Page 89 of Bloom: Part 2

“What are you saying, Crowe?”

“Maybe you should think twice about marrying him. The fucking Mafia is after him, and—”

“I already said I’m gonna marry him, and I mean it. If you can’t be happy for us, maybe don’t come to our wedding.”

“I don’t like the way you’re talking to me right now.” Crowe clenched his teeth, and a flush crept into his cheeks. “Maybe I won’t attend.”

“Then don’t!”

Deep down, I knew I was lashing out at Crowe because of how worried I was about Logan. I tugged at my hair hard.

“Crowe, I’m sorry. I don’t mean it. Of course you have to be there. I’d hate to get married without you. You’ve been at every important step of my life. Just…stop trying to get me to leave Logan. I won’t. He had a good reason for not telling me the truth before.”

He threw his hands up. “Fair enough. I won’t mention it again. I just wanted you to understand exactly what you’re getting into. Bloom.” His voice softened. “I might not be able to keep you safe. Not from the Mafia.”

“And I get that. But Logan and I can make our own way. We’ll figure it out.”

“I’ll have to believe that, so I won’t comment on it further.” He hooked an arm around my neck and yanked me into his body, ruffling my hair. “My little Bloom’s all grown up and getting married. It’s still a bit hard to believe.”

“Crowe!”

“By the way, you ever talk to me like that again, I’ll put you over my knees. Don’t think you’re too old for me to do it.”

“Pretty sure that’s my job,” a familiar voice said, rich and low, with an edge of amusement.

I shoved at Crowe’s arms and spun so fast I nearly tripped over myself. Logan stood in the doorway, his sharp eyes locking on me, his mouth curved in a tired but unmistakable smile.

“Lo-gan!” I gasped, my voice breaking.

The tension in my chest cracked wide open as I ran to him, my feet moving before I thought about it. I threw myself at him, buried my face in his neck, and my arms around him like he might disappear if I didn’t hold him tight enough. He grunted but placed his hands under my ass for support as I climbed him like a monkey and looped my legs around his waist.

He chuckled. “I was gone for just a couple of hours. You make it seem like I abandoned you.”

“I don’t care. I was worried about you, and I missed you.”

“Well, this is embarrassing,” Saint said.

“He’s not wrong, Bloom,” Crowe said. “Why don’t you use your legs?”

“I am. They’re around his waist.”

“Hey, Crowe!” Bay, who was sitting with Chris, Sarge, and a new prospect at a corner table, guffawed. “I think you might need a new enforcer soon. This one has been softened by too much dick.”

“Soft? Who’s gone soft? I’ll show you who’s soft.”

I tried to wriggle out of Logan’s arms to confront Bay, but Logan tightened his arms around me. “None of that. Let’s talk first.” He marched for the exit, with me still clinging to him like a vine.

“Talk is just a synonym for a fuck.” Bay’s grin was wider than ever. “And I know because that’s what I mean when I tell Gerald to come here for a minute so we can talk.”

“That’s exactly how long you last, huh? A minute!”

Bay’s face turned red, and the bikers laughed, their loud voices echoing in the hall. Without missing a beat, Logan kept walking. We left the raucous laughter behind us and entered my bedroom. Logan sat on the bed with me on his lap.

I loosened my hold on him. “Oh shit, I forgot about your arm. Did I hurt you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you really? What did those cops do to you? You know I can make them disappear, right?”

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