Page 112 of Queen of Anarchy (Dirty Broken Savages 2)

I laugh and shrug a shoulder. “You know me. Any chance to fuck shit up.” I stab the apple core again.

“Julian?” she asks, glancing down at the impaled fruit.

“Yeah. The piece of trash is Natalie.”

She grins at me, her expression a little savage, and it makes warmth spread through my body. I knew she’d get it.

“Well, I hate to disturb your fun,” she says, glancing around at the carnage, “but you have to come with me.”

“Oh yeah? Where are we going?”

Even as I ask, I’m already dropping the scalpel and brushing all the little pieces off the map so I can roll it back up and put it away. River tells me to come with her, and I’ll go, no matter where she plans to take me.

“We have to get you something to wear to this thing. You know you can’t show up in jeans.”

Huh. She’s right about that, I guess. I hadn’t really stopped to think about what I was going to wear. Having a tux will make it feel more real, but whatever. It’s not like I actually have to marry anyone. It’s just for show.

We take my car, but River drives. She makes a show of scooting the seat up closer to the steering wheel, sighing under her breath at how much work it is.

“It’s not my fault you’re tiny,” I tell her.

“I’m not tiny. You’re just a fucking giant,” she quips back, but she’s smirking.

She drives us to the bougie part of town, close to where I found her after she killed Ivan, buying shoes. We bypass all the boutiques and shit and stop in front of a little place that looks different from the other stores on the block.

It smells like old wood and cologne when we step inside, and there are all types of fancy menswear on display.

An older man steps out from behind the counter when we walk in, a smile on his face. “Welcome, welcome,” he says in a soft voice that kind of seems to fit the place. “What can I do for you today?”

“My friend needs to get fitted for a tux,” River informs him.

“I see,” the man replies. He eyes me up and down, and I force myself to stay relaxed and not reach for a weapon. He’s not a threat or anything—just a guy doing his job. Probably trying to guess my size on sight or some shit.

“May I ask the occasion?” he asks, looking me in the face at last.

“Wedding,” I tell him. “I’m the groom, I guess.”

He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t comment on my clear indifference. Instead, he just nods and motions for me to follow him to one of the side rooms. River follows, and if the guy thinks it’s weird that she’s coming with, he doesn’t say anything.

“Step up here, please,” he instructs, and I step up onto the little raised part of the floor, letting him circle me with a measuring tape. He hums and mutters under his breath, making little notes as he goes.

Once he has what he needs, he disappears back into the main part of the store and then comes back with a mostly finished tux.

“Put this on, please. Just the jacket is fine for now.”

I do it, watching River watch me in the mirror as I strip out of my own jacket and ease the tux jacket over my shoulders. It’s a little big, which is a surprise, and the tailor tuts and starts taking things in, pinning them in places and walking around me.

River sits there, legs crossed. Her eyes are on the work, watching the tailor flit around my body as he makes his adjustments. Her gaze follows his hands over the spread of my shoulders and down my chest, and there’s heat in their blue depths.

She looks so fucking sexy like that. Sitting there with her hair reflecting the light in the room, her dark eyes watching everything. There’s a reason I picked the queen chess piece for her in my little simulation, and sitting there like she is, she looks just like one.

“I think the jacket is done,” the tailor says, sounding proud. “Now for the pants.”

“Why don’t you take a break?” I suggest. “We need the room. I need to talk to my friend for a minute.”

He looks surprised but nods, gathering his things. “Oh. Yes, of course. Well, just call for me when you’re ready, and we’ll get back to it. I’ll just take the jacket—”

“I’ll bring it out,” I tell him, adding a little force to my tone.

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