30

Mia

I hadn’t seen Steel for over three hours. Something was going down, and the men were being unusually tight-lipped. Normally, we were kept informed about most things, especially with Rogue out on the loose, but when they came in and stormed into the war room, I got a bad feeling. Steel had taken Shiloh into the kitchen with Stella and then came out a few minutes later, only stopping to drop a chaste kiss on my lips and stomach and murmuring that he loved me. Then he disappeared down the long hall, and I hadn’t seen him since.

“Does anyone have a clue what is going on?” Stella asked as she placed a plate of goodies down on the table before taking a seat next to me. The woman could cook the best main meals imaginable, but her real talent lay with her desserts, and her vanilla slices were my weakness. I just hoped this baby liked them as much as I did.

Charlotte threw up at just about the smell of everything. It was actually funny—not her being sick but watching Deck every time she left the room in a hurry and headed to a bathroom. The poor man looked so guilty. I couldn’t wait until I got morning sickness and saw how Steel handled it. It would be a little payback for not using a condom deliberately, not that I minded, of course. This baby was the best thing that had ever happened to me. And to Steel, too. I knew I was going to love him or her, her if Steel had his way, but this baby was going to feel loved every single day of its life. It would never know the sting of rejection, the pain of being tossed aside, or the loss of affection from its life. No way.

Reaching over to grab a caramel slice, Rainn took a big bite. “I’m not sure, but I heard Mannix ring Body and Souls demanding to know if Tori was there. If there is trouble, that bitch is behind it,” Rainn said, glaring at the caramel slice as she took another bite. She looked like she would rather be killing it than eating it, not sure why because Stell’s slices were to die for.

“I don’t understand why Mannix keeps her dancing at the club. Okay, so she has a banging body and is definitely pretty if you like that slutty, big boob kind of girl. But damn, she is mean,” Charlotte added, picking up a cream-filled pastry and smelt it experimentally. She waited for a second or two before shrugging and put it all into her mouth in one go.

Glancing around, I shared a look of disbelief with the other members of the flock. Holy shit! Prim and proper Charlotte was taking a holiday, and hungry pregnant Charlotte was in residence. Laughing at her, I shook my head.

“That’s why Callie gets along with her so well. They are both mean, nasty, and callous women,” I agreed with her, nodding my head along with the others. We have all had some kind of run-in with Tori’s snarky attitude at one time or another, Rainn and I more than the others have because we worked with her a lot at the Bar and Grill and the strip club. Charlotte and Stella had more protection from her because they were the women of the SAA and the president of the club, and Tori knew her place, so she kept her nasty comments to herself. They still got the death glares, but she didn’t dare actually say anything to them. She wanted to keep her job and the privileges here at the compound. Free booze and willing men, yeah, she was living the dream. A hooker’s dream.

“Yeah, well, I am sick of her shit. Maybe I can use my power as the president’s wife and have her thrown out on her cellulite, dimpled arse,” Stella said, tapping her finger on her chin as she gave it some real thought.

“You should definitely do that,” Charlotte cried, clapping her hands as she jumped up and down in her seat. Her hands then went to her belly as if to hold the baby still.

“Dream on, Stells. That woman doesn’t have an ounce of cellulite on it anywhere,” I scoffed. I might hate the creature, but her body was a work of art.

“Are there any more caramel slices?” Rainn asked, licking the sticky goodness from her fingers. “What?” she asked as she looked at us. “They are really fucking awesome, and I hate Tori, and talking about her is giving me heartburn.”

I didn’t miss the look that Stella and Charlotte shared, I just didn’t understand it, but before I could ask, Shiloh came barrelling into the kitchen, her dogs and cat in tow. Today, she was wearing a mini version of a commando uniform. She even had a tiny combat helmet with a little water flask tucked into the headband just like a soldier in the field would do. Top that off with her beloved pink chuck, and the kid looked adorable.

“Mummy, I gots to go get C.O.D a new bed. She ate her other one,” Shiloh announced loudly, pointing at her puppy. The fat, little cutie in question was grunting around the legs of the table licking up any crumbs we dropped during our pig-out fest.

“Again? Shiloh, didn’t I tell you to pick it up off the ground when she wasn’t sleeping? She is a puppy, sweetie, so she is going to chew whatever she can get her teeth on,” Charlotte admonished her daughter, softening the blow by lifting Shiloh onto her lap and peppering kisses all over her adorable face.

“Can we go and gets one, pwease?” Shiloh pouted, her bottom lip jutting out as her big, blue eyes pleaded. Yeah, this kid was going to be a weapon when she was older. No man was going to stand a chance, and neither would her father and godfathers. I couldn’t wait for the day when a boy came calling for Shiloh Johnston. Sniper rifles and bowie knives would be pulled out, of that, I was certain.

Rainn suddenly stood, her chair clattering to the floor. “Let’s go get C.O.D a new bed, ladies,” she suggested, but it came out more like a demand. Something was off with her lately. She was agitated and pissed off more times than not, and Rainn was normally easy going and friendly, apart from that one drunken hiccup at the sex-toy party when she goaded Charlotte about being with Deck—which she apologised for, and Charlotte, being the amazing person she was, forgave and forgot.

Reaching out, I laid my hand on her colourful tattooed arm. This chick had the prettiest sleeve of tattoos I had ever seen on a woman. Reds, pinks, and oranges made up the colours of various types of flowers around the main feature, which was a beautiful, red bird. It truly was a piece of art, and it suited her completely.

“Rainn, sweetie, are you okay?” I asked, hearing the concern in my voice. Rainn had helped all of us in some way. She helped Stella when she needed to hide her bruises from when she was abused by her brothers, housed me when I had nowhere else to go, and she was always up for Shiloh duty when Charlotte or Vegas wasn’t available. So if she needed help herself, I would offer in any way possible.

Rainn’s shoulders slumped for a second as her head dropped to her chest, which was heaving. What the hell was going on with her?

“Rainn?” Charlotte moved to touch her, but Rainn pulled back, and a mask of happiness instantly covered her sad face.

“I’m fine. Let’s go take Shiloh to town,” she said, plastering a fake-as-shit smile on her stunning face. I couldn’t forget that Rainn was a performer. Up on stage, she danced for men, looking like she was enjoying it like she was having fun, but now I wondered. She was hurting deeply. I just didn’t know why. I only hoped she would let someone help her when she was ready to ask for it.

Stella gave a soft, sad smile, and then nodded her head. “We need to take someone with us.”

Booth had given strict orders that we were never to leave the compound without a detail. Stella wasn’t about to go against his wishes, especially not now that she was carrying his child. Being the president’s wife, she knew the importance of that role.

“Of course, we do,” Rainn admitted reluctantly, but like all of us, she too wasn’t about to put anyone’s life, and definitely not Shiloh’s, in danger.