Page 106 of Kneeling to Candy

I lean over to Ziggy, whispering, “Do you know what the holdup is?”

“Not a clue. All he told me was he had an important appointment off-site.”

Interesting. Chase is usually transparent with everything. The lack of info he provided seems intentional. “I wonder where he is?”

As if called on cue, Chase comes speed-walking into the conference room with a Cheshire Cat smile adorning his face. Simone is a couple paces behind him, huffing to keep up in her heels and looking rather frazzled—not her usual polished, composed self. Then again, it doesn’t take much effort from Chase to work her into a tizzy.

Punk taunts his best friend upon his arrival. “Tardy much, jackass?”

Chase chuckles at something hilarious only to him. “Not sure who this jackass is you’re referring to. Just call me daddy.”

Candy scrunches her little nose. “Not to kink shame, but we’re not interested in Simone’s bedroom name for you.”

Simone groans, shaking her head at the ceiling.

“Sorry I’m late,” Chase continues, unbothered. He motions between him and Simone. “We just got back from the doctor’s office.”

“Why were you at the doctor’s office?” Atlas asks, concern coating his deep voice. He eyes the couple, getting up from his chair to move around the conference table toward them. “Is everything okay?”

“All is great,” Chase informs him. “We just needed confirmation from the doc.”

“Chase,” Simone chastises in a warning tone. “Don’t you dare. We agreed at the doctor’s office to not announce it for a few more weeks.”

Her husband spins around to face her, his smile growing bigger as he holds up his tatted crossed fingers. “I lied. There’s no way I can keep this to myself. We gotta share the good news.”

The blue vein in Simone’s temple pulses angrily against her ivory skin. “Chase, I swear to God?—”

Before she can finish her threat, Chase pivots his attention back to the crew. He looks so damn thrilled, bouncing in place with his man bun flopping about.

“We’re pregnant!” Chase hollers, raising his fists above his head in victory.

The room explodes into cheer, everyone jumping out of their chairs to rush Chase. Well, everyone aside from Piero. He remains seated, holding up his tiny espresso cup like he’s toasting the new parents. Apparently, he’s too suave to dog-pile on our biker brother.

We all know how eager Chase was to start a family with Simone. Outside of getting hitched to her, this was his dream. There’s not a guy more deserving of fatherhood than our brother.

My woman slaps her knees, laughing, as she rises from her seat to give Simone a tight hug. “Congratulations, mama. Better you than me.”

“Better them than us,” I second, giving Candy a wink as I give Chase a big back-slapping hug.

Simone rubs her temples. “I’m going to kill him.”

Atlas’s shoulders shake with silent laughter as he brings his sister-in-law in for a comforting embrace. “Secrets don’t last long in this family, sis. It was going to come out, eventually.”

“Waiting until after the first trimester wouldn’t have killed him,” she grumbles back.

“Please tell me Josephine knows? I don’t want her getting mad at me for finding out first.”

“Yeah, Jo knows. But our parents don’t know yet.”

Atlas chuckles, kissing the top of her sandy blond head. “Well, they will soon if they didn’t hear Chase yelling. Word travels fast in the club.”

Simone sighs, resigned to her fate of having a compulsive biker husband.

“If it’s a boy, you’ll name your baby after his favorite uncle, right?” Punk asks Chase. “After all, I’m your best friend, and Simone is my adopted sister—a family name should be used.”

“You already have a nephew named after you,” Atlas reminds Punk.

He shakes his shaved head. “No, that’s my nephew, Easton. I’m talking about this new nephew being named Punk.”

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