Epilogue 2
A little somethin’ extra
Marcus
I step toward Meg as Angelo storms away in search of the girls. “What’s the problem here, Poot?”
“Fuck,” she bites off. Her stunning silky hair swishes and tickles the delicate skin of her exposed back, and her purple gown sparkles in the ballroom lights. “Please, just go away.”
I shake my head, and though I’m here to talk to her, I’m not taking my eyes off him. Her man is drunk and handsy, and he palms her tits like he did way back in high school. “Get your hands off her, Biff. Have some fucking respect at my brother’s wedding.”
He smiles arrogantly. “She’s my wife, kid. And my name is Drew. I know you remember that.”
“Come dance with me, Poot. Spend some time with an old friend.”
Her eyes sparkle – not with beauty, but with pain and frustration. “Please just go away, Marc.”
I snag her wrist and pull her along anyway. No way in hell am I leaving her with him. I lead her to the dance floor a full thirty feet away from him, then turning so our bodies come flush, I press my hand to her lower back and begin swaying. “What the hell is the matter with you, Poot? Him? Really?”
“Don’t even.” She tries to pull away from me. “My marriage is absolutely none of your business.”
“Biff?” We breathe the same air as I study her eyes. “Are you really that hard up for attention? Jesus, Meg. You’re better than that.”
“I see you’re exactly the same as high school. Stubborn and grumpy and unable to mind your own damn business.”
I pull her slim dancer’s body against mine again, forcing a fragrant breath to explode from her lungs. Her long hair tickles my hand, and her long lashes flutter and tease. “I’m just saying, you’re better than that. You’re worth more than a man who’ll grab one of your best friend’s tits at Soda’s wedding.”
Her stubborn chin juts out. “I didn’t see him do that. I only have your word.”
She’s a fucking liar. “You’re also worth more than the guy who was gonna fuck you in the parking lot at prom.”
“Marc--”
“You were fighting him off, Meg!” My words are intense, but my voice is low. This is no one’s business but hers. And mine. “You weren’t saying yes. How are you even in the same room as him? How the fuck did you end up marrying him?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re a guy I went to school with almost half a lifetime ago. You weren’t even in my grade. You were a friend of a friend for a few months. You don’t get to have an opinion on my life.”
Her body is still stiff, her swaying almost nonexistent, but I force her body to roll with mine as Unchained Melody plays over the speakers. “You know that ain’t the truth. We were friends, so don’t bullshit me. I’m not here to break up a marriage, Meg. I’m just telling it to you straight. Your man is a piece of shit.”
“Yeah? Well he’s still my man, and standing here bitching about him is disrespectful. You want a dance with me? Fine. We can pretend to be friends. But I won’t disrespect my husband … See?” She smiles breathtakingly. “I know all about loyalty too.”
I shake my head. “I thought you were better than that, Poot--”
“And for the love of all that’s holy, stop calling me Poot!”
“Why?” I smirk and slide my hand over her hip. “I like it.”
“Because it’s a stupid name. It’s mean. It’s disrespectful.”
“It’s not my fault you farted when you were drunk.”
“Stop,” she groans and drops her face to my chest. “I’m begging you to stop.”
I lean down close to her ear, whispering softly, “Nah, don’t think I will. It’s been a decade and a half now. Some habits are hard to break… And well, some habits I just don’t wanna break… Poot.”
Oz
X and I sit at the bar with beers in our hands, and we watch the girls all dance and laugh. “This is fun.”
He smiles at me, then his eyes are inevitably drawn back to his Juliette. “Yeah, this is fun.”
“How does it feel to be married? Has she cut off supply yet?”
He laughs arrogantly. “Nope. I guess the myth that once you’re married you stop getting laid is simply that… a myth. My life is good.” He looks over at me with a filthy smirk. “I guess it’s almost time to find you a girl. I need to repay the shit you’ve given me for years.”
“Ha! I have a girl, X. I have several of ‘em.”
He rolls his eyes. “I meant a good girl.”
“A good girl?” I lower my beer slowly. “Who the hell wants a good girl? I want a freak. Lots of them. I’m a thirty-six-year-old man, X. I’m old. I don’t have time for good girls. I want one who’ll spank me as often as I spank her.”
His eyes screw shut. “I did not need that in my head. That’s fucking disgusting.”
I lift my beer and sip. “Just sayin’. Ain’t nobody got time for good girls. I need one with fire.”
“Oz--”
“Jules has fire.” I wink at him, just to be an obnoxious prick. “Maybe I should ask Juliette if she knows how to spank.”
“Fuck you will!” He slams his fist sideways into my chest, and I wheeze out a painful breath. “Goddamit, you asshole. First I had your hairy ass in my mind as some chick spanked you, now you’ve made that chick Jules. You’re a dick!”
I laugh hard at his tormented groan. “Well, don’t try and drag me down into your wedded bliss bullshit. Marriage means one chick. There are far too many pretty ladies in this world to limit myself to just one.”
“You’ll change your mind one day. One right woman is worth a million randoms. I promise you.”
I groan. “Jesus, X. The alcohol and love in the air today has you dribbling shit. Leave me alone.”
“Fine,” he chuckles and sips his beer. His sparkling blue eyes watch the reception carefully. The chief is here tonight. He’s watching over his flock. “You know we got the Maxwell hearing coming up soon, right?”
We both grind our jaws at the reminder of what Brad Maxwell did to one of our own. He attacked Alex’s sister, put her in the hospital with a broken arm and a painful concussion. If I didn’t like Britt’s man before that, the fact that Jack beat Brad to within an inch of his life, definitely sealed his position in my heart. Jack Reilly looks after his own, and his own, just so happened to be mine and X’s too.
“Yeah, on the twenty-fifth of next month. We’re gonna put him away for a long time. Don’t sweat it.”
“Yeah, well…” He sips his beer casually, though his still clenched jaw is anything but relaxed. “Lindsi’s coming back to town for it. She and her kids are gonna need help settling in. She’s had a rough time, so seeing Brad won’t be easy.”
I nod and sip. I remember her. I remember the ‘rough’ time. “We’ll help her. She got housing sorted?”
“Yeah, she’s staying in Jules’ old place. Probably might suggest she puts the kids in the gym program or something. It might help keep them busy during the trial.”
“Good idea. If she’s gonna help add years to his sentence, then we’ll roll out the carpet.”
Alex silently watches me for a long beat. “I know you’re a good guy. I trust you, Oz, but probably don’t hit on her, okay? She’s been to hell and back with her piece of shit ex. She probably can’t take your brand of flirt.”
I shake my head and take a slow sip. “I know where she’s been. She has kids, and she’s a case. She’s on my no-hit list. Don’t stress.”
“The fact you have a ‘hit’ list is disgusting,” he laughs. “You’re a fucking pig.”
I shrug and stand from my stool. I wink as my flirty date dances in the crowd. She rolls her sexy hips and sways as she watches me, and like we’re in my bedroom and she’s dancing just for me, she has my full attention. I place my nearly empty beer on the bar and slap my best friend’s shoulder. “I’ll be a professional, X. Don’t worry about it.”
“Professional Oz… That’s an oxymoron.”
I smirk at him. “It’s disrespectful that you use big words to make me feel dumb. We’re not all as smart as the Turners.” I turn away. “Now if you’ll excuse me, this dumb Neanderthal has a woman to drag to his cave and hump mindlessly.”
Alex laughs at me. “Have fun. Don’t tell me one way or the other if she spanks. I don’t wanna know.”