“Would it have been something else?”
“Well, you pulled out the good shit, and that’s not your MO.”
He raised his brows like he didn’t know what I meant. Finally, I decided to just ask about Jasmine, because I was pretty sure this had something to do with that.
“Squirrel said something about Jasmine and a baby. What did he mean?” I studied the wood grain of his desk and held my breath for his reply.
“It would seem she’s knocked up.” At the tone of his voice, I looked up at him. “Won’t say who the father is, either. Some of the brothers think it was some random dude and that’s why she won’t say.”
My teeth ground together, and my blood began to boil at the visual of a “random dude” touching her.
“Know what I think?” he asked in a bored tone. At that moment, I really didn’t. All I cared about was getting to Jasmine. I wanted answers.
I shrugged, and he leaned toward me with his forearms crossed and his intent gaze holding mine.
“I think it’s yours,” he dramatically whispered. My heart lodged in my chest, and so many emotions flooded me that I didn’t know which end was up.
“What? But I didn’t, I mean, I’ve been gone, I… uh.” Unable to form coherent thought, I snapped my mouth shut.
“You trying to say it’s impossible?” A sarcastic brow lifted as he studied me because he knew damn well it could possibly be mine. He was daring me to deny it, but I couldn’t. Then I had to wonder why none of my fucking brothers thought to say anything to me. Especially Ghost, who I talked to most often.
Both hands covered my mouth before I dragged them down. “What if itismine?”
“You’re askingmethat?” He pointed at his chest and gave me a look of mock surprise. Fuck.
“I mean what does that do to my standing in the club? How is Angel with this? Does he think it’s mine?”
“You mean does he want to kick your ass? Probably. Is he handling all of this okay? That’s debatable. He only found out a couple of weeks ago. But I can tell you that he and Ghost are the reason you’re back so unexpectedly.”
“How?”
“Because they both came to me separately and wanted to know when you were going to be home. Ghost went so far as to say he felt it was time you came back. Then Angel told me his sister was pregnant. I’m not an idiot, Chains. You think I never noticed the way you are with her? You think no one else did? Then she ends up in your room and Angel wants to string you up? When I took her to her room that day, I pretty much told her she needed to shit or get off the pot.”
Disbelief screwed up my face.
“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t need high school drama in my fucking club. So either she was in the right headspace to be with you or you two needed to stay the fuck away from each other. I knew damn well there was no fucking way that was going to happen, regardless of what I had to say. That’s why when the opportunity came up to send you to Flagstaff for a while to help with their tattoo shop, I jumped on it. I think you both needed time to figure out what you wanted without Angel going after you for your inability to keep it in your goddamn pants.” And there was the Venom we all knew and loved. Stern, no bullshit, I-will-rip-off-your-head-and-shit-down-your-neck Venom.
I stood. No way was I going to question my president, but maybe he should’ve sent Angel’s hot-headed self to Flagstaff instead of me.
“I’m going to see her.”
He raised his chin. “She hasn’t been staying here at the clubhouse for the last few days. She’s been sick, so she’s been at Angel’s,” he finally admitted in a gravelly voice.
Fuck.
Well, might as well get it over with.
“How are you going to handle this?” he asked me without so much as a flicker of emotion. His eyes seemed to ripple.
“What do you mean, how am I gonna handle this? I’m gonna find out if it’s my kid, then go from there.” After that, I honestly had no fucking clue.
“Better brace yourself.”
“Yeah, I know.” If it was mine, Angel was going to kick my ass.
And I was going to let him.
My gloved knuckles rapped on the glass of Angel’s door. It wasn’t long before I could see someone approaching through the rippled glass.