Chapter Thirty Six

KATRINA HURRIED TOWARD him, barely rising on her toes to kiss him, before she walked down the hallway. Jagger frowned. She'd stayed glued to his side since the fight and today, she'd gone to see Cora at the coffee shop and now left him without a word.

"Everything okay?" Bane slung the duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah." He rubbed his side, easing the continual ache. "Make sure Dio and Brett get that last bag in the system."

"Will do." Bane checked his phone. "I'll send them off at three-fifteen."

He made a new schedule each time there was money laundering to do. It wasn't only the pot shops they had to watch out for. They'd got wind that the state was doing inspections once a month, and they wanted to avoid any trouble.

Jagger needed to return to the parts shop, but he turned and walked down the hallway. He wanted to check in with Katrina first.

He turned the door handle and found the room locked. That was never a habit he formed, considering everyone knew to stay out of his room.

Knocking on the door, he looked behind him. There was no one around.

"Kat?" He rapped his knuckles on the wood. "Open the door."

A minute passed. He got out his phone and texted her.

Open the door.

Less than thirty seconds later, she texted him back. Hold on a minute.

What are you doing? He hit send.

Bathroom

He leaned against the wall and slipped his phone back into his pocket. He never put a bathroom door in the room when he bought the old bus garage and turned it into a clubhouse. It was just him. There was no need for privacy.

On the other hand, Kat liked having the bathroom to herself.

A door down the hallway opened, and Ruger stepped out into the hallway. Jagger stayed where he was. One day, he'd talk with Ruger, but he knew his MC brother wouldn't listen until he was ready.

They were even now that the punishment was over, and Ruger chose to let him live. He wouldn't allow Ruger to lift another hand to him. He also wouldn't allow Ruger to come between him and Katrina.

The door opened, and Katrina stood in the doorway, wide-eyed and pale. He stepped forward, taking her deeper into the room, and shut the door with his boot.

"What's wrong?" He held her hips.

"We need to talk." She pressed her hand against her forehead. "I need some water."

He went to the mini-fridge at the side of the room and removed a water bottle, cracking the top. When he returned to her, he could see her shaking.

"Did something happen between you and your dad?" He led her over to the couch.

"No." She took a drink. "He avoids me."

There was more going on in Ruger's life. Knowing how Ruger felt about his daughter, he had an idea the woman he rescued was taking up most of his time.

"Then what's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't want you to think I lied." She inhaled deeply.

"There's not much between us that I don't know about, Kat." He kicked up his feet and put his boots on the coffee table. "Spit it out."

She lifted her arm and pointed to the inside of her bicep. "This is the same one that was put in when you took me to the doctor. I never had a new one put in when this one expired."

At the time, she had no clue about birth control. He'd taken her, hoping a doctor would be a better person to explain everything to her and go over her options. Kat had picked the implant because she was afraid of missing a day taking a pill.

"Cord can't help you with that." He put his feet on the floor. "You'll have to make an appointment at the clinic in the next town. Let me know when, and I'll give you some money."

She put her hand on his arm, stopping him from getting up. "I don't need birth control."

"Yeah, you do."

She got up and went into the bathroom, returning to him with a pregnancy stick in her hand. "I'm pregnant."

He heard her. He understood what she was saying. But the words were still bouncing around, and he was trying to make sense of them.

They'd had a lot of sex. The implant was old.

A kid.

He dropped his gaze to her stomach. She wasn't showing. Just looking at her, he couldn't tell that his child was inside her.

"How far along?" he asked.

"A couple of months, I guess." She shrugged. "With everything going on, today was the first I'd even thought about why I hadn't had my period since coming here."

"You're not just late?"

"Two months, Jagger."

A baby.

She was going to have his kid.

Reality started sinking in. He liked the idea of his child growing inside her. "You'll make a great mom."

"I'm scared," she whispered.

He took her hand and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her. "Why are you scared?"

"I thought you'd be mad because I was a smart ass when you asked me about the implant when I first showed up in Seaglass Cove and didn't tell you it had expired."

"You're always a smartass." He chuckled. "That hasn't stopped me from loving you, Kat."

"So, you're not mad?"

He kissed the top of her head. "Shocked. Surprised. But, the idea of you having my baby feels good."

"Yeah?" She smiled up into his face.

"Yeah."

She sobered. "I'm scared I'm going to suck as a mom."

"You'll be great."

"What if I'm like my mom, and I'll want to walk away once I have the baby?"

She'd always wonder why her mom walked away and abandoned her at the hospital, but she had him, her dad, her aunt, and a lot of bikers as her support system. She had family, and no one would let her fall when they were here to catch her.

"I don't think you have that to worry about. You take more after Mama Sue," he whispered.

Damn. He missed his mom. She'd be ecstatic over the news that she was going to be a grandma.

"Yeah?" Katrina smiled again. "I'm going to tell our baby everything about Mama Sue."

Emotions squeezed his chest. He kissed her.

"You need to tell your dad about the baby," he said.

She sat up. "I'm still mad at him."

"Be mad at him." He stroked her cheek. "But tell him."

"Now?"

He tightened his arms around her. He wasn't ready to share her or the news with anyone else.

"Later," he whispered.

All he wanted to do was hold his family in his arms before the crew returned from their ride, and he had to deal with club business again.