Chapter 7
“Morning, sleepy head.” Vike is wearing a huge grin on his face when I step into the kitchen, feeling nothing but shame.
“I made ya some eggs.” He steps up to the table, carrying a plate of scrambled eggs, and places it in front of the chair I usually sit in.
“I hope you're both hungry.” He pulls out the chair for me, and I sit, wanting the floor to swallow me up, but relieved that he’s not still trying to avoid me.
“I’m sorry about last night. I haven’t had a nightmare like that in a long time.” I pick up my fork and start to eat, worried about how this conversation is going to go.
“Wanna talk about it?” he asks sympathetically, and I quickly shake my head and close my eyes. I don’t know what triggered me to go back there last night, but I sure as hell don’t wanna go there again. I definitely don’t want Vike to know about it.
I can’t stop looking at his lips, remembering the way they kissed me. I can’t believe I put myself out there like that again, and of course, there’s every chance he kissed me back out of sympathy. I should never have put him in that situation again.
“Thanks for taking care of me.” I concentrate on my breakfast before I make another stupid move.
“I’m glad I could help.” He sits beside me with a plate of his own and pours me an orange juice.
“Now, about that kiss–-”
“Morning.” The door opens, interrupting him, and when Greaser steps inside, I see the sinking look Vike makes. “What ya still doing in your PJs? I told ya I’d be here by nine.” Greaser looks me up and down.
“Oh, shoot, I forgot.” I quickly finish my juice and stand up, actually relieved that I have an escape from all the humiliation.
“I’m taking her crib and stroller shopping,” Greaser informs Vike, as I rush to my room to get myself ready.
The men are standing in cold silence, staring at each other across the table, when I return to them.
“I thought we could visit Mom tomorrow; she’s been asking about you,” Greaser tells me as I smile awkwardly at Vike and make my way toward the door.
“Sure,” I tell Greaser, forgetting that he’s in the room, never mind what he said when Vike holds me with a glare that feels so different. He’s not avoiding me, now, he wants me to know that I have his full attention.
“Alicia.” Greaser sounds concerned as he steps toward me.
“Right, shopping.” I shake myself out of the trance he’s got me in and start searching around for my purse. Vike suddenly appears in front of me, holding it in his hand and staring at me with those sexy, sultry eyes.
“We’re talking when you get back.” The command in his voice causes a flutter in my stomach that definitely is not the baby moving. I nod as I let Greaser lead me out the door.
“To think that guy used to be fun,” he says under his breath, shaking his head as we walk down the path.
When we get to his car, he opens the door for me, and once I’m sitting in the passenger seat, I look back toward the house and see Vike still watching, his eyes wild, his jaw clenched, and his hands balled into fists at his side.
“You didn’t have to buy the most expensive crib in the store,” I tell Greaser, as he drags the huge box down the hall into the nursery.
“Only the best for little Iris.” He pats my tummy proudly.
“Iris?” I laugh nervously.
“It’s my mom's name. I thought you knew that,” he tells me, tearing open the box and starting to take out all the parts, ready to assemble.
“I did, I just didn’t realize it was her name.” I start to feel a little uncomfortable with where this is heading.
“Shit, did I not tell you....? Here, take the weight off your feet.” He shakes his head as he guides me toward the rocking chair in the corner and urges me to sit down.
“Our gran was called Iris, and her mother before her; it’s a tradition our mother couldn’t continue because she only ever had boys.
Me and Griller had a deal that the first of us to have a baby girl would name her Iris.
Ya know, to keep up the tradition.” He smiles as he picks up the instructions and glances over them.
“That's sweet, but I did have some other names in mind.”
“Oh, yeah, like what?” He looks up from the instructions curiously.
“I don’t know, something like Isabella or Ava; I really like Lily.” I shrug, thinking to myself that I really should give this more thought.
“I’m pretty sure Mom’s already embroidered her a blanket, she will have just assumed... ya know, with it being what Griller would have wanted.” He shrugs sadly, making me feel awful.
“Well, it’s certainly something I’ll consider,” I lie, wondering how the hell I’m going to break it to them that there is no way I’ll be naming my baby that.
“You're the best,” he beams, leaning over me and kissing my forehead, “And that's why you're gonna be such a perfect mommy. Ain’t that right, Iris?” He strokes my tummy before getting back to work.
“We should talk about what we’re gonna do after she arrives. You're gonna need more support,” he tells me.
“I have support; I’m sure we’ll be fine.” I smile.
“Still, it wouldn’t hurt to have me here at your beck and call. I should probably move in.”
I almost choke when I see how serious he’s looking.
“Move in? Greaser, where would you sleep?” I laugh because his idea is ridiculous; him and Vike living under the same roof would be an absolute nightmare.
“I could take the couch, at least until Vike moves out.” He lifts up one of the panels and studies it before finding the correct screw.
“What makes you think Vike will be moving out?” I ask him, hating the idea so much it puts tears in my eyes.
“Well, how long do you expect him to stick around with a crying baby in the house?” Greaser chuckles.
“Vike’s a red-blooded male; he thinks with his dick.
He’s not gonna want to be stuck here, playing happy families with Saul’s little sister, raising my brother's kid. When he can be at the club getting his cock sucked.”
“Vike isn’t like that,” I remind him. I gave Vike the chance to step away last night, and instead, he stepped up.
“Aww, Alicia, it’s nice that you believe that, but you're gonna have to start facing reality... Maybe you should speak to Trinity. I hear the two of them spent most of the day together in her room yesterday." He chuckles to himself as he continues building the crib, and I try my hardest not to show that his words have hurt me. Did I really think that Vike wouldn’t be sleeping around? Before Saul died, he was the worst one for it at the club. Greasers right, he’s a red-blooded male.
“Hello!” Greaser’s almost done building the crib when I hear the front door open and Vike call through the house.
“We’re in here,” I call out, grateful that he’s home.
I’ve missed him more today than ever. My hormones are dangerous right now, and I was starting to feel that the kiss last night, and the way he’d held me in bed, had brought us closer together.
Now Greaser has dropped the Trinity bomb on me, I’m not so sure.
“Vike.” Greaser nods his head curtly when he enters the room and sees that he’s here too.
“You okay? You look shattered.” Vike frowns at me.
“I’m fine,” I snap back at him, trying not to think of him kissing that club skank, the same way he kissed me. I’m really hoping Greaser will leave soon. I don’t just want to speak to Vike about what happened last night; I need to know what happened with Trinity.
They both check their pockets when their phones go off at the same time, then growl at the text they read.
“Looks like we have to split.” Greaser moves toward me to kiss my cheek.
“What's happened?” I ask, knowing that it will have something to do with the club.
“CCTV picked up on a van raiding the warehouse. No one steals from the Souls,” Vike explains, looking really mad, and I don’t know if it’s because of the kiss Greaser just gave me, or the club business they have to deal with.
“Come on.” He gestures his head to the hall for Greaser to follow after him, and both of them head out.
“Be careful,” I call after them. Already worried about something happening to either of them.
“Why is it taking so long?” Eden paces the floor, stroking her neat little bump anxiously. I decided that the club was the best place for me to be. I worry every bit as much as these girls do about something happening to Vike, despite me not being his old lady.
“Everything will be fine,” Peyton assures her, then smiles at the little boy who's sitting beside her. I haven’t had the chance to even ask who he is yet. I’ve been too busy trying to calm down Eden.
“Has our new friend got a name?” I ask. Clearly, the boy’s not been well cared for; his hair is long and thick with knots, and although his clothes look clean, they’re far too big for him.
“We haven’t got that far yet.” Peyton smiles up at me, and when I glance out the window and see Trinity, my drive to know the truth takes over.
“Excuse me.” I head toward the door so I can confront her. She’s carrying a mountain of shopping bags as she trots on her heels toward her motel room, and I feel sick as I prepare to ask her about what happened yesterday.
“Trinity,” I call after her, and when she turns around, I know just from the smirk she makes that I won’t like what she’s going to tell me.
“Hey, Alicia,” She places down her bags and folds her arms under her over-exposed, over-inflated tits.
“I want to know what happened between you and Vike yesterday.” I get straight to the point; me and her have never got on and we never fucking will. The less time I have to spend talking to her, the better.
“That's not your business; you’re not his old lady, are you?” Her head tilts sarcastically.
“No, I’m not, but I still want to know what happened. Vike lives with me,” I remind her, in case it slipped her mind.
“Well…” She pulls a cigarette from her purse and lights it, looking up as if trying to recall a memory.
“First, I sucked his dick, then he fucked me on the dresser. We fucked some more when we took a shower, and then he shot his load right about here...” She points her finger at her tits.
“Sorry, sweetie, I guess pregnant girls just don’t do it for him.
” She laughs and blows a huge puff of smoke directly into my face.
“Maybe if you're looking for a baby daddy, you should start hanging out somewhere else.”
I act on impulse, slapping her face out of pure fucking hurt and heading back inside.
“Oh, you're lucky you’ve got a brat on board!” she calls after me as I storm through the door and burst into tears.
“What's wrong? Have you heard from the guys?” Eden rushes to me frantically.
“No, but I have heard that Vike’s been screwing Trinity,” I tell them, noting how shocked they all look. I guess he’s done a good job of fooling everyone.
“I’m sorry, Alicia.” Freya smiles at me sympathetically, resting her arm around my shoulder to comfort me.
“I’m so stupid. How can I even feel mad? I’m not his old lady, he’s just my brother's best friend who lives with me.” I throw my hands in the air.
“He’s more than that.” Eden finds enough calm to comfort me, too, taking my hand in hers.
“To me, maybe, but not to him.” I remember the comfort of having him hold me, the elation I felt when he kissed me back, and it all feels so tainted, now I know he’d been with her just hours before. I’ve got everything so wrong.
Eden quickly releases me when we hear the sound of engines coming from outside. She flings open the door and rushes outside, and we all follow after her, watching her leap at Wrath when we make it to the parking lot.
“Careful, darlin’,” he says, looking down and reminding her of the condition she’s in, before gripping her tight and kissing her.
“Raze.” Peyton rushes to her man as he climbs off his bike, and Freya does the same to Ruckus. I suddenly feel so lonely.
“Relax, Dev’s fine.” Ruck looks at Millie over Freya's shoulder as she hugs him. “We let one of ’em live; your man's taken him to the shipyard for some questioning,” Ruck assures her, and she breathes her own sigh of relief when she hears he’s okay.
I suddenly see Greaser heading straight for me, his hand clutching his opposite arm and blood pouring through his fingers.
“You're hurt.” I grab hold of him and check him over.
“It's just a graze. I’ll live to see tomorrow,” he tells me, and when I look over my shoulder and see Vike still sitting on his bike, staring at me like I’m doing something wrong, more anger and hurt slices through me.
“I’m glad you're okay,” I tell Greaser, stretching up on my toes to press a kiss on his lips instead of his cheek.
I don’t expect Greaser to grip my arm, so I can’t get away.
I don’t expect him to force his tongue into my mouth and make the friendly peck I gave him into something very different.
But I don’t stop him, and let it last for way longer than I should.
I want Vike to know how it feels. I want him to feel the same crushing feeling that I do.
Not that it's gonna work; Vike clearly doesn’t share the same feelings as I do.
“I’ll have to get myself shot more often if that's the welcome home I get.” Greaser eventually pulls away, wearing a huge, satisfied smile on his face.
I glance over his shoulder and see Vike staring right at us, and I instantly regret what I just did when he revs his engine and rides straight back out of the yard again.