The women were moved out of harm’s way. Chairs and tables pushed as he fought. Kinky was one of the worst sons of bitches around. He came at him, wrapping his arms around Smokey, holding him still.
“This is not the way, brother.”
“Let me the fuck go.”
Kinky wasn’t letting him go.
Ugly Beast came through the door. “Let him go,” he said, stepping up close.
“You want your ass beat?” Smokey asked.
The brothers stepped back as he faced off with Ugly Beast. “You think this is going to make you feel good?” Ugly Beast asked. “Taking us on one by one?”
“I don’t need you all to be pussies. I can take you on. Let’s make it an orgy.” Smokey knew he was being a dick. He needed to feel the pain that his club could dish out.
Ugly Beast stood there. “Then come at me.” He held his hands open. “Go ahead. Take me. Hit me.”
The fight had left Ugly Beast. There was no tension in his shoulders. No indication the man would even fight.
It was useless.
Smokey hated Ugly Beast at that moment. “One day, Ugly, you and me.”
“It’s never going to happen. You’ll realize you’re fucking up. When that happens, I’ll still be here.”
He wiped at his face and saw blood ran from his nose. Pushing Ugly Beast out of the way, he limped toward his office.
“This won’t win her back,” Ugly Beast said.
Smokey paused and glanced back at him. “Nothing is going to win her back. She’s lost to me.” With that, he turned away and went straight to his office, closing the door. Collapsing in the chair, he grabbed some tissues and wiped under his nose. The blood kept on coming. The nose wasn’t broken. Pity.
He threw the tissue into the trash and saw the pile of mail on his desk. He usually ignored the mail, leaving Hunter or Brick to open it.
Staring at the pile, he lifted the letters, and one by one, he put each letter on the desk. There was some bill or other. When he came to a different-looking letter with his name on the front, just Smokey, he paused.
It had Ava’s handwriting.
Turning it over, he quickly tore into it and reached inside. A single letter and a picture. He looked at the image. It reminded him a little of the baby picture Abriana had shown around when she was pregnant.
What the fuck?
He opened up the piece of paper to see they were blood test results. Scanning over them, he saw the marking for pregnant. He flicked the letter over and spun it around as the writing was upside down.
Smokey,
I’m pregnant. I don’t want or expect anything from you. I didn’t plan this, and it’s news to me as well.
Ava.
What the ever-loving fuck?
That was it.
She had seen him yesterday. He’d been outside her house all fucking night, and she’d sent him a letter. It wasn’t even a detailed letter. This was basic.
Getting to his feet, he stormed out of his office. The men and women were putting the room back to rights with the few pieces of furniture he hadn’t destroyed. The rest was being taken out.
He stared at the mess and it hit him.
He was going to be a father.
Ava had told him in a letter but … he was going to be a dad. Responsible for another human being. Not that was any different from the club, but a boy or girl of his own flesh and blood.
“You okay, Smokey?” Swallow asked, coming toward him.
He looked at the woman who worked as a porn star for them in the shack.
“I’m going to be a dad.”
This had the entire room pausing. The air felt still. No one moved a muscle. If this was a movie, it would be like everyone had pressed pause. What were they waiting for?
He lifted up the picture. “I’m … a dad. I’m going to be a dad.” Holy shit, he was going to be responsible for a little baby. The revelations kept on happening, repeating themselves, and each time he thought about it, the fear began to build.
A baby was a huge deal.
“Congratulations,” Hunter said.
The brothers came around to congratulate him.
“Ava told you in a letter?” Big Dick asked.
Smokey stared down at the image and the paperwork. Why hadn’t she told him when she saw him? Was this just another sign from her that they were well and truly over?
“Yeah, she wrote to me.”
“Dude, that shit is cold,” Elijah said.
“At least she told you,” Ugly Beast said. “She didn’t have to.”
“That’s why she was at the bakery. She’s opening it back up. She’s not going to leave.” The anger he’d had moments ago evaporated. A kid. He’d forgotten about the risk he’d taken in coming inside her.
A baby. He’d knocked her up.
It hadn’t been his intention to get her pregnant, but now that she was, he was so fucking happy. They were going to have a baby.
“I’m going to be a daddy,” he said.
The club erupted in cheers.
Smokey apologized to each of the brothers. He shouldn’t have attacked them, but Hunter’s words had rung in his head, and it had set him off. When it came to Ava, he didn’t know what to do to win her back. She was the only person he wanted, and yet, she was lost to him. At least that was how it had felt.
With a baby, he had a chance. She was bound to him in some way.
“I’ve got to go.”
No one stopped him as he left the clubhouse. He got on his bike, shoving the paperwork in his pocket.
Smokey arrived at her house in record time, and much to his surprise, she wasn’t inside.
His next stop was the bakery.
The town was busy once again, but he noticed the bakery still wasn’t open, however, he saw the lights on inside.
After parking his bike across the street, he walked across the road and knocked on the window. Ava was wiping down one of the counters. She hesitated.
He pulled out the ultrasound picture and slammed it against the glass. “We need to talk.”
This got her moving.
She unlocked the door, stepping back for him to enter. She closed and locked the door behind him.
The scent of lemon was heavy in the air, and he watched as she walked around the counter.
“You’ve fixed the place up good. When do you start?” he asked.
“You want to talk about my work?”
“No, I want to talk about this, but I figured we could build to it.”
She smiled. “I start tomorrow. I’m going to look at hiring someone for when I’m ready to give birth.”
“You’re not leaving?” he asked.
“It seems wrong to leave now.” She put a hand to her stomach. “I don’t want any trouble, Smokey. I can take care of myself, and I don’t see this baby as a punishment. I see it as a blessing.” She smiled, and how he’d missed it.
He watched her, trying to memorize it.
Seeing her smile was fucking everything to him.
“I understand if you don’t want to have anything to do with our child.”
“I want to be involved.”
“You do?”
He chuckled. “What makes you think I don’t?”
“We never talked about kids or a future. I figured you wouldn’t be interested in having a baby with me.”