CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Nine days later
– KENZ –
I’ve been hanging around my family a lot over the past nine days. To be honest? I’m enjoying the familiar banter and drama.
“Oh, come on,” Aunt Lynn whines. “We need the dirt. I’m up to my eyeballs with all the good shit going on here. Well, except for Pax, he’s still my problem child.”
My mother groans. “He’s not your problem child to worry about, Lynn. Seriously, leave the guy alone. Besides, Lyla has enough issues she’s dealing with. Last week she asked for time off. Heath and Hayden agreed and hired a new piercer for the shop, even if you volunteered to fill in as a piercer. That right there doesn’t sound like a weekend off or even a small vacation. I’m worried.”
I keep sipping my blackberry vodka and bounce my gaze between my mother and my aunt. These two have been best friends forever. They grew up as neighbors and it’s how my mother fell in love with Lynn’s brother.
My parents were one another’s first. Young love, but then tragedy happened, and they were ripped apart. Years later my mother returned to town and they got their second chance. Love isn’t easy, every single couple around me has their own issues and stories.
A smile tugs at my lips when I think about Falcon and our relationship. I have a freaking relationship. One with difficulties and definitely some issues. Some might think his lack of speech is one of our issues, but they’d be very wrong. I love my man the way he is.
The sip of blackberry vodka I just took goes down the wrong way and I fall into a coughing fit. Love? Holy hell, what kind of mind-ramblings did I fall into? It must be the alcohol I’ve been sipping all night.
“You all right, chickie?” Aunt Lynn asks and slaps my back a few times. “Or did you need some attention? ’Cause I can totally focus on you and your hot new man.”
“I’m good,” I croak and take another sip of my drink. “Please focus on anyone else but me.”
“You’re more than good to nail a bad boy like that.” Aunt Lynn smirks. Her face turns serious. “I’m also glad my niece found a friend in you when she did all those years ago. Crazy how the world works sometimes, eh? Throwing you two together as friends while there’s a blood connection no one is aware of until years later.”
My mother smiles. “It shows blood is thicker than life, and friendship is a link for a solid connection of the heart.”
Friendship is a link for a solid connection of the heart . I like it a lot. Especially since I considered Falcon a friend first when we were sending messages back and forth.
“Isn’t the saying blood is thicker than water?” Aunt Lynn frowns. “I like your words better. Though, they should change to tequila. Blood is thicker than tequila. Yeah, sounds way better.”
“Bitch,” my mother snaps. “In our glory days it might have been tequila.”
“I’m still riding my glory days, bitch,” Aunt Lynn fires back and then turns to me to ask, “Hey, have you talked to Lyla recently?”
Biting my bottom lip, I think about how to answer the question.
“She knows something. Come on, spill,” my mother urges.
Releasing a sigh, I grumble, “I don’t keep track of anyone, just like Makayla. Wait. Nothing like my twin since she hid a Broken Deeds guy and then ran off with him to live happily ever after.”
“Yeah, and you snagged a Wisely Dicey one instead. Now, tell us what you know about Lyla so we can link her with Pax ’cause I know the fucker has had a knot tied in his dick ever since he saw her.” Aunt Lynn waves her hand. “Not a knot. A piercing. Archer made him swing by Lyla to get his dick pierced and it shows how everyone is involved since her brother, Lee, told Archer he could set it up. Now. Like I said, spill the beans, girl.”
I release a sigh and glare at my aunt. “Remember how you accidentally ran into Livi and made her add some piercings done by Lyla, and by doing so randomly made Pax come to the same bar as well? Didn’t go as planned, did it?”
Livi told me all about it the day after it happened. I thought it was funny because I always told her a piercing or two would fit her personality. Though, recently Aunt Lynn explained everything in our old ladies group messages and that’s how I found out about Lyla and Pax’s not so random meeting. Especially how Pax left without so much as a goodbye and how both were ignoring one another.
Oh, the drama and everyone interfering. Gossip is so freaking bad in a brotherhood. Add the two MCs together and you have loads to discuss.
Aunt Lynn’s shoulders sag. “I have a feeling I fucked up big time with those two.”
Okay, I can’t take it anymore and have to say something. “You didn’t fuck up, they did. Just…leave them be, okay? Lyla has it all under control and that’s the only thing I’m going to say about it.”
My mother and Aunt Lynn share a look and thank fuck I notice Falcon striding into the Broken Deeds clubhouse. He’s dropped me off a few times over the past few days ever since Thorsten asked Archer for protection nine days ago.
They were all going after Amadeo. Sadly, they didn’t catch him and found the house he was staying at burned to the ground. They’ve been going out almost every night. With all the changes in my life I like being around family more, and it’s why I asked Falcon to drop me off here tonight, knowing Aunt Lynn was visiting since she lives in Ryckerdan.
Shoving my arm into the air, I wave Falcon over and get to my feet. “Thanks for the hospitality and for the booze.”
“Always, sweetheart,” my mother says and gives me a hug. “Don’t forget to say bye to your father.”
I switch to Aunt Lynn. “It’ll work out between Lyla and Pax, you’ll see.”
She sighs. “He’s working a serial killer case and doesn’t want her in the line of fire so nothing will happen until he’s closed the case.”
Shit. Lyla told me she was going to see Pax because she regrets pushing him away. She didn’t tell anyone except me because she knows I don’t talk to the rest of our family. Someone needed to know, and it’s the only reason why she told me.
Swallowing hard, I keep my smile in place and repeat, “It’ll work out.”
Falcon wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me close. He buries his head in the crook of my neck and inhales. I shiver and he pulls me even tighter. Fuck words. If a man makes you feel as if you’re his everything, then voicing feelings is overrated.
Still, I find myself whispering, “I missed you too, babe.”
He nips my neck and I feel it in my freaking clit.
“Take the lady home, Falcon. Our old bones are too fragile to witness hot young love. ’Cause that’ll remind us of the good old days and then our men will need to prove themselves and well…those blue pills might help them, but it leaves our pussy raw for days. No fun in walking funny when you’re our age, I can tell you that much.”
“Aunt Lynn,” I gasp while I can feel Falcon shake with laughter.
I quickly grumble, “Say bye to Dad for me,” and tug Falcon along with me.
Their laughter follows us out. Falcon opens the door of the SUV for me. Archer had this one delivered to the Wisely Dicey clubhouse the day after Falcon and I were attacked. It’s a bullet proof SUV with lots of added gadgets, courtesy of the government. The vehicle is nice and I feel safe, don’t get me wrong, but I’d rather be on the back of his bike.
“Any news?” It’s something I ask him almost every day.
Normally I get a tiny shake of his head. This time he hands me his phone and I tap the screen and hold it up. He bounces his gaze between the device and the road as he swipes and then pushes the phone back at me. I’m looking at a message conversation between Falcon and Lenz where Lenz is sharing details he discovered.
“Holy fuck,” I whisper and firm my phone when I add, “Amadeo has been in hiding all this time because he’s busy hiring mercenaries? What the fuck?”
Falcon nods, but he’s smiling.
His reaction and Lenz’s messages suddenly make sense. “Wait. Are you telling me you guys are going to set him up so you can take him down?”
He reaches for my neck and gives me a quick hard kiss before focusing back on the road again. My heart skips a beat. Due to the way my body reacts to this man, and also knowing they are now close to hopefully kill Amadeo.
Right and wrong all mixed together. I mean, it’s damn dangerous how they are gonna play this out. Also, I’m curious who they are gonna send in to act like a mercenary to make the first contact with Amadeo to find out it’s really him.
All there’s left to do for me is wait, and I’m thankful Falcon can’t volunteer to be the mercenary since Amadeo is hiring people to kill my old man.