Wrapped in Chains - Nicola Jane Page 0,13
“Sorry. I’m tired and miserable.” She leads me into the kitchen and I take a seat while she makes coffee.
“Riggs is gone,” I say, and she looks back at me. “He said he needed to get straight.”
“Well, that’s the truth,” she mutters. “Pity we can’t all run away from our responsibilities. What about Ziggy?”
“Mum’s taken him to the beach house in Southend. She said Riggs will come back better.”
“I had my scan. I’m twelve weeks. Everything seems okay.”
“That’s good. Did Eva go with you?” Anna nods. It’s killing her to be apart from Riggs, I see it in her face. “He loves you so much, Anna.”
“We can’t keep having these conversations. I know he does. I know he’s scared. I know he’s struggling separating what happened with Michelle, but ya know what? I’m done waiting. I’m too hurt to stand around while he gets his shit together. I’ve accepted it. I’ve decorated the baby’s room here. I don’t plan on ever coming back to the club, so I’m making this home for me and my babies. Malia is settling again. It took her time, but she isn’t asking for him or Ziggy as much now.”
A pain hits me in the chest and I realise that it isn’t just Riggs and Anna going through this. We’re all hurting.
“Promise me that we’ll be okay. I see you as a sister,” I say and Anna smiles, setting a coffee in front of me.
“Always,” she says. “Now, tell me something about your life so I don’t think about babies or men.”
I take a deep breath. “I kissed Chains.” I figure it won’t hurt to tell Anna seeing as she doesn’t plan on speaking to Riggs. She gasps and then breaks into a grin.
“You kept that quiet. I mean, Riggs always thought that Chains had a soft spot for you, but I didn’t see this coming at all.”
I shake my head dismissively. “There’s nothing between us. He said we should keep it quiet and that's fine but . . . ” I trail off.
“But?” Anna pushes.
“But I can’t stop thinking about that kiss and him.”
“Is that a bad thing? Chains is a nice guy and he’s hot.”
“You know how I feel about making my life different. I don’t want to be stuck as an ol’ lady bringing up kids and looking after a man like he’s my king.”
Anna smiles and pats my hand. “You see it as very one-sided, which is weird seeing as you grew up in the club life. You treat him like a king and you stand as his queen. The guys in the Kings respect their ol’ ladies, you know that.”
“I don’t know why we’re discussing it. Riggs won’t ever allow it.”
“So, you’ve thought about it?” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Chains doesn’t like me in that way. I kissed him. I threw myself at him, in fact.”
“Leia, if you like Chains, then speak to him and speak to Riggs. It’s time they all saw you for the woman you’ve become and not the little kid of the club. Why don’t Eva and I give you a makeover this weekend? We could all visit the salon, it’d be fun.”
I find myself agreeing, but I don’t plan on telling Chains anything.
CHAINS
Riggs hitting the road makes me jealous. The pull of the tarmac is strong this week and being around Leia is getting harder. All the more reason to get on my bike and get the hell outta here.
She’s walking across the parking lot with the same nerd who waits for her every morning when I drop her at University. He’s carrying her backpack and she’s laughing at whatever he’s saying to her. I’ve watched him staring at her longingly all week and I’ve thought about throat punching him over a hundred times at least.
They slow down as they approach me. “So tonight?” He smiles and she nods. “Eight o’ clock?” She nods again and I glance back and forth between them. What the fuck is happening at eight?
The nerd smiles at me and hands me her backpack. “Take care of her.” He winks and slaps me on the arm. I raise my brow at his show of male dominance and the urge to throat punch hits me again.
“Get on the bike, Leia,” I growl and she presses her lips together in a way that tells me she’s stifling a laugh. “Now.”
Nerd boy watches us drive away. I want to run over his foot, but I settle for giving him my best pissed look.