“I could eat,” she said with a smile.
“I’m starving!” Ciana complained as she joined our group. Dressed in a long, flowy skirt and matching top, she was dressed cooler than she had been the day before, yet the entire outfit looked huge on her, almost as if the clothes were wearing her and not the other way around. If she hadn’t been so hungry lately, I would have been worried that she was losing weight from how big her clothes were on her.
“You kids go on,” Felicity urged. “Have fun, but remember our breakfast plans.”
“See you in the morning,” Nova called after them as they walked toward the parking lot.
Samara skipped over to us, her long dark hair swinging back and forth over her shoulders as she grabbed Nova’s hands and started dancing around with her. “What do you want to eat? I could definitely go for some fries.”
“Yes!” Ciana exclaimed excitedly, licking her lips. “With chili and cheese and loads of jalapeños.”
The three of us stopped and gaped at her in surprise for a moment before she whined, “What?”
“Jalapeños?” Nova inquired. “You hate jalapeños, C.”
“Hate is rather harsh, don’t you think?” Ciana mumbled, tucking her arm through Nova’s as we walked toward the parking lot where the limos were parked. As we approached, Vito and Bennie stepped out of the back, already waiting on us.
“You threw a fit last fall that one time when our waiter forgot you said no jalapeños on your nachos,” Samara reminded her.
Ciana’s brow furrowed. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“She made him cry,” Samara whispered to Nova, making her giggle.
“Move your little ass, Ciana,” Bennie yelled, holding the door open. “We got shit to do.”
“Like what?” his sister snipped, slowing her pace just to piss him off.
The twins met my gaze over the girls’ heads and smirked. “This might be a small town, but there are still a few things we can do for fun.”
“There is plenty of fun,” Nova agreed. “But only Ciana and Ryan are technically old enough to enjoy it. Everyone knows who I am here. They won’t let me in the places that you two are used to sneaking in to have fun at. We should wait and celebrate the way you two want when we’re in New York.”
“But then I won’t get to go,” Samara pouted.
“We plan on taking you and Ciana out next week,” Vito assured Nova. “But tonight, we’re going to have a little excitement, and Sammy can go with us since it’s mostly PG-13 fun. Don’t worry, little cousin. We took care of everything.”
Nova looked up at me hesitantly. “Are you sure it will be okay? Yeah, Ben is the sheriff and all, but he can’t play favorites with it being an election year. I don’t want to get arrested the night before I leave.”
Laughing, I dropped a kiss on her lips. “No one is going to get arrested. I can’t say the same for when these two dumbasses take you out next weekend, but I promise you’ll like what they have planned for tonight.”
“Okay,” she said, snuggling into me. “But if the cops get called, I don’t know any of you psychos.”
“Same!” Ciana and Samara chimed in as they climbed into the back of the limo.
The fun started out as more G-rated, with a picnic dinner in the park. Pietro and two more of the guards had gone ahead of us and set everything up, picking up food from Aggie’s and then spreading out sheets on the ground on the small hillside overlooking the pond.
Nova’s extended family had celebrated with her the night before with a big cookout dinner in their backyard. All the MC brothers and their families had been in attendance. The festivities had lasted until well after midnight, with everyone wanting to spend a little time with the graduate. I’d sat back patiently and watched, knowing it was the last time I ever had to share her attention with so many people at once.
Today was more for Samara than anything, so that she could have a little fun while celebrating with Nova as well. Nova had requested it so that my little sister would feel included, and I’d let the twins plan it out—with a few suggestions of my own thrown in.
After the meal, we went bowling, which was a recent addition to Creswell Springs. The alley was close to the university and within walking distance of Lyric Thornton’s Ink Shoppe. Nova, Ciana, and Samara kicked our asses—twice—and then we played a round of laser tag. It was childish fun, but none of us cared. Nova’s giggles were nonstop the entire evening, and that was all I needed to have a good time.
It was twilight when we stepped out of the bowling alley, but when Nova started to walk toward the limo, I captured her hand and lifted it to my lips. “This is about to get more PG-13, my heart.”
Her brows lifted toward the heavens. “What do you mean?”
“You’ll see.” Keeping her hand in mine, I turned us toward the Ink Shoppe.
The twins, Ciana, and Samara fell into step behind us, their excited chatter growing louder the closer we got.
“Who is getting ink?” Nova asked when Pietro opened the front door.
Rock music was playing quietly in the background. Lyric’s masterpieces hung on the walls, along with a few pictures of the work his brother-in-law had done over the years. Lyric ran this location, while his father-in-law was over at the other across town, leaving Maverick to go between the two shops as needed. Nova had confided in me that Spider Masterson was talking about retiring in the near future, however, which meant his only son would take over his original shop.
All three tattoo artists were exceptionally talented, but it was Lyric who had drawn in more and more clients. Not only was he the son of a famous drummer, but his work was ranked some of the best in the country. And I only trusted the best to put ink on not only my body, but especially on Nova’s.
Mila came out of the back when the chime over the door alerted her to our presence. Seeing our small party, she grinned and rushed over to embrace Nova. “I’m so happy we get to be the ones to take your ink virginity!”
“I’m getting the ink?” my angel asked in shock. “I honestly thought it was going to be the twins.”
“Nope, you and Ryan have been on my books for weeks now. And don’t worry. I had Uncle Jet and Aunt Flick sign all the paperwork already since you are still technically underage,” her honorary cousin informed her. “Ryan and I have been emailing back and forth what he wants you two to get.”
“Matching ink?” she whispered, her green eyes lifting to me.
I lifted my hand, fingering the necklace around her graceful neck. She never took it off, not even to shower, but it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to mark her more permanently.
“I thought we would both start small,” I told her, suddenly worried she might not want to do this after all. She’d always told me she wanted a tattoo one day. When we were younger, the idea of her marking her skin had always made me uneasy. But I knew it was something she truly wanted. And knowing my name was going to be on her body had eased any lingering doubts about allowing it to happen.
“Lyric is setting everything up right now,” Mila said. “Ryan, if you just want to go back and approve the design, he can print them both off and start on yours first.”