Silence stretches out between us and I shift back and forth as I try to think of something else to say but my mind is blank. What happened and why the hell is this suddenly awkward between us? We’ve always been able to be open with each other and we’ve always been on the same page when it came to our relationship so why do I feel let down right now? God, this wedding is messing with my head - that has to be it. He clears his throat and lightly touches my arm, pulling my gaze back to him as he lifts his chin toward the middle of the room.
“Dance with me.”
I arch a brow. “Are you asking me or demanding?”
“Asking you,” he answers before a devilish grin stretches across his face. “Knowing that you’ll say yes.”
“Oh, you think I’m that easy, do you?”
He laughs, trailing the tips of his fingers up my arm as goose bumps pop up in his wake. “Only for me, Princess. Come dance with me.”
“I thought you couldn’t dance?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I can manage that,” he answers, pointing to Fuzz and Piper as they sway back and forth to the song. Crossing my arms over my chest, I peek up at him.
“Are you sure? People will see.”
“Let ‘em,” he answers, shrugging with that cocky grin on his face that gets me every single fucking time when it comes to him. Unable to say no to him any longer, I set my drink down on the bar and he takes my hand, leading me a little ways into the room as a few people turn to look at us. Lincoln and Tate are on the other side of the room, talking and laughing with each other but as soon as Travis wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me into his body, I swear I can feel my brother’s gaze on us.
“Kodiak is staring daggers at me right now,” he whispers in my ear, confirming my suspicions and I fight back a giggle. “Fuck. I think he’s thinking about killing me.”
I shake my head. “Don’t worry. Tate will run interference.”
“I suppose if there is one person you want on your side in a fight,” he replies, looking down at me with a grin. “It’s Tate.”
Laughing, I nod. “She’ll be happy to hear you think so.”
“Yeah, make sure you tell her. I’ll take all the brownie points I can get with that woman,” he says before giving me a mock shudder of fear and I laugh, feeling us both relax a little from our earlier conversation.
“You do realize that Tate is the kind of person that doesn’t give a shit about brownie points if you hurt someone she cares about, right?”
He arches a brow. “Is that a warning?”
“No,” I answer with a laugh, shaking my head. “Just an observation.”
“Mmhmm,” he hums, pulling me closer into his body as we drift across the floor. I smile up at him before narrowing my eyes.
“You claimed you couldn’t dance.”
Laughing, he shakes his head. “I promise you, this is the extent of my abilities. Although, I wouldn’t say no to private lessons, up in my room in oh, ten minutes.”
“Wow… with a proposition like that, I can’t possibly say no. I’m so in the mood that you’re lucky I don’t jump you right here,” I reply dryly and he laughs, leaning in closer as he moves us away from the group.
“Princess, it’s not like I can really do the things I want to do to you in front of everyone. Give a guy a chance.”
I pull back and peek up at him. “What kinds of things would you do if everyone in this room knew about us?”
“Nothing,” he answers, his eyes heating as he stares down at me. “There is no way in hell I want anyone in this room seeing the look on your face when you lose control. That’s mine.”
“Yours?” I breathe, my heart hammering in my chest as I search his face. The possessiveness staring back at me takes my breath away and I lick my lips, trying to force my mind to work when my body is in overdrive. He nods, leaning in like he might just kiss me before his gaze flicks over my shoulder and he pulls back with a sigh.
“Kodiak is really cramping my style.”
I scoff, patting his shoulder as I tell myself to relax. “You poor thing.”
He nods in agreement before pulling me closer and guiding me around the floor as my mind spins. What the hell is happening between us tonight? Every statement seems to be loaded with meaning and I don’t know if it’s just the emotions of the day or something else but our relationship feels different. Then again, we’ve all had a roller coaster of a week but once everything calms down again, things will go back to normal for Travis and me, I’m sure of it.
The door to the clubhouse opens and we all turn to look as a man in a delivery uniform steps inside with a medium-sized package in his hands. Travis releases me as he cocks his head to the side, studying the man. The delivery guy freezes, his gaze flicking over every pair of eyes staring back at him before he clears his throat.
“Uh, I have a package for Wyatt and Piper.”
Fuzz raises his hand. “Over here.”
“Right,” the delivery man says, walking across the room and setting the package down on the closest table before handing Fuzz a clipboard to sign. He scribbles his name then hands it back with a nod of thanks. Clutching his clipboard to his chest, the delivery man practically runs out of the clubhouse as we all turn to the box. The outside is stamped with the labels “perishable” and “open immediately” but those are the only clues available to us.
“Is there a note?” Blaze asks from the back of the room and Piper nods as she plucks a little card off of the top, opening it.
“To Wyatt and Piper, congratulations on your special day.”
Travis scowls, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me into his side. “It doesn’t say who it’s from?”
“Nope,” she answers before looking around at all of us. “Did one of you send it?”
Everyone shakes their head and she shrugs before grabbing the pocket knife Fuzz holds out to her and flicking it open. She drags it along the top seam of the box where it’s taped together before handing the knife back to her husband and popping open the top. A horrified scream fills the room and she stumbles backward almost tripping over her dress but Fuzz catches her before she can hit the floor, pulling her into his arms as he whispers something to her but her eyes remain wide in fear and her hands shake. Curiosity getting the best of us, we all surge forward almost like we’re being pulled in by the box itself and when I get close enough to peek inside, I gasp and clamp my hand over my mouth as I stare down at the contents. My breath catches in my throat and tears sting my eyes.
It isn’t real…
This can’t be real. I tell myself to relax as spots dance in my vision and I focus on each breath entering and leaving my lungs, putting all of my attention on the act itself so I don’t have to think about what is in front of me.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
Just fucking breathe, Rowan.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Storm whispers, his voice as haunted as I feel as I stare down at the box’s contents, trying to make my brain form even a single thought but the only thing that registers is the fear pumping through my veins. My hands shake and my body feels on edge as my heart hammers in my chest. Tears streak down the sides of my face as I wrap my arms around my body and shiver.