BEST FRIENDS SHOULDN'T DATE

MEADOWS"You are really going to waste fifteen thousand bucks on that man, Med?" Cody said, leaning against the counter of the jewelry store in one of Seattle's biggest malls.I punched in my pin on the machine and shrugged. "'That man’ is my boyfriend, Cody.""Yeah, the prick who’d been dating you for what—a decade now?"My head snapped toward him. Heat flooded my cheeks. Did he have to say that so the entire store could hear?“Uh… miss? Your card.” The cashier stammered, her eyes wide as she handed it back to me.I collected my card and the bag with the Audemars Piguet I’d bought for William. Storming out of the store, I forgot I had even come here with my dummy of a best friend.God, he could be so frustrating sometimes."Wait up, Med!" he shouted, but I only quickened my stride.Before I reached the escalator, his annoying six-foot-three figure easily caught up. He nudged my shoulder, releasing an unsympathetic breath."Don’t tell me you are mad at me because I mentioned your stup

CODYI pulled my bike to a stop on the abandoned road at the outskirts of Seattle. The place was filled with indistinct noises, the rumbling of vehicles, and mists of smoke.Neon lights lit up the whole place. The place I had lived long enough to call my home."Ice, you are here!" Gabrielle, one of the Father's daughters, walked towards me dressed in a tank top and tight jeans.The neon lights did a great job of highlighting her tattoo—the same snake-in-a-vine tattoo as everyone else."Get on your bike and make those b*tches shut up." She kissed both my cheeks.My gaze swung to the Vultures, the second most notorious biker gang in Seattle. They worked under the Vice President, unlike us who worked for the President.I moved my gaze back to her, and she was equally watching them. "Is Antonio going to be here?""Nah, Mama is very sick so Papa has to be with her. He trusts you’d be able to handle things yourself." She then looked at me and furrowed her brows. "Your girlfriend didn’t come

TWO WEEKS LATERMEADOWS"Congratulations, Meadows Potter. The test is positive. You're pregnant.”I stumbled backwards, hitting my kitchen island as my doctor announced the news over the phone. I had gone for a test earlier today."Based on your last cycle, I'd estimate you're about four weeks along. We should schedule—" I ended the call, my body trembling I took off my glasses, rested my elbows on the island, and grabbed my hair. I had only had sex once. He had used protection, how could I be pregnant?God, I had been trying so hard to forget about William. Why the hell did this have to happen? Telling William about this was not an option; he wouldn’t agree to it. I hadn’t even told my parents we had broken up.What would they think when they found out their only daughter was pregnant? Their very worst fears had finally come true."This just can’t be happening." I wept into my palms.Just then, my cellphone rang. I wiped my tears and looked over at the screen. My heart sank to my st

CODY"Dimitri's daughter has an interest in you, Ice," Antonio said, rubbing his hands over his bulldog, Nate's furry head.My fingers scratched against my palm. It was already so bloody late, what if she got into an accident or got mobbed?I knew how reckless she could be when she was upset."ICE!"I jerked back to reality as Antonio slammed his fist on the metal table beside him."Father," I responded, grinding my jaw."Don't tell me you’re thinking about that girl you brought in here?" he barked. "You're lucky I didn’t punish you the last time you brought her, but don’t freaking tempt me!" Nate began to bark."Papa," Gabrielle called softly, massaging his shoulders. "You don’t need to raise your voice."He grabbed his glass of whiskey and guzzled it down."Better not piss him off again," Russo whispered behind me.Maybe one day I’d get him angry enough to finally put a bullet through my head. One mistake, one deal with the man who looked like an angel on that rainy night, dragged m