Page 88 of Redeem Me

Aunt Fred looks across the room at Natasha moving with her team from one group of people to another.

“It’s just a dress, Bear.”

“No, it’s everything.”

“It’s a show people put on,” Aunt Fred says and hands me at bacon wrapped piece of food. “Like when Zoot pretends he doesn’t understand what’s happening because he’s pissed about wearing a tie.”

“I don’t know why I need to be here,” snarls her brother-in-law. “I already have to go to the damn wedding.”

Aunt Fred patiently explains, “You are family, and family attends boring events.”

Though Zoot’s dark eyes flash with absolute rage, he can’t argue with her logic. Finally, he shrugs. “I’m getting a drink.”

“Only one,” Elvis insists just to fuck with his brother.

A nodding Noble adds, “Too much booze makes you soft and chatty, Zoot. No one wants to hear your bad poetry.”

While the brothers taunt each other, I look at Aunt Fred in her simple green dress.

“You look beautiful,” I tell her.

When Aunt Fred gives me a big smile, her warmth wraps around me until I settle down.

Except, right now, Natasha feels like someone I don’t know. Days ago, she was in my bed. We fucked and even talked about baby names. When I said I didn’t care, she picked truly ugly names to inspire me to give a shit. We decided to name the kid Baby Bear and moved on.

That day, as we sat outside with the kids, Natasha announced she wasn’t jealous of Aneta. I offered to ghost my old friend. Natasha insisted she trusted me. I swore allegiance to her pussy above all others. She laughed so hard she made a weird noise, making me chuckle.

That’s the woman I love. My Natasha plays on the swings with the kids. Back in the day, she would take Ollie to dumb kid movies when his family wouldn’t go with him. I also remember how one winter, she gave the jacket off her back to a shivering mom at the women’s shelter.

That Natasha is capable of loving a guy like me. The one moving around the room like a Kovak robot makes me worry I’m marrying one of her brothers.

To add to my irritation, I catch sight of Maks eyeballing me from nearby. The middle Kovak brother has a reputation for drinking too much and throwing punches too fast. In his family, he’s stuck solidly between the Kovak’s heir apparent and their golden child. I’ve never once seen Maks look genuinely happy.

Tonight, at the party is no exception. Surrounded by security, he slowly drains liquor from one glass after another. Finally, he gestures for me to approach him. I think to have him walk his ass to me. However, I sense he wants to speak privately, and Zoot will try to eavesdrop if I remain with my group.

Once I stand in front of Maks, he gestures for his security to fuck off. They move away with ease. I can’t imagine spending my entire day getting bossed around by Maks Kovak.

“Do you know what a casita is?” When I only scowl at him, Maks continues, “It’s a small house detached from the main one.”

“Okay. I wasn’t aware tonight involved any tests.”

Maks smirks at my irritation. “The Syndicate will build a casita on your property to house Natasha’s security.”

“No.”

“Would you prefer her security stay inside your house with the children and your cats?”

The final word drips with animosity. I nearly shove him for thinking ugly shit about my boys.

“Why can’t her security sit in the fucking car until she goes out?”

“That’s not a real question, so I’m choosing to ignore it,” Maks replies dismissively as he looks around the room and then back at me. “Look, I get it. You’re a simple biker with big dreams of banging my pretty sister. But if you want her to wear your ring and take your name, you’ve got to man up and put the effort in to keeping her alive.”

“I know how to protect Natasha, and my house is secure.”

Maks empties his glass and gestures for the waitress to bring him another one.

“Let me paint you a picture, O’Malley. Now, I’m assuming like all real men, you sleep bare assed. Now imagine someone breaks into your house at night. The kids are asleep. My pacifist sister rests at your side. Someone breaks into the house, and there you are with your dick swinging in the wind. How exactly are you planning on protecting them?”

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