But he was right; this did feel like an altered reality.
“Hey, look who it is!” Breaker grinned as he spotted us between a pause in feeding Jasmine. She turned around, all pink-cheeked and stunning, her eyes lighting up when she saw us.
“They’re back!” She jumped off the bench and rushed over to us, wearing a bikini and a silky sarong that she’d tied around her waist. Whatever she was doing certainly agreed with her; she was glowing. I felt frumpy near this lithe goddess.
“Mum,” Kris said in a cautious voice. He surprised me by not calling her Jazz. “What is happening?”
She smiled then embraced us one by one. “So much,” she said. “Come upstairs. We’ll talk there.”
I waved to Breaker and he gave me a wink before we followed her. I was happy for him too. He was a good man who was honestly more like a father to me than anyone else had ever been. I guess that made me understand the closeness Kristian felt towards Alesha. It was affection, but it was familial as opposed to romantic.
Once upstairs, Jasmine led us to the sitting area and we arranged ourselves on a cream leather couch. Kris kept his fingers entwined in mine as he watched his mother expectantly.
“I see you two are together again,” she said, her hands clasped in front of her as she angled her knees towards us.
“Nothing some time and a lot of talking couldn’t fix,” I said with a smile.
“And as long as I quit bein’ a judgy arsehole, we should be good from now on,” Kris added.
“Good. I was really happy when Abbot told me you left together and that Kristian had taken the keys to the safe house. It’s a beautiful place to heal yourself. The wedding back on too?”
Kris nodded. “In a month. We signed the NOIM this morning. Got a celebrant booked and everything.”
“That’s fantastic. We’ll help make your day so special,” she said looking between us.
“Mum,” Kristian said, pressing his thumb and forefinger against his eyes. “Please explain what the fuck is going on downstairs.”
Calling her Mum was obviously reserved for very serious situations.
“We’re free,” she stated, eyes twinkling, cheeks pushed high.
“Free? From what exactly and how?” Kris asked.
“From Conway’s demands. Breaker used his connections to make them see that the fire was an act of God, and therefore nobody’s fault. We don’t have to pay anymore.”
“Considerin’ we all know that fire was set on purpose, that must’ve been some intense convincing they did. What do they want in return for their services?”
“And what about Maree and Dazz?” I asked. They were expecting a job.
“They’ll be well compensated. As for the Grim Order, they did it as a favour.” She smiled and shook her head at the same time.
“Mother,” Kristian warned. “All favours cost something. What do they want?”
She shrugged and spoke in an airy voice. “A favour in return. One day, they’ll need help with something that requires our skill set and we’ll help them. In the meantime, we’re free. It’s a good day, Kristian. You should be happy.” She looked to me. “You should both be happy. Now we can plan your wedding and get back to business as normal.”
Kristian shook his head. “This is insane. We’re working to get out of Conway’s debt for good, and instead of waiting for that to happen, you got us in debt to the Grim Order instead. What possessed you to OK that?”
Jasmine pressed her lips together and stood, her body language slipping into the authoritarian stance she normally held where it felt like she looked down her nose at you. “It’s one job. I made the call because I knew it was what’s best for this family. The others agreed to avoid pulling that dangerous transport job. I’m sorry you don’t feel the same, but you weren’t here to object, so Abbot voted for you.”
Kristian lifted his hands in acquiescence. “OK. I’m just…I’m surprised.”
She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Relax, darling, it’s a party. Get your bathers on and go have fun.” She bounced her shoulders to the beat of the music and turned to go before remembering something. “Oh, and don’t plan anymore getaways for a few weeks. We’re still doing that job in Sydney. Word is, they just had two more couples cash out of life and join them. It’s a big score, and now we get to keep it all to ourselves.” She rubbed her hands together then told us she’d see us downstairs.
Kristian shook his head and slouched back against the leather. “What is happening?” he moaned, running a hand over his face.
Tucking my legs beneath me, I leaned my elbow on the back of the couch as I turned towards him. “Things are changing. I think they might be changing in a good way too. I mean, look how happy your mum is. The others agreed, and I trust Breaker not to fuck us over.”
“They’re the Grim Order. You know the shit they’re into.”
I ran my fingers through his hair, soothing him. “I know what the papers want us to know, and I know what I learned while I was in Sydney. They’re not that different from us. They live by their own code and they’re fiercely loyal. Breaker will be loyal to us. I know he will.”
Letting out his breath, he turned to face me. “You are so fucking smart, doll. How do you do that? How do you read a situation the way you do? I feel lost just thinking about this.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Survival instincts, I guess. You bounce around as much as I have, you become adept at reading people.”
“Come here,” he said. So I did and he kissed me. “You think we should join this party?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Let’s celebrate our freedom and look forward to being mega rich.”
His eyes lit up as a grin spread across his face. “We get to keep Sydney. It’s a big score.”
“It’s a very big score. We’re going to have to mow a lot of lawns to clean it.”
“Oh, doll. We have a fuck load of businesses to clean it through. Mowing is the least of it. Once we’re married, you’ll learn it all. It’s an art.”
I grinned. “I can’t wait.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Band of Thieves
“I hear the wedding’s back on,” Breaker said as he sat on the edge of the pool lounger I was occupying after eating some food and having a swim. The party atmosphere had us all relaxing and making the most of this beautiful day.
“I kind of made you come down here for nothing, huh?” He held out a pack of cigarettes and offered me one, but I shook my head. I hadn’t felt like one in a while. He took one out and lit up. “Are you mad I’m staying?” He’d obviously made the most of the situation, but he originally came here on a rescue mission before I disappeared with Kristian for a week.
He shook his head and chuckled. “How could I be mad? Do you see all this? I’m havin’ a blast. And I want you happy, babe. That was the whole point of this.”
“I’m very happy.”
“Good.”
“Seems you’re pretty happy, enjoying a particular someone the most,” I said, nodding towards Jasmine who was animatedly talking to Sam and Alesha and one of the biker’s girls. I didn’t know her name yet.
Grinning, the light in his eyes danced as he nodded. “That was a surprise. She’s really somethin’. The classiest and sexiest woman I’ve ever known,” he said before adding. “No hard feelin’s.”
I laughed. “Never. I think it’s wonderful seeing you both smiling so much. You think it’s going somewhere?”
He shrugged. “Who knows? I’m fuckin’ smitten. But it’s new. And logistics are hard.”
“You’ll work it out if you want to.”
He bobbed his head. “Indeed.”
“Is it a little weird though?” I asked, watching Jasmine laugh when Abbot walked over and slung a big arm across her shoulders with Kristian flanking her on the other side. They made like they were about to pick her up and throw her in the pool.
“What? Fuckin’ the soon-to-be-mother-in-law of the arse I wa
s chasin’?”
Shaking my head, I laughed. “No. Dating someone with sons around your age.”
He laughed. “Babe, how old do you think I am?”
“About thirty-five?”
This time, he threw his head back and laughed a great big belly laugh.
“I take it I’m wrong?”
Nodding, he wiped a tear from his eye. “I’m forty-eight.”
“Forty-eight?” He kept nodding. “You dirty old man! You were twenty-one when I was born.”
He shrugged. “It’s just a number, babe. Don’t get so caught up on it. As long as both parties are over eighteen, it doesn’t fuckin’ matter.”
“I suppose you’re right,” I said, studying his face with curious eyes. “I just can’t believe you’re fucking forty-eight.”
“Want proof?” He pulled out his wallet and showed me his ID. “Just good genes, I guess. My mum was a stripper, you know. Great body. Worked the pole into her fifties. She was just as popular as the twenty-somethings.”
After confirming his birth date, I handed him back his card. “Ever have kids of your own?”
“Nah. Being someone’s daddy was never gonna work for me. I got the snip in my twenties to make sure they didn’t slip through.”
“So you’re taking the fountain of youth with you?”
“I could be. Or maybe I’m a Highlander and this is all just a ruse to cover-up for my immortality.”
“What?”
He chuckled and patted me on the knee. “It’s before your time,” he said, finishing his cigarette.
“I have to ask you something important.”
“What’s that?” He blew out his final lungful of smoke then put the butt out in the ashtray on the small table next to us.
“What are you going to make them—us—do?” I nodded toward the small group of Cartwrights still larking about.
Following my gaze, he shrugged. “So, do I get an invite to this wedding of yours?”
“That’s not answering my question.”
“Maybe your question doesn’t have an answer yet.”
“Sure it does. Your club has the vote on stuff like this, right? You had to sell it to them somehow.”
He ran his hand through his beard and chuckled. “Tell you what, ask me to your wedding, and after we’ve all had our fun, we’ll talk business.”
“OK. After the wedding. But can you at least give me a hint?”
“Now, that would be cheatin’. But since it’s you, I’ll leave you with this—we won’t be asking you to do somethin’ you haven’t thought of before.”
“So, cars?” I tried, but his look gave nothing away.
“We should quit being so antisocial and join in with the rest of them. I want you to introduce me to this man of yours. I need to make sure he knows to treat you right.”
With a laugh, I stood up with him. “So you don’t want kids, but you’re happy to act like my father?”
He pressed a kiss on the top of my head. “You were lost. I found you. You’re family now.”
When I looked up at him, my bottom lip wobbled. Two families? For a girl who never had one, suddenly I was in abundance.
“Ah fuck. You’re not gonna cry on me again, are you?”
I shook my head. “No,” I said, blinking rapidly as a single tear splashed down my cheek.
Breaker chuckled and pulled me into a hug. “You’re a baby.”
“This is your fault,” I said. “You’re the one being nice to me.”
“So I should be mean?” I felt his chest bounce with laughter.
“No. Nice is good. I just need to get used to it.”
“Tryin’ to steal my girl?” Kristian’s voice—filled with jest—cut into our embrace. He was obviously past his jealousy over Breaker’s and my closeness. Thank God.
Breaker released me but kept one arm around my shoulders. “Not anymore,” he said, grinning at me then meeting Kristian’s eyes. “You’re a lucky man, Kris.” He held out his hand, which Kristian shook.
“Incredibly,” he agreed, his eyes happy as they met mine. “It’s not every day you find a woman willing to put up with all your shit and love you for it.”
“Ain’t that the truth, mate.” Breaker slid his arm from around me, seamlessly passing me to my fiancé. Kristian and I laced our fingers as I leaned into his side. There was so much happiness living inside my chest that I felt like I might burst.
“Listen, I want to thank you for what you did for Ronnie,” Kristian said, his expression growing serious as he met Breaker’s eyes. “I let her down and you stepped in when you didn’t need to. You helped make things right. I know I’ve been a really shitty fiancé—a shitty person, actually—but I can admit when I’m wrong. And I was wrong about you.”
“Ah shit,” Breaker said. “That’s real big of you. But I don’t think you were wrong about me at all. I was totally after your woman. If I hadn’t met Jasmine when I did, I’d have taken this pretty young thing home with me and ruined her for all other men. So, I reckon you should be thankin’ your mum, not me.”
Kristian’s face was completely impassive while Breaker spoke. I wasn’t sure if he was trying hard not to hit him, or if he was trying not to laugh.
Kristian cleared his throat. “I was actually talkin’ about helping her evade the cops and get back to Melbourne. I bloody well knew you wanted to fuck her, mate. I saw the way you looked at her. Although, I respect you for not putting the moves on her. You could have really taken advantage and chose not to.”
Breaker grinned. “Call me a fool, but I believe in honour among thieves. We don’t steal each other’s women.”
“Not that he could of,” I put in, feeling that my voice needed to be heard in amongst this testosterone fest. I was surprised they weren’t bumping their chests together and swinging their dicks from side to side to see whose was biggest. I was pretty confident Kristian would win. “You guys seem to be forgetting my honour. I don’t, nor have I ever, been a cheat. So how about we go and get a beer and let this all go? And, Breaker?”
“Yes, babe?” I looked at him and saw a man who was truly honourable, formidable, yet altruistic. It felt like he’d entered my life at the exact moment I needed someone like him. I’d never known a man I respected more.
“Will you give me away at our wedding?”
Kristian had a momentary look of confusion before he relaxed by my side and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.
A massive smile spread across Breaker’s face. “I would be fuckin’ honoured,” he said, looking between the two of us and just nodding happily. “This is so great.” He hugged me then went to shake Kristian’s hand but went in for a hug instead. “So great,” he said again. Then he headed back to Jasmine, telling everyone he was giving away the bride. They cheered.
“He’s interesting,” Kristian said with a smile, watching over the rest of the party as they congratulated Breaker on his new role.
“He sure is,” I said through a laugh. “Did you know he is forty-eight?”
“Serious?”
I nodded. “Forty–fucking–eight.”
“Goin’ after a twenty-seven-year-old.” Kristian chuckled. “Good on him for tryin’.”
“He was never going to win against you. As far as I was concerned, it was you or no one. That’s how deeply I love you.”
“Ah, shit. Now you’re gonna make me cry.”
Placing my hands on his chest, I lifted up on my toes. “Don’t cry. Just kiss me, you fool,” I whispered.
“I love you, doll,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around me and did just that.
Later that night, when the party had calmed down and only the mess remained, the Cartwrights sat around in the living room, eating home-delivered pizza and relaxing. Breaker had left earlier with his men and their guests, telling Jasmine he’d be back later in the night after he finished up some business.
That just left the five brothers, two sisters-in-law to be, one mother-in-law to be, and
me.
“What are your plans for the wedding?” Alesha asked, picking off a slice of pepperoni and popping it in her mouth. We’d had an individual talk earlier in the night where she admitted she jumped to conclusions out of protectiveness for Kristian.
“Why are you so protective over him, anyway,” I’d asked, and she’d shrugged before explaining.
“Because he was the first person other than Sam to treat me like I was a member of this family. Before becoming a Cartwright, I never felt like I was wanted anywhere. I was always in the way. But he went out of his way to include me. Taught me to surf. So, he means a lot. All the brothers mean a lot. They’re a special bunch.”
That short explanation had really opened my eyes. Now I understood that she’d been a lot like me—lost then found by this band of thieves who were the most loyal and loving group. I made a promise to myself that I’d spend more time getting to know her. There was no space for any sort of animosity in our group. Especially petty stuff like jealousy.
“What do you reckon, doll?” Kristian looked toward me in expectation. I’d obviously missed what he’d said.
“About?”
He laughed. “Getting married on the beach where you stole my car keys. If it wasn’t for that, we never would have met.”
I nodded enthusiastically. “A wedding on the beach. I think that sounds perfect.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Soppy As Fuck
“And if we do your hair like this, the makeup will make you look like a sea goddess,” Alesha said as she brushed pearlescent highlighter on my cheekbone. There was only one week until the wedding and we were at the beach shack, doing a trial run of hair and make-up. Before she was a Cartwright, Alesha was a make-up artist, so we were utilising her skills, and my God, if I didn’t look amazing once she’d finished with me. Kristian was going to get a boner in public over this.
“I love it,” I breathed, turning my head in the mirror so I could see the light reflecting off my dewy glow.
“I am so jealous of how stunning you are,” Holland said, playing with the ribbon on the silk flower crown I would wear instead of a veil. The wedding was very boho chic: loose flowing dress, hair out and wavy, no shoes, or excess jewellery. It was going to be simple and perfect, just like Kristian and me. We had been planning to marry as soon as the twenty-one day cooling-off period had lapsed on our Intended Marriage notice, but planning needed a little longer so we extended it to two months instead.
Foolish Games: Cartwright Brothers, book 3 Page 25
