“Hannah heard it was Savage’s birthday, and she sent a few things for him,” Jackson said. “Jonas had a meeting, or he would have delivered the package himself. Instead, I offered.” He eyed the baskets of chicken Alena had put out on the table along with all the other food.
“You can put that right here, Jackson,” Inez said helpfully, leading the way to the gift table.
Savage watched Jackson trail along behind her, carrying the brightly wrapped packages from Hannah. The deputy’s features were always the same: totally unreadable, except for that one moment when his eyes had met Savage’s. He kept looking at the chicken, not at Savage, but suspicion crept into Savage’s mind and took hold. Where had the women gotten the idea to make him an honorary member of the Red Hat Society? Jackson Deveau, that was where. That underhanded bastard of a sheriff’s deputy, that was who had planted the seed and poured water and fertilizer on it until it grew. Savage knew absolutely that he was right. And he was there to gloat. To see how Savage was taking his little prank. He knew how sacred a man’s bike was. Jackson’s father had ridden with a club.
“Take a breath, honey,” Seychelle advised. She hooked her arm around his neck and went up on her toes to brush kisses over his mouth. “Think about all the packages your brothers have on that table. Most likely, they gave you really preposterous sex toys just to freak me out.”
She was more than likely right about that. “Jackson Deveau is behind this. He just threw down the gauntlet. It is on.” He whispered it into her mouth. “He has no idea who he’s fucking with. I’m going to get the club to help me with the next prank. We can get very creative.” He licked the curve of her lower lip and then tugged at it with his teeth.
“In the meantime, show him you’re such a good sport,” she advised. “You love what the ladies gave you. That will get to him more than anything. Act like you don’t have a clue he had anything at all to do with it.”
“If he wasn’t married to Hannah’s youngest sister, I’d ask her to fill his entire house with toads,” he muttered under his breath.
Seychelle burst into laughter, her arms going around his neck, head tilted back, looking up at him with pure joy. Pure love. What the hell did anything matter when he had her? He laughed with her and spun her around, taking her with him to the food table. He would have opened some of the gifts if no one but Torpedo Ink had been there, but he wasn’t going to embarrass Seychelle in front of her friends—or the cop. Although, looking at the older women, he had a sneaking suspicion some of them might have enjoyed whatever Torpedo Ink had given to them in those packages sitting so innocently on the table.
The bar seemed overflowing with bikers, not just Diamondbacks but members of the Venomous, Twisted Steel and Headed for Hell clubs. They’d brought their women with them and they weren’t causing any trouble, but the underlying mood, at times, was tense. Savage just plain didn’t need that shit, not with his woman onstage. It was supposed to be a relatively easygoing evening. Fun, even. He didn’t want her to think the club was using her to calm everyone the fuck down. He wanted her to know the club was looking out for her. Taking her in. Enfolding her into their family.
He was in a fucking foul mood, and it was getting worse by the moment. He made his way around the crowd, trying to stay to the shadows as much as possible by hugging the edges of the walls as Seychelle sang an upbeat song that had most of the crowd going. He edged close to the stage, keeping his eyes not on his woman but on the occupants of the bar. Reaper, Storm, Destroyer and Ink stayed in the shadows, along with Savage. Preacher was behind the bar with Anya and Sabelia serving drinks. Sabelia was a little tentative, but she was catching on fast. Heidi, Betina and Delia moved around the tables, taking orders.
Scarlet, Lissa, Lana and Alena sat at a table with Soleil and Zyah, close to the stage. Savage was particularly happy to have the women together so close to Seychelle. The band, Master, Keys, Player and Maestro, were with her, but having the women looking as if they were just out enjoying the evening, knowing if anything went wrong, Scarlet, Lissa, Lana and Alena would have the other wives safe and under cover immediately.
Casimir and Gavriil stayed close to the door, acting as bouncers. Absinthe was on the security screens with Code. They had the bar covered, but Savage knew, with the amount of bikers from different clubs inside, one little match could set off a shit storm of trouble in an instance.