by Smoke, Lucy
I shook my head at her irreverence. "Let's go."
The doors opened and I held my breath for a moment as a pair of gunmetal gray eyes met mine. Marv held out his arm and I moved forward reaching for it.
"You look beautiful, Sunshine," he whispered as Lizzie took her place in front of us. The wedding march began and she looked back once before starting forward. Through the French door windows that had been pulled to the side, I watched as people I'd come to know so well over the last few years stood in preparation.
I reached up and fingered the lavender colored tie Marv wore, frowning when I noticed a scratch on the side of his neck. I touched it lightly and sent a questioning glance up. Grinning, he took my hand in one of his and brought it to his lips. "Cleo," he murmured.
It was impossible to resist a smile. "I'm sorry," I said.
A smile spread his lips. "You can make it up to me later," he offered lightly.
"How much later?" I asked.
"Whenever you want, Sunshine," he replied. "We've got the rest of our lives."
My heart thudded rapidly against the inside of my ribcage. "Promise?"
He leaned down and brushed a soft kiss against my lips as Lizzie made it to the end of the aisle and moved to stand on one side of the altar. "I'll give you a hundred promises," Marv said against the skin of my lips. "And I'll keep every single one of them."
The returning smile I offered him was something I didn't know I was even capable of. Two and a half years ago, if anyone had asked me where I would be now, I wouldn't have even considered in my wildest fantasies. But the thing about fantasies was that they belonged in dreams and reality was so much better.
* * *
The wedding was far more than I had ever anticipated. The flowers. The dress. The grooms. Almost as soon as the vows were said and Knix's lips were pressed to mine, I was whisked away into a limo—where Bellamy, Marv, Grayson, and Texas joined us. Texas went straight for the bottle of champagne waiting in a small container of ice. I laughed and screamed as he aimed it at Bellamy's head and popped the cork. The small stopper flew somewhere else, though, landing innocently on one of the empty cushions as Grayson grinned and stole the bottle away, he and Marv filling glasses and passing them around.
"I thought we should have our own little toast," Knix said with a smile, "before we get to the reception venue and have to act appropriately again."
"Acting appropriately is for the fishes," Texas claimed wisely.
I smiled, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his cheek, which he then took advantage of, grabbing me closer with one hand and turning his head as he slid his tongue inside my mouth. I gasped and nearly dropped my glass of champagne, but he quickly drew back with a rueful grin.
"You're terrible," I complained without heat.
"I know, Spider-Monkey." He turned back to the rest of the group and raised his glass. "To what then?" he asked Knix. "I think we've got everything we could've ever hoped for." He squeezed me closer as if to demonstrate his point.
Knix nodded in agreement, but it was Bellamy that spoke up. "To the most unconventional family we could've ever hoped for," he said, lifting his glass.
The rest of us raised our flutes as well and sipped as the limo traversed the streets of Charleston. A warm glow resided in my chest, spreading outward, crawling across even the most minuscule of cold spots and burning them away.
The only thing that disrupted it was Knix's next words as he turned apologetically to me. "Harlow, do you mind if we put off the honeymoon for another week or so?"
"Why?" I asked. "What's wrong?" He flicked a glance at Grayson and then Marv. "I don't mind." I continued. "But if it's something I can help with..." I let the offer trail off, raising my brows at them meaningfully.
He sighed and then nodded. "Alex asked us for a favor and he knows how important this is to us, so—"
"—for him to ask it must be a big deal," I finished.
Knix's lips pressed into a hard line before a twitching smile appeared. "You're far too smart for us," he said.
I shrugged. "That never stopped any of you before."
Texas barked a laugh and tightened his hold as he downed the rest of his drink and handed the empty flute to Bellamy. "She's right," he said.
"Tell me what's going on," I demanded. "And does it have anything to do with the business card you were carrying around in your wallet?" I asked, turning the question to Grayson.
He blinked as if surprised before he nodded mutely. "How did you—" He stopped and shook his head. "Never mind, it doesn't matter, but yes. Clarissa's niece, Jenna, is working for a law firm in Sydney—”
“Sydney?” I repeated, confused.
He nodded. “Australia,” he answered, “and I ran into her boss at the business convention Marv and I went to last weekend. It’s his card.”
“What was he doing there?” I asked.
“Well, he was actually there because the law firm’s original headquarters is stationed in Houston, Texas. The firm in Sydney is a branch. He was visiting and he and a few of the executives were having lunch in the same hotel as the convention.”
“Okay…” I eyed them. “What does this have to do with Clarissa’s niece?”
Shifting on the seat, he handed his drink off to Marv after barely having more than just a sip. Sitting forward, Grayson rested his forearms on the tops of his thighs as he regarded me seriously. “It appears Jenna has been helping her bosses on a new case that involves corporate embezzlement. She was flown to Sydney a few weeks ago to assist the lawyers in charge of the prosecution. We spoke with Clarissa and she mentioned that the man accused was threatening her niece because she had apparently been the one to find some solid evidence that may very well lead to his imprisonment. Clarissa knew we’d be in town the same time as her boss and she asked us to meet with him on behalf of her niece.”
"How would he know it's her?" I asked, confused. To my knowledge, that kind of information was kept confidential.
Marv answered this time with a frown marring his features. “We're not sure how he found out, but he did and he's left her several disturbing phone calls. We were going to go after we returned from the honeymoon, but two days ago, Clarissa called her and she didn't answer. That wouldn't be much to go on, but Alex says he doesn't feel right. The man Jenna’s bosses are prosecuting is fairly powerful because of his business contacts. He's very wealthy and if Jenna were unable to make it to the trial, they’d lose a lot of the information she has. They're worried for her safety, but Alex can’t just leave all of his businesses without notice. Knix has a manager to oversee his employees and the rest of us can work from anywhere if need be.”
"We should go immediately, then," I suggested. "After the reception."
"I think we can head out tomorrow morning," Knix agreed. "If you'd be okay with it."
I rolled my eyes and leaned over to pop his side as I stared up and up some more—God, was he tall, even sitting down. "I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't okay with it," I said, softening the chastisement with a grin of my own.
His lips didn't smile back. Instead, the corners of his mouth edged downward. "I'm sorry, Little Bit," he apologized. "I didn't want to ruin your honeymoon."
"You're not ruining my honeymoon," I said. “But how are we going to get plane tickets to Sydney so soon? The expense—”
“Jenna’s bosses offered to let us use the company jet,” Marv said. “They’re worried about their employee as well, but it wouldn’t look good if they were to start hunting for her. She works mostly from her Sydney apartment, but they haven’t been able to get into contact with her. Because she’s only a visitor in the country as well, the logistics of involving the authorities are a bit muddled.”
I nodded my understanding, not liking the complexity of the situation. “We’ll leave tomorrow then,” I decided. “This will be good.”
Knix glanced at me skeptically and in response, I squirmed in Texas’ lap until he released me enough that I could climb over him a
nd straight into Knix’s lap—white ruffled skirts and all. I grabbed his face in one of my hands, tilting him gently to look up at me with my fingers on his jawline. "In fact, I think this is just the thing to excite me," I continued. I leaned down and pressed my lips to his for a chaste kiss before grinning and flopping down on his other side as I regarded everyone else in the limo. "Besides, Australia is exciting. I’m sure we’ll find Clarissa’s niece and make sure she’s situated and safe and have some fun in the process.” I smiled brightly as if to assure them that I was more than happy with this change of plans.
Marv and Grayson eyed me skeptically. "Um, not to be the bearer of bad news...again," Grayson started.
"But have you ever been to Australia?" Marv finished.
I shook my head. "Well, no, but—"
"Believe me," he interrupted, "it’s hotter than Hades and everything is trying to kill you.”
"I'm sure it's not that bad," I argued.
"It is that bad," Grayson agreed. "Why do you think Knix is so sorry?"
I looked back to Knix and then to Bellamy and Texas. "What about you two?" I asked.
They shrugged as one. "We've never been," Bellamy answered.
I spotted the venue as we approached and gathered my skirts closer to my legs as the limo slowed down. “It’ll be fine,” I said. “Every new place has interesting things that are just waiting to be discovered. I’m sure it won’t be all that bad.”
Marv shook his head in a negative and Grayson struggled to contain his amusement. “As much as I love to tell you when you’re right, Babydoll,” he said, “in this, you’re wrong. In fact, if I didn’t think you’d whoop my ass, I’d ask that you stay behind.”
I narrowed my eyes on him in a glare. “You’re right,” I replied. “I would whoop your ass if you asked me to stay behind. If you’re going then so am I.”
Marv groaned and closed his eyes. “It’ll be fine,” I repeated, more sternly this time and as a last ditch effort to convince them that it wouldn’t be as bad as they apparently thought, I spoke again. “It’ll be great,” I stubbornly insisted as we pulled to a stop outside the venue.
Bellamy, Texas, and Knix didn’t reply, but Grayson and Marv both looked at me with sardonic amusement. “Whatever you say, Sunshine,” Marv replied. “But when you eat your words later, don’t get mad if we say ‘I told you so.’”
Frowning, I let them exit the limo first before waiting for Knix to reach back in and hand me out onto the sidewalk. I was determined to make our trip to Sydney, Australia a success now. We’d find Clarissa’s niece, keep her out of harm’s way, and if all went according to plan—I might even be able to seduce my new husbands into spending more than a few hours in a hotel hot tub.
I grinned at the image that plan brought forth. Yes, Australia was going to be great, I decided.
Chapter 6
The first thing I noticed was the ungodly, awful wave of fiery torridity that slapped my cheeks the second we left the airport. The heat made my hair frizz and puff up and it was impossible to maintain. I yanked the strands back and struggled to get a hair tie off my wrist as we stopped on the platform where lines of people awaited approaching cars. I could feel a thick, clinging layer of heat settle on my skin, clogging up my pores. I grimaced and Grayson shot me a look of amusement.
“Shut up,” I snapped, slapping his arm as I finished my task.
Putting his arms up defensively, he backed away still grinning. “I didn’t say anything,” he replied.
“You thought it,” I growled, “loudly.”
That made him laugh. “My goodness, you’re positively violent this morning,” he teased.
“I’m just tired,” I said. “It was a long flight.” It wasn’t a lie. The flight from Charleston, South Carolina to Sydney, Australia had been more than fifteen hours with a layover in Los Angeles. We hadn’t so much as switched plans as we had switched pilots and had to wait for the jet to be refueled before we could reboard and head on our way. And sleeping on a plane rocketing through the night sky was just a smidge difficult. Even with a little melatonin, I had barely gotten more than three hours of sleep.
“Holy balls,” Texas whined as he came through the sliding glass doors behind me. “This is worse than Charleston summers.”
“It’s called dry heat,” Marv commented lightly as Knix strode to the end of the platform and hailed a cab.
“I feel like a wrinkling prune,” Texas replied and I had to admit, I agreed. Not that I would admit it to Marv or especially Grayson.
“It’s actually the winter months for Australians,” Marv said lightly.
“Bullshit,” Texas snapped, his jaw gaping in shock.
Marv nodded, a smile fighting at his lips. “Seriously.”
Texas stared at him for a moment then turned to look at Grayson with a narrowed glare as if he was to blame for the weather before he finally gave in and turned away, muttering beneath his breath. “Fucking Australia,” I heard him mumble as he bypassed me, and I stifled a giggle.
Knix came back momentarily and lifted the bag that I’d dropped at my feet along with his own as he turned towards an approaching taxi van. “I got it,” I protested, reaching for the luggage—or at least my own. But in response, he turned and leaned down, silencing me with a kiss on my lips.
“Let me,” he insisted, kissing me once more. I sighed against his mouth, my thoughts escaping like bats out of hell from my brain. He could have asked me what my name was in that moment and I would’ve been hard pressed to know the answer.
“You’re horrible,” I complained without heat when he finally proceeded to pull away.
Knix shrugged, his big shoulders lifting in a negligent fashion as he flashed me a grin and went to the van idling on the curb to stow away our bags. The guys followed after him, doing the same with their own luggage and we settled in for the ride to the hotel.
Even as Texas continued to complain about the heat in the backseat, I settled comfortably against Bellamy and stared out the window. The city of Sydney was large and as the car sped through the streets, through tunnels and under overhangs, my eyes ate it up.
“Clarissa and Alex still haven’t heard from the girl, so when we get to the hotel,” Knix spoke up, causing me to look to the front of the van where he sat alongside the driver, “I want Texas to contact Bricker and Stein, the branch office here, and see if he can get into their email system. I want to see what correspondence Clarissa’s niece has had with the defendant.”
“I won’t need to contact them, I can get into it without their help,” Texas replied lightly.
Knix sent him a reproachful glance over my head. “I want everything aboveboard,” was all he said.
I peeked over my shoulder to see Texas’ response, and he turned his head and saw me. Winking, he responded, “Roger that, boss man. No illegal activities.” He paused before adding, “For now…”
Knix ignored that last comment, turning his head to focus on Marv and Grayson. “I suspect you two already have an idea of where you want to start looking?”
Marv nodded. “The firm owns a few apartments in the city for when they have high profile clients or when they have executives visiting. She was put up in one of those. We’ll take the taxi to the offices and get the key from her superiors before heading over and sussing it out.”
Knix tipped his chin. “I’ll come with you. I want to stay behind and go through her workspace to see if there is anything more we can figure out.”
“What do you want me to do?” I asked.
Knix’s blue eyes slid over me and a soft smile came to his lips. “Not sure yet, Little Bit. Just stay at the hotel with Bellamy and Tex and get settled. We’ll talk more after we get a bearing on what we’re dealing with.”
I frowned. “I can help, you know,” I said.
He shook his head. “I’m not doubting that,” he replied. “But at the moment, everything is taken care of.”
“I don’t have anything to do, Sweetheart,” Bellamy
said, rubbing my thigh soothingly with one of his large palms. His rough, browned skin looked even darker against the pale flesh when I looked down at where his fingers trailed. “Keep me company,” he said. “Just for today.”
I sighed, giving in with an irritated harrumph. “You will let me know if there’s something I can do, though,” I replied. “Right?”
“We will, Sunshine,” Marv answered, leaning up from where we sat in the back with Texas and Grayson.
My lips pulled into a straight line and I knew I didn’t look convinced, but I also knew it was the best I would get from them. I forced myself to relax against Bellamy’s hold as the taxi made its way through the new and foreign city.
Chapter 7
“Australia?” The word was hissed with no small amount of horror and trepidation. “When I said I wish you’d go on a more exotic location, I didn’t mean going to a place where the sidewalk melts the soles of your shoes.”
“It’s not that bad,” I insisted without much conviction. The heat had been pretty awful when I first landed. I paced between the sliding glass windows leading out onto our seventh floor balcony and one of the queen sized beds that divided the space between where I was wearing a hole in the hotel carpet and the rest of the space.
“Not that bad,” Lizzie parroted.
I turned again and switched the phone to my other ear as I paused and looked across the room. Two queen sized beds, a pull-out couch and a large bathroom made up the majority of the room. The desk built into the wall across from the beds was overflowing with computer equipment. I didn’t know how Texas had managed to get that much technology through customs, but no one had even bothered to check his bags. He had two laptops set up, their screens illuminated and flashing through a series of documents as he rapid-fire clicked across both of them.