Chapter 15
XANTHE
Ghost sent me flowers.
Sunflowers.
They are sitting on my coffee table staring at me. They also came with a note, which reads:
For my one and only.
Can’t wait to get on my knees
and show you how sorry I am.
I’ve avoided talking to him, immature, I know, but now I’m at War and Ora’s wedding, and, of course, he walked in looking sexy as hell in dress pants and a white shirt. He’s still got his cut over his shirt, as the rest of the men do, and we couldn’t keep our eyes off each other all night.
On the plus side, I look pretty hot in my long red dress.
It’s off-the-shoulder, and clings to my every curve.
My black hair is down, and my eyes are smoky.
I’m currently at the bar with Atiana, Lu, Belle, War’s sister, Isla, who is with one or both of the twins, and Ora, who made the most beautiful bride.
And we are doing shots.
I’m more than a little tipsy by this stage, so when Isla asks me, “What’s the deal with you and Ghost?” I can’t help but sigh.
“You’ve been here for one day, and you’ve already picked up on that, huh?”
“You both keep looking at each other when you think the other one isn’t looking.”
“Xanthe likes to hold a grudge,” Lu pipes up, taking a sip from her glass. Her engagement ring sparkles on her finger. “You should just forgive him.”
“He let Daisy suck his dick!” I scowl, looking over at Ghost in anger. I clearly can’t let it go. I don’t even mention the fact that he called her.
“Who is Daisy?” Isla asks, and I block out the conversation as they explain to her that Daisy is Natalia’s biological mother.
Yeah, it was a surprise when that came out.
I wasn’t sad to see Daisy leave here, but I do feel bad for sweet Natalia, who didn’t deserve to have her mother leave her at the hospital.
The bitch just keeps on ruining lives.
Breaking away from the group, I head toward the bathroom when a large, muscular body stops in front of me. Glancing up, I look into Haze’s amber eyes.
“You have a minute?” he asks, nodding his head toward the hallway. “I want to talk to you about something.”
I glance around, but no one seems to be paying us any attention. Ghost is talking with Prez, the two of them in what seems like a deep conversation.
“Okay,” I murmur, following behind him. I’m not super close with Haze, but being friends with Lu means I’ve been around him enough to feel comfortable with him. Still, I have no idea why he wants to talk to me alone. I’m tipsy and really need to pee.
“Ghost is a good man,” he starts, and my eyebrows rise.
Is he here to talk up his club brother?
He smirks and rakes his hand through his hair. “Look, I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to spit it out. I asked Ghost to take Daisy aside that night. I needed something from her, and I asked him to get it for me.”
Any humor I might have felt vanishes. “You asked him to let her suck his dick?”
He winces and shifts on his feet. “No, but I needed a blood sample from her to find out if her baby was mine. It was how we proved it wasn’t. Ghost didn’t want Daisy. He’s never fucked her, and he wouldn’t have had anything to do with her if I didn’t ask him.”
Fucking hell.
Clenching my jaw, I process what he’s telling me. “So he went up there with her, for the club, knowing it would hurt me.”
The reality of the situation hits me in full force. The club will always come first, no matter what.
Yes, we weren’t officially together, so maybe I have no business being hurt. But we did have something big that only comes around once in a lifetime.
And he went up there with her.
For the club.
Yes, I know he didn’t finish, but she still had her mouth on his dick.
On MY dick.
“And why did he call her?” I ask, wanting all the information.
Finally, the truth is coming out.
“We needed to find her. She was going to give birth, and we knew the kid could have been one of ours, and it was.”
“Why didn’t Ghost just tell me this?” I ask, frowning. I mean, it doesn’t change what happened with Daisy up in that room, but it does explain the phone call.
“It’s club business, and we don’t tell the women what’s going on.
It’s safer for them. I’m only telling you now because Prez allowed me to as he could see how fucked up Ghost is that you’re still pissed at him,” he explains, crossing his arms over his chest and studying me.
“You two weren’t even together then, but I’m telling you, he won’t even look at another woman if you give him another chance. ”
“If I hear the words club business again, I’m going to scream,” I warn him.
Ghost comes around the corner, stopping when he sees Haze and me standing there talking.
“What did you tell her?” he seethes, pinning Haze with a look that promises retribution.
Haze’s arms drop to his sides, and he braces his feet apart. “I told her the truth about Daisy. There’s no point in you paying the price for my shit.”
Ghost’s gray eyes drop to me, and his tone softens when he speaks to me. “Are you okay?”
“Let’s see, I just got told you didn’t even want to be with Daisy, and you just did what Haze wanted you to at the expense of my feelings,” I snap, taking a deep breath.
“You know what, I’m not letting either of you ruin my evening.
I’m going to go and dance with my girls, and maybe even with one of the men. Suit was looking really sexy tonight.”
Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have pushed him, but I’m angry.
No, I’m hurt.
And I’m finally connecting all the dots.
Haze needed a paternity test, which means he needed Daisy’s blood. I’m guessing she didn’t want to do the testing, since she was trying to pin the baby on him, so Haze had to come up with his own plan.
Enter Ghost.
Resident knife wielder, who sneakily used a blow job and knife play as a cover to get the blood from her.
The plan was cunning and brutal, and I can see why Haze wanted it done.
He wanted Lu, but the baby and Daisy were standing between them.
So Ghost stepped in.
It just feels like everyone won, except me.
Would he have even told me? No, he wouldn’t have.
Club business.
“And you can stick your club business right up your—”
Ghost has had enough. He throws me over his shoulder, kicking and screaming, and takes me upstairs.
“Oh look, we’re right back where I saw you with her, doing up your fucking jeans,” I yell.
His hand comes down on my ass, firm and hard. “That’s enough, Xanthe,” he growls, throwing me down on the bed.
The alcohol is wearing off now, but I’m still angry.
If he wants a fight, he’s going to get one.
It’s time we have this out once and for all.