Down and dirty ‘til dead? More realistic.
But even so, he loved this club, he belonged in this club. This club was his family. They took him in when he needed to land permanently somewhere, when he’d been drowning in a sea of shit and drifting aimlessly for far too long. This club had been his lifesaver.
Crow helped with that when Linc walked into In the Shadows Ink for the first time. After seeing the man’s cut he wore proudly, Linc had asked him questions about the club. Surprisingly, the man had answered them. Then Linc went back for his second tattoo. Again for his third.
Before he knew it, he had a prospect cut on his back and was living in a small, shitty room above their clubhouse, helping Hawk tend bar and play bouncer by keeping the peace with any rowdy drunks.
He received no judgement. Only acceptance.
He owed each and every one of his brothers who voted to patch him in. To bring him into the fold on a permanent basis.
Up until now, he’d have to say that getting handed his full set of rockers was the best damn day of his life. But last night with Jayde in his arms... last night and this morning being inside of her. Knowing she was his now and would never be anybody else’s?
Best. Damn. Day. Fucking. Ever.
But now as he headed toward the door, knowing who and what was waiting for him on the other side...
He knew this day might suck big time.
Especially when he noticed Axel’s sled in the parking lot, too.
Reaching for the door and sucking in a breath to brace, he pulled it open.
As he let the door close behind him, he heard yelled across the common room, “Your asshole still puckered?”
Fuck. Yeah, this day was gonna suck.
Then as his eyes adjusted he saw Diesel bouncing Violet in his arms. Hawk wore some sort of fucking contraption that looked like a backpack worn backward, which kept Ashton facing his chest. And Z was keeping one eye on Zeke as he toddled around the floor, chasing a pool ball.
Jesus fuckin’ Christ.
What the fuck happened to this MC?
He thought about the sonogram image he had tucked in his wallet and smiled.
Maybe they needed to change the sign over the door to say Down & Dirty ‘til Kids.
Jayde stared at her now noticeably rounded belly in the mirror on the ceiling.
On the freaking ceiling.
Jewel said Jayde’s cousin Jag had installed it when he lived in the apartment with Ivy. She never had Diesel take it down because... well... because there was nothing like Diesel’s naked ass. And seeing the “Eighth Wonder of the World” while it was pumping and flexing was something Jewel admitted she didn’t want to miss, even if that Wonder landed in her bed every night.
Which was why she most likely got pregnant when D told her they weren’t having kids.
Right.
Now the big man, who Jewel called “the beast,” didn’t let his daughter out of his sight.
Luckily for them, the club’s enforcer finally relented about moving into a cabin on Ace’s farm to give his family some room. Since they left the apartment furnished, she and Linc had moved in the same day Diesel and Jewel moved out.
The only piece of furniture they moved in that was their very own was the crib Linc had bought on their first “date” three weeks ago. Now that was tucked into the corner of the small bedroom.
But this place was only temporary. At least until the baby was born. Because a one bedroom, one bath apartment over Shadow Valley Pawn wasn’t going to cut it for very long.
Her gaze dropped from the large mirror when Linc walked back into the bedroom completely naked. He’d gone into the bathroom after they’d had sex for what seemed the hundredth time in this week alone.
Not that she was bitching, though her thighs and other places were a little sore. It was like he was trying to make up for lost time. She understood that completely.
She pushed herself up onto her elbows and studied his lean, muscular body that was full of tattoos above the waist. “Remind me to thank Slade.” And Crow, too.
He stopped at the end of the bed, put his hands on his what she now called his sexy flexy hips and tilted his head. “For what?”
“When I first saw you, I thought you were hot. Now you’ve been working out with him, sparring, doing whatever you’re doing, honing,” she waved a hand up and down indicating his body, “all of that, you’re not only hot but freaking hot.”
He grinned and climbed onto the bed, stalking toward her on his hands and knees. “That get you wet?”
“What it got me was pregnant.”
His grin twitched. “Yeah, it did.”
She slapped his arm. “Oh, so now you’re proud of that?”
“Couldn’t have happened with a better woman.”
Jayde pinned her lips together and blinked back the sting.
When she didn’t answer, he continued, “Know this set-up ain’t ideal. Gonna talk to Ace ‘bout snagging a place on the farm when one opens up. Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she mumbled, trying to get her shit together so she didn’t start bawling. These guys could be complete misogynistic assholes that seemed to be uncaring and crude, but when they let something slip like he just did, it was both heart and panty melting.
Kiki warned her that the pregnancy hormones will turn her into an emotional mess at the drop of a hat. Which had to be the reason she burst into tears when Linc had insisted they put the sonogram images on the fridge and then he did just that. Jayde was pretty sure she scared the shit out of him by the sudden outburst of water works.
He might have even had second thoughts for a moment about moving in with her.
Fortunately, he hadn’t gone running and screaming from the apartment. Instead, he was now settling under the sheets next to her with a sigh, pulling her tightly against his side. “Though, your brother’s still talking ‘bout building some sort of housing complex. Something gated, secure. Like a compound.”
“Is that necessary? The Warriors are almost extinct.” Or at least she thought they were. While no one had come out and said that for sure, there were rumors throughout the DAMC sisterhood that D’s crew was whittling down their numbers.
“Almost, not quite yet. Talked ‘bout that the other morning, too. Being nomads, D don’t got any hard and fast numbers on how many are left.”
“But didn’t they lose their president recently?”
Linc’s lips thinned out.
Of course. He wouldn’t talk about the details. Club business wasn’t women’s business. But Jayde did know Brooke had something to do with that, or at least knew about what happened to the Warrior’s last president. Even so, she never talked about it. Whether Dex had told her not to, or she just didn’t want to bring it all back up, Jayde didn’t know.
“Sure they got a new prez by now,” Linc grumbled. “Now the DAMC’s expanding with the next generation, Z wants to make sure everyone stays safe. D’s on board with the complex, too.” He shook his head and snorted. “That meeting was like a fuckin’ nursery school. Hawk walking ‘round with spit-up on his damn cut. I swear D started lactating. Waiting on Z to start child proofing the common room at church since his kid likes to face plant on the regular. Our kid better not be so fuckin’ klutzy.”
Jayde pinned her lips together to keep from laughing because it didn’t seem like Linc was joking.
She had only heard bits and pieces from that meeting since they hadn’t had much chance to talk since then. Linc normally came home late from the bar and she was usually asleep when he did so. He’d wake her up just long enough for him to give her a couple of orgasms with those sexy flexy hips of his and then he’d roll off her and be snoring within minutes.
Tonight was the first night he’d come home at a decent hour since he convinced Jester to close down the bar. It was the first night that they’d actually had a chance to sit down and eat dinner together.
Jayde had to admit that it had been nice. And the look on Linc’s face when
he tasted her food and realized she could actually make something edible had been priceless.
He brushed the hair off her forehead and glanced down at her. “Cage been getting you back and forth to work okay? No problems?”
“No. But it’s a piece of shit.” She was driving an old Ford sedan that a customer had left at Shadow Valley Body Works because it would’ve cost too much to repair. So Crash took it, got it running, patched and primered some of the rust spots, and began to use it as a loaner. But, hell, it was nothing like her Camaro.
She missed that damn car.
“Gonna get you a good car for hauling the kid around. Like a minivan.”
She jerked her head up. “What? No! No minivan!”
“Yeah. Somethin’ safe, lots of room.”
“No. Linc!”
He pinned his brows together. “Gettin’ what you’re gettin’. No lip.”
“But—”
He grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him. “Woman, gettin’ a safe cage for you and the kid. Don’t wanna hear no lip about it. Club’s gonna pay for it and I’m gonna work extra hours to pay the club back. Got me?”
“A Volvo is safe,” she suggested.
“Ain’t gettin’ no fuckin’ Volvo. Christ, did you not hear me? Gotta work extra to pay it the fuck off. Want me working twenty-four seven?”
She groaned. “No. Maybe I can talk to my dad.” Beg him to get her car back.
Linc jerked against her. “No. Ain’t asking that man for nothing. I’m taking care of you now. My responsibility. Got me?”
“But I need to try to fix this with him, anyway, Linc.”
“No, he needs to fix that shit. Not you. Don’t need you begging for his forgiveness ‘cause you’re carrying my kid.”
“I’m sure it was just a shock. He may have calmed down by now.”
Linc cocked a brow at her. “Yeah? That what your mom said?”
Jayde opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. Fuck.
There were two reasons she didn’t want to answer that. One, she hadn’t told Linc she’d talked to her mom every day since that dinner. Two, because her mom did say her dad was still fuming. So badly, he still was barely talking to Axel. She was sure that made a pleasant time for them at the police department.
She felt for Bella, she really did. She had to straddle the line with her man being a cop and with her being pure DAMC.
And that’s what Jayde may have to deal with in the future, as well. Her father and brother being cops while the future father of her child was DAMC.
Was it too much to ask for everyone to be fucking happy?
Of course it was.
Life could never be that simple. That would be way too easy.
“Gotta make something clear here and now, Jayde. Don’t want you lying to me. Ever. Whatever you gotta tell me might piss me the fuck off, but I’ll get over it. Plan on never lying to you, either. Got me? So gonna ask you, been talking to your mom?”
She tipped her eyes up to his face. “Yes.”
His green eyes softened and the creases around them smoothed out. “Baby, she’s your mom. You gotta talk to her. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.”
That’s not what she expected him to say, so it surprised her. “I’m hoping she can help smooth things over with my father.”
“Know you’re hoping that, but not sure it’ll happen. He still has a problem with Z. All these years he coulda got over it. He hasn’t, even though he fuckin’ knows Z was set-up for the shit that put him in prison. That man knows it and still...” Linc shook his head, clearly disgusted.
“It’s not just about that, though, Linc. It’s not. He worries. Z, even Axel, thinks he’s scared. He doesn’t want to deal with any more loss. He lost his father and his brother due to this club. He doesn’t want to lose his son, too.”
“By the way he acts, he already lost him. And he didn’t need to. Fuckin’ stubborn.”
Jayde sighed. “Yes, he is. I doubt he’s going to change.”
“Gotta grandson he spends no fuckin’ time with. Got a daughter-in-law who’s the bomb. Z couldn’t do any better than Sophie. Z has made this club successful, flush with cash. All legit, too. And that man still looks down on his own son. Doesn’t matter what Z does, ain’t good enough for him. And you know why?”
Jayde knew why, but Linc continued anyway.
“Cause he wears the DAMC colors on his fuckin’ back.”
“So do you.”
“Right, so doubt he’ll ever accept me or my kid, either. Maybe you just gotta face that. April visits Zeke on the sly. Maybe she’ll have to do the same with our kid.”
Our kid.
When Linc had stuck the sonogram photos to the fridge he said it was a reminder of what brought them together and where they were going. She couldn’t believe how his view on becoming a father had changed. All it took was hearing that heartbeat and seeing his future son or daughter on a screen in a dark room.
“You didn’t even want me to have this baby at first, now you’re all in.”
He curled up from his reclining position and dropped a hard kiss on her lips. “All in.”
“I thought you said a child should know his or her grandparents.”
“Yeah. But not if your dad’s gonna be a total dick.”
“Okay, then what about your parents? She, or he, will have them, right? Do they live close by?”
Jayde lifted her head when Linc went completely solid. She tipped her eyes up to the mirror and saw his expression had become completely closed off.
“Linc,” she said softly. “I don’t know anything about your family. Our baby’s family.” She placed a hand on her belly. A belly that housed a baby who’d be born in less than twenty-six weeks. “Don’t you think I should?”
“This kid will have the club, that’s plenty of family.”
While that was true, that wasn’t an answer Jayde wanted to hear. She lifted herself up onto her elbow and stared down into his face. He avoided meeting her gaze. “Linc.”
He closed his eyes and his jaw got tight.
“They don’t accept you?” she prodded. “Did they freeze you out like Dad did with Z? What?” He needed to tell her sometime. And she needed to know before the baby was born.
His moss green eyes finally flipped to hers. “We’re making a family for this kid. He’ll be fine.”
“Linc...”
“Not talkin’ about it now. Tired. Need sleep.” He flipped over to his side, effectively cutting her off. Then he reached out and switched off the lamp on the nightstand. “Sleep,” he ordered.
She stared at his back. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out the rockers and insignia that Crow had inked permanently into Linc’s skin. She reached out to trace them but curled her fingers into her palm instead and pulled her hand back. She rolled over, grabbed her phone from the charger and slipped out of bed.
“Where you going?” she heard him grumble, though he didn’t turn to face her.
“The bathroom.”
She rolled her eyes when she only got an answering grunt. Then she headed out into the hallway where the only bathroom in the apartment was. Turning on the light, she closed the door behind her. Of course she had to close the toilet seat and cover because that was left up, then she sat down and stared at her phone.
It was after eleven. She wondered if Z was still up. If not, he could answer her in the morning. She typed out a text: What’s the deal w/ Linc’s fam? U know?
She was surprised when her phone dinged almost immediately. She quickly muted it.
Yep, was the only answer her brother sent back.
She sighed. R U going 2 tell me?
Nope.
She scrubbed a hand down her face, then typed: Don’t U think I should know?
Yep.
Jesus, her brother...
So? she prodded.
Not 4 me 2 say.
She let out a soft curse. Got a baby on the way...
No shit.
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She gripped the phone harder because she had an urge to whip it across the tiny room and then stomp on it until it was in pieces.
Whatever, she answered, then hit the power button to turn off the screen.
Chapter Ten
This getting dropped off at the office every time the clunker wouldn’t start, and then having to wait for him to pick her up in the afternoon was getting old. Especially when Linc was always late getting her there in the morning because he worked until the middle of the night and was just about impossible to get out of bed just a few short hours after he crashed. Then he always managed to be late picking her up before he had to work The Iron Horse.
The man needed a watch, that was for damn sure. Or a shock collar to get him moving on time.
Jayde dismounted the bike with a hand planted on Linc’s broad shoulder to make sure she didn’t fall on her ass. “I need a better car,” she said for what seemed the thousandth time as he shut off the bike and yanked his bandana down from his lower face. “Every time that junker won’t start, it’s a struggle to wake you up and drag you out of bed, so I can get here. I need a decent car.”
“Already got Rig towing it to the shop this morning.”
“Okay, but here I am, late again. Kiki’s going to have a fit. She’s swamped with work, so it’s not fair to her that I keep showing up late. And I need this job, Linc. Especially since I need a car, we have a baby on the way and I’m supposed to start classes again this fall.”
Why did the thought of all of that make her overly anxious? She used to have a carefree life living with her parents. Now she was drowning in responsibility.
“She ain’t gonna fire you.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t like putting the burden on her when I can’t get here on time.”
“Got it.”
“Good.” She hesitated. “So I need a car.”
“Said that.”
“Like soon.”
“Crash is gonna fix the car today. Will get the prospects to drop it off here for you before you leave.”
Jayde sighed. “But—” She shut up and tilted her head. “You hear that?”
A loud male voice. Yelling. Angry. Coming from inside. That wasn’t good.
Down & Dirty: Linc (Dirty Angels MC Book 9) Page 11