Page 127 of I Stop Somewhere Waiting For You

A painstaking groan rumbles from within me as I glance to the side, my eyes settling on the piece-of-shit frat boy that is none other than Lucian Devoreaux. Just the sight of his ass annoys the ever-loving fuck out of me. If you were to look up the definition of the word ‘entitled,’ I guarantee you this shithead’s picture would be printed alongside it. Luc was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and while these days I’m pretty sure it’s shoved up his ass instead, the sentiment’s all the same. Fucker thinks his shit don’t stink.

“Fuck off, Devoreaux.” I point at him. “I’ll deal with you later.”

He pales slightly, the look on his face telling me he wasn’t expecting this level of hostility. “Mav, it’s nothing personal.”

That’s the other thing I never could stand about Lucian. On top of everything else, he’s a little bitch who hides behind his family’s name and money.

“Oh, which part wasn’t personal?” My brow arches. “When you doctored financial reports to get my club raided? When you worked with Amber to sabotage me and J? Or when you helped this fuck frame me for murder?”

“Maverick, I didn’t mean to—”

“You’re on borrowed time, Luc.” My words silence him. “Don’t think the fact that your future wife is my girl’s best friend holds any weight with me. I don’t plan on you being around long enough for me to have to put up with you.” Luc’s eyes widen, and I smirk in response, turning my full attention to him. “We got, what? Forty-eight hours before this wedding? You better hope Nicky C. don’t come knocking before then. ‘Cause we both know she’s jumping ship if that happens.”

The pussy that he is don’t say shit, but I can tell I’ve struck a nerve.

“Lucian!” The mega-bitch calls out from the front of the room, putting a stop to our little chitchat. “I need you and your groomsmen up here, dear.”

Gesturing toward the bridal party with a nod of my head, I dismiss the two dead men walking in front of me. “Run along. You’re being summoned.” My eyes hold Luc’s for a final beat, my smirk holding strong. “See you soon, Lucian.”

He swallows as though a lead balloon’s caught in his throat before Cabir grips hold of his arm, whisking him away. They make their way toward the others with my gaze burning at their backs, specifically Cabir as I monitor to ensure he keeps his fucking distance from J. I’m so fixated on them that I almost miss the throat clearing beside me.

I glance over to find Mitch Conners silently assessing me, sipping some scotch as he motions to hand me my own. I stare at him for a moment, my eyes ping ponging between him and the glass he’s offering me.

“Don’t worry, I’m not trying to poison you, Maverick. It’s Macallan 40. Sherry Oak.”

My brow arches, a faint smile playing on my lips. “That’s what someone would say if they were trying to successfully poison me.”

Mitch chuckles. “Touché. Guess you’ll have to decide if it’s worth the risk.”

A thirty-thousand-dollar bottle of scotch? Yeah, easy choice. I retrieve the glass from his grasp, sniffing the tantalizing aroma before taking a sip.

Fuck. That’s smooth.

“Smart man.” He snickers, coming to stand alongside me as we direct our attention toward the circus unfolding before us. Daphne’s mother looks like she’s about to burst a fucking blood vessel with the way she’s carrying on about processional timing—whatever the fuck that is. “How long have you known my son, Maverick?”

“Sometimes I think too long,” I muse, raising the glass for another sip.

Mitch tosses the rest of his back, his lips curling in response as he signals to a waiter for another. “Tell me, is he really going to stand by and let Daphne marry this tool?”

Jesus, with how perceptive the two of them are, it’s a miracle they haven’t discovered his extracurricular activities the last seven years.

“I don’t know, sir.” I exhale with a sigh, my gaze drifting down to the amber-colored liquor in the crystal glass tumbler within my grasp. The freshly inked “D” on his finger would lead me to think otherwise. His initial, my ass. He’s on fucking crack if he thinks either of us are buying that song and dance. “But one thing I do know about your son? Nicky does nothing without a purpose.”

Mitch slowly nods. “Sometimes I think that boy’s too smart for his own good.”

“About that,” I say as I look to him, “do you have a copy of his testing by chance? Because I gotta be honest, sir, he comes off as a dumbass most of the time to me.”

Mitch’s body vibrates as he attempts to stifle his laughter. “I like you, Maverick. I think you’re going to fit in this family just fine.” His strong hand claps me on the shoulder, and I find myself completely amazed by how relaxed I am around J’s parents. Mitch doesn’t even so much as hint to the arrest. These people are possibly the greatest humans I’ve ever met.

Maybe it’s the scotch or the high I’m still riding from getting her back, but I find my mind drifting to a very specific train of thought. “About that, sir. I wanted to know if I could ask you—”

“I’m going to stop you right there, Mav.” He holds up his hand, and I feel my shoulders noticeably sag in response, the anticipation of his impending rejection settling over me like a dark cloud. “Shannon told me you and J have pretty extensive history, so I’m pretty sure I know exactly what you want to ask me… and it is a conversation I am more than happy to have with you.” My head snaps to attention, my demeanor dramatically improving at the realization he’s not shutting me down. “But in case you didn’t figure it out yet, my wife and I despise these assholes and, to be honest, being here just puts me in a foul fucking mood. I don’t want that to bleed into what I foresee being an otherwise very positive conversation between us. So, you stop by the house one day next week and see me, okay? Undivided attention. I promise.”

“Yes, sir.” I grasp his hand, haphazardly shaking it like a nervous teenager meeting his date’s parents for the first time.

Mitch just smiles as he leans in. “For the record? I never liked that brown-nosing little shit from Berkeley. He just came off so disingenuous. Not to mention, my daughter would’ve ended up eating him alive. She’s a wild spirit, Mav. We did our best to tame her.”

I laugh, falling somewhat at ease. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I am so thankful you failed. It’s that spirit that I fell madly in love with. She keeps me on my toes.”

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