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VIVIAN
A pounding on the front door woke Viv up from her nap on the family room sofa, leaving her feeling a little dazed and confused about how she got there. The last thing she remembered was Cillian kissing her goodbye and leaving to get her some Saltines.
Someone pounded on the door again and Viv sighed and sat up, her stomach roiling in protest. “This better be fucking good,” Viv grumbled. She stood and felt a little dizzy, reaching for the wall to steady herself. Her impatient visitor banged on her front door again and she wanted to tell whoever it was to go the fuck away.
“Coming,” she shouted. “Hold your fucking horses.” Viv hobbled to the front door, her stomach protesting with every step, and pulled it open to find Cillian’s parole officer on the other side. He didn’t look very happy to see her and she felt about the same way, him having interrupted her nap.
“Hart,” she said. “What can I do for you?” Viv held onto the door, trying to right her world but the entire room felt like it was spinning.
“Where’s Kill?” he asked. She hated that Hart insisted on using Cillian’s nickname. No one called him that, but she had a feeling Hart was doing it to egg her guy on. It was almost as if he was routing for Cillian to fail. What Hart didn’t understand was that she couldn’t let that happen. Viv and her baby stood to lose too much if Cillian ended up back in prison. She’d do everything in her power to make sure that didn’t happen.
“He’s at the grocery store,” Viv said. She sounded groggy—like she was drunk and her words were slurred. She just wanted to lay back down again, but first, she needed to get rid of Cillian’s pesky parole officer.
“You all right, Miss Ward?” Hart asked. She tried to tell him that she was, but before she could get the words out, the room went dark and the last thing Viv remembered seeing was Hart’s concern as he pulled her into his arms.
_______
“Viv wake up Darlin’,” Cillian’s voice crooned. She wanted to wake up, really she was trying but she was so tired. She was warm and cozy and the thought of opening her eyes only to experience the waves of nausea and dizziness, had her clamping her eyes shut tighter. Viv felt as if she was floating on a cloud and that was so much nicer than retching out her guts. Opening her eyes would lead to that and Viv wanted to avoid her fate for as long as possible.
“Maybe you should take her to the hospital,” another man’s voice whispered. “She didn’t look so good when I got here. Has she been sick?”
“That’s none of your business, Hart,” Cillian spat.
“Listen, man, I know we got off on the wrong foot but I had to know if I could trust you,” Hart said.
“Trust me for what, exactly? To obey the rules and just try to live a normal life? Well, I have news for you, Hart, that’s all Viv and I want. We want to get married and settle down but you keep sticking your nose in our business at every turn. What the hell do I have to do to prove to you that I’m on the up and up? I don’t have time for this right now, Hart. I need to make sure that she’s all right.” Cillian pulled her hand into his own and she could feel him tremble. Viv hated that he was worried about her and Cillian was right—she needed to wake up and call her doctor. They needed to make sure that the baby was okay.
“Cillian,” she croaked.
“I’m here, Love,” he breathed. Viv didn’t make a move to sit up, knowing full well that if she did, she’d be sick all over again.
“Saltines,” she whispered. Cillian pulled the box of crackers from one of the bags and opened a sleeve, handing them to her. “Thanks,” she said.
“I called the doctor and he said to eat them slowly while lying flat. If you can manage some water or ginger ale, that might help too. I picked up a bottle while I was at the store. That’s why I took a little longer than promised. He said that if this doesn’t help, he wants me to bring you in so he can check on the baby.”
“Baby,” Hart questioned. “You’re pregnant?”
“Shit,” he swore. “Sorry, Love.” Cillian turned and stood to face Hart. “Yeah,” he admitted. “Viv and I are having a kid. Although, I still don’t see how any of this concerns you, Hart.”
“Everything you do concerns me, James. Hell, I’m the reason you got out early and I’m also the reason you haven’t gone back in yet. I know you’ve been in contact with your MC,” Hart accused.
“I’ve told you before and I guess I have to say it again,” Cillian spat, pointing his finger into Hart’s chest. Viv worried that this wasn’t going to end well for either of them but she was too weak to do anything but let the whole scene play out. “I don’t belong to an MC. I’m not a patched member of any club. I’m close friends with the president of Savage Hell, but you already knew that. Savage was the one who collected me the day I got out. He and my father were close and Savage is like an older brother to me. Seeing him doesn’t violate my probation,” Cillian said.
“No, but showing up at Savage’s bar earlier today does. Most of those bikers are one-percenters, Kill,” Hart said.
“What did you mean when you said you’re the reason Cillian got out early?” Viv asked. She was nibbling at her crackers and drinking the bottled water that Cillian had given her.
Hart sighed. “We need your help, James,” he said.
“What the feck is going on?” Cillian cursed. “Why that hell do you need my help, Hart?” Viv had a feeling that she wasn’t going to like Hart’s answer.
“We need you to use your connections with the Dragons to get on the inside for us,” Hart said. “That’s why I’ve been trying to gauge if you can be trusted or not. I’ve been following you around for weeks now, and today, when you disappeared into thin air, I assumed you went to Savage Hell. But, I was wrong.”
Cillian looked between Hart and Vivian and she worried that he was going to do something stupid. “Cillian, don’t,” she warned. “How do we know you’re on the up and up here, Hart?” Viv asked. She sat up and Cillian hurried over to her side, helping her into a sitting position. She closed her eyes, waiting for the onslaught of nausea, but this time, she felt nothing. “I’m good,” she promised him.
“You can’t know that I’m being honest with you,” Hart admitted. “I’m not a parole officer,” he said. “I’m a detective and while I’ve been assigned to keep an eye on you, James, it’s because of your connections. We believe the Dragons are running a trafficking ring and we need to shut it down. You might be the only person who can get in the club, on the ground level and find us the evidence we need to put their president, Dante, away for good.”
“Shit,” Cillian growled. “Human trafficking?” Hart nodded and Viv felt sick again, but this time for different reasons. If Hart was right and the Dragons were trafficking women, she worried what they would do to little Chloe. She placed her hand protectively on her belly.
