White Heat (Lost Kings MC #5) (46 page)

“Bullshit. Rock’s taking care of everything, isn’t he?”

She grins and shrugs. I feel bad, because I know Rock’s accounts must have taken a beating after the thousands of dollars in legal fees we had to hand over to Glassman.

“I’m fine,” he assures me when I ask.

“Just go with it, Mrs. North,” Trinity teases me over dinner a few nights before the big day.

My cheeks heat and I steal a glance at Rock, who’s wearing a half-smirk. Wrath and Trinity both stare at us. “What?” Trinity asks.

“Nothing.”

“I don’t think Hope plans to change her name,” Rock says.

“Kendall’s my maiden name,” I explain.

Everyone except Rock stares at me.

“You’re okay with that?” Z asks Rock and I shoot a glare at him.

Rock chuckles. “Careful, Z.”

“What is this, 1950? Seriously, this really surprises you guys that much?”

Wrath shakes his head. “Nope. None of our business anyway.” He shifts and Z winces.

“Why’re you kicking me, fucker?” Z grumbles.

Rock picks his fork back up. “Probably better for her anyway, in case shit goes down in the future.”

That certainly takes my appetite away.

“Gonna file separate taxes too?” Z asks.

“Why’re you guys so nosy?” I snap.

Wrath holds his hands up. “Hey, I didn’t say a word.”

Rock pins him with a stare. “There’s married, filing separate or whatever. Let the accountant figure it out.”

“But that’s—” I snap my mouth shut, but I think Rock senses what I was going to say. His mouth quirks into another wry smile.

“What, Baby Doll?”

“When I took tax law, we were taught only politicians and criminals file that way,” I mumble.

Everyone—even Rock—has a good chuckle.

“Jerks.”

Rock lifts his chin at Trinity. “You got a final guest list, Ms. Party Planner?”

Yes, she does. She shoves her plate out of the way and pulls her staggeringly large wedding binder up, dropping it on the table with a thud. The binder’s rarely more than a few feet away from her. The guys groan when they see it.

“Can we burn that thing when the wedding’s over?” Teller asks.

Trinity glares at him. “No. I’m saving all my notes for Heidi’s wedding.”

Everyone gets a good laugh at that.

Except Teller.

“Where is she, anyway?” Murphy asks and Teller glares at him.

“Library.”

“Is that code for Axel’s apartment?” Z snickers.

“Fuck off,” Teller gripes.

Oh boy. Heidi’s eighteenth birthday’s only a few weeks after the wedding. But since her classes started, she’s been asserting her independence a lot more, driving Teller nuts in the process.

“Guest list?” Rock prompts.

“Everyone from Downstate RSVP’d yes.”

“Oh, goodie,” I mutter. Trinity catches my eye and chuckles.

“Your people all said yes,” Trinity says, pointing at me. “Except, I didn’t get anything back from your mom.” Her mouth twists down and I shrug.

“I’m not surprised. It’s better that way.”

“Wolf Knights officers are coming. You’re sure you’re okay with them being up here, Rock?” Trinity asks.

He sits back and I watch as his gaze strays to Z and Wrath before answering. “Yup. Our clubs are good.”

“Okay.”

“Did you guys figure out Rock’s bachelor party?” I ask.

“Oh, yeah. We got something big planned,” Z answers while rubbing his palms together.

“I don’t even want to know.”

“He wouldn’t let us get strippers,” Murphy says. “We had to improvise.”

I hold up my hands in an innocent gesture. “Just so you know, that is
not
my fault. I told him I didn’t have a problem with it.”

The guys laugh. “We figured.”

“You assholes will understand one day,” Rock grumbles.

“Fuck, I understand now. I don’t want them either,” Wrath adds with a big grin.

Trinity gives him a curious look.

After that scintillating dinner conversation, I pull Trinity out of the dining room, into the hallway.

“Can you help me with something?”

“Anything, Hope.”

I push her into her room, so none of the guys overhear us. “I want to get a tattoo.”

“Really? What?”

I point to my lower hip. “Mrs. North, with his crown, maybe?”

“Don’t you think he should go with you?”

“No. I want to surprise him. He’ll never expect it.”

“That’s true.”

“At least the Mrs. North part, he can go back and help me have the crown added later.”

“Chickening out?”

“How much does it hurt?”

“I’m the wrong person to ask. I don’t tolerate it well for some reason.”

“That’s not encouraging.”

“Sorry.”

I bite my lip. I really want to do this. A little pain is worth it. “Can you help me set it up before the wedding?”

“How are you going to hide it from him?”

“I’ll just tell him no sex before the wedding.”

Trinity laughs so hard, she starts hiccupping, which is of course, when Wrath comes in. “What’d you do to my girl, Hope?”

“Nothing.” I throw Trinity a pleading look and she finally stops laughing.

“Let me tell him, he can set it up. It’s his friend.”

“No way. He’ll tell Rock.”

“Hey. I kept your secret about going to get his wedding band,” Wrath protests.

That’s right he did. “Promise not to laugh?”

“Now, Cinderella, don’t have me make promises I can’t keep.”

Trinity starts laughing again. “Don’t tease her,” she says between giggles.

“I want to get ‘Mrs. North’ tattooed on me.”

Wrath doesn’t laugh, but he does stare at me for a minute before answering. “Don’t you think he’ll want to go with you?”

“Yes, but I want to surprise him. Wait a second. I don’t have to take my pants off, do I?”

They both laugh at me.
Jerks.

“Where, Hope?” Wrath finally asks.

“Either my lower hip, or between my shoulder blades.”

“Hip might hurt less since it’s fleshier,” Wrath points out.

“Are you calling me fat?”

He rolls his eyes to the ceiling and actually mutters “God help me,” which I find hysterical. “Yes, I’ll set it up for you, Hope,” he finally says.

“Thank you.”

“How are you going to keep it a secret?”

“Oh, tell him, Hope,” Trinity giggles.

“No sex before the wedding.”

Wrath just stares at me.

“What? Lots of people do that. It’s romantic.”

He covers Trinity’s ears with his hands. “Stop giving her ideas.”

I point at him. “Jerks. Both of you.”

My brothers put the perfect bachelor party together for me. A way to put some of the bad shit of the past few months in my rear view so I can start my future with Hope, knowing some scores are settled.

Vipers are next on my list. Although, Loco’s been doing a good job holding up his end. His crew’s made a lot of progress in Ironworks.

Things are looking up.

Well, as “up” as they can be when going on a murder spree two nights before my wedding.

Murder spree’s more dramatic than what it actually is.

Just a bit of payback.

Izzard’s still wearing two hand casts when we track him down. In Viper territory. Fancy that.

Vipers are running their own brothel outside Ironworks city limits in the middle of nowhere. It’s a sad, ramshackle, hillbilly crackden type of house. That’s where Izzard spends his time when he’s not busy beating on inmates and molesting ol’ ladies.

Figures.

I told Hope on the beach that I’ve never enjoyed hurting someone before. It was true at the time.

But
this
I’m going to enjoy the fuck out of.

Wrath and Z take care of clearing the downstairs for me, getting the girls out and keeping them quiet so they don’t run and bring a bunch of Vipers back before I’m ready to deal with them.

Ransom has been a slippery fucker to track down. Where the Vipers are hiding their shady prez is a mystery, but it’s only a matter of time before we find him.

No loose ends.

The lock clicks as I open the door to the room Lizard’s waiting in. “What took so long, bitch?” he snaps.

I close the door behind me. “I ain’t here to suck your dick, Lizard.”

“Oh, fuck,” he gasps. Like the pussy I know he is, he opens his mouth to yell for help.

The nine-millimeter in my hand shuts him up. “I’m just here for my five minutes, like I promised.”

He shakes his head and tries to sit up.

I lean against the dresser across from the bed. The pose is casual, but inside I’m anything but.

“See, messing with me was one thing. I get it. I’m a bad guy. But once you touched my woman—”

“I got a kid.”

I straighten up and circle around to the other side of the bed. “Yeah? When’s the last time you saw your son?”

He opens his mouth, but I’m not here to get in touch with our feelings. And I already know the answer.

Turns out I don’t even need the whole five minutes.

“Did Wrath tell you what they were doing tonight?” I ask Trinity as Axel holds the door to the tattoo shop open for us.

“No. He said it was club business, not a bachelor party.”

“My ass,” I grumble.

“I don’t think it was strippers, Hope.”

Axel’s been so quiet, I almost forget he’s even with us. So it surprises me when he opens his mouth. “I don’t think they were going to CB.”

Honestly, I don’t even care if he is there. I trust Rock and as long as he comes home to me in one piece, I’m fine.

Bronze is a nice guy. “You’re Hope! The woman who made Rock break his ‘no women’s names on my body’ rule,” he greets me with a big smile.

Trinity giggles.

“How’re your pieces doing, darlin’?” he asks her.

“Fine.”

Bronze gets me in his chair and tells me all sorts of stories about Rock in his younger days. Mostly ink-related, but they put me at ease regardless. We go over what I want. Mrs. North and a delicate scroll design underneath. I let him know I plan to come back with Rock and have the crown added later. We discuss size and placement. After all the talking, I’m sort of eager to get it done with, but I’m grateful that he’s so thorough.

“Good call. He’s not gonna kick my ass for touching you, is he?”

“I don’t think so.”

Bronze laughs. He’s neither insulted nor scared. I like this guy.

My opinion changes about ten minutes later. “God dammit that hurts!” I yelp for the second time.

“Sit still, darlin’,” he warns me.

“I’m trying.”

Trinity moves closer and holds my hand. “Squeeze my hand, Hope. Oh, fuck ow! Not that hard!” she says with a gasp and I try to loosen up.

Eventually my side buzzes into a stinging-numb sensation and I’m able to relax.

“All done,” Bronze says, snapping me out of my haze. He hands me a mirror so I can get a better look. What I can see is pretty, but mostly it’s black ink and red, angry looking skin. “Crap, will that look better by Saturday?”

“The redness will lessen. But it will take a little longer to fully settle down. By then you’ll be ready for the crown.”

“Maybe,” I mutter as he places ointment, gauze and tape over it.

“We’re gonna see you, Saturday, right?” Trinity asks.

“Hell yeah. I wouldn’t miss seeing Rock get hitched.”

I grin. “You’ll keep it a secret, though, right? I want to surprise him.”

“I’ll pretend we’ve never met.”

“Thanks.”

My offer to pay him is rebuffed. “Wedding present,” he says.

“That was awfully sweet,” I say to Trinity as we leave.

“He’s a good guy.”

“Where to, Hope?” Axel asks when we get to the car.

“Home.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE