Gambler's Longshot: Devil's Knights Series

by Winter Travers

  “On you.”

  Which lead us to now. She perched on my knee and shoveled a forkful into her mouth.

  “How they hell do you eat so much?” Ham asked, his eyes following Gwen’s every move.

  Roam slapped him upside the head and scoffed, “Don’t you have any common sense?” he asked.

  “What the hell was that for?” he asked, rubbing his head. “I just wanted to know how she had such a smokin’ body when she eats like a God damn truck driver. That’s her third plate.”

  Gwen laughed next to me and took a swig of the margarita Meg had handed to her when we walked out of the kitchen. Meg had been up twice to fill her glass up. Apparently it was a bottomless margarita. “Gambler worked up my appetite.” She winked at me as she piled more food on her fork.

  “Alright, I’m done. Next time I make tacos someone else is doing the dishes. I make too big of a mess to clean up myself,” Meg laughed, carrying the big pitcher of margaritas in one hand and her glass in the other. She set it in front of Gwen and plopped down in King’s lap.

  “I would have helped you,” Gwen said, shoveling the last of her food in her mouth. I really must have worked her appetite up. I was on my second plate, and I was full.

  “Eh, that was more directed at Lo than you,” Meg laughed, taking a drink.

  “I told you what needed to happen before I’d do the dishes again.” King set his cards down and wrapped his arms around Meg. “All I need to hear is one little word out of that pretty little mouth.”

  Meg rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything. “Dude, you promised you would answer him if he let you go in Torrid today. Never mind the fact that we almost spent an hour in there. Answer the man!” Cyn yelled from the couch. Rigid was sitting in the corner of the couch and Cyn was laying down, her head in his lap as he rubbed her stomach.

  “You’re not helping!” Meg yelled. “I thought you were supposed to be my ride or die bitch. Now you’re just throwing me to the wolves.”

  “King is far from a wolf,” Cyn countered.

  “They do realize you’re sitting right here?” I asked King.

  He just shrugged his shoulders and picked up his cards. “I'm used to it. Cyn will probably get an answer out of her before I will.” Meg grabbed his cards out of his hands and tossed them on the table. “Babe,” he called as he watched his cards scatter and fall on the floor.

  “Ask me again,” she demanded.

  “What?” King said.

  “Ask me again. Do it.”

  “Meg, I don’t want to do this if you’re just going to say yes to make everyone else happy. I’m good with how we are. Forget I even asked.” King lifted Meg off his lap and headed to the bar. I could tell he was either pissed off or disappointed. Either way, he wasn’t in a good mood anymore.

  Meg looked around, shocked. “You take it back?”

  King picked up a bottle of Jim Beam and filled his glass. “I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want. I don’t take it back, but I’m not going to hassle you about it anymore. When you’re ready, let me know.”

  “But I am ready.”

  King shook his head and set his glass down. “If you were ready, babe, you would have already said yes.”

  I looked around the poker table and Roam, Ham, and Slider each looked like they wanted to slide under the table and disappear. Gwen was sitting next to me her jaw hanging open, looking at Meg and King. I had no idea what the hell was going on, but it was either going to end good or bad. Right now I would have betted on bad.

  “I wanna say yes,” Meg insisted, stomping her foot.

  “No, ya don’t. A man shouldn’t have to ask a woman five times to marry him before he gets an answer. I love you, Meg, and I’m not going anywhere, but I can only take so much rejection before I get the point. Marriage is a no.”

  “But that’s not what I want,” she wailed, throwing her arms up in the air.

  “Well, then fucking tell me what you want. I hear more from your friends of what you want than you!”

  “God dammit, Lo! I fucking love you and you better believe your ass is going to marry me! I don’t care what anyone else says or thinks. Stop listening to them, and listen to me!” Everyone went silent. Cyn and Rigid sat up from the couch and peered over the back of it.

  Marley and Troy came walking down the hallway, but stopped in their tracks when they saw Meg and King squared off on each other.

  “God dammit, Meg. This is what you want? In front of everybody?”

  “I don’t care who’s in this room right now besides you. If you’re here, it’s what I want. I don’t want anyone else.” Tears were streaming down her face as she waited.

  King ran his fingers through his hair, his eyes never leaving Meg. “I fucking love you. With everything I am and will be, I love you. I want to wake up every morning next to you in our big ass bed and every night I want you next to me in that big ass bed so we can do it all over again the next day. I love your son, I love your dog, but most of all I love you. Without you I’m nothing and with you I’m everything. Marry me?”

  Meg nodded her head, her hand covering her mouth. Holy shit, King had some moves. He even had me wanting to say yes.

  Gwen reached for her napkin and blotted her eyes. I pulled her hair out of my way and kissed her neck. “You OK, doll?”

  She nodded her head and buried her face in my neck. “Meg deserves this,” she mumbled.

  I wrapped my arms tight around her and held her close.

  “Is that a yes?” King asked.

  Meg nodded her head again and sobbed. I glanced over at Troy and Marley, who both had huge grins plastered on their faces and Cyn was quietly crying as Rigid rubbed her back.

  “It’s about fucking time,” King mumbled. He closed the distance between them and lifted her in her arms and swung her around.

  “Well, I guess that’s one way to get engaged,” Roam said, taking a sip from his beer.

  Gwen spit out the sip of margarita she took and busted out laughing. “What the hell, doll?” I asked, wiping off my hands she had just spat over.

  “Roam is right. That really was a Meg way to get engaged. Holler and yell at each other and then get engaged,” Cyn laughed.

  “Oh shut up,” Meg said, flipping the bird at all of us. “You all knew I was going to say yes,” she scoffed.

  King reached into his back pocket and pulled his wallet. “Good man, he knows as soon as she says yes to just hand his wallet over to her. Exhibit A of why the hell I will never get married.” Slider wiped his mouth with the back of his palm and raised his glass up to Meg and King.

  “I’m not giving her my fucking wallet,” King grumbled as he searched through his wallet. “I knew that when she said yes, it was going to be in some crazy way. That’s why I kept the ring in my pocket.” King pulled it out and got down on one knee. “Megan Marie Grain, ever since you’ve come into my life, nothing has been the same. You’re the reason I laugh and smile every day. Will you marry me?”

  And, just like in true Meg fashion, she nodded her head yes and tackled him to the ground. “Yes, yes, yes a thousand times!” she yelled.

  “Well, I didn’t know we were going to get a show with our tacos,” Gwen said, turning her head to look at me.

  “Neither did I, doll,” I brushed my lips against her’s, craving her taste.

  She threaded her fingers through my hair and pulled me close. “Last one to the bedroom is a rotten egg.” She jumped up from my lap and sprinted down the hall without looking back.

  “What the fuck?” Slider said, watching Gwen run away.

  I shook my head and grabbed our empty plates and carried them to the kitchen. “Hey, where are you going?” Cyn called. “We need to celebrate!”

  I shook my head and wiped my pants on my jeans. “I think Gwen has her own kind of celebration in mind,” I called, raising my hand over my head and headed down the hall.

  I rubbed my hands together hopeful that by the time I made it to our r
oom, Gwen would have her clothes off and spread out on the bed for me.

  Today had ended completely different from how it started. It had started out with Gwen and I ready to claw each other’s eyes out and now all I wanted to do was rip her clothes off and bury myself in her for hours.

  I turned the handle on the door and pushed it open. And to top the night off, Gwen was laid out on the bed wearing nothing but a smile and her high heels.

  Let the celebration begin.

  *’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*

  Chapter 22

  Gwen

  “How many boxes can one woman have?” I groaned, lifting up another box from the trunk of Paige’s car.

  “I don’t know, doll. She’s your sister.” Gambler grabbed the box from my arms and set it on top of the last one in the trunk and lifted them both.

  “I could have taken that,” I whined, slamming the lid shut.

  “I know. Doesn’t mean you have to.” Gambler winked at me and head into the two bedroom Paige had found the day she arrived in town. It was two blocks away from my salon and over the pet store. Plus, our aunt lived only five minutes away, so it was perfect.

  I glanced into the backseat of her car, double-checking to make sure we didn’t miss anything and headed into the house. “I think that’s it, Paige,” I said, shutting the door behind me. It was two weeks away from Thanksgiving and there was a definite chill in the air. I pulled my cardigan tight around me and rubbed my hands together.

  “You want these in the kitchen?” Gambler asked.

  “Um, I’m not really sure what they are,” Paige mumbled standing up from unpacking a box that was full of cow figurines. Yes, the whole collection of Mary Moo Moo’s had made the move with Paige.

  Gambler shook the box and it sounded like silverware rattling around. “I think I’ll just set it in the kitchen,” he mumbled.

  Paige had gotten into town yesterday and it had been a whirlwind to say the least.

  Before Paige arrived, Gambler and I spent most of our time in his room surfacing only to go to work and eat. I never thought that Gambler would be so demanding and dominate. I was falling quick and fast for the man I was terrified to love.

  He anticipated all my needs and gave me everything I could ever want or need. I was in a blissful haze that I never wanted to leave.

  A pounding on the door made me jump, “That must be Meg and Marley,” I mumbled, opening the door.

  Meg stood on the other side with King next to her. “Don’t ask. Apparently shit has gone down and I’m not allowed to leave the clubhouse on my own.” Meg rolled her eyes and walked into the small living room.

  King followed Meg in, looking annoyed and ready to wring her neck. “I’m sorry me keeping you safe is inconvenient for you, babe.”

  “Ugh, I don’t mean it, Lo. I’m a bitch today, apparently. I’m sick of having to look over my shoulder all the time and worrying if someone is going to get hurt again.” Meg ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. I couldn’t agree with her more. Every time Gambler would go to work I was terrified something would happen.

  “As soon as Leo and his sister get here, things will change. He said they should be here this weekend and that he had some interesting information for us. We just need to make it two more days.” King took his coat off and tossed it on the back of the couch. “Where’s Gambler?”

  I pointed to the kitchen and King headed that way. Meg sat down next to me and held her hand out to Paige. “I’m Meg. That big hunk in the kitchen is King, he belongs to me.”

  Paige shook her hand and laughed. “Good to know.”

  “He’s also her fiancée,” I chimed in, sitting on the couch.

  Meg waved her hand at me, shushing me. “Ignore her.”

  “Oh, he’s not your fiancée?” Paige asked, confused.

  “He is, but I don’t feel it necessary to tell everyone I meet like Gwen here does. I figure with me saying he belongs to me was good enough.” Meg stuck her tongue out at me and flipped me off.

  I was coming to realize if Meg flipped you off, it was her way of saying she liked you. Strange, but so Meg. “Is Marley coming?”

  “Naw, her and Troy were cuddled up at the clubhouse watching TV. She said she’ll get over to meet Paige the next couple of days.”

  Paige stood up and carried a box over to her bookshelf Gambler had put together earlier. “It’s the cows!” Meg hollered as she watched Paige line them up on the shelf.

  Paige laughed and shook her head. “I’m assuming Gwen informed you about my cows?”

  “She sure did, and I had no idea what the hell she was talking about. I did ask Ethel and she knew what they were. I’m apparently out of the loop.”

  “Where has Ethel been?” I asked, grabbing the other box of cows and took them over to Paige.

  “Somehow Gravel and her are able to stay at her house. King said he doesn’t think they’ll go after them. King takes me over there every couple days to keep me from going crazy being cooped up at the clubhouse. He either loves me, or he knows I’ll cut him if he doesn’t let me out,” Meg laughed.

  “The answer is a little bit of both, babe.” King and Gambler walked back into the living room, both looking at what Paige was doing. They both apparently had never seen a Mary Moo Moo before. I had grown up with them, so I didn’t think they were strange at all.

  “I gotta make a couple of phone calls, babe. You good in here with your girls?” King asked, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

  “Go, shoo. We’ll holler if we need anything. Like pizza or wine,” Meg said, waving her hand at him. King leaned down, pressing a kiss to the side of her head and walked out the door.

  “I’ll be right outside, doll.” Gambler wrapped his arms around me and kissed me like he hadn’t seen me in years.

  I grabbed his biceps and held on. It was the only thing I could do when Gambler kissed me. The man knew what he was doing with his mouth.

  He pulled back, a smirk playing on his lips. “Miss me,” he winked and walked out the door.

  “Holy hell,” Meg said, her jaw dropped. “I think Gambler just made me swoon.” She fanned herself with her hand and pulled her shirt away trying to get air under it.

  “For the record, even though you are my sister, that was pretty freakin’ hot.” Paige set her empty box on the floor and took the one I was holding out of my hands.

  “When I finally let myself be with Gambler, I never imagined he would be the way he is.” I grabbed another box and opened it seeing more cows. I now knew that when I wondered how the hell Paige could have so much stuff, I realized half the boxes were filled with cows.

  “Oh, do tell how Gambler is.” Meg grabbed a pillow off the couch and stuffed it under her head and laid down.

  “I thought you came here to help unpack?” I asked.

  “I’d much rather hear how Gambler is than put shit away. No offense, Paige.”

  Paige laughed and shook her head. “I’m not worried. I don’t need everything put away right away. I can’t tell you the last time I just hung out and chilled with friends. We can talk, and I can organize my cows.”

  “I think we might have to get you a new hobby.”

  “It’s useless, Meg. Paige and my aunt have been obsessed with these damn cows since they came out.” I grabbed another box off the floor and wasn’t surprised to see it stuffed full with more cows.

  “You mean to tell me you’re not down with the cows?” Meg laughed. “Although you two really don’t look anything alike. Paige is all sexy, sweet, innocence while you’re sexy pinup. The only way I can tell you two are related is your eyes.”

  “Muddy brown,” Paige and I said at the same time. We both hated our eye color.

  “Dude,” Meg said, sitting up. “Your eyes are like dark pools of chocolate. Or that could be my hunger talking.” Meg scratched her head and laughed. “But anyway, your eyes rock.”

  Paige and I both laughed. “You are right that we are nothing alike. Exce
pt when we were growing up, Gwen always tried to dress like me. That is until she met Matt Crown and everything changed.”

  “Shut up,” I yelled, grabbing a pillow off the couch and threw it at her.

  “Hey, watch the cows,” she whined, throwing her body in front of the bookcase.

  “No one wants to hear about Matt.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at Paige. I hadn’t thought about Matt in ages, and I didn’t want to start now.

  “Matthew Crown was the first ever to turn Gwen’s head and she was stuck on him for years. I’m talking six years, here.”

  “Wow, six years. When did you two meet?”

  “Oh my God, I can’t believe we are talking about this. I totally regret talking you into moving up here. Pack all this shit up and go.”

  “Oh, hush, woman,” Paige threw her empty box on the floor and took the full from one my hands. “She was fifteen when she met him. He moved in next door to us and Gwen was totally smitten.”

  “Who the hell says smitten?” I mumbled, collapsing on the floor next to Meg.

  “I do. Now shut up. If you don’t want to tell the story, then I will.”

  “It’s all lies,” I said, looking at Meg.

  Meg just shook her head and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “Hush, it’s story time.” She put her finger over my mouth and winked.

  “Sooo, back to what I was saying. Matt was the complete and total bad boy. He was two years older than Gwen and, in my opinion, was a complete and total ass. Drop dead gorgeous, but still an ass.”

  “Ugh, they totally lose points when they’re asses,” Meg agreed.

  “Now our Gwen was nothing to scoff about. Even when I was eighteen and she was fifteen, her boobs were bigger than mine. Matt took one look at both of us and also became totally smitten with Gwen.”

  “There’s that fucking word again,” I muttered.

  Paige rolled her eyes but kept going. “I’m not all sure what happened because I did move away from home, but things were going pretty good for these two until one night Matt went to a party by himself and had a little bit too much to drink. At this point, they were five years into their love/infatuation and Gwen thought rainbows and ponies shot out of Matt’s ass. I knew better.”