I hate that I’m letting them get to me.
“Yay.” Adira claps his hands excitedly.
“Fuck them.” I whisper, plucking at the band around one of my thighs. The elastic is keeping the bottom of the body suit from riding up my ass. Are people going to stare? Yes, probably my brothers will because those overprotective neanderthals still try too damn hard to treat me like I’m not a grown woman. Catering staff, maybe. Security? Well, we do pay them to keep an eye on us. The rest of the guests are friends and family. “Rebel will lose his shit if I wear this.”
“Yes,” Adira says.
“Owen will have an aneurism.” Because that’s his default setting.
“Yep,” Ivy says.
“They already can’t stand each other. What will happen if they let more testosterone fly?”
“We’ll take bets.” Yvanna Bey Yulava pulls a folded twenty from his cleavage and holds it up. “Twenty on one of them ending up with a split lip.”
“I have fifty on the big Heart whooping Rebel’s ass,” Adira says.
I gasp. “Adira.”
“Sorry.” He shrugs. “If it’s any consolation I hope I lose.”
“One hundred on Rebel.” Kelsey lights up her phone. “I’ll start a bet tracker.”
“Oh.” Ivy’s eyes widen. “Oh. I have a hundred on them working together.”
“What?” Is she serious? If I’ve learned anything today, the likelihood of my lover and my eldest brother getting along anywhere in the near future is nought.
“I’m betting on myself.” I lift my head up high.
Adira claps his hands together. “Yes, queen. Slay.”
“We still need to do your makeup and hair.” Adira peruses the selection of mannequin heads set out on trellis tables. “Silver? Blue? Black? What will it be?”
“I’m thinking fiery red.” I pat my natural curls and drape them over one shoulder. “I’m also going to need boots and a jacket.”
Ivy hurries into the wardrobe and comes back with a knee length jacket, thigh high boots, and stockings; the kind that hook to a garter but will clip to the body suits shorts.
“You’re going to outshine everyone,” Adira says once my outfit is complete. “Except the bride. Never outshine the bride.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” But I won’t hide myself because this is Devil’s Bend either. Not anymore.
“Love, it’s your turn to try on your costume choices.” Adira ushers her into the changing room.
I drop down on the fluffy, white love seat between the bright chairs while Ivy and Adira are in the other room. There’s a selection of canapes on the table in front of me, and I’m starving. I scoop dip onto a cracker and pop it in my mouth, then reach for a piece of cheese. “You’re not drinking, Kelsey?”
“I was sick yesterday. The tour doctor told me to take it easy for a few days.” She places the champagne flute on the table. “I figure that includes alcohol.”
“Anything serious?” I hadn’t noticed before, but she does appear under the weather.
“No. Nope.” She glances at the door like she wants out.
“I hope you feel better.”
“Thanks.” She hugs herself tighter. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, and I’ll be feeling like myself in no time.”
“I’m sure you will.” I nibble on another cracker. How do I ask her if she’s seeing anyone without being obvious? “How long have Riot and Sonatina been going on?”
“Nothing is going on,” she says as Ivy sweeps into the room in a teensy black cat burglar costume, fishnets, a mask, and kitty ears.
