Staring at the door, I chew on the pad of my thumb. She’s been in there for almost a day. She hasn’t eaten, showered or gotten out of bed as far as I know. This can’t be healthy, not that I’m the man to judge anyone.

I run my hands through my hair and blow out a breath, not sure what to do. Do I try and talk to her? Why is it bothering me so much that she’s not out here annoying me?

This is fucking frustrating.

Grabbing my phone, I hit up Jillian. She’ll know how to deal with this.

“Mac?” Jillian answers.

“Hey, so Simone has been in her room for over a day, and I don’t know what to fucking do.” Concern is heavier in my voice than I’d like.

“Did Zeek tell her the news about her dad and Kane?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what to do… or why I fucking care.” I throw my hand in the air, this entire situation out of my bounds and making me uncomfortable. I’d rather fight and argue with her than this shit.

“Maybe I should come over there?” Jillian offers.

“No!” I answer a little too quickly. Zeek doesn’t ask much of me, and this is my responsibility. Plus, if I’m being completely honest, I want Simone to trust me. I don’t dig into that thought too deeply, it’s scary.

“Well then, be nice for one,” she scolds.

“I’m always nice,” I defend, and she scoffs. “You’re an outlaw, you’re all assholes.” Eh, she has a point. “Maybe make her something to eat and offer it to her. She probably feels alone, everyone around her is dying.”

“Feed her? What the fuck am I, a housekeeper now?” Be nice, feed her? Does she know who the fuck she’s talking to?

“Do you want help or not?” Sass high in her voice.

I growl into the phone, not liking this one bit.

“Thanks,” I say and hang up. Looking at the door, I tap my foot anxiously. Maybe I should have Jillian come here and fix this for me.

“Fuck!” Jerking myself around, I head into the kitchen. I can do this. It’s a woman, how complicated can it get?

I open the fridge and I find shit to make sandwiches, some cut fruit, soup, and beverages. I scratch my chin. Someone should make a grocery run.

Pulling my phone back out, I dial Jillian.

“Yes?” she laughs into the phone.

“What would you want to eat if you were Simone?”

“The girls and I will be there in fifteen.” The phone goes dead, and I hang my head.

Sitting on the couch, grabbing the remote, I flip through the channels. Nothing looks good. Turning the TV off, I fetch my laptop to catch up on some business. Just as I’m about to finish a project, a delicate knock pounds at the door.

Right on time, Raven, Alessandra, and Jillian show up stowing grocery bags.

“Hey, Mac Daddy!” Alessandra winks, placing shit on the counter. Her dark hair pulled into a yellow bandanna. I see what Felix likes in her, she’s sexy and sassy.

“She in that room?” Raven, Machete’s little demon points to Simone’s door.

“Yeah,” I nod, looking into the bags.

“Wait, ladies, I think Mac wants to swoon her over, so let’s just go in there and say our condolences, and let him take over,” Jillian takes charge, the ladies nodding in agreement.

“What, no I don’t. You’re just making shit up now.” I point at her. I do want to be the one to help her feel better, but I’m not the right person for the job.

Alessandra smiles, and they all head into Simone’s room, noticing the door not closed all the way. They sit on the bed, Alessandra rubbing Simone’s back as Raven stands and Jillian sits on the edge.

“Hey girl, rough times isn’t it?” Jillian asks. Simone starts crying harder, and the girls all hug her. I look down, feeling like a creep for watching but I don’t know what she needs. Looks like she just needs someone to be there for her. I suck at being there for anyone, caring is out of my league. I never had anyone for me besides a tough ol’ biker, Zeek’s father.

Closing the door, I unpack what the girls brought letting them do their thing. Waffles, ice cream, chips, pickles, and just a bunch of junk food.

Women are really fucking complicated, come to think of it, my brothers are nuts for settling down.

I grab what I know from the groceries… Sandwiches and ice cream.

Minutes later the women sashay out of the room, stopping at the counter.

“Just… be you,” Jillian advises. Glancing at her, I don’t respond. What the hell does that mean?

“No, then he’d be nose deep in his laptop he wouldn’t even know she’s in the room.” Alessandra laughs at my expense.

I draw in a breath, trying to calm myself.

“You done?” Narrowing a brow at Alessandra, she smiles, proud of herself.

“Let’s go ladies. Mac, call me if you need anything else- k?”

Silently I nod.

“Go get ‘er, tiger,” Raven raises her hand her black nails acting out like she’s going to claw me to shreds before walking away, the rest of the girls following.

“Jesus,” I mutter under my breath. Fucking chicks, man.

I make Simone a turkey sandwich, and even cut it in little fucking triangles for her. Grab the whole container of cookies and cream ice cream, with a spoon and head to her room.

“Simone, I got some food. Ya want some?”

She doesn’t answer. What the hell, she’ll talk to the women but not me? I have to work harder for her attention, what kind of shit is that?

“Come on, you gotta eat… Think of the baby.” My brows furrow in as I try and listen for any sign of life in the other room. “I’m going to come in and shove this food down your throat if you don’t eat now!” My patience gone.

“I’m not hungry!” she snaps, and relief floods my shoulders she’s finally talking to me. She’s alive and still fucking mouthy.

“Then fucking starve!” I wince at my sudden outburst, I’m being too much myself.

Sighing, I push the door open a little. “How is little man going to fight off the chicks if you’re starving him?” I try one last time, my tone softer than before.

“I don’t know the gender.” Her voice louder than before.

“What do you mean?”

“I haven’t had an ultrasound.”

Wait a second, she hasn’t had one at all or recently?

“Aren’t you supposed to get a few of those to make sure the alien baby is growing right and all?”

Fuck, why did Zeek make me do this? I know fuck all about pregnant women. When I fuck, I make sure to wrap my cock up extra tight to avoid this kind of shit.

She doesn’t answer, and my nerves have about had it. It’s apparent Simone and I don’t know what the fuck we’re doing here.

“Do you even have any baby shit, or a… birth itinerary?” I heard the woman on that show talking about it is the only reason I know anything about it.

“You mean birth plan?” The sadness in her voice lifts a little at my lack of maternal knowledge.

“Sure.” What the fuck ever. “Why don’t you get up and we can talk or eat? Face to face.”

She shifts in the blankets but doesn’t get up.

“I just… I need some time, Mac.” Her voice sad again. It crosses my mind to go inside and curl up behind her, hold her but it doesn’t quite feel right either. Instead, I set the food on the end table next to her. My feet not wanting to move, encouraging me to climb up next to her. Her hand dangles off the bed, the only thing exposed from the blankets smothering her.

Running the tips of my fingers over her wrist she clasps my hand, holding it tight.

“Hey, Mac?”

“What?” I growl.

“What is your real name?”

My shoulders tense, my chest clenching with the question. It seems like a legit question for anyone to ask, but it’s not for me. My real name is personal, and something only a few people know. Mac is strong and takes no shit, Rhett was someone who got bullied as a kid and hated his family. The mere mention of my real name makes me feel uncomfortable and like a fucking pussy. I’d like to see one of those asswipe kids from the playground now, I’d make them piss their fucking pants and fuck their mother. Swirling my finger on her soft skin, I break the contact.

I’m not ready to go down this road with Pocahontas. Let’s keep the focus on her and off me. I’ll talk to Zeek about getting a doc up here with a fucking ultrasound machine and get her some answers on the baby.

And we also need to figure out what the fuck the plan is when this child decides to grace us with its presence because Simone looks like she’s about to pop and I don’t know shit about what the hell we’re doing.

* * *

I left a prospect at the door of the suite with strict instructions not to go inside unless he calls me first for permission. Any man inside the hotel room without me, alone with Simone doesn’t sit well with me for some reason. Sitting at the bar of the club, beer in my hand, I wait for Zeek’s response to my request.

“So, you want to get an ultrasound?” His brows furrow, his Adam’s apple bobbing when he swallows his whiskey.

“Don’t you think it’s a good idea? I mean, what if there’s a problem with the baby or something?” I shrug, not knowing what the hell I’m talking about, but I can’t help but wonder if my mom had enough ultrasounds, if they would have seen something wrong before she had me and she’d still be alive.

Zeek runs his hands over his face. “I’m assuming they never got her much medical care because of the fear of records and shit. It would lead Veer right to her.” Tinker, one of the club chicks hands Zeek a beer and winks at him before swinging her hips back behind the bar.

Scooting closer to Zeek so nobody can hear me. “Right, so I was thinking we could bring someone to the room. Someone we could trust.”

Zeek squints his eyes at me, his lips curling around the top of the beer.

“You ain’t fucking that, are you?” That referring to Simone.

I scoff. A little too quickly.

“Fuck no. That’s Gatz’s lady, that’d be weird.” I scowl, but the idea of Simone being upset has me fucking pulling my hair out. I can’t stand it. I’d do anything to have her out of that room and mouthing me again. She’s sexy when she’s mad.

“Never would have stopped you before.” Zeek makes a point, one I ignore. “I’ll make some calls, few threats, and see what I can come up with. Maybe it will make her cooperate with your more if we please her.” He takes another swig of his beer. “What about your brother’s club?” I suggest. Zeek has a brother in The Devil’s Dust in California, the one Simone was staying at. They have a female doctor that is dating one of their boys, I bet we could trust her, hell, she might have seen Simone already.

“Yeah, maybe. Let me see what I can do.” Zeek looks to the counter. His brother and him had some beef awhile back, but they’ve since sorted it out. “We have a club meeting tomorrow.” Zeek changes the subject.

“I’ll be there. I can get prospect Rooster to watch Simone.”

Zeek laughs, the road name we gave the prospect amusing to him. He was a hangaround for the longest time, but one night when we were all shit faced we told him if he did four lines of coke and still managed to pick up a tourist chick from the Strip, we’d patch him in. With the way he was coked out of his mind, head bobbing like a fucking rooster we didn’t think he’d pull it off.

But his good looks, and desperation for a woman at her friend’s bachelor party won out.

I stand from the bar, finishing my beer.

“You know that lieutenant keeps coming around here asking for you.” Zeek peeks at me from the rim of his beer.

“Shiiiit.” I can’t shake this chick.

“She’s a real bitch too,” Tinker informs dryly from behind the bar.

“What’d you tell her?” I ask Zeek.

“You were on club business, you ain’t meeting her up in the suite, are you?” Zeek lifts an eye.

“Fuck no.” My brows furrow.

“Just don’t want your dick making mistakes.”

“Just push her in the direction of another dick,” I don’t do clingers.

Tinker rolls her eyes, turning to put ice in the bin.