Oh, thank God.
I swing the door open just in time for Marley to hurl her heavy dress bag at me. She races past me down the hallway and into the bathroom.
“Geez, took you long enough!” she shouts from the toilet.
“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting anyone until 8. Why are you here so early?” I ask, walking her dress over to the window and hanging it from the curtain rod.
“I couldn’t sleep. And Blaze has been in a cranky mood the last few days. Keeps saying something about getting all this wedding crap over with. How romantic, right?”
I giggle at her and then walk over, wrapping her in a hug.
“You feeling okay? Today’s going to be amazing!” I pull back to make eye contact with her.
“Yeah, I’m okay—just slightly nauseous. I’m not going to lie, I’m nervous.” Tears swim in her eyes, but a huge grin forms on her face.
“Well, we can always make a run for it,” I joke. Marley slaps my arm and rolls her eyes.
“Never going to happen.”
We link arms and head into the kitchen, grabbing giant coffee cups from the cupboard and filling them to the brim. Thank God Marley taught me how to set the coffee to brew in the mornings. It’s the only thing that drags me out of bed.
Before we know it, the apartment is overflowing with bridesmaids, makeup and hairstylists, as well as family members. I’ve never been so happy for anyone like I am for Marley today. As I watch her laugh and enjoy her day, I can’t help but feel anxiety at the thought of seeing Axel. I’ve purposely avoided the clubhouse or anywhere I might run into him. I know I shouldn’t care this much, that he was never truly mine to begin with, but I can’t control the constant pull I feel toward him. Whenever I’m around him, I can’t stay away.
The last few months, Cal and I have been hanging out more, and he’s truly become one of my best friends. It’s easy to spend time with him. We talk about everything going on in my life, and he gives me all the details of his insane dating stories. That man is a perpetual bachelor, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to set him up on dates. Sometimes I wish it would have been him. He’s so easy to love. But when I think of Cal, my heart loves him as a friend—a brother. I take a deep breath and straighten my shoulders. I’m lucky to have this new set of friends that are quickly turning into family.
“Oh my God!” Marley’s mom’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
“What?” Marley asks, alarmed.
“The baker just texted and asked when we were picking up the cake. I forgot to put it in the contract that they would bring it to the venue.” She slaps her forehead with the palm of her hand.
“No need to worry,” I chime in. “I can just go and quickly pick up the cake and meet you all at the ceremony.”
“Are you sure? I can see if Blaze will have a prospect pick it up,” Marley says, looking thrown off by the situation.
“I’m already ready—no need to search around for someone. The bakery is nearby anyway.” I walk over to Marley and kiss her on the head. “You look beautiful, by the way. Relax and enjoy—I’ve got this handled!”
Marley mouths, “Thank you,” to me as I make my way out into the Arctic tundra.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
axel
I can hearmy phone buzzing, but all I want is for it to stop so I can go back to sleep. It’s dark in my room except for the light peeking out the top of my blackout curtains. I should get up, but I was up late last night, and I need a few more minutes to shut the world out. The annoying sound keeps going and seems egregiously loud in this silent room.
When the buzzing finally stops, I roll over and try to close my eyes again, basking in the silence. But of course, I can’t fall back asleep. Ever since Jenna left, I can’t sleep at night. Something about having her next to me brought a calm I haven’t been able to replace. I reach up, putting my hand behind my head and staring at the bare ceiling.
Fuck, I miss her.
The past four months have been hell. I pretty much go to the garage, get shit done for the club, and then come back here to pass out. Only to start it all again the next day. I still have a prospect tailing Jenna full-time; he keeps an eye on her, and it gives me peace of mind. With all the Reaper shit still going on, I can’t have her out there unprotected.
Although today, I had to pull Shiny from her detail. She’s with Marley all day anyway, so she’s covered. Blaze keeps tabson that woman like a psycho. But I guess that’s what love does to you.
Dragging myself out of bed, I head to the bathroom and turn on the shower, making sure the water is hot before stepping in. The last few months have been quiet with the club. Too quiet, if I’m being honest. After the fight at Tipsy, the Reapers have seemingly vanished. They haven’t even popped up creeping around town. Something’s up, and it’s leaving us all constantly checking our backs.
I close my eyes and lightly shake my head. This is what they want. They want us so fucking paranoid that we can’t even see their attack. That’s why I think today is a bad fucking idea. If we were smart, we’d have this wedding here in the compound. But Marley has to have the wedding at some fancy venue on the far end of town.
I’ve spent the last three days making sure we have proper security and prepping all of my men accordingly. Even with catching the club rat, I have a feeling we aren’t out of the woods yet. Tex, one of the newer prospects, had been caught making calls to a number in Reaper territory. When Ace traced the call, it led straight to the snake himself, Red. I had to put an end to the treachery, so I took him out like the rat he was. Just the thought of that motherfucker makes my blood boil. He put this club in danger. He put everyone in danger.
