“I did, I just didn’t realize it washername.” 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, raisingmy brother'skid. 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 thecrib, 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.
