Chapter 31
Rogue
Rebel claps a hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “Nervous?”
“Why would I be?” Just because I almost jumped out of my skin when he touched me doesn’t mean I’m nervous. The fact that I haven’t finished my vows… that’s not a big deal, right?
That some people died and they’re probably buried in the pit today… I shouldn’t worry about that ruining our day at all. Or that there’s a man with a bullet wound—a man the Heart brothers like less than they did Rebel—on the property.
It’s all chill. Even if we still don’t know who is stalking Riot. Or how Dizzy is. Or whether the agent is onto the fact that we’re hiding something about what happened in the cabin last night. “Have you seen Agent Lane?”
“No, I haven’t,” Rebel glances about. “But if it will put your mind at ease, I’ll go find him.”
“That would be great.”
“Sure. What else is your best man for?”
“Hopefully, making sure I don’t choke on my vows and totally screw up the day,” I say.
“I promise it’s all going to go smoothly.” He squeezes my shoulder again. Claps me on the back once. “But seriously. This isn’t middle school algebra. I can’t do your homework for you.”
“Hilarious.” I brush him off.
He laughs as he walks off to find Agent Lane.
The next twenty minutes is spent talking to the guests who are starting to congregate on the lawn for breakfast until it’s time to get ready.
Then I find a table and pull out my notepad and pencil so I can work on my vows.
I’ve written so many pages and crossed a lot out.
Nothing seems to perfectly encompass the way I feel about Ivy and our love.
A buzz overhead catches my attention. I glance around the sky for a drone, but there’s none as far as I can see. Must be a bug. I spot Riot and Kelsey mingling. They seem to be giving each other an overly wide berth.
Riot comes toward me. He smiles, but it doesn’t seem like his heart is in it. “Everything good?”
He glances over his shoulder at Kelsey and winces. “Yes, nothing to worry about.”
Somehow I don’t believe him.
“I wanted to let you know that Agent Lane sent me a text. He said he didn’t think there was any sign of my stalker having followed us to the ranch.
And that he was going to make sure the relevant people were informed of the corruption in the Devil’s Bend Sheriff’s Office while he is at the Kansas field office this morning. ”
“What about Dizzy?” Because some good news for Ivy would really make my day but expecting an agent to just drop the idea that a dangerous serial killer is hiding out here… that doesn’t seem likely.
“Oh, right.” He rubs his temples. Mutters something about this fucking migraine and then comes back to the topic. “Apparently Kyle killed the goat?”
Rebel who has come back, drops into the seat next to him. He leans on the table and talks low, “The florist. But close enough.”
Riot grows wide-eyed. “You’re going to have to fill me in.
But anyway, since it wasn’t Lily Hawthorne, and there is absolutely nothing to tie Lily Hawthorne to the Hearts or Heart Ranch he believes there might have been a mistake.
He’s going to run the prints again. Who knows…
by the time he realizes that he wasn’t wrong West and Dizzy probably won’t be here. ”
“I really hope that’s the case.”
“The agent is gone?” Rebel frowns.
“For now.” Riot takes out his tin. “I need to smoke for this headache. I drank, but not enough to feel this shit.”
“You’re just a lightweight.” Rebel winks at me.
“No.” He shakes his head and groans. “But I was performing with Sonatina last night. I kept the drinking to only four glasses of champagne. The light out here is seriously blinding.”
“Go on. Git.” I need him at the top of the aisle with me and Rebel. Even if that means he needs to toke a little medication first.
He lumbers to his feet and strides past the crowd, until he runs into West who is standing on the fringe. He stretches out an arm in our direction as they exchange words, then disappears behind the barn.
“He’s probably stressed with Kelsey and Sonatina at each other,” Rebel says.
My phone chimes multiple times.
Adira has been sending me secret teaser photos of my beautiful fiancée getting ready.
She’s currently getting her long caramel hair braided loosely to one side.
Sultry white lingerie is hinted at by the filmy robe she’s wearing over top.
Damn, she is beautiful. I’d break wedding day rules for a closer look at the bra, panties, and suspenders she’s wearing.
A wide belt wraps around her waist, tied at the back in a crisscross pattern completes perfection.
Staying seated and engaging in conversation with my brothers instead of seeking her out takes supreme effort.
Her face is lit up with happiness. She’s serene. Smiling. Unworried. That’s a look I would do anything to get used to. I will never take it for granted.
Ivy has forwarded me a message from the women’s correctional facility. My jaw drops as West takes a seat across from me and opposite Rebel.
Nicole is dead.
“Did you hear? The agent left,” Rebel tells him. “He thinks there was a mistake with the fingerprinting.”
“Hmm.” West says, like he’s suspicious.
Nicole is no longer a problem for us. There will be no more people crawling out of the shadows to try and hurt us. There’s no chance of her ever being free again.
“How’s the patient?” Rebel asks him.
“Resting. He probably won’t be up and about for a few days, but as long as Owen and Storm don’t kill him, and keep the wound clean, he should recover.”
“And Dizzy? Is she feeling better?” Rebel asks.
"She'll need to rest for a few days," West says. "We'll be taking our leave after the ceremony."
I take in the two men opposite me. One who looks identical. The other same-same, but different. Who would do anything for their women. Including accompanying a bunch of murderous Hearts into a gun fight.
And…
“Nicole Hawthorne is dead.” I watch both of them closely. Rebel’s face is easy to read. His lips part on a breath and he blinks several times before what I said sinks in.
West on the other hand… unblinking, unaffected, knowing.
“We’re not going to talk about it.” I have no interest in the details. At least not on this day. He did what had to be done as far as I am concerned. I won’t be turning him in any more than I will Dizzy. But I also don’t want to think about what that means. “How is Dizzy?”
“She’s improving faster than I expected.
I still had to sedate her this morning, but she wanted to come up to the house.
” He smiles. “She wanted to sit with Ivy while the girls got ready. I can’t believe I’m saying this but having her sister in her life…
in her corner… it’s what she needs. Normally, I have to keep her sedated for weeks on end, but this time she seems stronger. ”
“And you? Is having brothers good for you?” I ask.
“You’re okay.” West smirks as he sits back and clasps his hands behind his head so he can stretch. He takes in me and Rebel. “I guess.”
“One day you’ll admit you actually like us,” Rebel says.
“But then I’ll have to kill you,” he says with a straight face as he gets up from his chair.
Rebel and I exchange glances. Is he serious? He damn well could be.
He flashes a grin and stalks off.
“It’s going to be a while before I forget he was raised a Hawthorne,” Rebel says.
“I am planning on never forgetting it.” I tuck away my notepad. I need to find somewhere quiet and alone to finish up my vows. I stand and push in my chair. “I need you to do something for me.”
Rebel squints at me. “I already told you I’m not writing your vows.”
“I need you to deliver Ivy’s wedding gift to her.”
“That I will do.” He matches me step-for-step as we leave the guests to the rest of their morning and go into the barn.
What Rebel doesn’t know is I had a best man gift custom made for him. It runs on a sensor and it’s about to go off. I’d had to double and triple check it was turned off because I was paranoid one of the staff would set it off, but this morning I came up and turned on the hidden switch.
I smile as we step into a section of the barn that is divided off as a small room for storage. Rebel is right behind me.
“Rebel might be the best man, but Rogue is the best twin. Squawk.”
Rebel turns into a statue. He turns to me.
The robotic bird goes off again. “Rebel might be the best man, but Rogue is the best husband.”
“I had it made before you stole my wedding.” I shrug. It has to be even more annoying now.
“What is this?” Rebel takes a step in my direction.
“Rebel might be the best man…. Nah, we all know it’s Rogue.”
“It’s your best man gift.” I can’t stop myself from laughing. It bursts out of me loud and proud. Until I’m wheezing and my eyes are watering.
Rebel remains stone faced. “I hope you don’t expect me to take that home with me.”
“I hope you know me better than that,” I retort as I pick up a sparkly silver box. “I’ve left specific instructions with Burke to pack it up and ship it to Summer after the wedding.”
He grumbles something that sounds a lot like fuck you.
“This is what I need you to take to Summer to give to Ivy.” I hold out the box to him.
The bird goes off in the background, but we both do our best to ignore it.
“And I mean Summer. If you see my bride before me that’s going to piss me off a lot more than you getting married at our rehearsal dinner. ”
“Yeah. I’m on it.” He takes the box and stalks out.
Now to find somewhere quiet to write these vows. I glance around the storage room. Actually, this might not be a bad spot.
“Rebel might be the best man, but Rogue is the best twin. Squawk.”
Maybe not.