It looked like a chunk of glittering ice on my finger. It was stunning. And also somehow fitting for marrying an ice lord.
I met his eyes. “That is a lot of ice.”
“You don’t like it? It’s everything you asked for.”
“It’s stunning. Who wouldn’t like it? Do I need a security team just to protect the ring now?” Seriously, how much did this thing cost? The way it glittered, I was picturing six digits flashing in my head.
Was I now a flashing target for a mugging?
“I’ll be having someone assigned to you after the wedding,” he said simply, ushering me out to the limo.
Waiting for us inside was his one wedding guest. His best friend, Shane Madrigal.
We collected my one guest, Katie, on the way to the airport. When I showed her my ring, her eyes popped out of her head. My best friend was solidly anti-diamond, but even she looked impressed. “It’s Canadian,” I told her, which was one of the preferences I gave the ring lady.
“It’s beautiful,” she marveled.
Dane was talking to Shane and pretending not to listen.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I told her.
“I mean, how could I miss it?”
“You couldn’t,” I agreed.
Katie was supposed to head back out on tour with Jesse and the rest of Dirty, tomorrow. They’d been home on a break in their current tour, so I was lucky this lined up. Although wherever Katie was in the world, I would’ve insisted Dane fly her out for this.
I was not getting married, even like this, without my best friend.
Katie’s husband wasn’t exactly thrilled that I was abducting his wife to a foreign country on short notice, without him, but he’d basically told me,Only for you, Devi, as he kissed her goodbye and packed her into the limo.
Then we picked up a member of Dirty’s security team, for Katie’s security, which Jesse had insisted was mandatory. His name was Lex, and as I found out about two seconds after he got into the limo, when he greeted Dane with a manly hand slap thing and a hug, and I asked them how they knew each other, he was also Dane’s cousin.
Dane even smiled at him, a genuine smile.
I frowned.
So, I supposed I’d just discovered his connection to the West Coast Kings.
Since Dane had already brought Shane as his one guest, I was pretty fucking annoyed that he’d snuck in another one. A family member, no less. Though Lex did appear to legitimately work for Dirty’s team.
“You have a cousin in the West Coast Kings motorcycle club?” I asked Dane, right in front of Lex. Lex was wearing a Kings cut, a black leather vest with Kings patches all over it. I knew the look. Jude and many of Dirty’s other security guys wore that cut, though not usually on duty. However, since we were flying on a private jet owned by Dane’s family and Lex was, apparently, part of that family, I supposed it didn’t matter.
“It’s not an issue,” was all Dane said.
“How is it not an issue?” I challenged. “I’d like to know if I’m marrying into a criminal organization.” I looked at Lex. “No offense.” Really, if I didn’t know Jude so well and trust his connection with Jesse—they had a best-friends-forever, Devi-and-Katie level friendship—I wouldn’t have spoken so freely.
“Not offended,” Lex said casually. “Don’t worry, I’ve been disowned. And by the way, congrats on the engagement. My cousin’s not as much of an asshole as he comes across. Usually.” He gave Dane a grin, showing his perfect teeth—gleaming white veneers worthy of a Hollywood leading man, and silver upper canines—and Dane looked at me.
The expression on my face must’ve said it all.
Your cousin is a biker… and he has silver fangs?
Dane sighed. “I didn’t assign him to Katie’s security detail.”
Bullshit.“So your cousin just happens to show up,” I said, “when I’ve never actually seen him work personal security for Katie before?”
I was still sizing up Lex. Did he look like Dane? Not really, but he was far from ugly. The cockiness was definitely in the genes.
