I’m here. Want to see if you can get Roman to come out here instead of raising hell inside?
His response is thankfully instantaneous.
Give me a few minutes. He’s having a moment alone with his wife that only an idiot would interrupt.
Half an hour or so later, I’m still waiting, pacing back and forth in the lot in front of the bikes, knowing Tessa is probably just inside the building that I’m not allowed to enter.
Yet.
That small slice of hope is what keeps me there. Even if Cannon can’t get Roman out here, maybe I could get a glimpse of Tessa leaving.
Unless she’s already left.
In which case, I may pull my hair out.
Finally, after it gets so dark the streetlights come on, Cannon, Conrad, Roman, and Winston all come walking out of the building. When Cannon sees me, he points out the way to the others. I try to figure out in the dimly lit night if Roman looks happy or not.
Surprisingly, he’s grinning like the Cheshire cat, all white teeth as he approaches. Thank you, Charlotte.
“What the hell are you doing skulking around in the dark?” Roman calls out as he comes closer. “Get your ass inside!”
Is he talking to me? No, he can’t be. He was so angry he wanted to strangle me the last time I saw him…
“Well? What the fuck are you waiting for?” Roman asks when we’re all standing less than five feet apart. When he moves closer, I’m expecting another punch to my face, but instead, Roman wraps me up in a hug and slaps my back. “It’s been too long,” he says, close enough that I can smell the alcohol on his breath. Great, he’s just gotten laid and he’s drunk. There’s no way he’ll remember this conversation tomorrow.
The other guys follow his lead, giving me masculine embraces, all of them so liquored up they’ll probably have to crash at the clubhouse or get a ride home tonight.
“So, am I back for good?” I finally ask him.
“We’ll have to vote on it,” Roman remarks, then slaps Winston on the shoulder. “My VP can handle that next week. What do you say?”
“Yeah, sure,” Winston agrees with an actual grin on his face. The expression is so strange I do a double take. Then I remember that he’s with Zoe, his stepsister now. “First thing Monday,” he adds as if he knows I want to call a meeting right this fucking second.
“Okay, let me know how it goes,” I tell them.
“Well? Are you coming in and raising a glass to the happy couple or what?” Cannon thankfully asks.
“We haven’t drained the tap yet,” Conrad remarks with a chuckle.
Since everyone seems to be in a damn good mood, I eagerly accept their invitation and follow them inside, deciding not to bring up Tessa with Roman just yet. He can’t keep me away from her anymore, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to tell him that before I’m voted back in.
Tessa
* * *
Liquid courage is exactly what I need tonight before I go home alone to my new apartment in a new neighborhood with two boys keeping guard.
Lucas and Jake are jerks to each other when they don’t think anyone is looking, but they’re tough, dependable, and kind to me. I don’t trust them enough to let them in my apartment, but I do feel safer knowing they’ll be right outside.
More than courage, I need about a dozen more drinks to forget that I was supposed to be the one marrying the man of my dreams six months ago before I became damaged goods. Even the bright red sex glow on Charlotte’s face when she and Roman came out of his office earlier reminds me of other things I can no longer have – things like good sex.
I may as well start adopting cats to keep Lola company since I’m on my way to becoming a lonely old maid.
Handing my empty glass up to Lucas, who is standing guard close by my chair, I tell him, “Another gin and tonic please.”
“Are you sure?” he asks. “You’ve already had five, Miss Singleton.”
“She’s a grown woman,” Jake chimes in from the other side of my chair, both constantly flanking me wherever I go like I’m the queen of freaking England. “She can have as many as she wants.”
“And how the hell are we supposed to get her home if she’s falling down drunk, but we can’t touch her?” Lucas argues, which is a harsh reminder of the past, yet also a valid point.
“Fine, I’ll get it myself,” I huff as I pull myself up to my feet. Jerking the glass from Lucas’s hand, I stagger over to the bar.
“Now look what you’ve done,” I hear Jake say to Lucas as I walk away.
“Leo, my good friend, could you pretty please make me another gin and tonic?” I ask the MC’s youngest member and bartender when I rest my forearms on the empty corner of the bar. As part of my “rehabilitation,” Roman and Charlotte bring me here with them a few times a week to socialize in a safe place.
“Yes, ma’am,” Leo says as he grabs the bottle. “You got a ride home tonight?”
“I’m sure Frick or Frack will get me there safe and sound,” I tell him, making him grin at their nicknames.
“Speak of the devils,” Leo mutters as I hop up on the barstool and am immediately flanked again on either side by the two prospects. Neither are close enough to accidentally brush against me, but they’re within slapping distance. If they continue to treat me as a child instead of being guards, I may just do that.
“After this drink, how about we head on home, Miss Singleton?” Lucas asks, his back to the bar, looking for threats among the few women and Savage Kings playing pool and drinking. Ugh, and even my surname is a sad reminder that I’m all alone!
“Maybe,” I say doubtfully, since I’m not ready to go back there just yet.
“I bet Lola will need to go out soon,” Jake remarks, which works much better than Lucas’s attempt to get me to leave. I do care about my sweet dog and don’t want her to suffer. Roman’s rules say the two are to stay near me at all times, so I can’t send one to walk her. They even have to take turns sleeping during the night in a tent outside the apartment that he cleared with the landlord. Seriously. I tried to tell Roman that was unnecessary, but he simply waved me off, telling me it’s part of the club’s test for deciding whether or not they get to patch in as a King in about nine or so more months.
“Fine. Last drink,” I agree as Leo slides the glass in front of me. I pick it up and take a sip, right as the door opens and in walks half of the Savage Kings crew like they’re coming from an impromptu meeting in the parking lot.
Cheers go up, and then others are gathering around them. I assume it’s some sort of celebration for Roman’s nuptials until I hear someone say, “Verek, man, where the hell have you been?”
“On a little vacation. You miss me?” is the teasing response from the deep voice I haven’t heard in over six months.
I gasp so hard that I get choked on my own oxygen.
“Are you okay? Is she okay?” Jake asks frantically.
“What do we do?” Lucas asks.
I hold up one finger, letting them know I’m not choking to death but just need a minute. When Winston starts to make a speech for the couple, I hurry to the bathroom to try and recover from choking and from Verek’s unexpected presence.