This was my girl.
She did two encores, ignoring Ziggy each time she came backstage, despite his best attempts to get her to talk to him. You could see the devastation on the guy’s face and I loved it.
I tried not to smile too much.
And when, on the last song of her last encore, I heard the familiar chords of a song I hadn’t heard her play in months sound out from the guitar, my eyes widened in surprise. Over the intro music, Lucky began speaking.
“This is a song I’ve never played in public. It goes out to someone very dear to me. I don’t know if he’s listening, but if he is, I want you to know I’ve made a big mistake. I hope you’ll let me make it up to you one day.”
And then she launched into the song — our song — the one she wrote for my wedding present, the one she’d played only once for me — the day before she stood me up at the alter, before everything changed, when it was just the two of us, Nicholai and Lucky against the world, just as it had always been.
Like it always should have been.
Skepticism rushed over me, but the emotion in her words, the way her voice cracked as she sang those words, so tenderly expressed, so intimate, so private, I knew she couldn’t fake that.
Maybe she’d come to her senses after all.
Was that really possible?
Had she really fired those goons?
Was this all really over now?
Excitement surged through my veins and as she came off stage, brushing by me quickly, I saw the tears staining her cheeks and a faint twinge of hope was borne deep inside of me.
I watched her brush past Ziggy again and couldn’t help but smile after her.
CHAPTER 44
LUCKY
Sweat poured off of me as I brushed past the crew. I stopped at the edge of the heavy stage curtains as they were closing, taking a long drink of water and wiping my brow with a towel that Becky handed me.
Ziggy hovered nearby and I ignored him completely, not daring to look his way.
Handing the water bottle to Becky, I nodded my thanks and took a deep breath, turning and heading towards the group of Gods nearby.
They surrounded me completely and just as we were about to walk forward, the overhead lights turned off, throwing all of us into pitch dark for a moment.
It wasn’t long. Not at all.
But it was enough time to get the job done.
CHAPTER 45
NICHOLAI
The lights flashed back on with a sheepish apology shouted from the lighting technician. Lucky and the Gods walked away into the backstage area and into the maze of hallways behind the stage.
My heart was soaring, despite my best efforts to calm it down.
I tried not to get ahead of myself, but images of us at the alter, honeymooning in the French Alps, having children, all the things I’d always hoped for us, came rushing back with a vengeance.
With my upbringing, I’d never really wanted children, but I knew Lucky did. It was about time she slowed down a little, maybe settle down, pop out a few mini-me’s. How much fun would that be? We could spend all our time together, bonding again over our favorite songs and foods, and just get to know one another again.
Maybe she’d just needed some time to adjust.
Maybe she’d finally seen that Eddie’s death was my gift to her.
Maybe she’d finally realized just how much she loved me.
I kept my distance, but I stayed close enough to keep track of her. They walked out into the hotel lobby together, Lucky waving at a group of adoring fans. The Gods kept her moving, though, quickly whisking her outside to a waiting SUV. I hailed a nearby taxi and jumped in.
“Follow them, please,” I said, pointing to the vehicle in front of us.
When they stopped in front of the hotel next door, the taxi driver looked at me suspiciously. “They didn’t go far.”
“Thanks,” I said, throwing a twenty on his seat and jumping out as soon as Lucky and the Gods disappeared through the revolving doors. I ditched the drum tech’s disguise in the trash outside and ran in after them, pulling a ball cap low over my face.
Catching a glimpse of them just as the elevator doors closed, my breath caught. Lucky stared straight ahead, on the opposite side of the elevator from Ziggy. I smiled, my heart pounding with excitement as I waited and watched.
Maybe this was real after all…
Patience was going to prove to be useful. With any luck, my next move would present itself to me. Her declaration of love had thrown me for a loop, rendering all my previous plans useless.
If Lucky wanted to be with me, if she’d finally come to her senses, then maybe I wouldn’t kill her. Ziggy would have to die, of course, because I had a feeling he wouldn’t just let go of her very easily, no matter how hard she pushed him away. No, he was a threat that needed to be eliminated.
But, it’s possible that Lucky just saved her own life.
If she meant it. If she was truly sorry.
I mean, she embarrassed me, in a big way. I couldn’t just let her get away with it. No, she’d have to pay. One way or another.
I grabbed a newspaper and sat down next to the elevator banks to wait, my head spinning with possibilities. Anything could happen at this point.
But first, I needed to get close to her.
I needed to talk to her.
Give her a chance to properly grovel at my feet — and then we’d decide her fate. A slow smile spread across my face, as I thought about how pretty she’d be when she begged me for forgiveness. I wouldn’t give in until she cried. And then, I’d wait a little longer, just to make sure she’d learned her lesson, just long enough for me to enjoy her tears.
It was important that she learned from her mistake. She’d disrespected me and like my mother had learned, that was a very bad thing to do.
A few minutes later, I peered over the newspaper as the elevator doors opened with a ding and all the Gods walked out, including a very crest-fallen Ziggy. I strained to hear their conversation as they stopped nearby.
“I can’t believe this shit,” Ziggy said. “I’m sorry, guys.”
“It’s my fault,” the tall one replied. “I shouldn’t have lost my cut and left my post.”
“Whatever,” Ziggy shrugged. “I think it’s more than that.”
“Well, we did our best,” the older, serious one replied. “Let’s get home. Our flight leaves in an hour.”
I watched with glee as they shuffled away in a flurry of leather, denim and sweat. But then I realized they’d left Lucky up there completely alone, and suddenly I was infuriated.
I jumped up and boarded the elevator, my heart racing as I hurried back to my love. When the elevator doors opened, I waited outside the double doors to the penthouse and steeled myself.
Anything could happen.
She wants you back.
She needs you back.
Everything’s going to be okay, I thought, as I reached up and knocked on the door with a trembling fist.
“Come in,” she called out from inside. “It’s unlocked!”
I resisted the urge to begin criticizing her reckless behavior of leaving the door unlocked. This wasn’t the time. Slowly, I reached down and turned the knob, the door opening with a long, loud squeak.
The suite was dark and I didn’t see her right away.
“In the back!” she called out again.
Following the sound of her voice, I stepped through the darkness until I reached the master bedroom. The door was ajar and I pushed it open, peering into the darkness.
“Lucky,” I called out to her.
She was lying on the bed, her silhouette barely visible in the dim room.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” she whispered, her words like salve on my wounded heart.
CHAPTER 46
LUCKY
“I need to go in there,” I said. The Gods were surrounding me in the suite next door as we all gathered around to watch Slade and Nicholai on the surveillanc
e cameras Riot had installed earlier in my room.
“You can’t,” Ziggy said. “Let Slade do his job.”
“I have to confront him,” I said, growing increasingly inpatient now that he was trapped in the room. There was no way Nicholai was going to escape this situation now.
We had him right where we wanted him, but I wanted more.
I wanted revenge.
And I wanted it delivered by my hands.
And right now, in this moment, I couldn’t think of anything I’d ever wanted more.
“I’m going in,” I said, standing up and heading for the door. Ziggy grabbed my arm, spinning me around to face him.
“You can’t.”
I twisted from his grip and walked to the door, stepping out into the hallway. He followed me, stopping me again as soon as the door closed behind us, leaving us alone in the hallway.
“You have to wait, Lucky!” he insisted.
“I’m not waiting!” I cried, growing increasingly frustrated. “Don’t you realize what’s going on? This is my time. This is what I’ve been waiting for, Ziggy! I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, I really do, but now it’s time to let me go and let me face Nicholai. He’s tortured me for so long. It’s time I get payback.”
“You’re getting payback. Right at this very minute! Slade is taking care of it, you have to trust us.”
“You can’t stop me!”
“Yes, I can and I will, Lucky! I’m not letting you go in there!”
“Why do you even fucking care?” I shouted. He looked as if I’d slapped him, his eyes wide with shock.
“Why do I care, Lucky? Is that a real question?” he asked, a storm brewing in his fiery eyes. “I care because I fucking love you, Lucky! I care because you’re all I can think about, ever since that night in Seattle. Since I laid that kiss on you, I knew you were exactly what I’d been waiting for my whole damned life, without even knowing! I didn’t expect any of this. You’re so far out of my league it’s fucking ridiculous. I mean, really, Lucky, look at us! And yet, every time I hold you, it’s like everything’s right in the world. And I don’t know why I feel that way. I don’t know why any of this shit happened. But here we are. Together. And all I know is together, we make something right, something good. And I don’t ever want it to end.”
I stared up at him with tears in my eyes.
“I love you, too, Ziggy,” I whispered.
He leaned down, his mouth capturing mine in a deep, passionate kiss, his lips like fire against mine, burning through my skin and setting my soul on fire for this man.
“You’re everything I ever wanted. And nothing will ever change that,” I whispered.
I kissed him again before tearing myself away and running down the hallway towards a whole lifetime of unfinished business.
CHAPTER 47
SLADE
This motherfucker.
After a grueling day at the hands of Grace, Lacey, Diana and Frank Moretti, Frankie’s plastic surgeon father, I was finally facing the reason for my extreme transformation. After flashing off the lights in the venue and replacing Lucky in the circle of Gods, I’d covered my wide shoulders in a big, black towel and slunk down to appear smaller and shorter in hopes of fooling him.
It worked.
And now, here he was, walking into our trap like the idiot that he was.
Even though it was pitch black in the bedroom and he could barely see me lying on the bed, Nicholai looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing he’d laid eyes on, like he was going to eat me up like a goddamned cheeseburger with extra ketchup.
So this is what chicks feel like, I thought.
Pressing my fake tits out, all the tools the women had taught me came rushing back. The knee-length, black leather, high-heel boots had taken the most getting used to, and now that I’d been practicing walking in them all damned day, my dogs were screaming.
How the fuck do they do this all day? I wondered. The slinky black lace lingerie I wore covered all the right parts and I'd taped my dick between my legs out of view. I tried my damnedest not to scream out in pain as Nicholai walked closer to the bed.
“You look amazing,” Nicholai whispered, his eyes wide as a virgin on her wedding night. “Better than ever, babe.”
I nodded, not completely trusting my voice, although I’d been imitating Lucky’s voice for hours today. Frank had used his exceptional plastic surgeon skills to sculpt a mask that looked exactly like Lucky’s face and then molded it to fit my own ugly mug.
Years ago, Mr. Moretti had altered his own daughter’s face, changing her world forever and ripping her away from the love of her life. By some crazy freak twist of fate, she’d found her childhood sweetheart again when she called the Gods for help. Wreck and Frankie were two of the best people I knew, and after it was all said and done they were back in each other’s arms where they belonged, and Frankie wasn’t just reunited with her love, but her father, too. The fact that she’d been able to forgive him blew my mind.
I mean, if someone took my face, I don’t know if I could forgive them you know? I mean, this mug I’ve been blessed with? It’s a fucking masterpiece.
The fact that this prick can’t see any of my underlying beauty, and is buying this whole act, only proves how impressive our team’s skills were.
And me, of course. My acting skills are top-notch, obviously.
So is my self-control, considering all I really want to do is knock his ass out. But that wasn’t part of my orders, so I’ll keep sticking out this padded push-up bra and do my best work.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispered, looking at me with sickly sweet affection, coming even closer.
I smiled, taking care not to dislodge the false tooth Bones had implanted temporarily. He wasn’t a dentist, but his medical training proved helpful in plugging that charming little hole in my smile. I felt the tooth wiggle a tiny bit, and pushed it back in with my tongue.
“Stop,” I whispered, as he reached out to touch me, my voice a husky feminine growl, as much as I could make it. Nicholai stopped in his tracks, obeying perfectly. I smiled. God, this was so fucking fun. I figured playing hard to get was a good idea. I mean, fuck, it always got me hard when women did that to me.
I shuddered to think that Nicholai might be hard right now. What if he came near me with that thing? I steeled myself.
If I had to take one for the team, so be it.
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
“I know,” Nicholai said, his words coming out in a rush. “I’m sure it came as quite a shock to find out what I did. But Lucky, don’t you see it was a gift? Your life never would have been the same if Eddie came out here. I only did it because I love you so much.”
“Yes,” I whispered, keeping my voice husky and quiet.
“You know I love you, babe. You know I’d do anything for you. I forgive you for slumming with that biker, I understand why you did it. Let’s just start from scratch, start over, try again.”
This motherfucker, I thought again, cringing at his words. He had no idea his fucking goose was cooked.
“Put on the blindfold,” I pointed, crossing my legs in the most seductive pose I could twist into.
“Blindfold?” he asked.
I nodded, “I missed you,” I said, now opening my thighs slightly, trying to do it smoothly and seductively without my dick falling out, imitating one of my favorite moves that Diana does that makes me sink to my knees with weakness.
It worked.
He didn’t ask any questions, he just went over, picked up the blindfold and came back.
“Lie on the bed and put it on,” I said.
He did so silently and I grinned like a possum when I realized I had this asshole exactly where I wanted him.
It was so goddamned easy it almost took all the fun away.
Hell, I couldn’t let that happen, could I? I mean, hell, I didn’t go through all this fucking torture not to get a little payback.
I leaned
over him, my mouth inches from his.
With all the passion I could muster, I kissed him full on the mouth, before pulling away and licking the side of his face like a horse licks a salt lick.
With a satisfied smirk, I leaned down and loudly growled with anger.
“We got you motherfucker!” I seethed, slamming a handcuff on his wrist and securing him to the bedpost, just as he began to struggle. I pulled off the blindfold and jumped up, quickly turning on the light.
He stared up at me in surprise and confusion.
“What the fuck?” he shouted, his eyes flashing to the handcuff holding him to the bed.
“That’s right, bitch,” I chuckled. “Welcome to hell.”
In a flash, I slammed my fist to his mouth in a satisfying smack of knuckles smashing into flesh and teeth.
His head slumped to the side and I jumped back gleefully, stumbling in the heels and promptly falling squarely on my ass.
CHAPTER 48
LUCKY
Seeing Nicholai slumped over and handcuffed to the bed gave me a sick little thrill.
Oh, how I longed to torture him.
Maybe a few cigarette burns on his face.
Or, perhaps a few strategic cuts along his scrotum.
Or, in my darkest fantasies, cutting off his cock completely…
He’d never forget what he’d done to me if I got such sweet revenge.
Not for a hot minute.
I stood over him, watching, waiting for him to wake up. Slade and Ziggy stood guard behind me, and I was pretty sure Slade was just itching to hit him again.
“Wake up,” I barked, nudging him with my boot, an exact replica of the one that Slade was currently tee-tottering in. What a sight he was. Now that the act was over, he’d ripped off the blonde wig and wiped the lipstick off his lips by smearing it over his cheek and the back of his hand.
The lingerie he wore, my lingerie, was now stretched out and sagging in all the wrong places, revealing much more about Slade than I ever thought I’d learn. If I wasn’t so heated, I might laugh at the absurdity of all of this.
GET LUCKY: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK NINE) Page 15