Chapter 21 Silent Night & A Dinner From Hell
Silent Night & A Dinner From Hell
GWEN
Dinner at Wyatt’s house is supposed to be festive.
Cozy. I was hoping for a Norman Rockwell evening with a side of baked ham.
Instead, my brother-in-law sexually assaults me in the kitchen, gets verbally castrated by my biker boyfriend, and now I’m sitting at the dining room table—trying to pretend everything is normal—while my dog Buddy wears a Broken Kings MC T-shirt like it’s haute couture.
He’s also rocking his steel-toothed collar.
When Wyatt took me shopping the other night, he had fun making sure his dog was dressed less like a chick’s dog and more like the dog of the President of the Broken Kings MC.
I’m going to have to get another dog and turn him into my puppy.
It’s clear I’ve lost Buddy to Wyatt and Caleb.
As evidence of this, Buddy is currently planted at Wyatt’s right boot, chin on his paws, spiked collar gleaming like he’s ready to throw down if anyone looks at his dad wrong.
I still think Wyatt is unhinged, but I keep that thought to myself.
Buddy seems proud to show off the clothes his daddy bought him.
Besides, I have bigger issues—which have made me tense as hell. Wyatt hates my family. Not quietly. Not politely. He hates them with everything in him, and it’s definitely showing. Hell, I can’t even blame him. I honestly understand. They’re at a new level of self-absorbed jerks tonight.
Then there’s the way my sister looks. Honestly, if my face looked like hers, I wouldn’t be stepping a foot out of my house.
She looks terrifying. Her lips are so swollen they look like they belong on a parade float.
Her bright red lipstick only makes it worse.
Wyatt actually had to pull Caleb aside earlier and ask him—very gently—not to mention Aunt Cora’s mouth because children have no filter, and we were afraid of what he would say.
Caleb is at the kids’ table with Cora and Chip’s kids. They’re good kids. Polite. Sweet. Which has absolutely nothing to do with their parents and everything to do with the nanny who’s basically raised them.
My mom, Robin, is mentally on another planet.
She’s smiling vaguely at nothing, sipping wine, probably thinking about crystals or the moon or whatever dimension she currently resides in.
We’re almost done eating when the front door opens and a few of Wyatt’s men come marching in—obviously on a mission.
Rocky comes in first—huge, familiar, built like he was carved out of concrete and bad decisions. He gives me a nod, respectful and calm, like a guard dog who knows his job.
Behind him is Storm. I’ve heard stories.
I was not prepared. Storm is tall and broad, with wild dark hair pulled back and eyes that miss absolutely nothing.
He carries himself like a man should—wrapped in confidence, grin sharp, energy buzzing.
The kind of man who looks like trouble but enjoys it.
He scans the room—and then freezes on my sister.
“Holy shit,” he says loudly. “What happened to your mouth? It looks like your asshole is raw and got stuck on your face where your lips used to be.”
I choke on my water. I recover just in time to say very calmly, “Severe allergic reaction. She’s under medical care.”
Storm’s grin vanishes instantly. “Ah, shit. I’m sorry. Hope it gets better. If it doesn’t … maybe find a new doctor?”
Wyatt clears his throat and changes the subject before my family combusts—since Cora’s husband is her doctor. “I don’t want to leave, sweetheart.”
I squeeze his hand. “Don’t worry. You explained things are going down. You need to be there. Go, sweetheart. I’ll be okay.” His eyes search my face, then he turns to the last man standing near the doorway.
Pie.
This is my first time seeing him—and wow.
Pie is big. Not sloppy big. Solid. Broad shoulders, thick arms, dark hair cut short, eyes sharp and amused like he’s constantly one insult away from violence or laughter. He looks like someone who could be dangerous but chooses to be entertained instead.
Wyatt says, “You stay. Watch my family. Make sure no one—”
His eyes flick to Chip. “—touches my woman.”
Pie nods once. “You got it, man.”
I stand, kiss Wyatt, press my hand over his heart. “Please stay safe.”
He smiles, soft and sure. “Baby, I finally have what I’ve always wanted. I’m not giving it up. Trust me.”
“I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you too,” he responds at once, making my heart run away with me.
“What about me?” Caleb pipes up. “Do you love me too?”
I bend down instantly as Caleb comes running toward me. “Caleb, I love you with my whole heart.”
He bursts into tears and hugs me so tight it steals my breath. My family stares. My mom blinks.
“When did you two meet again?” My mother—who expects me to call her Robin, so I don’t age her in public—asks confused.
I laugh. “Years ago,” I joke. That makes Wyatt laugh. I tell Caleb he can take his new family into the family room and play video games. He hugs me harder, then leaves.
The second Caleb walks away, Cora strikes.
“I can’t believe you’re dating a biker, Gwendolyn. Kevin begged you to come back. That diamond he offered was almost as big as mine,” she murmurs, her gaze on her own ring and not on the angry bikers whose negative energy are filling the room.
Wyatt growls, “Who the fuck is Kevin?”
“He’s nobody,” I answer with a sigh. I’m going to kill my sister. I don’t think any court in the country would convict me at this point.
“He’s her ex,” Cora says smugly. “A doctor. You just caught her on the rebound. She and Kevin were deeply in love.”
“Oh, please. The only person Kevin has ever been in love with is his reflection in the mirror.”
“Now, sister. You know he was devoted to you—still is from what I hear.”
“Cora, stop it. I’m in love with Wyatt. Besides, I wouldn’t take Dr. Dickhead back if he were served on a platter,” I say sweetly. “He’s a narcissistic asshole not fit to lick Wyatt’s boots.”
Wyatt grumbles. “Damn it, Gwen. Keep talking like that, and I’m not leaving.”
I kiss his cheek. “Go. You explained what was going on last night. This is something we need to do for Caleb. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay,” he says. “But I don’t like it.”
“Understood,” I murmur. “You can make it up to me later.”
“I will, I promise,” he says with a dirty grin. He bends down to pet Buddy. “You take care of your momma and watch Pie’s back,” he orders, Buddy. Buddy barks as if he understands him and then goes and takes up sentry duty beside Pie’s feet once the man sits down at the table.
Cora keeps going on about Dr. Dickhead—but thankfully stops when Pie sits down. I grab a beer, clean plate, and silverware from the kitchen and bring them to Pie. “Here you go. Um … what’s your name?”
“They call me Pie,” he says. “But you can call me Ash.”
“Hey, Ash. I’m Gwen.”
“Not Gwendolyn?” he asks with a smirk.
I cringe. “Absolutely not.”
My mother is not amused. “Gwendolyn is a beautiful name.”
“It’s a doctor’s wife's name,” Cora says dryly. “Not a biker’s.”
“I believe Prez is more interested in the person Gwen is than her name,” Ash says, making me smile.
“Whatever,” Cora huffs. “Why on earth do they call you Pie? Is it because you eat too many of them? I imagine that’s why you’re overweight.”
“Cora! Stop it. I’m sorry, Ash.”
He shrugs. Don’t worry about it. He uses his hands to grab a piece of ham off his plate and tears into it while appraising my sister. “My name is Ashford Wentworth the Third, of the Chicago Wentworths. Perhaps you’ve heard of me.”
“There’s no way,” Cora denies at once.
“Really?” my mother asks, with dollar signs in her eyes. I have no idea if Ash is telling the truth, but the Wentworths are billionaires. They are tech giants that are centered in Chicago but have offices all over the country.
“You’re lying,” Cora snaps.
“Not according to my birth certificate. I also got the name Pie from my love of eating pussy,” he says with a wink.
“Oh my God.”
Chip stands up immediately. “I think it’s time we leave.”
Ash looks over at Chip, shaking his head. “You don’t have to run off. There’s no need to feel intimidated. I wouldn’t touch your old lady even if I was told I’d have to eat her out just to save my life.”
I wince. “Um … Ash …”
“That said, dude. She’s supposed to be your woman. You must like her because you seem intent on fathering your own football team with her. That means she deserves better than some limp-dick asshole who keeps staring at her sister’s tits and salivating. Do better, fuckhead.”
Cora just stares at him, seemingly unable to say a word she’s so shocked. Eventually, she finds her voice when it’s clear Chip has nothing to say. In fact, Chip looks pale and is sitting back down. “I wouldn’t let you near me.”
“We both know you would, Cora. You’re just like every other uptight bitch I’ve ever known. You’d lift that fancy dress of yours the minute I ordered you to. You’re dying for a taste of the wild side.”
“I would not,” she huffs.
“Babe,” he says, shaking his head. “Go ahead and deny it, but you would. You’d even let your husband watch and get off on it.”
“I would not!” she practically screeches.
“Why are your nipples so hard they’re about to break through that dress you're wearing, then? You’re obviously turned on—or are they plastic like the rest of you?”
“Okay, I think it’s time we stop this. How about we all retire into the living room and let Ash finish eating?” I suggest, wanting to end this without further bloodshed.
“I think I’m ready to go home, and for your information, Mr. Wentworth—if that’s even your name—it’s cold in here and I wouldn’t let you touch me with a ten-foot pole.”
“That’s good because I don’t know what the hell is going on in your head, but what the hell are you doing to yourself? You might have a shit personality, but you’re damn pretty. You sure as hell don’t need to be pumping your body full of plastic and shit.”
I stand up with a sigh. “On that note, we’re going to call a truce, and check on the kids.
Cora, let’s go, okay?” She nods, not looking away from Ash for a minute, but eventually lets me lead her away.
From my peripheral vision, I see Pie look at Cora’s husband and shake his head.
“Seriously, man, stop looking at Gwen’s ass.
You’re ruining my dinner.” I feel Cora’s body jerk, letting me know she heard Ash.
Then I hear Ash’s voice drop to a purr. “I can see where your girls got their good looks.”
“Oh God, shoot me now,” I whisper, as I hear my mother let out a little giggle.
I hurry and lead Gwen out of the room. God, if Ash sleeps with my mother, I’m going to kill him and Wyatt. I shudder at the thought as I try to concentrate on helping my sister and just surviving tonight.
Right now, that’s a tall order.