in her seat and slumped into the backrest, looking everywhere but at Hunter.

  “Let’s try to be calm about this, okay?” proposed Tooth, who kept tugging on his beard. “Don’t you have his name? Phone number?”

  Asty shook her head. “No. He told me he’s visiting someone for a few days. I can’t get in touch with him. And I don’t want to look for him,” she said stiffly.

  Those last words were like a stab in the heart. So she was having his baby but considered him just a fling? What the fuck? Hunter looked around the table, wanting to tell everyone the baby was his. The words were on the tip of his tongue. Enough with the lies.

  He looked into Asty’s eyes for a prolonged moment, about to speak, but she pushed her heel into his foot, so he pursed his lips and looked back at his plate. It was her choice, but it didn’t feel any less unfair because of it.

  “So …” Priest frowned. “Do you want to keep it? It’s a bit fucking late to tell me.”

  Kat cleared her throat and leaned forward. “I know of someone good if you don’t want to.”

  Hunter gripped the fork so hard his knuckles went white, and he barely contained the need to stab someone.

  Asty shook her head. “No, I want to keep it.”

  “Honey, you don’t even have a job,” muttered Kat.

  “Yes, and everything will be much harder with a baby at such a young age. You aren’t even together with this guy,” said Don’s wife, playing with her cutlery.

  “I’ve been thinking about it for a long time because I know it will be hard,” said Asty.

  Hunter’s whole body was one big ache he couldn’t soothe. She was thinking about getting rid of the baby, she was pregnant, and she didn’t even tell him? She’d come out with it in public during Christmas dessert? And he couldn’t say a word. He had to just sit there like a fucking mouse and listen to people discussing his kid. Unbelievable.

  “We’ll work it out,” Lucky said. “If you want to keep it, you have family to help. It won’t be so bad.”

  Priest shook his head. “Asty, you are my daughter, but you need to really consider all your options. We will help you if you want the baby, but you need to seriously rethink your future. I would have rather talked to you about it in private, but if you come out with it here, that’s my opinion.”

  Asty nodded and nipped on the nail of her thumb.

  Hunter wanted to hug her and scream at her all at once. What a clusterfuck. They needed to talk. They needed to talk fast.

  Asty

  Asty rushed into the bathroom upstairs and rested against the door, hugging herself as her lungs struggled to keep down enough air to sustain her sanity. Her eyes stung, as did her throat, and she scooted down, clutching at her hair. Dad was so unhappy with her. If he only knew she was doing it all for him and Lucky ... But she shouldn’t have done it this way. She should have talked to Hunter first, not just impulsively reacted to a stupid question at the table, but seeing him with the cats and hearing him say he wanted kids made her hope that maybe he wouldn’t hate her for getting pregnant after all. Now he was probably furious with her.

  She swore beneath her breath when someone pushed her along with the door, and she fell forward. Hunter peeked in with his face pale and serious. Seeing her, he didn’t back away but slid in and locked the door behind him.

  “Is this some fucking joke?” he hissed, but helped her up anyway.

  Asty bit on the inside of her cheek and squeezed his hand, enjoying how firm it was. He was the one thing to keep her grounded. Her anchor in reality. “No ... I’m sorry, it just came out ... it was sitting in my head for such a long time ...”

  “How could you not tell me?” He leaned down to look straight into her eyes.

  Asty swallowed hard, feeling her throat ache, as if she had gulped down too much icy water at once. “I thought ... I wanted to just have fun together until it starts showing...”

  Hunter took a deep breath and touched her stomach, sending a flash of heat up her chest. “What do you mean?”

  Asty looked down at his big hand
and shuddered. She didn’t think he’d want to stick around once he finds out. “You should leave. What if Dad sees us together?”

  “It’s not like he will kill me on Christmas Day, though he does seem pretty fucking pissed off.”

  Asty nodded, knowing just how badly she didn’t want to go home now and have a more serious talk. “He is.”

  “What happened, Asty? I thought you were on the pill?” He grabbed her hands, and the world became slightly less shaky again.

  Asty looked up at him with a heavy heart. “I got pregnant on Halloween, so we didn’t need any condoms ... later,” she muttered. She knew he wouldn’t understand why she did what she did, and that was making her feel almost ashamed of what had happened that night.

  Hunter put his hands on her shoulders. “Let me get this straight. You let two guys have sex with you without a condom on purpose? What were you thinking? That some demons are gonna protect you from pregnancy and STDs?”

  Asty trembled. She hadn’t thought much about STDs when she came up with her plan, and maybe she should have. Could some of those diseases affect the baby? “No. I wanted to get pregnant. That was what the ritual was all about. I wasn’t supposed to meet neither of you ever again,” she whimpered.

  Hunter squinted. “Well, tough luck. I’m here, and I want to know all about why you decided to get pregnant with a stranger.”

  Asty clenched her teeth, not feeling comfortable with telling him the truth. He’d try to out her to everyone. “I ... a new baby in a family that lost so many people recently ... it’s a new start, but I wanted to make it strong, and healthy, so I followed my mom’s footsteps and went through with more than just getting pregnant.”

  “You wanted some kind of satanic baby?” Hunter looked more and more bewildered. “This is just not right. What if the baby is born with no soul?” He took deep breaths, his face switching between red and pale every now and then.

  Asty frowned, taken aback. “Everyone has a soul. And do you have something against my beliefs? Satan is taking better care of people than God does. At least he lets us be free.”