June’s Ride with Lightning: Mustang Mountain Riders

1. Lightning

“I am not wearing that.”I look at the offending scrap of fabric in Ashley”s hand.

“Yes, you are because Stone is your friend, and this is his day.” She talks to me like I”m a little kid throwing a tantrum. Maybe I am, but I am not a bow tie kind of wearing guy. In fact, I’d venture to say none of the guys here are.

“I don”t understand why they had to get married right now. We don”t have time for this. The longer we wait, the further underground Savage Bones is going, and it”s going to be harder to find them.” I complain, but I sit down so that she can tie the collar around my neck. At least that”s what it feels like.

I still hate that I need so much help to get ready for this wedding. With my arm still in a sling from being shot, I can”t lift it up to even tie the bow tie. Not that I’d know how to tie one if I could. A regular tie sure, but Addy wanted the guys in bow ties and we sure as hell won’t say no to her.

When Stone and Addy came up and said they were getting married right after the meth production exploded, we all thought they meant heading down to the courthouse for a quickie wedding, not an actual full-on affair here at the clubhouse.

“There, now go in there with your friend, support him on his big day, and stop complaining,” Ashley says and points towards the door.

These guys are family, and I’d do just about anything for them. That doesn”t mean that I don”t think Stone has lost his mind.

I walk into the room where the rest of the guys are getting ready, and I can instantly tell something”s wrong. My mind goes straight to the Savage Bones.

“What is it?” I ask, preparing for the worst, maybe praying that it”s an excuse to get out of this damn monkey suit.

“Addy’s cousin Piper, who we told not to come to town, just showed up, saying she refused to miss the wedding,” Stone says, frowning at his phone.

“Just what we need, another civilian in the way,” I mumble what probably every guy here is thinking.

“Listen, I got Addy and me a trailer on the outskirts of the clubhouse property. Piper can stay in my room tonight. She should be safe here. After the wedding, we”ll just get her out of town as quickly as possible,” Stone says.

I agree. The less time she spends here in Mustang Mountain, the less of a chance Savage Bones will have any idea who she is or that she”s even here.

“She”s also going to be the maid of honor because that”s who Addy wanted from the start,” Stone says.

“Which is why I”m now joining you in a penguin suit,” my brother Thunder says, walking out from the changing area at the back of the room.

I just start laughing.

“Fuck you. You look just as ridiculous as I do,” he says, glaring at me.

“All right, let”s get this thing over with. The sooner we can get the girl out of here, the better,” I say, trying to make it seem like I”m more interested in getting the civilian to safety than I am just getting out of this tuxedo.

We head out to the main area of the clubhouse that”s been decorated with flowers and lots of poofy material.

“I don”t think the clubhouse has ever looked so feminine,” I say to my brother Thunder as I take my spot beside him.

“Atlas has already made it crystal clear to the girls that the stuff goes away as soon as the wedding is over,” he whispers back.

Thank God. I don”t think we”d be able to convince a single person that the clubhouse is still a safe place with all this.

The bridesmaids start walking down the aisle, followed by the maid of honor. This is the first look I get at Addy’s cousin, Piper, and I feel like I”ve just been punched in the gut.

She”s absolutely stunning. Her blonde hair is twisted into some fancy updo with pieces framing her face, and her dress hugs all of her curves. She looks shy, like she”s uncomfortable being in a room full of people that she doesn”t know, not that I can blame her.

When she looks up, and her eyes lock with mine, a beautiful shade of pink coats her cheeks. I know this girl is mine, which is pretty fucking inconvenient, seeing as we have got to get her out of town as soon as possible. Plus, there”s not much I can do with one arm to convince her that she”s mine.

She takes her spot on the other side of the makeshift aisle, but I don”t take my eyes off of her for the entire ceremony.

Addy and Stone say their vows and Piper keeps throwing quick glances my way. She”ll smile and then quickly dart her eyes back to the couple.

The couple says, “I do,”’ and then everyone starts to walk back down the aisle. Piper is walking with her arm linked through Atlas’s elbow, and for the first time ever, I think about offing the president of the club. He”s touching what”s mine, and I”m not okay with it.

But I remind myself it”s not like I can do anything about it either. I want to spend the whole night getting to know her. I want to dance to every song with her. But I know she has to leave tomorrow, and I can”t promise her anything as we have no idea what”s going on with the Savage Bones or how long it”s going to take to run them out of town.

So, I try to keep my distance and join in on group conversations. When I can’t take it anymore, I finally walk over during a slow song.

“Can I have this dance?” I ask her, and she smiles and nods.

I lead her out to the dance floor before pulling her into my arms right where she belongs.

“So, you’re Thunder’s brother?” she asks, and I smile. She’s been asking about me.

“Yeah, and you’re Addy’s cousin. Can’t say I’ve seen you around here before,” I say because I know I’d remember her if I had.

“I’m older than her. I graduated high school the year before she started and again with college. We’ve just been in two different parts of our lives.”

I do the quick math. That makes her about twenty-eight years old. Not as young as Addy, but still young enough, I should leave her alone.

“Where do you live now?” I ask her.

“Down in Bozeman.”

“Husband? Kids?” I ask, needing to know what obstacles will be in my way when I can finally make her mine.

“Do you really think I”d be dancing like this with you if I was married or even dating someone? Should I be offended that”s the type of girl you think I am?” She sasses me, and it turns me on like no other.

The song ends, and she smiles and walks back over to her table, leaving me there wanting so much more.

Not long after, she says she”s tired and turning in early. I”m relieved that she”s heading up to bed. At least the temptation won”t be there anymore.

“What’s with you and Piper?” Thunder asks.

“I don”t know what you mean,” I blow him off and head to the bar to grab another drink.

“Everyone noticed how your eyes haven’t left her this entire event,” he says.

Well, fuck.

“What can I say? She”s pretty.” I try to blow him off, but my brother knows me too well, though thankfully, he lets it slide.

I hang out with everyone for a bit longer until Stone and Addy head to the new RV, which is parked on the property for them so they can have a bit of privacy.

“Well, I”m heading to bed so I can catch up on our surveillance tomorrow,” I tell my brother, who gives me a fist bump before I head off.

Since the meth lab blew up, Savage Bones has gone way underground, and we”ve been looking for any signs of where they might be setting up. We haven’t found anything, and none of them have even been seen in town.

I walk straight into my bathroom, shut the door, and strip out of the tuxedo before heading to bed in just my boxers. I don”t even bother with the light as I just lie down on the bed and close my eyes.

I”m almost asleep when something moves beside me, causing me to jump out of bed and flip the light on my nightstand.

The sight that greets me makes me freeze in my spot.

“Piper? What the hell are you doing in my bed?”