Fire and Ice: Rekindled (The Fire and Ice Series Book 2) (10 page)

Chapter Fifteen

Hailey

Hearing Kellan start his car, and watching him pull away
from my house, as I peeked out the window, left me immediately missing his
presence. But he'd said he would return shortly, and I soon welcomed the
reprieve, as it gave me a chance to tidy up a bit and take a quick shower. I
decided to go the extra mile, drying my long, dark locks, adding a slight bit
of make up, and pulling out some sexy lingerie that I was hoping would please
him once he returned. I'd even lit some candles to add some romantic mood
lighting.

Kellan's been gone over an hour, now, and as I lay here in
my bed, trussed up in my lacy violet bra, matching lace thong and garter belt,
attached to sheer thigh highs, my anticipation is beginning to wane as the
mesmerizing ticking of the clock in the hallway is making my eyelids feel
heavy. Propping my head up with my hand as I lean against my elbow, one leg
crossed over the other in my best attempt to look sexy, the flickering candles
are making it difficult to hold my eyes open.

Feeling exhaustion kick in, I yawn and fall back against my
pillow, deciding to close my eyes for a few moments before Kellan comes back. A
short rest will probably do me some good. I recall the many nights we shared as
Kellan and I made love until daylight began to overtake the early morning sky
as the sun rose, casting shades of pink and orange through the clouds. I'm
feeling nervous and anxious all at the same time, but mostly looking forward to
waking up in his arms.

As I quelled my anticipation, I let my body relax against
the mattress as my mind began to sway with thoughts of the new memories I
planned to make with Kellan tonight; a rebirth of our feelings for one another
on the horizon, and within my grasp.

******

Kellan

With concern etched on my face, I turned to the guys, while
ignoring Leila, and said, "Can you give me a few minutes?"

Kyle clapped his hand against my back, replying, "No
worries, man. We already talked about your offer, and it sounds fair. But we'd
like to add Friday nights to our line-up, if that's ok."

I contemplated Kyle's proposal as I toyed with my tongue
ring. Their only counter offer was playing four nights a week, instead of
three. We usually have a DJ Friday nights, so I'd need to shift his schedule to
another night if I agreed to the band's additional set. I couldn't stand here
all night. "I can't make any promises. I'd need to reschedule my DJ for
Wednesday nights in that case," I explained as I looked back over my
shoulder, knowing I needed to catch up with Georgia before she did anything
rash. Absentmindedly, I continued, "Shouldn't be a problem, though."

"Sweet," Kyle beamed. "We can start this
Friday if you're good with that?"

"Sounds like a plan," I mumbled. "Feel free
to stick around. Come by a little early on Friday and we can go over the
specifics before you start your set. I'll catch up with you guys then," I
rattled off, desperate to end our meeting. But I wasn't about to let Leila off
the hook without giving her a piece of my mind. Stepping in front of her, I
placed my hand around her shoulders and turned her to face away from the band.
Out of earshot, I leaned down and whispered with authority, "Don't go
anywhere. You and I need to have a talk."

Turning to face me, she pasted a devilish smile on her lips,
smoothed her hands down my chest, and drawled out, "Oh, I'll be waiting,
Sugar."

Regardless of the fact that the mere sound of her voice was
like nails on a chalkboard to me, I needed to maintain my professionalism
around the band. I'd deal with Vamp Tramp soon enough.

Breaking away from her side, I held up my hand to the band
members to signal my departure, and said, "Good to meet you guys."
Turning on my heel, I quickly weaved my way through the crowd in search of
Georgia.

Unable to locate her on the floor, I leaned across the bar,
catching Joe's attention, and asked, "You seen Georgia?"

"She said she was going on break about ten minutes
ago," he said, rolling his eyes. "If you find her, tell her we're
getting slammed," he huffed out irritably.

Nodding, I pushed off the bar, and replied, "Will
do."

The fact that the bar was packed on a weekday should have
had me patting my own back, but my mind was swirling with information overload,
and every guest I encountered seemed like just another obstacle standing
between the woman who had my head twisted right now and me. Pushing my way past
the customers waiting anxiously at the bar, which was now three deep, thanks to
Georgia's disappearing act, I jogged towards the back hallway, quickly scanning
the kitchen, my office, and the bathroom, unable to locate her. There was only
one other place she could be.

I swung the back door open with force to find her leaning up
against the side of the bar with one foot perched against the bricks. She
didn't bother looking up at me, but rather quickly stowed her phone in her
apron.

Marching towards her, I yelled, "What the fuck did you
do?"

Pinning me with a lethal glare, she spewed, "If you
think I'm keeping your dirty little secret for you, you've got another thing
coming!"

Turning away from her, I began to pace furiously as I threw
my head back and clasped my fingers behind my neck. "Great. This is
fucking great, Georgia," I murmured, looking to the night sky. Turning to
face her as she stared at me unsympathetically, I barked out, "You know
this means I'm fucked, right?" Her features remained stoic as the silence
dangled between us. Throwing my hands up in the air, I shouted, "Jesus
Christ, Georgia! Did you ever think that maybe that piece of trash is lying?
What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Looking away from me, she sighed and shook her head back and
forth before returning her eyes to mine, saying, "I...I guess I jumped the
gun a little."

"Ya think!"

"Look, she showed up with the band
you
hand picked yourself. She was eye fucking you and you sure as
shit weren't putting a stop to it. Can you blame me?" she exclaimed.

"Fuckin' right you're to blame, Georgia- I had no idea
she was in the fucking band, and forgive me for not tearing her a new asshole
in front of them, and a packed house full of customers that just so happen to
be paying our bills." I stalked to stand directly in front of her,
pointing my finger in her face, and gritting out, "Call her back...
now
! Tell her it was a
misunderstanding."

"I already did call her...she didn't answer."

I slumped over, leaning my hands on my knees, and blew out a
long breath, saying, "Thank God for small miracles."

I chuckled nervously as I realized I'd just dodged a bullet,
before Georgia continued, "I left her a message."

I snapped my head up to find her eyes glossed over with
tears, but she wasn't about to get an ounce of compassion from me.
Straightening, I brought my face within an inch of her own, saying ominously,
"
You
are gonna fix this,
Georgia, or so help me..."

As a tear slipped down her face, her lip began to quiver as
she whispered, "How?"

"I don't give a good goddamn
how
!" Striding towards the back door, I wrenched it open,
barking out over my shoulder, "Fix it, or you're fired!"

******

Kellan

Sitting outside of Hailey's house in my car, I let my head
fall back against the headrest as the tumultuous events of the day replayed
over and over again in my mind.

After having it out with Georgia, I promptly hunted down the
little piece of trailer trash that had just flipped my world upside down, and
dragged her into my office to chew her ass out. Slamming my office door shut,
and shoving her into the chair as I loomed over her, I demanded answers.

"Who do you think
you're fucking with, you little cunt?"

"Don't you dare
put this on me- I called you for weeks. Not only are you the biggest dick on
the planet, now you can add deadbeat father to your resume."

"Oh, go spew your
bullshit elsewhere you stupid bitch...I ain't your goddamn kid's father."

"You positive
about that?"

"I fucked you one
time, and I wore..."

"Oh how easily
you forget. So, it's just now dawning on you that you forgot to wrap it? Yeah, I
guess we both sorta got caught up in the moment."

"You piece of
shit...you think I'm gonna buy your bullshit story? You'd probably fuck
anything with two legs- you let me fuck you within five minutes of stepping
foot in this place, for Christ's sake. And you expect me to just accept your
word as bond, when you never said ONE thing about this...this...situation, not
ONCE in the dozens of voicemails and texts you plagued me with?"

"It's not
something I wanted to discuss over the phone. I wanted to tell you in
person."

"So...why didn't
you?"

"I was um...sort
of away for a while."

"What the fuck is
that supposed to mean?"

"I was using, ok!
As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I got into a program. I got clean...for
Andrew."

"Jesus Christ.
Well that was mighty white of you."

"Hey, don't be an
asshole. I got clean for OUR kid."

"YOUR kid
Leila...you leave me the fuck out of it!"

"Fine...you wanna
be a prick about it? I can haul your ass into court."

"You listen to
me, you little twat...unless you can prove it, you keep your goddamn mouth shut
about this shit, or I'll bury you. Got it...SUGAR?"

After she'd marched out of my office, shooting me a venomous
glare, I downed three shots in quick succession. I had never hit a woman
before, but I had been dangerously close to knocking the living shit out of
her.

When I exited the bar, Georgia's car was gone, and I hadn't
heard a thing from her or Hailey. I could only pray she'd gotten ahold of
Hailey and set the record straight. But Jesus, what if Leila wasn't bluffing? I
mean, the chances are slim to none, but it only takes one fuck up to become one
big
fuck up. I'd seen some messed up
shit go down in my lifetime, and this was about as fucked up as anything I'd
ever witnessed.

I suddenly felt like some teenage kid who got the bomb
dropped on him two months after prom and had to end up dropping out of school
to go work at the mill. At least a kid can claim stupidity and lack of control,
but Jesus, I was a grown man, and if I'd been thinking with my brain instead of
my dick, Leila's sorry attempt at worming her way back into my life would be a
joke. A sick joke...but nevertheless, me telling her to fuck off as I laughed
in her face would be a punch line. Instead, I feel like I'm standing at my own
gravesite with a shovel in my hand.

Pulling myself from my dark thoughts, I expelled a long
breath and turned my head to peer at Hailey's front door. A dim light shone
through the windows, and the fact was, I needed to be with her right now.

I slipped quietly from my car, trudged up Hailey's front
steps, and gently opened the front door. She hadn't locked me out, so I took it
as a good sign. Entering the living room, I could see a flickering glow
emanating from the bedroom, and a sudden calmness washed over me. My face split
with a wide smile as I quickly strode down the hall, wasting no time in
unbuttoning my shirt.

Approaching the bedroom, I called out, "Now where did
we leave off?" before I came to a stop in the doorway, peering down to
find her outfitted like a Victoria's Secret model. Her eyes were closed and her
chest rose and fell with deep, peaceful breaths. Glancing down at my watch, I
noted the time. 10:45 p.m. It felt like I had been gone for a day, but it was
only a few hours...a few hours too long it seemed.

This entire clusterfuck of a day felt like a seventy-two
hour hitch. Amped up for my new takeover today, I ended up tossing and turning
most of the night last night, and Jim and I had come into the bar early in the
morning to go over some of the logistics. I could sleep for a fucking day.
No rest for the weary…

Sighing, I ran my fingers through my hair and began to
undress as I blew out the candles she had placed around the room. Sliding onto
the bed beside Hailey, I gently slid my arm under her and pulled her sleeping
form against my chest. She mumbled incoherently, threw her arm over my abdomen,
and nuzzled into me. Using the arm I was cradling her with, I stroked my
fingers up and down the soft skin of her back.

From the corner of my eye, I caught the blinking of red
light near me...Hailey's phone resting on the nightstand, indicating she had a
message waiting for her. Was I
positive
the
kid wasn't mine? No, I wasn't. In fact, I wasn't positive about anything right
now.