Da cuts in, reaching for Chevelle. “Hello, sweetheart, just one smooch on the cheek, then I’ll be nursing a bottle of whiskey.”
“Nae, Brody,” Mam cuts in. “Ye dinna even need one glass.”
“That’s while I’ll be nursing abottle and not a glass.”
“Da, if Mam tells ye nae drinking,” I start, but thenuggetsalutes in my direction and heads over to the rest of the guys. Now that my auld da has walked away, we’re back to square one, and Chevelle is free of my grip.
“You saved my life,” Chevelle declares. Tears gloss her eyes as she reaches down to hug Erika.
“Was nothing, really,” Erika says. Her face softens in a familiar way for a moment. Then a mischievous smile takes its place. “Ya know, we never finished the drinking game. Let’s get it all out in the open.”
I’m tensing as Mam hugs me.
“Yer a long time deid, Leith,” Mam quietly says to me.
“Okay,” Chevelle says, tentatively. She’s still leaning into Erika.
“I was once in love with thisned. By age sixteen, I learned my affections would never be returned,” Erika shares. “We had another friend who helped me through that. Now,sheran off and got married because I took her affections for granted, too long.”
“I see,” Chevelle murmurs. She gives Erika a sad smile.
“Yeah, I’m still stunned that the love of my life married and had a baby through surrogacy.Shitehurts more than the bullet wound in my stomach.” Erika declares. With one last squeeze, she releases Chevelle. “Now, I’m the female personification of Brody—talk shit, flirt, bed who I want. So, if ye hate me, it’ll be for those reasons. I’m nae home-wrecker.”
“Well,” Chevelle begins, “I don’t necessarily hate Brody.”
After Erika blinks a few times, my wife shrugs. “Alright, my tolerance of him has increased a little.”
My codeine-high mate fist-pumps the air. “If I weren’t hopped up on pain meds, I’d grab a drink with ya, Chevelle. Yer honesty is as refreshing as a crisp lager. Speaking of which, my uncle tells me he wants to get into business with ya.”
“Your uncle?” Chevelle asks.
“Which one?” Mam inquires, and I do too.
“Nae worries.” Erika holds her palms up. “Mygooduncle. The one with nae affiliation to the clan way. Edward was in town on business the night Cam begged anyone to check on ye. While I was held up, I told him to drive by. That is all. He came in, said he wassmitten.”
“How didye meet her Uncle Edward?” I corner my wife.
Chapter 64
Chevelle
“You know,the old thing I once did with rich people. Just a conversational piece,” I tell Leith quickly. I scan the room for my saving grace and notice Camdyn. He looks up from his cellphone, and I lock gazes with him, an SOS glimmer in my eye.
The friggin teen, who I’ve saved from a bazillion binds returns to his phone, chuckling softly as he does. Leith clasps my arm. “Not so fast, lass.”
Damn, I haven’t the slightest right to call my husband the usualass, under the circumstances.
“Let me go.” I give a hushed command. “People will think we’re fighting.”
“Nae, ye’re gonna submit like the women in those books ye love to read or suffer the consequences.” With a slight jerk of his wrist, I’m lurched back like a rag doll, slamming into his chest—the thick folds of my sex jolt. A heated flush runs the length of my spine. I take a tapered inhalation, determined not to display the effects of his dominating touch. Or how his firm body molds perfectly against my ass.
Leith whispers, “After thatarseholetouched ye, ye promised—”
“I did, Leith. Might I remind you of our recent reconciliation?”
His warm breath tickles the bare column of my neck. “Nae.”
“Look, Mia’s watching.”