Chapter Thirty-Two
Morgan
I was freaking out.
My father would be here any minute. My brother and my uncle were on their way, not to mention my cousin. I hadn’t met Blade when I was married to Jude because he was still a prospect.
Now I was meeting him, his old lady, and their son.
Add to that his old lady was also my cousin. She was my uncle Declan’s daughter. I didn’t know the whole story, only that he thought her mom had an abortion, until he met her last year.
Then with Declan came Maureen. I knew who Maureen was. She was Duncan’s sister-in-law as well as my father’s sister-in-law now. And she was bringing her daughter Colleen, and her new son who was only a few months old.
I looked around the main room; there was still so much that needed to be done.
“Hey, baby. What do you need?”
Jude came up behind and put his arms around my waist, laying his hands on my small bump. I let myself revel in it, but I didn’t lean into him. If I did, I’d never move away.
I stepped forward out of his embrace and had to blink back the tears. I hated these freaking hormones.
“The tables aren’t set up; the place is so dark and gloomy. King has been here, so he knows what to expect, but my dad and my uncle...” My voice trailed off as I tried not to cry.
Jude pulled me against his chest and this time I did lean into him. It was all so overwhelming.
“Baby, your father has been here. Sure, he probably didn’t notice the décor while he was knocking my ass on the ground.”
I pulled back to glare at him. “You’re not helping.”
Jude chuckled and pulled me against him again. “Dec has been here plenty of times; he knows what to expect.”
“Why was my uncle here?”
“Because King was here. Declan was always making surprise visits, trying to catch us doing shit he could throw us in jail for.”
Jude’s voice held a touch of resentment, and I could only guess it was because King never would have ended up behind bars like the rest of them.
“Jude, King is my brother.”
“I know that, Morgan.”
I looked away and bit my lip, blinking back the tears. I didn’t want to have this conversation, but it needed to happen sometime.
“When are you going to let all that shit go?” I asked, bringing my eyes back to his. I wanted him to see what his animosity was doing to me.
Was I using my exaggerated hormones as a tool?
I absolutely was.
Did I care?
No, I did not.
“Morgan,” Jude warned.
“I can’t have you and my brother constantly at odds. I don’t want my child caught in the middle of this biker bullshit.”
“It’s not bullshit, Morgan.”
“It is. You don’t believe for a second that King betrayed you. You’re just pissed off he didn’t get hurt too.”
“I’m not doing this with you right now. You’re too emotional—”
“Emotional?” I asked, my rising voice catching the attention of everyone in the room.
“Fuck yes, I’m emotional. I’m about to have the Irish Mob here with all these bikers.
I’m praying my father doesn’t kill the father of my baby, that my brother doesn’t beat your ass, and my uncle doesn’t arrest you! ”
My voice was hysterical. I knew it. Of course I was emotional. But I was pregnant—what did he expect?
“Morgan, darlin’, what do you need to make this a little less stressful for you?” Smokey asked at my side. Jude pierced him with an angry glare, but I smiled.
“Light, Smokey. I need light. There aren’t enough windows to let the light in. I feel like I’m in a prison.”
Smokey looked around the room, nodding, While Jude just stood there, hands on his hips.
“There isn’t anything I can do about the windows right now.” He turned to look at me with a smile. “But how about I send the prospects out for some lamps?”
I threw my arms around Smokey. “Thank you!”
“Prospects!” Smokey yelled, and four of the five men rushed into the room. “You, you, and you. Go to the store and buy some lamps.”
“How many?” Vincent asked.
“As many as you can to brighten up this room,” Jude said, cutting Smokey off before he could give the order.
I smiled at Jude, and his shoulders slumped, some of the anger falling away. It had always been that way. Anytime we argued, or he came home from the clubhouse angry, he said my smile did him in every time.
He used to tell me he couldn’t be angry when the sun was shining down on him.
“Thank you,” I whispered, and leaned up to kiss his cheek. He turned his head at the last second and pressed his lips against mine. His hands grabbed my waist holding me in place, until the front door slammed open.
“MORGAN!”
I ripped my mouth away from Jude at the sound of her voice.
“FREYJA!”
I rushed over, and she pulled me into her arms. Freyja was Scribe, Athena, and Phoebe’s sister. She left Rosewood after Scribe married Henley, telling everyone it was now her turn and she would find the person the universe had for her at Mardi Gras.
Now she was with Duncan. My father’s right-hand man.
“What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be traveling this late in your pregnancy. What if you go into labor?”
“Lucille said we could come. She assured us the baby would be born in Boston,” Duncan said, as he wrapped me up in a warm hug.
“Lucille?” I cocked my head to the side and looked at Duncan. “You believe in Lucille?” I asked with a grin.
“I believe in Freyja,” he corrected.
Freyja smiled up at him, and he kissed the side of her head. I hugged Uncle Mac and Cian. But the woman standing beside him just stared at me. I knew who she was but hadn’t had a chance to meet her yet.
“Hi, Aunt Caity.”
She swept across the room and pulled me into her arms. “I am so mad my brother kept you from me.” She hugged me tight and the tears threatened to fall again.
“Well, you’re here now. Stop hoggin’ my daughter.”
Caity stepped back, but not before punching my father in the arm. He winced and rubbed the spot as he glared at his sister.
“Stop, Dad, that didn’t hurt.”
“Clearly you’ve never been hit by Caity,” Cian said. My aunt spun around and he quickly held his hands up, laughing as he said, “I’m not sorry. You’re fuckin’ mean, but I love you anyway.”
I watched the two of them as I stood next to my father, with his arm around my shoulders. I looked around at the faces. “Maddie didn’t come?” I asked. I’d been so excited to finally meet my cousin. She was only a year older than me.
Aunt Caity looked away, and Cian wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Maddie wishes she could be here, but she promised to call later.”
There was tension in Cian’s shoulders as he spoke. I wanted to ask more questions, like, was she okay? But then, my mother walked in and went immediately to Freyja.
“Benny, it’s so good to see you!”
“Look at the belly! Freyja, you are absolutely glowing! And did I hear correctly? Athena is pregnant?”
“She is. The universe connected her to her one. She’s so happy.”
“Stevie must be thrilled with all these grandbabies.”
“She is. She wanted us to come to New York, but I needed to see Morgan. Make sure she was doing alright. I mean, Lucille said she was, but well, I wanted to see with my own eyes.”
“You should have invited your parents; I would love to have seen them.”
“They’re in Rosewood with Dimeter and Phoebe. Tad is only a few months old, so she is very happy to snuggle him any chance she gets.”
My mother looked at me and smiled. “I get it.”
Mom walked over and hugged my dad and I looked over at the bar, where Smokey was sitting. It wasn’t a secret that he had a thing for my mother, but while she was friendly and spent time with him here at the clubhouse, she wouldn’t get on the back of his bike, no matter how many times he asked.
Smokey wasn’t looking my way. He was staring straight in front of him, and I knew it was because he didn’t want to see her in the arms of another man.
As my father introduced my mother to his sister, I went over and sat on a stool beside the man who had become very dear to my heart.
“There is nothing for you to worry about, Smokey.”
“Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, darlin’.”
I smiled as I looked across the room briefly, then leaned my head against his shoulder. “Be patient with her. The only man she’s ever loved is standing across the room.”
“If she loved him, why ain’t they together?”
I chuckled at the rasp in his voice. “Because she didn’t love him like that. Neither of them did. He’s her best friend, and his opinion matters, so maybe make an effort?”
Smokey grunted, but he nodded when he looked over at my mom, talking to Aunt Caity.
I felt him behind me before his gruff voice said, “Braesal O’Malley,” and his hand stuck out in front of me.
Smokey looked at it, and I nudged him with my shoulder. He sighed and grabbed my father’s hand firmly. “Smokey.”
“Where’s the asshole?”
“Dad,” I groaned, but Smokey chuckled.
“Probably hiding if he knows what’s good for him,” Smokey offered.
The corner of my father’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t smile. He wouldn’t. Not here in front of these men. He had a reputation to uphold, and he wouldn’t want them to know he was a big softy when it came to me.
“I’m right fucking here,” Jude said, placing a hand around my waist. “O’Malley.”
My father looked down at Jude’s hand over my stomach and growled.
“Don’t,” I said, stepping away from Jude. “I will not put up with a pissing contest.” I stalked away from them both, Smokey’s laughter following me.
I walked into the kitchen and found Rian sitting at the table.
“Why are you in here?”
“Because if I go out there, your father is likely to shoot me. Or Duncan.”
I glanced at the door and then back to Rian. “Maybe stay in here until my uncle Declan gets here.”
Rian nodded with a grimace, and I laughed. It felt good to feel an emotion that wouldn’t throw me into tears.
The kitchen door opened, and Freyja stomped in. “I won’t let either of them shoot you.”
Rian smiled and shook his head. “Fucking trouble.” He stood up, walked over to Freyja, and wrapped her in a hug.
“I didn’t realize you knew each other.”
“Freyja almost got me killed in New Orleans.”
“I did not. Lucille assured me you were never in any danger.”
“Like she assured you, when she forgot to mention the explosives?” Rian asked pointedly.
Freyja waved him off as if it was a mere miscommunication.
“I need to hear this story. When Scribe and the others came home, they didn’t say anything about explosives.”
“Story for another time. When will your brother be here?” Freyja asked.
I knew that look in her eyes. “Why?” I asked, dragging out the word.
“I’m excited to meet his woman,” Freyja said.
I narrowed my eyes at her while she tried to look innocent. “What did Lucille tell you?” Rian groaned beside me and left out the back door. Freyja just smiled.
Mom and Aunt Caity came into the kitchen, and any questions I thought I might be able to get Freyja to answer were forgotten.
“He’s an asshole,” Aunt Caity said.
Mom chuckled. “He’s not that bad. He didn’t want your father to know about us.”
“My father has been dead for twenty-five fuckin’ years.”
“You’re here now, Caity. And you’ll get to know your great niece or nephew.”
Caity sighed and looked at me. She broke out into a smile, and everything I’d ever heard about her didn’t seem to fit. Caitlin Kelley wasn’t the angry, bitter woman I heard she was. And I wondered if years of denying herself from being with the man she loved was the reason why she was so unhappy.
It made me wonder if I was setting myself up for years of heartache. I watched my mother as she talked with Freyja and my aunt. She was always happy when I was growing up. Even now she didn’t seem as though she was lonely; she certainly wasn’t bitter that my father hadn’t married her.
It just reenforced what I’d known in my heart. My mother wasn’t in love with my father.
But I was in love with Jude. There would never be anyone else for me. When I was my aunt’s age, would people call me mean and bitter? Would decades without him make me a shell of who I really was?