Cavalier (Crimson Elite Book 1)

by T. L Smith

  I shake my head and try to reach my door handle, but he blocks it with his body, so I have to look up to him.

  “Things can change in an instant, and I don’t owe you anything.”

  He shakes his head tsking at me. “You do. You do owe me something.”

  Stepping close to him, I look up so we’re eye to eye. “I don’t owe you! Now move.”

  He watches me not moving, then takes a step to the side slowly letting me pass, unlocking the door. With shaky hands, he leans in and whispers into my ear, his breath heavy on my neck, “I will find out, Elicea, and when I do I’ll be coming for you.”

  “I hope you do.”

  His eyebrows pinch together at my words as I shut the door on his face.

  Heart heavy and beating fast, I fall to the floor in front of me. And stay there until I’m cold and my body’s sore.

  What have I gotten myself into?

  “How long do you plan on keeping it from him? I mean, it is his, right?” Tracey asks me as I start to get ready for my next shift. I slept the whole day once I got home. Only waking, thanks to Tracey, in time to get up and get dressed.

  “Yes, it’s his. I don’t know, as you can see I haven’t even planned my own life very well, how am I supposed to raise a child?.”

  “You need to tell him, even if you think he won’t want it. You need to tell him,” she reiterates.

  I nod, knowing she’s right. But that’s easier said than done. How do I say, ‘Hey you impregnated me and we’re already complicated together so let’s add another complication.’

  Shit!

  Actually I don’t think this child will be a complication, I’m waiting for that happy phase to come. The one mothers tell you about how excited they are being pregnant, I want that badly. Maybe I will have that once I tell him, maybe not.

  “I’ll do it soon.”

  Her hand reaches out and touches my belly, and I shoo her hand away, hitting it and she laughs. “You’re going to start showing soon, I can already see a slight bump.”

  I look down at my stomach. It’s still the same but there’s a slight bump where my jeans sit on my hips.

  “Everyone touches pregnant bellies. How are you going to cope with that?”

  I grimace at the thought of strange hands rubbing my belly. “I’ll deal, or not, either way, I’ll make it work.”

  “Do you want to move in with me?” I take a deep breath, and smile at her. Tracey’s apartment was her parents’, and they left it to her when they went traveling.

  “Thank you, but no. I need to work this out myself.”

  “Or you don’t, you know it takes two to tangle.” I laugh at her. “On the plus side, Falcon gave you a lot of money.” I look at her shocked as she pulls out the envelopes from the guys from my birthday. Reaching for Falcon’s, I notice thousands of dollars in there.

  “I want friends like yours, you should lie and celebrate your birthday again. It will pay all your bills.”

  She lays all of them on the table. I see my name on one and I know whose writing that is straight away. Picking it up, I open it with shaky hands. Inside is some sort of document, on it is my address and my name. Plus, his. My mouth hangs open when I read it again to just make sure what it says is real. It can’t be, can it?

  “What? What does it say? I didn’t open that one.” She pulls it from my hands and reads it herself. “Holy shit on a stick, he bought your apartment and gifted it to you,” she says clearly looking as stunned as I feel.

  “It’s got to be false, right? How can he buy it? I didn’t even know it was up for sale.”

  Tracey sits down and starts reading. Quickly getting dressed, I grab my bag and keys knowing where I’ll find him. He’s always at the club and especially when I’m meant to be there. Snatching it from Tracey’s hand, I start to run out the door and hear Tracey yell something.

  And he isn’t here.

  25

  Creed

  “She’s ignoring you again. I thought because you disappeared with her the other night you two were fine?” Echo asks as he sits at my desk.

  I’m looking down waiting for her to come in, her shift is due to start soon. She’s never late and I like that most about her, always on time.

  “We were,” I answer knowing full well he won’t leave until he gets what he came in for.

  “Well, what did you do?”

  I turn to face him, his feet on my desk as he fiddles with a piece of paper.

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  Echo laughs, dropping the paper to the floor and I groan hating that he’s here fucking with my shit.

  “You must have. Women are known to be crazy, but usually, their mind comes up with some sort of reason.”

  My door swings open and standing there is my existence. Her forehead is scrunched, her eyes pissed, her fist is clenched and whatever she has in it is clearly not going to look the same if she doesn’t stop scrunching it around.

  “Leave,” I tell Echo who kicks his feet off my desk and slowly gets up walking over to Elicea. She sidesteps to let him pass then steps in slamming the door shut behind her as she storms over to me. Whatever’s in her hand she throws at me.

  “What the fuck is this?” I look at it, reaching down to pick it up from the floor. It’s the deed to her apartment that I gave her for her birthday. I look up at her with a shocked stare that she’s angry with a gift I thought would please her.

  “It’s the deed to your apartment,” I tell her clearly.

  Her hand goes to her hip. “I can read, Creed. Why the fuck did you buy it?”

  “For your birthday. It’s a gift.”

  Her mouth opens then closes, the she repeats the action again. “People don’t buy other people houses, Creed. Take it back.”

  “No.”

  “No—” She repeats my word like it’s sour on her lips.

  “It’s yours. No way of taking it back.”

  “Tell whoever the owner was I’ll give it back to them.”

  “No.”

  She huffs loudly at me. “No?” She shakes her head. “Tell me now.”

  “It was mine, Elicea, and I don’t want it back.”

  Her hands drop to her side as she processes the information. “You owned my apartment?” she asks in a small voice.

  “Yes.”

  “All of them?” she asks for clarification.

  “All of them.”

  She takes a step back. “Did you know who I was before that night?”

  I nod my head, and a tear leaves her eye. “I knew who you were that night you saw what happened.”

  “The police?” she asks, trying to piece it all together.

  “On my payroll. I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t talk. I was right.”

  “What happened if I did talk?”

  I look down at the floor knowing I don’t want to answer that question.

  “Would I end up the same way as that guy in your basement?”

  I nod my head.

  A loud cry leaves her lips. “Did you ever have feelings for me? Or was this all just to make sure I wouldn’t talk?”

  Shaking my head, I step forward touching her arm, but she pulls it free as if I’ve scorched her. “At first, it was to make sure. Not anymore.”

  Elicea laughs, but she’s clearly hurt. “And to think I was going to tell you today,” she says turning and pulling my door open. She turns back to look at me. “Don’t you dare come down during my shift tonight. If you do, I’ll quit.” She slams the door on her way out and I do nothing but stay in my office, because she knows I don’t want her to quit.

  “What the fuck was that?” Darby asks as he opens my door.

  “I’ll fix it.”

  “I heard everything, Creed. She’s a loose cannon. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Because I know what he would have asked of me. To kill her. I would have in the beginning if I absolutely had to, but I didn’t want to. Some part of me told me to give her a try, and I was right. Sh
e’s turned out to be one of the best things in my life.

  “You don’t make all the calls, D.”

  He shakes his head. “Obviously I fucking have to if you three can’t keep your fucking heads on straight.” He goes to turn to leave.

  “I wouldn’t go after her, D. I’ll kill you if you hurt her.”

  He stops. I watch as his whole body tenses while he holds the door with his hand. Slowly he turns back to me, eyes dark. “Are you threatening me, Creed?”

  “I don’t make threats.” He waits because he knows me better than that. “It’s a promise.”

  “Boys, boys—how about we grab a drink,” Echo says trying to deflate the situation. Falcon steps in behind Darby, and all four of us are now in a standoff I didn’t know we were having.

  “Creed, man, how about you take a breath.” Echo goes to touch me then thinks better of it and stands next to me instead. Falcon lays a hand on Darby’s shoulder in case he moves—I know he won’t.

  “So it’s finally happened, hey?” Darby asks looking to each of us before he comes back to me. “A girl has gotten between us.”

  I shake my head and speak before Echo does. “She isn’t between us. She’s before you. There is a difference.”

  Falcon’s head swings to me like he doesn’t believe my words.

  Neither can I.

  “Do you love her, Creed?”

  I don’t answer that because I don’t even know.

  “He doesn’t love her, he just likes what she does to him.” Echo looks to me smiling. “Right?”

  I don’t answer.

  “Fuck,” Falcon mutters, then pushes Darby. “Go, get the fuck out.” He pushes Darby back until he can shut the door, so it’s just the three of us in the room. Falcon starts pacing my floor as we watch him. “I knew she meant something, but fuck, Creed. Really? You know you’re meant to hit ‘em and quit ‘em, right? Not fall in fucking love.”

  “He isn’t—” Echo looks to me then swears. “Fuck, you are.”

  I don’t say anything. They can make all the assumptions they want.

  “Don’t go killing Darby. We actually need him to survive in this business. Let’s be honest, we are the looks and he is the brains,” Falcon says, smirking.

  “If he goes after her I won’t have a choice.”

  Echo walks straight to the door and goes out shutting it behind him.

  “He won’t go after her.” Falcon walks to the window that looks down on the girls. “She’s different, you know that, right? She isn’t like the girls we fuck because we’re bored.”

  “I know who she is.”

  “Why does she keep looking to the door?”

  I step up to the window and look down. “She threatened to quit if I came down.”

  He starts laughing. “Maybe you should marry her. I like her.”

  “Fuck off.”

  Falcon walks away from the window as I stay glued to where I am watching her.

  “She has a hold on you, though. Do you see it?”

  “I gave her a gift—her apartment.”

  He whistles from behind me. “And I’m taking it that pissed her off well and good.”

  I nod.

  “Either fix it or let her quit. You can’t stay in your office because she’s here, it won’t work and sooner or later Darby will get even more pissed than he is right now. We all know you could kick his ass, but you won’t because you love him. Plus, he owns the highest percentage of the club, so if he wants to fire her I’ll agree on it, so it won’t matter what you decide, or even if you get Echo on your side. Which we know you will.”

  I try to keep calm, not to let this get the better of me and throw my fist through his face. It’s hard, but he’s right.

  “I’ll handle it.”

  “If you haven’t by the weekend, my first call will be to your mother—we both know she will fix the situation.” He’s out the door before I can tell him no.

  I go into Darby’s office. He’s on the cell and immediately puts it down when he notices me. “I’m taking the week off, the girls are good.”

  “Just the week?”

  I nod, he nods, that’s our relationship.

  “If you aren’t back within the week, I will fire her.”

  Slamming his door, I walk out.

  26

  Elicea

  He hasn’t been at work all week. I find out when I come in for my shift. Johnny whispers to me that it’s very unlike him and asked if I knew what was going on. I lied and said I didn’t, maybe he’s listening to my words. I’m not really sure. “They asked that you go and speak to them, in the office.” My feet freeze on the spot, as I look to Johnny hoping I just imagined what he said.

  “Me?” I ask him unsure if he meant me. He nods to the stairs which lead up to the offices.

  My hands shake as I put my bag down and start stepping up. It’s quiet until I reach the area which is the center between all the offices. All three are sitting down with Creed’s mother which surprised me the most. As far as I was aware, she didn’t know what they did, and they all look up at the same time when I reach them.

  No running now.

  My hands quickly cover my belly that has slightly popped as I stand waiting for what they’re going to say.

  “Why don’t you sit, El?” This comes from Echo who taps the empty seat.

  “I’ll stand, thanks.”

  Creed’s mother looks up at me and she offers me a small smile before Darby starts to speak. “I want you to know how much we have valued you as an employee the last few months...”

  My hands start sweating and my head becomes light. Is he firing me? He can’t be, can he? I didn’t do anything wrong. A small part of me screams ‘you fucked one of the bosses,’ but I push it aside.

  “And we think this will be a nice bonus for your time with us, but I’m sorry to say that we are going to have to let you go.”

  Shaking my hands I try to dry them, it doesn’t help. I feel lighter, my head woozy. “You’re firing me?” I ask, shocked.

  Darby nods his head as Echo looks down to the floor. Creed’s mother stares at me with a small smile, not saying a word as Falcon’s lips pull into a tight line.

  “I didn’t do anything wrong,” I say, my hands go to touch my head and before I can say another word, their words go fuzzy. My world goes white.

  “What the fuck did you do?”

  Hands are touching me, feeling me over. Someone’s hand is on my forehead and someone is below me. Opening my eyes, a guy is hovering above me checking me over while everyone else stands next to him. Hands stroke my hair softly, and I instantly know who it is by the feel of his touch and his smell that’s all around me.

  Pushing him off, the doctor asks me to lay back down. “You could have a concussion.”

  I shake my head. I know what it was—a fainting spell. I had one in the doctor’s office when he told me I was pregnant.

  “I’m fine, I feel fine.”

  Creed’s mother is standing in front of me now. “Who’s going to take care of you? You can’t go home like this. What if it happens again? You can come with me.”

  “Ma,” Creed warns, but she brushes him off with a wave of her hand.

  “You’re coming home with me.”

  I shake my head, managing to stand. Creed’s hands wrap around my belly and as he does so I feel my body lock as I look to his hands on my stomach. He doesn’t move, and when I look up his mother is watching as well—my shirt has risen up and my belly is on display.

  “Are you pregnant?”

  She can’t tell that from a single look. No way. Surely.

  Creed’s hands don’t move from me as he grips me tightly.

  “What? How could she be pregnant?”

  Falcon almost laughs.

  The doctor walks over and touches my belly, he looks up to me. “Are you pregnant? I need to know.”

  A simple nod of my head and everyone goes silent. Hands on me don’t move, I don’t even feel him bre
athe.

  “Holy shit,” Echo yells. “Is it Creed’s?” he asks.

  Every eye in the room turns to me as I push away from Creed who can’t manage to even look at me. He stares at the floor and then his stare moves up to my belly.

  “I planned to tell you, but I’ve only just found out.”

  His eyes lift, and I have to take a step back when they do. They scare me.

  “You should leave. Now.” These words come from Darby who steps up next to me and nods his head to Creed’s mother, who takes my hand and starts walking me out the door. She already has my bag in hand.

  “He’s just shocked, is all. He’ll come around.” She doesn’t sound like she believes what she’s saying. I don’t believe her either.

  “I can get myself home, thanks.”

  She shakes her head. “No. That’s my grandbaby. You need someone to look after you right now. You can come to my house.”

  I want to protest, to tell her no. But as her hands wrap around me, I can’t seem to form the words that are required to leave my mouth.

  “How far along are you?” she asks opening the car door.

  “Just over three months.”

  “Oh, safe zone,” she says happily. “We must go shopping tomorrow. Have you done any yet?”

  I shake my head as I lean against the car door. “He’s going to hate me,” I mumble.

  After she slides in, her hand touches my leg.

  “And I’ve lost my only income. No one’s going to hire a pregnant woman.”

  Fuck.

  Fuck.

  Fuck.

  What am I going to do?

  “I’m sure your job is fine.”

  I almost laugh at her. “They just fired me.”

  “Then you fainted. You have grounds to sue. Let’s keep it at that.”

  I almost laugh at her words as she pulls up to her house. “I have a room set up, you can stay here. I would love the company.”