"That’s what happens when you pull a dick move and try to force it out of her," Everett rumbles, making no move to pull out.
"Like you didn’t go along for the ride," I scoff in accusation.
He presses a tender kiss to my neck, smiling. "Enjoyed it, too."
Reality crashes down on me and my stomach churns with anxiety. "I'm sorry, I-" but Grave cuts me off with a firm press of his lips to mine.
"I wrecked your future by accepting that deal, love. All I want is for you to be happy here, with us. You give the big guy a purpose."
"And you keep his crazy ass in check," Everett snorts, finally setting me on my feet as we adjust ourselves. "So if there's anyone that can pull Mav from that black hole he calls a life, it's you."
My cheeks flame, the way Maverick stormed out of here playing on repeat. “I’m pretty sure it’s one sided,” I admit, embarrassed. “If anything, he’s likely going to avoid me even more now.”
I smooth down the skirt of my dress, feeling self-conscious and anxious. Everett sits on his desk, pulling me back against his chest and wrapping his arms possessively around my collar. My hands curl around his forearms as I lean into him, soaking up his comfort and the sense of protection he offers, desperate to hold onto the feeling while it lasts.
Grave starts rolling his closed pocket knife between his fingers, biting the inside of his cheek and side-eyeing the door. Warily, I wait for the other shoe to drop.
“What are you planning?” I hesitantly ask, unsure if I want to hear the answer or cling to my blissful ignorance.
He clucks his tongue, tossing the knife up and catching it before going stock still. “You wouldn’t want me to ruin the surprise now, would you?”
Craning my head up to look at Everett for support, I nervously ask, “He’s going to do something stupid, isn’t he?”
He laughs, bending to kiss the tip of my nose. “Without a doubt, beautiful.”
Grave narrows his eyes at us before jutting his hand dramatically at the door. "He made Elyse upset! You can’t honestly think I’d let that sort of offense go unchecked.”
I can’t help but smile despite the insane situation, the psychotic man as charming as the day we met. “You instigated it. Besides, if he doesn’t feel the same way, the last thing I want is to pressure him.”
Ev snorts, playfully licking the shell of my ear and causing me to shudder. “Trust us, beautiful, we’ve known Maverick for years, just like how I already knew how tonight was going to end. He’s obsessed with you, Elyse, even if he’s afraid to admit it to himself.”
I may give Grave a hard time, but it’s clear I’m just as screwed in the head, my own brand of fucked up. Why else would I be excited at the news, a thrill snaking through me, when any sane person should be terrified?
"People are going to talk more than they already are," I mutter. “And I’m sure the last thing he wants is to be the center of attention.”
Grave tilts my chin up with a finger, his blue eyes hard. "Then I'll just have to kill them too. Consider it an extra Christmas gift, love.”
After another kiss, he saunters out the door, whistling. Everett gets to his feet, passing over an old t-shirt for me to clean up with before we head back to the party. I toss him a grateful smile as I try to make myself semi-presentable, but between my mussed up hair and the marks on my neck and bare shoulders, I doubt anyone won’t know what we were up to.
“You’re sure about this?” I double check, hating myself for how relieved I feel to finally admit my feelings aloud.
He grabs my hand, leading me away. “Stop torturing yourself, Elyse, and actually let yourself be happy for once in your life. Now come on; people to maim, men to corrupt."
Despite my father’s attempts to beat the Hell out of me, apparently one sin still stuck. My greed is rooted too deeply to be cleansed, so maybe it’s time I start accepting it.
Imean, prison probably isn’t much worse than this anyway.
My gun is a tempting weight on my belt, reminding me how easily I could end this if I were prepared to deal with the fallout. If it were just me, it wouldn’t even be a damn question; I’d have put a bullet in King’s head a decade ago. But I can’t do that to the others, not after everything we’ve been through.
Still, the temptation is a constant devil on my shoulder as I lean against the wall of the nearly empty restaurant, watching Julian flaunt Elyse in front of Jax.
After he returned from his impromptu trip, he called for a meeting with the bane of his existence, since the truce was broken with Elyse’s bastard of a father using Jax’s men to break into the club. I don’t blame Julian for trying to negotiate peace rather than declare an all-out war in retaliation; it never stops at casualties on both sides. Businesses get destroyed, uninvolved people get caught in the crossfire; it brings way too much attention from the cops. A few quiet incidents or the occasional scandal, they can pay the police off, have their lawyers work their magic, but when it escalates to the point things are plastered all over the media? Both men’s empires thrive on discretion and neither wants outsiders looking too deeply into their business.
“An unfortunate incident that’s already been remedied,” Jax drawls, resting his elbow on the table and supporting his chin nonchalantly on his fist. “I’ve absorbed the loss rather than risk a wild card like that to exist under my employ.” His eyes are a few shades darker than Julian’s, though they eye him with just as much icy disdain. “You’d do well to follow a similar business model.”
“He’s dead?” Elyse asks, voice an incredulous whisper.
Jax winks at her in reply. “A terrible accident, really. The tragedy of his loss was felt for at least… five seconds.”
