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We get back to the clubhouse with a van full of things I never knew a baby needed, and I instruct the prospects to take everything to the room I plan to kit out for Ivy. “Why are you doing this again?” asks Lexi. “You spent a ridiculous amount on a kid that’s not yours.”
I shrug. “She’s cute. Besides, if I can help her to get a good start in life, it’s one less broken person. And isn’t this what you asked for?”
“I guess so,” she says with a smile.
LUNA
I watch as Duchess rocks Ivy to sleep in her arms. “It’s been a while since I held a baby,” she muses.
Hands go over my eyes, and I jump in fright. “Relax,” Grizz whispers in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “It’s just me. Duchess, can you watch Ivy? I need Luna for a minute.”
“Of course.”
“Stand,” he tells me, and I follow his instruction. He uncovers my eyes and tips me over his shoulder. I let out a surprised scream, and he swats me on the backside before carrying me from the kitchen and up the stairs.
He dumps me on my feet outside my bedroom. “What are you up to?” I ask, unable to keep the smile from my face.
He grabs my hand and leads me into the room and through the door to Ivy’s bedroom. It’s no longer empty, and I gasp. “I did some shopping,” he tells me.
I step farther into the room, running my hand over the beautiful white wood of the new cot. “This is gorgeous,” I whisper.
He takes me by the shoulders and spins me towards the window, where there’s an expensive pushchair. I know it’s expensive because it’s the one I fell in love with but knew I’d never be able to afford. “Grizz, this is all so . . .” Words fail me. “But why?”
He gives a shrug. “She deserves the best.”
“Thank you. I mean, words don’t seem enough, but I’m so grateful. You really shouldn’t be spending all your money on us.”
He smiles. “The little goblin needs this stuff, and while you’re part of this club, she’ll never go without.”
His words warm my heart, and it’s almost on the tip of my tongue to tell him the truth about Ivy, but Axel barges in carrying tins of paint. He places them down and looks around. “Fuck me, that sales assistant had your pants down.”
“Well, Lexi was no fucking help, Pres, so I had to rely on the assistant to tell me what to get.”
“Maybe you should stop borrowing my old lady and get your own,” he suggests.
I feel my cheeks blush, so I move over to the window and stare out. Ivy would never have all this stuff if I hadn’t come to the clubhouse. Maybe Grizz is right—being here and accepting help will work out better. “Luna, here’re all the things you’ll need in this box,” says Grizz, pulling my attention back to him. “You’ll be able to paint her a mural like the one you started in your flat.” He places the box beside the paints. “We’ll leave you to it.”
When Lexi joins me an hour later, she stands back to admire the pencil outline I’ve begun on the wall. “This is amazing. I didn’t know you could draw.”
I offer a weak smile. Nobody in the club would know this sort of thing, but why would they? “We’ve never really had chance to talk,” I say, and she looks a little guilty.
“Which is why I wanted the guys to get closer to the women,” she explains. “They should understand you’re all human and not just a quick shag.” She looks around the room. “And clearly, it’s working, right?”
“It is?” I ask.
“Grizz seems really taken with you and Ivy.”
“With Ivy,” I correct. “He’s really fallen for her.”
“She’s a cutie, so I don’t blame him. Would he even know about her if he hadn’t started looking out for you? Would any of us know?”
I shake my head. I had no intention of telling anyone at the club about my personal life. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t speak—they couldn’t ask questions and discover what a shambles my life actually is. “He told me you can make bread?”
I laugh. “Can’t everyone?”
“Apparently not like you. His eyes lit up when he told me how amazing it was. ‘The best he’s ever tasted’ were his exact words. Maybe you could make some for the opening of The Bar?”
“Opening?” I repeat. At one time, I knew everything that went down in this club. Now, I’m out of the loop.
