Conceited (Crimson Elite 3)

She sees it and shakes her head. “As I said, a lapse in judgment.”

“You can’t really hate me, Raven. I did nothing wrong.”

She closes her eyes and shakes her head again. “You made me feel like I was the dirt underneath your shoes. No young woman should be made to feel like that.”

“When you tried to kiss me?” I ask her. She nods and turns, walking to the door.

“You were intoxicated, Ariel, and underage. Our timing was off.”

She looks back like she can’t believe the words I’ve just said. Her mouth opens and closes, then she turns and walks off. I reach for my cell and order her a driver. My driver’s already here so he messages me the moment she gets in. Then I lay back down, because what else am I going to do now my main squeeze has left.“Darby knocked a girl up, you better get down here.”

I jump from the bed at Echo’s voice and change quickly. It doesn’t take me long to get to the office to find them all in D’s office, standing as he sits with his head in his hands. He looks up when I enter, then his head goes back in his hands.

“What happened?”

Creed grunts and Echo smiles, but it’s Darby that speaks. “I made a mistake.”

“You don’t make mistakes,” Creed says.

Darby drops his hands and sits up straight.

“What did you do?” I ask, obviously not having a clue if what Echo said was true or just something to get me down here.

“She poked holes in the condom, she said she wanted my baby.”

We all look to each other, then back to him.

“Are you joking?”

He stands and slams his hands on the table. “Do I look like I’m fucking well joking?”

“Who is she?”

He sits back down. “I met her out at a meeting. She was there, I was lonely. End of story. There isn’t anything more to it.”

“Oh, there has to be more. How far along is she? Will she terminate?” I ask as Echo smacks the back of my head.

I look to him. “What was that for?”

“You don’t ask if she will terminate, you idiot. That’s his kid. It’s up to him and her.”

“She’s too far along,” Darby says shocking us.

We all look back to him, my mouth falling open.

“How far, and are you sure it’s yours?” Creed finally asks.

“She’s due in four weeks and the dates match. She could be lying, but I don’t fucking know.” He rubs his jaw while looking at his desk.

“What do you plan to do?” Echo asks.

“See if the baby is mine to start off with, then she’s asking for money. She’s already asked for some.”

“Well, you didn’t give it to her, did you?” I ask him.

His angry eyes look up at me. “Of course I did. She needs things, and she’s pregnant. It could be my child.”

“You don’t want kids,” I state.

We all know this. Darby wants the business and that’s all he’s ever wanted out of this life. Not even a relationship would suffice.

“Well, aren’t you fucking smart today. What? Did you wake up on the right side of the bed, dickhead?”

I hold up my hands to him. “Fucking snappy.”

It was one of the best nights I’ve had. I feel better than I have in a long time. Darby’s cell starts ringing and we all look to it in shock. His ringer is never on, it’s always on silent and in his pocket.

“It’s in case she has the baby,” he answers. He used to give us lectures about how loud our cells were and to place them on silent. He presses accept and places her on speaker. We all go deathly silent as we listen.

“Darby.”

She sounds sweet, maybe that’s what sucked him in.

“Cleo.”

“If you would be a doll, I need some money. The crib is exclusive and very costly. I need you to buy it, so I need cash. Would you do that?”

“Yes, Cleo.”

“You’re too sweet, thanks, Darby.” She hangs up and we all look at him in shock.

“What?”

“Is that what she does, rings you to get money?” I ask him.

His head falls back in his hands. “I have the money, so why not.”

“Because the baby may not be yours. And who really knows if she’s even spending that money on the baby,” Echo adds.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” he says, shaking his head and pushing his chair back, standing.

“When do we get to meet her?” I ask.

He looks up at me. “Never,’ and he walks out of his own office. We wait for him to be completely gone before we speak.

“What the actual fuck. How did you two find out?”

Echo points to Creed. We both look to Creed.

“I walked in on her asking him for money, she was at the front door.”

“So, she knows what we do?”

He shakes his head at my words. “No, you know him. He’s discreet. But she followed him here and wouldn’t let up, said the baby was his, and he had to help pay the way… that it takes two to tangle.”