OUR SURPRISE BABY

by Paula Cox

  “Yes, that is true, but neither do you.”

  “No?” Kade spreads his arms, exposing his body. “I will fight you, me and you. I will use my bare fists and you can keep your knife and your duster.”

  Enrique tilts his head. “You really are a madman. Why would you agree to this?”

  “’Cause I need your word that, no matter the outcome, you’ll let that woman go.”

  “She is nothing to me. I do not care for her. If you mean what you say.”

  Kade. No. Don’t. Stop. But my face is too numb, speech impossible.

  “I will let her go,” Enrique says.

  “Let her go now,” Kade says. “We will fight after.”

  “You are trying to trick me.”

  Kade shakes his head. “Just tryin’ to make sure you keep your end of the bargain. Get a couple of your men to point guns at me. The fuck am I going to do—run?”

  Enrique considers this, and then shrugs. “Let her go,” he says, gesturing with his machete. These are tough men, holding me, killers, but the second Enrique gives the command, they let me go. I spring across the parking lot, ignoring the stones which cut into the soles of my feet, and make to throw myself into Kade’s arms.

  “No.” He pushes me gently but firmly toward the clubhouse. “Go. Be safe.” He glares at me, stretching his neck from side to side. “I said go.”

  I cannot ignore the desperation in his eyes: desperation for me and the baby to be safe. And I cannot ignore, either, my own obligation to keep the child safe. Reluctantly, I run to the clubhouse. The second I’m through the doors, however, I scream: “The Italians are outside. Kade needs your help!” My numb face aches as cuts scratch and open and close, bruised skin tugging at me. I run through the clubhouse, rousing the men. By the time I return to the front door, around thirty Tidal Knights are charging after me, all of them holding guns, all of them with murder in their eyes.

  I go to the bar, to one of the windows which looks out onto the parking lot, and crouch low. I want to be out there with Kade, but I have to protect the child. The urge to be with my man is strong; the urge to make sure our child is safe is stronger.

  When the men get into the parking lot, Kade turns to them and says, “Nobody get involved.”

  Enrique nods, and says to his men, “The same to you or I will feed you to the dogs, okay?”

  Everybody nods, the Tidal Knights looking confused but unwilling to disobey Kade.

  Earl gathers everybody behind him. A sort of circle forms, the corpses of the dead Tidal Knights off to one side, Kade and Enrique in the middle, and the Italians and the Tidal Knights standing around the edges.

  Kade lifts up his hands. “Alright, then,” he says.

  Their voices are low from where I sit, but the windows are open and they are just audible.

  Then the fight begins and all I hear is the terrified beating of my heart.

  Enrique, the small man who would look unassuming if it were not for his weapons and his reputation and his bloodshed, charges at Kade like a man possessed, bringing the machete down in an downward-arcing swing meant to cut his head in two. Kade, with no weapons but his fists, watches the swing, judges it, and then steps aside just enough so that it misses him by a hair’s breadth. I hear my breath catch.

  A hush falls over the Italians and the bikers.

  Enrique keeps on at Kade, swiping up, down, left, right, and each time Kade ducks out of the way, somehow always ending up in the space just beside Enrique swings. The Italian comes at him with the knuckle-duster, too, but Kade just blocks that with his forearm. The crack of metal on bone doesn’t seem to bother Kade. His blue eyes are impassive, focused. His blue eyes are steel.

  They dance across the parking lot, and then back the other way, before Kade makes his move. I see what Kade is doing, and I see that is has worked. He is trying to make Enrique angry and careless. After about two minutes—which feels like hours when it’s the father of your child out there—Kade ducks one of Enrique’s swings and punches him so hard in the belly the Italian lets out a catlike yelp. Kade goes to work, then, punching again and again. Enrique lashes out wildly. Kade catches the machete-holding hand at the wrist, squeezes. Enrique yelps again and drops his weapon. Kade leans back, aims his head, and head-butts the man in the nose. Blood showers over Kade’s face. He head-butts him again. Enrique slides to the concrete. Kade falls upon him.

  “Touch my fuckin’ woman!” he roars, and head-butts the man again, again, again, until Kade’s head is blood-red without an inch of flesh visible, and Enrique is nothing but a mass of blood and bone.

  But still twitching, I notice, still alive.

  Kade climbs to his feet, walks over to Earl, and snatches his gun. Before anybody can do anything, Kade paces back to Enrique’s twitching body and places the barrel of the gun against his head and pulls the trigger.

  The shot rings out, and the Italian stops twitching.

  I expect the Italians to start shooting now, but they look at Kade, at the Tidal Knights gathered and ready, and think better of it. First, a couple slink away, and then a couple more, until in a matter of seconds all of them are pacing down the road toward their cars, leaving their leader bloody and dead in the parking lot.

  I run to the entrance just in time for Kade to push open the door.

  I jump toward him.

  “The blood . . .” His voice is almost a snarl.

  “I don’t care about the blood. I care about you.”

  I throw my arms around him and bury my face in his neck.

  When the weeping hits me, it hits me hard.

  “It’s over,” Kade whispers in my ear. “We’re safe. I’ll always keep you safe.”

  We all turn at the sound of the door. Terry stands in the doorway to the dormitory, rubbing her eyes. When she sees all of us gathered—Tidal Knights packed into the hallway like sardines—she takes out her earplugs and says, “Did I miss something?”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Lana

  A year after that morning in the parking lot, and it still returns to me. Even now, at work—wearing a pants and a smart-looking shirt—it returns to me. Even as I fold napkins, make coffee (real coffee), and serve customers who never make lewd comments, it returns to me. Even as I think of Duster at Terry’s apartment, being watched by my best friend, it returns to me. It was the start of everything, and the end of everything: the start of the uncomplicated love Kade and I now share; and the end of the tempestuous, uncertain love we struggled to admit to each other before.

  Duster is the best little boy I could ever ask for, with his father’s sky-blue eyes. When I look down at him, I see Kade, cannot help but see Kade—

  When the man walks into the café, I can hardly believe my eyes. He is still leering. I don’t think the man knows how to make any other expression. And his vest is stained, as usual.

  When he sees me, he swaggers over like he owns me, like he’s going to put his hands on me as he did at the Twin Peaks.

  Chester says: “Hello, whore.” He grins. He reeks of whisky and beer.

  “Go away, Chester,” I say.

  “Why do you say that, whore?”

  One of my male co-workers makes to intervene. I lift a hand, halting him.

  “You are a small man,” I say, taking a step toward him. We are near the counter, but there are no customers except him just this minute, and the other customers sit around the tables at the other side of the café. I glare into his face, showing no fear. Because, I realize with a shock, I am not afraid. Too much has happened since we last met for me to be afraid. I am a mother, I am the president of the Tidal Knights’s fiancé. I have outgrown him. “You are a small, petty man, and you do not frighten me. If you ever put your hands on me again, I will take those goddamn hands.”

  I growl the last words. Chester takes a step back, shocked.

  “Now get the hell out of here,” I say. “Let me get on with my work.”

  He waddles now, instead of swaggers, out of th
e café.

  A few minutes later, Kade walks in.

  “I’m taking you for a ride after work,” he says. “Don’t worry. I’ve already cleared it with Terry.”

  He smirks at me. I kiss him on the cheek, and then say, “You’re planning something.”

  “Maybe I am.” He kisses me on the forehead. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Epilogue

  Kade

  I take Lana to the plot of land I’ve been saving for this past year. It’s green, and fresh, and new-looking, acres of land set within what looks like some fantasy landscape. In the middle of it sits a trailer I had Earl tow down here earlier today.

  Leading Lana by the hand, I take her to the trailer. Then I let go of her hand and stand off to one side. This past year, damn . . . I’m closer to Lana now than I’ve ever been to anybody, even Duster. And my son . . . Well, he’s Duster, too. My son has changed everything. My son has changed the way I see the small things and the big things. I’m still the president, I still have Tidal Knights in my veins, but I’ve got a real family now.

  A fiancé, a son, a life.

  “What’s this?” Lana asks after a moment.

  “It’s a trailer.” I grin at her.

  She rolls her eyes. “I can see that. But why are we looking at it?”

  I wave a hand at the green field, the outcrop of trees off to one side. “I own this plot of land,” I say, “and I’m going to build us a house. Just there, next to the trailer.” I indicate the spot. “The trailer’s for the meantime. For me, you, and Duster. For our family. I think it’s about time we had a proper home. Both of us started in a trailer park. Maybe it’s only right we return to one, if only for a little while.”

  Lana dances across the grass and jumps at me, wrapping her legs around me and kissing me passionately.

  “Did I tell you?” she says, as I hold her up, as lust surges between us.

  “Tell me what?”

  “I finished my book. But you’ve ruined that.”

  “How’s that?”

  She wriggles out of my grip, drops to the floor, and takes my hand.

  “Because now I have to change the ending, silly.”

  She giggles, and I laugh, and she leads me by the hand toward the door of the trailer.

  THE END

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  SHE KEPT OUR DAUGHTER HIDDEN FROM ME. TIME TO PAY THE PRICE.

  I did the right thing once.

  Never again.

  No one takes what’s mine.

  Not even the mother of my child.

  I saved Kayla from that hellhole.

  Took in her, kept her safe, made her mine.

  I put my neck on the line for that girl.

  And what do I get in return?

  Lies.

  Deceit.

  Betrayal.

  I was good to her then, but no longer.

  She owes me everything.

  And I’m coming to take it.

  ***

  THE ONLY WAY I COULD ESCAPE WAS WITH HIS BABY IN MY WOMB.

  I’ll do whatever it takes to get out of this life.

  Leering men who think their measly tips give them a right to touch me?

  Hell to the no.

  I’m a waitress, not a stripper or worse.

  I’m done with this world.

  Sick of it.

  And I’m taking the first thing smoking to literally anywhere else.

  But when a sexy biker on a monster motorcycle pulls up to the cafe, I begin to question how bad I really want a ticket out.

  He looks… dangerous. Scary.

  It’s easy to tell that those hands of his have done some awful things to an awful lot of people.

  And by the way he looks at me, I can tell: I’m next.

  He says he’ll help me get what I want:

  A fresh start.

  But it’s gonna cost me something.

  Because you see, the bad boy biker wants to carry on his name.

  And to do that, he’ll have to put his baby in my belly.

  As his enemies circle us and our child begins to grow, I keep wondering…

  What have I done?

  Was it worth it?

  Should I have let myself get filled by the bad boy?

  ***

  I STOLE HER FROM HER WEDDING AND MADE HER MINE.

  She wanted a way out.

  So I put her on the back of my bike and took her away.

  But I’m not her knight in shining armor…

  And when she finds out what I want, she’ll be begging to go back.

  I don’t say please.

  I don’t say thank you.

  When I see what I want, I take it.

  And I’d never wanted anything more than that pretty little thing in her wedding dress.

  She had tears beneath her veil.

  I don’t blame her – the groom was a creep and a monster.

  But when she made the choice to run away with me, she didn’t know that I was much worse.

  I’m no fairy tale prince.

  I’m a cold hearted S.O.B. with ice in my veins and fire behind my zipper.

  I won’t be content to rock her to sleep and wipe the tears away.

  Not even a little bit.

  I’ve got something else in mind.

  I’m gonna throw her in my bed and show her that she belongs to me now.

  ***

  DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL IS ALL GROWN UP.

  My president’s daughter isn’t the little squirt I remembered.

  She’s grown up now. Sexy. Tempting.

  I’ve been gone for a long time…

  But now that I’m back, I’m about to make her mine.

  Bri the Brat had a crush on me forever.

  She was just a little girl then.

  Not to mention, as the MC prez’s daughter…

  Strictly off limits.

  But that was then.

  Things are different now.

  I spent two years being tortured and caged by my enemies.

  My own brothers thought I was as good as dead.

  But I made it out, against all odds.

  I should be happy.

  I’m alive, after all.

  Pulled back from death’s doorstep.

  But I’m not happy.

  Far from it.

  I’m mad as hell.

  Because I find out that Bri has been keeping secrets from me.

  She’s got my baby in her belly…

  So I’m coming to take what’s mine.

  ***

  I’M HERE TO RUIN HER LIFE.

  I’m the farthest thing from a nice guy.

  I’ve done things her pretty little mind can’t even imagine.

  But if she wants to get out of this hellhole alive…

  She’ll have to follow my every command.

  I bought her because I wanted to.

  Plain and simple.

  But it’s just like they say: greed is good.

  Because if I didn’t come along and snatch her off that auction block…

  The devils around me would have eaten her alive.

  They’re merciless.

  I am, too – in my own way.

  I want what I want – and right now, I want a taste of her.

  Her sweetness.

  Her innocence.

  Her fear.

  She might think she’d be better off without me.

  But one look around will confirm the truth:

  I’m the only chance she’s got.

  So bare it all, princess.

  I’ll give you your freedom at a price.

  But never forget:

  You belong to me now.

  ***

  There’s only one rule: Obey.

  I should’ve kept my eyes to myself.

  But I couldn’t stop looking.

  That wa
s before I realized the consequences:

  Once I have a taste of Griffin’s world, I can never go back.

  It was innocent at first.

  But I’ll never forget how he stared back at me.

  How his eyes undressed me.

  His words seduced me.

  Every touch made me hungry for the next.

  I begged for his kiss, pleaded for his touch.

  Here, there, now, whenever – all I knew was that I had to have him.

  I should’ve never fallen for him.

  But I did – right to my knees.

  I’m scared.