He smirked and asked, “How did you sleep?”
Hailey poured a bit more coffee into her cup and said, “I slept okay,” her gaze slid towards Becca in the next room. She could hear her clopping back and forth between the bedroom and the bathroom.
She’s probably thrilled to have a private shower. Hailey frowned. Great, she’s going to be showering around him too, an extra layer of temptation. Hailey pulled her lips into a tight smile and said, “I slept fine. I didn’t get the best wake up call this morning.”
Rocco chuckled and stepped into the kitchen. He placed his hand on top of her belly and kissed her on the forehead. “That’s alright, you’ve got plenty of time to rest while I’m at the club.”
Hailey narrowed her eyes and asked, “You’re going back to the club? What are you going to do about Meish?”
Rocco shrugged and said, “I’ll have to figure something out. Besides, it’s better to know what they’re up to before anything else happens.” He leaned out of the kitchen and said, “Becca? Let me know if you need anything.”
Becca’s muffled voice came from behind the bathroom door, “What?”
Rocco opened his mouth to repeat himself but moved into the living room instead. He walked towards the bathroom and cracked the door, “Let me know if you need anything.”
Hailey felt a small jolt of pain go through her fingers. She looked down and noticed that her fingers had been pressed so tightly against the handle of her mug that it had begun to ache. Hailey roughly set the mug down onto the counter and walked into the living room. Rocco’s head was in the space between the bathroom door and the door frame.
What if he sees her naked? What if he likes what he sees? Hailey averted her gaze as Rocco shut the door and moved into the living room. He grabbed his keys off of the sofa and said, “Alright, I’m going to go and check things out. You sit tight.”
Hailey nodded and watched him walk through the door. She locked the door behind him and hovered in front of the door for a moment. She turned around just as the bathroom door opened.
Becca stepped out of the bathroom wearing one of the oversized t-shirts that Rocco had left out for her. Her long, blonde hair hung around her shoulders in thin, stringy strands. She smiled, and her eyes lit up for the first time in a long time. “Morning! I can’t believe that Rocco busted me out of there.”
Hailey smiled as Becca lowered her eyes to the ground and said, “That’s really great, you know? We’re really lucky.”
She’s going to fall for him just like she fell for Derek, except that this time, she’s going to be taking more than a boyfriend away from me. Hailey wrapped her arms around her stomach and said, “I’m glad that you’re feeling better. I need to get some fresh air.” She ignored Hailey’s curious gaze as she moved towards the balcony.
It wasn’t particularly impressive, a small space outside with enough room to store a small table and a chair or two. She pried the sliding door open and roughly let it slide back into place as she stepped outside. People moved along the sidewalk below her. A girl with a thick portfolio tucked under her arm hurried past a group of people.
Hailey stepped into a puddle that hadn’t quite dried up from the night before. It must have rained last night. Hailey stared out into the street and watched as cars eased into parking lots, and people hopped out to begin their daily routines.
My life probably could have been that normal before Rocco took me away. We might have been able to have a normal life eventually, too.
Hailey twisted her neck and peered through the glass door behind her. Becca had flopped down onto the living room floor and folded her legs. She rubbed a towel against the back of her scalp, and twisted her hair into a braid.
But there’s no way that it can be normal now.
***
Rocco’s hands slipped from around the throttle of his bike as he pulled up outside of the Chasing Spirits Motorcycle Club. He narrowed his eyes and peered through the glass doors that led into the lobby. Clyde must have been out on errands, his desk was abandoned but the lights were left on.
He looked over his shoulder and the sidewalks were completely empty. Within twenty minutes or so, Rocco expected to hear the engines of several motorcycles as they moved down the street. Rocco slid his hands into his pockets and strolled into the alley beside the building. He walked around and pushed the back door open.
The club was silent as he moved throughout the building. His shoes made more noise squeaking against the floors as he stepped into the lobby. Rocco crept up to Meish’s office and hovered in front of the door. He curled his fingers into a fist and held it up to the door.
“Rocco?”
Rocco whipped his head around and his eyes connected with Clyde. Clyde curiously eyed him before walking around to his desk. He sat back in his chair and pulled it in towards his desk. Clyde gestured towards the back hallway and said, “Did you come in through the back?”
Rocco nodded and said, “Yeah, I thought I saw some kids messing around back there, and when I realized they were just cutting through to get back to class, I came in through the back.”
“Oh, gotcha.” Clyde pecked at his keyboard and Rocco peered at his computer screen. What is he looking at? He watched as Clyde opened up his email like business as usual, and Rocco frowned.
Clyde seems pretty normal. Rocco spared one last glance towards Clyde before walking up to Meish’s door. At first, all that could be heard were the sound of Meish’s fingers mashing into the keyboard. Rocco turned around and started to leave until Meish’s voice came out from underneath the door.
“I don’t know what the fuck is going on here, but we can’t just have half of our bargaining pieces running off in the middle of the night. I don’t care how much partying went down last night. You need to find out where she is or we’re all going down. Also, look around Rocco’s neighborhood, too. He’s been getting a little sappy lately, I think that all of this baby business with his Old Lady is turning him a little soft.”
Rocco shook his head and moved away from the door. So, that’s how it is? Send a few goons to come and check me out? Rocco reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He raised a hand towards Clyde and waved goodbye, “I’ll be back later. I’ve got something to take care of across town.”
Without looking up from his monitor, Clyde nodded and said, “Alright, take it easy.”
Rocco hurried through the front doors and without running, speeded towards his bike. He hopped on and twisted the key in the ignition. Clyde might not know anything because it might be in Meish’s best interest to keep him in the dark. But, I can’t risk letting them be discovered. Rocco peeled off down the street, and zipped through cars that waited in traffic.
The low rumble of a motorcycle engine roared in the distance. “Shit.”
Rocco narrowed his eyes and doubled his speed.
Chapter 16
Hailey moved into the living room and pulled open the drawer of an end table beside the sofa. Hailey narrowed her eyes, and swatted a bundle of yellowed papers and old receipts out of the way. She moved to the second drawer and pulled out a completely empty drawer. Come on, he has to have left an old cell phone around here. Hailey looked over her shoulder and Becca was completely oblivious.
She stretched out on the livingroom floor and took a few bites out of one of the donuts that Rocco had left for them.
They can have breakfast together every once I’m out of here. Maybe there’s enough loose change around here to catch a bus. Hailey rose to her feet and opened the laundry closet beside the kitchen. She pulled her shorts and shirt out of the dryer and undressed.
Becca turned to her and said, “You’re awful wound up. I thought that you’d be fine.”
Hailey pulled her shorts over her legs and said, “I’m fine, I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
Becca nodded and said, “Oh, okay.” She eyed Hailey curiously as Hailey stomped into the bedroom. The sound of her pulling dresser drawers open echoed throughout the
apartment.
Hailey’s head jerked up as they key turned in the front door. He’s back already?
Hailey moved into the living room and stood beside Becca as Rocco burst through the door. He shut the door behind him and said, “I went to go and check out the club. Meish suspects something and might be sending some guys our way.”
Hailey watched with wide eyes as Rocco moved towards the balcony and shut the curtains. They were shrouded in darkness and Hailey turned to Rocco, “What the hell are we going to do?”
Rocco held up his hand towards Hailey and said, “We’re going to be fine.”
Becca wrapped her arms around herself and panic flooded her features. She raised her head towards Rocco and said, “You’ll protect us, right? Even if they try to drag me back to the club?”
Hailey smothered an irritated groan and moved into the kitchen. She threw open the cupboards and looked around for a bag of coffee filters and the ground coffee.
There was a sharp knock at the door and Becca squealed. She cupped her hands over her mouth and Rocco pointed to the bedroom. “Hurry, hurry up.”
Becca scrambled to get to her feet and hurried into the bedroom. She shut the door behind her and Rocco pulled the door open.
Two, hulking riders towered over him. He recognized one as Pete Delores, a rider that had been with the club for a little over three years. The bald man beside him must have been new.
“What’s up, guys? It’s pretty early for a Sunday.”
Pete smiled apologetically and said, “Yeah, we know. Meish has got a stick up his ass though because that leggy stripper girl that came with your Old Lady is nowhere to be found.”
The bald rider didn’t bother with niceties. He crossed his arms over his chest and said, “Yeah, a lot of the guys remember being in the middle of a nice time last night, and you bursted in and tossed her over your shoulder.”
Rocco smirked and said, “Let me guess, you were one of the guys that was in the middle of a nice time, right? Did I interrupt your fun?”
The bald rider scowled and said, “It doesn’t matter. Is she here? Meish wants to know if you’re throwing everything away.”
Rocco stood at his full height and said, “Who the hell are you, anyway? Are you new?”
The bald rider exchanged a glance with Pete and Pete held up his hands in surrender, “Rocco, we’re not trying to cause trouble-”
Rocco stepped into the hallway and left an inch of space in between himself and the bald rider. “It’s look like someone is. Let me put it to you this way, you can sit here and keep questioning me, the VP, or you can get the hell out of here before I send you flying back over that railing.” He jerked a finger at the stairwell behind the bald rider.
Pete placed his hand on top of the bald rider’s shoulder and said, “Look, Rocco, we’ll get moving. Sorry to bother you.”
With one last glance at the bald rider, Rocco snorted and stepped back into his apartment. He slammed the door shut and listened for the sound of their heavy footfall moving throughout the stairwell. Rocco turned his head and said, “Alright, I think that we’re good.”
Hailey pressed her fingertips against the countertop, and stood to her feet. She moved into the living room and said, “What are we going to do?”
Rocco wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his lips against her forehead. “We’re going to be fine. Why don’t you go and make sure that Becca hasn’t had a coronary and I’ll go do some more digging?”
Hailey offered Rocco a polite smile before saying, “Okay.” She moved towards the bedroom and opened the door. Becca sat on the edge of the bed with her legs crossed. She raised her worried eyes towards Hailey and said, “Is everything okay? Are they going to take us back?”
Despite the worry in Becca’s voice, Hailey couldn’t bring herself to sit down beside her on the bed and wrap her arms around her. I’ll leave that for Rocco to do. Hailey shook her head. “It looks like Rocco took care of things for now.”
Becca nodded and grinned. “Yeah, we’re pretty lucky.”
Hailey moved over to the bed and sat on the opposite end of Becca. She crossed her legs and crossed her arms. Hailey turned to Becca and said, “Hey, do you remember anything about the night that Rocco took you out of the club?”
Becca blinked and turned her eyes towards the ceiling. She twisted her features in confusion and said, “I don’t remember a lot.”
She was drugged pretty badly that night. Hailey nodded and replied, “Oh, okay.”
Becca frowned and said, “Well, before I blacked out, I remember a little bit of dancing. A lot of smoke and music.”
Hailey nodded as Becca went on, “I remember having hands all over my body, someone was tugging on my skirt. Then, I remember being pulled to the floor.”
With wide eyes, Hailey leaned towards her and said, “And then what happened?”
Becca sighed and said, “I just remember having my legs spread wide open and being nudged onto my back. I remember fucking someone. He wasn’t like the other guys, either. He wasn’t super tall, or muscular, or fat, even. I mean, that was kind of my day to day while we were at the club though. It could be any memory.”
Hailey’s heart sank into the pit of her stomach. She winced and rubbed her hand against her belly. Was it Rocco? She narrowed her eyes and tried to remember how long Rocco had been gone from when he told her to go to bed.
Did he send me to bed so he wouldn’t have to deal with me wondering whether or not he cheated on me? Her cheeks were flushed bright red as she jumped to her feet and pulled the bedroom door open.
“I need to get some more air,” Hailey said. I need to get the hell out of here.
***
Hailey waited for the sound of Becca’s footsteps to fade away. Rocco was asleep beside her, and Hailey had been wide awake the last hour or so. Hailey pulled herself upright in bed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She moved slowly, and pressed her ear against the bedroom door. Silence.
Hailey took a deep breath and wrapped her fingers around the doorknob. She stepped out into the hallway and waited for Becca to stir. When she didn’t hear any noise from the sofa, she took a deep breath and moved into the bathroom.
Hailey flicked on the light switch and splashed water onto her face. She braced her hands against the countertop and sighed. Okay, don’t back down now. You can’t let your baby be around Rocco and all of his drama. How am I supposed to raise a baby with Rocco if history is just going to repeat itself?
Hailey pulled open the bathroom door and stepped into the hallway. She crept into the kitchen, being careful to keep her footsteps light so that she wouldn’t disturb Becca. The last thing that she needed was for Becca to wake up and ask her a million questions. She couldn’t risk it.
She blinked until her eyes adjusted to the darkness in the kitchen, and she carefully lifted Rocco’s keys off of the counter. Her heart worked overtime in her chest, thumping against her rib cage. Hailey crept back into the living room and moved towards the front door.
Her eyes nervously flickered to Becca’s body before she unlocked the door. She stepped into the hallway and released the breath that she’d been holding.
Okay, how do you even drive a motorcycle? She made quick work of moving down the staircase and out of the building. The air was thick with humidity when she finally made it outside of the building. She wiped her hand across her forehead and stepped onto the sidewalk. The street light that hung above her acted as a spotlight as she moved towards Rocco’s bike. While motorcycles had never been a particularly pleasant thing to Hailey, the bike was especially more intimidating when she realize that she’d be the one behind the wheel. She threw her leg over the bike and fumbled with the keys until she found the long silver key that belonged to the motorcycle. She twisted the key in the ignition and barely suppressed a yelp as the engine came to life.
Hailey’s small hand squeezed the throttle and she leaned forward as the bike began to move into the street. She steadied
her hands and steered the bike down the street. The building faded into the back of her mind and she looked straight ahead as she sailed through the streets.
She came to a stop at a red light that was a block away from Rocco’s apartment building. Hailey looked over her shoulder and took in the empty street behind her. I could turn back around. Before this becomes an even bigger deal. I could just tell Rocco that I was dying to try his bike out, that I needed to clear my head.
Hailey turned the bike to the right, intending to turn around and head back towards the apartment building. The bright green light of the stoplight pierced her eyes and she paused. She took a deep breath and twisted the bike back around. She revved the engine, and peeled down the street.
His Promise Page 14