I raised mine with a nod, then knocked back the last swigof the smooth brown liquid.
Ma came over and interrupted. “The happy couple is ready for their send-off. Then we’ll take off, too. Penny, why don’t you go grab your purse.”
“Gladly,” she said dryly before leaving without a proper goodbye.
Ma shrugged. “Women,” she said. “See you back at the clubhouse. Mr. Petrov, thank you again for the generous gesture. Lacy loved it.”
He opened his arms wide. “Mr. Petrov? Please, Mama Hen. I am not my father. Call me Niko.”
Ma stepped into the embrace, then patted his chest as she pulled away. “Alright, Niko. But you can still call me Cindy.”
He chuckled as she turned. “Shall we join the party to send off the happy couple?” he asked me.
Setting my glass on the bar, I nodded. He did the same then we walked in step towards the front with all the commotion.
Once outside, the cool evening air hit my face. It was a welcome shift to the stuffy warmth from inside. The building a repurposed barn, or at least it was made to appear that way, but it had a lot of updates if it truly had been a barn before. Either way, it was charming and a nice place for an event for our club. Fancy hotels and ballrooms weren’t really our style.
Shiv came up, her dark curls bouncing as she moved and her brown skin popped against the teal bridesmaid dress. She shoved something into my hand. “Don’t be a party pooper.”
Looking down, it was a small container of bubbles with Lacy and Eagle’s initials stamped onto the side with a flourish of lace. “They have their own logo.”
Petrov was already opening his bottle. “Weddings are special and beautiful. Why not be a little over the top?”
“Okay everyone, here they come!” Daisy shouted from the entrance. Her rich brown hair was in an updo with a few loose tendrils framing her face and she donned the same teal dress the other bridesmaids wore. Katie, one of the bunnies, stood opposite Daisy in the matching bridesmaid dress.
Eagle and Lacy were hand in hand, walking down the aisle created by the two rows of bodies. Everyone started blowing their bubbles, including Petrov, so I pulled the wand out and blew a few bubbles.
Eagle gave me a wink as he passed, and Lacy smiled and waved at everyone as they headed toward the armored SUV. While things had quieted down, the one thing I’d learned from the last few months was never to get comfortable. I wouldn’t risk their safety now, especially on their big day.
Everyone cheered and applauded as the SUV pulled away, and the crowd began to thin out quickly. Shiv and Daisy walked around with baskets collecting the bottles. I dumped mine into Shiv’s basket then pulled out a smoke and lit it up.
Engines roared to life as men hollered for their women to hustle up. I had to laugh as I watched several ladies hike up dresses and mount their men’s bikes.
“The women allowed them to drive them on their motorcycles?” Petrov asked, stunned.
Cocking a brow, I blew my smoke away from him and said, “We ride, we don’t drive. And there’s no allowing involved.”
Petrov’s eyes crinkled as a half grin formed on his face. “As is the way in our family as well, the men wear the pants, as the saying goes.” He leaned in closely. “But the women choose which pair.”
Cocking my head, I asked, “Do you really believe that?” He was such a cocky little fucker, I’d never have guessed he thought that way.
He smiled as he looked down at his phone. “My parents had a beautiful relationship, my friend. My father was certainly not a perfect man to my mama, but there was love and respect there. Father runs the family, but mama ran the home. God rest her soul.”
Petrov’s car pulled around. The driver got out and walked around to open the door. Before Petrov got inside, he turned back. “We’ll talk tomorrow about what kind of woman is capable of running such families. Have a good night, my friend.”
He wanted Penny. There’s no fucking way that’s happening.
“The car’s ready,” Ma said from over my shoulder.
I’d insisted on special SUVs for the wedding party, but I meant for the ladies. Somehow all the officers were forced into one as well.
The only reason I agreed to that the last time we tried to have this wedding was we knew Butch and his men were planning an attack and it was part of the plan to throw them off.If we’d ridden our bikes, they may have realized we were onto them.
Glancing down the curb, I chuckled as I saw our SUV waiting and started heading over. Pausing to put my cigarette out in the ashtray atop the trash bin at the corner of the walkway, I thought maybe Petrov wasn’t that wrong after all about women. Still, that didn’t mean I was handing over my baby sister. Tomorrow should be interesting.
Chapter 3
Hawk
