Page 10 of Raptor

My stomach twists and I swallow back the nausea. "You mean they sleep with them?"

She nods. "It's the way their world is, Mal. It's what they do."

I wave for her to continue, my stomach in knots as I wonder if Raptor is having sex with the club girls in New York. I hate the thought of him with someone else.

"When we were in New York, it came out that some of the club girls were purposefully trying to get pregnant. One woman," she snarls, "Pepper, managed it. She's pregnant with Preacher's baby. And she's a bitch, Mal. She's such a bitch. I want to rip her hair from her head, she's that fucking awful."

My eyes widen. Chloe isn't someone who speaks badly about people. She grew up with a mam who was rotten to the core, and she was used as a bartering chip against her dad. Thankfully, Chloe met Jess and I around the time she met Callie—who turned out to be the woman her dad was seeing. Her real mam died. Some say Chloe's dad, Denis, got tired of her bullshit and killed her. Others say she was hit by a car and was so badly mangled they had to identify her using dental records. Either way, since she's been gone, Chloe has grown stronger and managed to find who she is without being suffocated or stifled.

"Honestly, Mal, it's fucking despicable," she spits. "Why on earth would anyone trap a man with a baby? Use a damn condom."

My heart sinks. Is that what everyone's going to assume when they find out I'm pregnant—that I trapped Raptor?

Oh my God, they are, especially with what's going on now with the Pepper woman. Jesus, I really have screwed up. There's no way I can tell him now.

Chloe continues to talk about all the shit that's gone on since she's been back in Ireland. She gets daily updates from the old ladies back in New York. Everyone seems really close, and I love that for Chloe. She's happy and thriving, and she looks amazing. Being in love really suits her.

The love she and Pyro share is something I can only dream of. It's not on the cards for me, not anymore. I've got a baby coming and that's what my priority is going to be. Whatever comes after that is a bonus.

"Will you be speaking to Raptor later on?" she asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

I blink. "Probably," I respond. "He'll no doubt text me when he's awake."

He does that every day, but right now, I feel like I have to break ties. I have to stop the communication between us. I hate that I have to do it, but I know it's the only thing I can do. He deserves to have a life, one that's not torn between his duties to his club and brothers, and his child. I wouldn't want him to feel he's obligated to be a father, nor do I want him to feel trapped. I’m scared that I’ll be labbled as a baby trapper. I feel so much dread at the thought of Raptor thinking that about me.

I pull in a deep breath, trying my hardest not to cry.

I need to let him go.

Chapter 5

Raptor

Three Months Later

Ihand the stack of cash to the guy who's grinning at me. "They'll be safe," he assures me.

"Of that I have no doubt," I reply, my words laced with a threat. My bike, along with Preacher's, Wrath's, and Pyro's, is all loaded up in a freight container ready to be shipped off to Ireland. It's one of the reasons I've stayed behind a few months. My brothers and I will need our bikes when we're in Ireland, and as Preacher and Wrath left New York with very little notice, it's been left to me to organize everything.

I should be in Ireland. I need to be there. It's been three months since I've spoken to Mallory; twelve fucking weeks since she returned a call or text. I have no fucking idea what the hell has happened. Pyro told me she's fine and is speaking to Chloe but that whenever my name is mentioned she changes the subject. No one has any clue as to why she stopped responding to me. One minute, everything is fine and we're getting to know one another, the next, it's fucking radio silence. And there's nota fucking thing I can do about it right now as I'm fucking stuck here in New York for a few more weeks. Maybe even longer. The moment my ass lands in Dublin, I'm searching for her. I'm not letting this shit lie. I want to know what the fuck happened.

"You good, brother?" Mayhem questions. He's been sullen as fuck lately. His meddling in shit has led to Preacher leaving and Reaper being pissed. We get why he did it, but fuck, his meddling led to Preach finding out his son isn't his son. In fact, he’s his best friend’s son. That shit will burn a man. It could break him. For Preach, it hurt him so badly that he had to leave, unable to stand by and watch another man raise the child he thought was his. I'm not sure I could either.

I nod. "All good, though it'll be at least twenty-one days before they arrive in Dublin."

He shakes his head. "Didn't mean about the bikes, brother." He sighs. "I know you're on edge. You want to go as quickly as possible. I get it. If it were Effie, I'd already be on the fuckin' flight. What's goin' on with your woman?"

I run a hand through my hair. "Not a fuckin' clue. She's gone radio silent."

He raises a brow. "What the fuck?" he growls. "You tried callin' her?"

I glare at the asshole. "The fuck do you think?" I snarl. "I texted and called. What else can I do?"

"What's Py said? Has he seen her?"

"No, but Chloe talks to her almost daily. Apparently, whenever I'm mentioned she changes the subject." I'm angry. Beyond fucking angry. What the hell am I supposed to do? I can't be with her. I can't fucking think right now. She's running, and I'm thousands of miles away so I can't fucking chase her.

"Then what's been said to her? Hmm?" he questions. "A woman doesn't just disappear—unless she's been told somethin'.From what Pyro said, she was at the clubhouse shootin' the shit with Chloe, and then nada, right?"

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