Page 28 of JoJo

“I know, I just thought you were supposed to show solidarity and brotherhood when you patched in a prospect, or the new guy, or whatever.”

Steel laughed. “Well, it’s not a normal situation. We’re bringing the kid in because he and his dad tend to butt heads down there having to work together. Then there’s Battle. He’s an old buddy of Ghost’s, and been in an MC for fifteen years, but they went belly up when their leader got into some seriously shady shit. Battle isn’t a typical prospect. He’s getting a probationary membership. He has 120 days to serve with us, then we vote on keeping him, kicking him, or making him serve out a full prospect period to give us more time to determine if he’s a good enough fit.”

“Oh, that’s cool. Still, I don’t want you to miss that. It’s no problem for Keys to come stay with me for a bit.”

“Okay, babe. That shit isn’t until later though so we’ll play it by ear and see how you feel later. For now, let’s just chill with a movie.” He pulled me closer, snuggling up to me when his damn phone went off, indicating a text. “Shit!”

“What?” Paranoia had my heart banging around in my chest like a drummer at a rock concert. Maybe Quickshot saw my texts with Keys, and passed on the news. The maybe news. Crap! How would he handle this kind of news anyway? We were both aware of the accident when it happened. Hell, I even had a solution for it until everyone’s drama distracted me, and I never got to pick up the morning after pill. Damn! Shit! Damn!

“One of the guys sent a heads up. My mom stopped by the clubhouse. He gave her the address here.”

“What? Holy hell! Doesn’t your mom know how to call ahead?” I started to jump up to run upstairs and try to make myself more presentable, but Steel caught me with a grip around my hips and pulled me back down on the couch with him. “Let me go, I look like absolute shit, Steel.”

“Nope! You’re sick, babe. You’re not supposed to be all dolled up. Besides, I think you’re beautiful just the way you are. If my mom wanted a big welcome, she could have planned her visit ahead of time. I told her I would bring you up next month to meet everyone. I don’t know why she’s suddenly on a mission to come here.”

Before another word could be spoken, there was a knock on the door. I watched, with anxious knots coiled in my stomach, as steel opened the door and smiled at the woman who immediately wrapped her arms around him. “I’ve missed you, son!” She sighed the words out with pure joy for seeing him again. Steel, however, looked anything but joyful as his mother pushed past him and a stunning blond woman with a noticeable baby bump threw her arms around my husband, and planted her lips firmly on his. To his credit, Steel did not reciprocate. In fact, he pushed the woman away while his mother looked disapprovingly at him. She looked disapprovingly at him for that scene! As if he should have reacted any other way when his wife was in the room and another woman was mauling him?

“What the hell was that about, Jenn? We’re not together anymore.” She too pushed past him into my house like she owned the place. When she noticed me she gave me a dirty look and then had the audacity to say what came out of her mouth next.

“You can leave. We have family business to discuss.” My eyebrows shot up as I took in her statuesque frame. She was closer to Steel’s height of six foot. Probably just a few inches shorter. If I were to stand, she would definitely still be looking down on me in a major way.

“This is my house, and if you think you’re ordering me out of it, you’ve got another thing coming. I don’t care who you THINK you are to Steel.” He was now perched on the edge of the couch right beside where I’d been lounging moments ago. Now, I was sitting ramrod straight, braced for a damn fight.

“Mom, you better explain why you brought her here and do it quickly.”

“Jenn is right. This is a family issue. Your friend shouldn’t be here for our conversation.” Steel’s mom was a beautiful woman in her own right. Her auburn hair and blue eyes mixed with her lightly tanned skin was a stunning combination. While she had to be in her late 40s or early 50s, she looked far younger. I could appreciate the good genetics, considering my current predicament, but the woman had seriously just made my bitch list.

“There are exactly two people in this room who can count themselves as my legitimate family. You,” he said indicating his mom, “and JoJo.” He placed an arm around my shoulder, pulling me tighter to force me to relax against him. “Since you’re currently standing in JoJo’s house, I suggest you come at me, at us, with a different approach before things get even uglier than they already are.” God! This man! I wanted to kiss him so hard. He’d just told his own mother off for me.

Steel’s mom just rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows she is just a business deal. Not a good one on your end either.” It was taking every ounce of self control I possessed to keep my features schooled into a mask of nothingness.

“Mom!” Steel managed to grind out through clenched teeth. “Final warning. Get to the point of this surprise visit and do it fast, because you just used up the last of my damn patience this morning.”

“Fine, tell him your news, Jenn.” His mother beamed at the woman, who smiled just as bright back at my monster-in-law.

“Well, Flint and I had a DNA test done with the baby.”

“How the hell is that possible?” Steel interrupted with the question, although he didn’t look at all surprised by this news.

“I had an amnio-thingy test done to check for genetic defects or whatever. They were able to conduct a DNA test from that.” She was again smiling like the cat who ate the canary. “Flint isn’t the daddy.”

“So?! Shouldn’t you be telling Flint that?” The smile actually slipped a bit from Jenn’s face then.

“I did already.” She spoke softer now, not as excited to deliver her news.

“I know men can be slow on the uptake son, but Jenn’s trying to tell you the baby is yours.” Steel’s mom cooed the words with extreme enthusiasm.

“Yeah?” Steel said with mock excitement. Uh-oh! I’d seen that particular look on his face before. He had an ace up his sleeve that the women present weren’t aware he was holding.

Blondie nodded emphatically, back to producing her mega-watt, sparkly white smile. At least until Steel absentmindedly picked me up from the couch as he slid from the arm to the seat while pulling me into his lap and snuggling up to me. Again, the smile faded from Jenn’s face. “It’s not Flint’s, so it has to be yours!” Her words were a demand on his attention, or inattentiveness as it were.

“Is that right?” Steel asked without needing an answer. Jenn nodded her head emphatically once again. This time, however, Steel’s mom appeared nervous as her gaze shifted from me, in her son’s arms, to the bimbo she’d dragged into my house uninvited. It was obvious Steel’s mom had finally caught on to his demeanor.

“Funny thing about that test. You knew about it in advance, yeah?”

“Well, of course, I had the appointment for three weeks.”

“I know,” Steel confirmed. Now Jenn was shifting from foot to foot nervously. Waiting. “And in those three weeks before a paternity test was conducted, did it ever occur to you to notify me to come in and take it as well?”

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