There was a collective groan, which made me stifle another giggle.
Martha shot an acid look to her audience and took the microphone.
I noticed movement out the side of my eyes, turned that way, and saw Gabe assume his position with the Hot Guy Brigade.
And yep, there was that thrill again.
Ugh.
He was looking at me, and when he caught my eye, he jutted his chin, and his lips did a sexy little curl, taking his equally sexy beard with them.
My hoo-ha woke up with a purr.
Ugh!
He’s so scrummy, Dreamer cooed.
God made them that way to test us, Logic countered. And we will best the test, I vow it!
You are so not fun, Dreamer accused.
“Okay,” Martha began, regaining my attention. “As we all know, that ma?—”
Zach, standing close to her, elbowed her visibly and aggressively.
Martha loaded up another acid look and unleashed it at him before she cleared her throat, forgetting the microphone was close to her mouth, which was a rather unpleasant sound when it was amplified, and she continued.
“As we all know, Alexis’s…” she seemed to struggle for a word and settled on, “sire…”
“Sire?” Shanti whispered on an amused chuckle.
“…has refused to do his fatherly?—”
“Martha,” Bill bit.
I looked to Alexis.
She’d gone pale.
I turned to Jacob.
He’d gone homicidal.
Okay, what was up?
And if Martha fucked up whatever this was, Jacob might have to wait in line to kill her.
I grabbed Alexis’s hand as Martha started again.
“Okay, fuck it,” Martha spat. Then she got to it. “Alexis and Jacob are paying for their own wedding, and we all want them to have what they want without worrying about money, so we took a collection and…” She turned to the speaker, grabbed something off the top of it, strode to Alexis and shoved a fat, stuffed-full-of-cash envelope at her. “There it is. Seven thousand seven hundred and twenty-five dollars.”
Alexis gasped.
I gasped.
Slowly, Alexis took the envelope.
Martha then pulled a folded slip of paper out of her bra and thrust it Alexis’s way.
