by Mara McBain
Mox shifted his feet slightly and straightened the bike up. “It’s pretty heavy. I’d suggest you not try it.”
“Because if I drop it, you’ll have to kill me?”
“Something like that,” he agreed with a low chuckle.
“Can you ride with your wrist messed up?”
“If I need to. With the weather conditions, it wouldn’t be the wisest move I’ve ever made. That’s why I’m leaving it here rather than taking it home. Less temptation.”
Eva studied the stitching on the leather seat. He hooked his chin over her shoulder to look at her.
“It’s in the mid-thirties today. Do you know what that would feel like with wind chill?” When she didn’t answer him, he shrugged again and fired it up.
The roar echoed through the Handlebars and Hotrods garage. The others looked up from the break tables. Ginny stood up in concern. Rocking the machine off its stands, Mox let it roll toward the door. He plucked his coat off the pegs and grabbed Rhys’ as well.
“Put this on over your coat.”
“We don’t have to do this right now,” she protested, but her eyes said something different.
“Slide off and get on the back.”
“Are you going to be able to handle the clutch with that wrist, brother?”
Eva slid out under Mox’s arm and looked at Crux who was walking toward them. The scarred biker looked anything but happy. She looked back at Mox. His square jaw was clenched. Her eyes darted to Ginny. Those lips were set in a grim press. She shook her head at Eva. Shoulders slumping a little, Eva hung Rhys’ coat back on the hook.
“It’s way too cold out there today, but can I claim a rain check for the first warm day?”
Mox searched her face, before his gaze darted to Crux and finally Ginny. His eyes narrowed in annoyance.
“Come on, Eva. We need to get back to the restaurant,” Ginny called.
Mox let the hog roll in an easy turn, nearly clipping Crux’s boots before parking it back in the empty bay. Eva followed him.
“I love you,” she whispered, tugging on his jacket to pull his lips to hers.
“Love you too, baby. See you in a bit.”
Ginny shoved the cardboard box she’d carried lunch in into the backseat with a little more force than necessary.
“What the fuck was that?” she hissed at Eva.
“What?” Eva asked, feigning confusion.
“What?” Ginny mimicked sarcastically. “If your guilty conscience is morphing into a death wish, you can do that without my son!”
“He said he could handle it.”
“He said that it wouldn’t be wise and that it is freezing out.”
“I just wanted to take a short ride.”
“You just wanted to make him jump through hoops and prove he loves you. Don’t play fucking games with his life!”
Eva sighed, slouching in the passenger seat. “I didn’t want to hurt him. I just wanted to…I don’t know…don’t you ever just want to get the hell out of here? Haven’t you ever dreamed of getting away, just you and Zeke, and leaving all the craziness behind?”
Ginny’s face softened a little and she reached out to squeeze the younger woman’s hand. “Of course I have. Who hasn’t? But what you’re missing is how much he needs his family right now. He loves you. Who else is he going to trust to help protect you?”
“That’s just it. I don’t want people getting hurt because of me.”
The look Ginny gave her was filled with understanding. “That’s the deal with the Lords. They’re all in for their brothers, be it good, bad, or ugly.”
Eva shook her head and turned to look out the window as Ginny put the Charger in motion. When was this going to end? How ugly was it going to get? The image of Tawny seared itself to the back of her lids as she blinked tears away. Death would’ve been more merciful.
“Road rash doesn’t look any prettier,” Ginny muttered, breaking into her thoughts. “If Mox had laid that bike down at any speed, you wouldn’t have looked much different than Frankenstripper.”
Eva gasped at the coldhearted moniker, staring accusingly at Ginny, mouth agape. How did she read her mind, and how could she be so callus? The older woman pressed a lacquered nail to a button and lowered the window as she lit a cigarette.
“Is that something else that comes with the club? If you’re not a member, or an old lady, you’re not shit?” Eva choked out. “How could you? You just said the other day that you’ve known her for her whole life. How can you be so cold?”
Ginny shook her head and blew out a plume of smoke. “Maybe it is something I’ve learned from being around the club, and maybe it just comes with hard knocks, but there are times you laugh instead of cry because you don’t have the tears to spare.”
Chapter ~ 33
Eva stared at herself in the mirror; the bustier Mox’s parents had bought her for Christmas was perfect with jeans and boots for the club’s New Year’s Eve bash. Slipping in silver hoop earrings and letting her long hair hang loose around her shoulders, she called it good. She smiled as her fingers fluttered over a macramé beaded choker Mox had put in her stocking. He said the blue beads reminded him of her eyes. His words made the simple adornment priceless.
The week since Christmas had been blessedly uneventful, but no one was letting their guard down. She’d been allowed the one visit to the hospital the day after Christmas, and since then it had been The Lantern or their apartment. Ginny had been her shadow. It was going to feel good to go over to the clubhouse tonight and unwind.
Mox came out of the bathroom, rubbing cologne across the back of his thick neck. He smiled, blue eyes sparkling as they raked over her. His voice was hoarse when he spoke.
“Damn, you look hot.”
“You look fine yourself, stud,” she said with a shy smile.
“This old thing?” he asked with a teasing grin.
Eva ran her hands down the front of the ice-blue button-up she’d bought him. She stroked his chest, her hand resting over his heart. Her fingers gently tapped out the rhythm until he laced his fingers through hers and brought her hand to his lips. The kiss he gave her knuckles was soft and reverent.
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Eva froze. She stared up at him, unsure of what to say to that. His stare was intense. The grip on her hand didn’t falter. Leaning against him, she struggled for a reply. She remembered him saying that Ginny and Zeke taking him in had been the best thing to ever happen to him. That selfless act had changed the course of his entire life. How could she compare to such love and commitment?
“That might sound crazy to you, but I love you, Eva. I think I did from the first night, or it might have been the second,” he said with a teasing wink.
She blushed remembering their second night. He’d been so passionate, yet gentle. The concern he’d showed for her had been overwhelming. Since, he had showed her a life she’d never even imagined. Mox’s simple world of love and family blew Rocco’s money and power out of the water. She felt safe and loved, almost worshipped, when with Mox.
“I know it’s only been a little over a month, but I want you to know how I feel. I don’t have any doubts when it comes to you. You’re the one I can’t live without. I love you, and I want you to marry me, if not today, then tomorrow, or the day after that. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m willing to wait for as long as you want to, but I want the ring on your finger, and I want the world to know how I feel.”
Her head shook back and forth, eyes glued to the small, velvet box he had produced. Had he lost his mind? What in the hell would his family say? His hand cupped the side of her face, stilling the frantic negative reply that threatened to give her whiplash.
“Stop thinking about what everyone else will say, and just consider what you want.”
Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. He read her mind like Ginny. He opened the box and her lips parted in awe. Three round diamonds glittered from a white gold band
. It was stunning.
“The three diamonds are supposed to represent our past, present, and future,” he said quietly. “I thought it was perfect for us. Our past might be fucked up, but we’re good together, and I want us to have a future together.”
Eva didn’t know what to say to that. She wanted that future more than he could possibly imagine, but could she commit to that with everything else going on? His pale gaze pleaded with her. He wanted this.
“It’s not very big, only a half carat altogether, but we can get—”
Placing her fingers against his lips, she stalled the words, shaking her head. It wasn’t about money. What had Ginny told her at the hospital? She wasn’t going to find a better man. He loved her. She loved him. She had to take the chance.
“Yes.”
Mox’s face lit up in a gorgeous smile. She loved that smile. It was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds as his uncertainty melted away. The ring fit perfectly. Her hand shook. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. What the hell was Ginny going to say? She swallowed hard and shook her head. For now, it didn’t matter. She would deal with that when the time came. For now, she was engaged to a man who made her feel like a queen.
“I love you so much,” she whispered, throwing her arms around his neck.
He laughed, sweeping her off the floor to spin her in circles. “You said yes. I can’t believe you fucking said yes.”
“How could I say no to a man as wonderful as you?”
“I’m going to hold you to that. All I want to hear out of your pretty lips from now on is yes.”
Smiling down into his baby blues, she whispered,
“Yes, baby.”
Eva pressed close to Mox’s back, her left hand tucked in his back pocket, as they worked their way through the crowd. Her stomach was roiling dangerously. She couldn’t help but remember the bitter poison that had spewed from Ginny’s lips when Rhys’ former girlfriend was mentioned. After their disagreement at lunch the other day, would she think Eva had coaxed her son into proposing? She leaned her forehead against his broad back. Her life was a soap opera.
“Are you getting cold feet on me?”
“Only on the telling them part. How far is it to Vegas?” she asked, her voice muffled by his shirt.
“That would get Gin to dislike you for sure,” Mox said with a chuckle. She groaned. Turning, he wrapped his arms around her. “If you don’t want to do this tonight, or if you’re having second thoughts—”
“I’m not having second thoughts. I just…” Eva struggled for the right words. “I like and respect Ginny. As much as I love you, it would kill me to hear her talk about me the way she does Becca.”
“Hold on right there. You need to understand that Gin didn’t just look at Becca and decide she didn’t like her. Becca screwed herself. Most people try to make a good impression on their girlfriend’s or boyfriend’s family, but not only did she hate me from day one, but she treats Garrett like a dog and was even disrespectful to Zeke. That’s a huge no-no with Gin.”
“I remember Rhys said that your mom had asked Becca to be nice to his brothers.”
“There wasn’t too much asking involved in that conversation. Ginny told Becca pointblank to treat the Brawer men with respect or get the hell out. That was the beginning of the end for Ginny and Becca. It’s been a battle over the years, but it’s just been this last year that Zeke got fed up enough and banned Becca because her bullshit was upsetting Gin,” Mox said seriously. “If I ever thought you were disrespectful to any of my brothers, let alone Zeke or Ginny, you can bet your ass you and I would be having a serious discussion.”
“One that ended with me having a warm ass, I would imagine,” Eva whispered.
Mox’s look confirmed her thoughts. She shivered at the glitter in his pale eyes, but nodded. It made sense.
“You’re going to be my old lady. That means the shit you do reflects on me and vice-versa. I’m sure if I do something stupid, the other women won’t spare you the details.”
The thought made Eva giggle. Mox smirked and nodded.
“It goes both ways. Still want to marry into this dysfunctional group?”
“As long as I’m marrying you, yes,” she said, standing up on tiptoe to kiss him. By the time he let her up for air, she was dizzy. She clung to his biceps, whispering, “Wow.”
“More like, damn,” he said, chuckling and pressing his forehead to hers. “We better go tell them before I change my mind about the party and just drag you back home to bed.”
Eva shivered, but couldn’t deny a little disappointment when he winked and turning toward his parents, started through the crowd again.
Ginny’s eyes narrowed in suspicion the moment Mox asked them to step off into the corner to talk. Zeke’s expression remained stoic, but Eva felt his gaze on her. She wished they had stopped by the bar first. She could really use a drink about now. Her stomach lurched as Rhys joined them unbidden. The squint of his eyes was so like his mother’s when she was upset.
Twisting the ring on her finger, Eva kept her hand buried in Mox’s back pocket. Rhys waved someone off and she caught a glimpse of Rain through the crowd, two beers in her hands. The willowy brunette shrugged and turned away, taking a swig from one of the bottles.
“What happened now?” Ginny demanded. “Are you okay?”
“Nothing happened. I’m fine,” Mox said, capturing Ginny’s nervous fingers as they trailed down his ribs in an exploratory flutter. “This is good news. I asked Eva to marry me.”
Stunned silence met his words until Rhys exploded.
“Are you fucking nuts? I don’t give a shit how awesome she feels wrapped around your dick. You barely know her!”
Hurt flashed across Mox’s face. The pain in his eyes sucked all the air from Eva’s lungs. She cried out as he lunged for Rhys. Her hand caught in his back pocket, she slammed against his back.
“Both of you knock it off!” Ginny snapped, tugging ineffectively on Rhys’ shoulder.
Wrenching her hand free, Eva wrapped her arms around Mox’s waist and pulled franticly. He couldn’t fight with his family because of her.
Zeke shoved between the boys, breaking Mox’s hold on Rhys’ shirt and sending the slighter built man crashing back against the wall.
“That’s enough!” he thundered.
Mox stepped back, stiff-legged and defiant, glaring at his brother. A couple of their club brothers approached, unsure of what was going on.
“Sibling shit. I got it,” Zeke said, waving them off, the muscle along his jaw rippling in displeasure. Leveling a glare on his sons, he nudged Mox toward the stairs. “Let’s go upstairs and discuss this.”
Mox gave Rhys a dismissive grunt, then laced his fingers through Eva’s and tugged her along with him. Ginny followed in their wake with a sullen Rhys bringing up the rear as they made their way from the basement to the main level of the clubhouse.
“Sit!” Zeke ordered.
Eva bit her lip, sinking down on the couch with a still tense Mox. His blue eyes burned into his brother across the room, animosity rolling off him in waves. Zeke directed Rhys to a chair with an emphatic stab of his thick finger. Ginny perched on the arm of the couch. The look she gave Eva was sympathetic, but an uncertainty lurked in her hazel gaze.
“She’s wearing a ring. I take it this is something that you gave some thought to,” Zeke said to Mox, his voice softer.
“I thought about it a lot. I wasn’t sure she’d say yes,” Mox said, rolling his broad shoulders to ease the tension. “She’s the one I want to understand.”
Zeke nodded, a little smile twisting his lips at the reminder of their conversation about women.
“It’s fast, and with everything else going on…” Ginny said, falling silent at a look from her husband.
“We’re not saying we’re getting married tomorrow, although I would. I love her. I want everyone to know that. I want them to know that she’s mine and that I’ll fight for her, if that make
s any sense,” Mox said, running a hand over the top of his head and pulling Eva tighter to his side.
“Ginny is right. It’s quick, but Eva’s a good girl and makes you happy. With everything else going on, maybe that is a reason to look to the future. If being a Marine and a cop have taught me one thing, it’s that no one’s promised tomorrow. If she’s your choice, you know your brothers will stand with you.”
Mox shot a look at Rhys, the cold fury returning.
“I don’t know if that holds true with my blood brother.”
“Your brother is being a jealous ass,” Ginny said in disgust.
Shooting a hurt look at his mother, Rhys shrugged. “I just don’t want you making a mistake because the pussy is good,” he muttered.
“You’re the one that’s led around by your dick. Don’t lay that shit on me. I love Eva. Get over your bullshit and be happy for me before I kick your ass.”
Rhys blushed and shrugged, unable to meet his brother’s eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“Eva’s the one you should be apologizing to. She almost didn’t accept my proposal because she was too busy worrying about what you all would think rather than what would make us happy.”
Eva jumped as Ginny reached over and took her free hand.
“I’m sorry, honey. He’s right. This isn’t about us. You make our son happy, and that’s the important thing. I think you’ll make a wonderful addition to the Brawer family.”
Tears pooled in Eva’s eyes, and she swallowed against the lump in her throat as she squeezed Ginny’s hand. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry if I came across as a jealous ass,” Rhys said, shooting another look at his mother. “Mox has always been there for me, no matter what, and I guess I’m just a little protective of him. Maybe I didn’t handle it the best.”
“You think?” Zeke snorted.