by Joanna Blake
“Well, what is it?”
“It’s a wedding invitation!”
“For who?”
“Two of my customers at the diner. Oh, Cass, I’m the one who set them up!”
I clutched the invitation to my chest. My heart felt so full. I might be stuck in here with a killer on the loose, but I had done something worthwhile. I had actually made two people happy! I wanted to get up and click my heels together. I wanted to celebrate.
I’m a freaking fairy Godmother!
I chewed my lip, staring at the invitation. There was a tiny RSVP card asking me to respond right away. The wedding was in less than two weeks. Apparently, they didn’t want to waste any time.
“Oh, Cass. I have to go.”
“Of course, you do!”
“It’s in a public place. Cain will never say yes.”
“You don’t know that.”
“And if I ask and he says no, then what?”
My heart sank at the look on Cassie’s face. Cain would put his foot down and that would be the end of it. I sighed.
“That’s what I thought.”
“Well, he is your man. He only wants the best for you. Maybe you should listen to him.”
I stood up and started pacing. My mind was working overtime, sorting through the possibilities.
“No. I’m sorry. That’s not good enough. I am going to that wedding, even if I have to bring the damn killer as my plus one!”
Cass watched me in sympathy and then shook her head. She called out to me as she started putting the groceries away.
“Cain won’t like that, Kelly.”
I grabbed some stuff and helped her, but I held back the ice cream. I got out two bowls instead.
“Bowls or just spoons?”
She gave me a conspiratorial smile.
“Spoons!”
We sat together and dug into the ice cream. There wouldn’t be any left over for the boys, but I didn’t care. They had fresh air and sunshine! We were going to eat the hell out of this ice cream.
Cass sucked a big bite off her spoon and wagged it at me.
“You are playing with fire, you know. You don’t want to make Cain mad. Just ask him.”
I took a big bite and smiled at her, feeling more nervous than I let on.
“You let me worry about Cain.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Killer
Pretty little piggies.
I stared at the girl through the window through the scope of my rifle. She was in there, with the other one. The one who had kept quiet about what she saw.
Two sexy little angels.
That’s what they looked like together. Dante had said to keep hands off Mason’s girl, Sapphire. The one with the blue eyes. He’d wanted her for himself. He was gone but I was going to leave her be, for now.
But the other one . . . I could have some fun with her before I put her down. She was juicy, all right. Fresh and young and put together perfectly. That made her even more fun to take apart. Innocent but with a body that would drive a saint to sin. And I was no saint. Having her before I put her down would be the icing on the cake.
Even better yet, she was Cain’s.
He was the one I wanted to hurt.
He was the one I wanted to suffer.
That fucker had been a thorn in my side, in Dante’s side, since the beginning. Nobody was more arrogant. Nobody looked down on us Raisers more. And fucking Shane couldn’t be bothered to wage the war I was itching for. He was too busy courting death on the road with insanely reckless driving and pounding booze. He made Evil Canevil look like a Boy Scout. So I was gonna have to settle the score myself. Settle it, and then some.
One little piggy at a time.
I smiled to myself, wondering if she would cry when I cut off pieces of her. Starting with her little piggies.
I sure hoped so.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Cain
I whistled through my teeth as I pulled into Connor’s driveway. It had been two weeks since the girls went on lockdown. Kelly was going stir-crazy, I knew. I felt bad but it couldn’t be helped. I was hoping that planning a wedding would take her mind off things.
Not just any wedding, either.
Our wedding.
The ring I’d picked out weeks ago was burning a hole in my pocket. I was ready to make her mine, once and for all. I’d been ready since the first damn night more than two years ago. I’d known, even if I hadn’t wanted to face it.
I’d known she was mine the first second.
Hell, it felt like I’d been waiting for her my whole damn life. I didn’t want to wait anymore. Especially now. I wanted her safe under my roof, and on my watch, not Connor’s.
It was stupid, being jealous of her brother like that. But I was. I frowned, realizing Mason and Con went through the same thing over Cassie. They seemed to have reached some sort of peace, though I was pretty sure they still thought each other was a giant pain in the ass.
I wondered if Con and I were going to be at odds for the rest of our damn lives. I knew she was his precious little sister first. But she was mine last.
Well, it didn’t matter a damn bit what he thought. She belonged to me, and he was just going to have to get used to that. And if I didn’t get her alone somewhere soon, I was going to fucking explode.
Literally.
I wondered if blue balls had ever been fatal.
So, yeah, I was proposing tonight. This was going down. And then try and let Connor tell me I couldn’t fuck my own woman!
I took the steps two at a time, eager to see her. I knocked and waited. And waited. I knocked again, my irritation starting to mount. Finally, I heard footsteps. Cassie opened the door, looking like I’d woken her from a nap.
“Cain? Is everything okay?”
“I’m here to see Kelly.”
“Oh.” She looked around. “Let me get her.”
She called out for Kelly. Nothing. I called out. No sound, except the ticking of the clock in the kitchen. We looked at each other, both of us thinking the same thing. We started running through the house. I took the upstairs, tearing through the rooms. I even checked the nursery with two sleeping kids, but quietly. Dread was thudding in my veins as I came downstairs to see Cass standing in the kitchen, holding her head in her hands.
“Do you know where she is?”
She looked up at me, looking miserable.
“Yes. I . . . I think so.”
“Tell me.”
My heart was racing. Had she left me? Did he have her? Something was wrong, I could feel it. I felt like jumping out of my skin, willing this not to be true.
She wasn’t gone. She couldn’t be.
“She got an invite to a wedding. I knew she wanted to go but I completely forgot about it.”
“Whose wedding?”
“I forgot their names. I’m sorry! This cute old couple that she set up. They go into her diner.”
I bit back a roar. I didn’t need to scare Cassie with the deep well of rage bubbling up in my belly. But I wanted to rip the doors off the walls. To tear the world apart until I found her. I wanted Kelly! Now!
“Where is the wedding?”
“I don’t remember. I’m so sorry—”
“Tell Connor.” I cut her off. “I’m going to the diner.”
I tried to sound calm and failed. My voice was unfamiliar. I sounded fucking scared.
I was fucking scared!
“Wait!”
Cassandra stood there, looking contrite. She held out a box. I stared at it. It was a device of some kind.
“Cain. Wait. I did something a few weeks ago, when she first brought it up. It might help.”
“What?”
I was too angry to be polite. Never mind that I’d known Cass since she was fourteen years old. I was furious and scared, all at the same time.
“I sewed one of Connor’s transmitters into the dress she was going to wear.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Oh, my God, I freaking love weddings.
I pulled a tissue out of my pocket and dabbed it at my eyes. The ceremony was so beautiful. It was a small affair, held in the private offices of a local judge. He was a friend of Mr. Debonay’s family, and they were all here.
He had children and grandchildren from his first marriage. He had nieces and nephews and cousins. They were a happy, healthy looking group.
Mrs. Buchholz had confided in me when I arrived that other than the ladies from her bridge club and an old school friend, I was her only guest.
I’d squeezed her hand and offered to give her away. She had graciously accepted. And that’s how I ended up walking a sweet old lady down the aisle.
The judge kept it short and sweet, talking just a little about the happiness Mrs. Buchholz, soon-to-be Mrs. Debonay, had brought to the groom in the short time they had known each other. I was practically bawling by the time he told him he could kiss the bride.
Mr. Debonay laid one on his new wife, tipping her back slightly. I jumped out of my seat to cheer for them, not caring if I looked like a freak. Thankfully, everyone else was doing the same thing.
They walked down the makeshift aisle and through the courthouse to the front steps. We all ran ahead, waiting breathlessly at the bottom. Mrs. Debonay winked at me and threw the bouquet.
Right. At. Me.
I caught it, staring at my hands. Then I looked at her in surprise. Everyone was cheering. I was still in a daze as we all started to drift across the street to the park. There was an informal celebration set up there, with pink and white flowers and streamers around a gazebo and tables. It was a picnic-style wedding straight out of my best Pinterest dreams.
It couldn’t have been more perfect.
I couldn’t help dreaming a bit about a wedding of my own.
I sipped iced tea out of a plastic Champagne flute and nibbled on cake. I was sitting at a picnic bench with the bridge ladies. A bunch of were kids running around. It was idyllic.
I only wished that Cain were there to share it with me.
Not that cake and flowers were his thing, but there was a lot of love here. I would have loved to share it with him. My dreamy smile faded when I thought of Cain. He would be so mad at me. Hopefully, I would be back home before he even realized I was missing.
I was feeling more than a little guilty when I remembered my phone was still off. I’d shut it down, knowing that Con could find me if it was on. Not that anyone was looking for me.
Not yet, I hoped.
If they had, though, the instant I turned the phone on, the FBI would be on me like white on rice.
“Kelly?”
A grizzled biker stood just past the picnic area, not far from a strand of trees. I frowned, wondering how Cain’s guys had tracked me down so fast. I guess they knew I had snuck out. It hadn’t been easy either. Maybe one of them had followed me the whole time. He smiled and waved me over.
I stood awkwardly, walking slowly toward the trees. The guy looked familiar, but I couldn’t recall his name. I didn’t want to be rude about it though.
After all, my man was the head of the MC.
“Hello?”
“Cain sent me.”
“Oh. But I’m not ready to go.”
“He said you had your fun, and now it’s time to go.”
I shook my head in exasperation. That sounded exactly like Cain. I didn’t like being dictated to.
“I have to say goodbye to everybody.”
I couldn’t leave without wishing them well. I wanted to say goodbye to all the other people I’d met as well. I had half a mind to join the bridge club if I could learn the complicated rules.
“No time. In fact, we should go now.” His voice changed, suddenly sounding harsh and insistent. “Right now.”
It happened so fast it barely registered. The biker grabbed my wrist. At the same time, his eyes widened as he stared over my shoulder. I turned to see what he was looking at. When I turned back, he was gone.
A hand clamped down on my shoulder and spun me around.
Cain had my shoulder in a tight grip. And he looked furious. My stomach sank. I started frantically thinking of excuses, but I knew from one look at his face that it wasn’t going to fly.
Uh-oh. You are in big trouble, you idiot.
I had a feeling things were about to get real.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Cain
She was here. She was safe. She was alive.
I was going to kill her.
I would never actually hurt her, of course. But I was so angry I could barely speak. And she looked at me so innocently . . . she was actually happy to see me.
At first.
She looked a little nervous now. Good. She should be fucking nervous. I’d been scared out of my wits! I looked her over, checking to make sure she was really okay. The thoughts and images that had been circling through my mind since I realized she was missing . . . I didn’t know if I could shake them. I had almost convinced myself that she was hurt, or worse.
But she was whole. More than whole. She was fucking radiant!
Kelly looked incredibly beautiful in her dark blue floral dress. Sweet and desirable, yet innocent. Pure. The blue matched her eyes and the pink of the flowers matched her lips. I squinted at her.
It matched her nipples too. And her—
Do not get distracted, Cain. The woman has been extremely disobedient. There will be consequences.
“Hi.”
I glared at her. She was trying to play this off. Like she hadn’t gone off half-cocked and put herself in danger. Like she hadn’t lied to me.
I was angrier than I’d ever been in my life. Combined with the heart-thudding terror, relief, and love, it was a really fucked-up headspace to be in.
Especially on a sunny afternoon in a park full of wedding guests and screaming children.
“Let’s go.”
She started babbling immediately as I took her arm, locking it in an iron grip.
“One of your men was just here. He was going to take me to you.”
“What?”
“He told me you said I had to go. I thought you had me followed and—”
I let go of her and spun in a circle, seeing no one. I grabbed her shoulders, wanting to shake her but resisting the urge. I was scared enough for both of us.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t see him. That’s weird.”
“He was here? Right here?”
“Yes. Less than a minute ago. I didn’t want to go with him, but he was very insistent. Now he’s gone.”
“What did he look like?”
“Late thirties. Brown hair. Beard. Leather jacket.”
“Kelly.”
“I couldn’t remember his name. I felt bad about that but—”
“Kelly.”
“What?”
“I didn’t send anyone.”
She stared at me, not comprehending. Then it hit her. I saw the moment she realized who he was. That she’d nearly gone off with the killer. She started to sink, and I caught her, carrying her to the car with one arm. I yanked out my cellphone with the other and started barking directions to my security team. I told Hunter to tell Vice.
I was in fight or flight mode. I was ready to fight, of course, but I had to get her out of there first. I couldn’t give in to the emotions swirling beneath the surface. Not yet.
Kelly was in shock and she needed me. I had to keep it together. I had to stay sane.
I loaded her into the car and got in beside her. I put on her seatbelt as she stared uncomprehendingly out the window. I buckled up and turned on the ignition. Every second felt like an hour. And yet I could feel him out there. He was close. I wanted to scour the park for him but I had to get her to safety first.
“Call Connor,” I barked at my phone. He should have been my first call, but I hadn’t been thinking. At least my team could get drones in the air first.
I pulled o
ut into traffic, the tires practically screeching as I pushed the speed limit and then some. I was methodical. Precise.
“What the hell do you want?” He sounded thrilled to hear from me, as usual.
Normally, I would have fucked with the cranky son of a bitch. But not now.
“Kelly went out alone.”
“Cass told me. I found the wedding. I’m on my way over there with a team now.”
“I have her. But he was there.”
“Fuck!” I heard him talking to someone else, barking orders. Then he was back. “Is she hurt?”
“No. Not hurt. He almost got her. I’m taking Kelly to my place.”
“Is she okay? Tell me where to go.”
“She is in shock but unharmed. He was in Irvington Park. I’m sure he’s long gone by now, but send it out on the scanners. I have my guys flying drones in now.”
“Where do I go? I need to see her.”
“My place. And Connor?”
“What?”
“Bring your chains.”
He hung up. I had to wonder if he was going to do as I asked. If not, I’d have to get the guys to hook me up. One thing was for sure. Kelly was not getting away from me again.
I pulled into my place. It was a fairly ordinary house from the outside. The neighborhood was suburban, with neat rows of houses. What no one could tell who didn’t know is that the whole neighborhood was full of my guys. Bikers and marines.
Hunter was buying a house a few blocks away, but he hadn’t closed yet. Vice was even closer. He lived on the same damn street.
It was built-in security. We cast a net over the whole neighborhood, biker and non-biker. It was quickly becoming the safest in the whole damn county as a result.
We looked after each other, like a family.
Hell, we were a family.
I looked at Kelly. She looked pale. I didn’t blame her for being scared. The truth was, I wanted to throw up. I was pretty sure that once the adrenaline stopped pumping, I was going to crumble like a fucking cookie.
