Outlaw (36 page)

She knocked on the door. “Cole, honey? Are you in
there?”

Cole and Crash looked at each other.

Shit, Cole thought.

Crash smiled, and whispered, “Speak of the devil.”

Cole walked over, and opened the door.

Mandy stepped into the room. Her hand slid up Cole’s
chest, and she leaned up to kiss him. She could feel his coldness, his lack of
excitement to see her. Well, he wasn’t going to get rid of her that easy. She
wasn’t giving up without a fight. “Hi, sweetie. I’m so glad you’re home,” she
purred, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Crash moved toward the door. “Well, I’ll let you two
lovebirds alone.”

Cole gave Crash a dirty look over the top of Mandy’s
head. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Crash smiled back. “No problem, bro.”

The door closed.

Cole looked down at Mandy, pushing her back out of
his arms. “I hear you’ve been asking all kinds of questions around the club.”

Mandy looked back at him. “Darlin’, I just wanted to
know who this girl was. Lord knows, you wouldn’t tell me.”

“It doesn’t concern you.”

“Doesn’t concern me? I’m your wife.”

“Yeah. We need to talk, I-”

Mandy cut him off quickly. She couldn’t afford to
let him mention divorce, not before she told him her news. “Baby, first I have
to tell you something.”

“What?” Cole asked impatiently.

She smiled up at him, her hands resting on his
waist. “I have some news. I’m going to have a baby.”

Cole stared down at her, and he felt the floor drop
out from under him. “What?”

“I said, I’m pregnant, Cole. We’re going to have a
baby.”

“What? How?”

“What do you mean, how? You know how. We did it
enough times.”

“When?” Cole swallowed. “How far along are you?” God
forgive him but he hoped he could talk her into an abortion if she wasn’t too
far along.

“Four months. Aren’t you excited?” She hugged him,
burying her face in his chest. He missed the sly look that passed over her
face. She’d chosen the number with care. Not too far to be showing yet, but not
so little that he’d try to make her get rid of it.

Cole stared at the wall. Four months.

Mandy pulled back, and looked up at him. “You’re
happy, right?”

He looked down at her, and pushed her out of his
arms. “You need to go. I’ve got some club business to take care of.”

“But, Cole-”

“Mandy. I’ll meet you back at the house later. Now
get out of here.” He turned away, holding the door for her.

Mandy forced a smile. She could play nice, if she
had to. “Of course, darling. I’ll make you a nice dinner.”

“I don’t know how late I’ll be,” he said stiffly.

“Well, I’ll keep it warm for you. I can’t wait to
get you back in our bed, sweetie.” She leaned up, and kissed him before
turning, and walking out.

Cole closed the door, and leaned back against it.

Crash was sitting at the bar. He saw Mandy walk by,
and out the door. A few minutes later, Cole walked down, and sat next to him.
He looked sick to his stomach. “You okay, brother?”

Cole shook his head, “No.”

Crash watched as Cole rested his elbows on the bar,
and lowered his head to his hands. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Cole slid his hands down his face, and looked at
Crash. “She’s pregnant.”

“Who? Angel?”

Cole shook his head. “I wish. No. Mandy.”

“Holy fuck. What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know.”

Crash smiled at him, trying to lighten the mood, he
nudged him with his shoulder. “You can always push her down the stairs.”

Cole gave him a look.

“I’m kidding.” Crash took a sip of his beer. “That’s
rough man. But you can still get divorced.”

Cole stared into space. Could he? What kind of
mother would Mandy make? Someone as spoiled and self-centered as her? A shitty
one, that’s one kind. This baby would need him, probably more than Angel’s kids
did. At least they had a decent and loving mother that cared more about her own
children, than she did about herself. Who would this kid have if he left? God
knows who she’d dump the kid with, just so she could go out partying or
shopping. And she’d probably end up bringing around a line of men. Men that his
child would be exposed to, and he wouldn’t be able to say shit about it. He
couldn’t do that to a child, could he? Here he was, always admiring Angel for
always putting her children first, above her wants and needs. Isn’t that what
he needed to do? Put what was best for his child first, and to hell with what
he wanted? That meant staying with Mandy, no matter how miserable he was with
her.

Crash slid a shot of whiskey in front of him, and he
downed it. He thought about everything he and Angel could have had together,
and would never have now.

Crash reached over with the whiskey bottle, and
refilled Cole’s shot glass. “Drink up, brother. I may not be able to help, but
I can sure get drunk with you.”

Cole gave him a weak smile, and clinked his glass to
Crash’s.

It was hours before he headed home.

Cole pulled in the drive of the house he shared with
Mandy. It was down a quiet, shady street of an older neighborhood. There was a
white picket fence in front, and a wrap-around front porch. The driveway on the
left of the house ran back to a large, two and a half car garage in back that
he had taken over completely. It was filled with half-put-together bikes, and
parts of all kinds. He spent most of his time there, when he wasn’t at the
clubhouse. Crash or some of the other guys would come over, and they’d sit
around drinking beer, and working on bikes.

A rear side entrance faced the driveway. A couple of
steps led up to a covered porch.

Cole walked up the stairs, and into the house. He
walked over to the counter that overlooked the small kitchen, and looked
through the pile of mail. She can’t even open a damn electric bill and pay the
damn thing, for Christ’s sake. He flung the envelope down.

“Cole? Is that you?”

“You expecting somebody else?” He turned and saw her
standing in the doorway that led to their bedroom, which faced the backyard.
She had on a sexy nightgown. What shit was this?

She walked to him, and slid her hands around his
waist. “I missed you baby.”

He pulled out of her arms. “We need to talk.”

“Can’t we talk in bed?” she purred.

“No. We can’t. I’m moving into the guest room, until
the baby is born.”

“What? What are you talking about?” she asked, her
tone sharpening.

Cole shook his head, staring at her. “I’ll stay with
you, for the baby’s sake. But you need to understand, that’s the only reason
I’m staying.”

“You’ve been drinking.”

“Yeah. I have.”

“Tomorrow, once you’ve sobered up, we’ll talk about
this. Now come to bed, baby.”

He gave up talking to her, and walked into the guest
room.

She followed him to the doorway. You’re serious?
You’re really staying in here, tonight?”

“Yup. And not just tonight.”

“Why, Cole? I don’t understand. What did I do?”

“Nothing. I just don’t want to be married anymore.”

“So you’re going to divorce me? Is that it?”

“No. I said I’d stay for the baby.”

“It’s her, isn’t it? You want to go be with that
bitch.”

“Leave her out of this. This is between you and me.”

She stormed off, and he was relieved. He got up, and
slammed the door. Locking it, he lay down on the bed. No matter how much he’d
drunk that night, it wasn’t going to ease this pain he felt.

Chapter Seventeen

Cole walked out of the clubhouse. He lit a
cigarette, and stared up at the moon. He wondered if Angel could see it, too.
He’d thought about her constantly these past three months. It was mid-July now,
and he supposed it was hotter than hell in Arizona. Melissa had been home from
the hospital since the week after he left. She was doing well. Natalie had kept
him informed.

He flipped his phone open, and his thumb moved over
the numbers. He put it to his ear, and waited while it rang. Finally, she
picked up.

“Hello?”

“Natalie? It’s Cole.”

“Oh. Cole.”

Not the reaction he expected. Not the greeting he
usually received from her. He could tell immediately by her tone that something
was wrong. She was being cold toward him, and that wasn’t her way. “What’s
wrong?”

“I can’t really talk now. Let me call you back,
okay?”

He wasn’t letting her off that easy. “Are the kids
okay? Angel?”

“Yes. They’re fine. I’ll call you back once
everyone’s in bed.”

“Yeah. Okay.” He hung up, and took a hit off his
cigarette. Something was wrong. He couldn’t stop wondering what it could be.
She’d said they were all okay. He’d been sending money regularly, so he didn’t
think it was money. He’d told her to tell him if there was anything they
needed. She knew all she had to do was call him, and he’d find a way to get it
for them, no matter what it was.

He waited an hour, then two, before she finally
called back. He flipped his phone open, and put it to his ear. “Yeah.”

“Cole? It’s Natalie.”

“Thanks for calling me back. What’s going on?”

“Angel’s been very upset.”

“Why? What happened? Is it Melissa?”

“No. Melissa’s fine. She’s doing great, actually.”

“What then?”

“Angel got a call.”

“A call?”

“From your wife, Cole.”

“What?”

“Yes. She called here, and talked to Angel. Told her
to leave her husband alone.”

“My God. I’m sorry.” He was going to kill her. “She
must have gotten the number out of my cell phone.”

“That’s not all.”

“What?” He was almost afraid to ask.

“She told Angel that the two of you are expecting a
baby.”

“Oh, my God,” he whispered, his eyes sliding closed.

“Yes. Angel was quite upset by that.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Is it true, Cole?”

He clenched the phone in his hand. He didn’t want to
say the words. “Yes. It’s true.”

“Oh, Cole.”

“She told me she thinks she got pregnant around New
Year’s. Long before Angel ever came to see me.” There was silence on the other
end. “I’m sorry, Natalie. I didn’t want this. I meant to come back here, and
divorce her quickly. But when she told me about the baby…I couldn’t bring
myself to do it.”

“Of course. I understand.”

“I don’t think you do. Mandy…she’s not like Angel.
She’s selfish, and immature. This baby is going to need me, Natalie, more than
Angel’s kids. At least they have a loving, decent mother to care for them. And
they have you, and-”

“Yes, well…I should go.”

“Natalie, wait! Please.”

“Cole, if you could make sure she doesn’t call here
again, I’d appreciate it.”

Natalie was shutting him out. He could feel it.
Thinking he’d turned out to be nothing more than another lying, cheating,
married man. “Yes, I’ll make sure. I’m sorry. Please believe me. This isn’t
what I wanted.”

“Goodbye, Cole.”

She disconnected.

Cole shoved the phone in his pocket, and got on his
bike, and fired it up. He had some business to take care of with his wife.

Crash walked out of the clubhouse. “Cole, wait.”

Cole cut the bike back off. “What is it?”

Mack wants to see you for a minute.

Cole got off his bike, and walked back inside with
Crash. He found Mack sitting in the chapel, waiting for him. He walked in, and
closed the door. “You wanted to see me?”

Mack nodded. “Sit.”

Cole walked over, and sat next to him. “Wyatt’s
having trouble with the Hyena’s again. I want you to go up there, and see
what’s going on. I’m thinking about finally patching them over. Look around.
Let me know if you think it’s a good move or not.”

Cole looked at him. “When do you want me to leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

Cole nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”

Mack noticed Cole staring off into space. “You okay,
brother?”

Cole got up to leave.

“Tell Crash about it. I want him to go with you.”
Mack made the last minute change, after seeing the distracted look on Cole’s
face.

Cole looked over at him, and nodded. He walked out
the door, and over to the bar to talk to Crash. He sat down on the barstool
next to him. “Mack wants us to pay a visit to the Dead Souls tomorrow.