It looked like someone had hit the pause button on Juno; she didn’t even blink, face completely frozen. Hell, I worried if she was even breathing.
“You’re fucking with me,” she rasped. “You’re not only getting married the same weekend but at the same damn church that we had planned forourwedding?”
“It was already paid for, Juno,” Stephanie admonished. “Please come. We want you there.” She turned a small smile to Eric. “We both need you there, your blessing of sorts.”
“Also, if I’m there, supporting you two, then everyone at home will think I approve, and so will they. I have to hand it to you, Eric. Your scheming ways to keep your public image intact are impressive.”
Eric scoffed. “I don’t know what you mean. You being there would be for us, June Bug.”
“She said to stop calling her that. Don’t make her repeat herself,” I stated. I lightly grasped Juno’s chin and turned herattention to me. “If you want to go, we all go. But if you don’t, then we don’t.” But I’d love to leave town for a few days and get her away from whatever the fuck danger was drawing closer and closer to us daily. “It’s your call.”
A full glass of clear carbonated liquid thumped to the tabletop. Juno’s hand shook as she wrapped her fingers around it and raised the thin straw to her lips.
“What did I miss?” West asked as he resumed his seat.
“They invited us to the wedding next weekend,” I said, watching Juno attempt to down the drink in one go. Clicking my tongue, I grabbed the glass from her hand and set it down in front of me. “You need to eat first.”
Her pout was as infuriating as it was cute.
“I love weddings.” West leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “What was your answer, sweet cheeks? Do I get to show you off, spin you around the dance floor, feed you cake, and then take you back to the hotel to give you a night the bride and groom only wish they could imagine?”
“That sounds tempting,” I murmured. Clasping the back of her neck, I gently massaged around her hairline with my thumb, attempting to ease some of the tension while studying her features for any sign of distress.
“It would mean a lot to me,” Stephanie begged.
Before Juno could respond, two plastic bags stuffed with to-go containers were plopped in the center of the table. Ches wiped both palms down the front of a grease-stained apron, gaze locked on Stephanie. For half a second, an expression I couldn’t read settled on his face, but when I tried to study it more closely, he grunted and turned, heading back toward the swinging kitchen door.
What the fuck was that about?It was almost the same type of malevolent expression her fiancé would give.
“I need to think about my answer,” Juno stated, slumping back against the chair. Using my hold on the back of her neck, I gently turned her to face me. “Can we go?” she implored, voice quivering.
That was all the approval I needed. Boot heels to the worn hardwood floor, I pushed back from the table and stood.
“We’re done here. Juno will let you know her answer when she’s ready, and not a damn second before that. I’m sure she knows how to reach both of you,” I stated, grabbing the bags off the table with one hand.
West stood from his chair and held out a hand to Juno, helping her out of the seat.
“Uh, we’re here for a couple of days,” Stephanie stammered as if shocked by our abrupt departure. “We thought we could all hang out or something, since it’s been so long.”
“Yeah, that’s a hard pass,” Juno huffed, but I saw the indecision on her face.
“You’re staying at The Nest, right?” I asked.
Eric sat up straighter and looped an arm around Stephanie’s shoulders. “Yes. Only the best for my Stephanie.”
Juno rolled her eyes so hard I was surprised it didn’t make a sound. There was the sass I was drawn to the last few months, each day needing another hit of the woman’s alluring attitude.
“Come on,” West said, tugging on Juno’s hand. “Let’s get you home.”
Gaze scanning every face of the thinning crowd, I followed Juno as West led her to the front door, but no one stood out as a threat or unfamiliar. After the incident at Calista and Hudson’s, the urgency to keep my family safe was an insistent itch under my skin I couldn’t scratch.
I needed to be more alert than ever. Which meant keeping the two most important people in my life close.
Though neither of them understood to what extent that meant just yet. I couldn’t help the growing smirk as I imagined Juno’s reaction once she realized what keeping her safe would entail.
There was no doubt she would push back at the extremes I was about to go to, and I couldn’t fucking wait.
18
