White Heat (Lost Kings MC #5) (11 page)

“Nope.”

She nods, but still doesn’t make a move. Rock joins us, by slipping an arm around my waist. “Thanks for coming, Lilly.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”

“Z’s over there.” Rock tips his head in the direction of the patio. “Was bugging me all morning about whether or not you’d be here.”

“Oh, really?” She looks to me for confirmation, but I just shrug.

“I was here early with Trinity setting up.”

“Oh, where’s Trinity? I want to say hi to her.”

“Somewhere. Just find the big blond guy, she won’t be far.” Rock jokes.

“Okay.”

Lilly sways into the crowd, definitely turning a lot of heads. She’s a brave one. In a backyard full of bikers, she ignores everyone until she finds Trinity.

“They seem to get along,” Rock says.

“Yes.” I tap him with the card I’m still holding. “This is from Sophie, but I don’t want to deal with it right now.”

“So don’t. I don’t want you upset today.”

Rocking up on my tiptoes I brush a kiss on his cheek. “You’re the sweetest.”

His arm tightens around my waist. “I want to make you happy from now on.”

“You do.” I turn so I can entwine my arms around him and press my cheek to his chest.

“You okay?” he asks after a few minutes.

“More than okay. I’m very content. Thank you for giving me a family.” Just as that thought comes out of my mouth, the guys start whistling and making all sorts of obnoxious noises at us.

“A family full of degenerate fuckwits,” he says. But it’s said with affection. “Are you happy?”

“I’m always happy when I’m with you.”

His faces relaxes and he presses a kiss to my forehead. “You mean that?”

“With everything in me.”

“Good. I’m happiest when I’m with you too.”

High-pitched squeals are the only warning I have before someone slams into me from behind, wrapping her arms around Rock and me.

“Uncle Rock! I’m so excited.” She squeezes even tighter. “I can’t wait to call you Aunt Hope,” Heidi babbles out breathlessly against my ear.

Extracting myself from Rock’s hold isn’t easy. But I do and face Heidi for a proper greeting. Axel’s patiently waiting behind her and flashes a quick smile.

“Thanks, honey.”

I feel incredibly old while she rattles off a bunch of things she has planned before the end of school.

“Got your college application in yet, Heidi?” Rock asks.

She dips her head. “No. With everything that happened with Grams and moving into Marcel’s place, I—”

My heart aches for Heidi. “I can help you, if you need it, Heidi.”

“Thanks, Hope. I might. There were a few forms I wasn’t sure what to do with.”

“How’re your classes, Axel?” Rock asks. I guess he gets a day off from being just “prospect.”

“Okay.”

“He’s being modest, Uncle Rock. He was offered an apprenticeship over the summer.”

“That’s great.”

Axel seems unsure. As if maybe the club won’t give him time for the job or something.

Teller joins us and tries to give his sister a hug, but she shies away from him. Because I’m nosy, I ask what everyone else is thinking. “What’s wrong, Heidi?”

“Oh, she’s pissed at me because I told her she doesn’t need to get a job,” Teller explains. “She won’t even go get her permit, but she wants to get a job.”

“I can walk there. It’s right down the street!” she fumes.

I tap her shoulder to draw her attention from her brother before she attacks him. “Where?”

“At Stewart’s. I can ring up ice cream and sell coffee. I’m not dumb.”

“I didn’t say you were dumb,” Teller grumbles.

“Honey, I think you have to be twenty-one to work there. Or at least eighteen, since they sell cigarettes, alcohol and lottery tickets.”

“Oh. Really?”

“Pretty sure. I know it looks like an easy job, but a friend of mine worked there one summer and said they were strict.”

“Oh.”

“See,” Teller says with a raised-eyebrow-big-brother face.

“Whatever,” Heidi snaps.

“Where you been, bug?” Murphy shouts as he ambles over.

Heidi backs up a few steps and takes Axel’s hand. “We just got here.”

Murphy raises an eyebrow at the “we” and behind me Rock sighs.

“Hey, Axel,” Murphy actually greets the kid. Huh. He bumps me with his elbow next. “I’m heading inside. Need anything, First Lady?”

“I’m good. Thank you, though.”

“Is Bricks here?” Heidi asks, as he walks away.

“Yup. I think Winter and the kids are inside—”

“Oh, goodie.” She grabs Axel’s hand and drags him away, leaving Rock and me with Teller.

Rock’s shaking his head when I turn around. “She’s gonna give you gray hairs,” he says to Teller.

Teller rolls his eyes skyward. “You’re not kidding.”

“You know, Teller, she’s a really smart girl. It might be easier on you if you just explain things to her like an adult instead of a blanket
no
,” I say as gently as possible.

“You’re probably right. She’s my baby sister, Hope. I can’t deal with her being an adult. Freaks me the fuck out.”

I cover up my laugh with a cough and Rock pinches my ass. “I know, but it’s happening whether you’re ready for it or not.”

“Don’t I know it.” He lowers his voice. “Jesus Christ, she asked me if Axel could stay over the other night. I sure as fuck don’t feel like dealing with that.”

Okay, this time I can’t cover up my laughter. Neither can Rock. Teller glares at both of us. “It’s not funny.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Goddammit.
I
can’t have women over and she’s asking me if her boyfriend can spend the night. Fucking hell.”

I’m dying trying keep my laughter to a minimum. “At least she asked,” I offer with a shrug.

“Yeah, I guess. I don’t even think the poor kid knew what she was up to. He was ready to piss himself when I kicked his ass out.”

“You didn’t.”

“Damn fucking right I did. As if that’s not bad enough, I’ve got my best friend’s pervy ass sniffing all over her. I swear to fuck, I’m going to send her away to boarding school or some shit for the rest of the school year.”

That’s it. I’m done. I turn and bury my head against Rock’s chest, and laugh until tears wet my lashes. Underneath me, his chest rumbles and shakes with laughter.

“Laugh it up you two. You ever decide to have kids, I hope you end up with one just like her.”

“What crawled up your ass, welterweight?” Wrath asks. Even before I turn around, I hear him slap Teller on the back in his standard greeting.

“Knock it off, fucker. I ain’t in the mood today.”

That sets me off laughing again.

“What’s up with her?” Wrath asks Rock.

“She’s laughing because Heidi’s driving me nuts,” Teller answers.

“Where is the little brat? I haven’t seen her yet.”

Teller nods at the house, not even bothering to get upset that Wrath just called his sister a brat. “Inside.”

For some reason, I’m feeling extra sappy today. The party’s perfect. The family’s all together. My woman is beautiful.

And I wish the wedding was a lot closer than four months away.

I also wish I hadn’t rented my house out to Bricks, because the dress Hope chose is the perfect length for me to bend her over, flip it up and—

“Rock?” Wrath snaps his fingers in front of my face and I smack his hand away.

“What?”

“Did you warn Hope about Virginia Beach?” By his tone, I don’t think this is the first time he’s asked the question.

What the fuck’s he talking about? Trinity’s staring up at him with a confused expression. Hope raises an eyebrow. “Is it falling into the ocean?” she asks.

That snaps me out of it. “Sass-mouth.” I press a kiss to her cheek and grab her ass. There are some bushes and crap planted by the house, so no one can probably see where my hand is. Doesn’t mean they can’t tell, by the expression on her face.

“If you can stop grabbing her ass for a minute,” Wrath interrupts.

Guess not.

“What about it?”

“That we’re sharing a room.”

“Wait, who’s we?” Hope asks.

“Don’t get too excited,” Wrath says. “The four of us.”

Hope wriggles out of my hold and grabs Trinity, pulling her away from us. “Maybe Trinity and
I
will share a room, and you two can sleep on the beach.”

“Oh, I think that works way better,” Trinity agrees, while trying not to laugh. Lilly joins them.

“Who’s sleeping on the beach?” she asks and Hope nods at us.

“They are.”

Wrath’s face settles into a frown. “How’d this get away from us?”

“You started it.”

“Well, knowing you, you’d just spring it on her at the last minute.”

“That’s true,” Hope says.

“Hey. I don’t like you two conspiring together,” I joke, while pointing my finger at her and Wrath. “It’s worse than when you two get together.” This time I point at Hope and Trinity.

I don’t think Lilly knows what to make of any of this nonsense. I’m sure she expected some scary bikers today. Instead all she’s finding are a bunch of whipped men whose women lead them around by their dicks.

Oh well.

“Mara’s here!” Hope bounces up and down, and drags Trinity down the driveway to meet Mara and Damon.

“Murph really couldn’t find any extra rooms?” I ask Wrath.

“Don’t know if he looked. Still should warn her.”

“Why? Can’t you behave for one long weekend?”

Like the dick he loves being, he scratches his chin and pretends to think about it. “I can try.”

“You ready for tonight?”

“Fuck yeah.”

“Does she know?”

“Not if your woman kept her mouth shut. Trin’s been so fixated on all this stuff, she hasn’t been paying attention to much else.”

“Sorry about that.”

“No, it’s fine. It makes her happy. That’s all I care about.”

We’re interrupted by Damon before I can respond. “Hey, Rock. Congratulations.”

We shake hands like old friends, and then I introduce him to Wrath.

“I think we met once before,” Damon says.

“Probably. You’re not nearly as scary as Hope makes you out to be.”

I shake my head. But Damon, not one bit insulted, bursts out laughing.

“From when she used to lawyer in front of you,” Wrath explains.

“I figured. Mara has made similar remarks.”

I chuckle at that. “I bet she has.”

“Hope’s not lawyering much these days is she?” Damon asks.

My shoulders lift. I’m not quite comfortable discussing my girl’s career path with someone I barely know. “She’s never seemed happy doing it.”

“That’s too bad. She’s a good attorney. Smart, obviously. But she’s possesses a lot of empathy, something most attorneys—even the female ones—don’t usually have.”

“I know. I try not to stick my nose in her career stuff. Only gets me in trouble.”

Next to me Wrath snorts. “No joke.”

“I feel your pain,” Damon agrees.

Wrath’s socialized about as much as he can tolerate today. “Good to see you again, Damon.”

He nods at Wrath and turns back my way. “Looking forward to the wedding?”

“Yeah. I really am. Wish it wasn’t so far away.”

“Get a license and come down to City Hall. I’ll do it for you this week. You can still have the celebration whenever she wants it.”

“Yeah?”

“Sure. I have couples do that all the time. If one needs to get on the other’s health insurance or whatever. It’s just a formality.”

“I think she was going to ask you to do the ceremony up at our property. Can you do it outside city limits?”

“Anywhere in the state. I’d be honored if that’s what you guys want.”

“Thanks. I’ll talk to her about doing it sooner.”

“You could have brought Cora,” I say to Mara as she checks her phone for the fifth time since she got here.

“Well, Hope. Let me tell you.” Sometimes I swear, Mara should have been a teacher. “Damon’s mother’s visiting us. So my options were to leave the baby with her or bring the baby
and
Mrs. Oak here. Trust me, you did
not
want her here.”

“You should probably see what they’re up to, Hope.” Lilly points to Rock and Damon on the other side of the yard.

“Hmm, no good can come of this. Come on, Hope,” Mara says as she grabs my hand and drags me over to our men.