Instead of revealing my suspicions, I walk over to my desk and retrieve my purse from the drawer. A small wave of dizziness washes over me as my stomach roils with nausea. Dropping the purse, I rush to the en suite bathroom, making it just in time to throw up my entire lunch. A light sheen of sweat breaks out over my skin and I’m no longer able to stand. Sinking to the floor, I lay my cheek against the cool tiles, welcoming the relief to my warm, flushed skin.
“Are you okay, Ember? Should I call Silas?” Londyn asks, concern clear in her voice as she rushes to my side.
“No, please don’t. I’m pretty sure I know what’s going on with me,” I mumble, taking her offered hand. Turning on the faucet, I splash my face with cold water and rinse my mouth.
“I think I might be pregnant.”
“Did you take a test?” she utters in shock.
“I was going to show you before I got sick,” I reply, exiting the bathroom to grab my purse “The plan was to tell Silas this weekend while we were away, so we could take the test together. But it looks like that won't be happening,” I say, rummagingthrough my purse for the purple and white box that could confirm my suspicions. I know my husband would be overjoyed by the news, but I can’t ignore the threat to my own life. The past is finally catching up with me, and telling Silas the truth could destroy everything. We’ve discussed having children and we both agreed that we would wait a few years just to enjoy each other and do some traveling.
“I should’ve told him then, but he was so happy about the possibility of a baby that I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.”
“Well, you know I'm here for you no matter what. Silas loves you, and I'm sure everything will work out,” she says, trying to reassure me. “How about you wait until this weekend to take the test, and we can celebrate together, regardless of the outcome?” she suggests, gently taking the box from my hand and putting it back in my purse.
“Thanks, Londyn. I already feel a bit better and that would be great,” I reply, giving her a quick hug. Moments like these make me miss my mother. I could tell her anything, and she never judged me. She passed away when I was just sixteen, a victim of a rival motorcycle club. That tragedy was one of the reasons I wanted to distance myself from that world and create a new life far away from them. My older brother chose to follow our father's path, and that was the final straw for me. Sure enough, he found himself in trouble not long after he joined, and now his life hangs in the balance. The day my mother was taken from me will always haunt me, forever etched in my mind as one of the worst days of my life.
During a ride with the Rebel Riders, my father's motorcycle club, a rival MC ambushed them at a bar, shooting at them while they were taking a break to enjoy a beer. According to my father, my mother was hit by a stray bullet as she exited the bathroom. When they returned home to break the tragic news to me, I washeartbroken and held my father responsible for risking her life. Not long after, my brother, EJ, sought revenge on the Savage Knight's VP who had not only bragged about killing my mother but also made threats against me.
While I respected my brother's actions in defending my honor, he went too far. Now, he is a target with a bounty on his head. When I expressed my desire to leave the MC and move across the country for college, my father readily agreed. It was too dangerous for me to stay, especially with the Knights out for blood.
Reflecting back, I understand that my father never intended to endanger my mother, but being involved in a motorcycle club was not compatible with having a family. Glancing at my phone, I notice it's nearly time for my meeting with the acquisition team. We’re currently in discussions to take over a fledgling company that is struggling and requires help to regain stability.
“Hey Londyn, can you please retrieve the documents from our previous meeting with the acquisition team?” I ask, setting aside my personal concerns to focus on work.
“Of course, I'll get those for you right away. Do you need the minutes and the presentation deck, along with any notes on the financials and projected timelines?”
“Yes, I’ll need all of that. We need to go over our plan and put this deal in the books.” I add, thinking about the hoops we’ve had to jump through to get the CEO of Stephens Global Inc. to the table. He’s been a hard ass and difficult, always finding something wrong with our terms. His board of directors are ready to move on to a new chapter, but have gotten several pushbacks from Robert, their CEO.
“Got it. I'll have them ready for you in a few minutes.”
“Great, thank you. Do you mind double-checking that we have all the necessary signatures on the documents?” I add, recalling the earlier acquisition mishap when a board memberdid not sign off on the final draft, almost causing the deal to collapse.
“Understood. I'll bring the files to your office as soon as they're ready and include the latest market analysis. Anything else you need?” she asks, heading towards the door.
“That should cover it. Thanks for your help, girl, and thank you for listening. I’m going to talk to Silas when he gets home. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to our girl’s weekend to unwind,” I say gratefully.
“You’re welcome, Ember,” she responds. “I'll bring you everything you need, and I’m excited for our weekend too.”
As she leaves, I take a moment to collect myself, breathing deeply to settle my mind. If I’m pregnant, our lives will change drastically. The looming question remains; will Silas forgive me for keeping my past a secret?
FIVE
MAVERICK
By the timewe return to the clubhouse, the party is already in full swing. Turbo, my hacker, has taken care of stocking the bar and kitchen, while the rest of us had been out taking care of business. My mood hasn’t improved, and despite Lone Wolf beating the shit out of his contact, he still needs to be reprimanded. Mistakes like this will always have deadly consequences, so I couldn’t just let it slide. Nightmare and Steel follow me into the office to discuss Lone's punishment. It was a tough decision, but keeping order is crucial, especially now that the DEA is involved. Before we could conclude, there’s a knock on the door. To our surprise, it was Lone Wolf.
“Hey, Prez, can I have a word with you?” he asks nervously but tries to keep his composure.
“Come on in, Lone. We were just discussing you,” I reply, motioning for him to take a seat. There’s a tense shift in the atmosphere. Lone Wolf knows that he fucked up and I need to get to the bottom of why. He anxiously sits down across from my desk, glancing at Steel and Nightmare. As a club that runs like a well-oiled machine, it feels like we have a kink in our chain and we need to fix this shit before I make that call to Jameson.He’s going to want to know my game plan to get our operation back on track, not hear excuses as to why it happened in the first place.
“You messed up, brother. What happened out there cost us dearly. We live by a code, and you broke that code. People died because you cut corners.”
Lone nods, accepting the blame. He looks torn, as if he wants to say something, so I pause, giving him space to talk. I may be pissed, but this is my brother and above all else, he’s always been solid. There must be something going on.
“I know, Prez. I made a mistake but I’m dealing with some personal shit and it spilled over. It’s nothing I can’t handle on my own and I guarantee it won’t happen again. I'll take whatever punishment you decide.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to at least talk about it and see if the club can help?”
