Chapter Twenty-Eight
GRANDFATHER LED ME into his office, his silence during the ride home a looming storm. “Take a seat, Hadleigh,” he instructed, his voice as stern as stone.
I sat down, inhaling deeply to steady my nerves. “It wasn’t intentional, us falling in love. It just happened.”
He settled behind his desk, leaning forward, his eyes boring into mine. “How did you even meet this man? Why wouldn’t I know about this? Does he work for Samuel?” His voice was a low, dangerous whisper.
“It’s complicated. We met in South Carolina,” I replied, weaving partial truths with caution. I couldn’t reveal the intimate details of our relationship. “Mother found out and brought me home. I never thought I’d see him again. It broke me. But then there he was, rescuing me.” Lying to my grandfather felt like a betrayal, but I had promised Samuel. Too many lives depended on my silence.
His gaze never wavered, his eyes searching mine for any sign of deceit. “You know I can’t allow you to marry this man. Not only do I have a contract with Samuel, but he has nothing to offer you,” he said, leaning back. “I won’t let my granddaughter marry a nobody.”
I leaned forward, meeting his gaze with unwavering determination. “You have no choice. I’m pregnant with his child,” I announced, my heart pounding as I watched his face shift from calm to fury.
“You’re joking,” he snarled, leaping from his chair to loom over me. “How could that be possible if you haven’t seen him since South Carolina?”
Summoning all my courage, I stood to face him. “I’m almost four months along.” I stretched the truth, remembering Samuel’s words. “When I found out, I didn’t know what to do. Then I was taken, but now Kaven and I have been reunited. I want to be with him,” I said, my voice trembling as tears threatened to fall. “I love him.”
“Do you understand the position you’ve put me in by being so careless?” he scolded, his voice softening slightly. “I can only hope Samuel will understand. I can’t expect him to accept a child that’s not his, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let you marry someone outside our circle.”
“Then I’ll run away,” I declared with fierce resolve. “If you try to stop it or hurt Kaven, I will leave and never return.” With that, I fled his office, already showing too much weakness. I’ve learned over the years he could smell it a mile away and pounce.
Grandfather’s office door slammed shut behind me, the echo reverberating through the silent house. My heart raced as I fled down the hallway, the weight of his anger pressing down on me. My mind was a whirlwind of fear and determination. I couldn’t let him control my fate.
The night air hit me as I stepped outside, cool and refreshing, but it did little to calm the emotion raging inside me. The greenhouse loomed ahead, a sanctuary in the storm of emotions I was feeling. I stumbled inside, my legs barely able to carry me. The sweet, earthy scent of the plants wrapped around me, a glaring difference to the suffocating tension of the house.
I threw myself onto the swing, its creaking the only sound in the stillness. Tears finally spilled over, hot and unrelenting. The swing rocked gently, its motion a feeble attempt to soothe my shattered nerves. I clutched my stomach, whispering promises to my unborn child, swearing to protect them and Kaven at any cost.
The rocking should have put me to sleep, except every creak and rustle outside the greenhouse set my heart racing with fear they would hurt Kaven. My grandfather’s threats played in my mind, a constant reminder of the danger that was still possible. But amid the fear, a steely resolve began to harden within me. I would fight for my love, for my child. I would not let Grandfather split us apart.
SUDDENLY, THE DOOR creaked open, the sound like a gunshot in the tense silence. Vittorio stepped in, surprisingly alone, his presence dominating the room. His piercing eyes, the exact shade of Haddie’s, locked onto mine with an intensity that made my blood run cold. He knew.
He knew she was pregnant.
“Sit,” he commanded, pointing to the chair.
My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it. This was the moment of truth. My future—and Haddie’s—hung in the balance. “I don’t want to sit in the chair,” I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me. “We can talk just fine standing.”
“Fine,” he smirked, his eyebrow arching in surprise at my defiance. He looked me over, his gaze a mix of curiosity and contempt. “I’ve been informed you played where you had no business playing.”
“Haddie isn’t some playground with a fenced gate that only you can determine who comes into her circle. We met, fell in love, end of story,” I said, my voice hardening with each word. “And nothing aside from death will keep her and my baby from me.”
“That can be arranged,” he snarled, his fists clenching at his sides. The menace in his voice was unmistakable. “You have nothing to offer Hadleigh and her child. You’re a biker, a nobody. How will you even provide for them?”
“Just like every normal family in America, I’ll work to provide and create a home for them,” I shot back, standing my ground. “Money isn’t everything.”
“Not everything, but it makes life much easier. I don’t think Hadleigh understands how hard life will be for her without money.”
“I didn’t have money growing up, but I had a family that loved me, way better than this museum of a house,” I retorted, catching a flicker of something — again was it recognition—in his eyes. Had he already done a background check on me?
“What if I were to pay you to go away?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as he sized me up. “Enough to set you up for life. Let me take care of Hadleigh and the child and release you from the burden.”
“Burden?” I spat, my anger boiling over. “Is that how you see them? You mafia assholes are a cold bunch! Take your money and use it to buy something to warm up your cold soul because I don’t need it.”
He shook his head, muttering something under his breath I couldn’t catch. Then, his eyes pinned me again. “How did you come to rescue Hadleigh? Are you doing work for Samuel?” The suspicion in his voice was razor-sharp.
“Samuel and our club president are brothers; we have several hackers in our club who can find out shit on the underground that nobody else can. He hired us to help find his lost fiancée, and that’s when I realized Hadleigh was my Haddie and there was no way I wasn’t going to be part of it,” I explained, praying it all made sense.
“And how did you find out she was pregnant? She confessed she only knew after you were separated.”
“I didn’t find out until tonight, just like you,” I said, my eyes never leaving his. “But even without her telling me she was pregnant, I would still be fighting for us.”
He studied me for what felt like an eternity, his eyes cold and calculating. My breath was shallow, each second dragging out painfully. “My men will move you to a room more comfortable until I make my decision. I still have a few things to consider,” he finally said, turning on his heel and leaving before I could respond.
His men appeared almost instantly, their grip on my arms firm as they escorted me down a hallway. They shoved me into a bedroom and the door clicking shut behind me with a finality that made my heart sink. “Food has been brought for you,” one of them muttered before the lock slid into place.
Dammit, I was locked in, and there was no chance to find and talk to Haddie. I needed to know she was okay and not hurt. Everything happened so fast and sometimes when the adrenaline goes away you notice things. I took a deep breath, pacing the room. The only choice I had was to wait and get ready to fight.