Page 74 of Hell & Back

Kylie was bouncing her leg under her desk, needing to pee so bad she was afraid she might not make it to the bathroom in time. Finishing with the coding she’d been working on, she groaned as she got to her feet. “Okay, okay, kid. I got it. I’m going to the bathroom now.” She rubbed her belly as she speed walked to the bathroom designated for visitors. Normally, she would have gone to Darren’s room to use the bathroom since she didn’t have one in her office. Unfortunately, Chance from the Black Horsemen MC was staying in it while they all waited. Tuckhadn’t said much about what they were waiting on other than it could lead to them dealing with the Phantom Furies once and for all. Personally, she hoped it was sooner rather than later because not only was she tired of looking over her shoulder and needing a chaperone everywhere she went, she just wanted them gone and out of their lives forever. And yes, she knew exactly what she was thinking.

As she finished her business and went to wash her hands, she couldn’t help but think about what an idiot Darren was for giving up his room in order to avoid talking to her. She had no idea where he was staying or how he was doing. Her guess would be that he wasn’t doing well at all. She wasn’t stupid or naive enough to believe he wasn’t with someone, either. She’d talked to Bacon again and he’d told her about the second drug Crockett had mixed with the Euphoria he’d given Darren. He explained how the drugs would be affecting him and although he tried to soften the blow, he told her he’d need to have sex to relieve the pain. She’d gotten off the phone and cried her eyes out. When Tuck asked her what was wrong, she’d refused to tell him. If she ever figured out where Darren was staying, she was going to have it out with him once and for all.

She threw her paper towel in the trashcan and decided to stop by the kitchen for a bottle of water on her way back to her office. She found the door partially open, but she stopped herself from entering when she caught the sound of heated male voices coming from inside. She really didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but when she heard Darren’s name mentioned, she couldn’t help herself. Maybe she’d find out where he was staying? She checked up and down the hall to make sure no one was around to catch her, then leaned a little closer to the opening.

“You sure it was Darren?” Tuck’s voice had an angry edge to it.

“Positive,” Trick replied on a heavy sigh like he hated to be the one giving him bad news. “Me and Jackson were on our way here when we passed by the Red Oak Inn. We saw him getting off his bike with some woman before they disappeared inside a room.”

Kylie felt as if someone had stabbed her in the chest. Was he serious? He saw Darren going into a motel room with another woman? In his current state? Her eyes started to water, but she wasn’t sure if it was from how badly she hurt or how completely pissed off she was getting.

“Goddamn it. What the fuck is he thinking?” The sound of something crashing loudly into the wall, then clattering to the floor made her jump. Did someone just throw a pan?

Tuck’s question had to be rhetorical because she doubtedanyonehad a clue what was going on in Darren’s head since he’d come back to town. From what Tuck said, he wasn’t just avoiding the two of them, he was doing a good job of avoiding everyone else in the club, too. The conversation going on in the kitchen only confirmed exactly what she’d been thinking all along. Neither she nor the club should have given him space. It just gave him too much time in his own head and made it easier for him to pull away.

She was done with this shit. She loved both her men, but sometimes they drove her nuts. One thought he was sparing her by taking other women to his bed and the other thought he was sparing Darren’s feelings by not confronting him about the video. Well, she’d had enough. She’d reached her limit. It was time to take matters into her own hands.

“Are you going to tell Kylie?” Jackson asked.

“Fuck, no! She’s been through too much shit already. I can’t pile that on top of everything else. She’s pregnant.”

Oh my God!“She’s pregnant”was his excuse for keeping this from her? The more she listened the angrier she got. She wentback to her office to grab her purse. She started to leave, but went back to her desk to get one more thing.

On her search for one of the prospects, she was shocked to see the common area so empty. Where was everyone? You’d think a clubhouse currently entertaining two clubs and gearing up for a Halloween party would have people all over the place. Yet, there was not a single Son or Black Horsemen in sight. She supposed with no one around it would make her escape easier.

She really wanted to follow the rules and take a prospect with her. She’d messed up so badly with the whole Crockett email thing and didn’t want to do something else to make Race mad. She thought for sure he would give her some kind of punishment for stepping over the line so far. She’d heard that was what he did when one of the brothers did something like that. Kylie glanced toward the hall to make sure no one was coming her way. So far, so good.

Time was running out and she couldn’t wait around forever for a prospect to come along. Tuck would eventually come looking for her and she was determined to have her confrontation with Darren. No one was changing her mind. She had to get out of there. Heading for the door, she reasoned that if she found Miles or Cutter between here and her car, she’d ask them to go with her. If not, she was going anyway. Pushing through the door, she almost slammed right into Cutter.

“Whoa! Where you off to in such a hurry, Kylie?” With his quick reflexes, he grabbed her by her upper arms, keeping her from tripping backward and possibly landing on her butt.

“Oh, thank God. I need you to come with me.”

“What?” Cutter asked.

“Come on. You can drive.” She tossed him the keys to her car, then moved to get in on the passenger side. She wasn’t giving him an opportunity to turn her down or ask too many questions.She had to hide her grin when he mumbled, “Damn it. She’s gonna get my ass beat.”

He got behind the wheel and started the car. “You wanna tell me where we’re going?”

“We’re going to the Red Oak Inn.”

“What?” he choked.

“You heard me. Let’s go.”

He backed out and made it through the gate. He kept glancing her way, his brow furrowed like he wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure if he should. Finally, his curiosity won out. “Are you having an affair?”

“What?!” Her eyes rounded and her jaw dropped open as she turned toward him. “Why would you ask that knowing I’m withtwomen already and one of them knocked me up? And why on Earth would I bring you along if I were?”

Taking a right turn at the stop sign, he replied, “I only asked because the Red Oak Inn is where middle class people go to have an affair.”

“I’m not having an affair, you idiot. I’m going to confront Darren.”And hopefully get him to come home.If it didn’t work, maybe she’d bring in reinforcements in the way of old ladies and broom sticks. She was ready to try anything at this point.

She hated that by asking Cutter to come along with her, she was putting him in a rough position. His loyalty was being split. He knew he was supposed to watch over the old ladies like they were his own, but he was also supposed to be club and brother first. If Darren wanted to, he could cause a lot of problems for the prospect. She would just have to make sure he didn’t.

Nearing the motel, he slowed to take the turn onto the lot where she directed him to pull over in front of the registration office. Turning halfway in her seat, she said, “I need you to swear that everything you’ve seen or heard up to this point, andwhatever is about to happen next, stays between you and me.” Cutter didn’t look happy with her request. “Please, Cutter?”

He sighed heavily. “Am I going to get my ass kicked over all this?”

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