15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

"Yo, what's up?" I answer the call from Plague out of the Central Texas chapter of Royal Bastards.

"Is Creed still riding with you?"

"Looking at his sorry ass now, why?"

"Need you to pass along a message."

"I'm listening."

"One of his club brothers is looking for him. He needs to call home. Something to do with his stepsister."

"Will do. See you when we pass back through." I end the call and scrub my hand over my face. Last thing I want to do is play messenger for Creed but if his stepsister is in trouble, then maybe her problems will send his ass back home and far away from Ember.

Putting my pride aside, I approach the asshole. He's got an arm slung over Ember's shoulder, looking a little too fucking comfortable with her. Have to admit, I didn't see shit shaking out the way it has. I know his type. I've been Creed. A player.

I approach them, earning me a snotty look from Ember. She can hate me all she wants. I know I fucked up. He's not the man for her and she'll come to see that. I'm going to win her back.

Somehow.

Someway.

"Not this shot again," Creed mutters, shoving Ember behind him.

"I'm not here to fight you. Plague called. You're needed back home. Your stepsister's got a situation."

"No cap?"

"Call her."

"Don't go anywhere, beautiful." He kisses Ember on the forehead and bile hits the back of my throat. I should kick his ass, but right now isn't the time.

There's too much shit happening. My personal shit has to go on the back burner until we get the sign that the target has been dealt with. Sorry fuck tried to slip in undetected.

"You having a good time?" I question Ember once Creed moves off to make his call.

"Like you care? "

"Maybe I care a little too much."

"Please. Spare us both and stop lying. I saw you earlier."

"Saw me what?"

"With that woman."

"Who? Madz?"

"I don't care what her name is. It's none of my business."

"It's yours if you want it to be."

"You can do whoever you want."

"Is that what you want?"

"I'm really not in the mood, Smoke."

I change the subject since this conversation is headed nowhere fast. "How are you feeling? Heard you've been sick."

"Don't do that. Don't come over here feigning fake concern for show. No one is paying attention."

"I care about you."

"No. You don't, Smoke. If you cared about me at all, you would have never done what you did. You wouldn't have messed around with someone seconds after breaking my heart."

"You did the same thing, babydoll. Took Creed to my house and fucked him in my bed."

"I'm not arguing about this. Like a broken pencil, it's pointless."

"Funny thing about pencils. They have erasers, because people aren't perfect."

"I'll never be able to erase that image from mind. It's seared there. A permanent scar."

"So what? You can make mistakes, but I'm not allowed that same courtesy."

"I didn't say that. A mistake is like forgetting to grab something from the store. What you did was no mistake."

"What was it you said about kissing T-bird? That you made one mistake. I think that's what you'd call being a hypocrite."

"I was honest. Told you that I wondered if there was more than friendship there. I didn't do it behind your back. It wasn't malicious or out of spite."

"You're right. This conversation is pointless." I walk away before I say something I can't take back.

"Everything cool?" Prodigy asks as I storm past him.

"Fucking peachy."

"Slow down. Where's the fire?" He jogs to catch up with me as I go off toward the pool to cool off.

"Don't start with me. Your sister already busted my balls."

"Take it easy on her."

"I get she's your sister and you're looking out for her, but if you were really a good brother, she wouldn't be here on the back of that punk ass Creed's bike."

"Hold the fuck up. You're not going to take your bullshit out on me. You better pull your head out of your ass and wake up."

"What's that mean?"

"Forget it."

"No. You've obviously got something to say to me."

"You fucked up. I heard about what you did. What she walked up on. Not fucking cool, man. Ember deserves better."

"And that's Creed?"

"I don't know, but it sure as fuck isn't you right now. You swore to me that you'd treat her right."

"Well, we can't all be you, golden boy."

He grabs his crotch. "Suck my dick."

"Nah, it's not big enough for me." I shove him.

"Your fight isn't with me. Unless you want it to be." He shoves me back.

"Save it for the bedroom, boys," Viking mutters as he approaches. "You've got eyes on you. Last thing Prez needs is you two making him look bad. Like he can't control shit in his own house when he's looking to get us away from the shit we've been contending with. He's already pissed over that shit you pulled back in Arkansas."

"Creed isn't part of our club."

"This isn't about Creed. It's about you acting stupid because you've always been on some fucking mission to ruin your life."

"I don't need this shit."

"Yeah. Run off and stick your dick in another whore. That will solve all your problems." He grabs me by the back of the neck and gives me a hard squeeze, digging his fingers in deep. "I shouldn't be telling you this shit, because my wife will kill me for breaking her trust. She gave Ember a pregnancy test earlier. Do with that what you will, but get your shit in order. Man, the fuck up." He pushes me into the pool.

I sink to the bottom with his words floating through my mind. Ember could be pregnant and if she is, then that means it is mine. She only got with Creed last week.

Fuck. Fuck me. I push up and take Prodigy's outstretched hand.

Viking's lucky I've got bigger things on my mind than him being a dickhead.

"Did you know?" I seethe at my supposed best friend.

"Not until we got here, and she kept getting sick. Question is, what are you going to do?"

"Give us both a beat to wrap our heads around this shit. Then I'm getting my babydoll back."

"May not be that simple."

"It will be."

"Don't do anything stupid," he calls after me as I stomp back toward the party and where I last saw Ember.

She's not where I left her, and I don't see Creed. They must have gone back to their room. I lied to Prodigy. I'm not giving her another damn minute before confronting her. Dripping wet, I march into Big Daddy's house, not giving a damn that his security is calling after me.

No one is standing between me and my having this conversation with Ember.

I raise my fist to knock on the door when it swings open. Creed has his bag slung over his back.

"She's all yours, man. Take good care of her or I promise you I'll come back for her and if I do, I'll make her mine, permanently." He doesn't stop to hear my reply. He takes off like a shot and I wonder if she told him she's pregnant.

I find my babydoll sitting on the edge of the bed staring at the floor. I kick the door shut behind me and when it slams, she jumps.

Her sad eyes meet mine, full of remorse. Is she upset that Creed left or because it's me standing here and not him? Maybe it's both.

"Where's your man rushing off to?"

"Not that it's any of your concern, but he's got a family situation."

"Way, I hear it. He's not the only one. Were you going to tell me, or were you going to wait until I noticed? "

"I'm not in the mood, Smoke."

"I don't give a goddamn. Is it mine?"

"Who else would it be?"

"So you don't deny it?"

"You've got me. I'm pregnant with some random guy's baby."

"Maybe you fucked T-bird? Or maybe you were seeing Creed behind my back all this time."

"Is that what you think?"

"No." I drop my wet ass down to the floor and lean my back against the wall across from her.

"I don't expect anything, you know. I mean, you don't have to be involved."

"Don't have to be involved," I mutter. "Jesus, Ember. Do you hear yourself? What's the one thing I've wanted all this time?"

"Great timing, huh?"

"Life is funny like that."

"I don't want us to mess this kid up. My parents did a number on me."

"We're not them."

"Maybe not. We aren't good together. Think we've proved that."

"We were fucking great."

"Until we weren't. "

"What do you want from me?"

"The truth?" her sad eyes meet mine. "I have no idea, but not this. Whatever we're doing. I don't want this."

"You planning to have this baby?"

"Would you be okay if I said no?"

My heart drops to my feet at the idea of her ending the pregnancy. "Fuck no, but I'd have to come to terms if that's what you really wanted. Would fucking kill me, but I'd hold your hand through it."

"I wouldn't. I couldn't do that."

"Good. I'd hate to kill you after. You're far too pretty to murder."

"That's not funny."

"I'm not joking. Babydoll, said I'd hold your hand. Didn't say what I'd do after."

"Don't say shit like that."

"Then don't ask me stupid questions."

"You're ridiculous. I think we should table this conversation for when we go home."

"You saying we're going home together?"

"I'm saying we should talk about this when we're back in Charleston, when I figure out how I'm getting back there since my ride kind of left."

"You'll ride with me."

"That's not a good idea. "

"I'm not asking. You're carrying my kid. That means you're on my bike. Whatever little fun you had with Creed is done."

"This doesn't mean we're back together and that you can order me around like some sort of macho man. You don't get to tell me what to do."

"The fuck I don't." I reach into my pocket and find what I've been carrying around. I go to my knees and grab her hand, shoving the ring I bought for her onto her finger. "We'll go to Vegas. Make it official."

Ember stares down at her hand. "You've lost your mind." She slides the ring off her finger and throws it at me. "The last thing I'm doing is marrying you. I don't want your ring or whatever half-assed attempt this is at asking."

I grab the ring off the floor. "Think you missed the part where I'm not asking."

Ember laughs. Cackling even. "That's rich."

"Put the ring on."

"No way. You're acting crazy."

"I'll show you fucking crazy, babe." I shove the diamond back on her finger.