“Hey,” Queenie protested. “Any bad or annoying qualities Gunner has are solely from my sister. I’m the fun aunt turned mom. So, I’m still fun, but with all the responsibilities now.”
Gunner let out a cry and raised his hands over his head. “Speak of the devil,” Sledge laughed. “His cranky ass is awake.”
Queenie walked over to Gunner and lifted him up. He laid his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. “Don’t worry about Daddy calling you cranky,” she cooed. “He would be cranky too if he had six teeth coming in at one time.”
Kimber jumped up from the floor and grabbed the two bottles from me. “Are you here to hang out with us or Point?”
“Uh, I think both?” Point had said he was busy and the girls would entertain me. I did bring the wine and snacks for them, not Point. “You guys now and then Point when he’s done doing… something.”
“Good answer,” Fancy laughed. “We need our men, but we also need girl time.”
“Oh!’ Petra shouted. “We could have an impromptu Book Club. I just finished a really good book the other day.”
Kimber shook her head and leaned toward me. “Petra thinks it’s an actual Book Club and not just a reason to get drunk.”
I couldn’t remember the last time I had sat down and read an actual book. Every now and then, I tried to listen to them, but I normally made it thirty minutes in and got distracted. “Uh, I’ve read Harry Potter.”
That was how long it had been since I read a book. And I honestly sort of skimmed over the last one because I had been in the middle of a public custody case and couldn’t give the book my full attention. The movie had filled in the blanks for me.
“Yes!” Petra called. “Someone who has actually read a book.”
“Should I break it to her that was years ago?” I whispered to Kimber.
Kimber shook her head. “You’ll break her heart.” She eyed me closely. “Did you actually read Harry Potter, or are you just trying to be nice?”
I laughed. “I read them all.”
Kimber nodded and stepped back. “Let’s get drunk and pretend we’re wizards like Harry Potter!”
“What?” Sledge called. “How the hell do you connect Harry Potter to getting drunk.”
“Butterbeer,” I quipped. “They drink it all the time, and well, I always thought if they added a splash of rum to it, they would have handled those dementors better.”
Petra let off a peel of laughter. “I don’t know if that would have worked, but it would have made things more interesting. Hermione needed a drink more than anyone.”
I followed Kimber into the kitchen and helped open the wine. She dumped the pretzels, chips, and salsa into bowls and set everything on a table by the kitchen. “Did you buy ice cream?” she asked Sledge.
He glared at her. “We did, but it’s not for you guys to eat in one sitting.”
“Are you the grocery gatekeeper?” she laughed. “Last I heard, if it was in the kitchen, then it was fair game.”
“Rocky road and peanut butter swirl are in the freezer in the laundry room,” Queenie called. “I’m going to change Gunner and then pass him off to Sledge so we can commence being witches.”
“Boys are wizards, girls are witches.” Petra corrected her. “So, we’ll get drunk like witches.”
Fancy drawled. “I mean, they’re both magical.”
I grabbed the bottles of wine and set them on the table with the snacks. “Where are glasses?” We needed to get the wine flowing.
If it were just me, I would have just drank from the bottle, but I didn’t think that would work when there was five of us and only three bottles.
“Cabinet next to the fridge,” Queenie called as she walked down the hallway.
I open the cabinet and saw no wine glasses. “Uh, which glasses should I use?” There were tons of plastic cups and a handful of glasses.
“Whatever you want, girl. We ain’t fancy,” Fancy cackled. “It just happens to be my name.” She lifted her foot into the air. “Hell, I don’t even wear my fancy heels much anymore.”
“I saw you the other night in the hallway with your heels on,” Petra pointed out.
I grabbed five mismatched glasses and set them on the table. They were better than nothing.
Fancy popped up off the floor and straightened her shirt. “And I didn’t have much else on, did I?”
“Ohh,” Petra gasped.
Fancy walked over to the table and grabbed one of the bottles. “I should probably say I don’t wear my heels much out in public anymore.” She threw a wink at Petra and worked on getting the cork out of the bottles.
She filled each glass and plopped down in one of the chairs.
“Grab some spoons, and let’s dig in.” Kimber set the ice cream on the counter and pried off the lids.
Petra beelined to the kitchen and grabbed five spoons. “Do we need bowls?” she called.
Fancy shrugged. “Do you feel like doing dishes when you’re three sheets to the wind?”
Petra bumped the drawer shut with her hip. “Nope.”
I sat down next to Fancy and grabbed a glass. I had been hoping Point would appear from somewhere, but I had no idea where he was.
I casually looked around hoping to figure out where he was..
Fancy took a sip of her wine and watched me.
“Uh, is something wrong?” I asked when I couldn’t ignore the fact she was still staring at me.
“You look exactly the same as you do on TV. How in the hell do you manage that? Dyno takes a picture of me, and it looks like I have two stomachs and seven chins.” She tsked and shook her head. “Bitch.”
I choked on my wine.
Kimber cackled with laughter. “Deedra obviously has natural beauty while you and I have to find our beauty in a bottle of foundation.” She pointed to her nose. “I take my makeup off and my nose is twice the size.”
Fancy slapped her hand on the counter. “Girl, I have learned to contour my seventy-eleven chins into oblivion.” Fancy brushed her fingers over her chin. “Now, I only have three,” she cackled.
“I have a ton of makeup on,” I blurted. “Like, I don’t look like this when I go to bed.” I didn’t need them to think I was some perfect girl who always looked good. “I’m really rather ugly.”
“Right,” Kimber drawled.
“No, seriously. I wake up looking like a swamp monster.” I pointed to my forehead. “I have about three layers of contour on my forehead; otherwise, it looks like I have three foreheads.”
Fancy leaned close. “You don’t have a big forehead.”
“And you don’t have eleventy chins,” I countered and pointed at Kimber. “And your nose is perfect.”
Petra raised her hand, but I cut her off.
“And your eyes are beautiful.”
Petra touched her eye. “What’s wrong with my eyes? I was going to say I don’t even wear makeup.”
Fancy and Kimber busted out laughing, and my cheeks heated. “Uh, there’s nothing wrong with them. I just figured you were going to complain about something that wasn’t true.” Open mouth, insert foot. “You’re beautiful,” I blurted. There wasn’t anything wrong with her eyes, swear.
“Who’s beautiful?” Queenie asked. She handed off Gunner to Sledge, who I had forgotten was even there.
Sledge held Gunner and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Kimber and Fancy called Deedra pretty, and then Deedra told Petra her eyes were beautiful.”
“Aw, that was nice, Deedra.” Queenie sat next to me and grabbed a glass. “I wish I had the energy to do more than get dressed in the morning.”
I leaned across the table and grabbed Petra’s hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it came out.”
Petra smiled. “I know. I was just giving you shit.” She patted my hand. “You’ll have to get used to that around here. I had to, too.”
I sat back and sighed. That was a bullet dodged.
“Where are the rest of the guys?” Kimber asked. “They were all here
before I fell asleep, and now, they’re gone.”
Sledge bounced Gunner in his arms. “Quinn and Dyno are still with the realtor guy. The other ones made the last run to the dump. They should be back soon.”
“How are they still with the realtor?” Kimber questioned. “You guys got home hours ago.”
Sledge shrugged. “Don’t know. I’m not here to question Quinn.”
Fancy rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m here to question Dyno. Let me call his ass and tell him he better be bringing pizza home for dinner.” Fancy pulled out her phone and pressed a few buttons. She put the phone to her ear and took a sip of her wine. “Bitch, you got the good shit.”
I clinked my glass against hers. “It’s middle of the road, but you don’t wake up with a hangover with this stuff. I’ve been drinking it for years.” More than a time or two I had managed to down a whole bottle in the night. Thankfully the next morning I hadn’t woken up to a killer hangover.
Queenie held up the bottle to Sledge. “Remember this because I won’t be able to.”
Sledge rolled his eyes and scoffed. “What? Am I your damn memory box or something? Write that shit down or take a picture.”
Queenie sighed but took out her phone. “I guess I don’t need you then.”
“Careful, woman,” Sledge warned.
I cleared my throat and dropped my eyes to the floor. “Yeah, or he’ll show you who’s boss during naptime.”
Queenie’s jaw dropped, and Sledge guffawed.
Kimber put her fingers in her ears. “No,” she shouted. “I have not yet recovered from seeing Queenie and Sledge getting it on in the laundry room. I don’t want to hear about them doing the nasty anymore.”
“We were not getting it on,” Queenie insisted.
“You were topless!” Fancy shouted. “And there ain’t no damn door on the laundry room. We had no idea our little Queenie likes to be watched.”
“Oh, my God.” Queenie grabbed her glass and downed the whole thing. “I’m gonna need this refilled real quick if this is how the night is going to go.”
Fancy grabbed one of the bottles and filled her cup to the brim. “That’s probably like three glasses of wine, so you should be tipsy and ready for some hanky panky in the laundry room in no time.”
Queenie groaned and pointed at Sledge. “This is all your damn fault.”
“Oh, Lord. These two are going at it now.”
I whipped my head around. Point stood near the door along with Rhino and two other guys I didn’t know.
“You bring pizza with you?” Kimber called. “You can only come in if you have pizza or some type of food that I like.”
“That’s pretty specific,” Rhino laughed.
“Whoa, new chick,” one of the guys I didn’t know called.
Point elbowed him in the gut. “Keep your eyes to yourself, fucker.”
The guy clutched his stomach. “What the hell?” he wheezed. “I didn’t even get a decent glimpse at her, and you’ve already claimed her? She looks just like that chick on the TV.”
Rhino slapped the guy in the back of the head. “That is the chick from the TV, and it’s Point’s wife, Core.”
“Whoa.” Core’s jaw dropped, and his eyes about bugged out of his head. “You get to bang the hot news chick.”
Oh, Jesus. Point had said the girls were entertaining, but I had to say the guys were just as much of a show.
I raised my hand and gave Core a wave. “I’m Deedra.”
Core raised his hand. “I’m Core.”
I smiled. “I figured that out. It’s nice to meet you.” See, I could be nice and not intimidating.
Point pointed to the other guy I didn’t know. “That’s Zephyr.”
Zephyr raised his hand. “Sup? You were here before, right?”
“Uh, yeah. For Queenie and Gunner.” Maybe Point hadn’t really told anyone we were married.
“How do you not remember her?” Kimber asked. “I about flipped my shit when I told you guys.”
So maybe Point hadn’t told anyone, but Kimber had. Though maybe Core had missed that announcement.
“Pizza is coming,” Fancy muttered.
“You order?” Sledge asked.
Fancy smiled wide. “Yeah. The delivery boy’s name is Dyno. It should be here in half an hour.”
“I want you to call him a delivery boy to his face,” Kimber laughed.
“You gonna go get your girl or just stare at her?” Zephyr teased. “Stare at her like she’s the last va—”
Point pointed to Zephyr. “Finish that sentence, and I punch you in the nuts.”
Zephyr held up his hands. “Excuse me. I was just saying you seem—”
“Shut up, brother,” Rhino advised. He walked toward us and pulled Petra from her chair. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
Core and Zephyr moved to the couch and called for Sledge to bring them a beer.
“What the fuck do I look like?” Sledge complained as he balanced Gunner in his arms and grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge.
Point stayed rooted where he was.
Fancy nudged me with her elbow. “Girl, I think you’re gonna have to go get your man.”
I sheepishly stood and shuffled over to Point. “Uh, hey.”
A slow smile spread over his lips. Without a word, he stepped back, bent over, and planted his shoulder in my stomach. He lifted me up and started walking. Where? I didn’t know because all I had ever seen of the clubhouse was the room we were in right now.
“Point!” I squealed.
“Yeah, boy,” Kimber called. “Take your girl, Point!”
“Wife! Take your wife,” Queenie corrected her.
“Now we’re talking,” one of the guys laughed as we walked by. I knew the girls voices, but I had no clue about the guys. They all sort of sounded the same except for Point.
The shouts faded as we moved down what I assumed was the hallway to somewhere. “Uh, where are you going?” I asked.
All I could see were Point’s legs and his butt. It was a nice butt, though.
“Away so I can be alone with you.”
Oh, well. I guess I was okay with that. “Is this alone time to talk or uh, do other things.”
He chuckled and opened a door. “A little of the first and a lot of the second if that works for you.” He leaned forward and tossed me into the air.
I landed with a soft thud. “I’m hoping this is your bed.”
“Well, it sure as shit ain’t Core’s.”
I laughed and raised my hands over my head. “So, what do you want to talk about?”
He stood over me and folded his arms over his chest. “I didn’t want to be so bold and instantly start ravaging you.”
I bit my bottom lip. “I mean, I wouldn’t have protested if that’s what you did.”
He smirked and shook his head. “How was your day?”
So, he wanted a little bit of small talk? I was fine with that. It was better than talking about my feelings that I still hadn’t sorted out. “It was good. Sort of slow but good.”
“Chasing down new leads or still working on the potholes?”
I flipped him off. “Haha. I’ll have you know, tomorrow I get to start working on a new story.”
“And what’s this one about?”
I raised up on my elbows. “Hank Denise’s bigass pumpkin.” I wiggled my eyebrows. “Totally breaking news.”
Point busted out a laugh. “Damn, Dee. You’re just crushing all the hard-hitting stories, aren’t you?”
I flopped back on the bed and laughed. “Yeah. Totally hard-hitting.” I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. “And how was your day? Hopefully, more exciting than mine.”
“Figured out where the strip club is going. Cleaned out the last bedroom for Brick.”
I held up one finger. “What building did you guys decide on?”
“I’m talking to my wife and not a reporter, right?”
“Your strip club i
s not newsworthy. It’s not very wholesome.”
“Old funeral home over on the other side of town.”
“That’s interesting,” I laughed. “You might not be able to get on the news, but maybe one of those renovation shows would be interested in how you guys are planning to turn an old funeral home into a strip club.”
Point shrugged. “Dyno’s got plans.” He motioned to the room. “He’s the one who basically ripped this place down to the studs and rebuilt it.”
“Impressive,” I mumbled. I added one more finger. “Just who is Brick?”
“Member who is in prison right now. He’ll be out in a couple of weeks.”
“Also interesting.”
He pointed his finger at me. “That is not newsworthy either, Dee.”
I scoffed and waved my hand at him. “I do have some morals, Point. I’m not going to use what you tell me for my job.” I pointed my finger at him. “Unless you can tell who the person is that is taking over from the Clarks.”
“I don’t know, Dee, and I’m pretty sure that’s something you shouldn’t be sticking your nose into.”
I huffed and threw my hands in the air. “My job is to report the news, Point. I have to stick my nose out there to do that. I’m an investigative reporter.”
“Am I going to have to lock you in this room and make sure you don’t go getting into trouble?”
“Try it, Point. I dare you.”
He planted a knee on the bed. “I think we might be done talking.”
I licked my lips. “At least for now.”
There was no way Point was going to keep me away from doing my job. I was safe about what I did, and I wasn’t going to get hurt.
Point crawled up the bed and over my body.
“Do you think we’re moving kind of fast, Point?” I blurted out. I didn’t want to hide what I was feeling anymore. I had done that three years ago, and it ended up breaking both of our hearts. “I mean, should we maybe figure out what happened between us before we let the physical attraction start to blur the line?”
“I don’t want a line between us, Deedra.” His eyes connected with mine. “That was the problem we had before.”
“And that’s why I’m telling you what I’m feeling right now. Are we rushing into this when maybe we should take a step back and think?” Here I was, with the most gorgeous man I had ever seen back in my life. Literally right on top of me, and I thought we needed to slow down.
Thrill Seeker (Kings of Vengeance MC Book 5) Page 8
