22. Julia
22
JULIA
W hen we got to the clubhouse, I felt his hot gaze on me immediately. Like a tractor beam from some alien ship, he reeled me in, coercing me toward him against my will. I held still, choosing instead to walk toward the MC princesses currently at the pool table.
Leo and Chesco greeted the other SRMC members, shaking hands with Roman and KC before laughing at whatever Hollywood said. I sternly avoided my husband, choosing the safer route of Alba and Ru, who looked even more like sisters with their hair bundled on top of their heads.
“Hello, cousin,” Alba said, hugging me. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too,” I said. “I apologize for not being around recently.”
“I don’t blame you,” Ru cut in. “Whatever Bear did, he probably deserved your wrath.”
I was about to explain how it was my fault, that I’d let the sins from my family’s past catch up to me.
“There you are,” Verona said, coming up to put an arm over my shoulders. “Now, tell me. Do I need to kill my brother?”
“No,” I said, grinning at these amazing women. “It’s me. I…I made a stupid mistake.”
Alba laughed and Ru shook her head, her ice-blue eyes narrowing at me.
“Listen,” Ru said, “we’re well versed in these alpha assholes. We know how it goes.”
“They’re obsessed with you,” Alba said. “They’ll kill for you. You run and he chases. Trust me, that’s the way this story ends. Selene told me that years ago, back when KC and I first started dating. Bear is the same way.”
“But sometimes, they can be over the top. That’s when you smack them back down to reality,” V said. “Or flog them. Whatever you’re into.”
Ru and Alba laughed while V winked, but I cleared my throat and rubbed at the heat on the back of my neck, knowing he hadn’t come after me yet. But the way his eyes tracked me from the other side of the room said he would only tolerate this separation for so long.
“Are you okay?” Ru rubbed my shoulder in a comforting embrace. “Are you ready for the wedding?”
I nodded, even though my anxiety had never been higher. This was madness. This was chaos. We were inviting bloodshed, knowing what would happen. The avalanche was rolling now, picking up steam, and there’d be no stopping it when it descended on our little village.
“Are you still planning to come over the morning of?”
Alba nodded. “Of course. I’m happy to help you get ready.”
It sounded normal, as if I really were a blushing bride preparing for my first night as a married woman. Never mind I’d been legally a Montgomery for months now. Never mind the wedding was a ruse.
“It’ll be a good distraction from getting my dad out of the pen,” Ru said.
“Same,” V added.
“How’s all that going?”
Ru and V talked about their struggles of trying to find decent legal help, and while the club’s lawyer had done well thus far, they’d need a lot more than they could afford.
“We’re planning a fundraiser at the Beacon in a few weeks,” Ru said. “Make sure you and Bear come, yeah?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“All right, you fucking heathens,” KC called from the entrance to the back room. “It’s time for church.” He winked at Alba, who blushed and brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Hollywood, Saint, Thor, and the others passed us to head inside, but I remained rooted to the spot. I didn’t know if I’d be welcomed, not after what had happened. Certainly, I knew the itinerary the best. I’d heard more concrete details from Titus this morning, but would Roman want me? If he did, I certainly didn’t deserve it.
Before I could think too much about it, a firm hand grabbed my elbow and nudged me along.
“Let’s go, little wife,” Roman said, nodding ahead. “We only need to pretend for a few more days.” He whispered the last bit in my ear, and the heat of his breath shot down that side of my body. “Then you can go back to hating me as much as you want.”
I winced as the lie hit me in the stomach. Of course, that was what he thought. I hadn’t given him any reason to think otherwise, but I couldn’t deal with that now. We walked into the back room where the leaders and other officers from the visiting Roses stood in their cuts, waiting to hear what we had planned for the wedding. They talked among themselves, the rowdy sounds of mindless chatter drowning out my turbulent thoughts. I steeled my jaw and straightened my shoulders, walking like I had the confidence of every man in this room. Even if there was tension between my husband and me, none of them needed to know it.
No, we were the king and queen of this mess, and we’d have to lead the kingdom through it.
Roman walked to the head of the Steel Roses table, nodding at my brother and Chesco as he went. When we got there, KC banged his rings on the table loud enough to reverberate over the gruff conversation.
“All you motherfuckers, listen up! Church is in session!” KC clapped to punctuate his announcement, and all the talking died down to a rumble and finally to silence.
Roman took a deep breath and glanced around, dropping his hold on my elbow to my fingers, gripping my palm in his.
“Thank you all for coming,” he said. “Whether you’re a part of the Madison County chapter or from out of town, your support is invaluable to our cause.”
Rounds of clapping came from everywhere, hoops of encouragement echoing through me.
“For over four decades, the war has raged on between the Roses and the Caputis,” Roman started, glancing at all in attendance. “It started because of love, because of supposed slights one side may have done to the other. A few days from now, it will end the same way.”
My husband took my hand and pulled me closer, wrapping an arm around my waist so our bodies were aligned from shoulder to hip. His clean, masculine scent assaulted me, and I tried not to let my memories override the seriousness of the situation. I went back to the first time I met him, how I thought he was evil, but realized I could probably live with that. I thought of when he pulled me into his lap at his dining room table and tilted my face toward his to take my lips with careful deliberation. How I’d shivered in his embrace. I thought of the way he’d made love to me in Leo’s guest bed and how he’d worshipped me at the Beacon before demanding the same from me.
I had long ago started to love him, even if I couldn’t admit it, even if it terrified me.
“Between Julia, Leo, and their cousin, Chesco, we’ve managed to secure enough of an alliance within the Caputi family to bring a ceasefire to the violence.”
Another round of applause forced pride to swell in my chest, making my heart beat faster.
“I want to thank Copter, Lizard, and Titan.” He gestured to the men standing on either side of the table at the other end, all wearing cuts that proclaimed them as presidents of their chapters. “Without your alliance, we wouldn’t stand a chance.”
After a nod to both of them, Roman went through the logistics of the wedding day. We would meet at the Roses’ farmhouse on the fringes of Madison County—close enough to DC to draw out the Caputis, but far enough away to keep the local PD from being too interested. The ceremony would start at noon with the reception right afterward. The food, the flowers, the cake, all of the other pretenses of a real wedding would be brought and set up the day before, making it easy for the rest of the club to show up the day of and complete the setup. The timing would have to be critical because they wanted the women and serving staff on their way to safety before the bullets started raining.
It was lucky we were having the wedding at a farm with wide open spaces and few avenues for collateral damage.
Once Gabriella showed herself, Leo would take her out and position himself as the new head of family. Anyone who didn’t side with him would meet the same fate. We used to think that any drop of Caputi blood spilled was a waste, a blight on our honorable name. But now, we had to make a few exceptions for the greater good.
The little girl inside lamented the thought of all my wedding plans gone to waste. How many times had Della and I dressed up in our mothers’ oversize gowns and pretended to marry the man of our dreams? How many times had I thought I’d get here with Vittori or Hugo?
I wouldn’t even get a real wedding with my real husband.
Once the timetable had been decided and everyone knew what they were going to do, Roman gave the men one last pep talk.
“This could very well be our last few nights alive,” he said. “Don’t fucking waste it.”
The crowd shouted and clapped their enthusiasm, and when KC dismissed them all to party, I stayed by Roman’s side as everyone filed out. Leo hugged me before he went with them, and Chesco eyed my husband with a raised eyebrow as he wrapped his arms around me in a fraternal squeeze.
“If you need me to kill him, the safeword is Funky Town.” My cousin kissed my cheek as he pulled away.
I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Have a nice night, Chesco.”
“Uh-huh.” He tsked his teeth at Roman and sauntered back into the front room.
I’d been ready to leave as well, but my husband grabbed my bicep to stop me, and I froze, my pulse racing. I knew what would happen now. He’d given me two days, and in his estimation, that was likely too much.
“You want this door closed, prez?” one of the prospects asked, holding the sliding barn door leading to the rest of the clubhouse.
“Yes, thank you,” Roman replied, and the deep tenor of his tone reminded me this wasn’t a game, not anymore. Nor was it pretend.
“They’ll kill for you,” Alba had said. “You run and he chases. Trust me, that’s the way this story ends.”
“Where do you think you’re going, little wife?” Roman asked, moving to stand behind me, trapping me between his massive body and the wooden table.