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“I have faith in just how much I know you three idiots drink at this thing every year,” he shot back.
“He’s not wrong,” Maverick mumbled.
“For the record,” Cole spoke up, “they won by a fuckin’ hair! I had them.”
“You had nothing!” Sam retorted. “Byrnes all the way!”
“Look, am I ever going to get through what I’m trying to say?” Roan demanded.
“Probably not,” Finn shouted. “I mean, we can make this way worse.”
“I’m talking over all you freaking jack-butts,” he said. I fucking snorted at his censoring. God, Mom would make this whole leg of the trip a fucking blast. “This year is fudging different—I’m trying, Mama B. Just for you, I’m trying. Anyway! Old Man Byrne is getting married!”
A deafening cheer filled the bar while Declan scowled—probably at being called old.
“I’m not old,” he protested. “You’re older!”
“Did I ever tell everyone about the time Declan threatened to kick my sexy rear because I tried to hit on Raven?”
“You never stood a chance,” Raven called back with an all-too-sweet smile. “We both know Declan’s definitely the bigger man here.”
We all fucking lost it. Oh, fuck me. All the air left my lungs as I wheezed.
“Raven!” Declan exclaimed, turning red around the ears. “My mom’s in the bar!”
“Oh, please.” She waved him off. “She knows what your dick looks like. She gave birth to you.”
This fucking woman.
“We filter our thoughts, Raven! Filter our thoughts,” Cade told her, but his words didn’t match the shit-eating grin on his face.
“No, no,” I interjected. “Villains share all the thoughts, Raven. Share all the thoughts.”
“Don’t encourage it,” Declan growled.
“Don’t you worry, Captain,” she teased. “I’ll share all the thoughts.”
Fuck, I loved this woman. She was the exact opposite of everything I’d ever expected Declan to find in a wife, but shit, she was wild.
“To get this shi… to get this party started,” Roan continued over us, “Killian has a little something he wants to give Old Man Byrne and his wild bride.”
“No, he doesn’t!” Declan quipped immediately.
“Yes, he does,” I said in a sing-song voice. Oh, I fucking did.
I made quick work of grabbing my guitar from the front of the karaoke stage while Raven switched to Declan’s lap with an utter look of excitement on her face. The wild child in her would probably love this stunt, which made it all the better.
“You know,” I began as I stood on my chair, “when we were kids, we all knew we’d end up getting married—that whole pack progression thing, right? Anyway, we decided to draw names for the best man.”
Declan and I fucking rigged that goddamn draw. Mostly because we knew Sam wanted to be Finn’s best man, considering everything the two of them had been through. It’d been a fucking feat, but we did it.
“So, this giant ass lumberjack—”
“Lumbersnack!” Raven yelled over me. Declan’s hand covered her mouth as he pulled her to his chest to shut her up, but it was too late. Damage fucking done.
“Lumbersnack! Lumbersnack! Lumbersnack!” The Ironwoods beat their hands on the table with each syllable. My brothers, the Stones, Isla, and Cade followed suit. Soon enough, the whole damn bar was in on it as Declan turned a shade of red I’d never seen on a person. I grinned like a motherfucker while I sang the fucking word.
“All right, all right, all right!” I shouted over everyone and strummed an angry chord to get their attention. The chanting dissolved into laughter and playfully shoving Declan in his seat. When it all slowed, I continued, “Anyway, I got this fucker—”
