Laces and Lace (Assassins #6)

by Toni Aleo

  “Must be nice to get away.”

  “You have no idea. I think it’s easy to say we all love our little bits, but it’s nice to just be us and the guys every once in a while,” she said and everyone nodded in agreement.

  “Karson said the Assassins’ average was three kids a couple,” Lacey said and everyone snickered.

  “One for me, but that’s not by choice. I haven’t been able to get pregnant,” Audrey said. She was the same size as Lacey, almost the same build too, but the girl was stunning. Lacey couldn’t help but imagine Audrey modeling her pieces and stealing the show. She was curvy but had these brown eyes that were gorgeous with gold flakes floating in them. She was beautiful.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “We are good with it, I promise. Our little Penny is enough. She is a firecracker.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Lacey said, and while Audrey said she was okay with it, she could see the yearning in her eyes.

  “I have two,” Piper said, bringing Lacey’s attention to her. She was itty bitty but still so dazzling. It was kind of intimidating how gorgeous all these women were. All of them done up to the nines with big personalities. Just in the ten minutes Lacey had spent with them, she knew they were all very successful and smart. It was kind of mind-blowing. “Dimitri and Katarina.”

  “I only have one,” Reese said with a shrug. “But my husband’s niece is basically our daughter too, so I guess, you can say two for me. She’s twenty and engaged, kind of crazy.”

  “You could be a grandma,” Elli teased and Reese rolled her eyes.

  “Lord, let’s hope not. Poor Jude has been through enough with just Phillip,” she said with a shake of her head, but then she smiled. “Anyway, I think it’s funny that Karson said that, but he’s right. It’s your fault, Elli! Big ol’ family.”

  “No, Fallon is right up there with me now!” Elli said back before taking a long pull of her wine. Lacey giggled as Fallon glared at Elli.

  “I think it is wrong that everyone is drinking while I sit here. Pregnant.”

  “Would you like a block of cheese?” Lacey asked, holding the cheese out to her.

  Fallon’s glare deepened. “Did your husband tell you to feed me?”

  Lacey paused and then grinned. “He did.”

  “Smart man, I always did like him. Thank you,” she said, taking the hunk of cheese and taking a bite of it.

  “That’s supposed to be for everyone, Fallon,” Elli scolded but then looked the other way when Fallon shot her a look that could kill. That had everyone trying to hold their laughter in but failing desperately. Elli then turned to Lacey and said, “She’s a really great girl when she isn’t pregnant. Please check back with her in a month or so.”

  Lacey giggled as Fallon contentedly ate her cheese. “Will do.”

  “This is the last one. I’m done,” Fallon spat out.

  “She says that every time,” Audrey added and Lacey smiled.

  “I have three already; my oldest is almost a teenager. I’m done.”

  “For as angry as you get, let’s all hope so,” Elli said, cheersing her before taking a long sip. Fallon kept glaring, eating her hunk of cheese, and all Lacey could do was giggle. She was a hoot.

  With a grin, Elli asked, “Good, so tell us, how are you liking Nashville?”

  “I’m adjusting. It’s not that cold and I like that. Also, it’s just beautiful here.”

  “That it is. I love my home.”

  “It’s kinda crazy,” Piper then said, all the attention going to her. “We still can’t get over it all. Karson’s never been one to date anyone or even be in a relationship, so hearing that y’all got married was huge news.”

  “Yeah, it was kind of crazy.” Lacey said with a fond smile. “We were together in college, but then some stuff went down and we broke up. I hadn’t seen him for nearly ten years before last month.”

  “Oh my God! That’s insane. And y’all just decided to get married?” Audrey asked.

  Lacey smile grew, her heart warming. “We got into the same cab, and that’s all it took. I never stopped loving him, and he never stopped loving me.”

  “That’s so romantic,” Audrey swooned as her face flushed with color. “And y’all ran off to Vegas?”

  Lacey nodded. “We did. Greatest decision of my life.”

  “Aren’t you worried you aren’t the people you were then?” Fallon asked. “I always worried about that with my husband, but we kinda got to know each other. Y’all just did it. No turning back, ya know?”

  Everyone went quiet and Lacey chuckled.

  If only you knew, lady, she thought sadly as she shrugged.

  “She has diarrhea of the mouth when she’s pregnant,” Audrey apologized and Lacey waved her off.

  “I think when you know, you know, and I’ve always loved Karson. He really isn’t that much different. He still makes me laugh and giggle at the silliest things. We have this banter between us that is us, you know? And he’s good to me. Loves me. Unconditionally. I’ve changed a lot through the years, and he still loves me.”

  “That’s really wonderful,” Audrey said, and Lacey didn’t miss the look she flashed Fallon.

  “He’s a really great guy. We all just adore him to pieces,” Elli said with a grin.

  “He is. He went and got the car for me when I went into labor with my son,” Piper said with a grin. “My husband just stood there, completely out of it.”

  Everyone giggled and Lacey realized it must have been an inside joke. Then Audrey said, “He’s kept Penny for us plenty of times and even Aiden, Asher, and Stella, right, Fallon?”

  “Yup, he’s a great babysitter, loves kids,” Fallon agreed.

  “Yeah, he’s gonna make a great daddy. You’re very lucky,” Piper said with a grin.

  “Yeah,” Lacey answered, looking down at the rim of her glass before slowly tracing it with her finger. “He makes me really happy.”

  Looking up, they all sent her a grin, and Lacey could tell they were all being very sincere. They cared for Karson and that was nice. He had said that this was his family, and in just a little bit of time, it was clear that was true. But what killed her was the fact that they all knew he wanted to be a father. If they knew, then it was obvious it was a big deal to him, and knowing that hurt Lacey to the core.

  After a little bit of silence, the conversation came easily for them. As Lacey sat there, they all talked about their kids, their jobs, and then their husbands and the season. She tried to add in at the places she could, but she felt every bit the outsider. She didn’t like feeling like that, but it just seemed like they had known each other their whole lives. She’d assumed they’d met through the guys, but they were almost like sisters.

  “How long have y’all been friends?” she found herself asking. “You guys seem like sisters or something.”

  They all grinned at each other, and the love was apparent between the five women.

  “Audrey and I are sisters, and then Elli and I have been friends for what, ten years?” Fallon asked and Elli nodded.

  “Around there. I used to be a photographer, and when I worked the wedding scene, Fallon’s wine was always there. We just clicked as friends.”

  “And then we are twins,” Piper said pointing between her and Reese. Lacey didn’t know that. They looked like night and day, but if she did look closely, she could see the resemblance. “And we grew up with Elli. She is like our second big sister.”

  “And then the guys brought us closer as friends,” Audrey said with a nod.

  “Wow,” Lacey said, feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. If they had been just friends because of the guys, she wouldn’t have felt like such an outsider, but being basically family, she felt like she didn’t belong. It was apparent that these women were extremely close, and Lacey’s hopes of maybe gaining a friend quickly disappeared. It was sad because usually she made friends pretty easily, but really, she wasn’t even trying.

  All she could do was think about Kars
on.

  And what he had asked.

  And how everyone knew he would be a great father.

  As his question swirled in her head at speeds unknown, her heart fell into her stomach and dissolved in the acid. How was she going to tell him? She had never told anyone she didn’t want kids. Never had to. Even with Ethan, he had been the one to tell her he didn’t want kids, and it worked. But with Karson, it was different. She loved him and she didn’t want to disappoint him, and above all, she didn’t want to lose him.

  But she just couldn’t bring herself to bring a child into the world.

  Looking through the patio doors for what seemed like the hundredth time, he checked on Lacey.

  She looked perfect standing with the other women in the Adlers’ home with a glass of wine and a bright smile on her face. The smile didn’t match her eyes though. She may be enjoying herself, but something was troubling her and he was dying to know what it was so he could fix it. He had replayed their conversation at least seven times, and each time, he still didn’t know what he said wrong. All he did was ask when she wanted to consider having kids. He assumed she’d be happy, excited even, but she shut down on him. It didn’t make sense.

  “Dude, she isn’t going anywhere,” Shea joked and Karson smiled as he looked toward where his captain stood with a beer. Tate, Lucas, Phillip, and Erik all mirrored him with grins on their faces as Karson shrugged his shoulders shyly.

  “Just making sure,” he said and they all chuckled as his eyes fell on Fallon’s growing belly. Looking back at Lucas, he asked, “When’s the baby due, Lucas? A month?”

  Lucas nodded, letting out a long breath. “Yeah, thank God. She is driving me insane.”

  “Doesn’t she always?” Tate asked, his Swedish accent still present after living in Nashville for over six years.

  “Yeah, but now we have Stella, who is her mother made over, and it’s insane. When Emery comes, let’s pray she is like me,” he practically begged, and they all laughed.

  “That’s a lot of kids. Reese and I are good with our two,” Phillip said with a grin. “Maybe one more, if I can talk her into it. Sawyer has been great.”

  “That’s now. He’s your kid. He’s bound to fuck something up,” Erik pointed out and Phillip scoffed.

  “Both your kids are you in miniature, so really, who is in trouble here?” he said back and Erik glared.

  “They are like Piper too… Shit, yeah, we are fucked,” he said, laughing, and soon everyone chuckled along. “Might want to wait though, you know?”

  Phillip’s brow came up. “Why?”

  “Because with Claire getting married, next comes a baby, and you don’t want to be a grandpa having a kid. That’s weird.”

  Everyone went silent as Phillip’s face turned red. “That’s not funny. Don’t talk about her like that. She isn’t having no damn baby; she isn’t even having sex.”

  Shea sputtered with laughter as Tate and Lucas took long swigs of their beers and Erik and Phillip glared at each other. Karson, meanwhile, leaned against the post and enjoyed the show. Claire was Phillip’s niece who was basically his daughter. He loved her like she was and did anything he could to help her succeed after having a real shitty childhood. She lived in Vegas, running a burlesque club, and had made something of herself. Still though, the thought of Claire having a kid was insane. The girl was only twenty, but then again, she did just get engaged to a hockey player from the Kings named Jude. He was a punk, but he seemed to really care for Claire. Phillip still hated him though.

  Which obviously meant all of the Assassins hated him.

  “If you think that girl isn’t having wild sex with Mohawk kid, you are delusional,” Erik laughed but no one else did. If there was one thing you didn’t joke about around Phillip, it was Claire. And Reese. And their little boy, Sawyer.

  “Do you want me to kill you?” Phillip asked. “’Cause I will.”

  “Leave him alone,” Shea said with a shake of his head.

  “He gets so mad though; it’s cute,” Erik said with a grin.

  “I’m gonna murder you,” Phillip promised while everyone snickered.

  “Anyway,” Shea said loudly, putting a stop to their bickering. “Did y’all hear about Jakob?”

  Karson’s ears perked up as he sat up against the pole. Jakob was Shea’s best friend and his linemate. He had been getting hurt a lot lately, and his career was a little iffy as a result. While Karson wished him well, he was also gunning for his spot. Playing with Shea would make him even more of an asset than he already was. It would be good for his career.

  Without waiting for an answer, Shea said, “Things aren’t good with his elbow. He’s retiring.”

  “What?” Tate asked. “That’s insane.”

  “That fucking blows,” Lucas said. “I’m gonna miss playing with him.”

  Everyone agreed since none of them wanted to see one of their friends stop doing what they loved.

  “He’s really upset, but he’s taking it well. Gives him more time with Harper, Ally, and Journey,” Erik, who was Jakob’s younger brother, said.

  As much as he wanted to be happy that this was a chance of a lifetime for Karson, Shea hated that his friend had to quit. Jakob was a good man and played some damn good hockey. After a messy hit though, his arm hadn’t been the same. Sucks, but it was the game.

  “Yeah, I’m considering it,” Shea said, and Karson whipped his head over to his captain.

  “What?” Lucas said.

  “What do you mean?” Erik added.

  “You want to retire?” Tate said.

  “Shut up,” Phillip said, and shock was visible on all their faces.

  “There is nothing wrong with you,” Karson added. “You are a beast.”

  Shea laughed. “Yeah, I know, but it’s just the kids are getting older and I want to be there for them. We are leaving all the damn time, and it’s hard on Elli. With her running the Assassins and then running the household, I feel like a dick. Especially when I am the one who was knocking her up every year.”

  “Does she know?” Lucas asked and Shea nodded.

  “I mentioned it a few times, and she says it’s my choice. I don’t know. I’m getting old.”

  “No, you are not,” Tate said. “You are still a great player.”

  Shea smiled. “Yeah, I know. Maybe another couple years. When the boys start playing, for sure. I want to coach their teams.”

  Phillip clapped his hands. “Okay, boys, we have maybe two years to talk him out of leaving us!”

  Everyone laughed as Shea shook his head. “You guys will be fine without me. Don’t worry.”

  “I do not think so, Cap,” Tate said, a little bit of awe in his eyes. He had always admired Shea. Almost in a creepy way, but he was young and really looked up to his captain.

  “Don’t worry,” Shea said, cupping Tate’s shoulder. “If I stop, I won’t be gone. I’ll still be out there yelling at you assholes.”

  “Our days have been made,” Karson joked and everyone chortled.

  Setting Karson with a look, Shea said, “You just wait. When you have kids with that beautiful wife of yours, you’ll see how hard it is to leave.”

  Karson smiled, his cheeks warming. “It’s hard to leave her now.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean, but just wait. It gets worse,” Shea promised, and Karson had no doubt his captain was completely right.

  “You won’t have long until you find that out though, huh, King? You know you’re next. You have to knock her up to keep our average up,” Lucas joked, and Karson couldn’t help but have a new wave of worry wash over him for what he had said to Lacey. “Me and Shea are in competition to see who can have the most.”

  Shea laughed. “If you knock her up two more times, you win. I’m done. Elli took my balls.”

  Lucas scoffed. “She’s always had them.”

  Shea glared as he punched Lucas lightly in the arm. “Fallon has yours in a glass box. Always has!”

  “Whatever
, she lets me have them every once in a while,” Lucas said in mock sadness, receiving a good round of laughs. Karson laughed along with them before glancing back inside to check on Lacey. She was sitting now, the same grin on her face as Elli told a story about something. Elli was very animated and demanded the attention of everyone in the room, but he knew that Lacey wasn’t there. She was somewhere else. Somewhere he needed to be too.

  “You know who doesn’t have balls anymore?”

  Karson looked over as all eyes met his.

  And then with a chorus, they all said, “King.”

  It was true, and Karson didn’t care one bit. Lacey could have them.

  She had all of him.

  After a great dinner with his teammates and their wives, Karson took his own wife home. It felt great thinking that. His wife home. And they had done just that. In no time at all, they made the home they bought theirs. He found himself excited when he came home to her or when he lay in bed with her. It felt right, complete. It was their home. But as he stood in a pair of boxers, he looked across the bed at his quiet wife as she threw pillows onto the ground and he knew something was off. Usually they joked around and he bitched about the many pillows she had on the bed, but tonight, she wouldn’t even really look at him.

  He couldn’t help but notice that she looked smoking hot in a little lace shorts and lace tube top thing. He could see every single one of her tattoos on her chest. The ones that marked her fight still made him breathless like they did the first time he’d seen them. The swell of her breasts, her cute little tummy and then that ass, ugh, he loved her ass. As she bent over to plug in her phone, he got a full view of the spectacular thing as it practically ate the shorts she was wearing, and everything inside him went tight. Deciding he needed a handful of her, or two, he jumped onto the bed and then over it before coming up behind her, sliding his hands down her thighs and kissing her shoulder and throat as his hands massaged the two globes.

  It had been tense around them, and he had the best remedy for tension.

  “Did you have fun tonight, my love?”

  She leaned back into him, lengthening her neck for him as he trailed kisses up her throat. “I did,” she answered breathlessly.