Page 64 of Grave Games

Or so I told myself.

The problem was that I was a product of my own world, and in that world a ring on the finger meant forever. It meant two people agreeing to become one powerful whole, and taking on the world to share both the burdens and the triumphs that came along. It meant family, and belonging, and maybe even children.

Except with Hades gunning for me and my brother, I didn’t know if my “forever” would end before the night was through. What I needed to do was live in the moment and be grateful for what I had.

“Omigod, that ass is lookingfooinein that mini.” Ginger came up behind me, smacked my booty and gave me a big hug. She looked glorious with her long red hair out to there, wearing a red bandana-style top that barely covered her dangerous curves, and a skirt that had slits on one side all the way to the waist. While she didn’t have a Gravedigger jacket, I couldn’t help but notice the women parted for her as she sailed through to us, their eyes watching her with that same kind of respect the official Gravedigger women had. “Please tell me your man went cray-cray when he saw you in your battle armor.”

“If by cray-cray, you mean he almost missed church, then yes, he did.” I laughed and returned her hug, again quietly amazed at how completely I’d changed. But what I’d said was true; even after our sexy times and Romeo and I had to get ready, he hadn’t wanted to let me out of our room. The possessive caveman that lurked inside him had taken one look at me in my miniskirt, borrowed heels and flimsy halter top, and spent several minutes trying to figure out how we could both just skip the night’s festivities and lock ourselves away from the rest of the world.

Ginger let out a whoop and slung an arm around my shoulders. “That’s freaking awesome, sister! I’d like to set you up with a whole wardrobe that keeps your man in a perpetual state of pitching a damn tent. Hop on over to the Vixen’s Den tomorrow and I’ll get you kitted out. I’ll even let you take a turn on the stripper pole if you want.”

My jaw actually dropped. “You don’t actually have a stripper pole in your shop, do you?”

“Hell, yeah, I do. My mom was a stripper, and my dumb ass tried it out my senior year in high school for extra cash, but then Tyr came along and put the kibosh on that double-quick. In retrospect, he probably saved my life, but at the time he was a total dick about it. Then again, Tyr’s always a total dick, so no surprise there.”

I froze, looking behind her. “Umm…”

She was about to polish off her drink before she realized where I was looking. “He’s behind me, isn’t he?”

“Yep.”

“Ugh.” To my surprise, Ginger turned with an admirably epic toss of flame-red hair to face Tyr, who had several other Gravedigger officers behind him, including Romeo. “Geez, dude, can’t a girl get her party on without you breathing down her neck? Go grab a drink or maybe some ass and relax, already.”

Well. Clearly Ginger had been born without a sense of fear. Or self-preservation.

Tyr’s expression resembled pure granite as he reached out with great deliberation and took the nearly empty cup from her hand. “No more for you. I’m cutting you off.”

“Are youkiddingme?” Ginger threw out a sassy hip and planted a manicured hand on it, which seemed to be a signal for everyone to back away from her. I stayed where I was, because she was my new friend and I wanted to support her, and because I wanted a front row seat to the drama. “Tyr, that’s literally my first drink of the evening. I’m crashing with Misty tonight over in the Barracks, so you don’t have to worry about me driving. Lighten up, okay? This is supposed to be a party.”

At that moment the Beastie Boys started yelling about how they needed to fight for their right to party, and I nearly laughed at the timing. Then Tyr stepped so close to Ginger I thought he was going to kiss her, but the scowl that carved into his expression quickly abused me of that dewy-eyed notion.

“You’re a fucking idiot if you think you can just waltz in here like you own the place without wearing a patch.”

Ginger went very still, and I got the sudden impression of a volcano about to blow. “What. Did. You. Just. Call. Me?”

Yikes. She sounded scarier than Tyr.

“Shots fired,” Zee muttered from his place beside Ajax.

“You don’t step foot inside this clubhouse without the protection of a patch, and you goddamn know it. You’re outta here.”

“What—”

“I have fucking spoken, Ginger.” With that, Tyr caught her by the elbow and dragged her back toward the door leading to the inner sanctum behind the bar.

“Should we worry?” I said to no one in particular, my eyes still glued to the door through which Ginger and Tyr had disappeared.

“Nah, no worries. Knocking heads is who Ginger and Tyr are. They’ve been doing it ever since they were babies, and they’re not going to stop anytime soon.” Romeo came to drape an arm around me and pulled me in for a quick kiss. “Having fun, Shy girl?”

“I am now that you’re here.” I stretched up to kiss him once more, letting my lips linger on his before giving him my cup. “Do me a favor and finish this off. I’m not much of a drinker, and I don’t want to offend anyone by not drinking.”

“Ah, Tina’s Milwaukee Mules. Tomahawk calls them a pussy drink, but who gives a fuck what he thinks? I love this shit.” He downed it in a couple swallows, then looked over to his Gravedigger brothers. “What do you say, boys? Ready to light this party up?”

“Fuck, yeah.” Ajax grabbed the closet mama, a diminutive young woman who had massive amounts of blonde hair and bodacious cleavage on display. “Let’s burn it, baby.”

I let Romeo steer me toward the clubhouse’s main entrance where I’d left my heavy outer coat. Then, hand in hand, we went out with the majority of party-goers to the parking lot where the bonfire waited with several people already gathered around it. Four portable grills shaped like eggs had appeared in the parking lot as well, and near Ride or Die Choppers someone was happily setting off Roman candles like it was New Year’s Eve. Across the street, half a dozen cop cars sat parked, clearly waiting for heaven knew what.

I nodded toward the cops. “Are they waiting for us to get too rowdy or something?”

---