26. Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Mackenzie

“ I t’s fun while exiting corners in second and third, making you feel like a Daytona speedway God. In fourth and fifth, it can reach the sky with ease on lips and crests.” Aleko is lying with his head resting on my lap, talking around a sucker while reading from his Full Throttle magazine because he wants the baby to recognize his voice as easily as mine.

We’re at the twenty-two week mark now and my stomach has popped a little. I’ll sit here all damn day to listen to Aleko talk to our baby. He continues reading and I rest my head back against the cushions, threading my fingers through his hair.

Oh fuck…is that…?

“Put your hand on my stomach!”

“Needy.” Aleko grins, laying the magazine down on the floor beside the couch and twisting to face my body. He pops the sucker from his mouth and holds it up for me before carefully placing his hand on my stomach, just in time. “Fu—Shi—This no cursing crap is hard, Cherry, but is that…?”

“Yup. That’s our baby moving.” The fluttering inside me is freaking magical, and it’s not the first time it’s happened. I thought it was just gas, until Mom explained that the feeling was the baby. She cried, I cried, Sabrina cuddled us both into her huge bosom, then Vanessa made the four of us snacks before we spent an hour discussing the book we’re all reading.

I figured joining their new little book club would give me a break from all the research I’m having to do to start the racing club. There’s a fuck ton involved and mountains of paperwork to fill out, but I’m getting there with Spencer’s help.

“Baby Psycho likes hearing Daddy’s voice. I’m only halfway through the article, don’t worry. There’s more to come.” The way he speaks to our baby is one of my new favorite things. It’s softer than I ever thought possible, and there’s already so much pride there. However…

“Baby Psycho is still not a thing, Aleko.” I poke him in the ribs, trying to give my best disapproving face, but it’s not working because he just laughs.

“Oh, my sweet Cherry Pie, if only you knew.”

“I do know.”

Both of our cells vibrate, interrupting our lazy couch day, and for a moment I get really excited. It’s April!

Ah fuck. I’m out this season anyway.

RC: Thanks for being loyal to my dad all these years. Tonight is Location B. Same time as usual. See ya there.

My heart jumps into my throat when I see who the message is from, but the old race chief’s son has obviously received “the phone.” He’s been shadowing his dad for the last few seasons when he wasn’t racing. It’s good to know this year’s street racing is still going ahead, though I won’t pretend to not be a little jealous.

“Guess we’re off to the races in a few hours.” Aleko winks, kisses my stomach, and sits himself up, taking back his sucker and popping it between his plump lips. “Let’s get to the compound. I need to make Elektra shiny for her first official race of the year.” Like a kid at a theme park, his eyes whirl with possibilities and things he plans to do.

I laugh, heading to the bedroom to put some clothes on because just wearing underwear to a race night would be a terrible idea. Ninja and Bandit are sleeping on the dresser, like the nocturnal animals they are, but once Aleko throws on his cut and picks up his keys, I have no doubt they’ll wake up for a ride. It’ll be Bandit’s first race night, I hope she’ll be okay—yup, she. The trip to the vets confirmed Bandit is, in fact, a female, and despite being neutered, Ninja now has a new girlfriend.

The sun is setting off in the distance and the huge parking lot is full of revving engines, colorful lights, and fucking beautiful machines. There are a lot of people too, which isn’t unusual for the first race night of the season. The new race chief, Sawyer Johnston, introduced himself when we arrived, thanking Hoops for the club’s donation to his family following his dad’s death, and I’ve been sitting on the cab of Vanessa’s truck for the last thirty minutes.

“Run run, as fast as you can…” Flower giggles beside me as we watch Jonesy run from the back of one of the vans to the start line because Grinder just signaled for him to clean his visor. “How long does the whole prospect thing last for?” She crunches into her apple, garnering stares from Ninja and Bandit who are curled up in a blanket in the bed of the truck.

Bear made sure they have a supply of snacks beside them, so they’re good, they just want what isn’t theirs.

“Depends on the prospect and the club. Could take less than a year, could be a few years.” I shrug. “Why? You thinking of joining?” I keep one eye on the race, making sure my neck tube is up and over my nose to help with the smell of fumes, but I’m interested in Flower’s response, because she’s pretty awesome.

“Oh, God no. I’m a Reaper for life. Literally. And I have no interest in racing, I don’t think my Harley is built for that kinda riding.”

“Do you have to go back to New York any time soon?” She calls the brothers out on their shit so often when they’re all together, I can’t imagine her not being here anymore.

“Nah. I’m actually following a lead for something that hit Glitch’s radar for the Reapers. Could be here a while.” She grins and winks, taking another bite from her apple.

“Lick my sucker for luck.” Aleko appears beside the truck, holding up his cherry flavored candy for me. “Club’s got thirty grand on this one. They’re gonna be eating dust.”

“It’ll be good to see how Levi rides. He’s signed up to join my racing club.” We could be training weekly from as soon as next month if my dad’s old racing friend pulls through with track space. I really want to do this the legal way. Like an homage to my dad and everything he taught me.

“Which one is Levi?” Aleko frowns, and I pull down my neck tube briefly, taking my time rolling his sucker around my tongue.

“The one with the blue underlight.” I push the sucker back into Aleko’s mouth before he can reply.

“That flash twat is all show. All the gear and no fuckin’ idea.”

“Thanks, Sledge.” I roll my eyes and he leans against the truck, hooking an arm over the side to scratch Ninja’s nose. Bandit is too busy enjoying some of the vegetable sticks Bear gave them earlier.

“Whatever. He can join your club. But if he so much as looks at you, I’ll break his face.” Aleko is scowling in Levi’s direction and I laugh.

“First, I have eyes for nobody other than you and, second, he will have to look at me, so please don’t break his face.”

“Such a pretty face too.”

“Not helping, Flower,” I nudge her and whisper.

Aleko growls, but he’s not angry. I can clearly see the smirk tipping the corners of his lips and the arch of his brow.

The roar of motorcycles gets louder as one of the women from the crowd stands front and center of the row of racers. The crowd quiets and she raises her arms before quickly dropping them and running off to the side. Six racers speed off down the makeshift track, each being timed so by the end of the night, the race chief can call out the rankings. We may all be here illegally but we still want to be relatively safe, which is why only six at a time are racing. There are a few new riders since last year, Levi being one of them, but I don’t see the rankings being much different from how they ended last season. Obviously, I won’t be at the top though, much to Aleko’s pleasure.

I’ll show him next season. I beat him once, I can do it again. It’ll be fun!

“Is that Grinder doing a wheelie?” Flower is watching the race as intently as the rest of us.

“Of course it is.” I laugh.

“Wait for it, he’s gonna do a front stand wheelie over the finish line.” Aleko’s arm is resting against the cab of the truck and his fingers are drawing lazy patterns across my thigh.

“But wouldn’t he get a faster time if he didn’t fuck around?” I forget that Flower knows literally nothing about these nights.

“Yeah, but he likes to show off. No doubt one of the brothers has a bet on it somewhere, so we’re still making bank.” Sledge answers Flower’s question, eyes firmly fixed on the race as they near the finish. “Get in!” he yells out at the same time as pretty much everyone else cheers when the riders all cross the pretend line.

Grinder looks to be around third, which is still pretty good considering the fucking around. He slows before riding over to our little area where the Sons have their vehicles all parked up and Bear is counting money from the betting.

“My turn.” Squeezing my thigh, Aleko runs around to jump onto the bed of the truck, tickling Bandit and Ninja on their noses before gripping my legs and sliding me to the edge of the cab roof. He pulls the sucker from my mouth, kisses me so hard it leaves me wanting and possibly bruised, then lifts my neck tube back up and over my nose. “Stay safe, Cherry Pie. I fucking love you.” With a grin that could make anyone swoon, Aleko kisses my stomach. “I love you too.” Then he jumps off the truck bed, crunches his sucker, and winks as he walks away, pulling up his own neck tube before swinging his leg over Elektra.

“What a freakin’ cutie. I’ve never had a boyfriend jump over shit for me like that. No girlfriends either. You’d think that seeing as I have more options, it’d be easier to find someone to throw me around like a ragdoll and do romantic shit like that, but nope. I swear, it’s way more difficult.” Flower leans to rest back on her palms, sighing heavily.

“I’m sure you’ll find your person when you least expect it. Aleko hit me like a ton of bricks, came out of nowhere, and now I don’t want to know a life without him.”

“You’re so fuckin’ lovesick I could gag.” Flower giggles again.

“I could give you something to gag on.” Grinder, now off his motorcycle, his racing leathers unzipped and showing a very naked chest beneath, wags his brows and rests his chin on the truck cab.

“Nah. If I’m gonna have sausage, I like it big and juicy.”

“Who says it’s not?” He looks mildly offended.

“Oh, baby. I’ve spoken to all the Khaos Khunts, I know exactly how big every single one of you is.” She blows him a kiss that he dramatically catches and throws away.

“Less of the baby, you.” Grinder scowls at her, but there’s a tiny upturn of his mouth as he saunters off.

“Hey, do you know what happened with that fireman who has the hots for you?”

“How do you know—” Before I can even finish the question, Flower glares at me with a knowing smirk.

“There’s a reason I’m so fucking fantastic at my job, Mac. I listen, and I listen good.”

“Fair. I heard he was suspended for a couple of months, but Spencer told me he never went back to work when his suspension was over. So I don’t know, I guess he’s as in the wind as that Beaufort guy.” I shrug.

“He’s the drug dealing man, yeah?”

“Well, kinda. He paid people to do it for him, so I suppose you could say that.” While we’re talking, Aleko is tailed by Kincaid and Jonesy to the start line for the next race. He’s so fucking sexy in all his gear.

“Didn’t his company also make the antidote so people stopped dying from those smiley drugs?”

“Yup.”

“That’s fucked up. Money can do dangerous things to powerful people.” Flower shakes her head.

“It sure can.”

“He was your brother’s dad too, wasn’t he?”

“Ho—You know what? I’m not even gonna ask. Yeah, Harrison Beaufort is Jake’s dad. Was…whatever the term for it is now that Jake’s six-feet under.” I suppress a shudder at the memory of Jake and his club of Toxic Rebels. None of the ones left alive are here tonight, meaning they’re all long gone, and I’m grateful that I never have to see their faces again. Cameron and Booker may have been nice enough to me, but seeing them a few months ago was like a kick in the teeth. They’re all a reminder of a life I no longer lead.

“He’s not quite six-feet under, more like ground up, burned to a crisp, mixed with horse shit, then used as fertilizer. Grinder had fun with that disposal.” Bash, who’s enjoying not having to run around after the brothers now that he’s a full member, relaxes against the side of the truck as the next round of racers rev their engines, crick their necks, and get into the zone.

“Gross, but kinda cool. I’ve never ground up a body before on a clean up. I’ll have to take some notes on the next one.” Flower claps her hands together, like finding new ways to dispose of a dead body is exciting.

Blocking out everything around me, I concentrate on my man. I know exactly what’s going through his head right now, and it’s a grand total of not a lot. He is focused on that racing line, the fastest way around that turn on the end, and the cleanest route to the finish.

Engines get louder, the crowd gets louder, and they’re off. My whole body tenses up in anticipation, and while I’d love to be doing this myself, watching Aleko is just as exhilarating.

He’s the clear winner within seconds of them starting, getting out in front of the pack quickly, and my cheeks ache from all the smiling. I refrain from jumping up, because knowing my luck I’d fall and I’m not risking this baby for that.

Aleko finishes the race first and there is a roar of excitement from the Sons, right before money is being exchanged again, leaving Bear with a hell of a lot more to count.

Just as quickly as he raced, Aleko rides Elektra around to our area and passes her to Kincaid before pulling off his helmet and gloves. His eyes find mine immediately, and they’re full of hunger. A freshly unwrapped sucker is held in front of him from Jonesy, which he takes before stalking over to the truck. Pushing myself to the edge, I slide off the top of the cab straight into his waiting arms for a kiss that promises me a very fun night.

I’m honestly so fucking happy right now. This is absolute perfection. I can’t imagine anything ever going wrong.