Born Into Destiny: A Forsaken Sinners MC Series Novella (3 page)

Chapter 4

26 Weeks Pregnant

Zane

I’m fucking exhausted. Mack has been running me ragged with surveillance on that club that moved in practically next door, The Street Kings. So far, they haven’t made any suspicious moves that would necessitate their removal. But Mack isn’t satisfied, says that there’s something there, he can feel it. I told him I’m done in two weeks, that I can’t keep doing this. I know Dani must be pissed, but after the first couple of weeks of yelling and fighting, now she’s just distant. I fucking hate it. I hate that I’m not home. I hate that I can’t tell her what’s really going on. I just want to be home with her, hold her in my arms, and enjoy this pregnancy with her.

On top of that, I was contacted by her father. I have no idea how he found us, but he wants a sit-down with Dani. I’m not having that shit, but he won’t give it up. I’ve been doing extra surveillance on his ass to make sure he stays in line and doesn’t try to approach her. Maybe I should just bring it to the table and let the club deal with it. Dani is one of us, a part of this club, so it’s only right that we vote on what should happen. We can give him an ultimatum or scare the shit out of him to make him stay away.

When Dani’s grandmother died, I know he showed up at the funeral, and Dani was pissed. She told him to leave her alone and not contact her again, so I’m trying to keep him away. I don’t want her to know that he’s around and wanting to meet with her. She doesn’t need the added stress with her being pregnant.

I walk into the club and see Mack come out of his office. When he sees me, he points at me with a pissed off look on his face. “You. My office.
Now
,” he says before turning back around and heading into his office. Great, just fucking great. I don’t need this shit right now!

Sighing, I follow him, knowing I can’t say no. I just hope we can make this quick. I want to tell him what I found out about The Street Kings, which is absolutely fucking nothing, and get home to my girl.

I close the door, not making a move to sit down, but Mack isn’t having that. “Sit the fuck down. Me and you need to have a talk,” his voice booms.

I stare at him for a second before I take a seat. “What is it, Mack? I just want to go home to my girl,” I say, rubbing my eyes.

“Oh yeah? You actually going home this time or you got somewhere more fucking important you need to be?” he asks with a sneer. What the hell is he going on about?

“Why don’t you just spit out whatever the fuck it is you’re getting at, Mack, ’cause I’m too fucking tired to read between the lines,” I say, looking directly into his eyes, not backing down.

He leans forward and points at me. “I’m talking about you telling your
girl
that you’re on club business when you’re not. So my question is: where the fuck have you been off to when you’re not here and not at home?” I stare at him blankly, trying to figure out what I should say. I know exactly what he’s talking about, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to bring the club in on this shit with Dani’s father.

Mack must see me contemplating telling him because he scoffs, “Out with it, boy!”

Sighing, I give in. “It’s not what you’re probably thinking. I fucking love Dani more than anything. I would never do anything to hurt her or fuck things up with her. That’s why I haven’t said anything to her about where I’ve been and I wasn’t ready to bring it to the club, but it’s probably time since I haven’t been able to resolve it myself. Frankly, I’m just fucking tired of it.” I pause for a beat, looking at him to make sure he’s with me and not letting his anger and assumptions cloud what I’m saying.

When I know he’s still with me and see that he’s actually calmed down a bit, I continue. “Dani’s father contacted me. He’s here and he wants to see her. I’ve been trying to get him to fuck off, but he’s not having it. I’ve done everything except threaten death, but he’s not budging. Said it’s his right to see her and he needs to talk to her about something important, though he won’t say what.” I leave it at that, because that’s all I really know. With looking for shit on the other club Mack has me watching, I haven’t really been able to dig deep into Dani’s father.

Mack is quiet for a couple of minutes, probably trying to digest what I just said, and come up with the best way to handle it. Thank fuck for that because I’m out of ideas. Short of killing the fucker, what else can we do besides just keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t come near her?

Finally, Mack speaks. “Maybe we should set up a meet. You, me, and him. He can either tell us what it’s about and we can decide if we need to bring Dani in on it or he keeps quiet and we push him out by any means necessary.” I nod my head, willing to agree to anything at this point if it means we can deal with it without Dani finding out. It feels good to have at least Mack on my side. I’m not sure how he found out about me not being home, but I can only assume Dani called him. I wish I could give her something, but right now, I think it’s best to keep her in the dark.

“Do you know how to contact him?” Mack asks. I pull out my phone and write down the number I got for him. Hopefully it’s still his number; my information might be old.

Mack pulls out his phone, dials the number, and then puts it on speakerphone before laying it on the desk between us. We listen to the phone ring twice, then someone answers, and I know it’s who we want by his greeting. “Hello, Dani?” her father says through the phone.

“This isn’t Dani, but we’re the only ones you’re talking to until we know what you want with her,” Mack says into the phone.

It’s quiet for a couple of moments, then her father speaks. “Who is this?” he asks, sounding annoyed.

“My name is Mack. And Blaze is here as well, though you probably know him as Zane. What should I call you?” We wait for his response. I never even asked for his name and I don’t think Dani has ever mentioned it.

“My name is Daniel,” he finally says. How fucking original. Dani must have been named after her dad. Does she know that? I don’t think she’d call herself Dani if she did, though, it’s not like Danielle is any better.

“All right, Daniel. This is what’s gonna happen. We’ll send you a date, time, and location for you to meet us and you’re going to tell us what it is that’s so important that you need to speak to our girl. If we decide it’s something we need to bring her in on, we’ll set up a meet on our terms. You either take it or leave it, but if you decide not to meet us, we expect you to leave California and never try to contact her again or we will have problems. You feel me?” Mack threatens in a cold, calculating voice. If I didn’t know him or have him on my side, I would be frightened. Mack isn’t someone you fuck with, that’s for sure. Hopefully Daniel heeds the warning clear in his voice.

The line is silent for so long, I worry that he’s hung up, but then he answers, “We need to meet soon.”

“Just wait for our fucking word. Be where we tell you, when we tell you, or you leave and we better not hear or see you around again.” Mack doesn’t wait for him to reply, just hangs up the phone and looks at me. “Go home, son. Get some sleep. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll have this shit figured out.” I stand and slap his back then head out the door, eager to get home to my girl.

Chapter 5

28 Weeks Pregnant

Dani

I feel so fucking fat! I know that’s probably cliché for a pregnant chick, but it’s the goddamn truth. And my back hurts, my feet are swollen, and I’m so fucking tired! All the time! I can’t catch a fucking break. The only good thing I can say that has happened in the last week is that Zane has been home more and I don’t feel as worried anymore, though I get the feeling he’s still hiding something.

I tried to bring up those weeks he wasn’t home and told him about the times I called Mack, but he said it was nothing to be concerned with, just a problem that arose, but now he and Mack are dealing with it. Knowing that Mack is involved, at least now, makes me feel a little bit better, but not by much. He’s still keeping something from me, but I suppose it probably has something to do with the club. I know he’d tell me if it had something to do with me.

Today Sara is coming in to finish her angel tattoo and we’re going to try and get her brand done as well. That one isn’t so big and it’s on her forearm, so it shouldn’t be a problem. She’s done really well with the back tattoo for it being her first. We’ve only had to schedule two sessions, when I thought it would at least take three, maybe four.

She’s absolutely in love with the design I came up with for her back, so much so that she even cried. Then when I showed her what I had planned for her brand and that I had one made up for Toby already too, she cried some more. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was pregnant too. Bitch has been crying as much as me lately. But I’m so happy that she likes what I came up with.

It took some work, but I was able to get everything she wanted into the designs. The angel is kneeling on one knee, with his arms resting on a sword in front of him. His head is down, but you can tell he’s fierce with just the way his stance is. She was shocked when I showed it to her, thinking the angel was going to be female, but I thought it was fitting to give her a male guardian angel, kind of like Toby. He was my inspiration of course when designing it.

Then her brand is pretty simple and straight forward. It’s the MC’s emblem, with a little feminine flair, then it says ‘Property of Toby’ at the bottom. I think it’s pretty fucking cool. I’d put the same thing on myself, minus the Toby part, of course, if I was into that sort of thing. I think the only thing I would be willing to do is get the MC’s emblem, but no names. Then the one I made for Toby would be an extension of his current club tat. He already has the emblem and club name, so if he approves, I’ll just add at the bottom ‘Doll’s Old Man.’ I’m not sure if he’s actually going to do it or not, but I look forward to the look on his face when he sees it; it should be a good laugh either way.

When I walk into the shop, I notice Toby first, then Sara. She’s coming in from the back and Louie is tailing her. “Hey, guys. Sara, you ready?” I ask as I walk up to them, hugging first Toby, then Louie, before pulling Sara in for a hug. It’s awkward hugging the guys since they’re so tall and muscular, and I’m just fucking huge with my belly hanging out in front of me. Seriously, this kid is gonna come out weighing a ton if I keep tacking on weight like I have been. The doctors say that it’s not all baby, which doesn’t make me feel better, but I’ve already told Toby to be ready for me it the time comes to help me get back into shape. I know I can still whoop his ass.

“Yup, all set. I’ve already got everything ready for you,” Sara says as she follows me toward my station.

Toby walks in behind us, the excitement in his eyes I’m sure is because his woman is branding herself to him today.

We’re able to finish her back piece in just under two hours. I suggest we take a break for lunch, which thankfully Sara agrees to, then we’ll start on her other tat.

When I walk into the break room, I see that Zane is there, unpacking what looks like take-out from the Chinese place down the street. “Oh my God, that smells so fucking good!” I say as I inhale the sweet aroma of all the food he’s laying out in front of me.

I take a seat and don’t wait for anyone else before I start dishing huge portions of vegetable fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and four egg rolls. Don’t judge me!

Zane laughs before sitting down beside me, kissing my cheek.

“I hope you have more bags hidden somewhere, ’cause I’m not sharin’,” I say with a mouthful of food. I hear Sara and Toby chuckle, but don’t pay them any attention.

“Don’t worry, Baby Girl, this is all for you,” Zane says with a sweet smile on his face. Goddamn I love this man, he’s so good to me.

When I finish eating, we all head back to my station. I’m surprised that both Zane and Toby are sitting down watching. Well, I guess Toby isn’t really a surprise, but Zane is. I wonder why he hasn’t left yet. I thought for sure he’d be doing club business since I’m busy here.

I place the stencil on Sara’s arm, then I get to work.

Zane comes over when I’m halfway done with the tattoo and looks at my work. “That’s awesome, Baby Girl. Are you having Louie do yours next?” he asks in a serious voice. I look up at him, trying to gauge if he’s really being serious or not, but I can’t find a hint of sarcasm.

“Uh, no. I’m not branding myself,” I say as I look down and get back to work.

Zane doesn’t say anything for a while, so I look up at him to see if he’s even still standing there. He is, and he doesn’t look happy. “And why the fuck not? You’re my Old Lady, aren’t ya? You’re having my baby. Why the fuck wouldn’t you want to wear my brand?”

I’m pissed instantly just from his tone of voice. He’s never mentioned it before and he has no fucking reason to get pissed at me now, all because I don’t want a fucking brand with his name on it. “Yes, I’m your Old Lady and yes, I’m having your fucking baby, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to get a brand,” I say, staring at him head-on, not willing to back down on this. He needs to fucking understand this; just because we’re together, we love each other, and are having a baby, does not fucking mean I have to tattoo his name on my body.

“Sara’s getting one to show her man love, respect, and loyalty by branding herself. Why the hell won’t you? Huh?” Is he serious right now?

Standing up, I get right in his face. “What are you trying to say, Blaze? That I don’t love you or this club? That I don’t respect you or this club? That I’m not fucking loyal to you or the club? Huh? Is that what you’re fucking saying to me right now?” I yell, no longer able to hold my own temper in.

He must realize what he just said because he looks down and when he looks back up, he has a look of anguish and regret on his face. Good, asshole. I hope you fucking feel like shit now. How could he even fucking say something like that to me?

“That’s not what I meant, Baby Girl. I was just upset that you don’t want to wear my brand,” he says softly, but I just can’t fucking get over what he said. It cut me deep. He and this club mean more to me than my own life. I would do anything for Zane or anyone that’s a part of the MC, even lay down my own life. You’d think after everything we’ve been through, he would know that by now.

“No, you were pissed because one of your brothers one-upped you. You just can’t stand the fucking idea that someone has something—” I stop abruptly, suddenly feeling hot and dizzy, unsteady on my feet.

Reaching behind me, I search for something to hold onto, but don’t find anything. I feel myself falling, but before I hit the floor, I feel strong arms wrap around me, holding me, preventing me from falling. “Whoa, Baby Girl, you okay?” Zane asks, worried.

I close my eyes to try and stop the world from spinning and nod my head. “Dani, what happened?” I hear Sara say from close by.

“I-I, uh, I don’t know. I felt dizzy there for minute, but I’m better now. I don’t know what happened,” I say as I open my eyes. I still feel hot and a little unsteady, but I don’t want them to worry. “I’m fine now,” I say as I try to push Zane off of me, my earlier anger coming back, but he won’t let me go.

“Dani, stop it. I’m not letting you go, you almost fucking passed out. That’s not normal. I think we should take you to the doctor, make sure you and the baby are okay,” Zane says. I can tell this has him extremely worried, but it was probably just because I was seriously pissed off.

“I don’t need to go to the doctor, I said I’m fine now. It only happened because I was pissed off and all the blood rushed to my head. As soon as you let me go and leave me the fuck alone until I calm down, I’ll be fucking fine,” I seethe.

Zane looks uncertain, but eventually he cautiously lets me go. “All right, I’ll let you calm down, but if you start feeling dizzy again, I’m taking you in,” he says while looking at me, then he turns toward Toby. “Keep an eye on her, brother,” he says, still sounding upset and a little angry, then he walks out of the room. A couple seconds later I hear the bell over the door jingle, signaling he left the shop.

Turning back around, I say, “Let me just run to the bathroom then we’ll finish your ink.” I don’t wait for either of them to reply, I just walk out of the room and lock myself in the bathroom. I can’t believe he said those things to me. Does he really not trust me or think that I don’t love him? Does he think that I’m not loyal to him or the club, just because I won’t get a brand?

I feel tears start to fall, but I make no move to wipe them away. I’m too crushed and hurt to care.

A quiet knock brings me out of my thoughts. Thinking it’s Sara checking on me, I open the door without checking my face, but it’s not Sara. It’s Zane.

“Oh, Baby Girl, come here. I’m so fucking sorry,” he says as he takes me into his arms. Having his arms around me, comforting me, has me losing it completely. I sob into his chest, letting all the anger and pain out. “It’s okay, I’ve got you. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry,” he whispers over and over until I’m all cried out.