Page 34 of His Flawed Ride (Sons of Lost Souls MC #16)
Chapter Thirty-Two
Annie
B efore I left town, I bought myself a notebook and a pen.
Excitement courses through me and when I settled in at the kitchen table in the main house, I set pen to paper and began to design the house.
Though I fell in love with it as soon as I stepped inside, the furniture wasn’t to my taste. It needs a little modernising.
If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s designing fantastic spaces. It’s going to be the perfect home for us.
I’m working on the main bedroom when Shane walks in. One day he’ll kiss me when he comes in, but I can wait, as long as he doesn’t keep me waiting long.
It doesn’t take long to figure out something is off with him. Especially when he begins pacing the kitchen.
“Did something happen with the other club I saw coming your way you haven’t told me about?”
He’s been quieter than usual over the last couple of days.
“No.”
“Then what’s on your mind?”
I’m about to get up and go to him when he says, “Tell me again why you don’t want to be a mom.”
I stop. “I’ve told you, I wouldn’t be a good mom.”
“Or is it because you’re on the run from something?”
I frown. “Why would you ask something like that?”
“I had a brother check you out and there’s nothing, Annie. Not since you dropped out of college.”
Blackness creeps around the edge of my vision and the pounding beat of my heart drowns me.
“You snooped on me?”
“You haven’t been exactly forthright with me,” he snaps.
My mouth opens but I don’t know what to say.
He’s ruining everything. He’s the gentleman I want him to be, but this is taking it too far.
I stand to stall for a few seconds of time, but nothing comes to mind.
He’s saying something but I don’t hear a word of it.
I sway with dizziness, and he rushes over.
I still have a part of him. I haven’t completely lost him.
“Shane, I dropped out of college because it wasn’t for me. I come from money, but I don’t use it. I’m not on the run but I left my family to do my own thing. I’m not who they expect me to be.”
“But not your parents because they died when you were a kid.”
How much did he have his brother dig up on me? “No, not my parents. I’ve been floating around for the last few years and then a few months before I met you, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. When I found out I was pregnant I had to stop treatment.”
“Oh shit,” he mutters and wraps his arms around me. I hold him back and start to relax. He’s not going anywhere. I’m going to get to keep him.
“But you can get treatment once you’ve given birth, right?”
“It doesn’t quite work out like that for me. The type I have is pretty aggressive. Eight months without treatment is a long time. By the time I give birth, it will be too late.”
“So keeping the baby is going to kill you? It was bullshit about you not sticking around cause you thought you’d be a bad mom, it’s cause you’re not gonna be here at all.”
I nod.
“Fuck,” he whispers, pulling me back to his chest. “You should’ve told me.”
“I didn’t want anyone to know.”
He argues, “I’m not just anyone, Annie. We’re in this together.”
“I like the sound of that.” I smile.
I like it a lot and it’s my beginning. He’s finally mine. He fires question after question and while I have no idea what I’m saying, he seems to believe every answer.
Shaking his head, he tells me, “Keep the windows and door shut for the rest of the day.”
“Why?”
“You didn’t see what went down a couple of hours ago?”
Now I shake my head. “No. What happened?”
His laughter is strained. “Leo and Harper set her house on fire.”
“They did what?”
“Yeah, crazy, ain’t it.”
“Why?”
“To get rid of her mom’s ghost. Harper doesn’t like bad memories.”
I’ve been known to act crazy on occasion. I’ve even been called crazy more times than I care to admit. At least I’m not alone in the crazy stakes around here. I’m going to fit in perfectly.