I made a beeline for Rosa and Isla who were at the bar getting themselves a drink. The place was jumping, the atmosphere full of fun and camaraderie.
“Hey gorgeous,” Rosa hugged me. “Hudson’s home I see.”
“Don’tyoustart,” I groaned and grabbed the beer Isla was holding out to me.
“Can’t help it, it’s so good to see you both happy.”
I couldn’t stop the smile stretching across my face. I was happy. Immensely so after we’d put all the shit behind us. It helped we were living away from the clubhouse. I made a face as a club girl, the one who kept making eyes at Hudson every time she saw him, strutted across the patio in heels so ridiculous I wondered how she hadn’t turned an ankle.
“You look like you’re about to kill her,” Isla nudged me.
“That’s one thing I actually miss about Lily,” I said, drawing both their eyes in shock. “Too soon?” I asked. They both gauged whether I meant it or not but Rosa eventually breathed out a laugh.
“I mean, she did keep them in line,” Isla laughed. “Maybe you should take over the role, Wave.”
“If I took over the role they’d all be gone,” I deadpanned, and the two women laughed.
We went to grab a seat and Rosa briefly brought up Andrew. She told me the FBI were charging him with corporate fraud. I filled them in on what Warren told me too. Rosa was beaming at the news. There was also a lot of momentum on the civil case being brought against him, he was, quite literally, losing everything we’d set out to take from him.
I people watched while Rosa and Isla chatted about things going on in their lives. Dad was over with Dirt and Ballistic, close to the grill, drinking beers that the new Prospect kept supplying them with.
He would never let on, and none of the brothers mentioned it, but he was still recovering from the gunshot and wasn’t as active as he had been before. He seemed okay and although we had a strained relationship again, he’d still not forgiven me for sneaking into that car, things were better. We at least talked, he didn’t disappear as soon as I entered a room, and he was taking an interest in my plan for opening the gym in town.
Guys were grabbing girls where they could, Bladelooked like he was undoing his zipper when another guy slapped his hand and pointedaway from the area, saying something to him. Was he actually telling him to take it elsewhere? I stifled a laugh at the thought. My disdain was rubbing off on the brothers. I hadn’t exactly hidden it or my threatening looks at that blonde bitch. Since Smokey and Jolene left, and with Tanya gone, a new batch of ‘pussy’ had been brought in from their strip clubs.
It was gross. I’d never be able to change the clubs view on them.
My mouth dropped open when I spotted Cassie. She was with Mace, and she had her hand on his forearm, laughing. He was definitely eyeing her up. Holy shit. I nudged Rosa and pointed. She looked over and her eyes narrowed. As easy going as Rosa was, she still wasn’t fully on board with the Kingsmen joining us. And clearly, seeing her daughter sidling up to their Prez was not impressing her.
I looked about again for Handlebar, he was still with Hudson. Raptor and Felix had joined them. He was laughing but as he glanced around and saw what was going on, his smile slipped, his jaw went tight. I knew it. He turned away from the sight and his eyes collided with mine. I gave him a knowing look, but his face went blank until he got back to his conversation, never letting on what he thought.
My focus moved to Hudson, he tipped his head back and laughed loudly before taking a big gulp of his beer. It made me smile looking at him, especially seeing him like this. It was very different from the guy he had been when I first came back to New Jersey. I searched all around the patio for my brother again, expecting him to want to go see Hudson, but I couldn’t find him.
“Has anyone seen Warren?” I asked the girls but they both shook their head.
Rosa’s look lingered on me. We’d spent more time together, talking about Delaney, looking at more pictures. She was able to tell me stories without me getting upset now. Warren still hadn’t asked anything about our mom.
“Oh, there he is,” Isla pointed. “Looks like he’s occupied,” she said with a suggestive laugh. “I was convinced he had a girl he hadn’t told anyone about, he was always sneaking off to be with someone.”
I sat up in my seat and looked away from her. I blew out a long hard breath as I watched Warren groping and kissing that blonde whore. Seriously? He’d told me he was bisexual but I’d never seen him with a woman, obviously he’d been with Connor a long timeso no one would see him with one. If he did this, there would be no going back. Connor would never forgive him. And I didn’t see any way for them to work things out.
I started to get up, but Rosa put her hand on my wrist and shook her head. She gave me a sad smile. I sat back down and watched in dismay as Warren got up and walked away towards the annex with the girl, my heart breaking for Connor. I was glad he wasn’t here, it would kill him to see this.
Hudson was watching him too, a look I could read all too well on his face, because it mirrored mine. It was fleeting and he went back to his conversation with the guys. I knew it bothered him, but he’d been hiding their relationship for so long, it was natural for him not to show his feelings.
The party went on, everyone enjoying themselves. King eventually got up and called everyone round him. He officially welcomed the new chapter to the fold and everyone was just drunk enough not to show any animosity, although the men were integrating fine. I thought Mace might say a few words, but he just nodded at King and then everyone around him.
Hudson found his way back to me a little while later and pulled me up, then onto his lap. He nuzzled his face into my neck, I could smell the beer on him, he wasn’t drunk but he was pleasantly tipsy.
“You having fun?” he asked me, a lazy grin on his face.
“Yeah,” I said, not wanting to bring him down talking about Warren and Connor. “You look happy.”
“I am,” he pulled me in tighter. He glanced up briefly as Isla and Rosa got up and moved away, Rosa with a wink that made me smile. “I have everything I want, right here,” he patted my ass.
“You’re such a romantic,” I drawled.
“You don’t want a romantic, Waverley,” he said seriously. “You want a guy who will challenge you, drive you nuts and fuck you into a coma.”
