by Addison Jane
Not anymore.
My heart had a mind of its own, taking control of my feet and directing me off the stage, my heart thumping in time to the addictive growl of the group of Harleys.
Yes, group.
There was more than one.
More than a couple.
I paused for a second, a wide smile lighting up my face and making my cheeks hurt as they pulled up outside. My skin was already able to feel the comfort and warmth of his body as it wrapped around me.
Everything was okay now.
My real family was here.
And they had my back.
Paparazzi cameras flashed, catching every second as at least twenty bikers pulled up at the curb and climbed off their rides, leaving them lined up along the street. It was quite the entrance, but these boys did really know how to make one.
My eyes didn’t sway from him.
Not for one second.
I didn’t care if I tripped, fell, made a fool of myself in front of all these fucking people because I was not here for them. I was not there to be their entertainment or to please them, and it had taken me fucking years to realize that simple fact.
Myth stepped through the doors, his hands hooking together the button on his black pinstriped jacket, pulling his silhouette in at the waist. It was slim, sexy, highlighting the strength and power in his shoulders. I walked faster, my heels clipping loudly against the ballroom floor, the sound overpowering the angry flurry of footsteps chasing me.
I didn’t give a shit.
The deal I made didn’t include this scenario.
I wasn’t breaking any fucking rules.
And, I figured I’d already blown that out of the water, anyway.
His eyes watched me, the corner of his mouth curling as they swept down my body, following the sway of my hips and lighting up as they hit the knee-high black suede boots that were all but glued to me.
One by one, bikers in perfectly tailored suits with the most beautiful women on their arms filled the red carpet behind him, the posse all tugging awkwardly at their tight collars.
Myth’s though was different.
Or maybe it was just the way he carried it.
Myth could wear a fucking Santa suit and make it look like it was the sexiest thing you’d ever seen on a man. And it wasn’t just because he had the kind of body that made drool trickle from the side of women’s mouths, or because the bulge that pressed against the front of his dress pants was very real and definitely not exaggerated.
It was all simply in the way he held himself.
The confidence.
With Myth, it wasn’t about thinking he was better than anyone, it was simply the belief that he had no reason to compare himself. He didn’t feel the need to prove anything to anyone because anyone who knew him, already knew his worth.
Including me.
Myth was the definition of a bad boy.
But he was also a good man.
And I was falling hard for both.
MYTH
I took two steps forward to meet her, my arms circling her waist and lifting her feet from the ground effortlessly. Laken laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck, all but choking me as she stared down at me with those warm, earthy brown eyes.
“Nice suit,” she murmured before pressing her lips to mine in the kind of passion that possibly should be kept for behind closed doors. I knew we were being watched, but I couldn’t find a single damn inside me, so instead, I just held her tighter, swallowing every soft moan and swipe of her tongue against mine.
I finally pulled back, searching for air, but just enough for me to talk but where my lips still brushed hers. “I hate it.”
“I’ll help you get out of it later,” she whispered, unable to fight a smile.
A real smile.
None of these bullshit smiles I’d been watching on the news before we’d arrived.
I could tell because since she’d been outed at the club and had stopped trying to hide the real her, Laken’s smiles were now reaching her eyes. They were lighting up, coming alive in a whole new way—one I was completely and utterly addicted to.
“You need to take your friends and get the hell out of here.”
Looking up over Laken’s head, I spotted Trenton standing a few feet behind her, security guards on either side, while his bar staff attempted to keep people away, directing them further into the ballroom or up the stairs to the mezzanine level where they couldn’t see him lose his shit.
“We were invited,” I argued as my brothers and their old ladies began to fill the foyer behind me. “We’ve got tickets.”
“That’s impossible,” Trenton argued. “Every ticket was so—”
“Sorry, my bad…” I smirked, the look on this asshole’s face morphed from annoyance to rage as Casen stepped through the crowd of bikers. It was a moment in time I wish I could pause. Casen shook the handful of tickets above his head. “I asked around, let some people know they probably wouldn’t want to attend because I’d heard there were a group of bikers looking to crash the party.”
I had to give him props. He might have made some shitty choices in the past, but the moment he saw a way to help, to have our back and to fight for his sister, he made the calls he needed to make. No fucking hesitation. Knowing full well this could mean he was cut off from his father for good.
Laken slipped from my arms, and I let her go, watching as she wrapped her arms around her brother’s waist and placed her head against his chest. Casen sighed, his mouth moving, whispering words to Laken that no one else could hear.
But it didn’t matter.
That was a moment they needed to have.
For both of them to find some kind of peace with the past and now move forward with their relationship.
“Casen! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Something I should have done a long time ago,” he hissed at his father, wrapping a protective arm around Laken’s shoulder. “Being there for my little sister when she needs me.”
“Now,” Ripley announced, slipping through the crowd of bikers and pinching two tickets from Casen’s hand. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve never been to a ball before. It’s an open bar, right?” He pulled Dakota with him, the little firecracker stopping right in front of Trenton and curtseying her red puffy dress before skipping along behind Rip toward the bar.
One by one, each of my brothers took a ticket from Casen’s hand and waved it in front of security before disappearing into the crowd of party-goers. There was nothing he could do but grit his teeth and fight the anger building and building inside him until he exploded—which was exactly what I was hoping for. Sure, he could throw us out, but we had tickets, and we weren’t making a nuisance, and we weren’t underdressed.
And to top it off, we’d come as a guest of his son.
Check and mate, Trenton.
Casen kissed his sister on the cheek before handing her two tickets. “Come on, let’s go have fun.”
Laken beamed as she walked past her father and took my hand. We fell in step together, Casen behind us as we made a beeline for the crowded dance floor. I looked back over my shoulder, expecting to see Trenton cursing and swearing, but instead, he was simply watching us with his phone to his ear.
I knew this wasn’t done, but I couldn’t exactly walk in here and put a bullet through his forehead.
So, for now, I was simply going to enjoy watching him squirm.
“So, you’re okay?” I asked Laken as we found a small space at the edge of the room against a wall. Reaching out, I brushed a strategically placed piece of hair back from her face. She’d done a pretty good job of disguising the little marks and bruising on her face.
Including the large bump bursting from her temple.
I didn’t miss it, though.
I’d taken stock of every mark, every scar, every spot on her body.
“I’m fine,” she stated, leaning back against the wall. “You missed my big speech.”
> “You’ll have to tell me all about it when this is all over.”
“I will,” she answered with a yawn, her face quickly twisting into an uncomfortable cringe. She pressed her hand to her head, breathing slowly through her nose.
I covered it with my own. “You’ve got a funny version of fine.”
“It’s been a long day.”
Despite the thick layer of makeup covering her skin, I could tell she was a little more pale than usual, and her eyes, they were starting to look droopy and tired. “Come on,” I announced, taking her hand in mine and hooking my arm around her waist. “I’m taking you to the hospital to get you checked for a concussion.”
“But what about—”
“Trust me, your dad and Jester will keep for a couple hours,” I cut in, walking her through the ballroom which you’d think would be hard given there were over one thousand people in this space, but people were quick to duck out of our way as soon as I growled at them to move. “The boys will watch them for me.”
We were right in the center of the room, making our way toward the exit when the lights cut out. And the music went dead.
People screamed, the crowd already shuffling slowly toward the front doors where the lights from the city street were illuminating through the windows just enough to highlight bodies.
“Myth…”
“It’s okay,” I reassured her, my eyes looking around, trying to connect with my brothers, to find out where the hell they were, and how we could get the girls out of here quickly.
There was a soft tap on my back, and I spun around. Huntsman was standing beside me, his eyes moving through the crowd just like mine were. “Street lights are still on,” he murmured under his breath.
People moved around us, not rushing but leaving the venue at a steady pace.
“Someone cut the power,” I agreed, knowing exactly what he was trying to say. My heartbeat was pounding harder, a little faster, letting me know there could be something wrong. It was preparing my body with adrenaline for what was to come next.
Then the lights flicked back on, stuttering one at a time like a wave through the room. People paused for a second, blinking and looking around.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Trenton called, throwing his voice through the room. “The generators have clicked in. They will tide us over while the fault is being fixed. Please feel free to grab another drink while we get some music going.” His voice was shaking, his face clearly pinched in concern, letting me know this wasn’t his doing.
The faces of the people around us were unsure, though. They were whispering to each other. Some were blatantly ignoring the man of the hour and making their way toward the exit and out onto the street.
“We’re gonna get the girls out of here,” Shotgun called over from the bar, slicing his hand across his neck, letting me know they were bailing. Probably feeling exactly the same as I was.
Then came the music, but not the popular pop-type music that had been playing just before the power was cut.
This was classical music.
The crescendo growing.
And I didn’t fucking like it.
“What’s that?” Laken asked, looking around for the source of the sound.
“That’s our cue,” Huntsman answered. “All right! Time to go! Please use the nearest exit in an orderly manner.” People began moving quicker, shuffling faster while the boys started to round up stragglers.
Laken looked confused, maybe a little dazed, and I knew I needed to get her to the hospital. “Is that symphony number five?” she mumbled, and I couldn’t help but let out a sharp laugh. She rolled her eyes. “Expensive education, remember?”
“Come o—”
His laughter caught me off guard, the high-pitched twisting sound like a demented clown sending a chill up my spine as it mixed with the tension-building violins playing in the background.
Unfortunately, it made me pause.
And I learned a second later that was possibly the purpose.
Bang.
A large chunk of the mezzanine level exploded into flying blocks and dust, the pillar which was holding up the corner teetered to the side. I watched several bodies tumble over the crumbling edge, screams echoing through the room as they fell what I imagined was probably three floors at least onto the ballroom floor.
“Oh my God,” Laken screamed, her hands covering her mouth.
Unconsciously, I pushed her back, trying to move to the other side of the room where there was no floor above us and an exit nearby.
Chaos was swirling, the adrenaline surging through my veins doing its job, keeping me calm and alert while I tried to figure out what the fuck we were going to do.
“Go, go, go,” Shake yelled, blood smeared across his cheek and his shirt torn. He was helping people to their feet and ushering them in the direction of the front doors where droves of party-goers were stumbling out onto the streets in shock. I needed to do something. I was starting to hear people calling for help.
I pressed my hand to Laken’s back and urged her toward Shake. “Go. You need to get out now.”
“Myth—”
“I’m not asking, I’m telling,” I snapped, not willing to stand there and argue with her right now. At this moment, I needed her to listen. “I need you to trust me.”
She held her breath, her eyes sparkling but gave me a short nod and took a single step, heading for Shake.
Bang.
I reached out, grabbing her arm and yanking her back against my chest. The next pillar exploded, this one bringing a big chunk of the mezzanine level with it, sending it careening toward the group of us who were still occupying the ballroom, trying to get people out. I turned my back, protecting her with my body as the concrete-type pillars hit the floor and sprayed shit fucking everywhere, some chunks definitely big enough to cause some major damage or kill people.
The both of us coughed, choking on the dust and debris that was now making it both hard to see and breathe.
“Everyone okay?” Shotgun called, his voice a little muffled, and I couldn’t tell exactly where the hell in the vast space he was.
“Avery caught a flying projectile to the thigh,” Kennedy called back from somewhere across the room. “She’s bleeding, but she’s okay.”
“I’ve got her,” Optimus called from somewhere in the room. “I’m taking them out the front.”
“Everyone move! That other pillar is coming down next, and it’s not gonna leave many supports keeping that fucking floor above it up,” Huntsman warned, walking back toward the piles of damage that had already been done. His arm was bleeding, and I thought I caught him limping a little, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him. “I’m gonna see if I can pull anyone out.”
“I’m going with you,” Blizzard announced, leaping out of nowhere looking like his black suit had been dipped in flour, and there were a couple of the boys from Alabama right on his tail.
We all knew there were people still in that area when it came down.
We weren’t immune from the destruction, but we were still going to do what we could do to help.
“I’ll get Laken out, then come back to help,” I answered him, but he was already climbing through lumps and clumps of the building. And I was starting to wonder just what was left holding this place up. “Let’s go,” I tugged on her hand urgently.
Bang.
Another explosion rattled the floor, the walls, the windows, and I grabbed Laken, holding her upright as she fought to find her footing. I looked over, expecting the mezzanine to begin tumbling to the floor, but it was still holding strong.
“Myth! Above you,” someone screamed, and I looked up just in time to see the large metal and glass chandelier hanging by a thread.
A single fucking thread.
And before my brain could compute just what kind of shit we were in, the last chain holding it to the roof snapped.
I didn’t think.
My body just reacted.
I shoved L
aken with force, hoping it would be enough to get her out of the fucking way.
It was.
She hit the wall as the large metal structure hit me.
The pain didn’t even have time to register, my body hitting the floor, the back of my head connecting hard.
Then everything went black.
LAKEN
“Myth,” I screamed, watching his eyes flutter closed as the huge heavy chandelier pinned him to the floor.
The chaos was something else, people were yelling, some trying to help, some pleading for it, and all while we fought to see a single thing with the destruction.
I stumbled forward, calling his name and fighting the way my head was pounding. It was making me dizzy, and I wanted to vomit. I was starting to think he was right. I needed to be at the hospital because I was pretty sure I had a delayed concussion setting in. But all I could think about was getting to Myth, getting this huge fucking thing off him and making sure he was still breathing.
“Myth—”
Two arms came around me from behind, squeezing tight and forcing the air from my lungs. I choked, fighting for air as my body was lifting off the floor and dragged backward.
“No! No!”
I needed to get to him.
I needed to pull him out.
To help him breathe.
I needed him to survive.
I couldn’t lose him now.
I fought like hell against the person holding me, but I was weak, the energy in me was at an all-time low, and I was struggling even to see. My head was thumping, the pain surging in and out and blurring my vision at the same time. My captor squeezed me a little harder as they backed through some doors into a back hall, and I choked on the vomit that forced its way up into my mouth.
I pressed my lips closed, almost vomiting again as I forced the vile tasting, chunky liquid back down.
Suddenly, there was a loud creak, and I was placed onto my feet before a heavy blow slammed into my back, forcing me to fall forward into a large walk-in freezer unit. My hands hit the floor, a single second passing before I felt the cold burn my palms.
Scrambling and stumbling to my feet, I fought my brain. It was telling me to lay down, to rest, but I knew I needed to fight.
