Chapter One
Present day
Mel stared at the stick again. She’d purchased nearly three hundred dollars in pregnancy test kits, and each one was saying the same damn thing. She’d told Penny at Saint and Natasha’s wedding, but she didn’t want this.
There was no way she could go through with this. Tears filled her eyes as each one she read told her that she was in fact pregnant. She’d taken another three hundred dollars’ worth of tests just last week, and they had all said the same. She was pregnant.
It wasn’t even the same pee either, so she had to believe the sticks now.
Sitting back in a heap, she felt tears spring to her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. Not now, not ever.
Her stomach chose that moment to turn. She grabbed the toilet seat and threw up everything she’d eaten that day. Her cravings were already going through the roof, and what she’d eaten was twenty doughnuts. Yes, she was craving sugar like she couldn’t believe.
She flushed the toilet and grabbed some tissue, wiping her mouth before throwing that down the toilet. There’s no way she could tell Pea.
What was she going to do?
Glancing at the time, she groaned. He could be coming home any minute.
Ever since they had promised to give their relationship a real go, Pea had been home by seven nearly every single night. He brought her flowers, chocolates, jewelry. The gifts were beautiful, but he didn’t seem to realize that she didn’t need them.
Gathering up the pregnancy sticks, she placed them in a small box she had kept, and once she was sure all evidence was gone, she went and tossed them into the trash outside.
The fresh air felt good on her clammy skin.
Closing her eyes, she basked in the cool air, not wanting to go inside for fear of being sick again.
“Are you okay?” a very masculine voice asked.
She turned to see Big Ricky standing in her driveway. There was no sign of a car, and she frowned. “Yeah, I’m fine. What’s going on?”
“I was just walking around in the neighborhood. I was passing through.”
“Oh. Would you like to come in for some coffee?” she asked.
She knew that Big Ricky was part of some mafia gang, the Lorenzo family, and he’d been placed in their small town for some reason. Pea had gone into a lot of detail, and like all the times before, she’d zoned out.
The less she knew about club business the better it was for her. She didn’t need to know the workings of the club. Even after all this time, she didn’t really care for it. She was loyal to them though. She’d never turn into a rat. Entering her home, she took a second to make sure she wasn’t going to vomit, and then proceeded to the kitchen.
Big Ricky was a large man, tall and muscular, and he had that sophisticated air about him, which at times was quite disconcerting.
She filled the kettle and put it on the stove to begin heating up.
Normally she had a coffee machine with it filled, but since being pregnant, she’d found that vomiting was too much. The stench of coffee always setting her off, so she’d gone to the making it for those that wanted it.
The smell was acrid and horrible, but if she was making for one person, at least the whole house didn’t stink of the stuff.
“What brings you around here?” she asked. “I’ve never seen you here before.”
She made sure not to breathe as she handed him the cup of coffee.
“I was just out for a walk. I like to do that, walk.”
“I bet you scare the crap out of anyone that sees you.” She went to the fridge and poured herself a glass of filtered, chilled water.
“Yes, I do scare the crap out of everyone.”
“It’s probably because they know you’re a mob boss,” she said, taking a seat at the counter across from him. Her stomach was all over the place, and she left to grab some salted crackers. Taking a seat, she began to nibble on them.
“I’m not an actual boss, you know. I’m just a guy that gets things done.”
“Through torture?”
He sighed. “I’m not a bad man.”
“You’re a good man that does bad things?”
“Something like that.”
She smiled.
“Are you afraid of me?” he asked.
Mel shook her head. “I’ve done nothing to threaten or harm your family. I know how the whole mob thing works, and I’m good.” She winked at him, noticing that he was sad. “What’s wrong, Ricky?”
“I guess I’m used to women pandering to my every need rather than cower or look afraid.”
“Do you take your gun around with you everywhere?” She nodded to his holster, which was placed inside his suit. “That’s going to get you a lot of attention.”
“I have no choice but to take it with me.”
“Then that’s your problem. Women won’t really give you the time of day if you’re carrying a gun around with you. It’s scary, and Sinners’ Corner, the latest scandal here was about salt being used in place of sugar in cupcakes. Not a whole lot happens here.”
“You’ve got an MC.”
“Exactly, they tend to keep the crap out.” She pointed behind her as she said this. “Want a cracker?”
He took a cracker, and she nibbled on a second one, hoping it was going to calm her stomach.
“It’s nice not having someone whimpering whenever I raise a hand,” he said. “I went to the diner, and I honestly thought they were all going to duck for cover.”
Mel laughed. “I can imagine something like that happening. I wish I could have been there. It would have been so funny.”
She sipped at her water and watched as he glanced around her space.
“You have a nice home.”
“This is your way of making small talk?” she asked. She did have a nice home. It was quite funny really. She’d been told by a couple of her former lovers that she was the perfect wife. She kept a beautiful home, and was a lady to the outside world, but a whore in the bedroom.
She grabbed another cracker, and took a bite.
“So rumor has it that you’ve got a thing for Prudence Anderson. The librarian. Have you gotten anywhere with her yet?” She took another drink of water, and saw that she’d surprised him.
“How do you know?”
She laughed. “It’s the only thing that makes you less scary to this town. You’re always at the library, and I bet you’ve got much better things to do than sit around at a library.”
“You’re refreshing, you know that?”
“I’ve been called that a time or two.” She ate her fourth cracker, and finally her stomach began to ease.
“It’s nice talking to someone who’s not afraid of me.”
“I don’t really talk to a lot of people.”
He sat back, watching her. “I’ve heard a lot about you and your marriage.”
“Now that doesn’t surprise me. A heads-up, Ricky, if you live in this town for long enough, they seem to think they’ve got some right to talk about you. I’d ignore it. I do.”
“You and Pea don’t have a conventional marriage.”
She folded her arms and leaned on the counter. “Pea and I have had a very … complicated relationship.”
“But we’re working on it,” Pea said, drawing their attention toward the door.
Mel saw Pea glaring at Ricky.
“What are you doing here?” Pea asked, not looking toward her.
“Your wife looked ill, and I was passing through.” He shrugged. “Nothing going on here, Pea. I assure you. Your wife is the only person I know that has yet to flinch from my presence.”
“It’s quite sad, actually. I told him I had no friends,” Mel said, and burst out laughing.
Slowly, she watched as Pea relaxed, moving to stand behind her. “Are you okay?”
His touch made her ache all over. Never had he had such an effect on her. It was instant, startling, and made her want him there and then.
Instead, she grabbed another cracker. Her hand shook a little, but the men were giving each other a death glare. The tension was making her uncomfortable. When it got too bad lately, she’d start throwing up. Right now, she wasn’t ready to admit she was pregnant to anyone but her sister.
“He was curious about our marriage. You know, you being a man-whore and me just being a whore,” she said.
Pea finally looked down at her, and she hoped he read what she was trying to say.
Please, don’t do that. Don’t be that jealous guy. Nothing is happening here.
They both had a past. She wasn’t rushing to the clubhouse to fuck up every single woman he’d been with.
No, she was the good wife now. Staying at home, waiting for him, and getting fucking pregnant!
Life sucked.
****
Pea didn’t like seeing Big Ricky in his kitchen, drinking his coffee, or talking to his wife. Gripping Mel’s shoulder, he gave her a squeeze and headed toward the kettle, pouring himself a drink, and turning to look at the larger man.
He was deadly. Pea knew all about the shit that Big Ricky had done. That kind of man he didn’t want in his home near Mel.
She didn’t have a clue what kind of man was sitting opposite her.
The mafia was an entirely different ballgame than anything he was used to. This man had tortured men until they begged for death, keeping them alive until only he was ready. Pea had seen some of the shit he’d done, and he didn’t want that shit coming to his home.
The Lorenzo family always got cocky. It was what they were known for. The man in front of him cleaned up that mess.
There was nothing to stop the Lorenzo family’s enemies from coming to this town and killing anyone associated with him. Mel belonged to him. She was club property. His property, and there was no way in hell that he was going to let anything happen to her.
She was his wife.
He’d vowed to protect her, and by doing that, it was getting rid of this fucker for good.
“I better be going,” Ricky said. “It was lovely to talk with you, and to have a nice conversation.”
“You, too, Ricky.” Mel got up and saw him to the door. Pea didn’t say a word but followed her. “Have you ever thought of asking her on a date?”
This made him frown.
Ricky looked back at Mel.
“Prue. Ask her if she’d like to have dinner or something. She’s not seeing anyone. I don’t think she’s ever seen anyone at all.”
“You think she’d accept an invitation from me?”
“Of course she would. Goodbye,” she said, closing the door as Ricky left. “What the fuck was that all about?” she asked, whirling around with her arms folded.
She always looked so stern and proper when she gave him the serious face.
“What? I was looking out for you.”
“You were looking out for me? You were being a total asshole.” She glared at him, and then stormed past him.
Pea drank more of his coffee, and watched as she cleaned Ricky’s cup and packed away the crackers. He watched her ass as she moved around the kitchen. The jeans she wore molded to every single curve, and he wanted them off her.
It had been a long day, and he’d struggled to focus on anything but his need for this woman. He watched as she bent down to wipe a stain from the floor. She always kept everything so nice and tidy.
This was his wife. The woman he’d married because she’d needed the help. She’d offered him what no one else ever had, a freedom to do whatever the hell he wanted. There had been no claim until they had agreed just before his Prez’s wedding to be exclusive. Still, she hadn’t been with a man for long before then. Mel hadn’t wanted any other man after Councilman Wallace, and the only person she’d been with for nearly a year and a half was Pea.
For him it was a huge step, but it was one he was finding quite easy to do, which was strange.
“You do know that he’s a monster, right?”
She chuckled. “I know. He’s such a monster. I had coffee with him, Pea. Nothing else.”
“I’m not accusing you of anything. He’s dangerous. He’s part of the Lorenzo family, Mel. He’s done a whole lot of stuff, and I don’t want him near you.” He moved up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”
She went to speak and then sighed. “It’s fine. I get that he’s a bad man, and has done dangerous things.” She rubbed her brow, and turned in his arms. “He was just being nice. A gentleman. You’ve got nothing to fear from him. I promise.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’m going to head up and have a shower.”
Pea watched her go, and he wasn’t happy. Big Ricky was in town because of the Lorenzo family, and he didn’t like it. Saint assured him no bad blood was happening, and Big Ricky being here was just a formality. Lorenzo had a lot of enemies. Big Ricky, he wasn’t here for no reason. Something was going to happen. Something big.
Pulling out his cell phone, Pea dialed Rage. He didn’t want to interrupt Saint seeing as they hadn’t long gotten back from their vacation.
“What’s up?” Rage asked. He heard the sounds of crying in the distance. Leonardo, Penny and Rage’s son, had been sick for the past couple of days.
“Big Ricky was at my wife’s house,” he said.
“Is she fucking him?”
“No.” He gritted his teeth, not liking the wave of jealousy that washed through him. He and Mel were not cheaters. Their marriage up until a few months ago had been an open one. He’d loved it. The freedom had been great. He could fuck any woman he wanted, knowing Mel wouldn’t care.
Now of course, it was different. The thought of another man tasting his woman, it didn’t sit well with him. He was amazed how he’d changed. Going from fucking anything with a cunt to wanting to be home with his woman.
“I don’t see what the problem is. Big Ricky is here because he is showing friendship with regards to the Lorenzo family, Pea. I know you don’t like him being here, but there’s not a lot you can do about it.”
“You don’t think a shit storm’s not going to come banging at our door?” Pea asked.
“Who is stupid enough to take on Saints and Sinners MC and the Lorenzo family? Chill out, Pea. Stop worrying so much.” With that, Rage hung up.
Shaking his head, he made his way upstairs to the bathroom. Mel was covered in bubbles, her hair piled on top of her head.
She looked pale and tired.
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you going to start being the jealous husband? I don’t think I can handle that right now.” She closed her eyes. “I told you I wouldn’t cheat on you. We’ve made this change.”
“I’m not … it’s not about that, babe. Please, don’t for a second think that is it. It’s not. I don’t like him. This has nothing to do with me or you.” He moved so that he was kneeling at the edge of the bath, resting his arms long the ledge, and placing his chin there. “He’s … I don’t like him. I don’t like him in this town or near the club. I think he’s dangerous.”
“And no one else is listening?”
“No one thinks he poses any threat. That for some reason we are a threat along with them.”
“You don’t see it that way?”
“The one thing I know is that people will only take so much. When they’re pushed into a corner they tend to react, and when shit like that happens, innocents die.”
He watched as she licked her lips. “You’re afraid something bad is going to happen to me, to us, to people here?”
Pea didn’t want to frighten her; far from it. He grabbed her hand, not caring that it was wet from the water. “Yeah, I do. I’m tired of people thinking that nothing is going to happen. We know it can, and it will. I want you to be careful.”
“I will.”
“Will you give the same warning to the other old ladies? I’d tell them myself, but I don’t think they like me very much.”
“They don’t know the real you. You’re always an asshole to them. Even Penny.”
Yeah, Penny. He squeezed Mel’s hand. A few years ago, he’d wanted to fuck her sister. There was no denying that. He’d been honest with Mel about it, and she’d shrugged it off.
“Do you still want her?” Mel asked.
“No. She’s not you.”
This made her chuckle. “We are a really fucked-up couple.”
“It’s how I know we’re going to work. We’ve been through all the other crap together.”
“Fucked other people.”
He cupped her cheek, running his thumb across her bottom lip.
“No. Because we made a life together. Neither of us was ready to settle down, or to commit. We made a life work for us, and now we’re changing. The rules changed, but I know I can trust you, Mel. You’re my partner in everything. I trust you with my very life, and I don’t put my faith in a lot of people outside of the club. In fact, unless they’re wearing a patch, I don’t trust them. You, I do.”
“Wow, I think that has to be the most romantic thing you’ve ever said.”
“I should mention that I want my dick sucked.”
This made her laugh. “There’s the Pea I know.”