Asty didn’t even bother brushing away tears that were slowly rolling down her cheeks and falling to her lap. Her heart hurt so bad listening to this. This once, Dad felt sincere. As if he were talking to her, not at her. “I did it for you,” she whispered, staring at her feet. “You miss Bell so much, and he was taken so early ... Lucky needs you, and the club needs you … you need support.”
Priest squeezed her hand harder. “I do. I’m not an island. But it means I need your support, too, Asty. Not from a phantom of what I would like the world to be, but from the real people around me. That’s what matters. I lost Bell, and if I lost you as well, after losing the woman I loved for almost thirty years, I don’t know how I would cope.” He took his eyes off her for the first time in a while and looked to Hunter. “So, despite all the lies and deceit, thank you for bringing all this to my attention.”
Hunter nodded, gently stroking Asty’s hand with his thumb. “She’s the most important thing to me in the world. I’d rather lose a few teeth than see her hurt.”
Priest sighed. “Yes, I hope we have the tooth matter behind us.”
Asty pulled on her dad’s hand. He was right. Even if Mom really held the key to the truth that would bring Bell back, Dad would have been left alone to deal with all this. It was as if someone popped a bubble around her. “I’m sorry. I thought you really wanted him back ...”
“I do. And I see where you’re coming from. I understand your intentions, because I would give my life for his in a heartbeat. But we can’t do that. It’s not how the world works. But there is something I do believe.” Priest gave Asty a faint smile. “There is a part of your mom that lives on through you. You are her flesh and blood, and mine. Every time I look at you, I can think back to the years I spent with Dolly. The good, the bad, the crazy fights, and bringing you two up together. If you died, I would lose even that.”
Asty leaned forward and gave him a tight hug, shivering from all the emotion bubbling up inside her. “I love you, Dad,” she whispered.
“I love you, too, honey.” He hugged her back, and in his big arms, she felt like a little girl again despite being pregnant and twenty years old. “And I will love our new addition to the family, and I will help you as much as I can, but you only have this one life, and you need to make sure it’s a good one.” Priest pulled away slightly to look into her eyes. “Sure, maybe I wasn’t all that helpful, with keeping too close of an eye on your dating, but no matter what I believe, you’re still my little baby. It’s not easy to let go of that, no matter how much I preach free love and taking advantage of earthly pleasures.”
Asty laughed and shook her head. “I know, but ... I promise I’ll ask you for help if I need it.”
Priest stroked her head and looked at Hunter. “And for the record, I am also a firm believer in revenge, so if you ever hurt my dau—”
Asty cleared her throat. “Dad, he’s not gonna hurt me.” She looked up with a small smile, even though seeing all the damage done to Hunter’s face made her want to cry all over again. “You won’t, right? If you do, I’m gonna personally kill you with my ritual knife.”
Hunter smiled, but it must have hurt him, because he instantly winced. “I know. You’re a dangerous woman.”
Asty grinned and looked at her dad again. “And we’re gonna have a little boy.”
Priest pulled her right back in for a hug. “Oh, Asty! That’s great news. Is he healthy? Is everything all right?” And for the first time tonight, he smiled. “Hear that, Tooth? I’ll have a grandson.”
Tooth grumbled beneath his breath and nodded. Asty sighed, knowing how uncomfortable he had to be with all this, but she quickly answered her father’s question. “So far, so good. The doctor was pleased.”
Hunter stroked the back of her arm with a smile. “And I wanted to tell everyone that I’m the father as soon as I found out. I don’t shy away from responsibility. But with Asty, it’s not just that. I want this. I’ve always wanted to have a big family. And despite my jaw feeling like it’s broken or dislocated, I like being a Nail. More than I ever liked being a Hog.”
Asty took a deep breath and glanced at Hunter. Her chest swelled with warmth when she looked at him. “And we’re engaged.”
Hunter dared to smile again, and the way he looked into her eyes made her feel like she was the only person in the room. His gaze said “I love you” without Hunter uttering a word.
Priest’s eyes went wide, and he got up. “This deserves a toast,” he said and walked up to a filing cabinet, only to pull a bottle of vodka and shot glasses out of it. “It’ll take the edge off the pain.” He winked at Hunter before looking at Asty. “Sorry, baby. No booze for pregnant ladies.”
Asty rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Thanks, Dad. I can always count on you.”
Even Tooth snorted with withheld laughter from his position over Hunter’s other hand.
*
Asty followed Hunter to his new bedroom with a queen-sized bed and an en suite bathroom. She proudly opened the door to the room, which was much larger than the one he’d been occupying. Those were the perks of dating the boss’s daughter, she supposed. There had been many pieces of glass in Hunter’s flesh, but he was bandaged where needed now, so she could safely touch him again as they turned on the light. The room was rather basic, like all the others, but the space was everything. There was no point in going back to the hotel, especially after Hunter drank a few shots, but they sent Prince to retrieve their things. She wasn’t happy about him handling her vibrator, but she couldn’t do much about it.
Hunter pulled off his T-shirt on his way to the bathroom, and his gait was slightly wobbly, but that didn’t take away from the pleasure of watching his broad tattooed back.
“Are you okay, Asty?” he asked and turned on the water in the bathtub.
She kicked off her shoes and slid in behind him. Her fingers brushed over his back and moved to the front of his body as she leaned against him. “Yes. I’m just so sad for Mom. But how are you? They hurt you so bad ...”
“I’ll live.” Hunter sighed, looking into the mirror above the sink. “At least I’ve got all my teeth, right?”
“And nothing’s broken,” suggested Asty, kissing his naked skin.
“Exactly.” He slowly turned around and kissed her. “I’m so sorry I had to do it like this, Asty. If I could think of another way, I would have done it differently.”
She put her hands on his chest, watching him intently. “I know. I’m sorry I freaked you out.”
“Are you okay with what Priest said?” Hunter pulled the hem of her dress up until he got it off her. “He did say he’ll give you some things to read too, if you want to explore more and make up your own mind.”
Asty nodded. She’d been so overcome by grief that she stopped taking into consideration facts that were readily available. It was a hard realization about herself, but maybe it could prevent something like this from happening again in the future? “I will, but the fact that my mother was only writing down her delusions doesn’t mean that all my beliefs are false. I need to give this more thought,” she said and opened her bra, freeing her heavy breasts out of its confines. Her bust had never been very big, and couldn’t be called huge now either, but there was definitely a change in its volume and her areolas were bigger.
Despite his hands being bandaged like a mummy’s, Hunter still reached to touch her breasts. It felt like being touched by someone with weird gloves on.
“I know. And even though I am currently drunk, staring at your tits, and mesmerized, I am not just nodding, I’m really listening.”
Asty arched an eyebrow at him and gently unzipped his pants before pushing them down along with the boxer shorts. “I wish I’d known about Mom. She was so normal toward me that it didn’t occur to me she could be ill.”
Hunter pulled Asty into a hug and kissed the top of her head. “I can see how she didn’t want you to worry …”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry,” she said and pul
led an elastic band out of her hair before getting to her feet and gathering Hunter’s mane at the back of his head. He needed that band much more than she did.
“Thanks. How about you join me in the bath? I’m aching all over, and with my hands like this, I can’t really wash …” He gave her a kiss and turned to the half-filled bathtub, stepping out of his clothes.
Asty tossed away her underwear and held on to his arm as he stepped into the water. “Sure, I can be your slave for the night.”
“That sounds really shady, considering you’re carrying my baby.” He grinned from beneath the bruises and slowly got into the warm water. “That’s better.”
Asty kneeled between his legs and poured some soap into her hand before massaging it into his chest. She was silent for a few seconds, letting her mind wander through possibilities that ended up never happening. “If we didn’t have this baby, do you think we would have ended up dating after all?” she asked in the end.
Hunter looked at her for a long moment. “It might have taken longer, but I’d definitely make the move at some point. Your dad wouldn’t stop me. You’re exactly my type.”
Asty let out a long breath and leaned against Hunter’s chest, curling up to him gently, not to press on any wounds or bruises. “You’re my type too,” she said, searching his eyes for reaction.
“I wish I could go to that reunion and show off my satanic future bride, but with the mayhem on my face, it’s not gonna happen after all.”
Asty looked back at him, deflated. She knew just how much he wanted to share the news with his family and how much he secretly wanted to just see them again. And Asty wanted to meet them too. It was where Hunter came from, and she wanted to know all there was to know about him. And there had to be something she could do. “Hunter ... maybe it can still happen? I mean ... I’m a makeup artist.”
Hunter frowned. “Come on … I’m not going there, after all these years, wearing sunglasses and concealer. I’m not an actor after a nose job.”
Asty chewed on her lip when an idea brightened up her mind like a supernova. “What about corpsepaint?”
Asty
Asty relaxed in the passenger seat of her dad’s car. He lent it to them for the drive to Hunter’s hometown, about an hour outside of Detroit. Now that her belly was starting to seriously gain volume, it wasn’t comfortable to be on a bike, and it was a bit more risky than sitting inside a car
Hunter was alternating between silence and bouts of talking about his childhood. He really was trying hard not to appear nervous, but she could see he was. It wasn’t hard to guess why—he hadn’t seen anyone from his immediate family for ten years, but she would be there for him, support him, and prove to everyone who doubted him that he grew up into someone really amazing. He looked hot in his all black outfit of a long sleeve worn underneath the club vest, well-fitting jeans, and heavy boots. Whenever the big studs of his belt caught light, she couldn’t help but imagine pulling him closer by that thick piece of leather. And there was the corpsepaint, purposefully messy-looking, with black and grey streaks spreading out from his eyes. His lips were matte, and the gradient of color made them look masculine and demonic. No one would see the bruises left by Tooth and Dad, which developed into the whole autumn palette of colors, now hidden underneath the thick mask she had layered on so it would crack, like the skin of a dried-out vampire.
And since Hunter wanted to show her off, she dropped her usual pregnancy outfit, the baby doll dress, in favor of a fitted mini dress that emphasized her bump. She wore it with a long, thin jacket with a rich lacy train in the back. Her lips were black to match Hunter’s, and the bright violet she had applied to her eyes made them pop. She looked just like the daughter-in-law she imagined Hunter’s parents would never want for their son.
They parked in the street alongside many other cars, and when Hunter got out, he ran around the front of the car to open the door for her. “Ready?”
Asty gripped his hand and dragged her body out of the car, looking at the white house with two floors, a tidy lawn, and even a tree that held a swing in front of it. A warm glow shone through the curtains as she squeezed Hunter’s fingers. “Of course. You?”
Hunted nodded with a wicked grin and grabbed her hand. She could already sense what she got herself into when they passed a large white statue of the Virgin Mary in the garden.
“Do they have Sunday school here, or something?” she asked, perplexed.
Hunter looked to the statue as if he’d seen it for the first time. “Oh, that. Nah, they just like everyone to know. I think they also hope it scares away all those door-to-door preachers who advertise a different brand of religion.”
Asty leaned against him underneath the woolen cape she had draped over herself for the trip. “Do they know you’re bringing me?”
Hunter shrugged and rang the doorbell. “The invitation did say ‘plus one.’ Though I have brought two.” He smiled and touched her belly.
Asty kissed him gently and petted his hand, pressing it a bit harder against her stomach. “Little party crasher.”
“He’s learning from the best already.” Hunter said as the door opened and a fragile looking petite older lady looked at them both in stunned silence. “It’s me, Mom. Hunter? Your oldest son?”
She adjusted her glasses and squinted, looking between Asty and him. “What is that? What did you do to your face?” she asked, not inviting them in yet. Asty would have let herself in, but Hunter’s mother was blocking the door.
“The invitation did say ‘dress your best,’” Hunter said, and with each moment, his mother’s eyes grew wider. “And I brought my fiancée. Astaroth, this is my mother, Susan.”
Asty reached out her hand, decorated with long, black, pointy nails. “Nice to meet you.
Hunter’s mother let her shake her hand, getting paler by the second. And she still wasn’t inviting them in. “And ... um, what’s her real name?”
“Astaroth. My friends call me Asty,” offered Asty, hoping it would ease the woman’s mind.
“You did send an invitation …” Hunter raised his eyebrows, though it wasn’t that visible under the makeup.
Susan hesitated. “Y-yes. Why don’t you come in?” she said stiffly, and Asty could swear it looked as if she were afraid they were vampires and she had now lost her only protection.
The house was very warm inside, so Asty quickly pulled off her cape and hung it on a hook by the door, staying only in the thin jacket. She carefully propped herself by the wall and raised her feet to unzip the boots. When she looked up, she realized Hunter’s mother must have noticed her shape, as she stared at her in silence before glancing at Hunter.
“Oh, now I see why the sudden engagement ...”
Hunter stroked Asty’s back and didn’t seem to be phased by his mother’s scathing remark. “You mean that she’s so beautiful that I needed to grab her quick before anyone else did?”
Susan gave him a glare. “Yes, something like that.”
Asty exhaled. She didn’t want to be hurt by the comment, even though it did get to her. But it was all right. She and Hunter were happy now, and that was all that mattered. “Hunter told me so much about you. I heard you make the best banana bread in the world,” she tried.
“Oh, really?” Susan looked at Hunter and shook her head. “Did he tell you how he once ate the whole thing instead of sharing it with his siblings?”
Hunter shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a greedy bastar—”
“Language!” his mother hissed at him, and Hunter rolled his eyes. “You will at least do this much for me. Coming here, unmarried, with a pregnant girlfriend, painted all over your face like you are the devil himself. You do everything to spite me. The whole family is here, Father Peter is here, and most of all”—she pointed to the ceiling—“there is God in this house. So watch your language if you want to stay under my roof even for a few hours. I’m only having you here because it’s a Christian thing to be hospitable.” She took a deep breath an
d straightened up. “You’ve grown,” she said flatly.
Asty kept quiet, not wanting to make her future mother-in-law hate her even more than she already did, but she couldn’t believe that this word vomit was all Susan had to say to her son after not seeing him for ten years. Was she that coldhearted? Was she secretly a psycho? Asty knew some religious people, and many of them were lovely, but this was just ridiculous.
Hunter squeezed Asty’s hand. “Do you want me to be here, or not? Because I can go.”
Susan pursed her lips. “Stay. Just go and wash all that silliness off your face.”
“No.”
“Fine.”
Hunter shrugged. “Fine.”
Asty reached into her big bag and pulled out the cake they had picked up on the way. “And that’s our small contribution to the party. Do you need any help?” she asked, just to be courteous. Being alone with Hunter’s mother was the last thing she wanted.
Susan’s face brightened up slightly, and she took the cake with a deep sigh. “Thank you. No, no, it’s fine. Make yourself at home,” she said, but it sounded more like a phrase than an actual invitation. “How’s your uncle doing?”
Hunter reached up to his face, but then his hand stilled in front of it, and he put it back down. “He’s dead.”
Hunter’s mother stalled, as if looking for the right words. “I always told you that man would not lead a long life.”
“He didn’t die because he stopped going to church, Mom.”
“I know, I know, but actions have consequences.”
Two young children peeked out from behind the door down the corridor with their eyes wide, and Asty waved at them.
“Are those your siblings?” she asked Hunter, but Susan looked back and shook her head.
“No, they are the grandchildren of my sister.” Her gaze swept over Asty’s bump, and she sighed. “When Aaron got married, I thought he would be the first one to give us grandchildren, but he and his wife seem more interested in dragging themselves around South America than thinking about what’s important in life.”
Split - Coffin Nails MC (Contemporary New Adult Erotic Dark Romance) (Sex & Mayhem Book 7) Page 23