Paradox: A Death Dealers MC Novella (Book 5.5) Read online

  “Babe, I want you to know that I’m trying to make a better, safer life for us, for our kids. I’m getting the club out of the protection runs.”

  “You are?”

  “Yeah. The bakery in town? It’s for sale, and we put in an offer for it.”

  “Really?” I’m not able to keep the optimism from my voice.

  “Really. I’m looking into more legit businesses, things that won’t get us into trouble, or dead.”

  “Gage, I’m glad, don’t get me wrong, but… what does it mean for the MC? I’ve heard the guys talking, so I know they love the money from the runs.”

  “We already voted on it, babe. Everyone’s all for the change.”

  “Wow. And… the rest?”

  He takes a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair. “Hopefully going clean will put an end to ‘the rest.’ I’d love nothing more than to not have to spill another man’s blood, except when it comes to my family. You… my babies.” He traces a slow circle on my belly. “For you, for them, I’d kill God himself if I could.”

  I cup his cheek, stroking it with my thumb. “I know.”

  He moves my hand from his face, kissing my fingers.

  “This is good.” I nod, smiling up at him. It means no more transports where he’s gone for days at a time. “Who’s going to run it? You better get the recipe for my strawberry cheese pastries.”

  He laughs, throwing his head back. I’ve always liked them, but I’ve been devouring boxes full since I’ve been pregnant.

  “Emily, and I already secured it, babe.”

  “Good. See? Amazing husband.”

  “Yeah. You threatened to Lorena Bobbitt my ass once, so I didn’t want you to saw my dick off with a dull blade in a fit of pregnancy hormones.”

  “That was if you ever cheated on me.” I smack his arm. “And I haven’t been that bad!”

  “Of course not, doll.” His patronizing voice makes me want to find that dull blade. Apparently, the thought is conveyed in my expression because he leans forward and plants a kiss on my lips. “You know I love you.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  “Blame it on the lack of pussy. You’re really gonna hate me when I can finally get back inside you.”

  “I’m blaming it on you being a gigantic dick.”

  “I think you mean ‘having’ instead of ‘being,’ baby doll.”

  I laugh, reminded of one of the many reasons I love this man—his sense of humor.

  “Am I forgiven?”

  “Always.” I cup his cheek. As I stare into his blue eyes, everything melts away. God, I love him.

  Turning his head, he presses his lips to my palm.

  “What about Krueger?”

  He takes a deep breath, expelling it through his mouth. Usually he doesn’t tell me about club business, but if he takes Krueger up on his offer to back him for national president, it affects our family.

  “Haven’t figured that out yet. I brought it to the table, and they’ll support me if I turn him down. I don’t know how much longer I can hold him off, though. He’s getting antsy.”

  “You’ll work it out. Whatever you decide, I got your back.”

  He smiles, leaning in to press his lips to my forehead. “I know. That’s why you’re mine.” He kisses me again, whispering against my skin. “That’s why you’ll always be mine.”

  I close my eyes, letting his words soak into my soul. There’s no way I’d want to belong to anyone else.

  “I’m gonna go talk to Emily. I’ll be back in a bit.”

  “’Kay. I think I’ll take a nap. Hurry back so we can snuggle up next to you.”

  The only reason we came to the clubhouse was to drop off the crib we bought for our room here, but I don’t think I can move for a while.

  “You got it, babe.”

  He climbs off the bed but I grab his hand, preventing him from walking away. He looks back, waiting for me to speak.

  “I love you.”

  Leaning over me, his eyes wander my face lovingly before his lips take mine in a gentle kiss. It leaves me breathless, eyes closed as he whispers, “Love you, too, First Lady.”

  ***Gage***

  Leaving my woman in bed, I head to the bar to talk to Venom’s. I’m excited about the opportunity this venture brings. The bakery already makes good money. With Emily’s baking skills and my business sense, I know we can make it a success, take it farther than the limits of Stony View. All my brothers have their own hustle outside of the MC, but the money from the protection runs allowed us to become accustomed to a certain lifestyle. I need to make this work so my club doesn’t regret the vote.

  I catch Venom’s attention, giving him a chin lift. He leads Emily over to me, grabbing a stool and watching his old lady. He can barely keep a grin at bay.

  “Emily, we have something we’d like you to consider,” I tell her.

  “What’s that?”

  “Sweet Treats. You know the place, right?”

  “Yeah, but it’s closed now. Why?”

  “It’s closed because it’s changing ownership. To the club.”

  “You bought it?” Her gaze shifts from me to Venom and back.

  “Yeah. And we want you to run it.”

  “What?” Her eyes go wide, shock written on her features.

  “We want you—”

  “Shut up!” She covers her mouth, jumping in place. “I mean, I don’t mean shut up, I mean… Oh God, are you serious?”

  “Of course.” I smile at her excitement. “Everyone here can vouch for your skills. We’ll be here to help on the business side.”

  “Oh God. Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She launches herself into my arms and then proceeds to rain kisses down on Venom’s face. “I know you did this,” she says to him. “I don’t know how, but thank you, Liam.”

  “Anything for you, darlin’.”

  The prospect approaches, pulling me aside and whispering in my ear, “Prez, there’s a woman here to see you.”

  “What woman?”

  “Blonde, says her name is Britney.”

  My brows knit in annoyance. What the fuck does she want? I banned her from the clubhouse for a reason. What kind of mischief is she up to now?

  “Tell her to fuck off.”

  “She says it’s important. Looked really worried.”

  Sighing, I shake my head, knowing I’m going to regret my decision. “Fine. Let her in.”

  I sit at the bar, watching Emily drag Venom toward the rooms. A pang of jealousy hits me. I wish I could have my way with Raven right now, but she’s always tired, and I’m afraid of hurting her and the babies. If I do, I don’t know what I’d do with myself; they’re my life, the very reason I breathe.

  “Gage?”

  I turn to find Raven making her way toward me.

  “What are you doing out of bed, babe?”

  “You were taking so long, I decided to come find you.”

  “Go on back, doll. I’ll be right there.” I try to get her out of the bar before Britney comes in. The last time the two of them were in the same room, Raven broke the other woman’s nose. In her condition, I don’t want the two to encounter each other.

  “What’s she doing here?” Raven asks, and I know I’m too late.

  “Let me handle it, Raven. I’ll just hear her out, and then I’ll come find you.”

  “No. I want to hear why she’s back.”

  I motion for the prospect to bring me a chair, and I set her up on it before taking a calming breath and turning in the direction Raven is throwing a hateful stare. Britney makes a beeline for me, causing the room to go silent. Before I met Raven, Britney was one of my favorite Hounds. She was relatively new at the time and I loved her curvy body. One night she decided to mouth off to Raven and almost drove a wedge between us. I wasn’t going to lose my woman over her, so I kicked her ass out. That was about a year ago.

  “Hi, Gage.” She smiles, tucking her hair behind an ear.

  “What’s going
on?” I try to cut out the chitchat.

  “Okay, straight to the point.” She takes a deep breath, motioning to someone behind her. That’s when I notice the strange woman lurking in the back. She steps forward, handing a bundle to Britney.

  “What the hell is this?”

  Einstein moves to my side, crossing his arms over his chest as he watches the events unfold.

  “This”—she looks down, and then back at me—“is my son. I figured it was time he met his father.”

  CHAPTER 3

  RAGE

  ***Raven***

  My son.

  His father.

  The words echo in my mind as I stare at the person who spoke them—the only other woman in this room I know for a fact my husband has fucked. I would have dismissed her, kicked her ass for coming here if I wasn’t eight months pregnant. However, the adorable blond boy she’s holding seems to be a few months old—the right age considering when his mother left here. Slowly rising from my chair, I approach them. Britney takes a step back, but I keep my eyes on the boy. He lifts his head from his mother’s shoulder and looks right at me.

  His eyes.

  Bright, intense blue eyes that look so much like Gage’s.

  I falter, thankful for the arms that surround me in an instant. “Come on, babe.”

  I allow him to lead me back to the chair, listening to the whispers making their way around the room. This can’t be happening. How did this happen? Gage couldn’t have cheated on me. He couldn’t! Did he? I remember Britney’s words from that last night as if it was this morning. “While you were on your little emotional trip, who do you think was taking care of Gage? He was with me every. Single. Night.”

  Back then, I knew it couldn’t be true, but I let her get to me. I blew up on Gage and ran out, knowing deep down inside he wouldn’t have done that to me. What should I think now when the possible evidence is literally staring me in the eyes?

  “You can’t possibly mean me.” Gage’s tone is threatening.

  “All you have to do is look at him, Gage. He’s yours.”

  “Get the kids out of here,” Chopper instructs someone.

  I don’t know who spirits them away, but I blink and the little boy with the blond hair and blue eyes is gone. There’s a ringing in my ears, the dull ache in my head rising to a pounding. Closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose, I try to drown out the sounds around me.

  “I know you’ve never wanted kids, but when I heard that she was pregnant—” There’s a pause before she continues. “—I knew you’d be more open to us.”

  “Don’t fucking look at her,” Gage growls. “Don’t address my wife in any way. Whatever you’re trying, forget it. This is all bullshit and you know it.”

  “You okay, First Lady?”

  I look down to see a worried Tek kneeling next to me. His question brings Dr. E over also.

  “Let’s get you back to bed,” he says in his doctor voice.

  I allow the two men to help me to my feet, the hammering in my head intensifying when I meet Britney’s calculating stare. Bitch. I wish I had the strength to break her stupid nose again.

  “I’ll get rid of her and be with you in a sec, babe.”

  I ignore Gage’s words, not wanting to hear a damn thing from him right now. If he wasn’t such a whore before we met, this wouldn’t be happening.

  Climbing into bed, I lie on my back, eyes closed as I take deep breaths. I need to calm the fuck down. All this anger and anxiety isn’t good for my babies.

  Babies.

  My mind drifts back to the boy in Britney’s arms, and the ache in my head hits a new high.

  Gage cheated on me.

  With a fucking Hound.

  “Raven, open your eyes for me, beautiful.”

  My lids flutter open. Dr. E is staring down at me, brow creased with worry. He examines my eyes, then sends Tek to his room to fetch his bag.

  “Dr. E,” I whisper once we’re alone, “is it true?”

  “Gage loves you. I know that to be true. I also know he didn’t look at another woman once he decided he wanted you.”

  “But the baby….”

  “Babe?” Gage’s voice comes from the doorway, triggering a stabbing pain in my heart.

  I keep my gaze on Dr. E, tears welling in my eyes. Tek appears behind him with the medical bag, the presence I feel at my right unmistakably my husband’s. He takes my hand but I tug it free, laying it on my stomach.

  “Little bird….” The hurt in his voice is nothing compared to mine.

  Dr. E takes my blood pressure, giving Gage a concerned stare. “Her blood pressure’s a little high. We need to monitor her and try to keep her calm.”

  “He’s raising my blood pressure.” Without looking, I motion in Gage’s general direction. “Get him away from me.”

  “Baby doll, you can’t possibly believe—”

  “Go. Just get out!”

  “I’m not leaving you.” His voice is stern.

  Dr. E leads him out of the room, closing the door behind them. Tek kneels by the bed, looking equally concerned.

  “Can I get you anything?” he asks.

  “Water?”

  “Sure thing.”

  When Tek opens the door, Gage’s head snaps in my direction and Dr. E’s voice floats in.

  “A multiples pregnancy is already risky.”

  I look away, silently urging Tek to close the door.

  “Be right back, First Lady,” he assures me.

  First Lady. Yeah, right.

  I don’t think I have a claim on that title anymore.

  CHAPTER 4

  E SQUARED

  ***Einstein***

  “What’s going on, Jon?” Ellen accosts me the moment I walk through the door.

  With a deep breath, I glance over at Mikey, asleep on a blow-up mattress in our room. I make my way to Ellen, taking her hands in mine.

  “There’s nothing to worry about, Ellen. Trust me.”

  “Really?” Her brows arch in disbelief. “Did you not see that child? Is he my nephew? Gage won’t answer any of my questions. If anyone can, it’s you.”

  “It will all work out, babe. Right now, I’m more concerned about Raven. I’m going to stick around and keep an eye on her tonight.”

  “I’ll stay, too. Mikey’s already asleep. How is she?”

  “Hurt, confused, angry. I need to monitor her blood pressure.”

  “Fudge.” She tugs her hands from my grip, pacing next to the bed. “Stupid Gage and these stupid whores you choose to keep around here. I can’t believe he’d do this.”

  “Ellen—”

  “No!” she whisper-shouts. “Don’t make excuses for him or them. I don’t even know how you can be with someone who you know for a fact has fucked all your friends, and probably the entire male population of the town.” She scoffs in disgust.

  “Ellen.” I grab her shoulders, turning her to face me. “Calm down. Everything’s going to be okay, babe. I promise.”

  She slides her arms around my waist, burying her face in my chest.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

  “I know.”

  “What’s going to happen now?” She peeks up at me, blue eyes troubled.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Gage yet. Just get some sleep and we’ll see how things go in the morning.”

  “Okay. I’m going to check on Raven first.”

  “Yeah. Me, too.”

  After a final glance in Mikey’s direction, we both leave the room. We find Gage sitting on the floor by his door, knees drawn up, head against the wall. His eyes are closed, but I know he’s not sleeping. Looks like Raven still won’t let him into the room. Before Ellen knocks on the door, she gives Gage’s foot a kick so forceful, it falls to the floor fully extended. His eyes snap open and then narrow at his sister.

  “Asshole,” she grumbles, leaving us in the hallway.

  Trixie, one of the Hounds, walks up wit
h a plate, distressed eyes trained on me.

  “I’ve been trying to get him to eat something but he won’t.”

  I nod, taking the sandwich and chips before sitting next to my friend.

  “Still won’t see you?” I take a chip and then pass the plate to him.

  He ignores it, sighing as both hands dive into his hair, grabbing two handfuls and tugging in frustration.

  “I can’t believe she thinks that child is mine.”

  “You’re sure it’s not?”

  “Of course I’m sure. The last time I fucked her was before I met Raven, and you know I always used a glove anyway. I don’t know what she’s trying, but if anything happens to Raven and those babies….” He growls, dropping his head back against the wall.

  “What about that first Christmas?” I raise a brow in question because I saw him drag Britney to his office that night.

  “She was going to suck my dick, but I changed my mind and kicked her ass out. Raven came in right after. She knows nothing happened.”

  “You know there’s only one way you’re going to prove he’s not yours, right?”

  “Yeah, I know. I’ll set up the test. I just wish she believed me.”

  “I think a part of her does. She just can’t see past the kid’s hair and eyes right now. You have to admit he looks like you.”

  “Blond-haired, blue-eyed men are a dime a dozen, E. Doesn’t mean shit.”

  “I know, brother.” I hand him the plate again. This time he takes it, throwing a chip in his mouth. “I’m gonna stick around tonight so I can keep an eye on her. If her blood pressure keeps going up, we’ll have to take her to the hospital.”

  “Thanks, E. I’ll be right here.”

  Hopping to my feet, I grab his shoulder, giving it a supportive squeeze. I knock on the door, entering when Ellen tells me to. Raven is resting on a mound of pillows, Ellen gently stroking her hair. Tek is asleep in a chair in the corner.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Hi, Dr. E.” She gives me a weak smile.

  “Just came to check on you. How do you feel?”

  “Like shit.”

  I reach into the bag I left at her bedside, pulling out my stethoscope and sphygmomanometer. As I take her blood pressure, she glances over at Tek.