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“Wouldn’t I?”

“We’re here,” Lincoln growls as we pull down a dirt driveway that opens up to a large plantation house that takes my breath away.

“Jesus, they live here?” I whisper and Smith nods.

“Yeah, Nix bought it for dirt cheap and fixed it up.”

Lincoln parks the car next to a few bikes and the boys climb out first before Lincoln leans the seat forward and helps me out. I tuck the shoebox under my arm as I turn toward the house.

“What’s that?” he asks, pointing to the box and I glance down at it as I tuck it closer to my side.

“Something I need to show to Nix.”

Lincoln nods and wraps his arm around my waist as we head for the house. Flicking an annoyed glance over my shoulder, I sigh. He leans closer, his lips brushing my ear.

“After what you pulled last night, I’m done playing nice, Tate. You and I are going to work this out but I’m not your damn punching bag anymore.”

Damn, why does that turn me on?

“We’ll see,” I murmur and his grip on my hip tightens.

“You’re just going to have to come to terms with the fact that I fucking love you and I’m not going anywhere.”

“Tate!” the brunette from the clubhouse says as she comes walking out of the house and I freeze. “Sorry. I never introduced myself the other day. I’m Emma, Nix’s wife.”

“Oh, it’s really nice to meet you.” I hold my hand out for her to shake but she ignores it, going in for a hug.

“It’s so nice to meet you officially. I know this whole situation is… unorthodox but you’re family so if you ever need anything, just holler.”

I nod. “Okay, I will.”

“Here, why don’t you put your stuff down and I’ll introduce you to a few people,” she says and I scan the yard.

“Actually, I was hoping to talk to Nix first. There’s something I need to show him,” I reply, holding up the shoebox and she nods, turning toward the house.

“You’ll find him down at the dock. He wasn’t all that thrilled that I invited everyone over today with things so tense between him and Blaze.”

I nod in understanding. “Have they talked at all?”

“Blaze has showed up here everyday and they go outside and talk until they start yelling. Then, Nix barrels inside and Blaze peels out of here on his bike so tensions are still a little high.”

Nodding, I excuse myself from the group and round the back of the house, spotting Nix at the end of the dock. As I get near the water, he glances back at me.

“Sorry, I hope you don’t mind but I wanted to talk to you for a bit.”

He studies me for a moment before nodding. I sigh as I walk out onto the dock and sit next to him.

“What a fucking mess, huh?” he says, staring out at the water and I laugh.

“Yeah, you could say that. It’s been one thing after another lately.”

He nods, looking a little lost. “What was she like?”

“Our mom?”

“Yeah.”

I sigh, thinking over my words before explaining my childhood to him – the moving around, the drills, the training – and when I finish, he blows out a breath.