“So, you’re having a baby?” I said, finally breaking the awkward silence.
“Yeah.” She touched her nonexistent stomach.
“I can’t believe it. I’m so happy for you.” We toasted with our cups. “Seth, huh?”
“He’s a good guy.”
“Yes, I know he is. He’d never hurt you. Which is more than I could say about a lot of men, especially fucking bikers, even if they are great for a night.”
“Yeah, a fact I learned when I pissed him off. I thought he was going to hurt me. I’m an independent woman, so I test his limits a lot. Something Jacob never appreciated. He wanted arm candy and a whore. Seth respects me, but he’s worried. He’s overprotective, especially now that I’m pregnant.”
“It’s a tense time, with this war. Besides, overprotective isn’t a bad thing. It’s his way to show he cares,” I explained
“I’m not used to it. I’m used to being controlled.”
“I know. Give it time.” I became quiet as I looked around at the coffeehouse. It was a typical coffeehouse, with your usual crowd. Most of them were students from the nearby college. It was a safe place for us— the riff raff we were hiding from wouldn’t be caught in a place like this, which is why I had asked Reagen to meet me here, instead of the bar.
“So, how do you plan to do it?” Reagen asked.
“Well, for starters, I got the Crypt Keepers to agree to have our backs. They have the numbers, and they can really fuck shit up if it came down to it.”
“And they’re only going to back up the Midnight Saints if you’re in charge?”
“Basically.”
“What, are you screwing their Prez or something?”
“What? No. I just gave them an offer I knew they wouldn’t refuse. Basically, if they have our backs, we’ll have theirs.”
“And that was enough?”
“Well, that, and I offered them a discount on Thursday Friend of the MC night at the bar. I think they’re as worried about this war as we are, so having our back makes sure theirs is covered too.”
“Okay, yeah, that makes sense.”
“Maxum wants control of it all and he doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process. The Crypt Keepers are smart, they don’t want to get mixed up in that shit, so backing the Midnight Saints just makes sense.”
“So, how come Tony didn’t try to win them over?”
“You have to have a way in, and I happened to have a way in. Tony doesn’t have a way in.”
“What’s your way in?” Reagen asked with genuine curiosity.
“I happen to know their Enforcer, like really well. Well, I used to know him, but he’s still hung up on me, so I’m using it to my advantage.”
“Did you sleep with him?”
“No! Well, not this time. We used to sleep together, more than sleep together, but not anymore. It’s a long story I never really talk about, but he’s the one who got me out of the MC life when I needed to disappear.
“Oh, that one. I think you mentioned it once. Bummer. Anything still there?”
“I don't know. No time for guys right now. Do you want a boy or a girl?” I changed the subject, not wanting to think about the past right now.
“I’d love to have a boy. Can’t go wrong with another Seth in the world.” She smiled over her coffee cup.
“No, I guess you can’t. Will you raise him in the biker life?”
“Yeah. I’m not going to make Seth leave the club. Besides, we’re all safer in it.”
“I’ll protect you either way, you know.”
“You’re going to stay with me twenty-four/seven?”
“If that’s what I have to do, yeah.”
“But you’re trying to run a club and prepare for war against your father. You can’t do all that and watch over me.”
“Sure, I can. Watch me. I’m going to grab another coffee, want anything?”
“No, I’m good.”
I got up and went to the counter to refill my cup. I also grabbed a muffin. I’d get Reagen to eat half of it. She looked like she could do with a little more meat on her bones. Jacob must have starved her thin.
“Here, share this muffin with me.” I cut it in half and put half of it on a napkin for her. Since it was there, she nibbled on it.
“Kara, I don’t need a mother.”
“Why the fuck would you think I’m trying to be your mother? I’m trying to be a caring friend, that’s all. Now, shut up and eat your muffin. You’re skin and bones, and now you have to eat for two,” I reminded her.
“What do you think of the name Jules? That could work for a boy or a girl, right?” she asked, picking at the half-muffin.
“Yeah,” I said, stuffing my muffin in my mouth. It was a good muffin.
“I think it should have a gender-neutral name, that way if we think it’s a boy but it turns out to be a boy, or the other way around, we don’t have to worry about changing the name.”
“That’s smart,” I said, half listening. I didn’t catch her say ‘boy’ both times.
“I also like the name Rae. That could be a boy’s name or a girl’s name.”
“Sure could.”
“I should probably get going. Seth is going to be done with his meeting soon and notice I’m gone. He hates it when I take off, but not in the same way Jacob always did. He’s just worried, he cares. I love that about him.”
“Yeah, he sure does.”
“Do you have someone who cares about you that way?”
“Eric, I suppose. He’s the Enforcer of the Crypt Keepers. He’s a good guy, much like your Seth, but Enforcers can be brutal too. They have to be sometimes. I know Seth has been known to break bones to get what he needs. In fact, just the other day, he came over with Tony with the intent on breaking my hand if I didn’t tell them what they wanted to know. I asked him if he would have done it, and though he looked regretful, he said yes he would have
