Chapter 14
Rogue
“Baby?” I stick my head into the bedroom. Ivy is sitting on the end of the bed, staying close while her sister sleeps.
Dizzy, or Lily, or whoever she will be when she wakes up looks peaceful in her sedated state. One could almost be fooled into believing that she isn’t the danger that we know she is.
I can’t believe Ivy isn’t taking the fact that Dizzy killed Alec—and the way she killed him—seriously.
She glances up from the sketch she’s drawing on a notepad she must have found in here. The pencil hovers above a page filled with new dress designs. I’m used to her lighting up when she sees me, but that doesn’t happen this time. “What is it?”
“Can you come talk to me?” We’ve had our fair share of arguments. More of them in the last two days than I thought we would have this close to our wedding. “I don’t want to wake her up.”
“That depends.” Putting down the notepad on the bed, she uncrosses her legs. “Have you come to apologize?”
I only want to protect her. Keep her safe and loved.
Everything I do is to protect and love her.
Do I want to have to keep her safe from her own flesh and blood?
Not particularly. But what other choice do I have when the girl literally took the man’s eyes and carved him up with a blade.
Never mind what she did to his junk. The copy of the initial findings I managed to bribe from the coroner’s office was eye opening.
And here I thought my biggest worry was going to be writing my vows.
I vow to love you every day for the rest of my life.
In sickness, health, and through your sister being a psychopath who will probably slit my throat when we have a fight that sends you to stay with her.
I promise to spend the rest of my life worrying that at some point your sister’s obsession with you will take a turn that will end with me dickless, and you dead.
It doesn’t really pass the vibe check. “Can we talk about this in private?”
She walks toward me with her hands tucked into her armpits. “I can’t leave her. West said not to let her out of my sight under any circumstance.”
Because she’s dangerous. He seems to be able to handle the woman, and he can still recognize that she shouldn’t be left to her own devices. “You’re really going to be angry at me for worrying about your safety?”
“I already told you; she’s not dangerous to me.”
“I don’t want to argue about it.” I’m not going to convince her that she should be more wary.
And I’m not going to force her to make choices she doesn’t want to.
But I can’t pretend that Dizzy isn’t a vicious little psycho.
I won’t stop being wary enough for the both of us. “I’m not going to apologize either.”
“What does that mean for us?” Worry clouds her gaze. “If we can’t move past—"
“We’ll work it out.” I snag her waist and pull her into a bear hug. I bury my nose in her hair as she curves into me. “The way we’ll work out every fight we’ll ever have. Together.”
“I love you.” She grabs my face and desperately seeks out my kiss. I’m hungry for her too. My tongue delves between her lips and claims the soft recesses of her mouth while she presses and clings and climbs.
I have her legs around my waist and her back jammed to the doorway with her very first whimper. My scalp stings where she’s pulling on strands of my hair. Trying to get closer. Feel more. Because fighting means there’s space between us and that won’t fucking do.
My hands find the bare flesh on the back of her thighs as I grind between her legs.
“Oh my God.” She gasps, her breath racing along with the pulse point in her neck that I’m nipping with my teeth. “Rogue, we can’t. I have to keep an eye on her.”
With a sigh I let her slide down my body. “Actually, you need to attend your bridal shower.”
“We’re in the air.” She looks at me confused.
We’ve still got two and a half hours left on this flight, but that doesn’t change the fact that Ivy is a bride, and she should be enjoying being one.
I won’t let Nicole ruin everything for her.
“Adira and I decided you should be able to attend, even if that’s via a video call.
I’ve set it up for you on the screen in the main cabin. ”
“I…” She glances over her shoulder at the fragile woman in the bed. “I can’t.”
“I’ll sit with Lily.” I place a kiss on her forehead. “And if she wakes, I’ll come and get you. Go.”
She leans up and kisses me again. “Thank you.”
With a bounce in her step, she goes into the main cabin. She curls her legs under her in one of the huge leather seats that can convert into a bed and joins her friends for her bridal shower.
“Hey, Love,” Adira’s voice reaches me as I drag a chair into the doorway so I can watch Lily while appreciating my bride’s joy, while still giving her the appearance of privacy.
She giggles and claps while the other women make wedding dresses from toilet paper. She gushes about how awesome they all are and insists that she can’t pick a winner.
My phone buzzes as a new message comes into the “bros before psychos” group chat.
Rebel: We’re setting a trap that should flush out Nicole’s quarry. Hopefully by tonight we’ll have one less problem to deal with.
Rebel: What time does your flight arrive? West is antsy.
West: Antsy is not the word I would use.
West: I asked him to find out your ETA. Why is that so difficult for you, brother?
Rogue: Look at you two bonding. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. But seriously, what’s the plan?
Rebel: Ivy and Dizzy are not the only women on Nicole’s revenge list from what we can tell.
Rogue: Ro?
Rebel: She was run off the road yesterday.
Rogue: How did we miss that?
Rebel: Dead goat.
Rogue: Keep me updated. I want to give my bride good news for a change.
Ivy is judging the how well do you know the bride game when I put my phone down. Adira is the winner, which isn’t surprising. I’m the only one who could give the queen competition on the topic of my baby.
Eventually the women settle down. Adira starts unwrapping the gifts while Summer makes a list so Ivy can write thank you cards later.
There are monogrammed pajamas from Kelsey.
A robe and bag with Mrs. on it from Summer.
Spa vouchers from Bianca. Thank God.
I’ve been worried about what drama Bianca might unleash after last night’s history lesson.
“And from the only man at this women and queens only event… These are from Ben.” Adira unwraps a pair of coffee cups and a voucher from the café at the college where Ivy and I had our first non-date date. While I was still chasing Uma, unaware that they were one and the same.
I still get Kia to pick up her flavor syrups there.
Summer writes the gift down next to his name. The camera pans to him, and he wiggles his fingers at Ivy.
“That’s so thoughtful, Ben.”
He smiles. “You’re welcome.”
“My turn.” Adira claps his hands high above his head.
The room hushes as he takes one end of the black ribbon wrapped around an expensive looking blush colored box. “You’ll have to tell Rogue that I expect the thank you card for this one to be written in his handwriting.”
“Oh no,” Ivy groans. “What have you done?”
“Marriage isn’t just about vowing to love one another forever. It’s about actually loving one another forever.” He bats his thick, fake lashes. “And by that, I mean intimacy and keeping that gorgeous man of yours obsessed with getting in your panties.”
“Oh God.” Ivy buries her burning cheeks in her hands while the others in the room tease her.
The velvety, black ribbon around his finger lengthens as the knot loosens. It comes loose and he casually tosses it with the other wrappings before removing the lid from a box full of thin pink tissue paper. He carefully pushes the paper to both sides to reveal a seductive collection of lingerie.
He pulls each piece out of the box and lifts them up for Ivy to see. Sheer, lacy bits of nothing and floss that my baby will make look delectable and I’ll have to refrain myself from ripping right through.
And then he pulls out a thin bit of gold chain, and I about have a heart attack imagining the way it will wrap around her body; a decorative ribbon that will hide nothing. “Fucking hell.”
Ivy glances over her shoulder, her eyes wide.
Adira laughs. “He likes it.”
“You’ll be getting that handwritten thank you note from me,” I tell him as I walk over to Ivy and kiss her on the top of the head. “Sorry, for interrupting.”
She takes my hand and pumps it. “Love you.”
“Okay, shoo.” Adira waves me away. “We haven’t finished.”
“Don’t stop on my account.” I grab a bottle of water before going back to my seat in the doorway. Lily is still under.
“Who is next?” Adira asks as he hooks a finger around the handle of a gift bag and draws it to him.
“That will be mine.” One of the queens raises his hand.
Adira untacks the sticky tape holding the two sides of the bag together and peeks inside. “Oh. You lucky girl, Love.”
He reaches inside and pulls out a box.
I choke on my water when I see the picture on the box is of a remote-controlled vibrator.
My gaze goes to Ivy. We have a few sex toys; a collection we started while we were finding our way back to each other while she was suffering amnesia after Alec almost killed her.
If the queens keep this up, I’m going to need a cold shower.
Ivy gets progressively more awkward and embarrassed with each gift from the queens. By the time they unbox the giant rainbow dildo that Yvanna Bey Yaluva brought and start tossing it back and forth between them, it’s all out chaos.
Amongst the madness, a whimper from the bed catches my attention. Standing, I go into the bedroom to check on Lily.
Her eyes are partial slits, and she grabs my hand when I near. “Henry?”
I don’t know what to say to her.
She thrashes her head from side to side. “Henry, don’t make me go back. Please, Henry. I can’t—”
She sounds terrified. Fragile. And so young. It’s hard to see Dizzy in the girl on the bed.
Lily starts to sob. Tears squeeze from the corners of her eyes as they close properly. The pain etched into her face melts away as her sleep state deepens.
“Is she okay?” Ivy comes into the room.
Perhaps it was a nightmare she couldn’t wake from because of the sedative. Or a sleep terror of a sort. “I think so.”
“West will know how to handle her,” Ivy says. “He’s good with her. The sooner we get her back to him the better.”
“I’ll call him to come to us when we land.” Leaving the bedside, I walk over and take my seat again. I take her hand and bring her to straddle my lap. “Shower over? Did you have fun?”
“So much.” Her arms go around my neck.
“The lingerie and toys got me hot and bothered. I can’t wait to see you in nothing but that chain playsuit.” I crook a finger into the front of her dress to command her closer. “Wrapping my hand around it and pulling you in for a kiss.”
I claim her lips in a devouring kiss that steals her breath before skimming her cheek to tickle her ear. “While you ride my cock.”
Her hips roll, dragging her pussy over my hardness. “Rogue.”
“I know.” I relax back, allowing my hands to fall and settle at her hips. I can’t do anything about the way she has me feeling since we’re keeping an eye on Lily like we promised West we would.
She topples against my chest and kisses me hard. “Maybe we could…”
My phone buzzes with another message. Lily whimpers.
Ivy slides off my lap and rushes toward her sister while I pick up my phone to another message in the “bros before psychos” group.
West: Seriously! E-fucking-TA?!?!
Rogue: Keep your panties on. We’ll land in another hour-forty.
Rebel: Anyone else think it’s strange Riot isn’t commenting?
West: He’s probably with Kelsey.
Rebel: No, she’s with Summer. They’re still trying to find a baker within a couple hours’ drive who will bake a cake by tomorrow.
Rogue: Well, go find him. We don’t have time for one more thing to go wrong.
Rebel: Adira says he was fixing the sound system. We should check the barn.
West: It’ll have to wait. Looks like it’s showtime.
Rogue: Keep me apprised.
West: You’ll be apprised of my foot up your ass if I don’t hear from you the minute you touch down.
“Lily is still under.” Ivy drops into my lap as I put my phone away.
“I hate seeing her like this. She doesn’t know who I am.
Or if she can trust us. I don’t want to say it, but if she doesn’t revert back to Dizzy soon, I don’t think I can expect her to be my bridesmaid.
Even if Dizzy will be upset about that when we get her back. ”
“I’m sorry, baby.” I nuzzle her neck. I want her to have her perfect day, but so far everything has been a clusterfuck. Let’s hope our luck is about to change.