46
BLOOM
T he living room was a chaotic mess of laughter, empty bottles, and poorly balanced shot glasses. The game was Jamie’s idea, of course. He had this knack for making everything feel like it was teetering on the edge of scandal, and tonight was no different. Logan’s house had been transformed into party central for my bachelor party, and it didn’t matter how low-key I’d told Jamie to make it; this group had other plans.
I was already a little tipsy, the warm buzz making my head swim pleasantly. Fable leaned forward, grinning. He was more talkative and fun when drunk. He spun the empty wine bottle in the center of the circle we’d formed on the floor. It wobbled, then landed on Max, who let out a groan.
“All right, Max,” Fable said. “Truth or dare?”
Max smirked. He was possibly the only one not drunk because of the medication he was still on. “Dare. Always dare.”
Fable’s eyes glinted with mischief. “I dare you to call Crowe and dirty talk him on speakerphone.”
The room exploded into laughter and prompts for Max to do it. Someone thrust a phone into his hand.
“Pssh. That’s easy-peasy.”
Max dialed the number, then put it on speaker. The rest of us grew silent.
After a couple of rings, a gruff voice answered, “Hey, baby, everything okay?”
The muted snickers were infectious, and even I had to clamp a hand over my mouth. I’d thought spending my bachelor party with the bikers would have been a better option, but I wasn’t mad the boys had talked me into doing theirs instead.
“Daddy, what are you wearing?” Max asked.
“Huh? Clothes?”
I let out a burst of laughter that got me shushed. Crowe was so fucking clueless.
“What was that?” Crowe asked.
“Nothing,” Max said. “Want to know what I’m wearing?”
“Uh. Max? Are you drinking? Why do you sound so weird?”
“No, I haven’t had anything to drink at all. Just wanted you to know I’m sitting here in nothing but panties and imagining you peeling them off later.”
Liar. We were all in pajamas, but he was wearing shorts and a tank top.
“What color?” Crowe growled.
“Red. Your favorite color on me.”
“Now you’re getting me hard. Is it a thong or those little lace boy shorts I like?”
“Yep, that’s it.”
“Fuck. I’m picturing your ass in it. Send me a pic, will you, baby?”
We all nodded enthusiastically. I just went along with it.
“All right. Gimme a sec.” Max slowly moved to his knees and pulled his shorts down, revealing his curvy ass in the underwear just like he’d mentioned. Jamie motioned to everyone to get into the photograph. He tugged on my shirt, so I had no choice but to crowd around Max while he snapped a photo of his ass for Crowe with all our silly faces in it.
The giggles were harder to contain as we tumbled back, and Max pulled his shorts up. “I just sent you the pic, Daddy,” he said. “What do you think?”
“Hang on, let me—Maaaaax!”
“Oops, I love you!” Max hung up the phone while we erupted into laughter.
“I think someone’s gonna get a spanking later,” Cass cried.
“Oh god, please, yes.” Max rolled his eyes as though he was having an orgasm. “Crowe has been so gentle since I left the hospital.”
The game continued, each turn becoming increasingly ridiculous. I chose all truths, which I cheated at, telling white lies when they asked certain questions I found too personal. Like what was the wildest thing Logan and I’d ever done in bed. In comparison to them, Logan and I were very vanilla, but I loved our flavor.
Fable ended up doing a body shot off someone’s abs, and I had to mime a striptease for thirty seconds, which sent everyone into hysterics. I wasn’t very good at it, but it didn’t bother me when they laughed. Cass showed me how to do a proper striptease, and I took mental notes. If I felt super confident, I might do something like that for Logan one day.
We had more drinks. Jamie hopped to his feet. “It’s time for presents.”
“Presents?” I blinked, confused, as they all got up and ran to the hall. They returned with brightly wrapped packages they must have hidden in the coat closet.
“When did you do this?”
“Earlier,” Jamie said with a grin. “Logan helped when he took you out for lunch so we could sneak them in.”
“So that’s why he insisted on taking our coats upstairs when he came home.”
“Yup.” Miles shoved his gift at me. “You didn’t think we’d let you get married without sending you off in style, did you? Open it!”
One by one, I unwrapped the gifts, each one more embarrassing than the last. There were handcuffs with pink fur, edible underwear, a blindfold, a vibrating toy I didn’t even recognize. My face was burning when I got to the last gift—a ball with a leather strap—and I held it up, turning to Fable.
“What… the hell is this?” I asked, trying to keep a straight face.
Fable leaned in, his lips brushing my ear as he whispered, “It’s for when you want Logan to shut up, but in a hot way.”
I burst out laughing, shaking my head, and tossed the gag back into its box. “You’re all ridiculous.”
“More shots!” Cass yelled.
“I’m getting married tomorrow. I can’t afford to be hungover.”
“We don’t have to be at the hotel until four. You’ll have all morning to sleep it off.”
We headed to the kitchen, where we lined up shots of tequila. With a cheer, we each picked up a shot glass and downed it in one go, the liquid burning our throats as we swallowed.
Jamie poured himself another round. My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out. My heart skipped a beat when I made out Logan’s fuzzy name. Yup, I was seriously buzzed.
Meet me outside.
My chest tightened. Logan was here? I glanced at the other boys lining up for the next shot.
“Hey, I need to use the bathroom,” I said. “I’ll be back to join you.”
“Hurry up,” Jamie said.
I gave a nod and slipped from the kitchen, leaving behind the boisterous laughter. My heart pounded as I carefully pulled on my sneakers and quietly snuck to the front door. Hopefully, none of them would notice my disappearance too soon. I stepped out into the night, shivering from the chill.
Fuck, I should have put on a coat.
Logan’s car was parked in the yard. I rushed to it, and he got out to open the door on the passenger side. Smiling, I dashed inside the car. He quickly shut the door and joined me. I climbed over the console onto his lap and started kissing him.
Logan chuckled.
“What?” I raised my head. “This isn’t why you’re here?”
“I’m not complaining, but no.”
I groaned, resting my forehead on his. “You sure I can’t persuade you?”
“Sweetheart, I think you’re drunk.”
“Not really. I’ve only had…a few drinks. It’s all Jamie’s fault.”
“Of course. I believe you.”
I nibbled on his bottom lip. “You know what? I think I get horny when drunk.”
“Maybe this will sober you up for a minute.”
“What?”
Logan fumbled around in the glove compartment, then cursed. “Hit the lights for me, sweetheart.”
I turned the ceiling light on, squinting against the soft glow. He took something out—an envelope—and handed it to me.
“What’s this?”
“Joel gave it to me when I was at the clubhouse visiting Grimm today.”
“Oh.” I frowned. “But why does it have my name on it?”
“It’s from my father.”
I snapped my head up so fast I bumped into the ceiling. “Fuck.”
“Baby, are you okay?”
“Yeah. I don’t understand why your father’s sending me a letter.”
“I didn’t read it. To be honest, I didn’t plan to give it to you, but then I had a guilty conscience today. I had to make it right before marrying you tomorrow.”
“Do you want me to open it?” I asked softly. As curious as I was, Logan and his father had a terrible relationship. If he didn’t want me to have anything to do with his dad, then maybe I should throw out the letter.
“That’s your decision to make.”
“You won’t be upset?”
“Of course not. I can tell you want to open it, so do it.”
“Thanks, Logan.” I ripped the envelope open and removed a single piece of paper. It was a letter with a gold coin taped to it.
Logan’s body went rigid beneath me.
“What is it?” I asked.
He pried the coin from the paper and held it up. “It’s my father’s gold coin. There are only three of these. Well, two since I threw mine away.”
“What do you mean?”
“My father made three—one for each of us—his sons. I—I threw mine into the ocean when I left. My guess is that Emil still has his, which means this one belonged to…my deceased brother.”
“Oh. Is it worth a lot?” The coin looked like genuine gold.
“It is, but the true worth lies in what you can do with it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Once you have this gold coin, you have control of my father’s soldiers. They will do whatever you tell them.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he give it to me instead of you?”
“Read the letter.”
I handed it to him. “Will you?”
“All right.” Logan unfolded the letter carefully, brushing his fingers over the edges of the paper. He took a deep breath, glanced at me, then read aloud. His voice was steady but filled with tension.
Dear Bloom,
If Logan has explained the significance of this gold coin, then you are probably wondering why I am sending this to you and not him. The answer is simple: Logan doesn’t want anything to do with the Agosti family. He’s made that abundantly clear, and though I’ve come to terms with it, I know the world he was born into won’t let him go so easily. Logan will always be an Agosti, whether he wants to be or not. As an Agosti, he will always have enemies.
I failed Logan. I failed to protect him when it mattered most, and I won’t make that mistake again, not now, not when he’s found someone like you. I’ve heard how you fought to protect him, how you stood by his side when others would have run. For that, you have my respect.
The gold coin I’ve sent with this letter is more than a trinket. It’s a key to something few outside the family understand. With this coin, you hold the loyalty of my soldiers. Should you ever find yourself in a situation where Logan’s life—or yours—is in danger, this coin will speak for you when words won’t. My men will do whatever you ask without hesitation.
Logan may want you to throw it away, and I wouldn’t blame him. But there’s no harm in keeping it, even if you never use it. In fact, I hope you never have to. I’m sending it to you because I trust you to decide when and if it’s needed even more than my son.
Welcome to the family, Bloom. Whether you like it or not, you’re an Agosti now. And while I’m sure Logan will hate me saying this, being part of the family has its perks—if you know how to use them.
I think you’re the sort of man who does.
Take care of him. He won’t admit it, but he needs you more than you realize.
Marcello Agosti
Logan let out a long breath, crushing the letter. His jaw clenched, and he stared at the gold coin as if it were a live grenade.
“I knew he’d pull something like this,” Logan muttered, his voice low and sharp. “That’s why I didn’t want to give it to you at first.”
“Because you knew I would keep the coin.”
“Yes.”
I touched his arm gently. “It’s not a bad thing, Logan.”
“Nothing I say will get you to change your mind about keeping it, will it?”
“No. Your safety comes first, even if you’re upset with me. He’s right, and you know it. You’re as much an Agosti as I am a biker.”
His shoulders sagged, and he let out a frustrated laugh. “God, you’re stubborn.”
“You love me for it.” I brushed my fingers along his jaw. “And you know what? It’s not that you need me, but I need you. I need you to be safe.”
Logan’s lips twitched into a reluctant smile. “Maybe with this coin, you won’t be reckless anymore. Fine, you can keep it.”
I kissed his nose. “It’s cute you think you could stop me from keeping it.”
Logan scowled. “You don’t listen to me anymore?”
“About most things, yes, but not when it comes to your safety.”
“I am not in any danger.”
“No offense, babe, but how many times has someone tried to kill you since we’ve been together?”
Logan grinned.
“What?”
“You…called me babe.”
I snorted and tried to climb off his lap. “I did no such thing. That’s fucking disgusting. Logan!”
He hauled me back onto his lap, the car rocking from side to side with his antics.
“Say it again.”
“I have to get back, or the boys will know I’m missing.”
“You know what you have to say—”
“Baaaaaabe!”
I kissed him hard. “All right, go back in, then. Tomorrow I finally get to marry the crap out of you.”
Laughing, I clambered out of the car, this time from his side of the vehicle. “Drive safely.”
“Drive safely what?”
I rolled my eyes. “Drive safely, babe. ”
“I will, sweetheart.” He turned on the ignition. “Listen, don’t do what those boys say and make me wait for hours at the altar.”
“I won’t.”
“Good, now hurry back inside and keep that ass warm until I can get my hands on it tomorrow.”
“Oh, you mean this ass.” I tugged down my shorts to flash him.
“Oh, Jesus. Bloom, come here a little, will you?”
“Not on your life. You can get acquainted with my ass on our honeymoon, babe. ”
“I’m not sure I like this playful side of you,” he muttered.
“Get used to it!”
I wasn’t miserable anymore. I had friends. I had people who cared about me. And I was getting married to the man I loved in less than twenty-four hours. I had a whole lot more than I did when I just moved to Smoky Vale.