Page 101 of A Little Bit Reckless
I shook my head. “You put in the work.”
My son hugged me. I didn’t get a lot of hugs because we just didn’t really hug a lot, but when we did, it was like this. It was a father and son. It was respect, but most importantly there was love.
Knock. Knock.
Wells and I turned to see my wife at the door. She wasn’t alone. Bru was with her, and he was just as dressed up as Wells.
I watched my son hug the guy he loved, but not before giving some love over to his mom. Cleo squeezed Wells so tight. I was so lucky to have her. She shouldn’t love me, but something I learned over the years was to take a blessing when it was gifted. Cleo was a part of me, and I was literally a part of her. I donated a kidney to her once, and we both had the scars.
I put my arm around her as I watched Wells and Bru leave. The boys mentioned needing to pick up Bow, and it was like watching my kid go off to prom.
“You know they’re up to something, right?” Cleo said to me, and I laughed. Our kids were one hundred percent up to something.
Let’s just say they better hope we didn’t find out.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
Cleo
“I’m going to kill him, but that’s only if my buddies don’t kill him first.”
Jax’s hand gripped the steering wheel after what he said, and I took one of his hands. I was mad too, but I knew I had to be the voice of reason for my husband.
Placing Jax’s hand in my lap, I rubbed it. “It’s going to be okay.”
“It’ll be okay if my friends and I make it to Vegas in time,” Jax grunted. I’d never seen him so red. The flush actually made its way to his dark hairline.
Despite his anger, my husband looked so handsome. His hair was moussed, and he wore a suit he purchased for the last charity event we both attended. I’d found a formal gown in my closet that sparkled and complemented his suit. I’d even been able to fashion my hair into a nice chignon despite how rushed we’d both been leaving the house.
Jax bared his teeth. “Royal and Ramses are furious.”
I didn’t blame them. It wastheir childrengetting married.
Jax and I knew Wells had been up to something tonight. Even still, this particular something surprised us. It was only by the grace of God Jax happened to be scanning our bank accounts this evening. Wells had made the transaction to his bank card only recently. He purchased not one but several tickets to Las Vegas, Vegas! It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why, when the number of airline tickets he purchased matched how many close friends he had.
It was well known Royal’s son, Dorian, and Ramses’s daughter, Sloane, had gotten engaged recently. We obviously couldn’t guarantee that was why the kids were hopping a last-minute plane to Las Vegas, but them doing so was too coincidental.
Jax and I were silent the rest of the way to the airport. Well, I was silent and Jax was doing all he could to keep the cursing at bay. He knew I didn’t like it.
I couldn’t help but smile, seeing him so angry. Nothing about this situation was funny, but what the kids were doing was kind of sweet. Wells’s role in it all showed me what kind of friend he was. He knew his dad and I would be angry, but he was okay making the charge for his friends, even though his dad hadn’t cut him off and that was a serious risk to take.
But he did it for his friends, so it was hard not to be proud of the man his father and I had raised. Seeing Wells had found happiness with not one but two people made me happy as well. Anyone with eyes could see how in love with Rainbow Reed he was, and I knew that even when they’d been kids. Wells was a veil of protection for Bow, but I knew things changed after that terrible summer they both had.
I didn’t know how that all played into his and Bow’s relationship, but I did know they stopped being so close after that. My son had gone through a lot of therapy and healing after that summer, but, even so, he never was completely himselfagain. In fact, it wasn’t until recently that Jax and I started to see that boy he used to be. The one who was happy and carefree, light.
Bow and Bru were so good for Wells. Ramses and Brielle had a good son, and I knew in my heart that all three of them would take care of each other.
“I’m going to kill your kid,” Royal said, pointing at Jax as soon as Jax and I arrived at Maywood Heights’s Airport.
Royal’s nostrils flared. “But that’s only after I kill mine. I knew Dorian was up to something. I freakingknew it.Especially after he purchased that new suit from Armani.”
Apparently, all our boys had purchased suits from Armani. It was something all us parents realized after we checked our credit card statements and bank accounts.
December, Royal’s wife, was calming Royal down just like I was calming Jax. December was lovely and reminded me of Snow White. She had dark hair and fair skin which was the exact opposite from Royal who was blond and had the tan/physique of a Ken doll. Together, the two looked like a prince and princess out of a fairy tale.
December frowned at her husband. “We’re going to make it in time.”
