“You get that prep work done?” Kobra asked me from across the table. I had to say that dinner felt somewhat normal as I sat next to Creed with my family. Conversation flowed, and Dad didn’t glare at Creed nonstop. Kobra was making an effort, which made me wonder what he was up to.
“No, not yet,” I answered him. “Sort of getting nervous the more I read.” I was surprised Kobra had even listened to me that night. I had been watching television in the lounge room when he stumbled in drunk.
He’d sat down next to me and had a full conversation. It felt like old times. But I hadn’t expected him to remember it.
“You’ll do all right, Holly. I know it,” Kobra said, and it was one of the nicest things he’d said to me in a long time.
I frowned, just as the oven chimed, telling Mum the pie was done. Mum’s apple pie was always amazing. I had no idea why Dad got up when she was more than capable of getting it herself. However, as soon as Mum and Dad both went inside, my eyes narrowed on Kobra.
“What do you want?” I got straight to the point, even though Creed’s hand was on my thigh under the table and having Kobra’s attention on me right now wasn’t the brightest idea I had.
“Nothing,” Kobra lied poorly while taking a sip of his beer.
I arched my eyebrows.
He groaned. “I fucked up and need you to cover for me.”
I smirked. “Well, well, if it isn’t the man that never does anything wrong.”
Creed was keeping his smirk contained, but I knew he would be getting amusement out of hearing the sergeant at arms had fucked up—which also made me wonder why Kobra would mention it in front of Creed.
“I left the fucking safe unlocked,”
“Which one?” I was sort of surprised to hear that. Kobra was a lot like Dad when it came to safes.
“The club one.” Kobra leant forward. “Dad’s gonna fucking lose it. You have an excuse to go there. I know you left your other lot of textbooks there last night.”
“Dad’s gonna lose it more if someone finds it unlocked before him!” I hissed at Kobra. “Go lock it!”
“Can’t.” He clenched his jaw. “Dad has banned me from the club till the next sit down. Tells me I’m irresponsible there.”
I gave him a pointed look. “Well, this doesn’t prove Dad’s point at all.”
“I don’t need judgement!”
“And I don’t want to be pulled into your fuck-ups!”
He scoffed.
“I’ll go,” Creed injected, and Kobra and I both looked at him. “I’ve crashed your family dinner long enough. Need to get that part into the Chevy by morning anyway.” Creed threw back the last of his beer. He looked went to Kobra. “I owed you, so this is me settling it.”
Kobra slowly nodded his head, accepting the deal. Because Creed didn’t do anyone favours.
I opened my mouth to protest, but I knew there was no way to talk Creed out of doing something. So I sighed and pushed myself away from the table.
“I’ll walk you out,” I said, shooting Kobra a glare while getting up.
Creed stuffed his hands in his jean pockets, and I wondered if it was because he didn’t want to touch me. It was the sound of the oven beeping that made me look over into the kitchen where I saw my mum on the kitchen island between Dad’s legs, and I burst out laughing. Did my parents really ditch the family dinner to make out?
Even Creed couldn’t stop the smirk. I grabbed Creed’s arm and snickered as I power-walked away from them.
I let go of his arm as we walked up the hall, and just as I did, his hands were on my hips, and he swung me around. His lips crashed on mine, and I moaned. God, please don’t let him pull back. Just as I thought this, he did.
As he leaned his forehead against mine, I saw questions in his eyes. But he didn’t voice any of them. Instead, he planted one kiss on my forehead before he pulled back fully.
Turned out to be perfect timing because Dad walked up the hallway.
“Creed, I’ll see ya out,” Dad said, and Creed smiled at me before Dad opened the front door, walking out with Creed.
I was trying to get control over my racing heart when the smoke detector went off. By the sound of it, Dad had distracted Mum fully from the apple pie. Well, there went dessert. But just as I thought it, my gaze went to the window, and I saw Creed outside, talking to Dad. It turned out apple pie wasn’t the dessert I wanted anyway.
I sat, trying to come up with a solid reason to message Creed. Since he’d left, I hadn’t been able to take my mind off what had happened. We had sex. Those three words were on repeat in my head and were followed by a question that I kept asking myself—had we fucked up our friendship for good with what we had done? Had we crossed a line? I felt my anxiety creeping up. All this, while thinking I had ruined the friendship Creed and I had.
But what was worse? I honestly thought, How can I go back to how things were? I’d had a taste of him, just a small taste, but I wanted more. I didn’t feel lust for him. I loved him. So how the fuck could I go back to just being his friend?
I heard the front door open and a pair of high heels clicking on the floor. Ivy was home. Knowing my sister, she would have a stack of paperwork under one arm and her headphones in and talking on the phone.
Glancing over my shoulder, I was surprised to see her without her case files, and she wasn’t on the phone, either.
Ivy was a cutthroat lawyer, and our family was proud of her. She always took on cases that most lawyers wouldn’t want. And yes, most of her criminals were fully guilty. She said once that the system failed people living our culture—and she tried to stop other families from being destroyed by having to say goodbye to their love ones for stints in prison.
“You okay?” came off my lips right away as I looked her up and down. I think the whole family assumed she had just been “busy” tonight, which was why she missed dinner.
Her eyes flashed to me, and she forced a smile. Her blonde hair was normally always down, but right now, it was up in a messy bun. Her makeup wasn’t flawless but the most obvious sign that something was wrong, and that she hadn’t been working tonight, was her outfit.
She wasn’t in a corporate dress. Walking into the room, she sat down beside me.
“I fucked up, Holly,” she said, holding back tears.
Placing my hand on her knee, I tried to get her attention.
“With?” I prompted her to continue.
“Taron was in town.” She blew out a deep breath and shook her head quickly—angry tears rushing down her cheeks. “And I went and saw him.”
Taron was and would always be my sister’s toxic drug. I smiled dimly. Once again, the lure of Taron had pulled her in, and once again, he had clearly hurt her.
I kept my words to myself, knowing she didn’t need nor want judgement right now.
She turned her head to the side, tears of pure pain and heartache running down her face.
“That was five weeks ago, and I just found out… I’m pregnant.”
And just like that, Ivy’s life was going to change forever. As I sat next to her quietly, I didn’t say anything—because what could I say? I knew, and so did she, that she had already made her decision. She was keeping the baby because if she weren’t planning to keep the baby, she wouldn’t have told me.
Silence fell on the table. When Hades wanted something, he wouldn’t stop till he had it. The territory at the valley was nothing different. He wanted it because it would provide us with a more direct route to the docks. However, patching over a club that didn’t want it was going to mean a takeover.
He already had my vote, and no one at the table had protested it. A few questions but we all agreed with Hades—it was the right move for the club. So with a full table backing the decision, Hades closed the meeting.
“Party tonight, boys. You know the drill. Best behaviour while family and friends are present,” Hades said as he stood up.
“Is that your way of saying we can’t say happy birthday, old ma
n?” Kobra called it out. Not an uncommon fact that Hades hated his birthday.
“If one fucker dares mention those two words together,” Hades muttered while walking out, causing us boys to laugh. Because while us boys knew better than to wish Hades a happy birthday, the same couldn’t be said for family members of the club.
Getting up, I pulled my phone out and saw not one notification. I couldn’t stop the annoyance flickering through me as I put my phone back on loud—even though I usually only had it on vibrate. She hadn’t messaged, and she hadn’t called since it happened. Had I completely fucked it up? Her and I? Had I fucked it up? That question hadn’t stopped going through my head.
I missed her, and that was really getting under my skin. All because it was coming from a guy who never missed one fucker. But there was no question that she was different.
The boys went to the bar. The family of the club was getting ready for tonight. Zara, Holly’s mum, was helping the club girls. I did notice Hades was quick to pull her into the kitchen, though. No sane person would go in there if they didn’t want to be shot. Swear I even saw the man unzipping his jeans before the door closed.
Kobra whacked my shoulder, and I nearly fucking jumped. “Creed, ya seen my sister lately?” he asked.
“No, why?” I looked at Kobra. He had a frown on his face.
“She and Ivy have been keeping a low profile.”
He got called away before I could question him more on it, which fucking made my blood boil. Storming out through the clubhouse door, I pulled my phone out. Fuck it, I was calling her. Something was wrong. Kobra would normally never ask me shit. As I walked, I unlocked the garage. I couldn’t lie and say I was actually looking forward to Hades’s birthday party. And I was the first to call myself a pussy for that.
But the real reason I was a pussy? Because I didn’t call her.
Dad’s birthday—or any birthday—was a reason to celebrate in my eyes, especially knowing Dad had survived another year. He wasn’t taken by the road or the MC—or by Mum, for that matter. The club was filled with members and their family. Even the club girls were more covered up, to respect the wives.
I had been keeping the kids entertained when Dad was standing in the doorway to the boardroom, which was normally off-limits to everyone. Still, the kids tonight had blankets over the boardroom table, and it was the only place in the clubhouse that didn’t have spare guns—because, no weapons during church.
“You okay?” I asked Dad after putting the last blanket over the table for the kids’ fort.
“Have you seen your mother?” It wasn’t what Dad asked that sent my alarm bells off but his tone. He was uneasy. Had they fought?
“No, but I can find her,” I said just as someone called Dad’s name, making him grit his teeth. I heard him mutter “I hate fucking birthdays” as he walked in their direction.
I scanned the clubhouse and found no sign of the stunning blonde that was my mother. I headed for the kitchen when I noticed a few club girls at the door.
“Everything okay?” I asked, and they were quick to look in any direction but mine and moved like their asses were on fire.
I opened the door, and Mum was standing in the large commercial kitchen, crying.
“What the fuck happened?” I asked, letting the door swing shut behind me. My mum didn’t cry. Ever.
“What did Dad do?” Because if there was one person that could make Mum cry, it was Dad. Now it made sense why he was looking for her. “I know he is my father but seriously.”
“Holly, stop,” Mum said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I fucked up,” she added but wouldn’t look at me.
I moved around her. Why was I getting a feeling like something else was going on here? Finally, I gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look at me.
“Kincaids don’t cry,” I said firmly, something my dad would always say. “We cause the crying.”
“I doubt I will be a Kincaid much longer.” Mum’s words came out broken, and she was shaking. It was at this exact moment that Dad walked through the door behind her, and she didn’t hear it. “I’m pregnant, Holly,”
Dad froze behind her.
I froze in front of her.
Mum scoffed. “That reaction was exactly what I was expecting.” The tears gripped her. “Though I’m sure your father will have more to say.” She was trembling. “He’ll divorce me. I’ll have to be a single mother. Fuck, fuck, fuck.” She was getting more worked up, but it wasn’t her admission that had me frozen in place. No, it was because she had accidentally told Dad without knowing.
“It’s not that,” I said. I watched Dad blink, and then I forced Mum to turn around. She went stiff when her eyes landed on Dad.
The Hades that everyone knew, well, he had this cold, calculating look in his eyes, nearly all the time. However, that stern look would disappear when he looked at his family. Like right now, he was in shock. I could see it on his face. I knew my dad, and when he was in shock, he usually fucked up.
Mum stood to her full five-foot something. “So you heard?” She had this hardness in her voice. Dad didn’t say anything. “I’ll sign the papers. You don’t have to be a father again. I know this is the last thing you’d want. So I’ll deal with it on my own.” Mum was headstrong and the type of woman who would do this on her own.
Dad’s eyes were just locked on her. Then he broke from his frozen state. I’d never seen Dad move so fast, till his hands were cupping Mum’s face. He kissed her before giving her a smile that was reserved only for Mum.
“Get the fucking cake out,” Dad said, his words echoing nothing but clear excitement. “We’ve got a reason to celebrate tonight.” His eyes then went back to Mum before he kissed her forehead.
Mum was stunned—and so was I—by Dad’s reaction.
“I love you, Zara. Never question that,” he said as he brought his face to hers. “Always.” He then grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen. I heard Dad shout for everyone’s attention just as I opened the kitchen door, following them out.
Someone turned the music down. I think half the crowd was expecting Dad to kick everyone out and end his suffering at his birthday party.
“Ain’t no soul here that doesn’t know. I hate my fucking birthday,” he shouted, then he shocked everyone by grinning. “Thought this year would be the same till my wife told me I knocked her up!” Dad’s grin was priceless—like he had won the lottery.
He then spun her into his arms and kissed her like there wasn’t a soul in the crowded clubhouse. Though I think they got a reality check when the laughter and cheers boomed through the club.
Just like that, a real party had started. There was no way this wasn’t turning into a bender for nearly everyone here. Because when Dad partied, he partied hard.
The music was pounding. The Kincaid family had taken over one of the tables, though Mum hadn’t left Dad’s lap the entire night, and Ivy had been extremely quiet.
“Fucking baby in the house. I’ll be moving out to my dorm room,” Kobra said before throwing back his shot.
“You fucking won’t be. You’ll be pulling your weight like the rest of us.” Dad shattered Kobra’s hope of escaping the baby cries quickly and threw his own shot back.
Ivy was refilling the shot glasses. If there was one thing we Kincaids did well, it was drinking. Though, so far, no one had noticed Ivy wasn’t drinking.
“If the other pregnancies are any indication, your mother will need another body for target practice.” Dad ran a hand down Mum’s back. “When she was pregnant with you lot, there wasn’t one vase or photo frame left in the house.”
“Still holding it over my head,” Mum muttered.
“Maybe you deserved it,” Ivy stuck up for Mum. “After all, you got her fat.”
Mum groaned at that.
“Thanks for starting the body issues early, Ivy.” Dad gave her a pointed look.
Ivy just shrugged, snatching the vodka bottle from Kobra, who had decided the amount Iv
y was pouring wasn’t enough.
“You all right, Holly?” Dad’s words made me stop scanning the clubhouse.
“Fine.” I smiled.
“She’s looking for her boyfriend,” Kobra mocked me. “Creed has kept a low profile tonight.”
And it was bugging me. I hadn’t seen him since the family dinner. I was hoping to see him tonight, but not once had I laid eyes on him.
“Sent him to pick shit up at the valley.”
My eyes snapped to Dad. “What!”
“My birthday is a shitty enough day without needing to deal with him flirting with my daughter.” Dad gave me a pointed look at that. I gritted my teeth but didn’t say anything—typical Dad.
“Well, if I were him, I’d avoid your birthday party altogether now,” I piped up, suddenly pissed off knowing I wasn’t going to see Creed at all tonight.
“Good.” Dad didn’t hold back. “Now, someone get the good whiskey.”
I rolled my eyes as I got up. Come tomorrow, our house would be in complete darkness, and Dad would be sleeping it off. Also, knowing him, he won’t let Mum out of arms reach.
I walked to the bar, pointing to the bottle of whiskey behind the prospect. That was when I went stiff.
I felt a hand on me, and I wasn’t used to being touched. I knew it was stupid, but I brushed the friendly biker’s hand off me and gave him a polite “Don’t touch me.” Then I grabbed the whiskey and took off back to the family table.
When my hand was caught by his, I snapped. “I said to leave me alone!” I spun around, but it was Creed who had eyes on me. Fuck.
“Sorry, I thought you were someone else,” I tried to recover quickly. Creed cocked a look over his shoulder, and it was my hand tightening on his that stopped him from going over there. “You’ve been gone all night.” I tried to get his attention, but his eyes were still on the biker who was looking in our direction.
Creed's Honor: Satan Bastards MC Book 1 Page 4