15. Chapter 14
Ivy
“No,” I whisper, bringing my hand to my stomach out of instinct as nausea fills me because no, just no.
There is no way Mama would lie about something so serious just because she wanted bigger breasts, especially not after finding out I was pregnant, she wouldn’t.
I mean, I thought she could have been lying, but that was before I announced I was pregnant, and she still wanted me to go through with the wedding, but to lie, to sell me while pregnant, just for that, she couldn’t have, not my own mother.
Please.
Psycho, no, not Psycho, Jax tries to keep his hard exterior in place, but his eyes, full of sadness for me, show something different.
“Please, Jax,” I whisper, “She wouldn’t do that to me, to Dad or Cale, she wouldn’t sell me, wouldn’t make me feel obligated…”
Would she?
“Venom,” is all Jax says as he fists his hands before my brother, whose hard exterior is intact, walks over with his phone, though I don’t miss the disappointment he’s showing me, making me flinch.
I should have gone to Jax straight away. I should have…. God, why did I have to make him fight for me? Why did I have to be so goddamn immature, jealous, and scared.
You know when people say they have regrets well this one is mine.
Cale hands me his phone, and I reluctantly take it knowing he’s about to show me proof before I read through what looks like my mother’s medical records as Jax states, “Hayden and Talen are on their way to discuss exactly how the transaction with your mother went and whether she concocted her being threatened to make you bend to her will,” I flinch at his words.
He finishes, “There’s nothing more worthy than a Dark Angel’s Princess to a gang like them, and Clara knew that. ”
My tears fall already knowing I’ve been duped and used by my own mother, and I don’t look up from the phone as I croak, “She told me she had breast cancer…”
“You should have come to me,” Cale rasps, and I shake my head and murmur, “She begged me not to. She looked so pale, scared.”
“Little doll,” Blade says, and I look at him.
His eyes soften as he says, “she’d not long gone through with breast enhancement surgery, it’s why she looked pale and the reason why she didn’t want you coming to us, to your dad because she knew one click, and your brother would have all the information that he needed to prove her lie. ”
I sniffle and wipe away the tears as I hand my brother his phone back when my phone rings. I look at it and seeing who it is I answer without a second thought, feeling like I’ve really messed everything up. When Jax finds out about the baby, he’ll never forgive me.
I should have trusted him like I always had but watching men treat their women like shit clouded my judgment.
“Hey,” I whisper, and Skylar replies, “Hey, I wanted to confirm everything went okay.”
I lock eyes with Blade and sniffle, “Blade’s here and I-I–”
My words cut off with a sob, and Blade furrows his brows while Skylar stays silent for a moment before she demands, “What happened?”
I choke, “Mama lied, Sky, she-she lied…” and Blade freezes, realizing who has called me, and my tears fall hard as he steps forward and takes my phone, which I hand over willingly, knowing I’m in no state, while Jax moves his right arm out, and I don’t hesitate.
I walk over to him and into the side of his hard body, allowing my tears to fall as he holds me close, giving me what I need even though I don’t deserve it.
Blade mutters, “Hey, sis, look I know I’m the last person you want to speak to, but…” He’s quiet for a moment, and we lock eyes as he admits, “Clara lied about having cancer so Ivy would pay her debts with her body for the rest of her life.”
I flinch at his truths and hear Sky’s reply, “It wouldn’t have gone through, Leo.
She was banking on Psycho showing up. Why do you think Raya and I encouraged him to fight for her?
Don’t take your anger out on Ivy, take it out on the person who caused this, who used her daughter's love and fear to her advantage.”
Blade sighs, “Okay… look I need to go have a meeting and sort this shit out but could we–”
“I’m not ready,” I hear and Psycho winces but tightens his hold over my shoulders as Blade sighs and mutters, “Alright, I’ll uh, yeah, I’m not giving up, you’re my sister and whatever shit Mama has said over the years won’t keep us from forming a relationship.”
That said, he hangs up, and I furrow my brows and ask, “What things has Anna said because–”
Blade cuts me off and snaps, “We’re not discussing it, we need to go fix your Mama’s shit that you kept from us.”
I flinch at the president of an MC snapping at me instead of a guy I see as family.
He realizes his mistake as Jax growls, “Watch it, brother.”
He winces, “Sorry, little doll. Skylar is just a sore subject, is all, and honestly, I’m a little pissed you’re friends with her and didn’t say anything.”
I swallow hard and whisper, “It has nothing to do with you, Leo. She’s not ready, and you need to respect that and you need to understand that I respect her and her decision not to want to know you right now.”
He tilts his head at my use of his road name and mutters, “Noted,” knowing I wasn’t talking to the president.
Jax sighs, “Come on, Ivy,” and gently pulls me out of his house towards his matte black truck past Trent, who side-eyes me warily before Jax helps me inside. I don’t look at him, even as he gently clicks me in, not willing to see the finality of us in his light brown eyes that I love so much.
“I’ve really messed up, haven’t I?” I confirm before he shuts the door. Instead of answering me, he sighs and leans forward, gently pressing a kiss to my head, causing my tears to fall.
I quickly wipe them away as he shuts the door before leaning my head against the window, wishing I could turn back time and fight for Jax that morning.
It doesn’t take long before Jax pulls up in front of the clubhouse, with Blade, Viper, and Venom behind us on their bikes. He turns to me and demands, “Wait there,” and I nod, knowing not to question him right now.
He rounds the truck and opens the door, so I quickly unclip and allow him to help me out, trying my hardest not to cry at the coldness he’s radiating right now, meaning as soon as he finds out about the baby, I’ll lose him.
Without a word, Jax leads me into the clubhouse, which is full of people. The club girls are back in their corner, where they do their nails without completing their tasks, and the old ladies sit on the other side of the room, glaring at them.
I notice Anna sitting near Brick but not touching him. He tries to gently stroke his fingers through her hair, but she keeps pulling away, though I’ll give him his dues, he’s not giving up.
I swallow hard, already knowing what her problem is, and the fact that he can’t see it just makes him an idiot.
He hurt her a lot before she made a mistake and slept with a prospect at the time, who is no longer here. He’s actually in the ground, but none of the brothers understand what happened that day, and I’m not going to reveal her secret or Skylar’s, for that matter.
Hopefully, Brick will see his wrongdoings before it’s too late because honestly, Anna opening up to him is not happening. It's never going to happen…
I ignore everyone and slowly descend the couple of stairs near the door but pause with a sigh when I hear, “Ah, there’s my lovely runaway bride…” as the front door opens and slams shut and I turn to see Hayden looking around the room with a smirk.
Showtime.
“Watch your fucking tone where my sister is concerned,” my brother sneers, no longer the caring Cale but Venom, a mean mother f-er ready to rip your throat out.
Hayden glares at him but soon has the good sense to back away when Jax demands, “What did you just call my girl?”
My girl…. My heart flutters, my stomach tightening at his words.
Hayden clears his throat and states more cautiously, “Actually, she is my fiancée. She did accept my proposal.”
Jax tilts his head and asks, “Accept it willingly, did she? Or did you hold a gun to her mother’s head?”
Talen clears his throat this time and reminds the brothers, “Clara owed us money.” He looks at me and winces before looking back at Jax and admits, “Her payment was her daughter.”
“And when did she exactly offer me up as payment, Talen?” I cut in, causing everyone to look my way, and Talen clears his throat again, looking uncomfortable, while his son, not realizing he’s in the lion’s den, gloats, “The moment the cash hit her hands, of course.” He looks me up and down, “She arranged everything after having her surgeries when she knew you’d be on your way home and was actually the one who staged the step up, wanting you to agree to it, and I wanted nothing more than an alliance with the club. ”
Wow.
A loud thump echoes, and I look to see Dad and Cain throwing sacks onto the floor next to Talen, who looks at it in shock as Dad sneers, “One mil in cash for your troubles.”
Talens mouth parts as Hayden literally chokes on his own spit and Blade steps forward causing both men to step back as he says, “I don’t want to see you or any of your members in my territory again otherwise, the rumors you hear will become your realities and in this room right now, your worst nightmares want nothing more than to tear you limb from limb.
One loves the woman you tried to force to marry you and the other is her brother. ”
Hayden swallows hard and stutters, “I-I well, I didn’t even want her anyhow. Clara was the one pushing it, knowing her daughter would do anything for her heartbroken ill mother, and besides, you have clubwhores here. You know it’s just easier to have someone around, you know an easy lay…”
“I’d fucking stop talking right now,” Jax warns as he takes a step forward and Talen snaps, “Fuck’s sake son, learn when to shut the fuck up. Grab the bag and get out before Psycho shows you the meaning of his fucking road name. You didn’t even want her after finding out she was pregnant!”
The room falls silent, and every eye comes my way with shock while I stare at Jax wide-eyed as he slightly turns his head, his eyes on my stomach.
My brother rushes to grab Hayden, who quickly grabs the bag full of fear as he stumbles back and Dad quickly grabs hold of my brother, yet all I can focus on is a stone-cold Jax, his eyes still on my stomach that I have cupped out of instinct.
Oh god, I think I’m going to be sick….