RUTHLESS HOLD (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) (32 page)

Eden put a hand to her mother
’
s leg.
“
Me too.
”

“
I
missed it all. I gave it all up. Your first words. Your first steps. Chorus
concerts. Your first heartbreak.
”

“
It
wasn
’
t all that exciting,
”
Eden said.

“
I
want to be there for everything else,
”
Jenn said.
“
That
’
s my offer to you, Eden. If you
don
’
t want that, I will
find somewhere else to go. I can have Miller get me to another charter and I
can settle in. The last thing I want to do to you is become a burden or get in
your way. You have every right to be angry. You never have to forgive me. I
’
m not making any excuses to you,
Eden, just telling you the truth.
”

Eden looked at her mother.
“
If you kept me, do you think
Ripper would have done bad things to me?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
He
would have hit me?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
And
if he found out I wasn
’
t
his real daughter
…”

Jenn shut her eyes and nodded.
“
Yes. Because he would have
wanted to punish you, me, and Griffin.
”

Eden lowered her head and
shuddered.

She took a few seconds to process
all of that.

Then she hugged Jenn. As tight as
she could. She got close to her mother
’
s
skin, smelling cigarettes, booze, and cheap perfume. She kissed her mother
’
s cheek.

“
Thank
you,
”
she whispered.

“
For
what?
”
Jenn asked.

“
You
saved me. You gave me life and saved me. You took a risk by giving me up and
because of that I had a better life and now we
’
re
together. Right?
”

“
Yes.
Right.
”

“
My
adoptive parents were good people. My adoptive aunt was good to me too. I was
able to learn how to draw, create art, find a passion, and make a living out of
it.
”

“
You
’
re a tough woman, Eden. Trev
needs a woman like you to keep him grounded.
”

“
I
need a man like him to keep me safe.
”

“
He
will keep you safe,
”
Jenn
said.
“
Ripper isn
’
t stupid. Trev showing up bloody
isn
’
t enough to be enough.
It
’
s going to take effort.
And when this is all happens, it
’
s
going to get wild.
”

“
Wild,
”
Eden whispered.
“
Yeah.
”

“
Uh,
is this cool?
”
a voice
asked.

Eden looked and saw Blaine in the
doorway.

“
Yeah,
”
Eden said.
“
I was
…
nothing.
”

“
How
you holding up?
”
Blaine
asked.

“
Before
or after I saw you punch Trev?
”

Blaine nodded.
“
You want to punch me in the
face?
”

“
Yeah,
I do.
”

Blaine waved at Eden.
“
Come on. Do it.
”

Eden slowly stood up. She walked to
Blaine and slapped him across the face. It stung the hell out of her hand.

“
Better?
”
Blaine asked.

“
No!
”
Eden yelled.

Blaine gently touched her arm.
“
Hey. It
’
s going to be okay. He
’
s already checked in with Miller. He
’
s up there. I just wanted to let
you know that.
”

Eden then hugged Blaine.
“
Thank you.
”

Blaine put an arm around her.
“
He
’
s
the toughest guy I ever met, Eden. He
’
s
smart. He
’
s been outlaw
before. He knows how to navigate when there are no rules. He
’
s a survivor.
”

Eden looked up at Blaine.
“
He warned me to stay away from
you.
”

“
Why?
”

“
Because
you
’
re an asshole.
”

Blaine grinned.
“
That I am, sweetheart.
”

“
But
you love Jessa.
”

“
With
all my asshole heart.
”

“
And
you love Caine.
”

“
That
’
s my blood.
”

“
Trev
was worried you
’
d get hard
around me.
”

“
Well
…
I am still a man.
”
Blaine winked.

Eden backed away and gasped.
“
You
’
re disgusting.
”

“
Hey.
A pretty girl hugs me and dick gets hard, that
’
s
an act of God. That
’
s
nature.
”

Eden wanted to slap him again.

“
You
sure you
’
re okay?
”
Blaine asked.

“
She
’
s fine,
”
Jenn said.
“
Just
got herself sick from stress.
”

“
Throwing
up?
”
Blaine asked.

“
Yes,
”
Eden said.
“
Anything else you want to know
about my personal life?
”

“
Sure.
I
’
d love to see your tits.
I wonder what your nipples look like. Little nubs that are fun to bite on or
like racetracks for my tongue.
”

Eden gasped again. She swung and
slapped Blaine again. And, again, her hand stung like fire.

Blaine just laughed.

Remember what Trev said
…
this sick fuck gets hard
when he
’
s hit
…

Blaine rubbed his cheek.
“
Being serious though
…
if you need anything, let me
know. Food, drink, whatever.
”

“
How
about a pregnancy test?
”
Jenn asked.

“
What?
”
Eden yelled.

“
Oh,
shit,
”
Blaine said.
“
Well, it is morning. You
’
re throwing up. That
’
s what happened with Jessa. Were
you letting Trev
…”
Blaine
blinked.

Eden
’
s
cheeks were apple red.

Not in front of my mother.

“
Can
you do that, Blaine?
”
Jenn
asked.

“
Sure
thing,
”
Blaine said.
“
I
’
ll
send the prospects. Looks like you need some food then. Fill your belly. You
’
re eating for two, huh?
”

“
No,
”
Eden said.
“
I can
’
t be
…
no.
”

Eden turned and looked at herself
in the mirror. She looked like a hot mess. Her hair all over the place. Her
eyes puffy from crying. Her lips dry and cracked.

She swallowed hard.

She casually touched her stomach.

No way.

“
It
’
s okay, sweetheart,
”
Blaine said.
“
If you think Trev protects you,
imagine what he
’
d do for his
kid. Plus, if he took your sweet pussy bare, he knew what he wanted.
”

“
That
makes me feel old,
”
Jenn
said.
“
I
’
ll be a gran
…
yeah, one of those.
”

The voices faded away as Eden stood
there.

She tried to figure out how many
times she and Trev had sex unprotected. How long ago was their first time. The
last time she had her period.

When Eden blinked and refocused on
her reflection, she just knew.

Test or no test
…

Trev, you have to come home
alive
…
I
’
m pregnant
…

__

twenty-six.

Trev sent a text message to Miller
and then rolled to his side and caught some sleep.

Ripper had to deal with a puking
stripper who had an empty bottle of pills next to her. It was going to be an
ordeal with calling in favors to the police and paramedics. Trev needed the
shut eye anyway, to try and recharge his batteries. To get ready to keep this
thing going. Because the way Ripper reacted already proved to Trev that this
was going to be fast and bloody.

Somewhere lost in a dream, Trev
heard water running. He was in the apartment, walking to the bedroom to get to the
bathroom. He stepped into the bathroom and Eden
’
s
smell filled the air. The sweetness of her body and the sweetness of her
shampoo and soap collided together.

She was humming.

The outline of her body could be
seen through the shower curtain. The perfect curve of her hips. The curves of
her tits, even her nipples poking forward.

Trev walked to the shower curtain
and tore it open.

Eden suddenly changed.

She was naked. She was beautiful.
But she was heavily pregnant. Her belly was large and round. Her tits were
twice their normal size, her nipples huge and tender. She looked at him and
smiled.

“
She
’
s kicking
…
want to feel?
”

She?

Trev reached his hand forward.

Eden then lifted her left hand and
slammed it against his mouth. Then in her other hand she had a knife. She put
the knife to Trev
’
s throat.

“
Don
’
t fucking scream,
”
Eden said, but in a man
’
s voice.

Trev jumped and woke up.

He was in the back of the bar in
Daurian. There was a hand over his mouth. A knife to his throat. He saw Jasper
hanging over him.

“
I
’
m going to let you sit up and
talk,
”
Jasper said.
“
Got it?
”

Trev nodded.

Slowly, Jasper pulled away.

Trev sat up and rubbed his face.
“
Holy fuck, man. How long
…”

“
Two
hours. They
’
re cleaning up
the mess. Almost done. Ripper is answering questions.
”

“
Questions?
”

“
She
’
s dead.
”

“
Jesus.
”

“
Fuck
her. She owed us money. She couldn
’
t
get off drugs. I put the bottle in the right place at the right time. So we
could have this chance to talk. Make it worth it.
”

“
Holy
fucking hell. You killed
…”

“
No.
She killed herself. This isn
’
t
about some junkie stripper. What the fuck are you doing here?
”

Trev swallowed hard. He knew it was
a crucial moment. To trust Jasper or not.

“
Griffin
was close to me,
”
Trev
said.
“
Like Giovanni to you.
Griffin and Jenn had a long affair. Had a daughter. Gave her up. That
’
s what started Ripper going
really crazy. I need to know the truth of what
’
s
going on up here. That
’
s
why I
’
m here.
”

“
You
really outlaw?
”

“
I
don
’
t have a cut,
”
Trev said.
“
That
’
s all you need to know about that.
”

“
What
do you plan on doing here?
”

“
I
just said it. I want the truth.
”

Jasper looked around.
“
Nobody knows what that is
anymore. Ripper has pushed on us that you guys are ruining the MC. He
’
s got ideas on how to wipe you
out. He
’
s offered me side
stuff and I never went for it. Giovanni did. He wanted the money. I argued with
him, knowing it was dangerous. The prick wouldn
’
t
listen to me.
”