Chapter 11
ELEVEN
The meeting is being held during Colors Night.
I don’t know when the Fox started the tradition, but every Labor Day weekend he locks down the docks for three full days and nights to throw the biggest, most fucked up party imaginable, and it’s impossible to get into without a connection to the Twelve.
Every attendee shows up solely wearing their patrons color, gets fucked up, and tries to make it out alive.
It’s full of debauchery, violence, and every Mounty in the city is desperate to get in.
I only attend if I have to, which is almost always the case.
Going to the meeting is bad enough but, because my life just keeps fucking me over, the Jackal somehow convinced the Fox to add an extra condition of entry this year, and now not only am I coming to terms with everyone going with me, I have to go shopping just to toe the line.
I’m searching through the websites of the stores in Haven when Avery gets back from her ballet class.
She obviously assumes I’m studying, so when I ask her for everyone's measurements she stares at me like she’s never seen me before, but I guess that checks out.
When I refuse to give her any details on why I need them, she finally shrugs and lets it go, thank god.
There’s no way I’m telling any of them what the outfits are or why they’re required until I hand them over at the last possible second on Saturday night, because fuck that.
I don’t need the headache any sooner than necessary.
I call around to a dozen different stores in Haven until I get all of the items ordered and ready to be picked up in the morning. As much as I hate skipping class, I email my teachers with a bullshit excuse that I’m sure they see right through, but none of them question it.
Harley crawls into my bed after midnight and scowls at the fact I’m still awake, but when I ask to borrow his car to collect my orders, his eyes narrow like I’m testing him.
Then, without a word, he pulls his phone out to message the family chat to inform everyone, including me, that we’re both going to Haven in the morning.
Rolling my eyes at the haughty look he throws me, I tuck myself into his chest and fall asleep almost instantly knowing I have everything arranged.
Harley’s hands wake me hours later, cupping my ass and pulling me into his body.
I swear he was put on this Earth to tease me, break all of my control, and turn me into a desperate mess but, sweet Lord, he is so fucking good at it.
I keep my eyes closed as I reach out to find his face, drawing him to my lips for a kiss.
I’m too content to deal with today; I don’t want to leave the bed and let the outside world fuck with us. I need a break, dammit!
“We could stay here,” I mumble, and he groans into my mouth.
“Don’t fucking tempt me, babe. If you’re willing to skip class for this then it’s clearly important, and it’s already getting late. Ash and Blaise took Avery down to class hours ago.”
Frowning at him, he just smirks back at me like I’m a toddler throwing a tantrum until finally I huff. “That’s not helping. You should be coming up with a good reason for us to leave this warm bed in my empty room.”
Harley groans and pulls away from me, cleaving himself out of the bed like it’s the hardest thing he’s ever done, but, fuck, it might be.
He’s still groaning as he staggers on his feet a little, rearranging his dick in his shorts like that’ll somehow help the raging hard-on he has, and suddenly this all feels a lot like what I imagine a strip tease would be like.
His eyes flare at the heat in mine, and his head tilts back a little.
“We’re leaving now so I can take you for breakfast at the coffee shop before they switch to the lunch service.
They do French toast and the coffee there is good.
While we’re eating, I’ll message Avery and convince her to have a sleepover with Ash so we can come back to the warm bed and your empty room. ”
I shiver because, fuck yes. “You win. Get dressed, Arbour. I need food.”
We have to stop off at the guys’ room to grab Harley’s spare set of keys after he tears my room apart looking for his original set. After texting Avery to keep an eye out for them, I make a mental note for myself as well because I’ve been burned by missing keys before.
We take Harley’s ‘Stang to Haven and I get to admire the way he drives it like he was born to, effortlessly smooth and as easy as breathing.
I love watching his hands, big, rough, and scarred.
For a moment my lungs forget to work as I remember how hot and demanding or how slow and sweet they can feel on my body.
Fuck, I need to inhale my food and get this shopping over with.
Harley smirks at my flushed cheeks like a smug dick.
We park behind the cafe because it closes the earliest, and then I bite my tongue as Harley refuses to let me pay for our food, reminding myself once again to never let him find out that I’ve been the one funding him since he was inducted.
I can’t be sure of his reaction but I think he might have a stroke.
We sit, side-by-side, in one of the corner booths at the back.
The waitress keeps looking at Harley like she’d bend over any available surface for him and the haughty, disinterested look he gives her in return makes me concerned about eating the food she serves us, but it’s worth it.
When she comes over for the fifth time to ask if he needs anything, the look he gives her is both scathing and ice cold, and I’m struck by the fact that it’s a distinctly Ash sort of look.
It’s the first time I’ve seen a striking similarity between the two of them, despite their moms’ being twins.
“How is Avery handling the news about Senior’s plans to have them both killed?” Harley mumbles around his mouthful of eggs. It should be gross, but the guy is so fucking hot he could get away with anything.
I shrug at him. “Our room has never been cleaner. Avery is pissed there’s nothing she can do to help, and now Ash is fucking livid that getting them out of this all rests on my shoulders.”
Harley scowls at me like I’m being an ass. “Well, of course he is. We all are. It’s hard enough keeping you safe and alive as it is, we don’t need some psycho coming to the Bay to join the mix.”
I snort at him, ever the lady, and poke a fork in his direction. “I survived without you guys having my back for eighteen years. Dealing with this guy is going to be a nightmare but I’ll figure it out. I always do. Honestly, it’s all of you lot with your shitty families that worry me the most.”
Fuck. That reminds me… I clear my throat.
“Look, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the meeting so you’re not blindsided.
It isn’t just being held to deal with the Vulture’s death.
It will include all the usual bullshit turf disputes and arguing about who’s overstepping where, but I’m also going to bring something to the table, something big I’ve put in motion and—fuck, okay…
I’ve called in some favors to get you free and clear from your grandfather, once and for all.
You need to be prepared for that, and keep your cool because you need to stick to all of the rules I’ve told you and be on your best behavior.
I’m not saying it’ll be easy, or clean, but once it’s done, we’ll have one less threat stalking us. ”
He takes it far better than I thought he would, chewing slowly and frowning down at his plate without losing his shit about any of it. I wait him out, aware that the last thing he needs is to be pushed about his issues.
Finally, he flicks his eyes up to mine. “Are you at risk? Is this putting you in more danger?”
I shake my head and he sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Okay… okay, I’ll play along. I don’t want my grandfather coming after me and finding you, so if this gets him off my ass without setting him onto yours instead, then I’ll do it.”
I lean over and try to kiss him sweetly, something I’m still unsure of because I don’t know how the fuck to be sweet. He cups my cheek to hold me there, so I think I succeed.
“Come on, let’s pick up your orders and go back so I can do more than just kiss you.”
Out of everyone I could go on a shopping trip in Haven with, Harley is a great option.
He doesn’t complain about the list of places we have to go to, he’s just as outraged as I am about how much it all costs, and he’s not even a little be subtle about how happy he is to spend the time with me.
With an arm slung over my shoulders, he keeps leaning down to murmur into my ear and it takes me longer than I want to admit to figure out he’s doing it on purpose because he’s enjoying the hell out of the way I react.
Call me an idiot, but I don’t try to stop him either.
When we’ve finally picked up all of my purchases, I can’t decide if I’m excited to head back or if I’m sad that our day out is over.
Harley carries all of the bags in one hand and when I’m quiet for a minute he threads his fingers through mine with the other.
He swings our arms playfully as we head back to the alleyway we’d left the car in, so relaxed and unlike himself that I laugh like a besotted idiot at him in return. I guess that’s exactly what I am.
The streets have cleared now that the sun is going down. Only the bar is still open, and it’s on the other side of the sleepy town, so we’re alone and happy to walk in silence, soaking each other up without the distraction of words.
We turn into the alleyway, and Harley gives my hand a little squeeze before letting go to fish his keys out of his jeans.
My senses pick up the slight rasp of feet attempting to be silent behind us half a second before Harley realizes what’s happening.
My hand is already slipping into my pocket to grab my knife when the body slams into Harley from behind.