“I do. And I regret that it was necessary to do so. I had hoped that Braden wouldn’t find out, but… circumstances changed.”
Cordelia blinked, her glittering emerald eyes going blank for a moment before the fury came rushing back. “Circumstances changed? What the fuck does that even mean, O’Rourke?”
It wasn’t really his news to tell. But Jacob was dear to him, and as Jacob’s Domme and Daddy, Cordelia deserved the truth. “What I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave this room.”
“Fine,” she snarled.
“Aria is pregnant. With my child. So she is staying with me for the foreseeable future, so I can keep her safe. Braden is… understandably distraught by this news.”
Mouth falling open, Cordelia stared at him for several long moments. “You knocked up Braden’s daughter?”
“If you must be crass about it, yes.”
He watched the wheels turn as she put the pieces together. “Holy fuck. I knew you two hooked up—rude of you not to tell me, by the way—but holy fuck.”
“Wait, you knew?”
“Of course I knew,” she shot back with a snort of pure derision. “Aria comes back down to the pit looking all rumpled and well-fucked, when there was literally nobody else in the club that night, and then the next morning you show up at the brunch acting all squirrelly about things. It didn’t take much to put those things together. What I don’t know is how Jacob fits into all this.”
“You haven’t asked him?”
Her expression darkened. “Asked him and threatened his sitting privileges for the rest of his life if he didn’t tell me, but he is incredibly loyal to you. To his own detriment. Braden knows he has something to do with what went down with you and Aria, and he’s furious.”
“Fuck.” Gripping his coffee, Killian paced over to the wet bar and poured a generous helping of Irish crème into the drink. “I asked Jacob to cover my tracks. Gave him cash to pay for the toys we used and asked him to clean the princess room for me without telling Braden. Or rather, I asked him to tell Braden it had been used by someone who wished to remain anonymous.”
“Oh, you asshole.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Cordelia. I was trying to keep this from blowing up in all our faces, and I fear I only made things worse.”
“You did. You put my boy in the middle of all this and Braden is being an absolute fucking dick to him because of it. Jacob is devastated. He wants to be loyal to you, but he loves Braden, too. It's killing him to be caught in the middle.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t ripped Braden a new one yet.”
“I tried.” Hurt flickered across her face. “He pulled the ‘I’m your boss and I’m the one who gives orders around here, not you’ card.”
“He did that? To you?”
“Yes. Jacob and Ivy and I are refraining from taking any shifts at the club or even playing there until Braden calms down.”
He’d done what he’d felt was necessary to protect himself and Aria from a very messy situation. And given the same chance with the same information, he would do the same again, and he couldn’t find it in him to feel guilty about it.
But knowing those actions were hurting people he genuinely cared about, that he did feel guilty about. “I’ll make it up to Jacob.”
“You will, after you fix things with Braden. Until then, consider the three of us Switzerland. I’m not letting my boy get caught in the middle of this fucking shitstorm any more than he already is.”
“Fair enough.” Though it killed him to know he wouldn’t be able to talk to either of his closest friends for the foreseeable future. “Tell Jacob I’m sorry for getting him caught in the middle.”
“I will. And congratulations. I understand why Braden is pissed, but I’ve watched you with my boy. You’ve got all the makings of a great father.”
Surprise had his brows rising before he could think to hide his reaction. “Thank you, Cordelia. That means a lot, especially from you.”
Sighing, she ran a hand over her hair. “I need to get back home and take care of my subs. Let me know when you fix this shit with Braden so we can go back to our club. Ivy needs her people.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
With a sharp nod, Cordelia turned and strode from the room. Killian drained his spiked coffee and returned to his spot behind his desk.
And tried to focus on his fucked-up financial reports rather than all the lives he’d managed to ruin with one careless night.
