Chapter Sixteen
Elise
“You’re beautiful,” I breathed, gazing at Kennedy in the full-length mirror.
Her wedding dress was silky, strapless, skin-tight down to her calves, and sexy as hell. “The moment Kit sees you, he’s gonna throw you over his shoulder and carry you back down the aisle to bed.”
“Excellent,” she murmured, studying herself in the mirror while she fiddled with the white gold diamond and sapphire earrings I’d lent her for something borrowed and blue. “These are beautiful. Thank you.”
“Bert Henderson gave them to me on my twenty-fifth birthday,” I told her. “He was a good man, nothing like his son. They’re not tainted, and I think they’ll bring you luck.”
Kennedy turned to me and took my hands in hers. “Why would you think they were tainted? They’re just things.”
“Everything Robert touched, he tainted,” I whispered. “It’s like his poison seeped from his skin to everything he held close. Even his son.”
Kennedy stared at me incredulously. “Do you think you’re tainted?”
I swallowed the bile rising through my chest. “I don’t know what I am anymore. But what I do know is that I’m not good for anyone else. Everything I touch turns to dust.”
Ned thought over my words. “Really?” she challenged. “You’re not good for John? For Sophie, Belle, and Atlas? Sunny thinks you’re good for her, because if it wasn’t for you, she may have been seriously injured.” She squeezed my hand. “Why can’t you see what we see?”
“Adele said the same thing yesterday,” I whispered.
“We can’t both be wrong.” Ned cocked her head. “Have you thought about getting counseling? Kit swears by it, and if anyone knows it’s beneficial, it’s him. When we saw each other again after all those years at Sophie’s wedding, he was riddled with PTSD. I see a little of it in you.”
My stomach clenched. “You think I have PTSD?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m not a psychologist, but how could you not be affected by everything you’ve been through?” She leaned toward me. “They ripped your baby from you and used her to keep you compliant. Your husband did things to you that I can’t imagine. I’m shocked you haven’t had a breakdown by now. I would have.”
I stared at her, thinking over the words still hanging in the air.
Do I have PTSD?
I’d suffered with depression and anxiety for years, but the fog seemed to have lifted since I’d been at the Speed Demons’ compound because I’d found Sophie.
I always felt tired and sometimes over-emotional but still generally okay.
The door opened suddenly, and Sophie’s voice called, “The bouquet’s arrived. It’s gorgeous.”
“We’ll talk later,” Kennedy murmured before turning to greet Sophie and exclaiming, “Hey!”
Sophie approached us, her eyes roving over Kennedy. “Oh, Ned,” she cried. “You look stunning.”
Footsteps sounded from the corridor, and Layla appeared at the door. “You look sexy,” she yelled excitedly.
Cara followed behind her. “She’s right. If I swung that way, I’d be all over you like a rash.”
Kennedy popped a hip. “If I swung that way, I’d let you.”
Sophie giggled.
“Where are the babies?” Kennedy asked, turning back to the mirror and smoothing down her dress.
“With Iris and Sera, of course,” Layla replied. “Rissy’s like Mary Poppins. Nothing gets to her.”
“Yeah,” Cara muttered. “Not even my son of Satan.”
I laughed, trying to shrug off the heaviness of the conversation I’d just had with Kennedy.
Weddings were supposed to be happy occasions, especially since Kit and Ned had such a heartbreaking past. I was determined not to bring the mood down. There’d be plenty of time to delve deeper into the aftereffects of what my ex-husband had done to me, but today, we needed good vibes only.
“Duchess,” Kennedy murmured, her gaze sweeping down my outfit. “You look hot in red.”
I studied my red, silky dress, taking in the strap that tied it all together in a small bow over my left shoulder. I loved how it skated over my growing curves without being too tight.
My gaze slid to Kennedy. “Are you sure I’m not too old for it?”
“Jesus, no,” she insisted. “You look amazing, and thanks for helping me get ready. My mom isn’t in my life, so you filling that role means a lot.”
My heart swelled. “Oh, Kennedy. I’m honored.”
“Me too,” she replied as a loud knock came from the door.
“That’ll be John,” she breathed, her eyes darting around nervously. “Are you sure my dress is okay?”
“Babe,” Cara said indulgently. “It’s white, tight, and your tits are spilling over the top. It’s slutty as fuck, and you look like a dream, a wet one at that. It’s perfect, especially for a biker wedding.”
Kennedy grinned. “Good. That’s exactly the look I was going for.”
“Jesus,” a deep voice rasped.
We all turned at once to see John standing there.
My heart fluttered at the sight of him wearing black pants and a black jacket, covering a fashionable grey button-down. The collar of his shirt was open, showing the tight cords of his neck and his tanned skin.
John had always been a beautiful man, but the way he filled out his suit took my breath away. Heat built at the bottom of my stomach, and I pressed a hand to it, feeling my butterflies come alive.
“Kennedy,” he said huskily. “You look amazing. Beautiful, honey, just fuckin’ beautiful.”
“Stop being sweet,” Ned cried, pulling a Kleenex from the box on the table beside us and dabbing it at the corner of her eyes. “You’ll make me lose my shit. It wouldn’t take much right now. Before you came in, these bitches were already getting sappy.”
“Take that back,” Cara demanded.
Kennedy rolled her eyes. “Not you, babe. You’ve been the same snarky bitch you always are.”
“Thank you,” Cara said, twisting her lips into a pout.
I bit back my laugh, thinking how the only sappy person in the room was Kennedy herself.
“Katie just called,” John told Ned. “They’re five minutes away. You wanna come down and meet ‘em?”
Ned smiled. “Does Kit know Hustle’s on his way?”
“Yeah.” He dipped his chin, grinning. “He’s hidin’ in the backyard.”
“Good,” I said decisively. “He’s not to see Kennedy until she walks down the aisle.” I checked my watch. “The ceremony starts in fifteen minutes. If Hustle and Katie get here in five, it’ll give them time for a quick catch-up and for Hustle to get changed. We can time it so our girl here is traditionally late but not so late that Kit loses his mind.”
The door flew open again, and a little voice squealed, “Mama!”
My head whipped around to see Kady racing toward Kennedy, her beautiful blonde hair, so much like her mom’s, flying out behind her.
Sunny skipped in after her with a beaming smile plastered across her face.
“You look so pretty!” Kady cried out, throwing herself into her mom’s arms.
Kennedy caught her daughter, then bent down to give her a hug. “So do you, baby. Give me a twirl.”
Kady stepped back and spun around, her hair flying out again, along with the skirt of her white tulle bridesmaid dress.
“Oh my God,” Layla breathed, her hands flying to her mouth. “You look so pretty.”
“Gotta say, Kady,” Cara murmured. “You look like a little angel.”
“Oh, Kady,” I whispered. “You’re gorgeous.”
Sophie wiped a tear from her eyes as she turned a watery smile on her goddaughter.
Sunny popped a hip, turned to Kady, and declared, “Told you so’s.”
“You look pretty too, Sunshine,” Kady told her gravely.
“Do you thinks Kai will likes it?” Sunny whispered excitedly before twirling like a ballerina in her long, baby-blue dress. “It’s his best color.”
Kady smiled and nodded.
John’s light-brown eyes turned melty as he stared at his granddaughters. “Got the best-lookin’ family in the whole of goddamned Wyoming,” he grated out, his deep voice catching with emotion.
Kennedy looked up at John with shining eyes. “We better get moving.”
He offered his arm to Ned, who took it with a smile and walked toward the door.
“Come on, Mom,” Sophie whispered, threading her hand through my arm and gently pulling me to fall into step behind John and Ned. “We’ve got a wedding to attend.”
My heart melted at her words, and I covered her fingers with my hand. “I can’t wait.”
“The place looks amazing,” I whispered to Sophie, who was sitting to my left, bouncing a curious Belle on her lap.
“Can you believe the bar was shot up yesterday?” she whispered back. “The guys must’ve been up all night putting it back together.”
“They were,” Atlas confirmed from the other side of Sophie. He grabbed Belle and plopped her onto his knee. “They worked like motherfuckers until dawn.”
“Can you say motherfuckers at a wedding?” I mused thoughtfully.
“It’s a biker backyard,” he replied dryly, his big, meaty hand going to Belle’s back to steady her. “I don’t think God’s watchin’.”
I craned my neck to look at the rows of chairs set out behind us full of bikers and their ol’ ladies. Some were in cuts and jeans, others in button-downs and slacks. The ol’ ladies had made an effort, all of them looking glamorous as we all sat waiting for Kennedy to appear at the end of the aisle.
The buzz of hushed conversations hummed around us, and I smiled at all the love in the air.
The yard looked stunning.
Overnight, an array of blue and white roses and orchids had been brought in and tied to the chairs both sides of the aisle. Thousands of twinkling fairy lights had been draped into the trees and the foliage. But the pièce de résistance was the flower-covered trellised archway, situated at the end of the aisle.
Kit and Kai stood underneath it, talking to Abe, who had gotten himself ordained online so he could marry the happy couple.
Adele, who sat in the front row, looked over her shoulder at us. “Kit looks so handsome.”
“He was already gorgeous,” Sophie pointed out. “Then somebody had the bright idea to put him in Armani, and suddenly, he’s Henry Cavill's better-looking younger brother.” She sighed.
Atlas’s eyes slashed to his wife. “Stitch,” he drawled, a thread of warning in his tone.
Sophie snuggled into him. “It’s okay, big man, you’re safe. I’m no Targaryen. Brother sex isn’t on my bingo card.”
Freya, who sat next to Adele, glanced at us over her shoulder and laughed.
“I’m impressed, Soph,” Colt told her, taking Freya’s hand in his as he looked around at us. “Didn’t know you were a Game of Thrones fan.
“I’m Ned’s best friend,” she stated. “How can I not watch the show she’s always talking about? I got sick of being left out of the loop, so I had no choice.” She shrugged. “It’s actually kinda good, if you can get over the family love.”
Colt smirked, turning to look ahead again.
The smell of motor oil, leather, and a hint of tobacco filled the air as a large presence slid into the seat beside me.
My head whipped to the right to see that John had taken the seat next to me by the aisle. “Shouldn’t you be sitting with your family?” I asked.
His eyes met mine, and he smirked. “Babe. I am sittin’ with my family.” I froze as he slid his muscular arm across my shoulders, setting fire to my skin.
“What are you doing?” I whisper-shouted.
“Just gettin’ comfortable,” he muttered innocently, his eyes sliding forward to study Kit and Kai.
“Better not get too comfortable,” Atlas warned.
John’s mouth twisted into a smirk, but his eyes remained on Kit
Sophie dug her elbow into her husband’s ribs. “Stop being a dick.”
Atlas let out a quiet “oof” before thinning his lips and turning his head to give John the evil eye.
I inhaled John’s familiar warm, spicy scent. “You smell nice.”
His smirk got smirkier. “It’s the same one you bought me, back in the day.”
My heart flipped.
Sophie let out a soft laugh from beside me.
Atlas huffed.
John’s arms tightened around my shoulders, and my heart swelled as his scent enveloped me again.
The sound of a guitar strumming a beautiful intro suddenly filtered through the speakers.
“What’s that song?” I asked.
“A Thousand Years,” Layla whispered from the row in front of us.
A soulful male voice began to sing the words about his heart beating fast with adoration for the woman he’d loved for a thousand years.
My throat thickened with emotion.
“I thought a bitch sang this,” Atlas muttered.
John’s face twisted toward him, and he glared. “Trust you to ruin the goddamned mood.”
“Shut up, Dan,” Sophie whispered. “James Arthur’s singing it, for God’s sake.” She nodded toward Kit and smiled. “Look.”
I turned to see Kit staring down the aisle with his hand covering his heart.
Every neck craned, including mine, and I gasped at the sight of Kennedy and Kady standing at the end of the aisle, hand in hand.
The happy couple’s eyes locked, and the air thickened with so much love, I wanted to cry.
Kit leaned down to whisper something to his son, his eyes never leaving Kennedy. The instant Kai gave him a nod, he stood straight and sauntered down the aisle toward his wife-to-be.
“What’s he doin’?” Atlas muttered.
“He’s goin’ to get his woman,” John answered, his eyes glued to his son.
I craned my neck again to see Kennedy’s steps falter as her man approached her. “Hey, handsome,” she murmured.
A loud growl rumbled through Kit’s chest, then I gasped as he bent low, shoved his shoulder into Kennedy’s belly, and tipped her over it.
The entire congregation jumped up and began to howl and catcall as Kit marched back down the aisle, giving Ned’s ass a love tap as he went.
“Slap that ass, Break!”
“Show her who’s boss, brother.”
“Now, that’s what I call a Demon .”
Cara, who sat next to Cash on the front row, leaped up, did a hip shimmy, and yelled, “Woohoo! That’s what I’m talking about.”
Kennedy’s laugh cut through the shouts and hollers as Kit got to where he needed to be—that being in front of Abe—and placed Kennedy gently back on her feet.
Cash tugged Cara back down and planted a wet kiss on her mouth. “Love you, Wildcat,” he rasped as he lifted his head.
One of Bowie’s arms slid around Layla, the other one going around Sunny and Willow’s shoulders, and he pulled them closer to him.
Layla turned her face toward his for a kiss before leaning forward to check on the twins in their double stroller.
Atlas’s hand reached for Sophie’s, and he rested his cheek against the top of her head.
John’s fingers squeezed my arm reassuringly.
I sighed happily.
Maybe I should’ve pulled away, but I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t want to.
It was all so romantic and good, and just for once, I wanted to be a part of something decent and clean. This family was so close and in tune with each other, and they wanted me to be involved with their lives.
Without a thought, I reached for John’s hand.
He squeezed my fingers, and his thumb brushed over mine.
Closing my eyes, I smiled, making the most of having this beautiful man close again, listening as Abe began to speak.
“Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to join Kit and Kennedy in matrimony…”
Then I grinned wide, feeling like my heart would burst with love as I watched Kit Stone marry his soulmate.
Hours later, the party was loud, the booze was flowing, and Tristan, Anna, the girls, and I were on the makeshift dance floor, rocking out to ‘Come On Eileen.’
I glanced at Kennedy and Kit, who were slow dancing and making out like teenagers.
“They’ve been eating each other's faces for at least thirty minutes,” Cara yelled over the music.
“If you can’t eat face on your wedding day, when can you?” Tristan shouted back, grabbing Layla’s hand and waving them from side to side in time to the music.
The bridge of the song began, and Iris began to kick her legs out in time to them music like a slow cancan. I laughed, and joined in until the entire line of us were kicking out together.
Sophie grabbed my arm. “Look,” she said, pointing to the other side of the room.
I craned my neck and giggled as I caught sight of Abe stomping around the dance floor in time to the beat while pumping a fist in the air.
Iris’s eyes bugged out. “Abe doesn’t dance.”
The crowd began to roar their approval which must have spurred Abe on because he stomped and pumped his fist harder.
“How much has he had to drink?” Sophie called over to Iris.
“Too damned much,” she called back, her lips thinning in distaste.
I glanced over my shoulder and laughed again when I saw Sunny and Kay stomping behind Abe, copying him.
“Go on, Sunshine,” John’s deep voice bellowed across the room. “Show him how it’s done.”
Sunny took that as her cue to bust a move because she started body popping before dropping onto her little ass and spinning herself around on the floor with her hands.
The crowd shouted their delight.
“That’s it, Sunshine.” John whooped. “See?” he said to Callum O’Shea, who was standing at the bar with the officers, shooting the shit. “Told ya my Sunshine’s a gorgeous little dancer, and see my little Kady girl? She’s gonna be a pop star one day. She’s got more talent than Taylor Swift…”
His voice quietened as he turned to face the bar, still boasting about the kids.
My heart melted.
I loved the way he was with his grandchildren. He was never too busy for them and would even delay Church if one of them needed him. Family, for John, came before everything else, which was the polar opposite of how Bandit ran the club.
Years ago, I used to worry that John would always put the club first—even over me—and I accepted it because that was how Bandit did things, but I could clearly see those fears were unfounded.
My eyes had been opened. The Speed Demons were all about family. They worked hard for what they had, and their successes were plentiful because they wanted the club to succeed without being on the wrong side of the law.
I knew they weren’t choir boys, but they only crossed a line when it was warranted. They had morals and high standards, and they fought to uphold them because they believed in the greater good.
Over the weeks, my resentment seemed to have faded.
How could I continue being angry when beautiful little girls sang, danced, and gave me hugs while calling me Duchess in their sweet little voices? Or when my granddaughter stared up at me with her big, dark eyes and gurgled happily when I whispered how much I loved her. Anger didn’t belong in a sisterhood that was so strong and supportive. It was the furthest thing from my mind when I watched John dance with his granddaughters’ feet resting on his while he walked them around, or when he talked to Kai for hours about family and legacy.
The club and the people in it were burrowing under my skin and making themselves important in ways I hadn’t experienced since my parents died or when John was sent to Kuwait.
I loved it, I did, but it was also terrifying, because underneath it all, I couldn’t help waiting for it all to be ripped away, leaving me empty, just like last time.
Something inside me wasn’t right.
The fear was eating away at me like a cancer, and I didn’t know how to relieve it.
But at that moment, I could push my misgivings down to a place where I didn’t need to think about them. I was at a wedding, dressed to the nines, and dancing with my beautiful daughter and the girls I’d seemed to have adopted along the way.
There was no room for doubt, at least until tomorrow.
“Come On Eileen’ faded, and a low beat began to thud through the speakers.
Tristan’s hands flew to his mouth. “I love this song!” he cried, bending forward at the waist, eyes to the floor, pumping his fists downward, Tina Turner style, as a sweet voice started chanting about ‘all the single ladies.’
Sophie grabbed my hand, and we swayed our hips in time to the song.
Kady and Sunshine came flying over and began to dance in a line behind Tristan, copying his moves.
“I loves this!” Sunshine exclaimed, pumping her fists to the ground, her beautiful long hair flying out around her.
Kady stooped lower, eyes to the dance floor, and she wiggled her ass for all she was worth, her arms going crazy as she punched low.
A bubble of laughter rose through my throat.
Kennedy materialized into our dance circle as the chorus came on, and my giggle burst free as I watched her stick her ring finger out, twisting it just as Beyonce warbled how, if her man liked it, then he most definitely should’ve put a ring on it.
Sophie stuck her hand out, Layla, Cara, and Anna following suit, twisting their ring fingers in a circle.
I laughed, holding my hand out and doing the same in time to the music.
Tristan joined us with the girls, and we all danced in a big circle, roaring with laughter while twisting our ring fingers to Beyonce’s soulful voice blaring from the speakers.
My heart filled with joy, and I couldn’t wipe the sappy grin from my face.
Every wedding I’d attended for the last thirty years had been held at country clubs and resorts and had been aesthetically beautiful. But none of their beauty came close to earlier that day, when Kit cried as Kennedy declared, “I do.” Or how he’d picked Kady up, rested her on his hip, and buried his face in her throat when Abe pronounced them man and wife.
Kit’s adoration for his family was other-worldly. I could feel how connected they were, and how their love transcended time. John always used to say he believed we’d found each other time and time again in every life we’d ever lived, and I’d agreed, because I felt the same way, down to my bones.
And it was the same way with Kit, Kennedy and their beautiful twins.
Kennedy, ridiculously smart, sassy and strong with a heart of gold and a yearning to make the world better for her kids. Kady was sweet and sensitive, and just like her mom, she wanted the best for everybody. Kit, the beautiful man who was damaged but also whole because his woman and kids accepted every part of him, even the darker ones. Then the handsome, brooding, Kai, world-weary at the age of nine, whose love for his family ran so deep that it was part of his DNA.
In the eyes of the law and God, they finally belonged to each other.
And it was perfect.
An hour later, we were all at the bar, having a deep and meaningful conversation.
Atlas took a swig of his beer and turned toward the group to add his opinion. “Can’t believe Daemon’s spent ninety percent of the season over in Harrenhal, having dreams about fuckin his mom.”
John’s eyes widened. “What shit do you idiots watch?”
I bit back my laugh because I knew. Every Monday evening, I sat down to watch the show.
Kennedy waved a nonchalant hand. “It’s a Targaryen thing. They’re dragon riders, and they need to keep their bloodline pure so they don’t lose the ability to bond with their dragons. It’s why they make their sons and daughters marry each other.”
Kai, who had ambled over a few minutes earlier to see what was going on, looked at Kady and grimaced.
John lifted his beer bottle to his mouth and tipped it, before lowering it again and smacking his lips together. “Sounds like a fuckin’ shit show if you ask me. They’ll all end up with webbed toes and hairy palms.”
Breaker roared.
Cash let out a snort.
“It’s why they’re all loop the fuckin’ loop,” Atlas interjected, holding his finger to the side of his temple and twirling it. “Crazy ass Targaryens, ridin’ dragons and burnin’ the smallfolk up. They need their damned heads seein’ to.”
John jerked a decisive nod. “Sounds like a recipe for disaster, if you ask me.”
“At least they’re starting to discover that you don’t have to be a trueborn Targaryen to bond with a dragon,” I stated. “Even if you’re half Targaryen, you can still ride, though we knew it anyway, seeing as Daenerys’s mother was a Martell, and Dany had three dragons.”
“I worry ‘bout you lot watchin’ that shit,” John muttered.
My eyebrows pulled together. “Why?”
“You’ve been through enough trauma. You don’t need to watch all that killing and gore.”
“It’s a fantasy show, John,” I exclaimed. “Do you think watching dragons breathe fire and sword fights are going to trigger me? Jesus, it wasn’t like Robert used to come home for dinner wearing armor and wielding a Valyrian steel sword.”
Kennedy busted out laughing.
Atlas’s lips thinned.
“A what?” John questioned, tone confused.
I sighed. “Never mind.”
“It’s good when they have battles, Prez,” Atlas insisted. “It’s old school. All arrows, swords, and dragon fire. Very entertainin’, if I say so myself. You just gotta get through the tits and incest, but I don’t mind takin’ one for the team.” He winked.
“Dirty bastard,” John sneered.
“None of you were interested in it until I told you about it.” Kit pulled Kennedy closer and slid his arms across her shoulders. “We can’t have anything for ourselves, can we, Kitten?”
She smirked. “I wouldn’t mind, but half of it goes over their heads, like Daemon’s dreams, for example. His mother died when he was young, so he didn’t actually sleep with her. Doing that in his dream was an indication of how her passing left him with mommy issues and of the void he felt without having a mother when he was growing up.”
Kit’s eyes went lazy and half-mast. “You know I love it when you talk psychology.” He tilted her backward, holding her steady with his arm, and laid a hot, wet kiss on her mouth.
“Can you two get a fuckin’ room,” John demanded. “There’s kids about”
“Shame you don’t consider that when you’re saying ‘fuck’ twenty times in one sentence,” I bandied back.
John grinned at me. “They know the difference between me saying it and them, Duchess.”
“Wish you’d tell Sunny that,” Bowie muttered. “Gotta call from the school before the summer break. She called Carl Tucker’s boy an asshole.”
John’s lips twitched. “My little Sunshine’s not far wrong. He is a little asshole.”
“John!” I cried, slapping his stomach.
He laughed. “Duchess. The kid’s as bad as his dad, Carl. Thinks he’s all that, when really, he’s full of shit. Goes around town actin’ the big man, when word has it, he’s mortgaged up to his balls, and he owes so much on his credit cards that I’m shocked Amex hasn’t ripped him a new asshole. All ‘cause he wants to be part of that country club set.”
I open my mouth to protest, then shut it again. To be fair, he was right, Carl Tucker was trying to be somebody he wasn’t, and his son was a little asshole.
“Well, there’s no need to gossip about it,” I muttered, grudgingly.
John threw his head back and laughed.
I smiled.
“Wanna dance?” he asked me softly.
“To this?” I asked incredulously as the Prodigy’s ‘Smack My Bitch Up’’ blasted through the speakers.
He chuckled. “I could tell Billy to take it down a notch. That’s the joy of bein’ Prez.”
I went to say something to yank John’s chain but I noticed his stare fell over my shoulder and stayed there.
“Fuck!’ he muttered.
Every eye turned to the entrance where a tall, muscular man with long hair stood in jeans, a black tee, and a cut. I recognized him as a Speed Demon, who I’d often said hi to over the years, though I hadn’t seen for a while.
His stare rested on John and the boys, and he jerked his head toward the corridor leading to John’s office and Church.
“What’s Hendrix doing here?” Sophie asked Atlas.
“He’s been on a little recon job for us,” he replied, planting an absentminded kiss on the top of her head.
My chest tightened.
Breaker rested his forehead against Kennedy’s and asked, “Do you mind if I go to a meet? I won’t, if you don’t want me to.”
She lifted her hand to stroke his face. “It’s okay. I know you wouldn’t ask unless it was important. Go.”
“I’ve had a beautiful day with you,” he breathed.
Ned gazed up at him and smiled.
John reached for my hand, giving it a small squeeze before turning toward the corridor where Hendrix waited for him.
I watched him walk away, my heart beating a little faster as I studied his purposeful stride. Granted, I was feeling unsettled—something was obviously going on behind the scenes—but I didn’t put my increased heart rate down to that entirely.
The fact was, I’d had the best day of my life.
Together, John and I cried as we watched Kit and Ned exchange wedding vows, and then later, we laughed hard with everybody at the reception. We’d joked and thrown banter at each other, which was new for us and, I had to admit, felt nice. I loved his company and was positive I’d enjoyed my day just because he was a part of it.
Cash, Kit, Bowie, and Atlas kissed their women and turned to follow John. Their expressions conveyed the party was over, and it was time to get serious.
Glancing around the room, I noted how the air had thickened. It was only just gone midnight—early for an MC party—but some of the men had gotten hold of their ol’ ladies and were making moves to leave.
“At least we got to say our vows and celebrate without the place turning into the Wild West,” Kennedy murmured, chewing on her lip nervously as she watched her man and his brothers follow John down the corridor, Abe hurrying after them.
“You know Kit wouldn’t leave the party unless it was important,” Cara pointed out.
I watched as a group of brothers made for the doors, shouting their goodbyes. “They all know something’s going on, so why are they all leaving?”
“They’re going to spend time with their loved ones before everything kicks off,” Iris explained as we watched another crowd of men heading for the parking lot. “Once the war starts, they won’t leave, so they’re making the most of their time with their families. The men will take anything thrown at them, but before they do, they need to make peace with what’s about to happen. No surer way of doing that than bein’ around your loved ones.” She glanced at us all in turn, a worried expression on her face. “They know, when it comes to a club war, it’s likely not everybody will survive.”
An icy shiver ran down my back, and my stomach tensed as my mind went over Iris’s words.
I’d gotten to know these people. They’d protected me and cared about my well-being. My daughter and granddaughter were a part of the club, and the realization that they were in danger made my blood run cold.
As much as I wanted to take Sophie and Belle in my arms and spirit them away, I knew my daughter would never leave her husband.
And that meant one thing.
I would stay and fight too.