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I frown at her. “Josie, don’t.”
“I’m dead serious.” There’s an edge to her voice now. “These guys, they live by their own rules. And Nova... did he even give you the details on this so-called support?”
I bite my lip, feeling suddenly defensive. “No, he didn’t, but that’s because he’s got his own stuff going on.”
“And what if he forgets, doesn’t tell the others to look out for you?”
“He won’t forget,” I say, but it sounds more like a wish than a fact.
Josie shrugs, her eyes tired. “You think you know them, Soph. Just be sure you’re putting yourself and that baby first, okay?”
“I will. I promise.”
“Okay.” She pulls me in for a hug and a loud smacking kiss on my cheek. “There’s takeout in the paper bag, mushroom risotto, and groceries in the cloth bag. Call if you need anything else.”
“I will, thanks. Love you, Josie Bug.”
She smiles, pulling me into another tight hug. “Love you back, Sophie Bear. I’m here for you, whatever you need.” Her gaze briefly drops to her phone, and she sighs. “I hate to bail on you after such big news, but I still have to pack for a business trip tomorrow. I’ll be gone for two days but call me if you need anything. Anything.”
“I will,” I promise, my emotions a whirlwind. “I’m still trying to process.”
“I get it,” she says as she heads toward the door. “Love you, girl.”
“Love you back,” I reply, closing the door behind her.
Josie is my ride-or-die, my true blue, the best damn friend I’ve ever had. I know she’ll support me in every way she can.
Alone with my thoughts, my future crashes in like a tidal wave. I’m going to have a baby. With a criminal bad boy. My dad’s going to lose it. Hell, the entire family will.
But there are other factors to consider, like my job. However, the club plans totake care of me—great, now I sound like Josie—it’s not a long-term solution. I need to tell Tank, but who knows when or if he’ll ever be a free man again. And even if he is, I’m sure the big, busty womanallowedto visit him in lockup might have something to say about him spending their hard-earned money on someone else’s baby.
And that’s assuming he even wants anything to do with me or his baby.
“Fuck,” I mutter aloud as I unpack the risotto. The word hangs in the kitchen like a dark cloud refusing to dissipate.
A baby. I don’t know if I should celebrate, cry, or jump off the roof. A baby is an enormous responsibility. What if Tank tells me to go away once he finds out? What will I do then? I’ll have to arrange daycare and babyproof the apartment. Damn it, daycare costs a small fortune.
But then again, what if he’s excited and happy? Do I even want that? Screw it. I don’t even know what I want anymore. If he’s married, I don’t want anything to do with him. But I have to tell him.
Should I tell him now or wait until the doctor confirms it? I’ll need to schedule an appointment. I take a bite of the risotto, but it tastes like cardboard. My favorite takeout, and I can’t even eat it.
The silver lining to my anger at Tank and the news of my pregnancy is that I forget about his jailhouse letter for the rest of the night. There are more pressing matters to think about. But there’s one thing I can’t put off for too long.
Telling Tank.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
Tank
Another goddamn day in this hellhole. All I can do is lie here on my cot, staring at the wall, thinking about Sophie. Her smile, her laugh, the way she feels in my arms. I know it’s stupid to be so hung up on her, but I can’t help it. She’s something special.
Part of me wishes I could just let her go, stop obsessing over what could have been. But I know if I ever get out of here, the first thing I’ll do is look her up. I don’t care if she’s moved on or wants nothing to do with me, I have to see her again.
Something interrupts my daydreaming. I hear footsteps, and a shadow crosses over me. I look up to see some ugly mug standing over my bunk, staring at me like he wants to start something.
I jump up and get right in his face, staring him down. “You got a problem?” I ask, ready to throw down if he makes a move.
Something resembling a smile crosses his face, and he shakes his head. “Me? Nope, no problem at all. But you are gonna be drowning in problems. Real soon.”
