Page 25 of Wild Night (Vicious Reapers MC #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

POSEY

The man sitting in front of me is not who I expect to see. He’s older, at least in his fifties, if not his sixties. However, I would venture to guess more along the lines of the latter. He’s been around the block on his bike more than just a few times.

“Name’s Shocker,” he announces.

My lips curve up into a smile. “I know,” I say softly. “Void told me.”

He dips his chin, then rests his forearms on his thighs as his eyes search mine for a moment. He holds my gaze with his own, then he lets out a chuckle and shakes his head.

“You’re unbreakable, aren’t you, darlin’ girl?”

It’s my turn to laugh, though it’s not as hearty as his. I just don’t have it in me right now. I feel drained. Exhausted by every single thing. By my life, by my world, by it all. And as much as I want to say that, I don’t. I just smile.

“No, you’re not unbreakable.” His voice turns much more serious. “You’re just a woman who has been forged from trauma, so you come off as unbreakable. But you’ve been cracked, even damaged, haven’t you?” he asks.

“Damaged, broken, whatever you want to call it. That’s what I am.”

“You ain’t broken, darlin’ girl.”

Pressing my lips together, I roll them a few times as I think about his words. I feel broken. Exhausted and ruined. I don’t know what the hell I would be good for, and I also don’t know what the hell he wants from me.

“Why are you here?” I ask.

Void coughs in the kitchen, no doubt listening to every single word we’re saying. I don’t blame him. If the tables were turned, I would be doing the same thing. I’m a terrible eavesdropper. Even if I have no idea who the people are or what they’re talking about—I love it.

“Bullet wants you home,” he announces.

“Home?” I ask.

He dips his chin, his lips twitching into a smirk. “Home, Posey. Where your family is waiting for you.”

“My family?” I ask in a whisper.

His eyes search mine. They’re weathered, but they shimmer with mischievousness. My lips curve up slightly. This man makes me smile. I don’t know why, but he does, maybe because he reminds me of an older version of Void. He is calm, unshakably calm.

“Bullet, Dakota, baby Nathan, and all of us at the Vicious Reapers. We’re your family, Posey.”

Family.

I don’t tell him that I could have really fucked over that family when I went to them. I don’t tell him that I ran away to save them. I don’t tell him anything because I don’t know what to say.

I could have messed up everything.

Shocker chuckles, and it’s at that moment I realize I said what I thought aloud.

“Girl,” he says, his eyes dancing as he looks at me, “you couldn’t have done shit.

Would have been on someone else, no matter what.

You walked into that clubhouse with the weight of the world on your shoulders and trouble tailin’ your pretty ass.

We all clocked you the moment you slid that pretty red car into the parking lot. But family helps family.”

“I don’t even know anyone there. I’ve only talked to Dakota a few times,” I whisper.

He hums. “Dakota loves you. And unless you plan on doing her dirty, then that shit wouldn’t have mattered. No matter what.”

“No matter what?” I ask. “I’m going to assume what you’re doing down there is not on the up and up, and it would have been a problem for the Feds to come sniffing around. So I think it would have mattered greatly.”

My words come out in a harsher tone than I intend. But if Shocker notices, he doesn’t react in any way. Instead, his lips curve up into a bigger smile. He clears his throat and shakes his head a couple of times as if nothing bothers him. My tone, my words, they all just roll right off his back.

“Shit goes down, darlin’ girl; your family is the one who helps you out on that, blood or not. That’s what we do. That’s who we are.”

Tears prick the backs of my eyes, and they threaten to roll down my cheeks. I don’t understand what’s up with me being so emotional. I can cry at the drop of a hat. I chalk it all up to the culmination of everything that’s happened in my life recently.

“I’m not sure I deserve that kind of devotion,” I say.

Shocker reaches out, wraps his fingers around mine, and squeezes me firmly, his eyes never leaving mine. “You deserve it all, Posey. Don’t ever let yourself believe you don’t.”

With that, he releases my hand, slaps his palms against his thighs, and stands to his feet.

I’m not sure what’s going on, but he seems ready to leave, and I haven’t told him if I’m going with him or not.

In fact, I’m not sure what I’m going to do.

If I wasn’t confused before, which I was, I’m certainly perplexed now.

“I’ll be back tomorrow. We’ll have another talk. You want me to bring you anything?” he asks.

I can’t imagine wanting for anything with Void in charge, but then a thought flashes in my mind, and I think about Lainey and her amazing pastries, and I suddenly must have one. I mean, it won’t be hers, of course, but I could use a pastry.

“Maybe a dessert of some kind?”

Shocker’s eyes widen. He blinks a few times, then he shakes his head, his lips twitching into a smile. “You missing Lainey’s place?” he asks.

“I am,” I confess the truth of it.

He hums. “See what I can do, darlin’ girl. Now, you think of anything you want to ask me or talk to me about tomorrow. I’ll be here and answer everything as best I can.”

Without another word, he walks away. I watch him move through the living room and toward the front door. He pauses, lifts his arm, and gives a wave to Void. A few moments later, he’s out the front door, and I hear the engine of a motorcycle start up before it fades away.

“You good?” Void asks from behind me.

Turning my head, I look over my shoulder to see him leaning against the jamb of the kitchen doorway. His gaze searches mine, his expression serious and concerned. He’s handsome, barefoot, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, his eyes on me.

God. I wish I could just want him the way I want Ivy. I think it would make things easier. Then I could just tell Shocker I’m going to stay here with my man, and then I won’t be a problem for anyone ever again.

And sure, I could lie and say that, but I’m not someone who lies like that. Just thinking about the lies that Lucian told me makes my stomach twist. There is no way I could make someone else feel the way I feel every time I think of him.

And I couldn’t do that to Dakota.

“I’m good,” I murmur.

“No, you’re not,” he says with a snort. “You’re lost inside your own head.”

He’s right. I am. I’m completely lost. “I didn’t know what to say to him, and I don’t know what to think.”

Void pushes off the jamb and walks into the living room, sinking down in his recliner with a groan as he pushes back and lifts the footrest. I watch him get into position, and my lips curve up into a smile.

“You say whatever the fuck you want. Stay here, move there, move somewhere else entirely. World is your fuckin’ oyster, Posey. You have all your money back, plus some. You don’t have anything that is keeping you here.”

“I have my niece there,” I say.

“Your niece you don’t know?”

He’s not wrong. But at the same time, it’s not because I didn’t want to know her. It’s because of my parents. My sister was never going to bring a baby into our home. I wouldn’t, either, and I would never expect her to.

Void doesn’t know anything about my childhood, though, and it’s not something I feel the need to explain to him.

“I would like to get to know her, though, and her baby.”

“Doesn’t hurt there’s a guy in North Carolina you’re hoping to get with, either, right?”

I open my mouth to protest and also ask him how he knew, but then I snap my lips closed when he continues.

“Though I think your answer might already be made up for you.”

“Why is that?” I ask.

He grunts, then lowers the footrest of his chair and walks away from me. I don’t know where he’s going, but he walks down the hallway, and a few moments later, he’s carrying a drugstore plastic bag in his hand.

“What’s…” My words trail off when he tosses the bag to me.

Opening it, I look inside and see a pregnancy test staring back at me. My eyes widen as I lift them to meet his. I cannot believe what I’m seeing, and before I even ask him my next question, I start to think about dates. And periods. And symptoms.

Oh. My. God.

“What did you give this to me for?” I ask, unable to hide my trembling voice.

“You know why, Posey. You’re carrying that guy’s baby, but maybe you need to see it for yourself to believe it.”

“How did you know there was a guy?” I ask, gripping the bag closed tightly in my fingers.

I haven’t told him about Ivy or anything much, really. He tilts his head to the side, his brow arched as he stares at me in what I would call annoyance if I didn’t know him better. But I’ve been here for a few weeks, so I know he’s trying not to laugh at me.

“Posey,” he says, fighting the laugh. “I know the look a girl gets when she is desperately in love with someone, and as much as I want to pretend it’s me, I know it’s not.”

“The fact that you have three sisters is both a boon and a curse,” I mutter, which causes him to let out a bark of laughter.

“Take the test,” he says through his laugh.

I want to throw said test at him, but I think the asshole might be right. I think I need to take this test. Or maybe I really don’t because I’m pretty sure I already know the results. I’m pretty damn sure that I’m pregnant with Ivy’s baby.

God.

I wasn’t expecting this curveball.