Prologue
Fifteen months ago
The wedding march began.Smokey pushed himself to his feet with the rest of the guests and turned toward the doors at the rear of the hall.He didn’t want to be here, but his father had insisted.The Bussards had been friends with his family longer than either he or Tania had been alive.Smokey’s father insisted it would be an insult they couldn’t come back from if Smokey didn’t attend.
Only then did he realize that sitting in the back of the hall with the intent of having the worst view had failed.Now he had a front row seat to see Tania as the door opened and she started down the aisle to her new life.
One without him.
As the door opened, the sight of Tania in her white dress, which hugged her body, left no doubt she had curves in all the right places.Smokey knew the pearls around her neck had belonged to her mother; she’d told him long ago that she wanted to wear something old and something borrowed when she got married.He fought the urge to look at her face.He didn’t want to see how happy she was.Instead, Smokey glanced at her father standing beside her.He met the older man’s gaze and nodded.The other man nodded in greeting.Then it was time.
Arm in arm, Mr.Bussard escorted the only woman who had ever tempted Smokey into settling down with down the aisle.A wrenching pain in Smokey's chest made him gaze upon her face.She was staring back at him.The crystal blue eyes that had always enchanted him had widened, as if she couldn’t believe he was there.
Something passed through her eyes, but disappeared before he could identify it.He kept his eyes on her as Tania and Mr.Bussard slowly made their way past him and continued down the aisle.Once they’d passed, he pulled the flask from the inside pocket of his jacket and took a sip.The whiskey he’d filled it with burned on the way down but it wasn’t as bad as the burn in his chest.
Smokey managed to keep his silence through the ceremony, even going so far as to bite his lip when the pastor asked if there were any objections.That had been more difficult than he’d imagined.
When the ceremony ended and the happy couple went off to take photos, they directed the guests to help themselves to some snacks that had been laid out, and to avail themselves of the open bar.Smokey made his way into the reception hall with the rest of the guests and headed straight for the bar.Sure, he had whiskey with him, but wandering around with a glass like everyone else had would be less pathetic than sneaking a drink from his flask, so the less he did that, the better.He ordered two double shots of the only scotch they had on hand, a twelve-year-old Glenfiddich.When they were served, he downed the first, then stacked the empty cup under the second double and carried that as he walked away.
“Glad to see you made it.”Smokey’s father came up and clapped him on the back.“And that you wore something other than that vest.”
“It’s a cut, Dad, and if I wasn’t the only brother here, I’d have worn it instead of this damned jacket.”He cranked his head to one side, wondering if his father would chew his ass if he loosened his tie.He hated the fucking thing and had only worn it because his father had insisted.
To hell with it, he thought as he tugged at his tie, loosening it a touch, and not caring how it looked.He’d rather look a little sloppy than be strangled for another minute.
****
After toasts had beenmade, dinner had been served, and the dishes cleared away, a band started playing in one corner and the emcee announced that they were going to start the fun with the couple’s first dance.Looking at them together, her new husband with pale blue eyes, Smokey couldn’t help but think what pretty blue-eyed babies they would make.He wanted to stand up and shout that her babies should be his, but he stayed silent.
Smokey wanted to get up and walk out.He didn’t want to be here.He couldn’t guess how many times he’d pictured this moment, but never had Tania danced with anyone but him.But he kept his ass in the chair and continued to sip at his scotch.He hadn’t bothered to count how many he’d had but Raven had heard where he was going tonight and informed him he would not be driving himself.The Fallen Angels president had assigned one of the prospects to be his ride for the night.Dax had dropped him off earlier and would be here to pick him up when Smokey was ready.All he had to do was send a text.
Why hadn’t he sent the message and gotten out of here already?
Because something was off.Something about Tania tickled something in the back of his mind.
Smokey watched as Tania and her new husband Rod moved around the dance floor.He wanted to get up, to shove the prick aside, and take Tania for his own.Yet she had chosen that loser, and not him.Her gaze met his across the dance floor and instantly, Smokey was reminded of the last time he’d seen her.
Tania had shown up at his place at almost two in the morning a couple of months back.She’d beat on the door until he’d let her in.That was when he discovered she was drunk.He hadn’t been all that sober either so it hadn’t occurred to him to stop her when she started peeling out of her clothes, then turned and did the same for him.
Smokey found himself shifting in his seat as his cock stiffened and became uncomfortable in his jeans as he remembered all the things they’d done to each other that night.When he’d woken the next morning, she’d been gone.He’d reached out a couple of times, texting her, calling and leaving a voice mail, but they hadn’t talked since.
The first song ended and the happy couple moved to one side.Smokey watched as Rod handed Tania a glass of champagne, then picked up a beer for himself.She didn’t even pretend to sip as the emcee announced the father-daughter dance.Tania and Mr.Bussard moved out onto the dance floor.Smokey got up and went to the bar.
By the time he made it back, Tania and her father were making their way off the floor to be replaced by Rod and his mother.Smokey didn’t care about them.He kept his gaze on Tania.He saw as she picked up the champagne she’d left on the table earlier and moved about the room talking and visiting with others.When she reached a far corner, Smokey was surprised to see her glance around to make sure she wasn’t being watched then she poured the drink into a vase.
That's odd, Smokey thought, keeping an eye on her.She moved away from the vase and through the guests again, stopping to talk to people here and there as she made her way to the bar.The short line parted to let her to the front, as the bride.Smokey was too far away to hear what she ordered but he had just the right angle to see that the bartender poured water over ice and handed it to her.
Drinking water wasn’t that big of a deal, but after pouring out the champagne?Now he had to wonder.Tania took the glass from the bartender and turned to face the group, her gaze meeting his for an instant before she turned to watch her new husband and his mother.He’d seen something there, he knew it but what?He thought it was fear but of what?Was she drinking water for a reason?He wouldn’t ask, and may never know the truth, but he suspected the wedding had come up so fast because somewhere along the line, she’d had two pink lines appear.
That was his cue to get out of here.
Smokey pulled out his phone and sent Dax a text.He tossed back the last of his drink, stood and moved to the bride.
“Congratulations, Tania.You’re beautiful tonight and I wish you every happiness.You deserve it.”He gave her a quick hug then turned away and headed for the door, stopping to say goodbye to her parents as well as his.He made it to the parking lot just as an old pickup pulled into the lot.
Thank god it was over.
