Original Cin: A Raptors MC Novel

by Elle Rease

  An expectant silence fell around the table, the clinking of cutlery the only noise as they all dished and dug in. Teagan sat solemnly, weighing his options. Cinnia had to cough a few times to make sure she wouldn’t laugh at his tortured facial expression. She knew what it was like to be coerced into saying something she’d rather have kept secret.

  Funnily enough, she enjoyed seeing someone else in her usual role.

  “There is a girl,” Teagan muttered finally.

  “Have we met her?” Loraine asked. “Is she in the club?”

  “Sort of.”

  This is off to a good start, Cinnia thought gleefully. She already had a great feeling about where this was going. “Sort of? What does that mean?”

  “Well, she doesn’t have family in the club,” he replied slowly, choosing his words carefully, “but she’s under our protection.”

  “Hopefully, she’s one of those lasses who has a name,” Brennan muttered. “I’d like to get to the punch line already.”

  Teagan sighed deeply. “I just know I’m going to regret this later.” He glanced up at them, as if to check whether they’ve suddenly grown hearts and let him off the hook, and sighed again once he saw that wasn’t the case. “Her name’s Piper.”

  Yes! Cinnia could barely contain her excitement at the thought of playing matchmaker. “The girl who works for Mysie?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She’s very pretty.”

  “Yeah.”

  Mysie bit her bottom lip to hide her smile. “I think she has a crush on a biker.”

  Teagan gripped his cutlery so tightly, his knuckles turned white. “Who?” he barked.

  “She wouldn’t say,” Mysie replied apologetically. They could all see she was faking it, but no one was brave enough to call her out on it. “She’s very private.”

  “I could… ask around,” Cinnia suggested. “She likes me.”

  Her brother contemplated that for a while, then he began slicing up his meat with more force than necessary. “Whatever.”

  Oh, this is going to be fun, she thought to herself. Between Dawn’s baby shower, Jemma’s welcome home party for her hubby and Teagan’s relationship woes, she was going to be kept busy for a while.

  “Now that that’s out the way,” James muttered, “why don’t we talk about something else?”

  And so, they did. Cinnia listened intently to her and Brennan’s families socializing, wondering how she could’ve gone two years without any interaction with these people. It had taken so much energy to avoid Brennan after she’d broken up with him, since the club was close-knit and he’d loved showing up wherever she went, that she’d been ecstatic when she had received a bursary from a university in the city.

  After two years of seeing Brennan hook up with various sluts, she had finally had the opportunity to be rid of him. She’d embraced her tertiary education heartily, throwing herself into student parties and making out with a new guy as often as she could.

  Sadly, no one had ever matched up to Brennan. They hadn’t made her crazy with lust, feeling like she was going to burst into flames every time they so much as looked at her. No, that talent belonged to Brennan Drummond only, and she’d grown despondent, deciding to focus on her studies instead. It hadn’t helped that he had visited her at campus, looking handsome and delicious, sporting a new piece of ink every time.

  “Let’s go to the movies, Cin,” he’d say. “Like old times.”

  “Fuck off and die, Brennan,” she would growl in response.

  Her friends had gaped at her for having the audacity to rebuff such a glorious male specimen, but she’d felt she was past the point of no return with him. How could he expect them to pick up where they’d left off? So, rejecting him had become a bit of a habit by the time she’d graduated with her degree, though a piece of her heart broke every time she did.

  His visits became less frequent and his attitude more frustrated, angrier. She had been lucky enough to get a job and, not long after, she’d met Harold. That had ensured that Brennan was nearly impossible each time she saw him.

  And now, nearly ten years after his betrayal, she marveled at how much she’s matured to accept the life she’d been born to live, instead of running away again. She loved Brennan for being everything she needed, for reigniting her feelings for him, and for putting her in a situation where she couldn’t hide from herself anymore.

  “Cin?”

  She blinked, realizing that they were all staring at her. She took a sip of wine and cleared her throat. “Sorry, I was thinking,” she mumbled. “What was the question?”

  Brennan had a worried expression on his face. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” She grew nervous under their heavy gazes. “What’s going on?”

  “Do I have your undivided attention?” he queried.

  “Yes.”

  “Good.” He rose to his feet, glancing at every person around the table. “First of all, I’d like to thank you guys for managing to keep this a secret. I know it was difficult.” He grinned at his father. “Especially after you opened your big trap, old man.”

  “Fuck off, Bren,” Reade chuckled.

  Cinnia had a ball of tension in her gut. “Uhm, what the hell is going on?”

  “For once in your life, shut up and listen,” Teagan retorted.

  Curiosity won out over her temper, so she nodded at Brennan, who had been waiting for her to quiet down.

  “This has been a long time coming,” Brennan went on, simultaneously seeming out of his comfort zone and totally relaxed. She knew he didn’t really like delivering big speeches, which was why she was so confused by this display. “I blame Loraine and Jim for making such a beautiful daughter and for bringing her along to that fateful club barbecue. You see, before that, I’d been blissfully unaware of Cinnia’s existence and, with that, the truth to those stupid ‘love at first sight’ rumors.”

  Oh no. She’d been slow on the uptake, but now she definitely knew what this about. Her palms grew sweaty, even as fury began churning through her body. Son of a bitch!

  “For a fourteen-year-old boy, it was weird to look at a little girl and know that I’d met the woman I’ll spend the rest of my life with.” He rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his hair in the process. His icy gaze met hers, unaware of the mixed jumble of emotions in her head. “Sixteen years later, nothing’s changed, except the intensity of my feelings for you.” He took something out of his pocket and knelt next to her chair. “Cinnia Sloane, will you marry me?”

  She glared at him. The ring—perfect in its simplicity, emphasizing the fact that he understood her better than anyone else—couldn’t dampen her frustration. “You don’t play fair,” she grunted.

  He burst out laughing. “Hey, I planned this before you made your stupid bet.”

  “What’re you talking about?” Mysie wanted to know.

  “Cin—” Brennan cut himself off when Cinnia punched him on the shoulder. “What was that for?”

  “You will not talk about our sex life in front of our families!” she hissed.

  Reade threw his head back and guffawed loudly, slapping the table. “Too late for tha’, lass!”

  Blushing, she realized that she’d just informed everyone about what she was trying to avoid. She really couldn’t be trusted when she was this angry.

  “The suspense is killing me,” Brennan murmured.

  “Fucking asshole.” She grabbed the ring from him and shoved it on her finger. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

  He chuckled and leaned forward to hug her. “So, I’m assuming you’re going to stay on the no-sex wagon to punish me?”

  Already, she was regretting being so damn stubborn. Who wouldn’t want to make love after being proposed to? Heck, she was ready to go right now, not caring if their families wanted to watch or not.

  “You bet your sweet ass I am,” she whispered sadly. “I’m going to teach you a lesson, babe.”

  And, despite her sour mood, she baske
d in the happiness surrounding her, knowing she was making the right decision by agreeing to become Brennan’s wife. In fact, while the Sloanes and Drummonds congratulated them on their engagement, she already felt like she was.

  Chapter Eleven

  “You really ordered a helluva lot of chocolate, huh?”

  Cinnia glared at Dawn, shoving another truffle into her mouth. “At least you’re getting sex on a regular basis, even though you’ve got the whole pregnant belly to contend with.”

  “Hey, you can give in at any time,” Dawn reminded her. “It sure would make our lives that much easier.”

  “What’re you talking about?”

  “Jesus, Cin, you and Brennan are impossible to live with right now.” Dawn rolled her eyes. “You’re both acting like a bear with a thorn in its side.”

  Cinnia looked at the group of women in the room and sighed deeply. “I can’t even remember why I started this,” she admitted, twirling her hair around her finger. “Not one of my finest moments, that’s for damn sure.”

  “Frankly, I’m surprised the two of you were able to hold off for two weeks, but it’s time. You need to get on that pole.”

  She cracked a smile. “I intend to, often. Thankfully, my period’s come and gone, so nothing’s holding me back except my pride.”

  “Pride be damned.”

  “Anyway, we’re not here to talk about my dismal sex life. Are you enjoying the baby shower?”

  “The games were fun.” Dawn seemed content. “I really couldn’t have planned it better, Cin. Thanks so much.”

  Cinnia blushed slightly. “You’re welcome. I’m just glad it’s not a disaster.”

  “Nothing’s ever a disaster with you around,” Dawn giggled, “except for you depriving Brennan of his daily dose. We all know that a crazy Brennan is not one you want to be around. I mean, he was no fun while you were in the city.”

  “It’s just… Sometimes I think we have a problem,” Cinnia mumbled.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Everything he does turns me on. I always want him. If it weren’t for things like eating, showering and work, I wouldn’t mind being chained to his bed.” Cinnia raked her fingers through her hair, feeling self-conscious. “Is it like that with you and Haye?”

  “Oh, definitely,” Dawn nodded. “I think it’s natural when you’ve found your match.”

  “That’s a relief. I don’t want to be a nymphomaniac.”

  Dawn burst out laughing. “You are that, anyway.”

  Before Cinnia could scold her best friend, Piper walked over to them with a smile, a book in one hand and a present in the other. “Hey, Dawn,” she greeted politely.

  “I’m so happy you could make it, Piper,” Dawn said.

  “Sorry I missed everything, but I had to work.” Piper nervously shifted on her feet and handed the present over to the mother-to-be. “It’s not anything huge. I hope you like it.”

  Dawn ripped the wrapping paper open and smiled as she extracted two handmade onesies. “Oh my word, Piper, these are so cute!” Dawn pulled the girl into a big hug. “Did you make them yourself?”

  “Yeah,” Piper replied shyly.

  “I think your talents are being wasted with accounting. I love them, thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome.” Piper turned to Cinnia and held the book out. “I finished your exercises. I would’ve brought it over tomorrow, but I can’t make it anymore.”

  Cinnia frowned. Piper has never cancelled before. “Did something happen?”

  Piper chewed on her bottom lip and wrung her hands, seemingly at a loss of whether she should tell the truth or not. Cinnia was struck by how pretty this nineteen-year-old was: curly, blonde hair and big, brown, doe-like eyes. No wonder Teagan wanted her. Cinnia was sure he wasn’t the only one in line.

  “It’s my dad,” Piper finally responded. She blinked a few times to get rid of the moisture in her eyes. When it didn’t work and a tear rolled down her cheek, her façade faltered and the waterworks started. She covered her face with her hands as her shoulders shook. “I’m so sorry!”

  Dawn clutched Cinnia’s hand. Cinnia squeezed back and let go. “I’ve got this,” she insisted, wrapping an arm around Piper’s waist and leading her to the abandoned kitchen. “Hey, it’s okay, I’m here.”

  “I didn’t mean to ruin your party!” Piper sobbed.

  “You’re not ruining anything,” Cinnia soothed, rubbing the girl’s back. “Now, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

  “Because it’s… it’s stupid.”

  “It can’t be if it’s making you this sad. You can trust me, Piper. What happened?”

  “My d-dad…” She swiped at her damp cheeks with the back of her hands and began pacing. “I haven’t heard from any of them in so long, but they found out that I have a job and now he wants money. I can barely survive as it is… But if I don’t give it to him, he’ll hit me.” She had a haunted look in her dark eyes. “He always hits me.”

  Cinnia cupped the girl’s face in her hands and bent at the knees so they were eye-level. “Listen to me, Piper, and listen carefully.” She paused to make sure she had Piper’s full attention. “You’re under our protection. Do you know what that means?”

  Piper shook her head, fresh tears falling.

  “It means that you’re a part of our family. We take care of each other, no matter what, and you’re one of us. We’ll move heaven and earth for you, Piper, so you have to tell us about these things so we can help, okay?”

  The girl inclined her head on a sob.

  “No one’s going to touch you without your permission, okay?” Cinnia embraced her tightly. “You don’t have to give your father anything if you don’t want to. Now, do you owe him money?”

  “No,” Piper whispered, clinging to Cinnia. “He’s a drug addict. Meth. My parents… They just abandoned me three years ago. They didn’t even say where they were going. I don’t know how they found out about my job.”

  “Where are you staying?”

  Piper hesitated before answering. “I share a flat with this girl—”

  “What does she do for a living?”

  “She… uhm…”

  Cinnia sighed and held Piper at arm’s length. “You don’t live there anymore, it’s not safe or good for you. So, I’ll give you two alternate options: either you move in with me and Brennan, or with my parents. I’d prefer the latter, ‘cause then I can get Teagan to drive you around to make sure your father doesn’t try anything, but it’s all up to you.”

  Piper thought about that for a while. “Will your parents mind? Will… Teagan?”

  “I’ll call him right now,” Cinnia smiled, pulling her phone out of her jeans’ back pocket. She already knew that her parents wouldn’t mind, but she had to make sure that Teagan was on board, so she dialed his number.

  “This better be good,” was his way of answering.

  Cinnia rolled her eyes and turned her back on Piper. “You’re drunk.”

  “Isn’t that what us guys are supposed to do while you women cluck around Dawn?” Teagan queried.

  “Okay, so you’re not drunk enough to slur, that’s good.”

  “Cin, as much as I love hearing from my sister,” he said sarcastically, “what’s going on? Couldn’t you get a hold of Brennan, or something?”

  “Nope, I phoned you for a reason. It’s about Piper.” Teagan was quiet for so long, she worried that the call had dropped, especially because the background noise had suddenly gone quiet. “Hello? Are you still there?”

  “What happened?” he asked in his give-it-to-me-straight tone. “You’ve got my full attention.”

  Cinnia glanced at Piper, who was too busy eyeing the floor tiles. Taking a deep breath, Cinnia decided to give her brother a general idea. “Okay, her absent father made contact. Meth addict. He wants money. He’ll hit her if she doesn’t pay up. She’s currently living with a whore. I need her out of there.”

  “I’ll come get her,” Teagan s
aid. “See you in ten minutes.”

  “Thanks, bro.” Cinnia hung up and touched Piper’s cheek with a reassuring smile. “He’s on his way.”

  Piper threw her arms around Cinnia. “Thank you so much. I’ll do whatever—”

  “Stop right there,” Cinnia interrupted. “You don’t need to do anything in return, okay? Don’t feel obligated. We’re just keeping you safe.” She gently got out of the hug. “So, I’ll see you for tomorrow’s lesson?”

  “You bet,” Piper said, laughing tearfully.

  “Okay, now go back to the party and get a few snacks while you wait for Teagan.”

  “Thanks, Cin.”

  Cinnia closed her eyes as soon as Piper left the room, feeling the weight of her responsibility as the VP’s old lady. She rubbed her temples and leaned against a counter, jumping in fright once she heard someone clapping.

  She glanced up and was surprised to see Mysie on the opposite side of the kitchen. “Jesus, you scared me.”

  Mysie held her hands up in surrender, grinning. “Sorry, but I wasn’t exactly expecting company.”

  “What’re you doing in here?” Cinnia asked.

  “I was bringing dishes back,” Mysie answered, pointing to a stack. “And then you came in and I didn’t want to make it awkward, so I stayed still.”

  “Thanks. Piper probably wouldn’t have told me if she’d known you were here.”

  Mysie walked over to Cinnia. “You did a great job with that one. And getting Teagan on board? Two birds, one stone.”

  Cinnia tried not to smile. “I wasn’t hooking two people up. I’m just concerned about her safety.”

  “Uh-huh,” Mysie chuckled. “Don’t worry, Cin, I know exactly what you’re doing. I do the same.”

  “I’m glad you approve of my methods.”

  “And I’m glad you’ve stepped up to the plate. You’re a natural.”

  Cinnia blushed. “Well, let’s get back to the others before they notice we’re gone. They might just think you’re killing me.”