Naomi
Two Months Ago
“TELL ME ABOUT your brother’s fiancée,” Monica said as she sat on my bed and crossed her legs. She had come over under the pretense of helping me pack, but she’d been doing nothing but firing off questions since she arrived. She couldn’t believe Link was marrying a woman he’d only known for a few months. Hell, I couldn’t believe it either. My brother was usually pretty level-headed, and I didn’t think he’d ever had a relationship that lasted longer than a week.
“Not much to tell,” I replied, rolling up a pair of jeans so they wouldn’t get wrinkled. “It’s not like I know her or anything. We spoke on the phone once, and that’s it. Her name’s Emily. She’s a lawyer and she helped get Link’s buddy, Havoc, out of jail.”
“Havoc?” Monica asked. “I remember you talking about him when you came home last time. Is that the big black dude or the blond flirt?”
“Look at you, all paying attention to my tales from home.”
“Please, girl, your stories about the club are reality show worthy. I live for this shit.”
I stuffed the jeans into my backpack and eyed the dress hanging on my closet door. “Havoc’s the big black dude. He caught a rapist in the act and beat the shit out of the bastard, as in landed him in intensive care, resulting in an attempted murder charge. Among other charges.”
“First of all, shout out to the brotha for laying out the sleaze, but holy shit, why don’t I know this? You know I live for the goods, Nae, and here you are, holding out on me. As your best friend I should know any and all information pertaining to you, your family, and your brother’s merry band of hot and sexy bikers.”
I rolled up a shirt and stuffed it in my bag. “I must have missed that part of the contract. Anyway, Link emailed me about it last month when you and I were both deployed. I forgot to mention it when we got home.”
Monica studied me for a moment but didn’t reply. Normally she’d call me out on such a weak excuse, but my last deployment had been the roughest of my career. She knew it was bothering me, and my lack of willingness to talk about it had driven her to questioning everyone else on my crew. If this pilot gig didn’t work out for her, Monica would make a bomb-ass intelligence gatherer for the CIA. Information was her currency.
“Right. That deployment.” Sniffing for blood, she waited for me to elaborate but I refused to rip off my bandage and show her the damage.
She was far too good at reading me, and her eyes softened at whatever she saw in my expression. “Nae…”
“No,” I snapped, turning my back to her. I couldn’t talk about the op. Not yet. I had to keep pressure on that wound, so I wouldn’t bleed out. “So… what else do I know about Emily? Well, this dress is stunning, so she’s obviously secure enough in her own beauty that she doesn’t have to ugly-up her bridesmaids to make herself look good. That’s commendable. Did you see Michelle’s bridesmaid’s dresses? Hideous.”
Michelle was a mutual acquaintance who clearly didn’t share Emily’s confidence. Her bridesmaids dresses had looked like prom dresses from the eighties. In contrast, the dress Emily had sent me to be fitted was strapless, floor-length, and emerald green. With a bodice that lifted my breasts, slimmed my stomach, and made my ass pop, the gown would make most red-carpet dresses look like potato sacks. I’d never worn something so luxurious and sexy. Not only did Link’s fiancée have taste, she wasn’t a prude. She had no problem with her girls showing off a little skin.
Monica held her tongue for a moment. I knew she wanted to revisit what happened during my deployment, but thankfully she didn’t push. “Girl, that dress fits you like a condom,” she replied.
“A condom? Are you saying I look like a dick in it?”
She laughed. “Hell no. I’m saying it’s tight and prepares you for some action. I wish I could be there to see the look on Bird-brain’s face when you show up wearing that. Homeboy’s gonna blow his wad on the spot. I hope his boxers are waterproof. You might need some sort of splash guard if you get too close to him.”
Bird-brain was the nickname Monica had not-so-lovingly bestowed upon Eagle after I’d told her about the disappearing act he’d pulled after our amazing night together. I thought he and I had connected, but judging by the way he didn’t even show up to say goodbye, obviously not. It wasn’t like I’d been looking for a relationship or anything, but it would have been nice to know I’d rocked his world as much as he’d rocked mine. Almost two years after we’d done the horizontal tango, and I still couldn’t get the man out of my head. I was anxious to see him again.
“Yeah, well he’s gonna have to cream his pants, because he’s not getting anywhere near my vajayjay again. I learned my lesson.”
She laughed. “What lesson? It was supposed to be a drive by coochie cleaning. You weren’t supposed to get attached to the guy. That’s on you, Nae. But the asshole could have at least nutted-up to say goodbye.”
“I didn’t get attached. I didn’t even ask for his phone number, nor did I try to cuddle after we banged. I got my clothes on and got the hell out of there before he could kick me out.” Kim had told me that Eagle didn’t like his fuck-buddies to stick around, and I’d been determined not to join the ranks of the evicted.
“Play it up however you want, but you can’t tell me you didn’t catch a little case of the feels. That faraway look you get whenever you talk about him tells all.”
“He was fabulous in the sack,” I defended. “Trust me, Monie Love, not only did he have a huge schlong, but he knew how to use it. If anything, I’m emotionally connected to his dick.”
She unfolded her legs and stood, her expression still skeptical. “Well, that dress will test the restraint of your boy and his giant schlong, but what’s going to keep you in check? You gotta hold out this time. If your legs fall open the minute you walk through the door, homeboy’s gonna think he can treat you like a whore. You have to demand respect from these players.”
“My legs are not falling open at all. I’m going home for my brother’s wedding. That’s it.” I was almost fifty percent sure I could resist Eagle. At least a solid forty-nine percent certain I wouldn’t trip and land on his penis. “It’s been two years. He could be married by now. His hair could have fallen out and all of his teeth could be rotten or missing. Who knows if I’ll even find him attractive anymore? I was pretty plastered last time.” Not at the airport I wasn’t. And not during lunch with my family when I kept eyeing him, but I was trying to forget all that. “I’m not even going to drink this time, so I won’t have my whiskey goggles on.”
She cackled. “You’ve been thinking about this a lot, huh?”
Plotting was more like it. I’d burned through too many brain cells wondering if I’d still feel that strange magnetic pull toward Eagle, and thinking up ways I could resist if I did. I wasn’t ready to admit that aloud, though, so I ignored her and finished packing.
All too soon, Monica’s laughter died down and she grew uncharacteristically somber. “Will you tell your dad about what happened during this last deployment?”
The sudden change in topic blindsided me, flooding my mind with memories. Gunshots. Wounded lying everywhere. My desperate attempts to get my disabled helicopter off the ground. The coppery-sweet smell of blood. My stomach roiled, and my vision swam. “No,” I choked out. I’d felt so fucking helpless that day. Friends had died, and it didn’t matter how good my piloting skills were because I couldn’t even get us in the air. There wasn’t a goddamn thing I could do but shoot at the seemingly endless stream of attackers.
Forcing the memories to the back of my mind, I blocked them behind the thickest wall I could construct. Then I took a deep breath and grounded myself in the present.
I’m safe.
I’m home.
It’s over.
“You’re gonna need to talk to someone about it.” Her eyes were soft. Compassionate. Emotional. It was too much, and not at all what I needed. I couldn’t stand to see that shit in her eyes.
“Not right now.” I spun around to face the dress again, needing to distract her. To distract us both. “Right now, what I need is to figure out how to pack this thing without getting it all wrinkled. Somehow I don’t think rolling it up and stuffing it into my backpack will work.”
Her silence lingered, and I didn’t think she’d let me change the subject but finally, she took the bait. “You done lost your mind if you think I’m gonna let you defile that beautiful gown like that. You are not ten years old. Take your garment bag and check it like you’re grown.”
Looking from the dress to the backpack, I replied, “But there’s room.”
Monica growled. “Forget it. I’m packing your dress for you.” Before I could argue, she marched into my closet and pulled out my garment bag. She cast one last dark look over her shoulder, making it clear that she was giving me a reprieve, but we were far from done with this conversation.
* * *
By the time my flight touched down in Seattle, it was a little past seven p.m. Before I’d left Albuquerque, I texted Link to let him know I’d grab an Uber since I didn’t fancy lugging my garment bag around on the back of some prospect’s bike. When I took my phone out of airplane mode Link had replied, telling me that Emily would pick me up instead.
Great. Nothing like an awkward conversation with the stranger marrying my brother after a long flight. Narrowly resisting the urge to argue with him and insist on getting my own damn ride, I asked what she’d be driving.
After I collected my luggage, I found Emily waiting in her slick black Jaguar XE. She popped the trunk, and I put my garment bag and backpack away before climbing into the passenger’s seat. The jag was clean with leather interior and all the gadgets a driver could ever want. It looked posh and expensive, much like its owner. Link had sent me a picture of Emily so I’d recognize her, but she was even more beautiful in person. She wore a navy business blazer and skirt with practical-looking pumps, and her posture was perfect. With long, dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and a smile that somehow seemed both measured and authentic, I could tell she was a woman who could hold her own. Of course, she was. Link wouldn’t have fallen for some mousy chick who wouldn’t challenge him.
“Thanks for picking me up. You weren’t waiting long, were you?” It was a stupid question, and I don’t know why I asked. It wasn’t like I could have done anything about it if she had been idling at the curb all night. I was stupidly nervous all of a sudden, and trying my damnedest to be polite and ladylike.
“No. Don’t even worry about it. I’m glad I could get away from the office to pick you up. I know we haven’t spoken much, and I wanted to talk to you before everything gets crazy for the wedding.”
She seemed uptight and worried. Maybe a little nervous, as well. “Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Yes. I just… I figured you’d have some questions for me. Especially with Link and I getting married so quickly. Let me assure you, I’m not pregnant since that seems to be on the top of everyone’s mind.”
Her candid nature paired with the image of how my brother would react to being asked if his bride-to-be was expecting made me laugh. “Oh, I bet Link loves getting that question.”
She rolled her eyes. “He beats on his chest and roars at anyone who asks, telling them it’s none of their business.”
“With several expletives, I’m sure. Well, I definitely didn’t think you were pregnant, and if you were, I wouldn’t care. He’s right, it’s none of anyone’s business,” I assured her. “And Link wouldn’t be marrying someone just because he knocked them up. I’ve never heard my brother talk about anyone the way he talks about you.” I looked around her car. “Also, it’s obvious you’re not marrying him for his money since you’ve clearly got your own and he bleeds all of his into the club. He said you’re a criminal defense attorney. Which firm are you with?”
She was watching me. “My own. I used to work for the Wielder Group, but I got sick of being told to represent assholes I knew were guilty.”
“How do you choose who to represent now?” I asked. “I mean how do you know who’s innocent?”
“After I meet with possible new clients, I check their story for holes. Interview witnesses, character witnesses, employers, old boyfriends or girlfriends. Of course, none of that was enough for your brother. We butted heads for a while, but finally came to a compromise. Now his guys vet my clients as well. Part of me feels like I caved too easily, but then I remember that Link loves me and is just trying to protect me, so I let him. He’s a Neanderthal and he drives me crazy sometimes, but he’s kind and generous and a legitimately good person. I know we’re nuts to be getting married so quickly, but I love him. I trust him—his character, his honor, his heart, his loyalty—implicitly. After the relationships I’ve had, and the people I’ve defended over the years, it makes no sense, but I do.”
Her honest, heartfelt declaration released the knot between my shoulders that I didn’t realize I’d been carrying around. I was worried about Link and I wanted him to be happy. I still didn’t understand why they were getting married so quickly, but at least I knew her motives were true. She loved him. My brother would be happy, and that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
“I’m determined to make this work, but feeling a little out of my depths with the whole club scene, so if you have any advice for me about living with your brother, I’m all ears.”
I thought about it a moment before asking, “You ever been horseback riding?”
“Nope. I always wanted to, but never had the chance.”
“Before my mom bailed, she took me and Link to a couple of lessons. While we were saddling up, the instructor told us that some horses have strong personalities, like some people. The instructor then taught us how to feel a horse out and see how it reacted to commands. She had us ride several horses to demonstrate. Some only took a little tug on the reins to get them going in the right direction. Others required more of a yank and a little kick to the flank. Then there was this one named Dusty that I had to keep reined in, because he had an agenda. The moment I gave him his head, he’d bolt and take me for one hell of a ride. Like Dusty, Link is intelligent and has great instincts so it’s not like he’s going to run you off a cliff or into danger or anything. It just might take spurs and a riding crop to get him to do what you want.”
Emily stopped for a light and turned to stare at me. She blinked, then she cracked up laughing. “That is probably the best marriage advice I’ve ever heard. We should stop somewhere and pick up horse gear, so I can keep your brother in line.”
I cringed, both at her lingo and the visual it produced. “First of all, gross. I now need to scrub the images of you using a riding crop on my brother out of my mind, you freak. Secondly, it’s called tack, not gear. Third, I have a feeling you keep him in line just fine. I’ve never heard him sound so happy.”
“Thank you.” She glanced at the engagement ring on her finger, smiling.
“Let me see how he did,” I said. “Show me that rock.”
She held her hand in the air between us. The ring was stunning. Apparently, I was wrong and Link hadn’t been sinking all his money into the club, because it had to have cost him a mint.
“Holy shit, no wonder you said yes.”
Emily laughed again. “He did well. Now, let’s talk about the schedule. Tomorrow you’re free, but don’t plan anything for Friday. I have us booked for manis and pedis before the rehearsal and dinner.”
A girly date with my soon-to-be sister-in-law, and I was actually looking forward to it. “I can’t even remember the last time I was pampered. My fingers and toes are excited. It’s official, you’re my favorite soon-to-be-sister-in-law ever.”
She laughed again, and I reveled in how comfortable I felt with her after such a short time. For the rest of the car ride, we chatted about the club and the wedding, and I had such a good time with Emily, that I barely even thought about Eagle.