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“Well, that’s theidea,” Eveque said, getting their attention as he looked at all of them. “I’dloveto think that these women would just…laythe fuck down like a good submissive, but I’mnotstupid. They’re fighters down in their bones, and Ifuckinglovethat, every day of the week, butnotthis fucking week with Lucifer leaving us love notes about the fuckingratwe obviously have. I’m about to get to that next.” He raked his hand through his hair, his jaw working as he looked at the table. “If the women choose right hand and we tell them to lay low, theymaydo that this week forthiswar, but what about the next?” He regarded them. “What about when Maggie thinks Beth is at risk and goes ape-shit doing whatshethinks needs doing? You saw her on that fucking Bat-tie field. Spook, tell us how easy it was to stop her?”
He shook his head, gaze on the table. “She’sfast. Especially when she’s furious. She’s got gifts that rival mine and some that surpass.” He eyed all of them. “There ain’tnolaw that would keep her on any straight and narrow if she thought anybody was in danger that she cared about.”
“Well, thenthatwon’t work,” Traps said. “If there ain’t no law that’ll keep ‘em down.”
“Think of it like a fucking straight jacket,brother,” Eveque said. “It don’t stop shit from happening but it does help contain any eruptions that do.”
“I’m officially confused as fuck,” Patches said, leaning heavily back in his chair. “We marry, we don’t marry? What?”
“He doesn’t want them serving as right hand,” Spar helped.
“What’s the difference?” Bacon muttered. “Sounds like no matterhowthey serve they’ll only besubservient if they want to.”
“The difference is a smaller pile ofshitat our doors,” Bishop said.
“So it’d be less shit-stormy if they chose to just be a wife,” Hurricane said. “How you gonna manage that if you can’t sway?”
Eveque took his time eyeing each of them. “Threethingsmusthappen to make their decision legit. An official marriage to one of The Twelve—which includesconsummationI needed to remind you. Them officially choosing or not choosing to serve. And passing the Gauntlet Trials,” he finished, that last item revealing what his angle was.
“So if they fail the trials, then they’re just wives,” Nitro said.
“Thelesssay they have in The Twelve business,” Eveque said delicately, “thelessshit we have to deal with.”
“What about the whole celibacy thing then?” Bacon asked. “That changing any at all?”
Bishop’s headshake was slow and firm. “That was alreadyofficialized.”
“So who’ll run that if your Belle Eveque doesn’t do it?” Patches wondered getting Bishops pointed stare.
“Her name starts with Ma and ends with Ma.”
They all chuckled at that. “That’d make her wild cupid dreams come true,” Shank said.
“And she can inviteanyexisting wife she wants to help her with that,” Bishop added with innocent raised hands.
Spar’s head shook slowly.
“What?” Eveque asked him.
“Pretty sure your Belle Eveque has her heart set on that job.”
“Well, whenyouget a wife, you’ll understand why I have to fuckingtry,brother.”
“I’m not saying we shouldn’t try. I’m saying she’s gonna fight for it. And if she’s got half the spunk as her sister…” he shook his head.
“Since we’re short on time with multiple weddings in the queue,” 8-Bit said. “I think we’ll have to do The Gauntlet Trials differently.”
Eveque looked at him. “How so?”
“All at once?” He looked around the table. “A single team of wives?”
“And what good would that do?” Eveque asked, hopeful.”
“If they’re all required to win, then one weak link is all you need.”
“They’d be unable to leave no man—or woman,” Spook corrected, “behind, in that case.”
“So one weak link would diminish their chances of succeeding.”
