Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Killian
He hadn’t set foot in his club since the night he’d defiled his best friend’s daughter. But when that same friend called saying he needed a favor and to meet him at the club, he couldn’t say no.
So now here he was, once more drinking in the sights and sounds and smell of his favorite place on earth. Leather and wood striking skin, the yelps and whimpers and screams of submissives being subjected to whatever delicious tortures their Doms had thought up for them that night.
Fuck, he’d missed this.
Upstairs, several patrons lingered, either watching the fun down in the pit or engaging in their own play at various booths and tables situated around the restaurant area.
At one of the tables closest to the bar, Beckett Stone lounged with Ice and Silver, a brooding expression on his face as he watched his submissive, Ruby, flit from one end of the bar to the other.
Clearly, his plan to convince her to slow down now that they were set to be married was going swimmingly.
Normally, he’d stop by their table, needle Beckett about his inability to lock his sub down. Beckett was so easy to rile, and Killian enjoyed the barbs they traded. Having Ice—the bad boy rockstar who’d once given Killian a black eye—there would only add to his enjoyment.
But Braden clearly needed something from him, and even without his own curiosity poking at him, the rules of friendship dictated that he show up on time without detouring to indulge in one of his favorite pastimes.
Perhaps Beckett and company would still be around after his meeting with Braden and he’d have a chance to poke at them then.
The office door was closed when he arrived, so he knocked twice and waited for Braden’s voice. “Come in.”
Pushing open the door, he stepped inside, raising his brows slightly at the sight of Lottie standing in the corner, her pink bottom sporting six perfect cane lines.
There was a time when she would have whined about anyone seeing her in such a state, but she’d been Braden Elliott’s babygirl long enough to have grown used to being on display, it seemed.
“Killian. Have a seat. I’ll just be a moment.”
As Killian settled in one of the comfortable visitor’s chairs on the opposite side of the large desk, Braden rose and tapped Lottie on the shoulder. His babygirl turned, her makeup streaked from her tears and her eyes still wet with them as she looked up at her Daddy.
“You will be on time returning from your breaks, Charlotte. It isn’t fair to the others to have to change their entire schedules because you got a whim and wanted to chat with your friends. And I won’t have my other employees thinking you get special treatment just because you’re mine. Understood?”
“Yes, Daddy.” Lottie’s bottom lip quivered. “I’m really sorry.”
“I know, little one. But you also owe Ivy an apology, since her break was the one that had to be pushed back because you were late getting back.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good girl. Leave that skirt tucked up so everyone can see you were properly punished.”
Lottie’s nose crinkled. “Do I have to?”
“Yes, Charlotte. And if I catch you with it out of place, I will bend you over the bar and put another six lines on your ass while the whole club watches. Am I understood?”
Sighing heavily, Lottie nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Good. You’re dismissed.”
Cheeks pink with lingering embarrassment, Lottie hurried from the office without so much as a glance in Killian’s direction.
Poor thing.
Braden did not, as Killian expected, settle behind his desk again once the office door closed behind his wayward wife. Instead he made his way over to the wet bar and poured them each a generous glass of Killian’s preferred whiskey.
“Are we celebrating? Or commiserating?” Killian asked as he took the offered glass.
“A bit of both.” All but vibrating nervous energy, Braden lifted his whiskey to his lips. “I’m going to tell you something, and I need every bit of what I’m about to tell you to stay between us. Nobody, not even your people, can know. Can you do that for me?”
“I may not have many virtues, but discretion is one I can claim.”
“Right.” Braden gave a distracted nod. “I know that. I’m just… this is very sensitive information.”
Alarm bells rang in the back of Killian’s mind as he watched his friend pace around the room. It was all very un-Braden-like, and worry began to edge out curiosity. “Are you sick?”
“What?” Stopping his pacing, Braden frowned and shook his head. “No, nothing like that. It’s not about me. It’s about Aria.”
For one terrifying second, Killian’s heart stopped. Was she sick? In danger? What could possibly be going on that Braden needed his help with his daughter? “What about Aria?”
If Braden noticed the way his voice sharpened, he didn’t show it. “She’s pregnant.”
Now it wasn’t just his heart stopping, but the entire world. Time slowed, the edges of his vision went dark. “Pregnant?” His voice sounded hollow, distant, but that could just be because he could barely hear anything over the ringing in his ears.
“Yeah.” For the first time since Killian had stepped foot in his office, Braden smiled. And not just any smile, but a full-on grin that threatened to split his face in two. “I’m gonna be a grandpa.”
And you’re about to have a criminal for a son-in-law.
No. He wasn’t going there. Just because they’d slept together the one time didn’t automatically mean he was the father. A woman like Aria could have her pick of men, and given her curiosity about kink, it seemed likely she’d take advantage of her good looks and charm to learn as much as possible.
Jealousy, raw and ugly, clawed at his chest. It wasn’t fair, or even right, considering he was engaged to another woman.
But the very thought of another man putting his hands on what belonged to him had him clutching the glass in his hand, desperately fighting the urge to hurl the heavy crystal at the wall.
Breathing through the agonizing jealousy, he lifted his glass toward his friend. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. I’m deliriously happy. Terrified and a bit ‘I’m not old enough for this shit’ but happy. My baby’s having a baby.”
“It’s a good thing. But I’m not sure where I fit into the conversation.” Because if Braden had any inkling Killian could possibly, maybe be the father, he had no doubt he’d already be dead. So what did he want?
Braden’s expression soured. “Aria won’t tell me who the father is. When I pressed, she just told me he ‘isn’t the man she thought he was’ and asked me to leave it at that.”
Doesn’t mean anything. She could say that about anyone.
But he knew. Deep in his bones, he knew.
He was going to be a father.
Holy shit.
“I want you to track him down.”
The words jolted Killian back to reality and he stared up at his closest friend. A man he considered a brother. Whose daughter he’d apparently gotten in the family way. “Pardon?”
“The father. I want you to figure out who he is.”
Fucking hell. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? If Aria asked you to leave it be…”
“I know. I just want to make sure he’s not someone I need to worry about. She assured me he didn’t hurt her, but for my own peace of mind I’d like to know he’s not a danger to her or the child.”
“I understand.” And he did. He’d likely do exactly the same if it was his daughter.
His daughter. He could be having a daughter. One who would be as sassy and bold as her mother, no doubt.
“So you’ll do it?”
It was the hope in Braden’s eyes that clinched it. “I’ll do my best. It’s going to be a bit difficult, considering your daughter hates my guts and refuses to be in the same room with me for more than thirty seconds.”
Braden’s expression shifted, turning smug. “Killian, I’ve been friends with you long enough to know you don’t need anything as pedestrian as a conversation to get information from someone.”
“Indeed.” Draining his whiskey, he rose and set the tumbler on Braden’s desk. “I’ll see what I can learn and I’ll let you know as soon as I have any kind of confirmation.”
“I appreciate that. You’re a good friend.”
We’ll see if you still feel that way after I tell you who knocked your daughter up.
Keeping that thought to himself, he bowed out of sticking around for a meal. He didn’t even bother to stop and poke at Beckett and Ice on his way out the door.
Somewhere out in the city was a naughty little princess keeping a very big secret.
And he intended to find her.
Aria
In addition to Holden’s magic muffins, apparently anything deep-fried in lots of grease made her stomach happy. As a result, she was halfway through a giant order of onion rings from a local diner when the knock came.
One of her neighbors, most likely, since the front door required a code or being buzzed in by someone in the building. Maybe it was Dominic, the sexy firefighter who lived two doors down with his adorable wife, Noelle.
Buoyed by the prospect of some eye-candy, she swung open the door, a welcoming smile cocked and ready to go.
Only to find one Killian O’Rourke standing in the hall, looking impossibly dangerous and wildly out of place in her happy, bright apartment building.
Panic gripped her, squeezing her lungs in its vice-like grip as she stared down the father of her child. Not that he knew that. He couldn’t.
Could he?
No. Absolutely not.
Armed with that certainty, she jerked her chin up, doing her best to look down her nose at him despite the height difference. “What the fuck do you want?”
“We need to talk. Invite me in, princess.”
“Why? Are you a vampire on top of being a mob boss? Well too bad, you are not welcome here.”
Stepping back, she swung the door forward with as much force as she could muster. But instead of the satisfying slam she’d been expecting, the door stopped halfway, and she found herself staring into Killian’s glittering, furious eyes.
“I was trying to be polite. But I am also perfectly happy throwing manners out the window if that’s what you’d prefer.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. “I would prefer if you get out of my apartment. Now.”
“No.”
Shoving the door open, he stepped inside, crowding her, invading her space. And fuck her if some part of her didn’t want to drag him off to her bedroom for a repeat of that one magical night they’d had together.
Instead, she stood her ground, forcing herself not to drop her gaze as he stared her down, even though her heart felt like it might actually beat out of her chest. “Killian. If you don’t get the fuck out of my apartment right now, I’m going to call my uncles.”
To her never-ending aggravation, he didn’t back down. He just smiled. “Please do, princess. And then you can explain to them that I’m only here because you didn’t bother to tell me you’re having my baby. I’m sure your uncles will be just thrilled by that information.”
Every ounce of blood drained from her face. “Who told you that?”
“I see you’re not denying it.”
“Answer the fucking question. Who told you I’m pregnant?” Not that it was really a question. Only two people in the world knew, and she had a feeling Lottie hadn’t gone blabbing to everyone.
“Your father is very worried about you. He’s tasked me with tracking down the father, making sure he doesn’t pose any kind of threat to you or yours.”
“Goddammit.” Fury pumped through her veins and she spun around, pacing away from him. “I told him I didn’t want to tell him who it was. He promised me he’d respect that.”
“I’m sure in his way he thinks he is respecting your decision by not pressuring you to tell him.”
“No, he just hired his fucking mafia lapdog to do his dirty work for him. I’m going to kill him.”
Slender fingers wrapped around her wrist, giving her only a split second of warning before she found herself yanked against his hard, lean body. “First of all, princess, I am nobody’s lapdog. Not yours, not your father’s. That is something you are going to want to keep in mind.”
Fear slid through her veins, slick and greasy and stomach-churning. And on its heels came arousal, so burning hot she wondered how it didn’t actually set her skin on fire.
“Let go of me.” Thankfully, her voice didn’t tremble, even though everything inside her currently was.
“As soon as you tell me the truth.”
“What truth?” But she knew. Before he even opened his mouth, she knew what he wanted from her.
“The baby. Is it mine?”
“It’s none of your business, is what it is.”
The hand on her wrist tightened and the green of his eyes burned with barely restrained fury.
“Do not test me, princess.” His voice was soft, too soft, and she nearly whimpered at the sound of it.
“The version of me you got that night at the club was me on my best behavior. The civilized, restrained version of myself. But that is not who I really am. And unless you want a taste of the true Killian O’Rourke tonight, I suggest you tell me the truth right fucking now. ”
She didn’t want to tell him. Had somehow deluded herself into thinking he would never find out.
But that had just been a ridiculous pipe dream.
He was her father’s closest friend, so he would have eventually learned she was pregnant even if her dad hadn’t tasked him with tracking down the father.
And from there it was, clearly, a short hop, skip, and jump to the truth.
Lying was an option. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it, not to his face. He might be comfortable with flaunting the rule and law of society, but she was not.
“Yes, the baby shares your DNA. But she is not yours. She’s mine, and only mine.”
“She…” Aria watched the wheels turn, watched him do the math in his head. “You already know it’s a girl?”
“No, I’ve just been thinking of her that way. But I hope it is a girl,” she added with a sneer. “I know how you mafia types feel about having sons.”
“I don’t give a fuck. Boy, girl, it doesn’t matter. That baby is mine, and so are you.”
“The fuck we are. I don’t want you anywhere near me or my child.”
“It’s far too late for that, princess.” Still holding her wrist hostage, he ducked his head, his lips a hair’s breadth from hers. “You and our baby both belong to me. First thing tomorrow, I’m going to tell your father everything, and then we can figure out the logistics of our… relationship.”
He stepped back and released her hand, and she hated herself for the stab of disappointment at the loss of his touch. “I will never belong to you. And I will do everything in my power to make sure you never so much as lay eyes on our child.”
“Keep telling yourself that, princess.” Shooting his arm out, he straightened the sleeves of his perfect suit before flashing her one of those devastating smiles. “I need to get going. But tomorrow, you and I are going to have our reckoning.”
“Fuck you and fuck your reckoning.”
The smile turned wolfish. “Oh, princess. I am very much hoping you’ll do exactly that.”