An Outlaw Monster (Back Down Devil MC #10)(51)

twenty-six.



(harlee)



I slipped my hand over Eden’s swollen belly and bit my lip. I was so nervous touching her stomach, but she insisted on me doing it. I knew sometimes pregnant women were touchy about being touched and rightfully so.

Butterflies kicked up in my stomach as I touched her. Of course, I used my left hand and the second I saw the ring on my finger it made me think of Trent, marriage, and now pregnancy.

That was just too normal though, right? An outlaw like Trent…

I gasped. I looked at Eden. “I felt it. I mean, him. Or her. The baby.”

Eden laughed. “Yeah, she kicks quite a bit.”

“She?” I asked.

Eden smiled big. “Don’t say anything. Right now, me and Trev are keeping it low key. But I want to freak out.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a girl,” Eden whispered.

“I thought women wanted little girls.”

“A little girl in this life?” Eden asked. “I don’t know. It’s scary.”

I glanced around the clubhouse and then laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Eden asked me.

I took my hand from her stomach and touched her hand. “Hey, you can look at it two ways. One, you’re going to have a daughter in a really scary world like this one. But we both know the other side of this world isn’t much better. Two, that little girl who is going to grow into a young woman and then a woman is going to have a built-in family and plenty of bodyguards who aren’t just going to talk the talk but walk the walk.”

Eden snorted. “I feel bad for anyone who looks at her.”

“So what’s there to worry about?”

I saw in Eden’s eyes there was plenty to worry about. It was sort of nice to make a friend in the clubhouse. Eden sat at the end of the bar like royalty. She was the President’s old lady, so in some ways that made her queen.

All it took was one bullet to change all our lives.

“So that ring on your finger…,” Eden said.

“Yeah,” I said. “I don’t know. Trent…”

“Say no more,” Eden said. “Just let me give you a small piece of advice.”

“What’s that?”

“I walked into this life, just like you. I knew nothing of it. But the one thing I learned, Harlee, is you’re either all in or out. There’s no in between. In between gets you killed.”

I squeezed Eden’s hand. “I know. Trust me, I know.”

Eden’s eyes then filled with tears. She rolled her eyes up and sighed. “Shit. I cry at the dumbest things. I’m just picturing you and Trent getting married. How silly.”

I inched forward and hugged Eden. She hugged me back. Again, the embrace of another person who understood this life, and a woman, it just felt good.

The moment was nice, but short lived.

I heard a whistle and both me and Eden turned our heads so our cheeks were touching.

There was Trent, Trev, and Cash standing there.

“Fucking ace,” Cash said. “Look at this. Cheek to cheek. You know, I’ve seen some really good porn that starts like this. The pregnant woman aching for another woman’s touch. Oh… f*ck yeah…”

Trev swung a hand and slapped Cash in the shoulder, sending him stumbling back. “Cut it, *.”

I pulled away from Eden.

“Everything okay?” Trent asked.

“Perfect,” I said. I stood up. “Hey. I could stay here while you’re gone. I could help out Eden.”

“I bet you can help her,” Cash said.

“I think we need to break his jaw,” Trev said. “Just snap it in half. So he’ll shut up.”

“I’m good with that,” Cash said. “As long as my hands aren’t broken. So I could jerk…”

“Cash,” Trent said. “One more word and no Russian *.”

That seemed to shut Cash up pretty fast. “I’m, uh, going to grab a beer then.”

Cash walked away, finally.

“About me staying,” I said.

I saw Trent look from the corner of his eye to Duke. Duke was at the bar, next to Max, talking. Duke glanced at Trent and the tension was wildly instant again.

“No,” Trent said. “I don’t want you here, darling. Not while I’m gone.”

“She’ll be safe, brother,” Trev said.

“I actually wouldn’t mind being in an apartment,” Eden said.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “It’s crammed here. Loud. Smelly. Damn bikers.”

Trev laughed and grabbed Eden, bringing her to her feet. He touched her stomach. “Yeah? Smelly? You don't seem to mind.”

“Don’t talk dirty with your hand on my stomach,” Eden said.

“Only when I’m behind you, right?”

“Stop!” Eden squealed. She blushed and slapped Trev’s shoulder.

I looked at Trent, feeling uncomfortable because I wondered if that was our future.

“I don’t like it,” Trent said.

“It’s fine,” Trev called out. “I’ll call up from another charter, too. We’ll keep half the table here for protection. Let the women have a night off for a change.”