Chapter 5 #2
I had already moved my engagement ring to my right hand while getting ready earlier. Lifting my left, Aloiki first kissed my palm before placing my ring on my third finger. I sniffled, seeing it. My heart had never been as full as it was in this moment as I watched him hold out his hand to me.
I slid his ring onto his finger, completely losing control of my tears as I fought to believe this was finally happening. Our son kicked in my belly as if to remind me of his presence. It was like a pinch to the arm to convince me I wasn’t dreaming.
I was really here, after all this time, marrying the love of my life.
Rather than getting the handkerchief back out, Aloiki dipped his head down to mine and licked away my tears. It made me laugh again, and I didn’t even scold him for getting saliva all over my face.
Lucifer waited patiently as I got myself back under control. Aloiki retook my hands, squeezing them tight. As respectful as he was to our culture and beliefs, he would have been just as satisfied with a quick “I do” ceremony. He was putting up with the show and tradition for me.
The ti leaf lei Lucifer handed me brought me back to the present. I took it, and then he handed Aloiki the hapai lei Aloiki had handmade for me. It was beautiful, made of orchids and pikake.
As Aloiki ducked his head so I could reach over him to place his lei, I felt a sharp twinge in my lower abdomen. Fuck! I tried to cover my wince, but from the narrowing of Aloiki’s eyes, I didn’t do a very good job.
He didn’t place the lei around my neck as he was supposed to. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly, and then motioned for him to give me my lei.
My name came out as both a growl and a warning. “Lu…”
I winced again. Crap. “Kahaha!” I exclaimed my unhappiness. “Your son is kicking the hell out of my bladder. I need to pee!”
Aloiki snorted. “Is that all?”
“We’re in the middle of our wedding,” I reminded him, throwing a side glance at our audience.
“If you need to take a piss, then go, Lu. They’re here to see us and can fucking wait like good little boys and girls.” There was a small bit of grumbling from our guests at his words, but I was too tempted to take him up on his offer to argue.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
The look Aloiki gave me said that he thought my gratitude was pointless.
He snapped his fingers, beckoning Beetle over.
The Prospect, clad in only his briefs and cut, hurried over, the spanking paddle swaying around his neck.
But before he could kneel, Aloiki snapped, “I’ll spank you later.
Get her to the bathroom. If I take her, I’ll end up fucking her, and I swore I wouldn’t do that again until we were married. ”
As I hurried back up the aisle with Beetle at my heels, I heard him say to our guests. “Quit your bitching! My wahine is carrying my son and needs to take a piss. You whiny bastards can go grab a smoke if you need to.”
I fought to stifle my laugher, not wanting to risk peeing myself at my own wedding.
The restaurant catering our reception was at the top of the beach, a quick five-minute walk from where my bladder had interrupted my wedding.
I had considered having an outdoor reception, but we were in our rainy season.
Not knowing what the weather would do, I planned for an outdoor wedding and an indoor reception.
That way, if the weather turned, we could easily move the ceremony inside and not have to worry about moving food, seating, and the bar too.
The club rented out the entire place, so we had room for a dance floor too.
Samantha, Caroline, and Pualani were the only children in attendance, so we’d designated the reception to be adults-only.
One of the Prospects would take Samantha and Caroline home after the ceremony—if my bladder allowed me to finish getting married!
I didn’t know Kalea’s plans, but I doubted she had wanted to stay once she realized the activities Aloiki had planned during the reception.
Beetle cleared the bathroom and then stood sentinel outside the door while I used the facilities.
I had no idea how women of other cultures moved around or did anything in those massive dresses.
They looked uncomfortable as fuck, and it was bad enough that I had no control over my bladder.
Why would I want to fight with my clothing in my rush to relieve myself too?
I tried to be quick, knowing I had about a hundred people waiting on me to take a piss.
But my son had other plans, so I decided to stay an extra minute instead of risking stopping the wedding for a second time.
I was washing my hands when I heard an odd shuffling outside the door, followed by a clatter.
The ladies’ room door slammed open as Beetle’s body collapsed backwards onto it.
He landed hard on the floor, completely unconscious.
Due to his lack of clothing, I immediately saw the gaping, bloody wound in the center of his chest. The odd clatter I heard must have been from the spanking paddle falling to the floor at his feet.
I screamed, moving toward him, when two men stepped over Beetle’s bleeding body and into the bathroom. Both held guns with silencers. I didn’t know what surprised me more—the fact that they were dressed like the wait staff at the restaurant or that neither man was Hawai‘ian.
The one on my right was shorter than me, with light skin and long, raven hair tied up in a bun.
His features hinted at some Asian blood, and his face tattoos indicated he’d spent a fair amount of time in prison.
His partner was Latino or Mexican with a beefier build and a more rugged appearance.
He held his gun to the side, like a thug in a B-rated action movie.
“Our boss would like to have a word with you,” the taller one demanded, pointing the muzzle of his gun directly at my belly.
I highly doubted they were referring to the restaurant’s owner.
Normally, I would not have complied so easily. I was not some helpless damsel who needed rescuing, but my every instinct screamed to protect my baby. If I resisted, if I fought, there was nothing to keep them from shooting me. I might survive—it was doubtful my son would.
My eyes landed on Beetle on the floor at their feet.
I couldn’t tell if he was dead or alive, and the silencers on the guns suggested a blitz attack.
He never even stood a chance. Tears streamed down my face, but for an entirely different reason than only a few minutes ago.
My wedding ring felt heavy on my finger.
Would I die before I was officially married?
I was in my wedding dress, and my phone was in my dressing room. I had no way of calling out for help, no way of warning Aloiki or having Neo track me.
I nodded, not wanting them to get trigger happy.
What about the other staff? Where were they?
Had they killed them too? Who were they?
Who was their boss? My mind whirled with questions as fear laced my blood.
I tried to push past it, tried to think clearly.
I needed to get out of this bathroom so I could try to call out for help, try to get someone’s, anyone’s, attention?
“Move it, bitch!” the smaller man ordered forcefully.
My feet refused to move at first, I suddenly wore slippahs made of lead.
My eyes kept drifting to Beetle, hoping for any signs of life as I moved around his still body.
I knew he had gotten his road name from his job as an entomologist, but had never socialized with him as I had the patched members, most of whom I’d known before the club was formed.
Yet this man had taken a bullet, maybe more than one, because he stood between these men and me. It felt wrong to leave him, to see so much blood coating the tile floor under him and not try to help him. But what could I do?
One of the men pushed me when I wasn’t moving fast enough, and my feet slipped out from under me. I flailed helplessly, catching myself on the doorframe before I tumbled to the floor next to Beetle.
Once in the hall, I thought to run, to scream, but a tight hand gripped my hair, stopping that thought in its tracks. The cold metal of a gun rested under my chin as they wrenched my head backward. My hair orchid landed on the floor next to Beetle’s spanking paddle.
“Scream, and I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in your belly.” The Latino man lowered the gun from my chin to my side, digging the muzzle to the point of pain.
I nodded my compliance, fear for my son leaving a bitter taste in my mouth, but my eyes still searched for signs of the restaurant’s staff.
The place was deserted. I didn’t even see the DJ we had hired or our camera crew, who should have been here by now to set up.
Kiana, our wedding planner, would have met them while we had the ceremony.
Of all the stupid things to cross my mind just then, the fact that the photographers had likely caught my hasty escape to the bathroom sent embarrassment coursing through me.
The man gripping my hair half dragged, half walked me out the front door.
The confidence he had that we wouldn’t run into anyone was terrifying.
What had he done with everyone? Were they all dead?
I hadn’t seen any bodies, but we’d also only crossed through one part of the restaurant.
What if they’d taken them into the kitchen and then shot them execution style, one by one?
The afternoon sunlight shone down on me. I couldn’t get into whatever vehicle they had waiting for me, but the gun in my side kept my mouth clamped closed. How did I protect my son? I was too awkward to run, too unbalanced. They’d likely shoot me in the back before I got even a few feet away.