Page 7 of Lore (Serpents of Chaos MC #3)

ATIANA

“Why is that woman looking at me like she wants to kill me?” I ask Ora, who is trying to play her shot, but her pregnant stomach is getting in the way. She lifts her head to the bar and looks at the blonde woman, wincing slightly.

“Just ignore her. She’s one of Lore’s…” she trails off, putting the pool cue down and studying me. “She’s jealous.”

Another woman Hunter has fucked, including the curly-haired brunette I saw him with in the hallway. Ora knows it, but clearly doesn’t want to say it. At the end of the day, she is his friend, not mine, and I need to remember that.

It seems that to save my children and myself, I’ve walked right into my own version of hell, being locked up with all of Hunter’s conquests. I might as well be back at the club, watching him strip with all the women fantasizing about him. At least back then, I knew he was only mine.

Now he’s everyone’s.

My baby daddy is a communal dick.

And I’ve never been good at sharing—only child and all that.

You know what? It would probably hurt less to be out there, on the run, and it would be better for my mental health. If I didn’t have Dove and Rider to think of, I’d be out of here so fucking fast. And knowing him, he wouldn’t bother to chase me, just like last time.

“He’s still exactly the same,” I mutter, bending over the pool table to play my shot when she misses. I sink one ball and line up the next.

“He’s always been a heartbreaker?” she asks, a knowing glint in her eyes.

“Oh yeah. Always.”

At least I can personally vouch for the fact that he tore mine to shreds.

“He’s very fun to be around,” she muses, tilting her head to the side. “And he’s loving and charming. We always call him a heartbreaker.”

“He knows what women want.” I sigh, missing my next shot and sitting back on the stool.

“He used to be a stripper, you know. He knows how to turn on a woman. Imagine him with his ripped abs, tattoos, and his long hair down. He’s literally made for sin, and he knows it.

Add in a few hip thrusts, and the women were panting at his feet. ”

He might not be stripping anymore, but that hasn’t changed.

Ora’s blue eyes widen, and then she bursts out into laughter. “Well, he’s been hiding that one from us. A stripper? While you two were together? Oh fuck, you poor woman.”

I nod, wrinkling my nose. “Yeah.”

And I would be watching from the bar. We needed the money back then. We had just gotten a rental together, and didn’t have anything to our names. The money he made was good, and it got us by, but that didn’t mean I liked it.

I fucking hated seeing other women pawing at him.

A pretty petite blonde with curly hair steps into the room, smiling widely when she spots us. She’s wearing a pastel pink top with Lu’s Sweet Treats written on it. She must work at a bakery.

“Atiana, this is my best friend, Lu. Lu, Atiana,” Ora introduces, sharing a secret look with her friend.

“You are stunning,” Lu comments, tucking a lock of her hair back behind her ear. Her gaze softens, her brow furrowing when she notices my face. “It’s so nice to meet you. You are all everyone can talk about around here right now.”

“Lovely,” I mutter, then grin. “It’s nice to meet you too. Hunter said you are both old ladies? I’m still trying to figure out this whole biker thing.”

“Hunter?” Lu frowns, before her green eyes widen in realization. “Oh, Lore. I didn’t even know his name was Hunter.”

“Me either,” Ora adds, shrugging. “It kind of suits him, though.”

“Where did Lore come from?” I ask.

“I thought his name was Loren.” Ora laughs, but I notice she doesn’t answer my question.

“I’ve got to head back to the bakery,” Lu says, checking the time on her phone. “But I dropped off some cupcakes and slices for you all, so help yourself.” She then turns to me. “Where are the kids? I’d love to meet them. Lore told us in the group chat that his son looks just like him.”

“Lore’s with Rider, and Dove is asleep,” I explain, nodding toward the baby monitor Lore had sent a prospect out to get for her, along with a cot, another car seat, and some toys. It was very thoughtful, especially considering Dove isn’t even his. “And… group chat?”

“Yeah, Lore infiltrated the Baddies chat group,” Lu explains, rolling her eyes. “He likes to know the women’s gossip. I’ll add you to the group.”

“Oh, that’s nice. I don’t know how long I’ll be staying here, though,” I rush to explain, not mentioning that I’m staying off social media and didn’t even bring my phone. I don’t need to make it easier for Trent to track me down. Not that he could just walk in here even if he knew where I was.

The two women share another look.

“Look at all these beautiful women,” comes a deep, husky tone. I turn around and see one of the twins standing there. He winks at me when he catches my eye.

“Atiana was just telling us that she doesn’t know how long she’ll be staying here,” Ora says, her lip twitching.

The corners of his lips turn up in a shit-eating grin. “Is that so? I have a feeling you’ll be staying for quite a while, sweetheart.”

“I’m just here until?—”

“Fuck, Lore always gets the hottest women,” comes another masculine voice, and I turn my head to see a pair of slate-gray eyes framed in the darkest lashes give me an extremely slow once-over.

His perfectly tousled hair and stubble are just the icing on the cake.

He’s wearing a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to expose his ink.

And he smells good. His spicy cologne isn’t too strong and kind of makes me want to lean closer to him.

“This is Suit,” Lu introduces, then glances at the time again. “Shit, I really do have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

I nod because I don’t think I’ll be leaving the clubhouse until this situation is handled.

We all wave goodbye to her, and then Ora puts her cue back, giving up on our game of pool.

When my gaze returns to Suit, I find his eyes on my mouth, his jaw suddenly tight. It’s clear the men here don’t like my bruises, and it lets me know that they are good men.

“The lawyer,” I surmise, taking in his professional look.

“How can you tell?” he teases.

I gesture over his clothing. “I think it’s the lack of leather.”

He smirks and sits next to me. “I hear you have a husband you need to get rid of.”

“Yes, please. Can we start referring to him as my ex-husband? As far as I’m concerned, I don’t even know that man anymore. We’re just two strangers related to the same child.”

Ora laughs, resting her hands on her stomach. “Dove looks just like you, so you could simply pretend he doesn’t exist.”

“I plan on it.”

Suit rakes his hand through his hair and studies me a little too closely. “I’ll handle your ex. Don’t worry about a thing, all right?”

“Thank you,” I reply quietly.

He reaches over to touch my face, and I flinch. “Sorry,” I apologize, and he shakes his head.

“Don’t apologize. Whoever hurt you is going to get what’s coming to him.” He tilts his head to the side. “Just how set are you on giving Lore a second chance?”

“Suit!” Ora gasps, standing up and scowling at him.

“Second chance? With Lore?” I reply with a furrowed brow, using his club name for the first time.

I’m the only one calling him Hunter, and no one even knows who that is. Hunter was the man who told me he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Lore is the manwhore who killed that dream to live a very different lifestyle.

And who said Lore would want a second chance? He has it made here. If I wasn’t enough for him before, I sure as hell won’t be now.

He can call me his in front of his friends all he wants, but it doesn’t mean anything. After what I’ve been through, he wants to protect me. I like that it hasn’t changed.

Suit smiles slowly. The last thing I need right now is a man, but even I can’t help but notice how attractive he is. And so different from the other men in the clubhouse. “Unlike Lore, I don’t have a problem dating a beautiful woman with kids.”

Oh boy.

Good to know.

“Of course, that’s one of his rules,” I mutter, and Suit laughs.

“Suit,” Ora warns, her blue eyes narrowing and her hands going on her hips. “Obviously, that rule doesn’t apply to the mother of his child. You need to stop before Lore hears you.”

“Come on now. She sounds confused about having something going on with Lore.” Suits smirks, winking at me. “You ever been on the back of a bike?”

I shake my head.

That’s the second Lore decides to show up with Rider next to him like his little clone. They both frown, and it’s identical.

“What did you just say?” Lore asks Suit in a low, lethal voice.

Suit’s steel-gray eyes drop to Rider, and I know he bites back what he really wants to say when he looks away. “I didn’t stutter, you heard me.”

“Did you miss the part where I claimed her?” His tone is calm but deadly. I think having Rider and a heavily pregnant woman here is the only thing that’s stopping a fight right now. “Not to mention what she’s just been through. She doesn’t need this.”

I share a wide-eyed look with Ora, who pulls out her phone to send a quick text, likely to War, unless she’s just updating their group chat in real-time. I’m not surprised Lore is the only one with a dick who’s been welcomed by the women.

He’s a natural flirt.

He’s been that way since I met him in high school.

Just another reminder of why no second chances will be happening.

“Come on, Rider,” I call out to my son, who runs over to me and hugs my leg. I check the monitor and keep it in my hands so I don’t miss it if Dove wakes up. “Do you want to go outside and check out the pool?”

He nods, but turns to stare at Lore before he takes my hand. He can sense the tension, and he’s unsure about leaving Lore. I just hope Lore sticks around. It would break Rider’s heart to give him this, only to take it away.

We walk in silence until we make it outside.

“Look!” He smiles, pointing to a hammock right by the pool.

I lift him and lay him in it, then pull up a chair. “We need to have a talk. About Lore.”

“What about my dad?” he replies, arching his little brow. “You were right, Mom. He looks just like me.”

He has always known Trent isn’t his biological father. And if he didn’t, he would have known with how Trent treated him so differently from Dove. I hated that. And I always made sure to make Rider feel loved and cherished by me. But when he asked about his real dad, I told him about Hunter.

When he asked where he was, I told him that I didn’t know.

“And how do you feel about meeting him?” I press, resting my palm on my cheek as I study him. “I know you probably are wondering why?—”

“He’s much nicer than Trent,” he says, shrugging his little shoulders. “And we have the same eyes. You always said I had special eyes.”

“You do.”

He pauses. “He’s nice, Mom. I want to spend more time with him.”

“You can, Rider. I’m so sorry…” I trail off. I really have messed up by keeping Hunter away from him, and I hate myself for it. “I made a huge mistake. I hope one day you can forgive me.”

I can’t go back, but all I can do is let them build their relationship from here on out.

Reaching out, I take his hand in mine. “You know, whatever happens, you have me. I love you, and we’re going to be okay.”

“You, me, and Dove?” he asks, and I nod.

“Us against the world, remember?”

“I remember. But now we have Dad too.”

Yeah, I guess we do.

I let go of his hand and nod toward the beautiful pool. “You want to go for a swim tomorrow?”

His violet eyes light up. “Yes! This is the best vacation ever!”

My smile slowly fades, a reminder of another lie I told him. But if he can take something good from this bad situation, I’m happy.

He got to meet his father.

But where it goes from here remains to be seen.

* * *

Seven Years Ago

Sighing to myself, I park my car in front of the old club I used to work at.

It’s been four months since Hunter broke my heart, and in that time, he tried to text and call me a few times in the first week, but stopped pretty quickly.

He did leave me a voice message, though, saying that he hopes I’m okay and that he knows this is the right thing for us.

That’s all that he gave me, and I heard women in the background.

I replied and told him to lose my number and to please never contact me again.

So he didn’t.

Hunter never chases.

I changed my number after that, cutting that last tie, although I still couldn’t find it in myself to delete his.

I moved a few hours away, and after staying at a shelter for a couple of nights, I managed to find a share house with two other women. I’ve been working at a bar, trying to save as much money as I can before the baby comes.

But I needed to come back.

I need to tell him about the baby, even if he doesn’t want anything to do with him or her.

I know about his childhood and the reason he never wanted children.

He never knew his father, and his mother was a single mom who would bring guy after guy home.

She couldn’t be alone, and she chose shitty men.

Hunter didn’t have the best childhood, and because of that, he decided early on he wasn’t going to become a dad.

After all, he never had one, so what would he know about being one?

Why weren’t we more responsible?

At least I will know that I did the right thing, no matter how hard it will be to face him.

I’ve lost weight, my clothes hang off me, and I have bags under my eyes. Losing Hunter has broken me more than I’d ever admit out loud, but one look at me and anyone would be able to tell.

I’m about to open the door and walk across the road when I see him walk out. I still, watching him.

While I’ve been crumbling without him, it’s clear he hasn’t had the same problem.

He looks good, really good. There’s a wide smile on his face, and a blonde under each arm.

He throws his head back and laughs at something one of them says, and then he lets go of one of them to pick up the other and throw her over his shoulder.

Tears pool in my eyes, and my nose prickles as I try to contain them.

I’ve been growing a life inside me, yet dying at the same time, trying to heal my broken heart, while he is happier, living his best life without me.

He got what he wanted.

I try to force myself to get out of the car and deliver the message I came here to do, but my body doesn’t move.

I don’t want to walk up to him while those pretty women are with him.

I don’t want him to lose that happy smile on his face.

I sure as hell don’t want to see his face fall when he sees me, or the anger that will be in his violet eyes when I tell him about our child.

The one he isn’t going to want.

The tears finally fall, and this time I let them.

My eyes follow him until he’s out of sight.

And even then, I still can’t make myself move.

It’s another two hours before I start the engine and drive myself back home.

To my new life…

To one where Hunter doesn’t exist.