9. Chapter 8
Ivy – Nine Days Later
“It’s time Ivy. We need to announce our engagement and in four months we’ll get married,” Hayden sneers with glee as he sits on Mama’s flowered couch, leaning back with his arm over the back like he owns the place eyeing me then mutters, “And I’ll finally be able to fuck you.”
I swallow hard and cross my arms over my chest, hoping to hide from his leering eyes.
When he mentioned marriage and Mama kept silent with a gun to her head, I managed to wrangle a no sex before marriage rule. His dad agreed, believing I’m some club princess virgin, which is a laugh, especially now, but it worked in my favor.
I sigh. Mama called and said it was urgent, so I rushed over only to find this slime ball waiting for me meaning she set me up, my own fricking mother.
Shaking my head at his impatience I state, “It’s been barely two weeks, no one will believe I’ve fallen for you this soon,” hoping to put him off a little while longer so I can try and come up with a plan.
Besides there is no way anyone within the club who knows I have been in love with my best friend for years and not long ago slept with will believe I’ve decided to get married on a whim and Mama should know this yet she’s keeping quiet… yet again.
He shrugs as Mama hands him a cup of coffee, and I narrow my eyes at her.
Why in the hell is she waiting on him?
Why in the hell isn’t she helping me knock him back?
Shaking my head, I look back at Hayden as she moves towards the fireplace and wrings her fingers together, but I look back at her when she says, “If you don’t announce your wedding, sweet girl, they’re going to go to your dad…”
Sadness etches in her eyes, and I grind my back teeth because I also see the hope that I’ll agree behind the sadness.
She doesn’t care about me or my future, only keeping Dad away.
What the hell happened to my mother?
Hayden chuckles, “That and we’re tearing your mother’s body limb from limb, I mean, she’s the one who swore she can pay back every cent.”
Mama flinches and looks down in shame but I don’t miss the small smirk which she quickly tries to hide, and I curl my lip at her.
“She’s being selfish!”
Raya’s words come back to me, and I know she’s right because these threats would be moot point with one phone call but Mama doesn’t want Dad involved but not because she doesn’t want to be with him like I believed but because since leaving.
He’s given her everything she wants and if he pays her debt she knows she’ll lose the money he’s been giving her and she’ll need to return to him and have to go back to the doting wife which I’m beginning to see is a role she didn’t want to start with.
I mean, if she did, she’d at least give Dad the chance to try and make things right, something Jessica is beginning to do with Pitbull, which none of us saw coming after over nine years apart.
Mama eyes Hayden and I tilt my head over the look I can’t decipher.
I heard the rumors. She and Dad had a one-night stand, and she came to him with a positive test after he blew his load down a club girl’s throat.
I didn’t believe it because they always looked so loved up and even now, he wants her back, he’s fighting for her, but maybe, just maybe, Mama wanted the benefits of the cut.
Oh crap, was my mother a patch chaser?
Venom also mentioned that Dad cut down Mama’s spending two months before she left him, but again, I didn’t believe it and thought she left because he slept with a Cherri five times but knowing her spending limit has been increased again…
Why the hell would she get a loan for her medical bills?
Was I always wrong?
Did my hatred for my dad cloud my judgment of my mother?
I sigh and look back at Hayden and admit, “I think it’s best to get my dad involved,” and Mama gasps and snaps, “No, Ivy, I won’t have that you promised to marry him!”
Hayden tilts his head and admits, “I have to admit, I’m with your mother on this one, I have visions of you and me in the sack.”
I side-eye Mama to see her sigh in relief, and I narrow my eyes because, honestly, she doesn’t have a choice, neither does he.
I look back at Hayden and admit, “I’m pregnant,” causing his eyes to widen. “I’m roughly four weeks, so still see me and you in the sack?” I add, and he growls.
“You fucked someone else?!” he demands.
I snort, “Yeah, three days before I walked in on you and your father holding a gun to my mother’s head and no before you demand, I won’t abort because this isn’t just any baby, this is Psycho’s baby and imagine the pain he’ll put you through if he finds out you forced me to abort his child, I mean, you’ve heard the rumors right? ”
Hayden’s face pales, and I smirk as Mama chokes behind me in shock.
I never did get the chance to tell her why I came around. I was a little busy saving her ass by selling myself for her.
Psycho, Blade, Fury, Viper, and Venom have all earned their road names for doing not-so-nice things, but both Fury and Psycho have the worst of the worst reputations. Cain, a prospect we grew up with who is in line to become an officer when he gets his patch, is up there with them.
When they flip, everyone knows to stand out of reach.
“You never told me you slept with him,” Mama whispers with hurt.
I shake my head and ask, “And when was I supposed to tell you, Mama? While you had a gun held to your head, or when I was agreeing to marry this man for you?”
She looks away, not replying, and I look at Hayden, who is focusing on the table. I wait.
He can’t want me, not now that I’m carrying someone else’s child.
Damn, teenage me would be bouncing up and down with excitement right about now, but adult me, yeah, she’s struggling to control her emotions.
I messed up, and no, I don’t mean by going unprotected with Psycho.
Okay, yeah, that I shouldn’t have done, but what I mean is I shouldn’t have walked away that morning.
I should have fought harder to make him understand that New York was because I didn’t want to see him with someone else.
Even worse, I shouldn’t have walked out when Misty and he left the officers' hallway.
Just because she acted smug didn’t mean he slept with her especially when her sole focus is to hurt me.
The scene came to me, and I went with it because I was scared of getting hurt.
Damn Dad and Mama and their crap being passed down on me.
“I have work to get to, so if you agree with me, I’ll call Dad,” I say with boredom, trying to ignore the fear that he’ll still want me. Mama sucks in a breath, the clear deny on the tip of her tongue, but she’s smart enough to keep her mouth shut.
“Okay…” Hayden begins with his dark brows furrowed, “This is the plan, " he looks at me and confirms, “You and I will still get married.”
Mama sighs in relief, and I fist my hands to stop myself from hitting her because, well, she is in remission, or so I think.
Did she lie about having cancer and take a loan for the sake of it?
Damn that is a horrible thought to have…even for me.
I think I’m resentful of her putting this on me when I know if she told Dad, he’d fix it for her.
Hayden shocks me and states, “Once the brat is born, you will drop it off on Psycho’s doorstep with a note stating he’s the father, but you refuse to explain who the mother is, so he doesn’t try and find you.
I want you, and if I can’t have you, then your mother dies.
She left your father, so she’s no longer club, but you are, so this is my only option. ”
He smirks and admits, “I want in with the Dark Angels, and what better way than marrying the club’s princess, and that way you can still see the brat but act like the proud auntie.”
Son of a…
I look at Mama, and she quickly looks away, causing me to narrow my eyes at the selfish bitch I’m beginning to see she is.
She’s not denying him or telling him what a stupid plan that is, that not only would I never give up my child but my brother and Psycho would instantly know I was the mother.
I look back at Hayden giving him a death glare and I snap, “There is no way I’m giving up my baby, I’d rather get the whole club involved with Mama’s mess even if she did borrow the money for her health then let’s see where your gang will be and FYI idiot, my dad is still trying to get his wife back, you hear me?
Wife , meaning she dies then so do you but extremely slowly and painfully! ”
Hayden narrows his eyes at my threat and stands quickly before his hand is around my throat, and I choke, “I dare you, but be prepared to run for the rest of your life and I can promise you Venom will be the least of your problems when Psycho gets hold of you.”
He curls his lip, his yellow teeth poking out, and he shoves me back, making me stumble. Again, Mama stays back and I sneer at her.
“Okay, new plan,” he says, looking at me, getting my attention again, “I will raise the brat like it is my own, and we will marry in four months. If you don’t marry me, your mother’s neck will be painted red and I’ll make it out like she committed suicide.”
That said, he walks past me muttering, “I swear she better be as hot a fuck as she looks for all this trouble,” and I scowl as he slams the front door.
Jackass.
“Ivy,” Mama whispers, and I shoot a glare, shutting her up.
“He had his hand on my throat, and you just stood there!” I snap and she looks away and murmurs, “He’s stronger than me, the chemo, it's tired me…”
I shake my head, a little guilt filling me, and I say, “I’m staying at Raya’s tonight,” before I turn and begin to walk out but I freeze when she calls, “Don’t forget to let your brother know you’re getting married.” Suddenly, the fear and sadness are gone from her tone.
Why do I feel she gets more out of a marriage between Hayden and me?
I grit my teeth, storm out of the house, and get my phone out, bringing up my text thread with Venom.
Me: I’m getting married in four months. The brothers are welcome as long as they behave, the ceremony will be small.
I hover over the send button, knowing he will tell Psycho and a little bit of hope fills me.
I could come clean. Mama will hate me for the rest of my life and most likely disown me, but at least this way I won’t have to marry Hayden.
Great, now I’m selfish.
Taking a deep breath and trying to ignore the gut-wrenching fear, I press send and bring up my group chat with Raya and Skylar.
Me: SOS, meet at Skylar’s, we need a plan and quick xxx
I press send and rush over to my truck. I throw my phone on the passenger seat as I climb in and eye the positive pregnancy test before starting the car up. Then I race out of Mama’s small driveway, flicking gravel on her mini, which Dad bought her a month after she left him.
Damn if Fury finds out that I’m best friends with Sky, he’s going to kill me and let’s not mention Blade and Brick but right now I can’t seem to care.
She’s been a great friend alongside Raya, and I’m slowly getting to know Lake through Skylar. We're making our own friend group, and the brothers aren’t involved, but I guess we have Anna to thank for that.
Turning left down the street, I head onto the freeway, my mind going a million miles an hour. My plans to leave the marriage are not coming together and I need help otherwise I’ll be marrying a wanna be gangster while pregnant with Psycho’s baby.
Crap.