My fingers fly over the keypad.
Me: Have you left?
“How many sausages do you want, honey?” Mom asks, hovering at my side with the pan.
“Just one, please.”
I can’t stomach much more. She dumps a spoonful of eggs onto my plate before moving on to the ones set out around the table. And with the smell of food comes my dad, the twins, and my grandpa.
Grandpa kisses my mom’s cheek and throws me a wink before taking his seat.
Dad and the twins barely have time to wash their hands before breakfast is served.
My phone pings with a reply from Luca.
Luca: An hour ago. The journey is killing me already. We’ve stopped for Dad.
* * *
Me: I have something to tell you, and you’re not going to be happy.
* * *
Luca: Just tell me.
“What’s wrong with you? You’re pale, and your hands are shaking.”
Grandpa doesn’t miss a trick, but I have to tell Luca before I change my mind.
Chapter Fifteen
Luca
What could she possibly have to tell me? I only saw her late last night. Unless Lily is back in town already?
Victoria’s reply doesn’t come through as fast as the last, and I tap my finger on the screen with building frustration.
Leo and India are cooing over Rayna, while dad pukes his guts up in the gas station restroom, with Mom hovering just outside the door. He won’t let her help him, and it’s driving her crazy.
My phone vibrates with Tor’s reply. I swear, if Lily has returned to town, I will follow through with my threat and bury her dead, limp body in the middle of nowhere.
Tor: I’m pregnant.
Everything stops. This is what she waited to tell me? I was just with her yesterday, and she said nothing.
My hands begin to shake, and I drop the phone on my lap so I can fist them. A baby?
The confines of being around the family are now suffocating me. Sitting in the back of the car while it’s empty, I ram my fist into the back of the passenger seat, and India turns around from where she’s standing with Rayna in her arms.
“What the hell, Luca?”
“Mind your own business.”
“What’s going on?” Leo barks out, but I ignore him and pick up my phone.
My fingers can’t move fast enough as I type out my next message.
Me: What do you mean, you’re pregnant?
* * *
Tor: Exactly what I said. I found out yesterday morning.
* * *
Me: And you didn’t tell me last night? What the fuck, Tor?
* * *
Tor: Last night, you were ramming a gun down a woman’s throat. I wasn’t looking to have the same done to me. We can talk when you get back.
* * *
Me: Damn right we’ll be talking. How could you let this happen?
* * *
Tor: Excuse me! Oh, I must’ve climbed onto myself and got myself pregnant! This is on us both!!! Don’t be an asshole!
She’s right. I played my part, all because I wanted to get my dick wet, and she was willing whenever I wanted her.
Fuck.
My mom is going to kill me, and my dad, when he gets the strength, is going to double kill me. And let’s not forget Pope, because he’s going to want his turn. I’m fucked from every direction.
Me: If you wait for me to get back to town, I’ll come with you to the clinic.
But before I hit send, I delete what I’ve written.
I always thought I’d leave town when I turned eighteen, track down Sara, and go from there. But shit has instantly changed, and I don’t want Victoria to get rid of my baby.
Me: Don’t do anything rash till I get back.
* * *
Tor: What would I do?
* * *
Me: Get rid of it.
* * *
Tor: Does that mean you want us to have a baby?
Having a baby will tie us together for the next eighteen years, but for some reason, the thought doesn’t fill me with dread.
Victoria is hot. She’s funny, she’s good in bed, and she lets me do what I want. She understands what it takes to be an old lady, and I have no doubt she’d make a good mom. She’s too nice and kind not to be. Adding to that her fire, I know she would protect our child if I wasn’t around to do it myself.
Me: Yes.
I don’t hear from her for the rest of the ride to Mercy. She hasn’t replied to a single text I’ve sent her on numerous stops. She won’t do anything rash, not without me, so I’m not worried about that. But the last two days have changed something in me. I need to know what she’s doing, where she is, how she’s feeling?
The Mercy Chapter’s base is set atop a mountain, and it’s fucking cold. It’s another reason for me to hate it here. I just want to be back in Willow’s Peak with Victoria.
Climbing off my bike, I stretch out my arms and legs, cracking my back in four different places.
Dad better sort his shit out with Harper fast.
JJ walks Harper out from between the trees and turns her so her back is to us. I guess he’s warning her that we’re here.
Seeing her again, I don’t feel the same toward her. Tor was right, it isn’t Harper’s fault. Dad is giving her a chance, so giving him what he wants, I will too.
She seems cool enough.
India unbuckles Rayna from her car seat, and Leo is quick to hover over them, placing a kiss on the baby’s head, and then on India’s. I never thought Leo could love anyone else other than himself, but he’s a changed man. Could I be the dad my brother seems to be? I’d have to be. The only other choice is to abort, and that doesn’t sit right with me.
“Cas, this must be your boy?”
Dad beams proudly. “They both are.”
The guy introduces himself to me as Gabe, and I tip my chin in greeting.
Digging my phone out of my pocket, I shoot off another text to Victoria.
Me: Answer me, Tor. How you doing?
Her silence is starting to worry me. She’s normally quick with her responses, and after dropping her bombshell, I expected her to want to talk about it nonstop.
“Zander will show you to your rooms,” Gabe offers.
The sooner this is done, the sooner I can get home.
I feel like I’m going to explode. The Mercy chapter is throwing us a welcome party, but I’m anything but in a party mood. Victoria still hasn’t returned a text or answered a single call. I’m so close to calling someone at the club to hunt her down and put her on their phone, but who the fuck would I call? Her brothers certainly wouldn’t go out of their way to help me.
Leo walks by, no doubt on his way over to India, and I grab his arm to stop him.
“What the fuck, little brother?”
“I need to talk to you.”
Jerking my chin in a direction away from the brothers, he follows me, and I try to figure out how to start the conversation.
“What’s going on?”
“I…”
Fuck. Why are the words stuck in my throat?
He sighs. “What have you done?”
“I haven’t done anything,” I snap, but it’s not quite the truth. “Actually, me and…”
Harper catches my eye, and I frown. Some asshole is blocking her way, and she looks mighty uncomfortable. The anger I’ve kept in all day begins to unravel, and I nod in their direction.
Leo’s hands lock into fists as we slowly creep up behind them.
“Please, move out of my way,” Harper grates out.
“Have a drink with me. It’s a party, after all,” the Mercy brother says to her.
“Thank you for the offer, but my husband won’t appreciate me drinking with some other guy.”
Leo and I share a quick look as the guy asks, “Who’s your man?”
Leo takes a step closer. “Turn around and we’ll point him out.”
The guy look
s over his shoulder, and then back to Harper. “Piss off, brother. I found this one first.”
Harper goes to move around him, and the motherfucker grabs her arm. That’s when I lose it. I barely acknowledge Leo yanking Harper out of the way as I launch myself toward the fucking asshole and shove him up against the wall. He’s easily twice my size. I pray he fights back and gives me a challenge.
I wrap my hands around his throat, not really giving him the chance to fight back on account he’s struggling to breathe.
Growling in his ear, I warn, “I’m probably going to get pulled off of you soon enough, but I want you to know that I’d fucking kill you if I could. Talk, touch, or even look at my sister again, and there won’t be anyone strong enough who could pull me off.”
Rearing my head back, I bring it forward and smash it into his nose, feeling satisfied when all I see is his blood. Loosening my hold on his throat, I fist his shirt and swing my fist into his jaw. The fucker’s legs give out and he wobbles in my hold.
Oh, hell no. He isn’t getting away with his disrespect this easily.
I throw punch after punch until his bottom lip is busted, his eye is swelling, and his nose is split open. As I expected, Leo pulls me away, but I don’t try to fight him on it as I watch the guy slide down the wall and land on his ass.
Once I get my breath back, I yank my arm out of his hold and turn to face Harper and her shocked expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that? You’re my sister, and if some asshole puts his hands on you, I’m going to put him on his ass.”
Brushing past her, I take my seat at the table where Dad, JJ, and Gabe are sitting with Mom and a few of the Mercy brothers.
“Do I want to know?” Dad asks.
“Probably not,” I mutter.
“Then you better tell me.”
He lowers his voice and grabs my hand, assessing the cuts, then frowns at my forehead.
“Who have you headbutted and punched the shit out of, and why?”
“I didn’t catch his name. We were too busy getting his hands off Harper and teaching him a lesson.”
“We?”
“Leo and me.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. She’s with Leo.”
His frown softens, and a smile appears.
“You not going to lecture me about it?”
“Why would I lecture you for defending your sister? I’ll find the guy later and have my own words with him.”
I wonder if he’ll be this understanding when I eventually tell him I got Victoria pregnant?
“Listen, son, I want to talk to you about your future with the club. Will I get to slap a prospect patch on you or not?”
Rubbing my hands together, I reconsider my original refusal to join the Lost Souls. Victoria is going to need to cash. Raising a kid isn’t cheap, as my mom likes to remind me every time she hands over money. If I join the club, it means stability and income for her and the baby.
“I’ll become a prospect, but don’t expect me to run around after every fucker taking the piss.”
Barking out a laugh, he slaps me on the back and nods proudly.
“I’ll have a cut on you before we get home,” he vows.
Stepping away from the table, I pull out my phone to text Victoria—again.
Chapter Sixteen
Victoria
Luca isn’t going to be happy when he returns to see Lily has ventured back into town. I could’ve messaged him or told him when he called, but even hundreds of miles away, I’m not ready for his mood to sour. Lily hasn’t said anything to me about that night. She keeps her distance, watching me from afar, and I’m good with that. I was only there for Luca, anyway.
Besides, I have something worse to tell him, and I expect him to lose his shit. A part of me wanted to tell him while he was in Mercy, and then hide when he came back to town, but I’ve got to face him. I got myself into this situation, and I have to deal with my own shit.
Word has it Cas and Alannah were dropped off at the hospital a while ago, so Luca, Leo, India, and the baby should be arriving back at the club any minute. I wipe my clammy hands on my skirt, but it’s no good. Sweat clings to me, and I feel sick.
The roar of motorcycle engines grows louder in the distance, and my nerves electrify. I swear I can hear the buzzing rattling in my ears.
India drives through the gates first, followed by JJ and Harper, then Leo and Luca ride in side by side.
I stay rooted on my ass as Luca parks and swings his leg over his bike. My blood rushes around my body so fast, I can barely hear anything around me, especially when Luca sets his eyes on me. A wide smile spreads across his face, and I force myself to smile in return. The way he’s looking at me, like he’s so happy to see me, is how I’ve always wanted him to look at me. It’s just my luck, though, that it’ll only happen this once.
Getting to my feet, I will my legs not to give out and wait for Luca as he strides toward me.
His teeth bury themselves into his bottom lip when he comes to a stop in front of me, and his eyes drop to my stomach.
“How are you feeling?”
Half of me swoons at how he’s thinking of my well-being, but the other half, the louder half, is screaming he only cares now because he has to out of duty.
“Okay,” I lie.
He turns his head to Sparky and JJ’s reunion, and I see the moment he catches sight Lily. His shoulders tense, and the smile he previously wore is gone, probably not set to return again for a long time.
Grabbing his arm, I jump down the last two steps and haul him toward the side door and up to his room.
“How long has she been back?”
“A couple of days. Listen, can we forget about her, just for tonight? We have our own problems we need to sort out.”
“First, I need you.”
He tugs on my dress until I’m fully against him. “I’ve missed you. I couldn’t wait to get back and see you.”
Why does he have to say this now? Like, for fuck’s sake, where’s my asshole?
Shoving him backward and onto the bed, I lean over and unbuckle his belt. When I’ve got his jeans and boxers off, I pull my dress over my head and toss it to the floor as I straddle him. Guiding his already hard dick to my entrance, I use my other hand to pull my panties to the side.
Taking him in, I bask in the sound of his pleasure when he gasps. This isn’t for me. I don’t even know why I’m fucking him when we should be talking, but it’s easier to distract him with pussy than listen to him be nice. Giving him what he wants, I ride him hard and fast. Maybe if I can spin his mind up with sex, he’ll take my news better. Hell, who am I kidding? It’s Luca. That’ll never happen.
“Oh, fuck, I’ve definitely missed this. You feel better than ever.”
“Shut up and let me fuck you.”
Usually, I like hearing him talk during sex, but not today.
Sliding his hand into my hair, he yanks my head back. His teeth graze along my neck and he bites down as he fills me with his release. Neither of us move for a minute. Not until he wraps his arms around me and hugs me. Fucking hugs me! I can’t handle this right now.
Climbing off of him, I rush into the bathroom and clean myself up before returning to the room.
“We need to talk, now.”
“Yeah, I know. Your grandpa is going to do his best to shoot me, and your brothers are going to want to kick my ass. Not that they’ll get far—”
“I don’t want the baby,” I blurt out.
I hold my breath when he stills, preparing myself for his reaction.
“Say that again?”
“I don’t want to have a baby.”
“Why?”
“There’s a whole bunch of reasons. One, we’re too young. We haven’t even graduated school. Two, we can’t support a child. And third, you don’t even love me.”
“I don’t need to love you to have a baby.” The sharp lash of his tongue still has the ability to cut me
deep.
“You’re right, but it would certainly help. Before I told you I was pregnant, your plan was to leave town and track down Sara Lancaster. You can’t tell me your whole life has changed now with one decision you’ve made over the course of a few days.”
“Sara has nothing to do with this. It’s my baby, and I’m telling you the two don’t have anything to do with the other.”
“Great, so our child would have to grow up knowing Daddy hates being around because he couldn’t go find the girl who got away.”
A knock at the door halts our conversation. Grabbing the sheet, I wrap it around me before JJ opens the door and steps inside.
“Oh, you’re fucking brave, Luca,” JJ says, an infuriating expression on his.
Slipping into his jeans, Luca growls, “What do you want?”
“Your dad collapsed at the hospital, and your mom wants you there.”
Luca’s nearly dressed by the time JJ has filled him in and heading for the door.
“You’re just going to leave without saying anything? Not even ‘see you later?’”
“We’re not together, Tor. I don’t have to do that shit.”
So we’re back to that?
JJ’s brows raise at Luca’s tone toward me, but I’m used to this shit, and I’ve had enough. Before Luca can step out into the hall, I finally blurt out the words I’ve been wanting to say for months.
“She isn’t coming back. She’s probably grinding up and down some greasy pole for a dollar right now, not wasting a second thinking about you, just the fat old guys she’s going to suck off to help pay her rent.”
His Twisted Heart : Sons of Lost Souls MC Series Book Nine Page 9