“Unless you’ve changed your mind?” Myles taunts.
“Not in this lifetime.”
“Fucking hell.” Sighing, Dad passes us and takes a beer from Sparky.
He stands in the middle of the clearing and calls for everyone’s attention. Once he has it, he tells the crowd, “I’d like to be able to explain what’s about to happen, but I think it boils down to my son and the twins loving a fight. Here’s what’s going to happen. There’ll be three rounds, three minutes each, anything goes, no one joins in, and when it’s over, it’s over.”
He looks to me and I nod.
He looks to the twins, and they both nod.
Rolling my neck, I shrug out of my cut and rip my hoodie up over my head, dumping them both of the nearest chair.
Stepping into the middle of the makeshift fight square, the twins circle me slowly. Myles cracks his knuckles, and Mason runs his finger along his neck.
It takes a lot to keep from rolling my eyes.
The twins need more out of this than I do, so I close my eyes and hold my arms out. The first punch lands on my chin, knocking me back a little. The jab came from the right, so Mason’s punch from the left is expected.
The taste of cooper fills my mouth, and one of my back teeth wobbles against my tongue.
“Fight us, Luca!” I open my eyes to see Mason scowling at me.
“Yeah, this won’t be fun if you just stand there,” Myles snorts.
Turning to face Mason, I forget all the times I wanted to beat the shit out of them and find I crave their acceptance because it’ll make Tor happy. However, one thing the twins and I have in common is the love of a good fight and the rush it brings
“Let’s go, then.” Shooting my fist out, it smashing into Mason’s eye.
His laugh is manic and echoes around the bar. The brothers cheer and holler for more, all enjoying the show. The twins won’t disappoint, and neither will I.
My first mistake was turning my back on Myles. The fucker jumps me, locking his arm around my neck. Ramming my elbow back into his ribs, his hold loosens, but I still can’t get free. The asshole locks back up. Mason pounces forward, sticking a right, left, and then another right jab to my face, and I’m done.
Bending over, I throw Myles off and spin around to throw a knockout punch toward Mason, and then spin around to face off with Myles.
“This is more like it, Jackson.”
Punches are thrown, even a few kicks are made, and a couple of times, I end up on the floor with either of them trying to choke the shit out of each other for the next two rounds until Dad calls time. Rolling onto my side, I heave myself up to my feet and try to catch my breath. The twins fall onto a chair each, and while Mason reaches for a beer, Myles uses his sleeve to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.
“You three get that shit out of your system?”
We all nod. “Good. It won’t happen again?”
“We gave you our blessing in there, and you still have it, but you hurt our sister, we’ll kill you. You fuck around on her, we’ll kill you. You do anything that breaks her heart, we’ll fucking kill you, regardless of the patch or who your daddy is.”
While Mason’s speech is all bullshit to me, I respect they have their piece to say.
“Fair enough.”
“And we’ll kill you in ways you wouldn’t even know existed,” Myles adds.
“I get it. Is that all you wanted to speak to me about?”
They both shake their heads, and Mason tells me, “We tried approaching you before, but you were busy with that Sara girl. We’ve already turned over a few places, but we’re still $40,000 short.”
Myles rubs his hands together. “We’ve scoped out a bar in the city, and they hold an easy $15-20,000 each night. Their security is shit, half the cameras are dummies, and there’s no security guys left after closing.”
“You say you’ll do anything for her. We take it you want in with us?”
I have some money. It’s nowhere near enough to cover the sum they still need, and I’m going to need it to start married life.
“Sure as shit I’m in.” No doubt about it.
Chapter Forty-Five
Victoria
I’ve been on the end of the couch for the last forty minutes, and my mom is yet to run out of steam. Alannah sits on the arm of the couch, staring out of the window. She hasn’t moved in half an hour.
And me? I’ve sat here watching Mom’s hands fly around at the speed of light. I couldn’t even get a word in if I tried. As soon as the words, “Luca and I are getting married!” were signed out to her, her face turned red, her eyes pinched with a scowl I’ve not seen her wear before, and she’s been kicking off ever since.
Her disapproval is so strong, I can almost taste it. I started to wish twenty minutes ago Luca and I did this together. I wonder how he’s getting on with our dads and my grandpa?
Alannah moving and retrieving the notepad and pencil from the coffee table gets my attention, and I watch her scribble across the paper.
Mom strikes like a snake and grabs me by the chin so I’m looking at her.
“This isn’t happening…”
She’s repeating herself again, and I’m actually grateful when Alannah passes me the notepad.
Do you love Luca?
Do you trust him?
Do you see yourself being with him for the rest of your life, understanding that it won’t always be happy and full of love?
And most importantly, do you forgive him? Because if there’s still a small part of you that doesn’t, it will fester, and you will come to regret tying yourself to him.
I answer yes to each of her questions and hand it back to her.
She writes, You have my blessing, then, my beautiful girl.
Since leaving Luca, seeming like that was hours ago, this is my first real reason to smile. However, it infuriates my mom even further as she rips the notepad from me and reads the conversation between Alannah and me.
Alannah looks over my shoulder, and I sense a shift in the room. Following her line of sight, I see Luca standing in the doorway, bloodied and bruised, with Cas and my dad coming in behind him. Rushing over, he slides his arm around my waist. The level of support coursing through me just having him at my side is another reason I know we’re meant to be together.
“What the hell?” I mouth to him.
“Later,” he mouths back.
Mom gets in his face before I can draw a breath.
I don’t try to keep up with her lips as she yells at Luca. It’s probably nothing she hasn’t vented over the last hour. Luca tenses beside me, and I watch his lips, waiting for him come out with some shitty retort, but he doesn’t. He takes her anger and disgust for our plans, surprising me to no end.
Dad goes to Mom, trying to put space between us, and Luca signs, “Everyone gave us their blessing.”
At least that’s something, but I need my mom on my side. Though her blessing means everything to me, it won’t stop me from marrying him.
Clearing my throat, no one pays attention as I step away from Luca.
Tugging on my mom’s shirt, I say, “I love him, Mom, and he loves me. We’re getting married, and I want you to be there. I want you to be happy for me.”
Her eyes widen, and if I could still hear, I would’ve heard her sharp gasp. Everyone in the room is looking at me like I’m some sort of alien.
“He broke your heart,” she mouths.
“And if I can forgive him, you can too,” I physically say.
The fight leaves her. Her shoulders sag and her lips loosen.
“Sweetheart, everything in me is screaming you’re making a huge mistake.”
“Then it’ll be my mistake to make, but I don’t think I am.” Moving closer to her, I take hold of her hands. “Please, Mom.”
It’s a long minute before she wraps her arms around me, and I cling to her. It’s another long minute before she pulls away.
“I love you so much, and I ju
st want you to be happy. If you feel Luca can do that, I’ll trust you.”
Luca tugs my hand from behind and pulls me to his side.
“When will this wedding be taking place?” Mom asks, a subtle tension still in her voice.
We didn’t discuss when, only that we’d tell our families.
As I look to Luca, he smiles and tells her, “A week this Saturday.”
I don’t argue, I’d marry him today if it were possible.
“Eight days?” Mom’s face blanches, but she recovers by the time she looks at me.
“Yes. Eight days.”
Looking to my dad, he’s smiling, and it hits me that he’s truly okay with me getting married. Or is he hoping I’ll be safer having Luca around me all the time?
“Tonight, we’re having a party to celebrate,” Alannah announces.
When Luca leads me to the door and away from our families, I’m all too happy to follow. We walk around the back of the bar, and I shriek when Luca tugs my hand and brings us crashing down onto the grass. Luca lands first, taking most of the impact.
Lying on his side, he rests his head on his hand. “It’s really happening. We’re getting married.”
Reading the words from his lips, I giggle. It really is happening, and in eight days. I have no doubt the old ladies and I can plan a wedding.
“I’d like to know your explanation before the wedding as to why you have a bruised eye, a swollen jaw, and a slight limp I noticed when we walked out of the house.”
He gently touches the spot under his eye and sits up. I heard he fought with my brothers to pay for how he treated me in the past. Sometimes, I really do love the hell out of my brothers, but if they touch him again, I’ll kick their asses.
“Do they look like you?”
“Sure as shit they do,” he claims, making me laugh.
“You wanna hope the bruises are gone by next week. I don’t want you looking like this in the wedding photos.”
I don’t hear it, but he laughs, and leans back down and kisses me. I’m so fucking turned on, I’m urging him to climb on top of me when he breaks away and looks off into the distance.
Craning my neck, I see my mom and Alannah standing by the edge of the grass, and I look to Luca for an explanation.
“Why did you stop kissing me?”
“Our moms want you to help with the party tonight.”
“I thought your mom was covering that?”
“Seems not, but it’ll work out for me.”
“Always for you,” I mutter sarcastically.
Cocking his brow, my comment slides right off of him.
“I have to go into town. You help plan, and I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
With one last kiss, he jumps up and helps me to my feet. Hand in hand, we make our way over to our moms.
Chapter Forty-Six
Luca
When Mom wants something, it always comes to fruition. In eight hours, she’s transformed the bar into a celebration in which the club has never seen. Everyone’s having a good time. Brothers are congratulating us, and Victoria is speaking more verbally as she makes the rounds. Emma stays close to her so she can translate what people are saying if she can’t manage to read their lips.
One person sitting off in the corner, looking like they want to be anywhere but here, is Leo.
Making my way through the crowd, I join my brother and snag one of his cigarettes.
“You good?” I ask, lighting the smoke.
“Sure.”
“What’s with the face, then?”
“I’m not doing this tonight. It’s your night. Go, enjoy it.”
Now I really want to know what’s up with him.
“I’m going nowhere, so you better start talking.”
Running his hand over the back of his neck, he sighs. “I was just thinking about Indie. We would’ve been married by now.” His eyes lazily roam the bar and land on Holly dancing with Rayna in her arms, spinning her about, making her laugh.
“Everything’s changing, and I’m not sure if I want to keep up.”
“What are you saying?”
“Nothing, really. I’m trying to figure my shit out.”
“You thinking of leaving the club?”
“Nah, nothing like that. I don’t know. I guess I’m still lost. It gets easier every day, but the nights are still too long and too hard.”
“What about Holly?”
It’s the first time I’ve outright asked him about her.
“What about her? She looks after Rayna and helps around the house.”
“In return?”
“She doesn’t have to go home. There ain’t shit going on between us.”
“No?”
Piercing me with his best glare, he snaps, “No.”
Holding my hands up in surrender, I back off the subject of Holly.
“There’s actually something I want to ask you.”
“What’s that?”
“Will you be my best man? I want you at my side.”
“Sure I will.”
“I’d understand if it made you uncomfortable.”
“Get the fuck out. Nothing would keep me from standing with you.”
Holding out my fist, he bumps his to mine, and I leave him to watch Holly and Rayna from the corner of the room.
Noticing my girl at the bar, alone, I come up behind her and glide my hand around the front of her throat and up to the side of her face. Turning her head, I plant a kiss on her lips and mouth, “I want to fuck my fiancée.”
Heat builds in her cheeks, and her chest rises with her laboured breath.
“Let’s get out of here.”
Taking her hand, I force a path for us, and as my foot hits the bottom stair, my dad calls for everyone’s attention.
Growling, I debate on whether to ignore him and carry on up the stairs or stick around. I choose to stick around, and sign to Tor what’s going on.
“We all know why we’re here tonight. My son and the lovely Victoria are to be wed next weekend.” Cheers erupt around us, and brothers raise their drinks our way. “The Jackson and Simmons families would like to formally invite you to the celebrations.”
He’s being quite theatrical tonight.
“Any fucker who isn’t there, I’ll take it as a personal insult,” he adds.
Pope bangs his hand on the table he’s sitting at numerous times, and more cheers fill the bar.
Tor shakes with laughter in my arms, and just when I think he’s finished, he’s not.
“Many of you have known our children since they were born, and after all the shit we’ve been through, this’ll be a day none of us will forget.”
Ricky stands and hollers, “To Victoria and Luca!”
Cheers and toasts ring out from every direction.
The chances of slipping away unnoticed will be next to none now with them all looking at us.
I love how happy everyone’s making Tor, offering their congratulations and well-wishes, but every time someone stops her, I want to ram my fist into their faces. Since my dad has ordered me not to throw anymore punches inside the club, though, I grin and bear the wait until she makes her way over to me. Sliding into my arms, I spin her around and slip back into the shadows.
Once we’re out of sight, I lean over and throw her over my shoulder, taking the side stairs up to my room. Placing her gently on her feet once behind the closed door, I lock it. No one’s disturbing us tonight.
“Get that dress off,” I order.
Bold as brass, she stands before me, slowly slipping the dress straps over each shoulder and shimmying out of the dress.
“You’re a little overdressed yourself,” she points out.
Shrugging out of my cut, I whip my hoodie over my head and back her up until her legs hit the bed. She works my belt easily enough, and the only reason it doesn’t kill me to stop her is because I know I’ll be inside her within the next five minutes.
She frowns up at me, and I hold my
finger up, asking for a minute. Digging the ring out of my pocket, I reach for her hand and slide the emerald ring onto her fourth finger. Surrounded by diamonds, the gold bands fit her perfectly.
It’s not a traditional engagement ring, but we’re not traditional, and the emerald reminded me of her love of grass and flowers and shit.
“It’s beautiful, Luca,” she whispers
“It’s not nearly as beautiful as you are.”
While she’s busy admiring the ring, I undo my belt and dispose of my jeans and boxers. Taking hold of her hand, the spell between her and the ring is broken, and I push her back until I’m hovering over her.
A number of brothers are moving slower today after drinking so much last night. Since I spent most of the night either facedown in pussy or balls deep in it, I’m walking on fucking air and feeling damn fine.
“So who knows about this job?” I ask Mason and Myles.
I awoke to a message from Mason to meet them out front of the bar ASAP. Of course, I took my sweet time, pleasuring my fiancée before I even climbed out of bed. And only then we got up because she had plans with our moms to go wedding shopping in town.
“No one,” they both say, Myles adding, “You’re not afraid to go behind Daddy’s back, are ya?”
I scowl, having no inclination to get it into it today with her brothers.
“We’ll need a fourth,” Mason advises, getting back to the topic at hand. “The owner is stupid as shit. He’s the last one out long after everyone else has left. Myles and I can handle the safe. You’ll be the lookout essentially, and the fourth will be an extra precaution. Question is, since this is solely for Victoria’s surgery, they’ll have to do the job for free.”
Angel’s the one I think of first, and as he’s the next to walk out of the bar, I chalk it up to fate.
“Hey, Angel,” I call out.
Stopping, he turns and calls back, “What’s up?”
Mason jerks his chin, demanding he come sit with us. Sliding onto the picnic bench beside me, he waits impatiently for one of us to speak.
I take the lead. “Look, I’ll cut to the chase. You’ve heard about the surgery for Tor, and we’re still short. There’s a bar in the city we’re hitting up, and we want to know if you’re in. You’ll be back-up. you don’t really need to do anything unless something kicks off.”
His Twisted Heart : Sons of Lost Souls MC Series Book Nine Page 28