Chapter Twenty
I HAD JUST slipped on my sandals when a knock sounded on the door. I knew Kaven was here to escort me to breakfast, though it wasn’t really necessary—I wasn’t getting kidnapped on my way to the kitchen. Despite the child that now connected us, I still wasn’t ready to talk about our relationship, or lack thereof.
When I opened the door, my eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Ava and a teenage boy standing there, both smiling. “Morning, Hadleigh. Patch needs to talk to you in his office.”
“Ahh, sure,” I replied, confused as to why he wanted to see me so early and the reason behind it.
“This way,” Ava said, leading me down the hall. “This is Mikie, by the way.”
“You’ve got the reddest hair I’ve ever seen,” Mikie observed, falling into step beside me. “Hear you’re Midnight’s girl. I know his brother Bo.” Ava shot him a scolding glance over her shoulder, prompting him to add, “I don’t mean it in a bad way about your hair. It’s just different, is all.”
“Yeah, my hair could guide a lost traveler at night,” I chuckled at his honesty.
“Here we are,” Ava said, stopping in front of a door and knocking lightly. Player opened it and signaled me inside. My eyes caught Kaven’s from where he was seated in a chair by the wall.
“Have a seat,” Patch ordered, pointing to the chair beside Kaven.
I took the seat and asked, “What’s going on?”
Before anyone could reply, the door opened, and Samuel strolled into the room. Why was he here? I felt Kaven stiffen beside me as Samuel greeted me. “Hello, Hadleigh,” he said, taking a seat beside Player.
“So, what’s this about?” Patch asked, leaning forward, his arms on the desk.
“We seem to have a problem,” Samuel said, his cold eyes locking onto mine. “Did you tell anyone about the plan?”
“Not a soul,” I replied, confused. “Why are you asking me this?”
“Because I believe I’m being followed,” he informed the room. “So again, Hadleigh, did you tell anyone?”
“She said she didn’t, and anyone could be following you, given the business you’re in,” Kaven snapped, speaking up for me.
Samuel’s eyes flashed with irritation at Kaven before he said, “I’m going to let that slide since you’re her boyfriend, and I understand your need to defend and protect, but tread lightly, boy.”
“I’ll say whatever—” Kaven began, but Patch cut him off with a glare.
“Shut it. Get on with it, Samuel. Tell us what you want.”
“If there’s even a chance I’m being followed, it’s only a matter of time before Hadleigh is located here,” Samuel said, his voice urgent as he looked at me. “Not only that, but your grandfather is offering a five-million-dollar reward for your safe return. The poster will hit the underground tomorrow.”
Player whistled. “Shit, that’ll bring out the hunters.”
“Exactly,” Samuel replied. “Hadleigh needs to be moved fast, somewhere remote.”
“I can take her to my cabin,” Kaven suggested. “It’s in the middle of the wilderness, not easily accessible.”
“The one you took Aislynn to when you hid her?” Player asked, raising an eyebrow.
Immediately, I didn’t want to go there—not where he had a history with the woman he loved. “Are there other options?” I asked, my eyes pleading.
Kaven turned to me, his voice tense. “What’s your problem, Haddie? Would you rather be taken back and marry Samuel?”
“He’s right, Hadleigh,” Samuel agreed. “Not enough time has passed. I thought you wanted to be with this man, and I understand you’re carrying his child.”
Kaven’s eyes bored into me like lasers, and the other men watched, waiting for my reply. I knew I couldn’t fight going to that cabin without revealing my reasons, so I caved. “Fine, how much longer will I have to hide?” I asked Samuel.
He sighed, thinking for a moment. “Another month should do it. I want to ensure your pregnancy progresses to a point where your grandfather has to accept it. I can then assure him there are no hard feelings when we break the contract.”
“What do you mean, ‘accept it’? What’s he gonna do?” Kaven snarled.
“In our world, inconveniences are taken care of,” Samuel said, his voice cold and detached. “Her grandfather isn’t going to break a contract with a powerful man like me just so Hadleigh can have a biker’s baby.”
“That’s fucked up,” Kaven shot back. “And these people claim to love her? Trust me, she won’t be coming back to the likes of you and them.”
Seeing Samuel’s face turn red, I grabbed Kaven’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Let it go,” I whispered nervously. “Let’s just get ready to leave for your cabin.”
“Midnight, take Hadleigh to get some breakfast, then gather any supplies you’ll need from around the clubhouse. You can use my bike’s pull-behind trailer,” Patch ordered, clearly done with the conversation. “I want you on the road in two hours.”
“We’ll be in touch,” Samuel told me as I let Kaven guide me out of the room. Samuel was not a man to play with, and I didn’t want Kaven saying anything else.
Outside the room, Kaven cornered me against the wall. “How could you even think of letting a man like that raise my kid?” he snarled, his eyes searching mine. “How, Haddie?”
HER HANDS SLAMMED against my chest, trying to push me away, but I was immovable. “You’re being unfair and not trying to understand the situation I was in,” she shot back, her eyes blazing with anger.
“Was it because he was rich? You thought that would make up for that block of ice raising a kid that wasn’t his? Or did you find him a better option than a guy like me?”
“Do you hear yourself?” she snarled, shoving my chest again. “I’m so sick of you accusing me of things you know nothing about!”
I knew I was blowing it again, but the jealousy was eating me alive, gnawing at me with the knowledge of what Samuel said about taking care of inconveniences. Who the fuck talked about babies that way? “You would have let them take care of your inconvenience?”
“How could you say something like that!” she cried, tears welling in her eyes as she gave a hard shove, slipping under my arm and heading for the back door.
I was hot on her heels, the volatile emotions inside me boiling over. I ran after her and cornered her against the building. “Let me go,” she whispered furiously through her tears.
“No, not until you tell me the truth! Would you have let them kill our baby?” I pressed her, my forehead dropping against hers, my breathing heavy from all the emotions surging through me.
“Never!” she shouted, her fists balling against my chest. “I would never have allowed that, and I can’t believe you would think so lowly of me.”
Before I could react, she brought her knee up, hitting me square in the nuts, and I dropped to my knees in pain. “What the fuck!” I groaned, looking up at her.
“I’ll meet you out front in a few hours,” she shouted, turning on her heel and fleeing back into the clubhouse. How could such a small woman cause so much pain?
I heard clapping and looked up to see Samuel and Patch laughing at me. “You deserve that pain,” Patch chuckled, looking down at me.
Samuel kneeled; his face close to mine. “You can’t really be blaming Hadleigh for all of this, can you? That girl saved your life by not saying anything to her grandfather. Had she told Vittorio about you, there would have been two problems eliminated. Of that, I promise you and Hadleigh wouldn’t have been able to stop it,” Samuel said, standing up and adjusting his suit jacket. “The fact that she had the bravery to confront me shows just how much she loved you. Stop being foolish.”
“Get up and get things ready so you two can get moving,” Patch ordered, showing no mercy for my predicament. “And for the love of God, try to remember the girl is carrying your kid and quit upsetting her.”
I watched them walk away, so different yet so alike, and scowled as I pushed to my feet. Of course, Samuel was right, just like everyone else that’s tried to reason with me. And just when I think I’m on the right track, I just fuck things up again by being a jealous, unreasonable idiot.
“Listen to Samuel,” Scotch said, pushing off the side of the building and putting out his cigarette with his boot. “Hadleigh didn’t deserve that kind of talk.”
“What? Was everyone enjoying the show?” I snapped, still holding my crowning jewels.
“I was already here. You put on the show for free,” Scotch stated with a smirk. “Now walk off the knee to the nuts and I’ll help you get some shit together. Ava went to talk to Hadleigh and calm her down.”
I vowed as I followed Scotch inside to hold my temper from here on out, no matter what. If I had to, I’d walk away and cool off. I shook my head, wondering when the hell I had become such a fucking hothead—the answer—when I fell in love with Haddie.