Cavalier (Crimson Elite 1)

“This is it. I’m going to make you some tea. It will help you sleep, okay?” She brushes my hair from my face and I wonder if I can keep her.

My cell starts ringing but I ignore it. I lie down on the bed, and in seconds I’m asleep before she comes back.“She’ll want to go home. I’m taking her home.” The door to the room where I’m sleeping opens and Echo stands there. He looks to the floor then to me, walking in and picking up my bag. Creed’s mother is close behind him. “I’m your ride, buttercup. Ready?”

I nod getting up. “Thank you so much.”

Creed’s mom hugs me again, and this time I don’t hold on longer than necessary.

Today is a new day.

“Can I call you? I would love to go shopping.”

“I would like that, seeing as I have nothing yet.”

Echo carries my bag to his car, and as we get in, he doesn’t speak, not until we’ve driven off down the street. “You have your job if you want it.”

I smile, thinking of Creed’s mother. “I’m going to need it, but I don’t want to cause any hassle or friction,” I say honestly.

“Creed would never have agreed to have you fired. We thought it was best to do it without him knowing, so when he came back he would be clear-headed. Seems he decided to give us all a black eye for thinking so.” Echo takes off his sunglasses showing me his black eye.

“I never meant for this to happen, you know.”

“We know, and we’ll help best we can. Hell girl, you got our next generation of Crimson Elite in that belly. We have to protect you.”

“Does Creed feel the same way?” I ask, cringing at the idea. The way he looked last night still haunts me.

“He’ll come around, it’s just going to take longer with him. He doesn’t do feelings well, and well, a baby is all feelings.” He laughs. Pulling up to the front of my apartment a man is there with a truck and he’s knocking on my door. Getting out, I walk straight up to him.

“You’re Miss Beckham?” he asks, and I nod my head. “This delivery was marked as urgent. Can you let me in?” He nods to the door and when I pull it open he whistles to the truck. The doors are opened and another man I didn’t see starts carrying baby things inside. Baby things I didn’t order.

“Who paid for this?”

He shrugs his shoulders having no idea.

“You can ring this number, but it was marked as a gift, miss.”

Echo walks into my apartment and looks down at the bassinet, new crib and baby bath then whistles. “This is exciting, what are we going to name him?”

“Him?” I ask.

“Yeah, has to be a boy.”

“And what if it’s a girl.”

He shrugs. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

“Do you know who paid for this?”

“The club,” he answers straight away. Like it was obvious.

“The club?”

He nods. “Yeah. Falcon did it last night after he was knocked out. You know—”

He uses air quotes with his fingers, “to show support.” He laughs. “Or as I like to say, so he doesn’t get another black eye.”

“It’s too much.”

“Buttercup, this place is too less.” He looks around scrunching up his nose. I roll my eyes at his assessment of my place. I love it, but yes, he’s right, it isn’t enough, but it’s all I’ve got. So I’ll make do.

“Echo.” He stops scrutinizing my apartment and looks up to me. “I have a scan in a week. Can you let him know?”

He nods before he reaches into his pocket, pulling out some bills and handing them to me. I don’t take it.

“I don’t want your money.”

“Take it.”

I shake my head, crossing my arms over my chest. “Thank you for the lift, but obviously I have some things to do,” I say gesturing to the gifts that have arrived.

“You know, you don’t have to do it alone.”

“I’m not alone.” My hand touches my belly, and a sense of warmth spreads through me. Maybe this won’t be so bad, I have love to give and a lot of it too. Who better to give it to than someone who will love me unconditionally and not see my flaws.

Yeah, maybe it won’t be so bad after all.27CreedKilling someone wasn’t an option, not with the way I feel. Because killing only one person wouldn’t subdue the way I’m feeling right now, it would only make it worse. I went back to work today to collect a few things. As I entered I saw her there, heard her voice, and thought I was dreaming for a minute. When she started to fall backward, catching her was just my luck. What came after was anything but. How could I have been so careless with her? So infatuated by her that all my morals went out the fucking window? It’s because she isn’t like your average girl, if she were I wouldn’t feel what I feel for her now. I wouldn’t have chased her the way I have. She’s different, I knew the moment I saw her standing in the street that night watching. It’s the only reason I didn’t unlock her apartment door, walk in and kill her. That would have been a very big mistake for me.