Page 779 of The Tempted

Chapter Thirty-Five

I glanced down at the photo staring back at me on top of the bar. It had seen better days; the edges were frayed and there were thick creases in it from folding it so many times throughout the years. It was my favorite photograph of my son. His innocent smile was as bright as the sun and his eyes full of joy. I used to carry it everywhere with me hence the tattered condition it currently was in, but as the edges wore I realized it was too precious to take with me everywhere I went. It felt wrong bringing him along with all the illegal shit going on, exposing him to the grit and mayhem. He was pure and innocent when he left this earth and that’s how he shall remain. Then there was always the nagging in my head that I’d drop the fucking picture, forget it somewhere and I’d lose him all over again.

These days I keep the photograph on top of my dresser and it’s the first thing I see in the morning but today was different. I made a promise to my boy at his grave, told him I’d bring him with me for all the good, and today was the start of the good. Today, my ass was marrying Reina, and it didn’t get any better than that.

I pour myself a shot, knock back the whiskey before folding the photo delicately in half and sliding it into the inside pocket of my cut, covering my heart. All my kids will be with me when Reina becomes my wife. Lacey would stand across from me, alongside my wife, and my boy would be in my heart. Then there was our kid tucked safely in Reina’s belly. Seemed like a perfect fucking union if you asked me.

I turn around, taking in the transformation of my clubhouse and the clowns behind it. The prospects, Mack and Bosco, were lining up folding chairs, leaving a walkway in-between to make an aisle for Reina to walk down. Pipe was stringing Christmas lights around some sort of gazebo looking thing they brought in and placed in front of the reaper mural. Wolf, fucking Wolf, he was turning blue blowing up white balloons. Amused is what I was as I watched his cheeks fill with air as he blew into the white latex until his lungs threatened to collapse. He angrily ties a knot at the end and smacks the balloon away from him.

“Deuce, go hang those fucking things somewhere,” he orders breathless. “Hey, Pipe, you bastard, you still don’t know where the fucking air pump is?”

“I know where it is,” Pipe yells. “It’s at the garage where it fucking belongs.”

“When I have a fucking heart attack and drop dead, it’s your ass I’m haunting,” Wolf grounds out as the door opens and Linc walks in with a man carrying a box.

“Who the fuck is that?”

“The florist.” Linc points his thumb toward the man staring at the clubhouse in horror.” I checked him out, the only thing this motherfucker has is wire and a fancy pair of sheers. Says he needs them to cut the stems and all that shit, isn’t that right?”

“What the hell did you people do? Balloons?” he drops the box onto one of the tables and grabs one of the balloons off the floor, popping it with his hands.

“Is this fucker kidding me?” Wolf bellows. “You got any idea how much wind was in that thing?”

“Who hired you?”

“Clearly, the bride,” the florist deadpans. “Is that a trellis?” he questions pointing to the thing Pipe was stringing the lights on. I should mention that the lights weren’t those little white lights people hang on everything, these were the old school Christmas lights. They were the colorful, big fat ones we hung from the gutters when we were kids.

I shrug my shoulders, pushing off the bar and make my way toward the man. I place my arm around his shoulders and pat him on the back.

“Reina hired you to make this place look nice, you do that, make it look real pretty in here,” I say, reaching into my pocket, pulling out a couple of bills, and shove them into his hands. “And add some sunflowers to the place.”

“But that isn’t on the order,” he argues.

“Make a new order,” I demand, smiling at him. “Make it happen flower boy.”

Turning back to the bar I pour myself a drink, I lift my eyes as the door opens again and Lacey strolls in with Blackie on her tail. I pause, hand wrapped tight around the neck of the bottle as I drink my little girl in. Her heels had to be at least six inches, strappy things that decorated her calves. She was wearing an off the shoulder, black lace, cocktail dress and her hair was windblown—wild from being on the back of Blackie’s bike. My eyes dart to him and I catch him staring at her ass.

“For fuck’s sake, you put her on the back of your bike dressed like that?” I seethe, shaking my head. To hell with the fucking glass, I take a swig straight from the bottle. My daughter smiles widely as she reaches for the bottle and wraps her arms loosely around my neck.

“You’re not allowed to be a grump on your wedding day,” she says, pressing a smacking kiss to my cheek as I wrap my arms around her and hug her tightly, keeping my eyes on Blackie.

“I’m with Lace.”

“Of course you are, you don’t want me to strangle you,” I tease.

“Then you’d have no best man,” he retorts, smiling back at me.

Lacey pulls back, turning slightly, so she is standing in between me and Blackie.

“First of all, I insisted we go on the bike and I also insisted I get dressed before we leave so I can help Reina,” she points out. “He just goes along with what I say,”

“She wears the leather around here,” Blackie jokes, grabbing her around the waist and pressing her back against his front.

“Lost your balls, did you?” I raise an eyebrow and turn my gaze toward Lacey. “Anyone ever tell you you’re hard headed?”

“I wonder where I get that from,” she laughs.

“Have no idea what you’re talking about, Lace,” I say innocently, winking at her before turning my attention back to Blackie. “You have the ring, right?”

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