Chapter 14 – Gabe
GABE
Jake and Eli have taken their places at the front of the stage, both looking comfortable in their long sleeve button-down shirts and black jeans.
It’s not what they had planned, but Avery wasn’t too upset over the guys not having tuxes.
I’m sure she would’ve felt differently if the girls hadn’t had their dresses here already.
They’ve been storing shit up in the playroom for weeks.
I know because Carter has complained just about every time he’s been here since it started.
The prospect plays music over the stereo, cuing everyone to the fact we’re about to start the wedding.
Kaylie comes around the corner all smiles in her pretty little flower girl dress, flinging rose petals into the air as she goes.
She turns to each person at the end of each row of chairs and tosses another handful.
Some land on the ground, but most land on people’s laps or in their hair, but no one cares.
Instead, they laugh and encourage her to throw more, higher each time.
She’s having a good time and looks cute doing it.
Lisa’s only had to wrangle Kaylie once to keep her moving down the aisle.
Carter follows right behind her with a pillow in his hands that has two rings tied with a ribbon.
He looks sharp in his black button-down with a red vest and tie, matching Declan with his hair slicked back and combed over to the side.
Carter tips his chin at Declan and his mama sitting in the second row.
His steps falter for a moment until Declan gives him a nod, probably to reassure him his mother is fine.
That boy is very protective of his mama, with good reason.
He thankfully trusts Declan to take care of her.
He rarely questions anything Declan says.
The music changes, and the women come down the stairs one at a time. Sadie comes down first. Her short red dress and heels make her appear nearly as tall as Hawk. She takes Hawk’s arm and they make their way down the aisle, smiling at everyone as they pass.
Skyler comes down next. Her dress is longer than Sadie’s and form-fitting at the top, flowing looser around her middle.
I heard her complaining about her still carrying a few pounds around the middle since Emily was born the other day.
I also heard Ethan threaten to tan her ass if she made another derogatory remark about his wife.
Skyler, taking Ethan’s arm, follows Sadie and Hawk’s path, splitting off at the front of the aisle.
I don’t know what I was expecting to see next coming down the stairs, but it wasn’t my woman looking like a fucking pin-up in her sexy as fuck full-length dress, showing off all her curves and way too much fucking skin for the likes of these assholes to see.
The plunging neckline of Linzie’s dress leaves little to the imagination.
The slit that stops mere inches from her waistline has me curious to know what, if anything, she’s got on under that thing?
“Jesus.” I mutter quietly, but she must’ve heard me because she’s glaring daggers my way. She looks about ready to claw my eyes out. “Put your claws away, Vixen. Unless you plan on scratching my back while I take you right here in front of everybody.” Her eyes widen with shock.
“Behave yourself, Gabriel. There won’t be any of that.”
“For now.” Her eyes narrow, and I know she wants to fire off some smartass response, but she won’t. Not here. Not now, with everyone watching and waiting for us.
She looks a little confused when she reaches the bottom step and she’s without a partner. “Where’s Declan?”
I step up, taking her hand and placing it through the crook of my elbow and whisper, “Declan is sitting with Violet. She’s too weak to stand for the ceremony, and he’s too protective to leave her side, so it looks like you’re stuck with me today.”
Linzie’s brows crease momentarily, but she doesn’t speak.
After a moment, she takes a deep breath and then nods her concession, and we begin our trek down the aisle.
“You look beautiful, baby.” I whisper so that only she can hear me.
She glances at me briefly, keeping her focus on the people at the front of the room.
When we get to the stage, she splits off to her side and stands behind Skyler, who whispers something, making Linzie blush.
I spin on my heels and head back to meet Avery at the foot of the stairs with Russ.
We both take one of Avery’s arms in ours and everyone in the room stands, watching and waiting. We walk slowly to the bridal march. Everyone is smiling and whispering about how beautiful Avery is as we pass. There are even a few sniffles in the crowd.
“You look beautiful, Avery,” Russ says. “Your mother would have loved to see you like this. I’m sure she’s watching down on you, smiling at how happy and loved you are.”
“Thank you, Gramps.” Avery sniffles.
We stop when we reach Jake and Eli standing front and center.
Jake’s face lights up when Avery steps forward to take his hand.
His eyes take in her white dress with crimson trim.
I wasn’t sure about the red rose patterned overlay with the long flowing train, but it’s what Avery wanted.
Now that I see it on her, it was the perfect choice.
Lifting Avery’s hand, Jake nudges her to spin around. She laughs but does as he asks. “Fucking gorgeous, Angel.” Avery blushes at his compliment.
“All right. Let’s get this show on the road,” Eli calls out to the room. “Who gives this woman away?”
“Her grandfather and I do,” I answer. “The way her mother would’ve wanted.” Avery smiles, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.
“Thank you, Daddy.” She kisses my cheek and then turns to Russ. “You too, Gramps.” She kisses him too. Jake takes her hand again and leads her to stand in front of Eli. Russ takes his seat, and I take my place behind Ethan.
Eli starts talking about the sanctity of marriage and the promises made between two people.
I tune him out after that last part and focus my attention on Linzie.
She’s listening so intently to every word Eli’s saying with a soft smile gracing her lips.
She seems genuinely invested in their wedding, almost as if she were the one about to exchange her vows.
Her eyes are glassy as she holds a fist to her chest, drawing my attention to that deep, plummeting neckline and the edge of fabric barely covering her nipples.
My mouth waters at the thought of tasting her, and my hand is twitching to spank her ass.
Her ass.
I wonder what she might have on under that dress. The slit is cut so high that if she moves just right, my brothers will all get a good look at those sexy satin panties she likes to wear.
If she’s wearing any.
Fuck me.
Eli goes on to say something else, and Jake and Avery exchange rings and repeat Eli’s words to one another.
Linzie bends her knee, and I get a good look at her black leather knee-high boots and her firm, tan thigh.
I know from experience how soft her skin is, how firm her muscles are, how hard she works to keep her figure in the amazing shape it’s in. She gives new meaning to the word sexy.
“You might wanna wipe your mouth, Pres.” Ethan throws quietly over his shoulder.
“Fuck you.”
Ethan chuckles. “I’m taking a stab in the dark here, Pres, but I’m pretty sure I’m not the one you want to be fucking right now.”
“Face the front and shut the hell up,” I bark, catching Hawk’s attention.
“Leave him be, Ethan. It must be hard standing there watching the woman you pushed away be not even a few feet across the room—looking fine as hell, by the way—and knowing all the other single men who are also locked in this clubhouse with her for the next couple of days are staring at her too,” Hawk says, quietly.
“Do you think she might give Eli a chance? They seemed pretty cozy in the kitchen together.”
“Don’t think because I’m not strapped now I won’t shoot your ass later,” I threaten.
“You would taint the memory of your daughter’s special day by spilling blood?” Hawk teases. “Pres, I’m disappointed.”
“For you,” I growl. “I just might make that exception. Keep talking, asshole, and we’ll both find out.”
When I look back at my daughter, it’s to see her biting her bottom lip with her cheeks slightly pink. Does she know what we’re talking about? Is this what the women were up to earlier? They set this shit up.
I narrow my eyes at Avery and watch as her blush deepens.
She gives a subtle lift of her shoulders.
The very essence of innocence. It’s all bullshit, and we both know it.
My daughter may have arrived in Oakridge completely innocent and na?ve to our way of life, but being Sadie’s best friend and hanging around this bunch of assholes has changed all of that.
Sadie may be the one with all the computer skills, but Avery can be sneaky as fuck when she wants to be.
It’s how she managed to leave the clubhouse grounds and get out of town before any of us knew about it.
It’s also what landed her ass in Cusenza’s warehouse and eventually in the hospital with a gunshot wound.
I shiver at the memory. Seeing Jake holding my baby girl in his arms in the SUV while she was bleeding and unconscious brought back a flood of memories from the night I held her mama for the last time.
Watching Maggie’s life drain away from her was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life.
Giving up my daughter was the second. So, the day she got herself shot and damn near killed, I made a vow to keep her sneaky ass under lock and key.
Marrying one of my brothers is actually pretty close to the same thing.
And now the little shit is looking at me like the cat that ate the canary, trying to keep a secret, but I know it was her and the girls who put Linzie up to wearing that sexy as sin outfit.
Just like they were the ones who went with her to the mall and helped her sneak my special Christmas tree into my office without me knowing about it.
They’re all in on this little plot to get me and Linzie together, which I will happily use to my advantage after all the miscommunication we’ve had going on between us.
What I won’t let slide is the way they put my woman on display for all my brothers to drool over.
Payback’s a bitch, and I’m their men’s president. What I say goes.
Jake kisses his bride, and Eli announces them to the clubhouse as Mr. and Mrs. Jacob MacKenzie. When they turn to face the room, Avery makes eye contact with me again, only this time when I smile back and raise my right eyebrow, her smile falters just a little. Then she mouths, “Love you, Daddy.”
“Love you too, but it’s not gonna save your ass this time.
” Avery lets out a loud, boisterous laugh, to which Jake frowns, looking around for the source.
I salute him with two fingers, and the wedding party begins to follow them back down the aisle, making their way into the dining area where everyone else will wait while we take pictures.