Page 536 of The Tempted

“What news?” I asked bewildered.

“Yeah, give it to him. He’s going to love this shit,” Wolf agreed.

I turned my attention to Riggs, watching as he snarled.

“Fine! I gave you mouth to mouth,” he exasperated.

“Not that!” Jack said, shaking his head.

I rolled my eyes, looking back at Riggs expectantly.

“Shit,” he sighed. “I’m having a kid,” he continued.

“Give him the good stuff, tell him who’s the baby mama,” Pipe said, wiggling his eyebrows as he glanced at me. “Wait for it…”

“Fuck off,” Riggs said, flipping the bird to Pipe.

“Riggs knocked up Bianci’s sister,” Wolf supplied.

“Come on guys,” Bones started.

I stared at him blankly for a second. The only one possibly more fucked than me right now was Riggs. Not that having a kid was so fucking terrible, but having Bianci as an in-law? Fuck, if my heart didn’t bleed for Riggs, even though he was a fucking pain in the ass. Even though he was responsible for the resurrection of Sun Wu.

“Glad I could amuse you fuckers,” he grunted.

The glass doors opened causing me to turn my head and my eyes locked with Lacey’s. She leaned against the door, taking a deep breath as she continued to stare at me.

Those eyes.

Man, I wasn’t sure if I’d see them again.

It all came crashing down on me like a ton of bricks. The whole ordeal of being held captive by Jimmy and realizing the only reason I wanted to fight to live was to be able to look into those eyes one more time.

But with that, also came the truth—I was sitting here with a methadone drip and I’d never be what she needs. I already had the blood of one innocent woman on my hands, I’d fucking die a slow death before I covered my hands with Lacey’s too. I did what I was supposed to do, I kept her safe and didn’t let Jimmy get to her and that’s where it had to end.

I remembered the pain in her eyes, the night she came to the clubhouse, and I fought to keep the memories of her wrapped around me at bay but staring into her eyes now, the pain was still there. Was I the only one who saw the demons reflected in those pretty eyes? I wondered if God put them there only for me to chase them away.

I shook my head, dismissing the thought, reminding myself I was poison, a man who couldn’t even help himself let alone anyone else.

She’s not my problem.

My club.

That’s what I need to focus on…. getting the fuck out of this hospital so I can be the soldier I am. I had one goal and only one and that was to end the G-Man and all his connections, damn the consequences. Lacey didn’t fit anywhere in my plans.

“You’re okay?” she whispered, ignoring everyone as she stepped toward the side of my bed. “You’re okay,” she repeated, this time her words surer than the first time she uttered them. She reached out to touch me and I turned my head, my eyes meeting Jack’s.

Wrong fucking place to look.

“I’m good, kid,” I muttered, clearing my throat. “Going to want my gun back,” I told Jack.

“Yeah,” he agreed, his eyes wandering back and forth between Lacey and myself.

I felt her eyes on me and it took every fucking ounce of self-control I could muster up not to give in and look back at her, not to reach for her and pull her onto this bed with me.

“So a kid, huh?” I said hoarsely, turning to Riggs, pleading with him to save my sorry ass.

“Yeah, I’m going to be a dad,” he confirmed as he stared back at me hiding his smirk.

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