The next hour shuttled past in a happy blur. Zeke and Trevor’s arrival, passing plates and trading small talk. By the time her plate was half empty, she was gorged on more than food. The sheer energy bouncing between those gathered around the table was enough to fuel her spirits for months. Just watching them was a revelation. A completely different experience than what she’d had that first night. Zeke and Knox constantly traded playful barbs and neither seemed comfortable with sitting still. More reserved with their words, Trevor and Beckett stuck to sports commentary and new business ideas, while Axel and Jace coached and critiqued the concepts offered.
And Sylvie and Ninette silently lorded over it all, their wise gazes soaking up each moment with smiles that spoke of years rich with memories.
Jace wiped his mouth and tossed his napkin to the side of his plate. “All right, whose pick is it tonight?”
“Mine.” Ninette reclined back in her chair and sipped her tea.
Vivienne leaned closed to Jace and whispered, “Pick for what?”
He beamed and twirled the toothpick he’d stuck between his lips with his tongue. “Game night. Every Wednesday we eat and we play. Everyone gets a turn picking, one for food and one for the game.”
Trevor inched his chair away from the table and rubbed his stomach. “Thank God, I’m up next week. Between Knox’s junk food this week and Sylvie’s cranachan last week, I’m gonna be dead before I’m fifty.”
Zeke planted his elbows on the table and rubbed his hands together. “What am I beating you at tonight, mamãe?”
She mock scowled at him, the barest smile lifting the corners of her mouth. “Genius IQ or not, I can still take you in whatever I pick, Zeke Dugan.”
“Hey.” Knox dropped his hands to his hips and frowned. “I’m the genius, he’s just good with textbooks.”
“And blood and guts,” Axel added. “Let’s not forget the good parts.”
Jesus, they were all insane. Gloriously and perfectly insane. She’d never been more entertained in her life.
On Ninette’s other side, Beckett nudged her with his elbow. “You pick poker, I’ll help you team up against him. We’ll take him down in thirty minutes.”
“God, not that,” Zeke said. “I can’t sit still that long.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, scanned the rest of the table, and cocked her head when she got to Viv. “You ever play Monopoly?”
Everything inside her froze, the happy buzz beneath her skin going ice-cold in a second. “Um...” She swallowed and peeked at Jace.
He stared down at her, his patient demeanor as rock solid as the granite tabletop.
You’re in my home. Surrounded by family. Safe.
Keeping the arm on her injured side cradled close to her side, she shifted enough to lean into Jace, splayed her hand on his thigh, and focused on Ninette. “We never had game night at my house.” Well, her dad had a time or two, but those playing had been reserved for his friends, and had centered more on whisky than cards.
“You’ve never played Monopoly?” Knox sagged against his seat back, clearly stunned. “How’s that possible?”
Axel chuckled and shuttled his gaze to hers. “Wouldn’t matter if you’d played before or not. Not the way we play it. Brotherhood rules only.”
Jace dropped the arm he’d stretched out on the back of her chair to her shoulders. His warmth cocooned and encouraged her, fanning the blossoming comfort his family had built throughout dinner. “You up for it, or you want to rest?”
The out he offered was tempting. A chance to hide, recalibrate and process everything she’d seen and felt.
Jace’s thumb shuttled back and forth against her skin, a silent comfort in the face of her rioting emotions.
It was just game night. She didn’t have to make anything more of it than that. Could keep the concept of family tucked tight in the corner of her mind and view it as a fun chance to get to know new people. Nothing more, nothing less. She drew in a steadying breath and forced a brave smile. “If you’re willing to teach me, I’m willing to give it a try.”
* * *
His mom was a genius. Jace didn’t have a clue what had spurred her to pick Monopoly tonight of all nights, but he had a pretty damned good idea it centered on whatever he and Axel had walked in on after work. It had to have been at least two years since they’d whipped out any of their collector editions and, even then, playing the game was reserved for the holidays, but here they were, gathered round their oversized poker table and battling it out Godfather-style.
And Viv was riveted. Or at least she had been for the first few hours. In the last thirty minutes, her eyes had grown weighted and her carriage a little less rigid than when they’d settled in and started fighting over who got which player tokens. She wasn’t giving up though. Hell, if anything her competitive streak was the main thing keeping her upright.
She snatched the dice off the game board and eyeballed the long stretch of nastiness ahead of her. One thing about Axel and his properties—he did not fuck around. If Viv didn’t roll a nine or better she’d have to start selling shit off, and Jace had a pretty damned good idea that wouldn’t sit too well with his Little Miss.
She shook the dice and prepared to roll.
Knox held up his hand. “Hold up.”
Axel growled and leaned into the table, his accent a little thicker from all the Scotch and time spent around his mom. “Ignore the bloody dobber, Viv. Roll the dice.”
Sylvie backhanded him in the shoulder. “Haud yer wheesht. The man’s got a proposition for the lass.”
Knox grinned at Viv, pinched his fingers together, and waggled them in front of his face. “I’mma gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse.”
Zeke perked up from the opposite side of the table, an appalled expression on his face. “Was that supposed to be a Sicilian accent?”
“I don’t know,” Beckett said as he counted his stash, “but I’m pretty sure Marlon Brando just rolled over in his grave.”
Trevor chuckled and slunk down farther in his chair.
Knox frowned, flipped Zeke the bird, and shifted his attention back to Viv. “As I was saying...how about we make a deal.”
Viv cocked her head. “What kind of deal?”
“You pay me protection and if you land on any of Axel’s properties I’ll cover the rent.”
She scowled down at the board, scanned her neatly lined up money and pursed her lips. “Why?”
“Well, for starters, you’re cute. I’m also a sucker for gray eyes, and your cookies don’t suck.”
Confusion pinched her face. “You’re just doing it to be nice?”
“More like I’m betting you make it past Axel squeaky clean and pay me for nothing.” He shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “Two hundred every time you go around the board. It’s a win/win.”
Hell yeah, it was. It was also one of the best avoidance answers he’d ever heard out of Knox because, at this point, if Viv hit anyone’s property she was toast. Knox didn’t give a shit about anything except not seeing a pretty girl lose, and damned if he didn’t love his brother more than ever in that moment.
For a second, Viv got scary still and her mouth pressed together hard like she was reining in some serious shit. She got it together quick though and nodded her head. “Okay.” She swallowed big, set the die aside and dug out two-hundred bucks. “Deal. You get my payday every time I pass go.”
He took the money and waggled his eyebrows. “Pleasure doing business with you.”
“Oh, up yer arse wi’ it,” Axel groused. “Yer just suckin’ up ta Viv while ye can. Wait ’til she’s back in the office and we’ll see which of us she likes better.”
Oh, yeah. He totally loved his brothers right now. Every fucking one of them.
Knox took his turn next and a five-minute barter session between him and Trevor ensued.
Vivienne scooted her seat back and stood, drawing all negotiations and side-chatter to a standstill. “Sorry.” She ducked her head and stepped around her chair. Her voice when she spoke again cracked just the slightest bit. “Don’t stop for me. I just need a quick break.” She hurried from the room, angling for the main hallway instead of the half bath off the entertainment room.
Jace was on his feet before she’d disappeared from sight. “Mom, watch my money.”
Ninette wiggled her fingers like she couldn’t wait to do a little creative accounting. “With pleasure.”
He glanced back at her on his way out long enough to hit her with a mock warning. “Just remember. If you spend too much of it, I won’t have any to bail your ass out.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She shooed him out of the room. “Go check on your girl. I’ve got this.”
The hallway stretched shadowed and quiet in front of him, only the muted laughter of his family and the faint strains of some bluesy country crooner drifting from the entertainment room behind him. The door to his suite stood open and the only light to guide his feet emanated from the closed bathroom door on the far side of the room. He rapped a knuckle against the door. “Viv?”
“Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute.”
Like hell she would. He might have suspected a crack in her voice before, but there was no missing the quaver threaded through the overdone chipper response. He eased the door open.
Braced with her good hand on the vanity and the other tucked tight against her waist, Viv stood with her head hung so her hair covered her face. Despite her attempts to hold it in, her shoulders shook with silent sobs.
He moved in behind her and slid his arms around her waist. “Which part was it that got you? The fact that he was looking out for you, or the fact that he tried to do it gentle?”
She huffed out a ragged half laugh, half whimper and dashed one hand against her cheek. “It wasn’t just him. I mean, he was sweet. Charming. But so was Beckett. And Trevor. All of them.”
He buried his face in her neck, pulled in her scent and savored the moment. The quiet sincerity of her words. “Turn around, sugar.”
She sniffed, wiped her other cheek, and slowly did as he asked.
God, she was beautiful. Even with tearstained cheeks and lashes spiked with wetness, her gray eyes roiled with the beauty of a distant summer storm. “Tonight meant something to you.”
“No.” Another tear slipped free. “It meant everything. I’ve never had that. Not once. Friends yes, but not a family. I don’t care if I never have another night like it as long as I live, tonight’s been perfect.”
He wiped the tear away and cupped the side of her face. She might not have grasped the full concept yet, but they’d cracked the door. Shown her a glimpse of what their life could be like. Would be like, once she finally let down her guard. “It won’t be the last, sugar. That much I promise.” He tucked her hair behind one ear. “Now, you wanna call it a night and get some rest, or do you want to head back out and let everyone know you’re all right?”
“You think they know I lost it?”
Hell, yeah, they knew she’d lost it, but he wasn’t about to point that out. Not yet, anyway. “What difference does it make? I keep tellin’ you, we’ll take you like you are. Snivels, cackles and any four-letter word you dare to try. Doesn’t matter if you crawl out of bed with your panties in a twist and a wicked case of PMS, no one here’s going to hang you for it. Might give you a wide berth for a day or two, but we’ll still be here when shit evens out.”
She peeked up from under her wet lashes and pouted in a way that said she had a hard time buying it. “Can we wait a few minutes until my eyes aren’t red?”
He grinned at that, gripped her hips, and backed her against the vanity. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll kiss you until your eyes are heavy and your lips are swollen. Then they’ll spend more time chuckling about what we’ve been up to instead of why you left in the first place. That work for you?”
Her giggle was sweet, still tinged with the aftermath of her crying jag, but free of the weight from before. She smoothed her hand above his sternum and cocked her head in a playful slant that came off twice as sexy with her vulnerability still on full display. “Yeah. I think that works for me just fine.”
Chapter 23
The last of Jace’s brothers disappeared down Haven’s long, winding drive, leaving only him, Viv and the quiet acreage to do what he had to do. Viv’s little hybrid sat shiny and ready for action next to his Chevy in the circle drive, and her key lay anchor-heavy in his palm.
One week he’d had her safe and mostly to himself. Seven days to build a bond and show her how perfect she fit with his brothers and the girls. With him. But after Beck and Knox’s assessment at rally today, he couldn’t dodge reality anymore. Viv was safe and it was time to let her choose.
He pushed off the porch’s cedar pillar and stuffed Viv’s keys in his pocket. He’d give his mom and Sylvie props. As soon as they’d heard Viv had the all clear, they’d both bailed on a sudden and dire need for mani/pedis and an impromptu run for the grocery store.
Stalking into the house, he flipped off the TV Sylvie had left on in the entertainment room and headed to his study off his suite. The door stood ajar with one of the Star Wars reruns tuned low and filtering out into the hallway. He eased inside and shut the door behind him.
Viv glanced up from her laptop, checked her phone and dove back into her work, scowling at the screen. “You guys done already?”
Classic Vivienne concentration, a single-minded focus he’d learned was more the norm than the exception. Huge assignments that would stagger most people, she’d break down into manageable chunks the way a sous chef tackled dinner prep for an army. “Agenda was short today.”
“No dastardly plans for world domination?”
“That’s next week. This week’s reserved for bunko and a knitting bee.” His smart-assed quip earned him a wry pucker and saucy glare, but at least it got the scowl off her face. He moseyed around the desk, pulled her from the chair and took her place, pulling her into his lap. “You want to tell me why you’re glaring daggers at the screen?”
“I can’t get the banner layouts right.” She swiped the touch pad and fiddled with the highlighted text.
The crimson background and fun lettering looked fine to him, although it was about the last style he’d have expected her to use. “What do you want them to look like?”
She motioned close to the screen, sectioning it out with two fingers. “You’re supposed to make sure there’s balance between the objects, and that the message can be assimilated quickly.”
“Sugar, I asked what you wanted it to look like. Not what it’s supposed to look like.”
“Hmm.” She furrowed her brow, cocked her head a bit and started shifting the elements.
Chuckling at her cautious response, he tugged her away from the keyboard and twisted her on his lap so her legs dangled over the arm. “Sweetheart, the only thing lacking with any of your work is you. You’ve got spunk. Let it out and follow what comes natural. Besides, it’s five hundred bikers and their Harleys. I promise, we’ll be more interested in a good time than ad flow.”
“Well, there is that.” She dropped her head on his shoulder and fiddled with his Haven tags. The pricey platinum pendants were a crazy idea Axel had come up with shortly after they’d pulled Zeke and Trevor into the group. Ever since, every one of the guys wore theirs come hell or high water. For some reason, Viv seemed fascinated by them, so he’d started wearing them on top of his shirt instead of beneath. Though most of the time when she touched them, she didn’t look quite so distracted.
“Something wrong?”
Shaking her head, she sat up and checked her phone again. “Not really. I just haven’t heard from Callie. It’s been over a week.”
“Considering the state
she was in last time she called, I’d say that’s a plus.”
She shoved the phone back on the desk and nestled back against his chest. “What if something’s wrong?”
The easiness that had developed between them in the last week was the best part of her being here. More often than not, she seemed to curl into him on instinct, so much trust and openness in the action it was a wonder he left the house at all. “Sugar, this thing between you and Callie’s gotta stop. If you don’t, one of you is going to end up hurt. Best rule of thumb in something like this—if nothing changes, nothing changes.”
“How am I supposed to stop it?”
“The part you stop is yours. The rest is up to her. You can’t fix this for her, Viv.”
She huffed out a tired exhale and splayed her hand above his heart.
Damn, he hoped she didn’t leave. Not now. Not when she’d finally started letting him in. But giving her the choice was the right thing to do.
He kissed the top of her head and covered her hand with his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “We need to talk.”
Viv froze, tension gripping her for several seconds before she jerkily pushed upright. “Sure. Whatever.”
Something in her tone knocked him sideways and put him on alert, her aloof and shuttered response shoving his original topic to the back of his mind. “Something else going on besides you worrying about your sister?”
“Not a worry, no.”
“But there’s something on your mind.”
She shrugged as much as she could with her wounded shoulder just starting to mend. “More preparing than anything.”
“For what?”
She stood, turned to face him, and leaned her ass against the desk, fisting her hands around the edge. “The talk.”
How the hell could she know what the guys had decided? Hell, he’d just barely committed to telling her himself. “Not sure I follow.”
“You rethinking things between us. You’ve been really good to me this week, and I know you feel bad about me getting hurt, but it’s probably better if we face things head-on.”
Rough & Tumble (The Haven Brotherhood) Page 22
