by Harley Wylde
But you know what they say about running from your past? It always catches up to you…
* * *
Kayla
Two Months Later
The money my brother had given me was long gone, and I’d found a job working nights at the local diner. It was hard work, on my feet for sometimes ten or twelve hours day, but the tips were decent. I had a feeling that had more to do with the fact my shirts were fitting a little snugger across my breasts than usual. I’d gone up at least a cup size, and they hurt like hell. At first, I’d thought it was my period finally coming, since the damn thing was several weeks late. But nothing had happened.
One of the girls I worked with, a single mom who was two years younger than me, suggested I might be pregnant when the smell from the grill had sent me running to the bathroom to puke my guts up. I’d laughed it off, until I’d really thought about it. I was late, my boobs were getting huge, and I was throwing up because of a smell? Yeah. I’d gone straight to the pharmacy after that shift and bought every kind of pregnancy test they had. Every last one had come back positive.
It had scared the shit out of me, and I hadn’t known what to do. Preacher had a right to know he was going to be a father, but I wasn’t certain if he’d even want to know. A guy like that, still hung up on his dead wife? I couldn’t imagine my news being welcome. So I’d kept it to myself. My frequent bouts of nausea had triggered some questions at work, and I’d finally had to tell the manager I wasn’t sick with the flu, but I was pregnant. He’d shrugged and gone back to his paperwork, just happy to know I wasn’t spreading germs to all our customers.
My shift was ending, and my back felt like it was damn well breaking. I’d worked a double when someone had called in sick, and now I was going to pay the price. Yeah, the tips were welcome because who didn’t need extra money? But my body was protesting. I knew I’d go home, shower, and likely crash before I’d even had a chance to eat. We ate for free while we were working, so I’d had two meals since I’d come on shift, but my stomach was already growling again. I was either constantly wanting to stuff my face, or I was hugging the toilet.
I clocked out and gathered my things before heading back to my tiny apartment. It wasn’t anything special, but it was mine. My brother’s friend, Jeremy, was actually a really great guy. He hadn’t hit on me once, had always been polite, and he checked on me periodically to make sure I didn’t need anything. I hated to admit that Johnny had been right to send me away. Now I had a chance at a good life, and even if I had to work my ass off, this baby would have the kind of home I’d never had. At least my place was clean, even if the furniture was threadbare.
Climbing the metal stairs that ran up the side of the garage, I could feel the fatigue pulling at me. I put one foot in front of the other, practically dragging myself up the next step by pulling on the handrail. My keys were already clutched in my hand, and I unlocked the two deadbolts before I pushed the door open. The scent of the lemon cleanser I’d used that morning teased my nose, and I reached inside to flip on the light. I’d no sooner cleared the door than something heavy slammed into my back, sending me sprawling on the floor.
A weight covered my body, and a hand slammed over my mouth. Panic welled inside me. My heart started racing, and I wished like hell I’d paid more attention to my surroundings. How the fuck had he managed to get up the stairs behind me without making any noise?
“Thought you could get away from me?” he asked, his lips near my ear.
My eyes went wide as I recognized who was on top of me. And I knew in that moment, I was completely screwed. I didn’t know how he’d found me, or why he’d bothered, but all those lewd looks I’d dealt with were going to become something much, much worse.
His hand skimmed up my thigh, shoving under the skirt I’d worn to work. I started thrashing on the floor, kicking my feet, and trying to bite the hand over my mouth. This isn’t happening!
“That’s it. I like it when they struggle.”
I could feel the bulge in his pants press against me, and then he was kicking my legs apart. I fought harder, slamming my hands on the floor, and doing anything that might draw attention to what was happening. I didn’t know if Jeremy was still downstairs, but there were times he’d slept in his office. I hoped like hell this was one of those times. I managed to kick over the table near the door and heard the crappy wood splinter on contact.
Carter started to unzip his pants, and tears streamed down my cheeks. I never stopped fighting, never stopped trying to break free. Even when he tore my panties, I still fought. But just as suddenly as he’d attacked me, his weight was lifted off my body, and I heard something slam into a wall. Gulping in huge breaths and crawling as far away as I could, I finally turned and saw Jeremy beating the shit out of Carter.
The Dixie Reapers Prospect fell to the floor, his face a bloody mess and one of his eyes swelling shut. Jeremy kicked him in the ribs while he was down, then sent a knee into the asshole’s nose, not only breaking it, but knocking Carter the fuck out. He slumped to the floor, and Jeremy made his way over to me.
He knelt and slowly reached out a hand, almost as if he were afraid to scare me more. “Please tell me I fucking got up here fast enough.”
“You did,” I said, wiping the tears away. “He was just about to… but he didn’t.”
Jeremy nodded. “I’m taking you home. When we get to town, I’ll call your brother, and he can meet us somewhere.”
“You’re throwing me out?” I asked.
“I’m sending you home, where you belong,” he corrected. “Johnny has always been your knight in shining armor, and I don’t know why he stopped now. But I think you need your brother right now, maybe more than ever before.”
“I can come back?”
He smiled a little. “I’ll leave the apartment vacant for a week or two, to see if you come back here. But I think you need to pack your things. Once Johnny hears what happened, he’s not going to want you to be quite so far away anymore. And Kayla… you should tell him about the baby.”
My eyes went wide. “How… “
“You didn’t tie off your trash very well. Some of the sticks fell out in the dumpster. Saw them when I hauled out the garage trash. I figured if you wanted me to know, you’d say something. Just tell me that you want this baby and some asshole didn’t force himself on you.”
“It was consensual,” I said. “But he doesn’t know. I’m not sure I can ever tell him.”
“That’s your call to make. But your brother needs to know everything, all right? He can’t protect you if he doesn’t know the entire story. And not just what happened now, but about that baby.”
“All right. Just let me get cleaned up, and I’ll pack my things.”
“I’ll wait here and make some calls. I’ll get one of the mechanics to open for me tomorrow.”
I went into the small bathroom and splashed water on my face before I started packing. I’d been so excited about having a real shot at a decent life, and now I was going back? I didn’t understand why Jeremy thought I wouldn’t be safe here. Yeah, Carter had found me, and he’d almost… I shivered. But that could have happened no matter where I was living. I’d seen the look in Carter’s eyes often enough to know something like this might happen one day. I’d tried to tell Johnny, but he’d blown me off, saying Carter was like a brother to him and would never hurt me.
After I packed the last of my things, and looked around the apartment one last time, I let Jeremy lead me down to his truck. My hometown was only about two hours away. Johnny had made sure I was close enough that he could easily visit whenever he had time, but maybe if I’d gone farther, Carter wouldn’t have come after me. I didn’t regret the past two months because I’d grown a lot during that time. And now I knew that I could make it on my own.
The two-hour trip flew by, and soon we were pulling into the parking lot of an all-night diner a few miles from the Dixie Reapers’ compound. Jeremy sent me inside with some cash and orders to ge
t a slice of pie. I dragged my tired body into the diner and claimed a seat at a booth in the window. Jeremy had his phone pressed to his ear, and I knew he was talking to Johnny. When he finally came inside, I couldn’t tell if the conversation had gone well or not, but that question was answered soon enough when Johnny came roaring into the parking lot on his Harley.
It was good to see him, but the fierce look on his face told me this wasn’t going to be a pleasant reunion. And so I waited patiently for him to come in, to have a seat, and then I started telling him everything. From the night I spent at the clubhouse, and what happened with Preacher, to Carter trying to rape me. And lastly, I told him I was pregnant. He looked a little shell-shocked at that last part, and beyond furious over what happened with Carter. I spared him the details, but the anguish in his eyes was enough to tear me apart. Whatever I’d thought of my brother since he’d joined the Dixie Reapers, it was obvious that he loved me.
“Where’s Carter now?” he asked.
“I arranged for someone to contain him,” Jeremy said. “Figured the Dixie Reapers would want to take care of him.”
Johnny nodded before focusing on me again. “I think it’s time for you to meet the President of the Dixie Reapers. I’m not set up for company since I share my space with the other prospects, but Torch will probably find a spot for you. And he needs to know about Carter.”
“All right,” I said softly.
His gaze dropped to my belly. “And Preacher needs to know about that kid. I know you think he won’t want anything to do with either of you, but I think you’re wrong.”
I could tell there was something he wasn’t saying, but I didn’t want to press him. I rode with Jeremy to the compound, and as we pulled through the gate, my palms started to sweat and nausea welled in my throat. I knew I was seconds away from puking and nearly dove out of the truck when it came to a stop.
Johnny rubbed my back as I threw up the slice of pie, then he curled an arm around my waist and led me into the clubhouse. I didn’t know what to expect when we went inside, but it wasn’t for Preacher to nearly lose it and attack my brother.
Chapter Three
Preacher
I’d gotten tired of sitting on my ass at home, staring at the TV like some mindless idiot, but I wasn’t really feeling the vibe of the clubhouse either. More than one club slut had put her hands on me, and my dick wasn’t the slightest bit interested. I hadn’t fucked anyone, unless my hand counted, since the night I’d met Kayla. For the first time in twelve years, I didn’t wake up from dreams about my wife, fighting the urge to cry into my fucking pillow because I missed her so damn much. No, I woke up hard as a fucking post after dreaming about how tight Kayla had been, or how fucking fantastic her mouth had felt wrapped around my dick. I felt a little guilty, almost like I’d replaced the woman of my heart with some random woman. Except, Kayla didn’t feel like a random woman. And maybe that just fucked up my head even more.
I still didn’t know where she was, or who she was for that matter. She’d never given me her last name, and the few people I’d asked hadn’t shared any information with me. I had a feeling that punk ass Carter knew something, but he wasn’t saying a word. I didn’t know if he was looking out for Kayla, or for himself. The way he’d looked that night when I’d brought her up, I had a feeling he was keeping quiet for his own reasons and none of them good. There was something seriously creepy about that guy, but I seemed to be the only one who felt that way. I didn’t like the thought of him becoming my brother when he patched in, but unless I could sway some more people my way, he would likely get voted in. He did his work and kept his mouth shut, I’d give him that.
I sipped on my beer and attempted to look like I actually wanted to be here. Truth was, I didn’t much care where I was right now. I was miserable at home, miserable here… It ate at me that Kayla had run off, and I had no way to find her. The longer she was gone, the more I realized that somehow we’d connected that night, in more than just a physical way. I’d sworn to never get attached to another woman, and yet I’d done it anyway. We’d only talked for maybe an hour that night, and what had happened after that was over all too soon. But in those moments, I’d felt closer to her than I had to anyone since…
“Where the fuck is that punk-ass Prospect?” Tank grumbled as he settled on the stool next to me.
“Which one?” I asked.
“Carter. I have a job I need done, and no one seems to know where he is. According to Ivan, the guy took off two days ago and hasn’t been seen or heard from. I checked with Torch, and he didn’t get permission to take off like that. Last anyone around town saw him was this morning. He was at some second-rate hacker’s house. Wire’s wording, not mine. Whatever he’s up to, he didn’t want us to know what was up. I’m waiting to hear back from Torch on whether or not we need to question the hacker.”
At least I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like the little fuckstick now. Maybe I didn’t have to worry about him patching in after all. If Torch was pissed, then he’d likely be out on his ass once he came back. Good riddance, as far as I was concerned.
The Prospect manning the bar tonight, a favorite of Torch and his old lady, pulled a cell phone out of his pocket, frowning at the screen. I went back to focusing on my beer, not needing to get involved in anyone’s drama. The kid had a way with the ladies, and it wouldn’t surprise me if some hook-up was trying to get back in his pants. I felt Tank tense next to me and looked up just in time to see the kid go deathly pale, then vault over the bar and go running for the door.
“What the fuck was that?” I asked.
Tank shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m thinking it’s not good.”
An engine turned over in the parking lot, and from the deep growl, I knew the kid had just hopped on his bike. It wasn’t like Johnny to leave a post, though, and apparently I wasn’t the only one who was more than a little intrigued. Tank slid off his stool and started for the door, but before he could get outside, we could hear Johnny peeling out of the compound and taking off down the street. He was a good kid, so I hoped whatever the fuck was going on that it wasn’t that serious.
Tank reclaimed his stool, but I noticed he glanced toward the door every few minutes. I couldn’t blame him for being worried. It wasn’t like Johnny to just disappear like that. Everyone knew that he was a favorite of our President and Isabella.
He wasn’t gone more than a half hour, maybe a little longer, when he returned. But he wasn’t alone. My heart started pounding, and I felt fury engulf me as he walked in the door with his arm around Kayla. She was pressed tight to his side, and looked so damn pale and exhausted. I didn’t even realize I’d stood until I was right in front of the kid, ready to take a swing.
“Get your fucking hands off her,” I said, my voice more growl than anything.
Kayla’s eyes went wide, and she paled even further. I watched as she swayed and her eyes rolled back in her head. Johnny cursed, and I reached out and snatched Kayla into my arms as she started to slump to the floor, giving the kid a glare that had made men cower in fear. Johnny just stared at me with raised eyebrows.
“What the fuck did you do to her?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
Torch, Venom, and Tank came over.
“Pres, I had planned on this introduction going a little differently,” Johnny said. “This is my sister, Kayla. And I think we need to talk.”
Sister? I looked down at the woman in my arms. Now that Johnny had said that, I did see a resemblance between the two of them.
“My baby sister,” he said, smirking at me.
Fuck. Baby sister? Johnny was only nineteen. Was Kayla even legal? I felt a little dazed, but remained upright with Kayla clutched against my chest.
“By two minutes,” Johnny said.
Oh, thank Christ. I breathed a little easier. Wait. They were twins? How had I not known that Johnny had a twin sister? Hell, had anyone known?
“Church,” Torch said.
�
��There’s something else,” Johnny said, focusing on me. “I didn’t do a damn thing to Kayla. But you did.”
“Me?” I asked. She’d wanted me that night. Had she told Johnny otherwise?
“Yeah.” He patted my shoulder. “Congratulations, Daddy. You knocked her up.”
My breath froze in my lungs as he smirked and walked off, following Torch and the other officers. Knocked up? Kayla was pregnant? With my kid? Holy hell. My knees felt like they might buckle, but I took one step, then another. As I cleared the clubhouse door, Bull followed.
“Where are you taking her?” he asked.
“Home.”
“You gonna claim her?” Bull asked.
Fuck if I knew what I was doing. What I did know for certain was that Kayla belonged with me. I ignored Bull and walked to my house. Torch had given me a four-bedroom home less than a mile from the clubhouse. I’d told him at the time that it was a waste of space because I only needed one bedroom, but he’d insisted. Now it looked like I’d be using at least one of those other bedrooms. A kid? The thought left me dizzy.
I’d tried to have kids with my wife, had tried for years, but we’d never been successful. I’d always thought I was at fault, that maybe I had a low sperm count or something. I’d offered to see the doctor, but she’d always told me that we’d get pregnant when we were supposed to. But it had never happened, and then she’d been taken from me. The moonlight glinted on my wedding ring, and I stopped in the middle of the road for a moment. I waited for panic to set in, for the intense pain and sorrow I felt every time I thought of Rachel. It didn’t come.
I looked up at the sky and wondered if she was looking down on me. If there was a heaven, I knew that’s where she’d be. She’d been so perfect, so sweet. And she’d died far too soon. The stars shone brightly overhead, and this sense of peace filled me. A slight breeze blew and ruffled my hair, like a light caress.