Malice's Soul

handle business with one of his buddies and said he’d be back in a few days. This left the house feeling empty and way too quiet with not having anyone to talk to.
It also gives me way too much time to think of things I don’t want to be thinking of.
For instance, Malice.
My heart still aches with how he acted the last time I saw him. This doesn’t stop my mind from wandering. I dream of him some nights where he’s tender with me. Other nights his harsh words gut me over and over again as they haunt me.
Sighing, I brush a finger along where one of my three babies is pressing against me. The phone rings from in the house at the same time my cell phone lights up.
Furrowing my brow, I lift the phone up to see it’s Quinn calling me.
“Hey,” I murmur tentatively into the phone as I answer.
“Hey yourself, chick-a-dee,” Quinn sings through the line.
“What’s up?” I ask, unsure of what else to say.
“Nothing much, just on my way to visit one of my friends who I haven’t seen in a while. Avery wanted to come with me, but Hammer’s not letting her out of his sight, what with her being ready to pop any day now,” Quinn rambles on.
I knew Avery was pregnant and about as far along as myself.
The sound of a car coming down the road causes my heart to panic. No one should be coming this way. Not when I’m not expecting anyone until my grandpa comes back.
“You know this road is getting on my nerves,” Quinn huffs in my ear, and it’s then I realize who she’s going to see. Me.
Oh, crap-snapper-doodle.
I can’t get up fast enough to go run and hide. So I do the only thing I can, hang up the phone to wait for her to finish coming up the long lane.
Moments later, Quinn’s car comes to a stop and she’s exiting the car. She sees me and smiles as she heads in my direction.
“Where’s Delilah?” I ask, wondering why she doesn’t have her daughter with her.
“Oh, she’s at the clubhouse being spoiled by a bunch of overgrown boys,” she says, waving her hand flippantly. As she steps onto the porch, she freezes when she gets a good look at me. “Holy shit. You’re pregnant? What the hell, Will? Here I am coming to hound you about coming home finally and being there when Avery has her baby when you’re here knocked up yourself.”
Well, that tells me Malice didn’t say anything to anyone about me telling him I was pregnant. And in the times I’d spoken to my friends, I’d not once told them about my pregnancy. So this is definitely a shock to Quinn.
“I’m actually having three,” I mutter nonchalantly.
“Three?” Quinn murmurs, her eyes widen even more, and her mouth drops open in even more shock. “I thought you were a virgin. Who the hell is the dad? Wait, nope don’t answer that. I can only take a wild guess as to who it is,” she says, anger starting to radiate off her.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, unable to stop myself.
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for, babe. Well, except for maybe not telling me in the first place. I get you needed to leave after what happened, but this is huge, and it hurts you didn’t share it with me,” Quinn says, finally moving to come sit next to me on the swing.
“I know but I thought you’d have known, though,” I utter, fidgeting with my hands in my lap.
“How would I have known if you didn’t tell me? Does their dad know?” I nod my response, swallowing down the hurt that comes with it. “That asshole. No wonder he’s been in such a foul mood. And he just walked away from you after he came to get you.” Quinn jumps up off the swing and starts pacing as she fumes.
Oh. Boy. This isn’t good.
My body catches up with my mind in this and I brace for what Quinn does next.
I start to say something, but Quinn being the woman she is, holds a hand up to stop me and pulls out her phone. I realize she’s put it on speaker when it starts to ring.
“Quinn, Delilah’s fine.” I immediately recognize Gunner’s voice.
“I know my little bug is fine. I’m not calling about her. I want you to put Malice on the phone right this minute,” she demands.
“Quinn, no,” I shout and jump faster than I should have off the swing, nearly stumbling into her.
“Willow, sit back down before you hurt yourself,” Quinn demands, using her mom voice.
“But . . .” She stops me again.
“Don’t but me, this isn’t right,” Quinn yells.
“What the fuck is going on? You’re with Willow? I thought you were going to see a friend around here,” Gunner growls, then mutters something inaudible.
“Yes, I’m with Willow. Now find Malice and put me on speakerphone or hand him the phone. I don’t care. Just get him on the phone now.” Fear filled me and I swear my body starts to ache and cramp up like the Braxton Hicks I’ve been having. The doctor scheduled me for a C-section in a week, but I’d been having these things for days on end now.
“Quinn,” Gunner says warningly.
“Get Malice, Gunner, this is important,” Quinn snaps.
“Swear to fuckin’ all that’s holy, you’re a pain in my fuckin’ ass.” I couldn’t help but giggle at Gunner’s words. Quinn can be a handful if she wants to be. This is why she used to be one of the best dancers that worked at one of the club’s stripper joints. She used that attitude of hers to her advantage and showed it in her moves.
The sound of movement comes from the other end of the line and then my heart all but stops beating at the sound of his voice.
“What?” he barks through the line.
“You’re an asshole. How could you leave her here? Pregnant with your kids and alone with