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“I’d like to see where it says in writing that the barely older twin makes all the rules,” Bella was saying.
“Sure thing,” I told her as I slung an arm around Yellow. “I’ll find where it’s written down. Just watch me.”
Leaning across me, Fox lifted his eyebrows at Yellow. “You sure you’re ready to get involved with this family?”
But all she did was grin and look up at me. “Yes,” she claimed. “I am.”
And that’s all a man ever needed to hear.
Epilogue
FOX
I checked the time on my wrist and scowled. Where the hell were they? The Lowe twins very rarely made it to anything on time, but I’d been hoping they’d make it tonight at a respectable hour at least.
Everyone in the family kept sneaking curious glances my way, and it was beginning to creep me out. I mean, I’m sure it had everything to do with the fact that I’d told my parents I planned on having a date here, but still…
Wasn’t there something else they could gossip and wonder about for a minute? I felt like a damn bug under a microscope.
We were having yet another family get-together in the back room of Pick’s bar, and honestly, I’d forgotten what we were celebrating this time. I just knew I didn’t have to bring anyone a present—or cash that would suffice as a present—so that was a relief.
Oh, wait. When I spotted Haven and her new fiancé, Wick, across the room as she showed off her ring to Eva, I remembered, that’s right. This was their engagement party. Gah. My mind was so out of it right now. I just kept worrying that Bells was going to chicken out and not make the big reveal like she said she was.
I checked my watch again, tempted to text her, but a presence at my side made me look up instead. Luke bobbed his head in greeting and then took a drink from the long-neck bottle he held. “So where’s this chick everyone’s saying is supposed to come and be your date for tonight? You get stood up or is she just invisible?”
“Shut up, asswipe,” I muttered, scowling. “She’ll be here.”
“Mm-hmm,” he murmured, totally not believing me, only to stop in the middle of lifting his beer to his mouth and gape toward the doorway. “Holy...hell.”
Glancing over, I smiled.
She looked like a lost lamb who’d wandered her way into a den of wolves as she hesitantly peered into the back room of the nightclub at all the noise and commotion our crew was making. We weren’t exactly a quiet, contained lot.
Having pity, I lifted my arm and called, “Yo, El!”
Her gaze zipped to me, and she brightened in relief at seeing a familiar face before coming forward.
“No way,” Luke breathed, blinking at her before turning to me in a trance. “No fucking way is she here for you. That beautiful goddess of perfection would never give you the time of day. She can’t be your date for tonight. Tell me she’s not your date.”
I shrugged. “Okay. She’s not my date.”
“Hi,” she said, stopping before us and casting Luke a greeting smile before turning back to me.
“Hey,” I said back, bobbing my head once in welcome. “Looks like you found the place alright.”
“Oh yeah. I’ve actually been here before. I always loved the ambiance.”
“Yes,” Luke felt the need to reply, inserting himself into the conversation so he could get some attention. “Forbidden’s got some great ambiance.”
That was probably the first time he’d ever used the word ambiance in his life. I had to wonder if he even knew what it meant.
“In fact,” he went on, nudging me aside so he could get closer to El. “I work here—hell, I’m practically the owner—so if you want a tour, I can take you around to all the back rooms and hidden passages. Show you what the average customer never gets to see.”
Her eyes widened in curiosity. “Are there really hidden passages?”
I rolled my eyes and dryly said, “No.” I’d grown up exploring all the back rooms and nooks and crannies of this building, just as Luke and Gray and all the others had. And about the most interesting thing we’d ever found was a door that opened into a brick wall.
Hitching my thumb at my cousin who wasn’t really a cousin, I said, “This is Luke, by the way. He’s like the family’s stray mutt that you feed a couple of times because you feel so bad for it, but now he just won’t go away.”
