The Chase is Over: Nashville Assassins : Next Generation

by Aleo, Toni

  “Did you love the flowers?” Emery, Aiden’s baby sister, asks with a deadpan expression. I’m not frightened of many females, but Emery scares the living hell out of me. I don’t know who she’ll trick into marrying her, but I’m praying for them now. She’s so intense—and so opinionated—but man is she stunning. She’s really grown into her face in the last couple years. She always had a round face, but now it’s much more angular like the rest of her family. Her dark hair falls bone-straight along her shoulders, while her gray eyes pierce mine. “I spent hours on those flowers.”

  “I loved them,” I gush, reaching over to pat her hand. “Thank you.”

  “I’m glad you loved the charcuterie, too. Mom and I put that together for you,” Stella, Aiden’s other baby sister, adds. “I figured you’d flip for the French cheese when Aiden asked.”

  I wiggle with excitement. “It was my favorite part—no, I take that back. My favorite part was just lying in the water, holding hands as we relaxed and enjoyed the silence. It was beautiful. Things have been so crazy lately.”

  “Because, for some reason, you thought it would be a great idea to put on a circus, buy a house, and start a social media campaign while our boys did a Cup run,” Posey reminds me with a smirk. “One thing at a time, geez.”

  I scoff. “Says the person who not only got knocked up during our run but also married?”

  “Hey, that was an easy wedding,” she says, smacking her hands together. “Quick and easy…unlike your circus.”

  I glare. “Stop calling it a circus.”

  “Shelli, you have flamethrowers,” Amelia says with a chuckle.

  “As entertainment for the cocktail hour!”

  “A band would have been fine,” she insists, but I shake my head.

  “You sound like your mom. Stop. I’ve always wanted a big wedding. You both know this. While a beach wedding was gorgeous and a field wedding was sweet, I want something over the top. It matches me—and Aiden. He’s a showboater, and so am I, I guess.”

  “Basically, y’all are extra AF,” Emery jokes, and we all laugh as she smiles.

  “Yes. Yes, they are,” Stella says with a grin. “But we wouldn’t change y’all for anything.”

  Posey holds up her finger. “I’d get Aiden a haircut.”

  Emery high-fives my sister. “Yes, girl. Yes.”

  We all explode with laughter as I lean back in my chair, watching the women in my life. I love these girls. I’ve grown up with them, and I couldn’t imagine my life any differently.

  When the side door to the special dining room at Brooks House opens, I squeal when my cousin walks through.

  Ally throws her hands up. “Ah! Sorry I’m late!”

  Posey scoffs. “We’re not surprised.”

  I laugh as I wrap my arms around her, and hers come around my waist.

  “Still, I’m sorry. Life is crazy, and y’all’s brother isn’t making it any easier.”

  Emery rolls her eyes as Stella grins. “You love him, and you know it.”

  “I do. I so do,” she says as she falls into the seat beside Stella. “Asher wants to buy a new house, closer to where I’ll be working since his commute in for the Assassins isn’t a big deal. But everything over there is so expensive, and I’m not getting paid yet.”

  I waggle my brows at her. “Maybe next time, don’t spend all your money backpacking all over Spain.”

  Ally beams at just the mention of her trip with Asher. They were gone for two months, and the pictures are incredible. They had a blast, and when they came back, they finally told everyone they were engaged. I don’t know why they kept it a secret for so long. Yeah, they were best friends, but my momma has told me over and over again, “Sometimes your forever is right there in front of you.” Would have been nice if Aiden had figured that out earlier, but I do love what I did before I met him.

  Hell, I miss it.

  I inhale sharply as I think about the email on my phone that wants all my attention, but I can’t give it any. Not right now. Not anytime soon. Aiden will freak.

  “That was the best trip of my life with the most gorgeous man, and we had a blast.” Ally giggles, bringing me back to the room.

  “So, have y’all picked a date?” Amelia asks, but Ally shakes her head.

  “We’re not in any hurry. We’re going to have a long engagement, wait till I’m set up in my career and everything. We want to enjoy each other, and then after we get married, have kids right away.”

  I nod happily as Emery gives her a look. “Or y’all got married while you were gone and won’t admit it until you’re ready.”

  My eyes widen as I whip my head to Ally. “No way.”

  “Please tell me that’s not true,” Posey begs.

  But Ally is gawking at Emery. “What in the world would make you think that?”

  Emery grins like a cat with a canary in its mouth. “From that picture of you two at the one church. Your dress isn’t white, but it’s ivory, and he’s wearing a nice shirt and slacks. I believe y’all got married there and are keeping it all to yourself.”

  Or maybe, instead of getting married, she’ll become a spy for the FBI? Hell, it’s Emery. She could easily do both at the same time.

  Ally isn’t even blinking. “For your information, future little sister of mine, we took nice pictures since it was gorgeous there—”

  “Yeah, to celebrate your nuptials,” Emery says, so sure of herself, I believe it to be true. I just stare at her as she crosses her arms over her chest. “I zoomed in on both y’all’s hands, and there were rings. But then you came home, and they’re gone. I know it’s true. You can’t change my mind.”

  Ally glares. “You’re as stubborn as your brother.”

  “Tell me I’m wrong,” she challenges, but Ally just looks away, meeting my gaze.

  “So, you’re getting married, Shelli!”

  My jaw drops. “Ally! Did y’all get married?”

  The room is so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. But then Amelia holds up her phone, and the picture of Ally and Asher is filling her screen. “There are rings.”

  My eyes about fall out of my head as I turn to my cousin. “Really?”

  Slowly, Ally scrunches up her face before she raises her palms. “Yes, but hear me out—”

  “Oh my God!” I screech.

  “You’re kidding me!” Posey yells, while Stella warns, “Man, Mom and Dad are going to be pissed.”

  “Harper and Jakob are going to kill you,” Amelia says, speaking of Ally’s parents. She’s right; they’re gonna murder her dead—or better yet, Asher for sure.

  Meanwhile, Emery is grinning from ear to ear.

  Ally is flustered. I can hear it in her voice as she yells, “It was spontaneous and so romantic, I swear! We’ve known each other forever, and it just seemed right. We don’t want some big lavish wedding like you and Aiden. We’re private.”

  I shake my head. “Um, Aiden and I are private.”

  Emery snorts. “Three hundred people at a wedding isn’t private.”

  “No one asked you, child,” I say, pointing at her, praying she doesn’t come at me with that steak knife. “You could have invited us. We would have flown over for it.”

  “But we didn’t want to share it with anyone. We just wanted us.” She takes my hand and then Posey’s. “Please don’t let that hurt your feelings. Really, it was so spur-of-the-moment. He asked, and I couldn’t come up with a reason why it would be a bad idea.”

  At the same time, Posey and I lace our fingers with Ally’s. I don’t know why I’m surprised. When Ally wants to do something, she does it. “How in the world are you going to tell your mom?”

  Ally shrugs. “I have no clue, but right now, it isn’t about us. It’s about you and Aiden! Now, let’s go party!”

  “I would have wanted to be there for my two best friends,” Posey said, eyeing her.

  Guilt riddles our cousin. “I know, but it all just happened so quickly. I’ll have another wedding if I ca
n’t find the balls to tell my parents and his.”

  “Sounds like we’ll have another wedding,” I laugh, and soon, everyone else joins in as I hug Ally tight. Posey comes around, doing the same, and as I watch them, I’m in awe of us. Never in my dreams could I have imagined all this happening for us. We’ve found the men of our dreams, and now we’re living our best lives. It’s incredible.

  Just then, Ally looks at me. “Did you love the bathtubs?”

  I beam. “I did. It was perfect.”

  “Asher was pretty impressed by Aiden. Not gonna lie, but I didn’t think he was that romantic.”

  I scoff. “He’s so romantic. It’s sweet.”

  “Good, you deserve it,” she says, kissing my cheek. I grin at her as we gather our things, but then I remember Emery is still with us. “Are you meeting your dad outside?”

  Emery flashes me a sneaky grin. “Nope, I got myself a fake ID.”

  Stella nods. “It’s legit, too. I had my hookup make it for her.”

  I blink. “No way.”

  Ally shakes her head. “No way in hell can I take you barhopping with your fake ID. I can’t have your parents hate me before I tell them I married your brother.”

  Emery’s grin widens. “If you don’t take me, I’m telling.”

  I press my hand to my chest. “You’re a sneaky little shit,” I accuse, but she isn’t fazed by me at all.

  “Be real. I’m not drinking. I just want to go with y’all and dance. Stop being all grown up and stuff.”

  “Hey, being a grown-up means you get to do what you want,” Amelia adds, but I’m speechless.

  I look to my sister, my cousins, waiting for someone to help me out, but no one says anything. “We can’t take her. Aiden will kill me.”

  “I’ll take responsibility,” Stella says, wrapping her arm around her sister. “She looks like she’s eighteen. I mean, she’s got bigger boobs than me, and I promise, we aren’t drinking. Mom would kill us.”

  I gawk at her. “Does your mom know?”

  Stella shakes her head. “No. I’m not trying to die.”

  “God help me.”

  No one moves as we all look at Emery.

  Finally, Ally says, “We’ll go to the pub on the corner of Broadway. Super low-key, but they have dancing. One bar, Emery, and then you’re going home.”

  She thinks that over. “Fine.”

  But I don’t think there is anything fine about this.

  “We’re all going to jail,” I mutter, and Posey throws her arm around me.

  “At least we’ll be together.”

  “That doesn’t make this better.”

  She grins as she leans into me. “I already texted Fallon. She’s gonna catch us at the door.”

  Oh, thank God. “Could you imagine?”

  She chuckles. “Pretty sure ‘Two pregnant women, one fake ID, a secretly married bachelorette, and a bride walk into a bar’ isn’t a joke I want to be a part of.”

  “Girl, truth.”

  Before we even walk out of the room, Fallon is there, catching us like she promised Posey. “Y’all heading out?”

  I beam at my future mother-in-law. “Yup! Ready to party.”

  She nods. “Wonderful. Emery, come on with me. Elli needs our help.”

  She looks over at me, but I don’t make eye contact. “Dad was going to pick me up.”

  “Nope, come with me—”

  “But, Mom—”

  “Emery, I’m not gonna have your father drive you to Elli’s when you can go with me now.”

  I feel Emery’s gaze on me, and when it shifts to her sister, Stella shrugs. “Guess you gotta go.”

  I swear, if looks could kill…

  “We’ll see you tomorrow,” I gush, hugging Emery tightly. “Thank you for coming to dinner.”

  Again, pretty sure I wouldn’t make it to my wedding if Emery had her way. I see her glance at Ally, and I hold my breath as she looks back at her mom. “Fine, let’s go.”

  As she walks away, we all exhale in relief.

  “Thank God,” I say first, and everyone nods in agreement. “Who’s ready to party?”

  Stella scoffs. “I mean, as much as two pregnant women and an underage girl can party… Let’s go!”

  Ally looks to me. “I guess we’re drinking for three?”

  I nod, high-fiving her. “At least we have three DDs.”

  “Right? Let’s do this.”

  “Yay,” Posey says dryly, and Amelia laughs.

  Meanwhile, Stella muses, “Would have been cool to have Emery with us, though.”

  “I’d rather stay out of jail,” Posey says, and that sends us all into a fit of laughter.

  “Yeah, I eat entirely too much and piss too much for jail,” Amelia adds.

  “I just don’t think orange is my color,” Ally interjects.

  “It’s not. You’re more of a violet or blue or teal. I love you in teal,” Stella gushes, hugging her now sister-in-law.

  Jesus.

  This is insane.

  But hell if I don’t love these girls.

  Chapter 3

  Shelli

  I rub my sister’s little belly, ignoring her annoyance.

  “Are you going to do this my whole pregnancy?”

  I nod with no cares. “Yup.”

  “Wonderful,” she mutters as she leans on her hand, eyeing me. She has a large glass of water beside her, along with Amelia’s, but somehow Ally got Amelia and Stella on the dance floor with her. The Florida Georgia Line House is pretty impressive. It’s a nice, cool summer night, so the outside bar is the spot to be. It’s low-key but still a party. I didn’t want to overwhelm Posey and Amelia. I bet it’s hard growing a baby, and it takes a lot out of them. Especially with Posey already losing one pregnancy. I don’t want to overexert her with the craziness that Broadway can bring. This may not be the bachelorette party I always imagined, but in a way, it’s more than I could ever ask for.

  “Are you sure we can’t name him Boonsey?”

  My sister’s eyes narrow to slits. “Absolutely not. Don’t encourage Boon on that either!” she warns, and I giggle.

  “But it’s fun to smush names together. I’m the product of one—Elli and Shea, Shelli.”

  She gives me a dry look. “I know, but I refuse to do that to my son. He needs a strong name. Boon doesn’t want a Boon Jr., so I don’t know yet. Maybe a Shea Jr.”

  I grin. Boon and Posey tried to keep the sex of the baby a secret, but after a proud daddy post on Instagram by Boon with his growing son’s penis on display for the world, easy to say, everyone knew. Posey also took away his Instagram. Really funny, but knowing she might name her son after our dad… Wow. “Dad would cry.”

  “I know,” she says, rubbing her belly now.

  “What about Boon’s middle name?” I suggest, and she shrugs.

  “I love Zachariah, but he doesn’t. Maybe Zac Shea?”

  “Ooh, I love that.”

  She beams. “Me too. I’ll need to run it by him. We have time, though.”

  “You do, but it already seems like it’s going so fast.”

  Posey’s eyes glisten. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

  “I can’t either. I’m going to spoil him rotten.”

  “Great…just what I need,” she teases, but there is nothing but love in my sister’s eyes for me. “We need to buy a house before he comes, but house hunting is exhausting.”

  I nod. “I hear that. It’s a hassle, but Mom says it’s worth it in the end.”

  “That’s what she told us. I don’t know… I’d rather work on plays and stuff than look for houses. Plus, I love my apartment.”

  “No one says you have to buy a house, Pose. If you want to stay in the apartment, do it. You have an extra room.”

  She smiles, nodding. “Yeah. I just figure, I’ve got the husband, the baby…I need the house.”

  “There are no rules or guidelines for being an adult. It’s your choice. Whatever you want. Don’t let any
one tell you different.”

  “I’m in awe of you,” she says after a second. “Really. You just do what you want and don’t care what others think. It’s amazing.”

  I shrug. “I know everyone thinks I’m so young to have lived so much, but those years in New York aged me. I learned a lot, and one of those things is I won’t hold on to anyone’s opinions of me. Take the wedding, for example. I know everyone thinks it’s over the top, thinks I’m crazy for wasting all this money and time for a one-day thing, but this is Aiden’s and my day. It’s a celebration of our love, and my feelings for him are over the top and crazy. It’s going to be simply amazing, and I could not care less who thinks I’m stupid for it.”

  She scrunches up her face. “No one thinks you’re stupid. Just a little crazy.”

  “I don’t care,” I laugh, leaning into her, pressing my hand on her thigh. “’Cause it’s our day. It’ll be the second-best day of my life.”

  Posey’s eyes dance. “The first?”

  “The day Aiden told me he loved me.”

  She nods. “I would have said your first day onstage on Broadway.”

  I shake my head. “Nothing can ever compare to the day Aiden told me he loved me.”

  Tears fill my sister’s eyes. “I’m so happy for you, and I promise I’ll stop calling the wedding a circus.” Laughter bubbles inside me as she leans into me. “Also, all this, everything you’ve just said, your passion, is why you’re my favorite sibling.”

  I chuckle as I wrap my arms around her neck, kissing her temple. It’s hard to believe she’s pregnant and married. As much as I wanted it for her, I really didn’t think it would happen. She never wanted to play house or with dolls growing up. She was playing in the garage with the boys and our dad. The idea of her with a man was almost laughable, but then seeing her with Boon, it gives me chills with how perfect it is. They’re so in love, and I couldn’t ask for a better man for my sister. I love the woman she is when she is loved by him.