By all rules of physics, I shouldn’t have been able to walk. The night before had been intense enough, even with my complete verbal ejaculation of something I hadn’t really intended to say. I’d honestly believed Drew’s very intense reaction and sexual drive following that had been a ploy to wipe my brain clear so I would forget.
I hadn’t forgotten.
Even as we’d lain spent, I’d thought about it.
Then came the ring, and a formal proposal from the sneakiest, and sexiest man alive, which was followed by more sex. That time it really did have mind-wiping qualities. I’d had to lock him out of the bathroom before I lost full use of my legs.
And he called me insatiable.
It had only been while he’d been in the shower and I’d been dressing that the reality of what was coming next slammed into me like a freight train. Rusty’s. Jacob. The Navs… The only upside was that it could now be considered an engagement party, too. True Hounds style.
The weight of the ring on my finger dragged my attention to it. The result included the full-on goofy smile and ass-shaking dance as I studied the sparkling yellow diamond in the glowing white gold setting. The ring fit perfectly and was perfect coming from Drew because it was as unique as he was. Every time I looked down now, I would smile knowing he wanted to marry me.
Me.
Skipping to the bathroom door, I pushed it out of my way and took my time admiring the fine ass and back of my future husband as I leaned against the frame. “You want some coffee?”
He barely moved. He just glanced at me from his position on the bed, his eyes and smug face as alive as ever before. “I think I’m beyond coffee. Make it a whiskey.”
I shuffled to the door, being overly dramatic because I knew he was watching me. After my shower, only my inner thighs were really feeling jellified, but the effort he’d given me was worth the exaggeration. Once I’d slipped through the door, I forced myself to move normally and headed toward the main bar to grab a coffee and whiskey to cart back to the room, only my eyes were trained on my finger, which was a big mistake.
The moment I passed the threshold into the bar, a wall of sound hit me in waves. I think I may have screamed as I stumbled back and hit the wall, knocking all of the wind out of myself. The whole club was there in the bar, faces shining with smiles and laughter at my rather ineloquent entrance.
The slap of feet behind me told me that Drew had joined me, and I only hoped he’d put something on because theentireBabylon charter and families were present.
“Congratulations,” Harry choked out on a laugh, his cheeks red with mirth.
“Oh, would you look at that,” Drew faked surprise, one hand landing on his hip and the other ruffling the back of his just-fucked hair. “The entire MC is here. Early. I wonder what could be the occasion.”
I looked over at him and down, snorting when I realized he was only in his boxers, and not really giving a shit about it.
“Did you call them?” I asked under my breath, as they stayed unanimated and smiling. It was starting to freak me out a little.
“Nooooooo,” he drew out. “Harry did.”
I started to laugh and headed into the room, throwing my arms around Harry’s neck. “Should have known you’d be his partner in crime with this.”
Harry’s arms folded around me as the rest of the room erupted with sound once again. Once Harry was done with me, I was passed around, arms hugging, ass slaps and even a few jealous glares from some of the Hound Whores who were present. I smiled at Drew every time we passed one another, but as I reached Deeks, all I could do was smile even brighter and fall into his embrace.
“I heard you hurried him along.” He guffawed.
I smiled against his neck, not willing to give up the hug quite yet. “His fault. All that wedding talk was fused in my brain. It just kind of fell out.”
“As a proclamation like that does.” He chuckled, squeezing me again. “Even if you did do this in your own unique way, I’m proud of you, kid.”
“Thanks, Deeks. Thank you for everything and for just being there, even when I was being an idiot.”
“Enough of that.”
I stepped back and out of his embrace. “Enough of what?”
“You know what.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
He gave me that look he was so good at and turned me around, handing me to Tate who was watching me with the eyes we’d both inherited from our parents. The moment I was pushed toward him, he scooped me up and turned us both with a laugh I hadn’t heard from him since before the warehouse.
He didn’t say anything—he didn’t need to—that laugh had been something I’d missed every day, and even with the impending storm it made me feel a little bit lighter about what was to come. We were heading into uncertainty, waters too deep to comprehend, but we were all a family. And that had to count for something, right?
