White Knuckles

  “Bullshit,” Z snaps. “Someone down there has to know.”

  “It’s a precarious situation,” Rock reminds us.

  No shit. Even though it’s not us doing the asking. Any Lost King poking around in Viper business, when we’re responsible for taking their local charter down, is hazardous.

  “I’m thinking maybe now isn’t the time for me to take off.”

  He leans back and watches me for a minute before speaking. “Go. You two need it. We should back off. Otherwise we’ll push Ransom so deep underground we’ll never find him.”

  I know Rock’s right, but it still feels like a shitty excuse to leave when I should be here helping.

  “I can make some—”

  “No,” he says, cutting me off. “Loco’s crew is on it. Sway…our guys. We’ll find that coward.”

  “Teller needs to be the one to finish him.”

  “I’ll do everything I can to make that happen.” Rock’s gaze swings to Z. “How about you? Find what you needed on the road?”

  “Not really.”

  “You stickin’ around?”

  “Yeah. You know I can’t stay away from you long, prez.” He smirks and Rock leans over to punch his arm.

  “Dex does a good job at Crystal Ball, but he keeps bitching that things run smoother when you’re there.”

  “Aw, prez, he’s like the stripper whisperer.” I fall back against my chair, laughing at my own joke.

  Z chuckles, too, not annoyed at my joke or embarrassed by his special skill set. “I know how to keep the ladies in line.”

  After we finish mocking Z, he pins Rock with a serious stare. “Where we at with the land here?”

  “Got plenty. Why?”

  “Was thinkin’ of building a small cabin. Maybe out past the stone theater.”

  Now, this is news. “Why? You’re like the frat party director ’round here.”

  He cuts a more serious glance my way. “Gettin’ old. You should understand.”

  “Whatever you want, Z. We’ll work it out,” Rock assures him.

  “Thanks.” He nods at the door. “Better go out there and see what’s going down.”

  After Z leaves, Rock turns my way.

  I raise an eyebrow.

  “What?” Rock asks, reading the question on my face. “He doesn’t need a wife to wanna build a place of his own.”

  “Didn’t say he did. Just seemed to come out of nowhere.”

  “Really? He’s been fucked for a while.”

  I shrug. Not because I don’t care about whatever Z’s going through, but because I figure if he wants to share, he will. Until then it’s useless to sit around guessing.

  “Anything else, prez?”

  “No.”

  We finally leave the table and step into the living room. There’s a party tonight, but it hasn’t quite gotten started.

  Hope’s on the couch, waiting for Rock I assume. She jumps up when she sees us and hurries over.

  “I was starting to wonder if Wrath was in trouble,” she teases.

  Rock flashes a smile but doesn’t explain what took us so long. Something Hope seems to accept without a thought.

  A warm body I recognize by feel alone molds to my back and a soft arm wraps around my middle. I reach behind me, curling my arm around my girl, and pull her forward. “Hey, handsome,” Trinity says in a low voice.

  Before I answer, I notice the catalogue in her hand. More wedding tuxes. “No,” I grumble.

  Her mouth pulls down into her adorable pout.

  “It’s too late anyway. They’ll never be able to find something in my size.”

  “Even Rock wore a suit to his wedding,” she protests.

  Rock takes a step back, holding his hands up. “Don’t drag me into this.”

  “But—” Trinity starts.

  “Tell me what color dress you’re wearing, and I’ll make sure my shorts match.”

  Her mouth twists. “No.”

  My hand slips and I give her ass a slight squeeze. “You’ve talked me into everything else. Have some mercy on me. I can’t do the tux.”

  “Fine.” She leans up and kisses my cheek. “I need to check something in the kitchen. Be right back.”

  After she clears the room, I turn to Hope. “You goin’ with us tomorrow?”

  “Of course.”

  I lower my voice. “If I tell you something, promise not to tell Trin?”

  “Maybe.”

  I stare at her until she huffs. “Okay.”

  “I’m not wearing shorts.”

  “Ew. You better not go pant-less.”

  “You wish.”

  Next to her, Rock chuckles. I don’t have a chance to explain my plan, because Trinity returns to the living room. Her eyes narrow as she takes the three of us in. “What?”

  Hope easily launches into pesky bridesmaid role, reaching up and tugging on my beard.

  “Is this staying?” she asks Trinity who laughs.

  “I like it,” Trinity says, patting the side of my face.

  Hope gives me a critical look. “Really? It doesn’t give you beard burn?” She turns and runs her hand over Rock’s cheek. “It’s always scratchy when he grows one.”

  I lean down and rub my cheek against Trinity’s until she laughs. “If you use it right, it’s a sensation enhancer during certain activities.” I raise an eyebrow at Hope until my meaning sinks in.

  “Oh.” She tilts her head at Rock. “Maybe you should try again.”

  “Whatever gets my face between your legs, baby doll.”

  Shock colors Hope’s cheeks pink but she shakes with laughter, while next to me, Trinity moans in disgust.

  A little silliness with the girls is a good way to purge the seriousness that followed us out of church. Even Rock lightens up and says they’re planning to stick around for the party, something I don’t think the two of them have done since they moved out of the clubhouse.

  “I told Murphy they could have the house for a few hours,” Hope explains.

  “Is that why we’re over here?” Rock asks.

  “Well—”

  “Doesn’t seem like they can have much fun with a teething baby at home,” I point out.

  Hope chuckles. “She’s not that bad.”

  “Uh—” Rock starts and Hope smacks his chest.

  “She’s not.”

  Trinity holds up her hands. “I have no intention of finding out.”

  “A-fuckin-men,” I agree.

  Hope chuckles but doesn’t question either of us, which I appreciate. Every other woman I come into contact with lately has asked when Trin and I plan to have kids. As if getting married isn’t enough, now we have to spit out babies to be legit or something.

  Fuck that.

  “What’s wrong?” Trin asks.

  I squeeze her a little tighter. “Nothing.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Nine days before the wedding…

  “Holy hell, you weren’t kidding about the place burning to the ground.” Hope gasps and cranes her neck to stare at the site where Wyatt and I were supposed to be married.

  “Right? Wow. Wyatt, did you see it?”

  “I saw,” he answers without taking his eyes off the road.

  “Pull into Painter’s Pavilion. That’s where we’re supposed to meet him.”

  Hope jumps out of the truck first. The big wedding binder stayed home, but she’s clutching her blue bridesmaid notebook tight—I’ve taught her well.

  “Hi, I’m Trinity.” I hold out my hand for the park ranger. He takes it while staring at me, like he’s waiting for me to bite.

  He walks us around the site, and I don’t want to say it out loud, but this is so much better than where we were going to get married.

  “Most importantly, your party has to be cleaned up and out of here by four p.m.”

  “Four?” Wyatt asks, shooting me a look.

  “I thought we could be here until sunset?” I ask.

  “Nope. I need this place picke
d up, and I mean spotless, by four. No rice-throwing, confetti-throwing or—”

  “No throwing of any material, sir, we get it,” Hope assures him.

  I cough-snicker into my hand.

  “Music has to be at a reasonable level that does not interfere with other park activities.”

  “No problem there,” Hope says, scribbling in her notebook.

  “No alcohol allowed in the park, either. Anyone who gets caught with alcohol will be tossed out.”

  Wrath gives me a look, like maybe we should have paid more attention to the fine print when we decided to have the wedding here. I lift my shoulders. Too late now.

  After a few more warnings, he steps back to let the three of us wander over the grounds. “This is so much better, Trin,” Hope gushes. “You can either get married down here, with that gorgeous view behind you…” She throws her arms out wide, indicating the concrete deck overlooking the mountains and valley, “or, if heaven forbid”—she crosses her fingers and stares up at the sky, making Wrath chuckle—“it rains, we can do it in the gazebo.”

  “We can have the prospects set up a tent,” Wyatt suggests. He glances around for the park manager. “Is a fuckin’ tent allowed?”

  The guy doesn’t even bristle at Wyatt’s coarse language. “A tent will require an additional deposit. And it—”

  “Must be removed by four, got it,” Hope says. “Oh, wow. The bathroom building is brand new, Trin. That’s good. The old ones were worse than outhouses.”

  The park manager glares at her, but Hope either doesn’t care or is oblivious. I’m guessing the second one.

  “How long is the actual wedding part going to be?” I ask Hope while Trinity wanders around snapping pictures.

  She has the nerve to roll her eyes. “As long as it needs to be.”

  “You’re frustrating, you know that?”

  “It’s why I’m so much fun.” She all but sticks her tongue out at me.

  “Maybe for Rock.” I turn, pretending to look around the place. “Where is he, anyway?”

  “Home. He didn’t need to be here for this. His only job is getting you here on time.”

  “Oh, I’ll be here on time.”

  She tilts her head to the side. “You’re really looking forward to this, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  Her shoulders lift. “I don’t know. When I met you…I never would have…you know—”

  “Pictured me settling down?”

  “I guess.”

  “I didn’t want to back then.”

  “And now?”

  “Now what?”

  She huffs out an annoyed breath. “I love Trinity. Like a sister.”

  “Oh. Is this your version of a ‘hurt my friend and I’ll kill you’ speech?”

  “Well, now you took all the fun out of it.”

  I can’t hold in my laughter any longer. “You’re a brave little spitfire.” I slip an arm around her shoulders. “All I want to do is take care of Trinity and have her take care of me.”

  “Boy, is she getting the raw end of that deal.”

  When I finish laughing, she says a little quieter, “She told me about the photography studio you’re planning to buy her. That’s really thoughtful.”

  Knowing Trinity was so excited about the studio, she already gushed to Hope about it is a nice reassurance. “Thanks.”

  “Oh, God,” Trinity shouts. “What are you two conspiring about?” Her voice lowers as she reaches us. “He’s not wearing a kilt to the wedding, is he, Hope?”

  Hope bursts out laughing and pulls away from me. “God, I hope not.” She makes a skirt-lifting motion. “They don’t wear underwear under those things. No one needs a peek of that.”

  “Hey.” My protest is muffled by my own laughter. “You’d be lucky to see the good stuff.”

  She snort-laughs even harder.

  Shaking her head, Trinity wraps her hand around Hope’s arm and drags her away. “Let’s get some measurements,” she says, gesturing to a patch of concrete.

  I’d help, but I have no idea what they’re trying to accomplish, so I watch them instead. When Trinity seems satisfied, she rolls up her tape measure and flips me a thumbs up.

  Finally.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “We’re leaving in ten.”

  Turning, I find Wrath filling the doorway with an eager expression in place. He looks so happy, I can’t even tease him for telling me instead of asking. “Eager much?”

  “Yup. Our cabin in the woods is waiting.”

  “Isn’t that a horror movie?”

  His mouth curls into a smirk as he moves across the room and pulls me out of my chair, tucking me tight against the front of his body. He palms my ass then gives it a smack. “Don’t be a wiseass.”

  It feels so good to be pressed up against him, I won’t even complain that he interrupted some work I was trying to finish before we leave.

  Instead, my arms loop around his neck. Knowing what I’m after, he lifts me up and I wrap my legs around his hips.

  “What do you say?” he asks.

  “I go where you go, fiancé.”

  “Fuck, I love hearing you call me that. Husband’s gonna be even better.”

  My lips find their way to his forehead, pressing a soft kiss there before traveling to his mouth, where I enjoy a smooth, sensual slide of our lips meeting.

  “I love you, Wyatt,” I murmur before opening my eyes.

  “Love you, too, angel,” he says, setting me down. He cocks his head. “You good with the park situation now?”

  Excitement hums through my veins. “Ohmygod, yes. I love the new space even more. It’s so much nicer. The view’s better on that side of the park—”

  His lips cover mine, cutting me off before I get carried away. When he pulls back, he’s studying me with seriousness. “I love how excited you are about our wedding.”

  Not for the first time, I’m struck by Wyatt’s sweetness. Even if he doesn’t show much enthusiasm about little wedding details—like the tiny cobalt-blue glass vases I found on sale and plan to use as centerpieces—he’s never made me feel silly about any of it. “Thank you for going up there with me.”

  “I wouldn’t have missed it.” His lips twitch. “Especially the part where Hope threatened to kill me if I don’t treat you right.”

  Hope can be reckless or ballsy—depending on your point of view—but even I have a hard time picturing her saying that to Wyatt. “She did not.”

  “Nah, but that’s what she meant.”

  “So that’s what you two were talking about?” Their evolving friendship—for lack of a better word—never stops amusing me.

  He leans down and presses another kiss against my lips. “Yes. And that you told her about the studio.”

  “Oh. Was that okay?”

  “Yes. I’m happy you like it.” Laced with his words is a hint of relief.

  “I love it.” I lean in, rubbing my body against him. “I guess I should have done a better job of showing you how much.”

  I get a crisp smack on my ass. “You’ll thank me by putting it to good use.” He looks over my shoulder. “And getting your ass in gear. We still have to stop for groceries and stuff. Are you ready?”

  “Almost.”

  “Good. I don’t want you worrying about anything except all the dirty things I’m going to do to you.” He nods at my computer. “You all set for a few days?”

  “Let me finish sending a few emails. Then yes. Heidi has all my other stuff, so she’ll be working on that while we’re gone.”

  He glances around the room, spying my bag on the bed. “Don’t bother bringing clothes, you won’t need them.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Well, maybe something to wear in the kitchen so you don’t burn any important bits.”

  I laugh so hard, I end up falling back on the bed. “So this is really more of a vacation for you? Sex and being waited on hand and foot?”

  “I told you no other woman
would put up with me.” He snatches my hand and yanks me closer. “I’ll take you out to dinner. Not sure what’s up there, but we’ll find something. We can go hiking, too. Bring your camera.”

  “I was only kidding. Sex and food work for me.”

  He buries his face against my neck, playfully growling, biting, and licking my skin until I laugh and push him away. “That’s why you’re the perfect woman.”

  We spend a few more minutes kissing, but before we get carried away, Wyatt pulls back. All business again.

  “It’s too chilly to take the bike that far.” He gestures to my bag again. “Bring whatever you want, we have room in the truck.”

  When my man said ten minutes, he meant it. I rush through my last-minute emails. My bags are ready to go. I even remembered to pack extra pillows—just in case. Wyatt, on the other hand, seems to have a lot more stuff than a simple three-day trip requires.

  “What’s all that?”

  His mouth quirks into a sensually-devilish smile. “Supplies.”

  “This place has heat and running water, right? I’m not into outhouses and candles.”

  “Not those kind of supplies.”

  I have no idea what to make of that. But my skin tingles, imagining all the possibilities.

  While we’re outside packing up the truck, Murphy stops over. “Heading out?”

  Instead of answering the question, Wyatt has one of his own. “Why aren’t you down at Furious?”

  “I’m on my way now.”

  Wyatt narrows his eyes. “You got this, right?”

  Normally, Murphy would bristle at being questioned like that, but he seems to take his new role at the gym seriously. “Yes, don’t worry about anything. I’ll be there until closing tonight. Twitch called out, but Dylan said he’d stay.”

  “Make sure pretty boy gets the cleaning done. Little fucker doesn’t like gettin’ his hands dirty.”

  Murphy bursts out laughing. “Right? You noticed that, too?”

  “Fuck yeah, I did.”

  “He’s been real good at gettin’ people to sign up for classes and stuff, so don’t be too hard on him,” Murphy says.