Chapter Fifteen
I WAS LOCKED and loaded to hash things out with Haddie, set the record straight. But walking in on my best friend tangled up with her? That was a gut punch no one could brace for. I was seeing red, murder on my mind, and the cherry on top? Haddie jumps to his defense. What the hell kind of shit was this?
My head was spinning, chaos crowding my thoughts and making me crazy, so instead of hitting the road like I planned, I pivoted back to confront Haddie. That’s when Jonesy blocked my path. “Hold up,” he grunted. “Patch called a meeting.”
“Damn,” I cursed under my breath, trailing Jonesy back inside. I should’ve smelled trouble the moment Scotch and Harker showed up. I stormed into the clubhouse, my glare fixed on Valley, who was nursing the shiner and busted lip that I gifted him earlier. Felt good seeing him wince in pain.
“Just park it,” Harker barked as I brushed past him.
“What the fuck’s going on now?” Leather sneered, eyeing Valley and me. “You try to swipe someone else’s woman again?”
“Zip it, Leather,” Patch cut in, as he, Player, and Scotch filed in and took their seats.
“Spill it. What’s this circus with Hadleigh?” Patch demanded, his voice hard as nails.
Valley shot me a look that screamed it was time to come clean. I knew I had to lay it all out because Patch was like a bear with a scent. He knew something.
“It’s not what it looked like. This hothead wouldn’t hear us out,” Valley spats back.
“Are you and Hadleigh sleeping together?” Patch pressed as his stare drilled into me. “Player mentioned you acted mighty familiar with her during the pickup, like you already knew her.”
I sighed, my story pouring out for what felt like the millionth time. The shock on their faces morphed into disbelief. “Yeah, you’re the one,” Patch finally broke the silence, his gaze boring into me. “You’re the guy Hadleigh was all torn up about when she talked to Samuel. What are the fucking odds of this shit?”
“What are you getting at?” I asked, my pulse racing.
Patch exhaled slowly. “Clear out, everyone but Scotch, Player, and Midnight.” The room emptied, leaving us in a tense huddle. “Scotch and Harker mentioned Hadleigh passed out earlier.”
“Passed out?” My concern spiked. “Is she alright?”
Patch leaned in, dropping the bomb. “Midnight, you know if Hadleigh might be pregnant?”
I recoiled, stunned. “No... I mean, she didn’t say... Is she?”
“That’s still up in the air,” Patch admitted. “I put a call into Samuel, who says she told him she could be pregnant, and by the man she had been involved with before being brought back home. After she passed out and came around earlier, Scotch noticed her hand fly to her stomach, scared.”
“You wrap it up?” Player chimed in, and my head dropped; no, we hadn’t. “I take that as negative.”
My mind raced. Haddie had lied to me about being safe, and now she might hide a pregnancy too?
“Listen, Midnight, you need to find out. If my guess is right, she’s about three months in and needs to see Doc,” Patch advised, his tone concerned. Katherine’s recent ordeal hung heavy over us all.
“I’ll talk to her,” I managed, standing, my legs barely holding me. Haddie might be carrying my baby, and my world was tilting.
“Get back to me tonight. You and Valley still have to answer for this mess,” Patch snapped, dismissing me.
I walked out, still in shock at what was just revealed. My future with Haddie was suddenly more complicated than ever.
“I’M FINE, AVA,” I reassured her for what felt like the umpteenth time since my fainting episode. The men had all but commanded me to rest in my room, and I attributed my collapse to the sweltering heat. “It’s nothing serious.”
Ava hesitated before voicing her concern. “Hadleigh, may I ask you something personal?”
“Of course,” I responded, bracing myself for the question I knew was coming.
“Are you involved with Midnight? I understand it’s supposed to be a cover, but there seems to be a real connection between you two.”
I sighed deeply and reclined on the pillow. “Yes, and it’s complicated. We met several months ago in South Carolina. I never thought our paths would cross here.”
Ava’s eyes twinkled with excitement. “I suspected as much! There’s an undeniable tension between you two. But how could it be possible, considering your actual purpose here?” She paused thoughtfully before posing another question. “Why do I sense a love-hate dynamic between you two?”
I shrugged nonchalantly, “He struggles with our past and I... well... let’s just say things aren’t as simple as they appear.”
Ava tenderly squeezed my hand. “Real love is never easy, Hadleigh. It often demands navigating through a sea of complications to find your way back to each other. It’s a learning process.”
That was the crux of it all. I wasn’t his true love; merely a temporary distraction from his heartbreak. I knew he cared, but that wasn’t enough for me.
“Ava, can I have a word with Haddie alone?” Kaven’s voice sounded from the doorway. His unexpected arrival caught us off guard.
“Of course,” Ava replied, casting curious glances at us before leaving.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Kaven approached, his gaze intense and searching. The room suddenly felt too small, his presence too close. With no hesitation, he asked, “Haddie, are you pregnant?”
The question struck me like a physical blow, and I stood abruptly, my heart hammering. “Why would you ask that?” I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.
His hands gripped my arms, his voice a low growl. “Answer me, Haddie. Are you carrying my baby?”
“Yes,” I confessed, the truth spilling out, inevitable and terrifying.
He stepped closer, his forehead resting against mine, his eyes searching mine desperately. “And when were you planning to tell me?”
“I... I don’t know,” I murmured, the admission hollow. “I didn’t want you to feel trapped.”
His reaction was swift as he moved away, his hand striking the wall, the sound echoing like thunder. “So, never. You were going to marry another man while carrying my baby? How could you, Haddie?”
His accusations stung deeply. He seemed oblivious to the predicament I was in and the limited power I had over my own life. “How was I supposed to locate you, Kaven? All I had was a first name.”
Frustration seethed inside him as he confronted me again. “That doesn’t change the fact that you were going to let another man raise my kid without even attempting to find me. You’ve found me, but still kept silent.”
“Kaven, what do you want from me?” I shouted in exasperation as I spread my arms, so frustrated at him for not being willing to see my point of view at all. “Tell me, since you seem to know everything!”
“I want the truth, dammit!” he shouted back, his voice filling the room. “Stop hiding things from me.”
“You’re one to talk!” I retorted sharply. “As if you aren’t keeping things from me and just last night, you snuck away from me like I was a cheap prostitute.”
He paused, confusion flickering across his face before he spoke again, softer this time. “I’ve never lied to you, Haddie, and I’m sorry about last night.” His hand moved to rest gently on my stomach. “We need to get married.”
A bitter laugh escaped me as I stepped back, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. “As touching as your proposal is, Kaven, the answer is no.”