Chapter 19
Hailey curled her fingers around the rim of the toilet seat and pulled herself up. She winced as her stomach swirled and she tossed up the contents of her stomach. Her mother had gone out of her way to make her a stack of belgian waffles, despite Hailey’s earlier warnings that sweet smells were becoming harder to tolerate.
Hailey pushed the plunger down and rose to her feet. Sweat covered her forehead, and she dabbed a towel against her face. Although she’d never made a particularly strong effort to visit her mother, a part of her wondered if it’d be easier to just move in and enjoy all of the nice trappings of Anna’s brownstone.
It feels like it’s been a century since I’ve had a decent shower. Hailey tugged the robe that she wore tighter around herself and stepped out of the bathroom. She moved down the hall, being careful to move slowly across the hardwood floors. Anna had been all over her since she arrived, and a moment of quiet in her bedroom was sorely needed.
Hailey opened the door to her bedroom and moved over to the canopy bed in the center of the room. Years ago, the room had been decorated according to what a teenage Hailey might have liked, the carpets were bright white, the duvet was white with gold colored stitching. A small writing desk was in the corner of the room, across from the spacious walk in closet.
The robe fell to the floor and Hailey stepped inside of the closet. She pulled an old dress off of the rack and slipped into it. She stepped out of the closet and a thick feeling of worry fell over her.
Can I really do this? Am I really going to be able to pull this off? Raising a baby alone? She turned to the side to examine her still flat belly, and envisioned what it would be like to waddle around the brownstone with a large belly. She wondered if her life would be full with just the baby. Years from now, what would she tell her child about their father?
Hailey shook her head and moved into the hallway and moved down the stairs. Anna raised her head up from her desk and started to open her mouth to ask what she could do. Upon noticing the look on Hailey’s face, she thought better of it and returned to the work that was displayed on her laptop screen.
Hailey eased onto the sofa. I wonder how Rocco is taking this. He’s probably pissed that I took his bike. Hailey turned her head and peered out the window. A group of people meandered along the sidewalks, and they felt like a stark contrast to someone as broody and tough as Rocco. It occurred to her that she might not ever meet someone like him again.
Hailey hopped off of the sofa and said, “Mom, do you want to go somewhere? I think I might like to go shopping for maternity clothes.”
Anna slipped her thick rimmed reading glasses off of her face and said, “I’d love to take you shopping for maternity clothes, sweetheart.” Anna jumped to her feet and grabbed her purse off of the dining room table.
“Let’s get going,” Anna hooked her arms around Hailey’s shoulders and steered her towards the front door.
Hailey put on her best smile and willed her muscles to relax. Now isn’t the time to think about my regrets. I’ve got more important things to worry about.
***
Rocco looked over his shoulder before he waved his hands towards Becca. “Come on, let’s get going.”
Becca hurried out of the apartment building and followed Rocco down the sidewalk. Rocco threw his leg over his bike and said, “Get on.”
The smell of cigarette smoke was heavy in the air. Becca swiveled her head from left to right and took a deep breath before she hopped on the bike with Rocco. She circled her arms around his waist and said, “Are you sure that this isn't going to get you into trouble?”
Rocco scoffed and said, “I don’t know how I could get myself into even more trouble. However, I know that Hailey wouldn’t want for any of Meish’s guys to get their hands on you just because I was looking out for myself.”
They eased into the street and moved down the road. Becca pressed her cheek against Rocco’s back and said, “You’re really loyal to her.”
Rocco zipped down the street and narrowed his eyes. Streetlights were spart in the part of town that they sailed through. Rocco couldn’t risk taking his normal routes and running into a few riders, and more importantly, he wouldn’t be able to stop them from dragging Becca back to the club.
“Better to finish what you start,” Rocco mumbled, and drove towards the highway. He raised his voice and told Becca, “I’m going to get you to the train station. I’ve cashed out $500 for you to use. I wish I could help you more, but things are kind of a mess right now.”
Becca nodded and said, “It’s okay, I know a place that I can stay at so that I can lay low for a little while.”
They drove the rest of the way to the train station in silence. Becca yelped and squeezed Rocco tighter around his waist as they drove on the highway. The minutes flew by, and Rocco eased his motorcycle to a stop in front of the train station.
Becca hopped off of the bike and Rocco nodded to her. “Okay, be safe.”
Becca grinned and wrapped her arms around Rocco. “Thank you for everything. I never thought that one of the riders would be the person to save me from that hell.”
“It’s nothing,” Rocco said. He took his wallet out of his pocket and handed five, crisp one hundred dollar bills to Becca. “Be careful.”
Becca nodded and waved goodbye before turning on her heel to leave. She disappeared through the doors of the train station and Rocco watched her go. He sighed and started his engine. He turned around and headed in the opposite direction.
Chapter 20
Hailey stretched her legs outward and tossed her arms over her head. It had been a lazy couple of days. After she and Anna went shopping for maternity clothes, her mother had insisted that she limit the amount of activity that she was getting. Hailey placed a scone onto the living room table. She pulled herself into a sitting position and sighed.
She was terribly bored. Hailey had never thought that once she was finally free of everyone from the motorcycle club, that she’d be bored. Grateful, elated, relieved, maybe but certainly not bored. I’m almost positive that I don’t miss being in the club all of the time. Rocco’s cocky smile had haunted her dreams for the last two nights. She knew that it was natural to miss him, and to think of him since he was the father of her child, but she couldn’t bring herself to completely squash her thoughts of him.
How do you miss someone that betrays you and leaves you in danger?
Anna came into the living room but her perfume arrived before she did. The sweet smell teased Hailey’s nostrils and she wrinkled her nose. “Mom, that perfume is another tough smell.”
Anna wore a sweet smile as she took Hailey’s plate off of the table. “I’ll remember that. I haven’t had to deal with anything pregnancy related since you were born and that was—well, it was longer ago than I care to admit.”
The doorbell rang and Anna looked between Hailey and the door. “The salespeople in this neighborhood have become relentless.”
Anna walked over to the front door and pulled it open. Hailey listened to their voices from the sofa.
“Hello, what can I do for you?”
“Hi, my name is Becca and I-”
“Becca! I thought that I recognized you! You look a little rough, dear. Here, come inside.”
Hailey gasped and jumped to her feet. “Becca? What the hell are you doing here?!”
Becca stepped inside and offered Hailey a sweet smile. Becca looked better than Hailey had seen her look in months. She wore a pair of designer sweatpants and a university sweatshirt. Her long hair was pulled into a low bun, which highlighted her extraordinary bone structure. With wide eyes, Hailey stepped forward until she was just a few feet away from Becca. She stared right through her as if the other girl were a ghost.
If she’s here, where the hell is Rocco? “Becca, why wouldn’t you stay with Rocco? I thought that you guys were…”
“That we were what? Rocco helped me get out of Chicago or else Meish and all those other goons were going to come after me
.” Becca replied.
Anna looked between Hailey and Becca before she said, “Hailey, what’s going on here?”
Hailey turned towards her mother and said, “Remember how I told you that they took Becca too? Apparently, Rocco helped her escape Chicago. I can’t believe that you knew where to find me.”
Becca moved further into the living room and took a seat on the sofa. She worked her fingers into the stiff muscles on the back of her neck. “I’ve been on a train for a while, I’ve been dying to sit down somewhere normal. But, Rocco dropped me off at the train station and sent me on my way.”
He’s been going out of his way to keep her safe. He must not have even considered doing anything else when he realized I was gone.
As if to confirm her suspicions, Becca went on to say, “He was really worried when he realized that you were gone.”
Hailey shook her head and moved towards the staircase. “I—this is too much to process right now. I thought that you and Rocco were just going to be together once I left and that-”
Becca jumped to her feet and said, “What? No, I told you that I would never do that you again.”
Anna watched with wide eye as Hailey left the staircase and came to stand an inch in front of Becca. She jabbed her finger into Becca’s shoulder and said, “You were all over him before, and I couldn’t risk sitting around with my baby while another guy turned out to be a loser.”
Anna cleared her throat and said, “It sounds like this Rocco guy is anything but a loser. Don’t get me wrong, I’m furious that he put you in danger, and that either of you got mixed up in these things.”
Hailey turned her gaze towards her mother and narrowed her eyes, “What are you saying?”
Anna held her long arms out between Hailey and Becca and said, “I’m saying, let’s not jump to conclusions right now. Let’s not jump down Becca’s throat either.” Anna placed her hand on Becca’s shoulders and said, “Why don’t you go and get cleaned up in one of the guest rooms? Hailey’s told me that you’ve been though a lot.”
Becca patted Anna’s hand and said, “Thank you.”
Hailey watched her go up the stairs before turning to her mother, “What are you doing?”
Anna rolled her eyes and strode towards the kitchen, “Stopping you from digging an even deeper hole for yourself. I think that you need to go and take some time to think, your mind will thank you.
***
Rocco’s hands trembled as he pulled up outside of the Chasing Spirits Motorcycle Club. He slipped off his bike, and moved towards the front door. He hovered in front of the double doors. Clyde was visible from where he stood, he was leaning against the desk and talking on the phone. Rocco inhaled, and walked through the doors.
“Yeah, I know, we’ve got a lot going on this week, things are sort of scattered..” Clyde said, and turned his head towards Rocco as he walked through the doors. Clyde opened his eyes wide and Rocco held up his hand as he headed towards Meish’s office.
Rocco curled his fingers into a fist, and knocked on the door. There was silence from the other side at first before Meish’s irritated voice came from underneath the door, “Who is it?”
“Rocco.”
There was shuffling from the other side of the door and a few seconds later, the lock clicked and Meish stepped to the side. He grinned and waved Rocco inside. “Rocco, you son of a bitch, where have you been?”
Meish walked around his desk and plopped into his chair. Rocco crossed his arms over his chest and said, “I’ve been around. I’ve had a crazy couple of days because some kids outside my apartment building stole my bike.”
Meish smirked and scanned Rocco’s face. After a period of silence, Meish leaned back in his chair and in a low, even tone, said, “You haven’t been trying to figure out how to get out of this mess with the other girl that we had?”
Rocco pushed his shoulders back and raised his eyebrows. “What mess?”
Meish chuckled and said, “Seriously? Come on, Rocco. Everyone saw you carry the girl out of the lounge room the other day, and then you stay away from the club for a couple of days after. What’s up with you?”
“What’s up with me? I put Becca in one the spare rooms and then I left. By the way,” Rocco slammed his hand on top of Meish’s desk and said, “Where do you get off sending a couple of thugs to my place? I almost murdered the bald one.”
“Yes, Greg mentioned that you were being kind of hostile. I thought that was a little weird given that you’re supposed to be an example to new riders. Am I right?”
“I guess I had to let them know what happens when you mess with the boss.”
Meish spread his lips into a devilish smile, the pointed edges of his teeth reminded Rocco of a shark seconds before it closes it’s mouth around it’s prey. “And do you know what happens when you mess with the boss, or their plans?”
“What’s that?”
“You don’t make it out alive.” Meish stood up and walked around the desk. Rocco stumbled backwards as Meish stepped up to him. Meish grinned and leaned forward until their noses were almost touching. “I promise you, if I find proof of what I’m looking for, you won’t make it out alive, Rocco. Watch your back.” He lifted his palm and smacked it against Rocco’s cheek.
Rocco’s fingers curled into fists by his side and he watched Meish as he moved towards the door and held it open for him. “Have a good afternoon, Rocco. Not sure how many of you’ve got left.”
Rocco’s shoulder brushed past Meish’s as he walked into the hallway. “Same to you,” he said.
Clyde eyed him curiously as he walked out the front door. Rocco hurried over to his bike and twisted the key in the ignition. So, it’s come to this so soon.
“Rocco!”
Rocco raised his head and Pete and Greg from the other day were heading towards him. “Shit,” Rocco mumbled. He lifted his leg off of his bike and stood on the sidewalk. “What’s going on?”
Greg smiled and said, “Meish forgot to tell you something.”
Rocco wore a mask of indifference as he said, “What’s that?”
Greg closed the distance between them and slammed his fist into Rocco’s gut. Rocco fell to the floor, the air was knocked out of him from Greg’s meaty fist. Rocco blinked, and stumbled to his feet. He held up his fists and said, “Why don’t you fight me now, huh? Fight me without throwing a-”
Pete slammed his knee into Rocco’s gut, then threw his fist against Rocco’s jaw. Rocco doubled over, blood spattered the pavement.
Shit, shit, shit. Pete readied his leg to deliver a swift kick to Rocco’s gut, but Rocco rolled over and hopped to his feet.
Pete and Greg shared a glance and Pete said, “Oh, and Meish says you should probably run. He’s watching you.” Pete and Greg disappeared into the alley besides Chasing Spirits. Rocco spat out a bit of blood onto the sidewalk and walked over to his bike. He twisted the key in the ignition, and ignored the throbbing that had started in his jaw and gut. I need to get the hell out of here.
Chapter 21
Hailey’s leg jiggled up and down. Her fidgeting had been endless for the last hour, and before then, she had woken up from a sleep that was full of tossing and turning. Her dreams teased her with images of Rocco and Becca. There was one dream that stuck with her in particular, and she’d dreamed that she was further along, and that her baby was only days away from being born. In the dream, she was in her mother’s brownstone still, but no one was around. Anna and Becca were missing, and her water had broken. She remembered the way that the fluid had coursed down her thighs, and how she fell onto her back.
Hailey remembered the way that she called out until her throat was sore, and tears streamed down her face, and the contractions had begun. She ended up waking up before anyone else did, and she shuffled into the kitchen and warmed up some milk to use in the expensive hot cocoa that her mother kept in the kitchen. Hailey had been sitting on the edge of her bed ever since, she toyed with the idea of walking down the hall and knocking
on Becca’s door, and she also considered pretending like nothing had ever happened.
Her eyes focused on the polished handle of the spoon that hung over the edge of her mug. I could pretend that Becca being here doesn’t mean anything. Hailey sighed, and rose to her feet. Except that Becca being here means everything. If Rocco went out of his way to keep her safe, who’s to say that he wouldn’t want to do the same for his baby?
Hailey raised her head and scoffed at her reflection in the mirror. The mirror that hung on the wall revealed a pink faced young woman with a lot on her mind. Or maybe I’m just a lunatic who takes their child away from their father.
Hailey curled her fingers around the mug handle and stepped into the hallway. The hardwood floors were cold against her feet. She lifted her foot and set it down slowly. Hailey moved crept down the stairs, and into the livingroom. Her mother’s work desk had been abandoned late last night, but her laptop screen displayed a stars flying into the air effect still. Hailey set her mug into the sink and stepped into the livingroom. She eased into the comfy chair at her mother’s desk and allowed her hands to rest on the laptop.
His Promise Page 16