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“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?”
“Sur
e. 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.
“Can’t you stand to be away from him for five seconds,” I grumble at her.
“You want him giving your man ideas? No. You don’t. Trust me.”
Remembering what Rock told me he plans to put in our basement, I snicker. “Too late.”
“Sucks for you. Your ass doesn’t have as much padding as mine does,” she says while dropping my hand to run hers over her ass for emphasis.
“Oh, good grief.”
“What on earth were you two discussing that my wife felt compelled to rub her ass in public?” Damon asks when we reach the guys.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Mara snips back. She’s too slow to evade Damon’s grasp and ends up tucked tight to his side.
“I asked Damon about performing the ceremony at the property,” Rock says.
“Oh. Can you?”
“Yeah, absolutely. Any time you want.” He and Rock share a look and now I am wondering what they were talking about before we interrupted.
“Is that it?”
“We’ll talk about it later, babe,” Rock says, pulling me closer.
Trinity comes over and rests her forehead on my shoulder. “Heidi’s exhausting,” she whispers and I try not to laugh too loud.
She shakes her head and grins.
After I introduce her to Damon, he asks what she does. Trinity blinks a few times before Wrath, comes up behind us and answers for her. “She designs book covers. She’s very talented.”
“Oh. Interesting.” Damon peppers her with more questions, which Trinity nervously answers. I feel bad because I know how much she hates having the spotlight on her, but she is good at what she does. I glance at Wrath and smile, happy he seems to appreciate her and brags about her skill.
“She’s a fantastic photographer too,” I mention with a straight face.
Wrath glares at me.
“I dabble. Hope’s exaggerating.”
The rest of the afternoon goes pretty much the same. I’m happier than I remember being in a long time.
“What are you thinking about, Baby Doll?” Rock asks the next time we’re alone.
“How happy I am.” I wave my hand at the scene around us. “See everyone’s mixing nicely.”
“Yup. I take back anything I said otherwise.”
After everyone gorges themselves on Trinity’s amazing ice cream sandwiches, people start leaving. As Wrath predicted it’s just Lost Kings left. Well Lilly’s still here. Sitting in Z’s lap. Even the sight of them together fills me with joy.
As the sun sets, the guys get a small fire going in the patio fire pit.
I raise an eyebrow at Wrath and the corner of his mouth lifts, so I know he’s almost ready to present Trinity with her patch.
I’m so happy I could burst.
Trinity left to go inside and clean up a while ago. “You ready?” I ask Wrath.
“Yeah. Just need to grab it. Can you two lure her out here?”
“Yup.” Hope whips out her cell phone and taps out a text to Trinity. Wrath and I both stare at her. “What? I don’t want to miss anything.”
Wrath grins and stalks off.
“As soon as that’s done. We need to go home,” I explain, as I gather Hope in my arms.
“What’s wrong?”
I press her tighter against me, so she can feel what’s wrong. “I’m so fucking hard for you it hurts.”
“Aw.” She snuggles and nuzzles against me, presses her lips against my neck and kisses her way to my ear. “Why don’t I take care of you before we leave, Mr. President?”
Fuck yes.
I don’t know what’s gotten into her, but she nips my earlobe, licks and kisses my neck. It’s almost dark, but there are still people all around us. Not that I plan to stop her.
“I can’t wait to be your wife. I love you so much,” she whispers in my ear, right before sliding her hand down over my dick. Rubbing back and forth, just enough to drive me nuts.
“Fuck,” I breathe out. My fingers inch toward the hem of her dress, touching her bare thighs. “Love you too, Hope.”
“I’ve got very tiny panties on, and they are very damp right now, Rochlan,” she murmurs against my lips.
What the fuck’s happening here?
Hope’s not usually this forward, so the fact that I’m already eager to fuck her and the way she’s rubbing herself against me, has me ready to blow in my jeans like a fuckin’ teenager.
“Rock!” Wrath breaks into our sex-crazed bubble. Hope laughs as she pulls away.
“What?” I snap.
“Cops pulled up out front.”
“What?”
All playfulness vanishes from Hope’s face. The fear in her eyes infuriates me the most.
“What’s wrong, Rock?” she asks.
“Nothing, babe. Neighbors probably complained about the noise or fire or something.”
I have to wait a few seconds before I can walk straight. “Stay here, Baby Doll.”
“Like hell.”
“At least until we know what’s going on.”
Thankfully, she listens. I stride down the driveway with Wrath and Bricks at my back. “What the fuck is it with cops crashing our parties?” I toss out as we walk down.
Then I stop. There are two state troopers along with a local Empire PD car blocking the driveway. This is much more than a simple noise complaint.
“Can I help you?” I call out.
“Rochlan North?”
Cold fear slices through me, but I answer with complete calm “Yeah.”
The fucker actually touches his weapon.
This is bad. Whatever this is, it’s bad.
“Hands where we can see them.”
“Why?”
“We’ve got a warrant for your arrest.”
Jesus Christ.
“For what?” Wrath snaps. His low deadly voice only triggers the cop to reach for his weapon again. “Don’t,” I mutter at Wrath. “Whatever it is. I’ll be fine.”
“Can I see it?” I keep my hands stretched out in as non-threatening a gesture as I can come up with, still hoping this is a mistake.
“You two need to step back,” the taller trooper says to Wrath and Bricks.
“Like fuck,” Bricks snaps. “You’re trespassing.”
“We have a warrant, asshole. Now shut the fuck up and step back.”
“Guys, it’s fine. Back up.” My heart’s hammering like crazy, but I don’t want to show any fear in front of the cops or my brothers. We’ve been through whatever this is before, we’ll get through it again. It’s New York State Troopers, not ATF or FBI, so our grow operation is probably fine.
I go over the list of crimes I’ve committed in the last few years, and it’s a surprisingly long one for an outlaw who keeps trying to live as close to the right side of the law as my world allows.
“Walk down a little farther, hands up, sir.”
Everything in me wants to tell them to fuck off. Thank fuck, the rational part of me is in control. Fighting this will only make it wors
e in the end. I’m maybe three feet away from them when the youngest-looking trooper lunges at me, tackling me to the ground. “I was doing what you asked,” I grunt out.
Most men, I suppose would be scared shitless. And I won’t lie, I’m unnerved. But above all else I’m pissed and I’m worried about Hope.
As if she heard me, she comes running down the driveway. “Rock!? Oh my God. What’s going on?”
Shit.
“Are you at least going to let me see the warrant?” I ask with a civility I’m not really feeling at the moment.
The little fuck lifts himself off my back, only to slap cuffs on me. That’s when I panic. I can’t leave Hope unprotected. This is starting to feel like a set-up. Although we’ve had peace with the other clubs in the area, that last meeting I had with Ransom isn’t sitting well right now. They’ve never used police to do their dirty work before, but there’s a first time for everything. Even for that worthless crew. If I’m locked up, they might decide it’s a good time to come after her.
The officer cinches the cuffs tight around my wrists and I wince as he lifts me off the ground. There’s no hiding the pain of my skin mercilessly scraping against the unforgiving metal or the way my teeth rattle when he slams me up against the car.
“Go inside, Hope,” I gasp out. This is the last image I ever wanted in her head.
Of course she ignores me. “Officer, you’re mistaken. You can’t—”
“Miss, we have a warrant.” At least the tone they use with her is respectful.
“Let me see it.”
“What are you his lawyer?”
Even with my face mashed up against the cold metal of the trooper’s car, Hope’s in my line of sight. I should’ve known better. She won’t leave. No, instead my girl straightens up and nails the cops with her tough-girl, lawyer face. “I’m a lawyer, yes. I’m also his fiancée, and you’re interrupting our engagement party.”
The pig can’t meet her stare. “It’s all in here.” He hands over the warrant and Hope immediately flips through the pages. Right away I know it’s bad. “Jesus Christ,” she whispers. She sways backwards. Her eyes meet mine, wide and scared. The raw grief on her face cuts worse than the metal digging into my wrists.
“Don’t say anything, Rock,” she warns me as one of the cops starts reading me my rights. Some form of a smile pulls my mouth up. “I know.”
