The positive pregnancy test slipped from my grasp and clattered onto the cold laminate. My hands shook, then my entire body. I dropped to the floor and brought my knees to my chest. The test sat face up two feet away. I didn’t look at it. Couldn’t. I didn’t need more evidence of this very real fact. What was I going to tell Hawk and the others? Once they knew, nothing would ever be the same.
12
CALLIE
SEVEN YEARS AGO…
After spending all night tossing and turning over how I’d break the news and whether I’d tell all of them at the same time or start with Colt, I’d come up with a gameplan I thought would work. It didn’t take much to get me out of the house and on my bike for the short ride to the clubhouse. Even without the news sitting cold in my chest, I had work to do. The positive test sat in the bottom of my trash can under a paper bag, but I could still feel the cold plastic between my fingers. I’d washed my hands three times to try and rid them of the feeling last night. It didn’t help.
I had every reason to ride to the clubhouse and park in front of the porch. I might not have a reason to sit and stare without moving, but no one tried to bother me.
In fact, unlike most mornings, no one stood on the porch or lounged around the gravel parking area. Raised voices came from inside the house, and I checked my phone for any missed messages saying there was a meeting today.
Nothing but a blank screen greeted me, and I swung off the bike and jogged up the steps, opening the door to a room of chaos and drinking.
The smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke hit in the back of my throat, layered over whatever they’d fried last night in the kitchen. My stomach lurched, and I pressed two fingers under my nose and breathed through my mouth. I’d have to get used to that. Figuring out which smells bothered me and which ones I could push through became a necessary mental game. Just another item on the list to check off.
“They asked about her by name.” Dylan stood at the front of the room, next to the fireplace where Hawk sat with a cup of coffee. Sweat glistened on Dylan’s forehead, and he wiped it away with a swatting gesture.
I’d had an excuse ready if anyone asked. I’d planned on telling them I brought back a part I borrowed. That didn’t seem necessary anymore. Every head in the room stayed locked on Dylan and Hawk.
Dylan paced back and forth in front of the fireplace.
“What did they say?” Hawk, calm and always in control, raised the cup to his lips and took a slow sip.
Did anything ever bother him?
“Are you sure it was the Hellhounds?” Ricky spoke up from the corner, his lips twisted in a sneer. “I mean, hell, man. What’s this chick got that has everyone so riled up. Why would the Hellhounds care about Callie?”
The sound of my name jerked my entire body into a stiff line. My pulse hammered in my throat, and I pressed my back flatto the wall, keeping my face neutral. I cut off a gasp before anyone heard and tucked myself deeper into the corner, forcing my face to remain neutral the way I’d learned to do when Wade raged and I needed him to think nothing he did bothered me. It had taken years to build that kind of control and I used it now without hesitation. The Hellhounds were asking about me? Like specifically?
Dylan yanked off his baseball cap and smacked it against his thigh. “Yeah. I’m pretty fucking sure they were hounds. They made sure I knew.” He gestured at the bruise forming on his cheek. “They wanted to know about Callie. They practically spelled out her name for me like I was an idiot. Said they’d heard she moved between Hawk, Diesel, and Colt like water in a stream. Wanted to know if that was true.”
A few snorts sounded.
My chin lifted. I hadn’t been with any of them in months. Why was this such a big deal?
Rita, one of the Old Ladies who’d been nice to me over the last few months, cut in between a couple guys and walked my way. She took one look at me and shook her head, stopping to stand next to me with her hands in her jean jacket pockets. She wore a full face of makeup despite it barely being sunrise and smelled like hairspray and cigarettes.
Shit. I’d have to quit smoking.
“You know what this is, right?” Her head cocked to the side, her chin jutting toward Hawk.
Diesel stood behind and to Hawk’s right, his arms locked and body tense. He didn’t say a word, but it would be more shocking if he did.
So they wouldn’t take the threats against me seriously but lost their shit over this?
I shook my head at Rita. “Not a clue.”
Her lips pursed and she pushed air out in a wheezing sound like a leaky balloon. “Okay, listen and listen good. When men in another club can’t get good leverage on a president, they grab the woman who matters to them. Then they make that woman matter for a whole other reason.”
“Leverage.” I spat the word with all the vehemence I possessed.
“Exactly.” Rita nodded. “It’s one thing to grab the woman, but they’re not above snatching kids either. We had one get taken fifteen years ago.” Her eyes drooped, and she blinked several times before continuing. “Bad business. By the time we got him back, it was too late.”
My already tense stomach knotted further. I didn’t want to know what she meant. My mind could conjure plenty of scenarios and I did not need her input to make them worse.
“The fact they know about you means they’ve been watching. They’ll watch even closer now.” Rita’s eyes skipped to my stomach and back up again. “Pregnancy doesn’t stay a secret around here. Not for long. Too many people watching your body for signs of weakness.”
