Kahoku watched it all in silence, and not just because I had shoved a gag in his mouth. His old eyes took it all in, countingone by one as his men were disposed of, until he was the only one left.
I squatted in front of him. “We didn’t have to become enemies,” I told him, slicing across the meaty parts of his arms, legs, and torso. He barely even flinched. I’d already removed my knife from his shoulder before loading him onto the boat, and it still bled.
Taking the tip of my blade, I etched Lu’s name on his chest. So there would never be a question why he had died when he faced whatever judgement waited in the afterlife. Pleased with my work, I stood.
Barnacle was struggling to drag the final weight onto the edge of the boat. It was the heaviest, and he nearly dropped it before the twins could attach the rope. I’d have made him dive in after it, if he had.
Kahoku didn’t struggle as Tangaloa and Tommy lifted him to his feet. He held my gaze as the twins stripped him of his sarong and then tied the rope to his ankles. He was too calm for my liking, but if he’s already made peace with his demise, who was I to judge?
Once he’s secure, I stepped forward and cut the cloth gag from his mouth. “But honestly,” I said in an even voice, “I’m kind of glad we did. Don’t get me wrong—I’m extremely pissed about the way you went about it, but this is a hell of a lot better of a bachelor party than Tangaloa ever could have come up with.”
My ex-brother-in-law snorted. “You’re such a dick, Aloiki.”
He wasn’t wrong. I gave Kahoku a flippant two-fingered wave and then pushed him off the side of the boat.
Chapter Two
Aloiki
The sunstill hadn’t risen yet when we reentered Bacon’s house. I was not surprised to see he waited up for us. He was American, born and bred in Alaska. Tall and heavily muscled, Bacon had light skin with dark hair. His woman, Holly, was over a foot shorter than him with short, cropped hair. They’re talking together in the corner of the living room, their heads close enough together to hint at an intimate conversation. Holly sat on the sex swing—fully clothed—that they had bolted in the corner while Bacon stood over her. Their hands were linked on Holly’s lap.
I didn’t see Holly smile a lot, and the one she had on now lightened her aquamarine eyes in the dim overhead lighting.
What did surprised me was finding Lu in their large kitchen. Open to the living room and separated only by a long serving island, the room also had a bar that looked like it belonged in a speakeasy.
I frowned at Bacon when he turned at the sound of Tangaloa and I entering his house. Lu had her back to us as she used the stovetop. From the smell, she was cookingahi, or tuna fish. Most of the windows were open, along with the back patio doors,allowing the night ocean breeze to waft through the large home. But I could still catch the scent of something burning.
The expression Bacon gave me clearly showed his own frustration at Lu being out of bed at this hour. I didn’t doubt my SAA had tried to encourage her back to bed, but I also knew how stubborn mywahinewas. Short of lifting her up and tossing her back inside our room, there was little Bacon could have done if he wanted to live through the night.
After kissing Holly on the forehead, he crossed the living room to approach us. Tangaloa lifted his chin to indicate he was heading upstairs. Both of us had taken a dip in the sea to clean off the blood and whatever else coated us. Tommy also bandaged my arm where I’d caught some spray from the buckshot. Thankfully, the wounds were not deep.
I nodded to my brother as he headed past. He offered a shaka over his shoulder. He’d been awake longer than I had since he had an arms delivery last night, so he was beyond beat.
“Is it done?” Bacon asked, his voice low. I didn’t doubt that he told Holly everything, but at least he was smart enough to keep up the illusion of club business and the secrets that were supposed to be kept between members only. Lu was the exception because she wasmyexception.
“It’s done,” I confirmed. I didn’t need to add that it had been done bloody. He knew me well enough by now to know that was a given. “Why is mywahineout of bed?” She was very much asleep when I left her earlier in the night.
Bacon shrugged, a little too nonchalantly. “I offered to cook for her, but she insisted. I think she wanted to wait up for you. Holly and I kept an eye on her without hovering. She didn’t seem in a talking mood.”
I wondered if my son was kicking again. If his activity in the womb was any indication, he was going to be a rambunctious one. Then again, he was half Lu, so I didn’t really expectanything different. I would soon going to have my hands full with the both of them.
As much as I didn’t like Lu being up like this cooking, I could recognize her need to see that I was alive and well once home. I didn’t like worrying her, especially not in her delicate state. She would sleep better now, knowing that the man who had shot up our home was fish food. We’d left Barnacle behind on the boat once we’d docked, to clean up and dispose of the clothing and possessions we’d removed from the men tonight.
Without saying another word to Bacon, I headed into the kitchen area. The island was wide, offering an eating counter on one side with plenty of cooking space leftover. It had two sinks, one in the island and the other against the wall. The massive refrigerator/freezer combo was far too technological for my tastes. I couldn’t stand it when my phone reminded me of things. I didnotneed a smart screen on my fridge telling me I was running low on carrots or milk. Neo likely had an orgasm the first time they saw it.
Some men liked to see their women wearing their clothing. Personally, I hated clothing, on me and especially on Lu. Whatever modesty she’d had as a young woman was lost as soon as she met me. I might not share her with other men anymore, but I sure as hell had no issue showing off her body to anyone around us. Let them see what I had, what they would never have, and only I could touch.
I never wanted kids. I’d been adamant about it for years, and did everything short of getting a vasectomy to ensure I would not father a child.
Then Lu came back into my life. I could argue that I believed she was on birth control when I took her unprotected multiple times. The truth was, though, I simply hadn’t cared. As soon as I saw her again, I claimed her, and what happened after didn’t matter. When I discovered she was pregnant, there’d been nodoubt, no anger on my part. Any other woman, and yeah, I would have been fucking pissed. I might have even driven her to the abortion clinic myself. But Lu? Fuck, it was like a curtain lifted.
And I may have discovered a new kink along the way, because pregnancy sex was fuckingincredible. I thought Lu was insatiable before? But it was nothing compared to now. I was her sex toy, ready and willing at her command.
Better yet, she wasmine.
I approached her from behind. Vegetables, both sliced and whole, were scattered across the island counter, along with a giant punch bowl full of salad fixings. A smaller bowl held what looked like a dressing, though I couldn’t identify it. Lu wasn’tthatgood of a cook, so I wasn’t even sure if she knew what she’d created.
She wore a long white shirt to cover her body. I had never hated anything more than I did that shirt. She should be naked for me, always.
