Ride or Die (Rejects Paradise 4)

Nic laughs as he makes his way to me. “Don’t make it so obvious that it’s your first time here,” he teases, giving me a brilliant smile that warms me.

“I just … am I allowed to give you a hug?”

“Of course you are,” he tells me, walking around to my side of the table and offering me his hand.

I take it greedily, and he helps pull me up. The second my bump becomes visible out from under the table, Nic’s eyes bug out of his head. “Holy fuck, Ocean. I knew you were fucking pregnant, but damn. I guess I’d lost track. You look like you’re about to explode.”

“Gee, thanks for the reminder,” I grumble, stepping into him and curling my arms around him, squeezing tight as he tries not to do anything, fearing that if he squeezes enough, the baby might just pop out.

I quickly return to my seat, not wanting to get in trouble with the guards, and as Nic does the same, he keeps his eyes on mine. “Fuck, I missed you,” he says, his eyes shining bright. “How are you? I’m assuming Richy Rich ain’t far away?”

I shake my head. “He’s sitting out front waiting for me. Do you have any idea how hard it was to get him to be alright with me coming here? If he could sit here beside me, he would, but he knew I needed this time alone.”

Nic nods. “So, what took you so long?” he questions, a seriousness coming over him. But seeing as though we only get an hour, it’s probably best to get all the bullshit questions out of the way.

I press my lips into a tight line. “Honestly,” I murmur. “A part of me was still very angry with you. It took me a while to even wrap my head around it all, and by the time that anger had started to fade, months had gone by. But for the most part, it’s the guilt. I hate that you’re here and that I had a part in putting you here.”

“Don’t do that,” he tells me. “I’m the only one responsible for putting my ass here. I had a choice, and I did what I had to do. And to be completely honest, I get plenty of sleep, I get fed, someone else does my fucking laundry, and I don’t have to deal with other bastards’ problems all fucking day. Life’s pretty good.”

“You’re such a liar,” I laugh. “It fucking sucks in here, and you know it.”

He grins wide, and I shake my head, appreciating that he at least tried to make me feel better about it. “What’s going on with you?” he asks, glancing down at the bump. “What did you decide? Are you keeping it?”

I shake my head, knowing he would be happy with this decision. “No,” I tell him. “I found a couple who are going to be the new parents. They’re great. I mean, they’re certainly not your cup of tea, but as far as amazing parents go, they’re going to give this baby the world.”

“Good,” he says. “I’m glad. But what else? I’m assuming the Wolves are pleased that you’re giving it away?”

I give him a tight smile. “I honestly don't know what the Wolves think. After your arrest, I spoke with Christian and handed him the reins. He took over everything and Colton handed over the deeds to a new place, they’ve been rebuilding ever since. He promised that he was going to deal with all the rotten eggs and turn things around, just like Kai’s been doing with your Widows.”

Nic rolls his eyes. “Don’t get me started on Kai,” he says, a smirk pulling at his lips. “He’ll have my men prancing around in fucking tutu’s with girl guides, knocking on doors, and helping sell those fucking charity cookies. I thought I told you to keep him in check.”

“Nope,” I grin. “You practically told everyone else to watch me while telling me to watch myself.”

“Yeah,” he grumbles. “That sounds about right.”

I can’t help but laugh, and before I know it, a buzzer sounds through the small room, and the inmates start getting to their feet. “Why don’t you come back every now and then?” Nic suggests. “It might make my time in here pass a little quicker.”

I give him a warm smile as I stand up and walk around to him, throwing my arms around his neck. I can’t help but laugh. “Sure thing,” I tell him. “But you better make it worth my while. Next time, I want a full rundown of the guys you’re in here with and what fucked up shit they did to get themselves locked up.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal,” he tells me, and just like that, he walks away.

I watch as he goes and gets himself locked back into the cuffs, and as the guard bends down in front of him, the fucker gives me a dirty wink, making me snort so loudly that not only do I scare the people around me, but I scare myself too, jumping and making my fucking water break all over the floor.