Affliction, page 30
part #2 of Knights Rebels MC Series
“Yes,” I rush out, not needing to give it a second thought. “Yes,” I cry as he kisses me.
“Yes?” he asks again, obviously unsure he heard me correctly.
“Yeah, Sunshine. I’ll marry you.” I kiss him fiercely this time, knowing I wouldn’t want it any other way.
“I love you, baby,” he whispers softly.
“I love you, too,” I reply, resting my hand over my belly.
“I promise you, Holly, I’m going to be the best dad there is,” he assures me, covering my hand with his.
“I know you will, Sy,” I agree, and he will. From just listening to the way he speaks about Keira, I know what sort of father he will be.
“I’m going to be a mom.” I smile again at the unexpected news.
“We’re going to be a family,” he states, filling me with hope. Our journey has come full circle. There have been moments filling me with despair and heartbreak. Some days, I thought I could never move past it, but then a small moment of hope appears. It’s so magical, so life-affirming that it makes it all worthwhile.
This is one of those moments.
***
“Thank God, you’re okay,” Kadence says, sitting on the end of my bed at the hospital. She came in five minutes ago, and Sy still hasn’t let go of my hand to let me embrace her. I understand he’s worried about me, but I’m beginning to wonder if he’s going to be worse than Nix.
“I’m fine. Promise,” I reassure her, trying not to come across too excited. After the doctor left us with the news, I decided I wanted to keep the pregnancy under wraps for a couple more weeks; just until I’m out of the first trimester. Sy didn’t agree, but is going along with it. I’m sure he thinks I’m going to cave and let it slip, but I need to let it settle in before I share the news with anyone.
“Do you want me to call your mom?” Kadence asks, probably wondering why she isn’t here.
“God, no,” I rush out, thinking that would be the worst thing to do. “She will freak out and come all the way down here for no reason. I promise I’m fine.” She nods, taking my word for it.
“How’s Jesse?” Sy asks, letting go of my hand to come and climb into the bed with me.
“Oh, he’s okay. He’s been keeping the nurses on their toes.” She smiles, shaking her head.
“I feel my ears burning,” Jesse's voice comes from the door. What timing.
“Jesse, what the hell are you doing out of your bed?” Kadence rushes over to him, helping him hobble to the chair.
“Had to see this pretty girl.” He reaches out to take my hand. “How you feeling?” he asks, concern filling his face and ignoring Sy’s growl at his pretty girl comment.
“I’m good,” I smile, but then remember I’m not meant to be too happy. “How are you?”
“Aww, you know, making the pretty nurses fall for me,” he smirks.
“You shouldn’t be on that foot, Jesse,” I scold him when I see him wince in pain.
“Please, don’t you start,” he complains, rolling his eyes. “I’ve had my father and mother on at me about it,” he says, shaking his head.
“What did they say? You going in for another surgery?” Sy asks.
“Let's not talk about the foot for a moment, okay?” he asks, making me wonder if it's worse than he’s letting on.
“What are you doing in here?” A small brunette in a nurse's uniform comes into the room, scolding Jesse for leaving his bed.
“Ahhh, the one nurse who is immune to my charms. Isn’t that right, Nurse Bell?” He wiggles his brows at the poor woman.
“You need to go back to your room. Your mother and father are looking for you,” she replies as a light blush coats her cheeks.
“I will marry you if you tell them I left,” he says, which makes me laugh.
“Mr. Carter, stop asking me to marry you if I get rid of them. You’re a grown man. You tell them to leave,” Nurse Bell says, shaking her head at Jesse’s immaturity.
“I remember you,” Kadence says, coming into the conversation. “You were on when I was in here,” she observes.
“That’s where I know you from.” Jesse slaps his hand down onto his knee, like it all comes back to him. “I swear with the attitude you’ve been throwing around I thought I had fucked you once and forgot about it,” he responds, sending the poor girl’s blush to a deep red.
“Mr. Carter, I won’t say this again, you need to go back to your room.” She ignores his last remark and crosses her arms. I look at her closely and watch as she tries to hide her frustration.
“Will you take me back to my room and give me a sponge bath?” he teases, knowing she’s affected by him and trying even harder for a satisfying reaction.
“No, let's go,” she insists, coming forward and helping him out of the chair. “You shouldn’t be on your leg. You need to use the crutches,” she scolds him as they walk off back to his room.
“Bye, Holly.” He looks over his shoulder giving me a wink.
“Thanks for helping me, Jesse,” I answer back as he leaves.
“I should go, too,” Kadence says, coming to kiss my cheek. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so worried about you.” She pulls back.
“I’m good, Kadence. Thank you for coming and staying with me,” I say, knowing she has Nix waiting for her outside.
“I’ll come by tomorrow once you’re discharged.”
“She’s going to be at the clubhouse,” Sy adds, bossing me around again, only this time making the decisions himself. I don’t comment, just let him have his say, but make a mental note to talk with him later. If he thinks he is going to wrap me in bubble wrap like Nix has done with Kadence, then he better think again.
“Yes, we will be talking later,” he whispers so only I can hear. Gah, he even orders me around when I think I’m bossing him in my head.
Seriously, the man is a headache.
“Okay, say thanks to Nix,” I ignore Sy as Kadence leans forward to kiss my cheek.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asks again.
“I'm fine,” I reassure her again. It's not like I don't want to tell her. I do. I want to scream it out for people to know, but something is holding me back. I need it to be just Sy and me for a small moment. I want us to get used to the news before everyone else knows.
“Okay, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She smiles and steps back. “I love you, girl.” She waves before walking out the door.
“Love you,” I reply and then turn to Sy.
“You wanted to tell her,” he accuses, coming to sit on the side of my hospital bed.
“She’s my best friend,” I defend myself.
“You're the one who wanted to keep it to us. I don't mind,” he shrugs.
“Well, I would like to tell my parents first,” I admit, knowing if we tell anyone straight away, it will be them.
“Baby, like I said, I don't mind. Now lay back. You need your rest. I don't want anything to happen to you,” he says, already fussing.
I lean back, the day catching up with me. “Sunshine,” I whisper, letting my heavy eyes blink once. Twice.
“Yeah, baby?”
“You're going to be a daddy,” I tell him just as sleep comes. I'm searching for a girl in my dreams. Something about her reminds me of someone and her laugh is so infectious I want to hear her again. As sleep takes me, the sunset comes into view and then I see her.
Keira.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Sy
“You hear back from Jackson?” I ask, packing up the shop after my last client for the day. I just finished my first day back after Jesse’s party and I’m eager to get home to see Holly.
“Yeah, they dropped the charges,” Beau says, watching me carefully.
“What the fuck?” I stop what I’m doing and look up at him and Nix.
“Nothing Jackson could do. It was out of his hands.” Nix nods but I still can’t get my head around it. The asshole attacked Holly in front of Jackson. In front of fifty witnesses.
“Don’t fuck with me,” I tell them, growing more pissed by the second.
“I’m not fuckin’ with you. Why do you think I’m here?” Nix says, resting his hip against the counter.
“The fucker almost killed my woman. Tell me how they aren’t pressing charges?”
“He pleaded out, so lesser charges were laid and he walks away with a misdemeanor and community service.” My blood is boiling in rage as I realize the asshole just got off for endangering my woman, my unborn child. My body moves on its own accord, dropping my shit and walking through the shop to the exit.
“Hold on, fucker,” Nix says, pulling me back from my exit.
“Fuck off, Nix. The fucker is getting off. Tell me you wouldn’t be fucking pissed,” I say, pulling out of his grasp.
“I am fuckin’ pissed, Sy. But going off half-cocked when he’s just been released is fuckin’ dumb. Think about it.”
“All I’m thinking about is seeing that crazy fucker hold a broken bottle up to my woman’s throat. Who’s to say he won’t give up? He’s hiding behind his family’s money, getting away with fucking everything while we have to fucking worry about the safety of our women.” I know it’s not Nix’s fault, but I can’t stop the pissed-off rant coming from my lips. Holly and I have just come back to a good space. Her dealing with the worry that this fucker could come back and mess with us is just too much.
“We keep our eyes open. We don’t leave our women alone, and if the fucker comes at us again, we do somethin’ about it. We don’t go lookin’ for trouble, Sy. We wait. If the fucker is dumb enough to make a play again, we’ll be ready and will take him down,” he says and I don’t miss his hidden promise. If Chad fucking Morre comes at us again, it doesn’t matter how above the law he is, we will take the fucker down.
“Holly and Kadence both have their restraining orders out on him. As far as I’m concerned, he fucks with us one more time, we take him. Until then, don’t get fucked up over the fucker. He will get his time,” he finishes as I start to calm down.
I don’t like it. I’d much rather head over to him and fuck him up, but that won’t get us anywhere. We need to play this out safe and make sure that if he does come for us again, we’re prepared.
“Fine, but if the time comes where this goes to the next step, it’s me who takes him. I don’t give a fuck what’s happening, I end it. You feel me?” I ask, looking at both Beau and Nix.
“We feel ya,” Nix nods.
“Good, now get the fuck out. I gotta go see my woman,” I tell them, looking at the clock on the wall.
“Fuck, always thinking with your cock,” Beau laughs, shaking his head. “Careful, you’re beginning to sound like Jesse.”
“How is he anyway?” I ask, my rage calming.
“He’s doing okay. Still refusing surgery,” Nix answers.
“Why?”
“Fucked if I know. He says he ain’t goin’ through it again. Some fucked up bullshit. But we’ll see how he goes. Can’t even ride at the moment and his parents are on his ass, naggin’ him. Anyone would think he was a teenager again.”
“You know anything about that?” I ask, remembering how his parents were riding his ass the night of his birthday.
“Won’t talk about it. Some bullshit about family loyalty; they don’t like the club life and have no problem tellin’ him.”
“Well, as far as I’m concerned, the fucker is a hero. They need to back the fuck up,” Beau says, flicking through one of the Ink Me tattoo books.
“You tell that to his dad,” Nix says, shaking his head, knowing more than I do.
“I’ll have a word with Jesse, get him to think straight. Besides he can’t ride; the fucker will be going mad,” I say, but knowing Jesse, he’d probably still try to fucking ride.
“We have a family dinner Kadence is putting on next week. We want you there,” Nix says, pushing off the counter.
“I’ll talk with Holly,” I tell him, walking around flicking off the lights.
“Wasn’t a suggestion. You be there. Kadence is worried about her and you keeping her locked up isn’t makin’ her feel better.”
“Like I said, I’ll talk to her. My main concern is Holly, not your woman,” I warn back.
“Look at you two, so fucking pussy whipped it makes me sick,” Beau accuses, coming up behind us.
“Fuck off, Beau,” we both warn while still holding each other’s gaze.
“You talk to your woman and I’ll talk to mine,” Nix compromises and I agree.
“Glad we sorted that out. Now can we quit fucking acting like pussies,” Beau adds, slapping us on the back.
“Yeah, yeah, asshole, it’ll be you one day,” Nix accuses as we follow him out.
“Never. The day you see me handing my balls to a woman is the day hell freezes over.”
“Never say never, fucker,” I tell him as I lock up the shop, realizing just how far my life has changed in the last year. Never in my wildest dreams would I see myself settling down with a woman again, my child growing in her belly. Fuck me, I didn’t even think I would let anyone in. Holly changed all that for me, changed the direction of my course, and if that had to happen with an exchange of my balls, I don’t even give a fuck. I couldn’t be happier.
“I’ll remember this day, Beau,” Nix warns, mounting his bike. “And when you start walkin’ around ball-less, we’ll all remind you how fuckin’ pussy whipped you really are,” he laughs and I join him. The fucker has no idea, and the day it comes, I can’t wait to give him shit over it.
***
“So, Mom and Dad are having a family dinner next weekend,” Holly says, resting against the counter watching me make pancakes the next morning. It’s been ten days since her concussion and finding out about the baby.
“What sort of dinner?” I turn to look over at her. I love waking up in her place, walking around her kitchen, making her pancakes while she sits on the counter chatting.
“I was hoping it could be a ‘we’re getting married, Mom and Dad, oh and you’re going to be grandparents too’ dinner. Do you think you would like to come?” she asks, looking nervous. We've held off telling her parents for the last week, with Holly wanting to wait until she was twelve weeks along. ‘The safe period,' she tells me.
“Are you asking me on a date?” I smirk, walking up and standing between her legs.
“Ha-ha, smartass,” she says, squeezing my nipple. I repay the action by pinching hers back.
“You want to come out to your mom and dad at a family dinner?” I question, starting to freak out a little. Fuck, I didn’t think this through.
“Yeah, I need them to know about my baby daddy.” She smiles big at me.
“You want to feed me to your parents,” I tease her softly.
“And my brother,” she adds.
“Oh, shit. That bullhead brother of yours?”
“Oh, he thinks that about you, too,” she smiles with a guilty smirk on her face.
“Fucking great,” I sigh, not looking forward to that meeting.
“Don’t worry. He’s found himself a new girl. He’s totally pussy whipped,” she laughs, hooking my neck in her grasp as she pulls me toward her. “Kind of like you,” she murmurs against my lips. I don’t respond to her little bite, just take the kiss deeper and pull her closer to me. She wraps her legs around my waist, her hot pussy rubbing against me.
“You think I’m pussy whipped?” I finally ask. Her eyes are glazed over, and her lips are red from our rough kiss. It’s the second time I’ve been accused in the last twenty-four hours.
“Not at all,” she sweetly replies.
“Holly, I’m not whipped,” I tell her, stepping back out of her grasp to finish breakfast.
“No, I believe you,” she says, sliding off the counter.
“What are you doing?” I ask, watching her lift her dress. She hooks her thumbs into the sides of her panties and seductively drags them down her thighs.
“Oh, nothing much, I just want to see how not pussy whipped you are.” She kicks her panties up at me and jumps back up on the kitchen counter.
“Removing your panties isn’t going to make me cave,” I tell her, catching them and bringing them to my nose to breathe in her scent.
“Did you just sniff my panties?” she laughs, watching me pocket them in the back of my pants. I shrug, going back to watching her.
“Of course you didn’t, ‘cause you’re not pussy whipped, baby,” she purrs. Her voice sexy as fuck, while her fingers trail up her pale soft thigh. Jesus.
Her legs spread giving me the perfect view of her bare pussy. She’s a temptation; I’ll give her that.
“You don’t play fair,” I admit, forcing myself not to give in. I’ve got this. She won't win.
“You know, baby. If you were pussy whipped, you wouldn’t be able to handle this right now.” She continues to tease me as her fingers dance over her lips, spreading them to show me just how wet she is. Fuck me.
A growl erupts from my throat at seeing her spread out for me.
“Are you hungry, baby?” Her raspy voice all but breaks me.
“So fucking hungry,” I reply, watching her fingers slide into where I desperately ache to sink myself.
“Then come and get something to eat, Sy,” she all but begs. She doesn’t have to ask twice. I step forward, drop to my knees, and bury my face in her sweet cunt.
Her scent invades me, intoxicating me. Her moans fill her kitchen, the cries of passion only spurring me forward. Her hands come to my head, her short nails rake along my scalp.
“Fuck, I love your tongue,” she moans, her hips riding my face. Thrust and whimper, thrust and whimper. I flick, suck and nip harder, focusing on her tiny ball of nerves.
“Yes…yes…yes,” she chants as her orgasm runs through her. I don’t relent, pushing her further into the bliss she’s living right now.
Her cries fade and her movements slow as I lazily slide my tongue up and down through her wetness.
“Again,” she demands, her voice hoarse from her screams.
“You’ve got a greedy pussy, you know that?” I voice, looking up at her sexy-as-fuck just-orgasmed look.
