Stone (Knights Corruption MC Series Book 2) (21 page)

A few minutes later, Marek wrapped his hand around the gavel and ended the meeting with, “Be ready at a moment’s notice if we find what we’re looking for. Hopefully it’ll be anytime now, but just in case, keep your eyes and ears peeled for anything strange. Other than the impending issue with Koritz, I’m sure the Reapers were made aware of the fact they’re no longer doing business with the cartel, and I imagine they’ll be looking to find out why. As soon as they do, I have no doubt they’ll be gunning for us.”

With nothing left to say, he slammed down the gavel and rose from his chair. Clapping me on the back, he gave me a nod before exiting the room, everyone else filing out right behind him.

I knew this was coming, but that didn’t stop me from wishing like hell we didn’t have to deal with it. All I wanted was for our club to be totally legit, put the cartel and the Savage Reapers far behind us, and move on with enjoying life.

I prayed for the day when the biggest issue I had to worry about was whether or not I’d pissed off Addy.

Adelaide

“Are you sure you’re okay, sweetheart?” my dad asked, placing the back of his hand on my forehead. “You feel a bit warm.” The concern in his eyes was mild. What would they look like when I finally worked up enough nerve to tell him not only that was I pregnant with his first grandchild, but I was sick on top of it? More than anything, I wished I didn’t have to put my father through any of this. He’d seen enough horror years before when he sat by my mother’s side, every single day, doing his best to tend to her and lift her spirits, all the while completely forgetting about himself.

And he’d stayed lost. Not one time in the five years since the death of my mother, his loving wife, had he ventured out on a date with anyone. Brian Reins was a very attractive man. “Fit and fifty,” I would tease him. His dark hair was greying at the temple, making him look even more distinguished, his deep brown eyes shining bright whenever he saw me. Too bad they didn’t light up for anyone else. I often prayed for him to meet someone, grab life by the balls and at least try to be happy, but my prayers never came true.

My dad worked as an accountant and, contrary to popular stereotypes, he wasn’t boring. Or at least he hadn’t been. He had an adventurous soul, always looking for the next big thrill. I couldn’t even begin to count how many times he’d convinced my mother and me to step outside our comfort zone and experience life. Swimming with the sharks in Hawaii, or jumping out of a plane were just some of the thrills he wanted all of us to experience. When he started talking about cave climbing, my mother and I had to put a stop to it. A small smile found its way on my face remembering all the fun we had as a family.

But after my mother died, everything stopped.

The thrills.

The laughter.

Life as we knew it.

I’d trudged through, focusing on school and finishing my degree. I was lucky enough to find a great nursing job at Mercy Medical Center. My hours were long sometimes, but I really enjoyed being in a position where I could make a difference for someone. I supposed the fact I couldn’t help my own mother drove me to want to dedicate my career to helping others.

And now here I am, the one who’s sick and will be in need of someone . . . well, like me.

“I’m fine, Dad,” I assured him. Sucking down any courage I thought I had walking through his front door, I gave him a faint smile before twitching in my chair.

“If you say so.”

“I say so,” I joked. Since I wasn’t going to wait around for Stone back at his house, I decided to wing it and see if my dad was free for lunch. Thankfully, he was. We hadn’t spent much time together lately because of my crazy schedule at work, and his hours were picking up because tax time was fast approaching. Even though he set his own office hours, seeing as how he owned the accounting firm, he was still very diligent with attending to his customers. A great work ethic was one of the many things he’d passed along to me.

“So, where do you want to go for lunch,” he asked, scrolling through his e-mail while he waited for me to decide.

“How about the new Thai restaurant near the ice cream parlor we used to always go to?”

Never taking his eyes from his phone, he nodded.

“Are you sure you have time, Dad? It seems like you’re distracted.” I placed my hand on his forearm to get his attention. It worked.

“What? Oh . . . Sorry, honey.” A little hesitant, he gave me a half smile before changing our lunch plans. “Do you mind if I just make us something here? It’s just that I have to go into the office earlier than I thought, and it would make it easier for me to fix us something instead of traveling back and forth to a restaurant.” Looking hopeful, he asked, “What do you think?”

There was no hesitation; as long as I was able to spend time with my dad I was happy. I needed his love and support now more than ever, even if he had no idea what was going on with me.

“Of course.”

“Good,” he said, clapping his hands together in excitement. “What shall I make us?” He contemplated his future dish, tapping his finger on his handsome chin. “I know!” he exclaimed. “I’ll make my famous chili.” Scouring the kitchen for the necessary ingredients, he looked lighter than he had in past visits. I wondered if I was missing something, or had it been that long since we’d spent any time together.

Deciding to ask a question which had fallen from my lips many times before, one he seemed to not like, I forged ahead and inquired anyway.

“So, are you seeing anyone? You know, I hear some of those dating sites aren’t half bad. Just stay away from Tinder,” I teased, drumming my fingers on the countertop, watching him start to prepare our lunch.

Without making eye contact, he said, “No one special.”

No one special.

Did that mean he’d at least gone on a date recently? And recently could have covered the past year.

I couldn’t help myself; I just had to pry. “Does that mean you’re getting out there? Are you finally dating again?” I knew without a doubt no one my father would meet would ever come close to filling his heart the way my mother had, but there had to be someone out there he could connect with, and hopefully fall in love with again.

But what the hell did I know? I was in love with a pompous, overbearing, ill-tempered, possessive ass. But that wasn’t all he was. Even though Stone was all those things, he’d also shown me a different side to him, a side I doubted many had the pleasure of seeing, if any. He was kind, thoughtful, loving, affectionate, protective, funny and sexy as all hell. Okay, the last one wasn’t a personality trait, but it definitely worked in his favor.

“Don’t worry about me, honey. I’ll meet someone when I’m ready,” he assured.

“But it’s been five years. I just want you to be happy again.”

Slamming down the spatula he was using to brown the meat, he turned toward me and scowled.

“I’ll do it when I’m ready. Don’t push me.” His aggravation was mild but still very much present. Slouching, he immediately apologized. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m just a little stressed right now, and the last thing I want to think about is committing to someone.”

Who said anything about committing to anyone? I was simply asking if he’d met someone. Was there something going on I didn’t know about? My father and I were really close, but I was sure there were some things he kept hidden from his only daughter.

As there were things I kept hidden from him.

Placing my hand on his shoulder, I leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I just want you to be happy. You deserve it.” Moving back, I walked toward the quaint kitchen table and pulled the chair out, sitting before he even had the chance to turn around.

Silence ensued, but it was exactly what we both needed. So many things rattled around inside my head, and although they were very different from what was probably bombarding my dad, I knew we were both experiencing our own stressors. Although I was positive that cancer and pregnancy, at the same time, could be classified as more than a mere stressor.

I was fully aware of my precarious predicament but it almost seemed like it wasn’t real, as if Dr. Weber had told me the news but my mind refused to accept it, therefore making it null and void. Telling my father the news would be heart-wrenching. Well . . . part of it, at least. Hoping the other part would thrill him placed a small smile on my face.

But how would he feel about Stone, his future grandchild’s father?

For that matter, how would Stone feel about becoming a father? He could go either way, really. We’d never even discussed the possibility of having children, too busy sneaking around and having our fun. The thought never crossed my mind, and I wasn’t sure whether or not it was even on his radar.

The clink of ice cubes pulled me out of my own head. “Do you want some iced tea, Addy?” my dad asked, reaching into the refrigerator and pulling out a large pitcher of my favorite nonalcoholic drink.

Before the news, I would have readily accepted, gulping down the refreshing drink and asking for more. But since Dr. Weber had told me I was pregnant, the thought occurred that maybe I shouldn’t be drinking caffeine. I was probably going a little overboard, but so many things could happen during a pregnancy, and considering I already had to go through some future treatment, I wanted to ensure I wasn’t eating or drinking anything I shouldn’t.

“I’ll just have water, please,” I responded, hoping like hell he wasn’t going to delve into why. Throwing me a funny look, he simply shook his head and poured me a glass from the water cooler.

“Here you go,” he offered, placing the glass on the table. “We should be eating in about a half hour. You know how I love to slow cook as much as possible.” He winked before returning to stirring the chili. Before long, my stomach rumbled, loud enough to pull my father’s attention.

“Damn, was that your belly?”

“I guess I’m just excited to eat your food. It’s been a while,” I confessed.

“I’d say so.” Coming to sit next to me, he placed his hand over mine, tapping it lightly before smiling. “So, are you seeing anyone special? You can tell your old man.”

Old man.

I couldn’t help but think of the conversation I’d had with Stone about me being his ol’ lady and how I’d protested calling him my ol’ man. Only one person held that title, and it wasn’t a gorgeous tattooed biker.

“Funny you should ask.” I hadn’t planned on telling him any of my news for a little while yet, but the opportunity presented itself and I plunged in headfirst. Plus, it wasn’t as if my dad was going to run and tell my uncle; otherwise, I would have kept my mouth shut, fearing his reaction and what he would do to Stone. I knew my man could definitely hold his own, but the fact I was—or rather
we
were—going to draw a wedge between the two of them, I would be lucky if Trigger didn’t try to put a bullet in the club’s VP like he’d often threatened.

“Oh?” he said, straightening in his chair, his hands clasping together to hear my news. All of a sudden, I’d become quite warm, my belly protesting in hunger while my heart picked up pace in anticipation of what my dad’s reaction would be. I knew damn well he would flip his lid when he found out I was dating someone in the club, and while I knew I could do nothing to mitigate his fears of being involved in that lifestyle—something I myself was worried about—I would have to do my best to convince him I was safe and well taken care of.

The words bubbled up in my throat, but before I released them in a huff of air I decided to leave out certain details about Stone. Him being part of the Knights Corruption for one. Later on, I would tell him, but not now.

“I’m seeing someone. Actually, I’ve been dating him for just over a year now.” I hadn’t lied; technically Stone and I had been seeing each other for the length of time I’d specified, it had just been our little secret. Plus, the coated lie would be a softer blow when my dad found out I was pregnant. At least the man who’d knocked me up wasn’t a one-night stand or a meaningless fling. He was someone I loved. “I’ve known him for years, however.” That part wasn’t a lie either. I met Stone right after I’d received my nursing degree. Although my uncle didn’t want to involve me, he didn’t have a choice. One of their men had been injured, and there was no way they would take him to the hospital; stab wounds often brought about many questions . . . and the cops. So he’d called me in, swarming around me the entire time, shielding me from any communication with the men who were present.