“I’m not having second thoughts. I just…” Eva struggled for the right words. “I like and respect Ginny. As much as I love you, it would kill me to hear her talk about me the way she does Becca.”
“Hold on right there. You need to understand that Gin didn’t just look at Becca and decide she didn’t like her. Becca screwed herself. Most people try to make a good impression on their girlfriend’s or boyfriend’s family, but not only did she hate me from day one, but she treats Garrett like a dog and was even disrespectful to Zeke. That’s a huge no-no with Gin.”
“I remember Rhys said that your mom had asked Becca to be nice to his brothers.”
“There wasn’t too much asking involved in that conversation. Ginny told Becca pointblank to treat the Brawer men with respect or get the hell out. That was the beginning of the end for Ginny and Becca. It’s been a battle over the years, but it’s just been this last year that Zeke got fed up enough and banned Becca because her bullshit was upsetting Gin,” Mox said seriously. “If I ever thought you were disrespectful to any of my brothers, let alone Zeke or Ginny, you can bet your ass you and I would be having a serious discussion.”
“One that ended with me having a warm ass, I would imagine,” Eva whispered.
Mox’s look confirmed her thoughts. She shivered at the glitter in his pale eyes, but nodded. It made sense.
“You’re going to be my old lady. That means the shit you do reflects on me and vice-versa. I’m sure if I do something stupid, the other women won’t spare you the details.”
The thought made Eva giggle. Mox smirked and nodded.
“It goes both ways. Still want to marry into this dysfunctional group?”
“As long as I’m marrying you, yes,” she said, standing up on tiptoe to kiss him. By the time he let her up for air, she was dizzy. She clung to his biceps, whispering, “Wow.”
“More like, damn,” he said, chuckling and pressing his forehead to hers. “We better go tell them before I change my mind about the party and just drag you back home to bed.”
Eva shivered, but couldn’t deny a little disappointment when he winked and turning toward his parents, started through the crowd again.
Ginny’s eyes narrowed in suspicion the moment Mox asked them to step off into the corner to talk. Zeke’s expression remained stoic, but Eva felt his gaze on her. She wished they had stopped by the bar first. She could really use a drink about now. Her stomach lurched as Rhys joined them unbidden. The squint of his eyes was so like his mother’s when she was upset.
Twisting the ring on her finger, Eva kept her hand buried in Mox’s back pocket. Rhys waved someone off and she caught a glimpse of Rain through the crowd, two beers in her hands. The willowy brunette shrugged and turned away, taking a swig from one of the bottles.
“What happened now?” Ginny demanded. “Are you okay?”
“Nothing happened. I’m fine,” Mox said, capturing Ginny’s nervous fingers as they trailed down his ribs in an exploratory flutter. “This is good news. I asked Eva to marry me.”
Stunned silence met his words until Rhys exploded.
“Are you fucking nuts? I don’t give a shit how awesome she feels wrapped around your dick. You barely know her!”
Hurt flashed across Mox’s face. The pain in his eyes sucked all the air from Eva’s lungs. She cried out as he lunged for Rhys. Her hand caught in his back pocket, she slammed against his back.
“Both of you knock it off!” Ginny snapped, tugging ineffectively on Rhys’ shoulder.
Wrenching her hand free, Eva wrapped her arms around Mox’s waist and pulled franticly. He couldn’t fight with his family because of her.
Zeke shoved between the boys, breaking Mox’s hold on Rhys’ shirt and sending the slighter built man crashing back against the wall.
“That’s enough!” he thundered.
Mox stepped back, stiff-legged and defiant, glaring at his brother. A couple of their club brothers approached, unsure of what was going on.
“Sibling shit. I got it,” Zeke said, waving them off, the muscle along his jaw rippling in displeasure. Leveling a glare on his sons, he nudged Mox toward the stairs. “Let’s go upstairs and discuss this.”
Mox gave Rhys a dismissive grunt, then laced his fingers through Eva’s and tugged her along with him. Ginny followed in their wake with a sullen Rhys bringing up the rear as they made their way from the basement to the main level of the clubhouse.
“Sit!” Zeke ordered.
Eva bit her lip, sinking down on the couch with a still tense Mox. His blue eyes burned into his brother across the room, animosity rolling off him in waves. Zeke directed Rhys to a chair with an emphatic stab of his thick finger. Ginny perched on the arm of the couch. The look she gave Eva was sympathetic, but an uncertainty lurked in her hazel gaze.
“She’s wearing a ring. I take it this is something that you gave some thought to,” Zeke said to Mox, his voice softer.
“I thought about it a lot. I wasn’t sure she’d say yes,” Mox said, rolling his broad shoulders to ease the tension. “She’s the one I want to understand.”
Zeke nodded, a little smile twisting his lips at the reminder of their conversation about women.
“It’s fast, and with everything else going on…” Ginny said, falling silent at a look from her husband.
“We’re not saying we’re getting married tomorrow, although I would. I love her. I want everyone to know that. I want them to know that she’s mine and that I’ll fight for her, if that makes any sense,” Mox said, running a hand over the top of his head and pulling Eva tighter to his side.
“Ginny is right. It’s quick, but Eva’s a good girl and makes you happy. With everything else going on, maybe that is a reason to look to the future. If being a Marine and a cop have taught me one thing, it’s that no one’s promised tomorrow. If she’s your choice, you know your brothers will stand with you.”
Mox shot a look at Rhys, the cold fury returning.
“I don’t know if that holds true with my blood brother.”
“Your brother is being a jealous ass,” Ginny said in disgust.
Shooting a hurt look at his mother, Rhys shrugged. “I just don’t want you making a mistake because the pussy is good,” he muttered.
“You’re the one that’s led around by your dick. Don’t lay that shit on me. I love Eva. Get over your bullshit and be happy for me before I kick your ass.”
Rhys blushed and shrugged, unable to meet his brother’s eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“Eva’s the one you should be apologizing to. She almost didn’t accept my proposal because she was too busy worrying about what you all would think rather than what would make us happy.”
Eva jumped as Ginny reached over and took her free hand.
“I’m sorry, honey. He’s right. This isn’t about us. You make our son happy, and that’s the important thing. I think you’ll make a wonderful addition to the Brawer family.”
Tears pooled in Eva’s eyes, and she swallowed against the lump in her throat as she squeezed Ginny’s hand. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry if I came across as a jealous ass,” Rhys said, shooting another look at his mother. “Mox has always been there for me, no matter what, and I guess I’m just a little protective of him. Maybe I didn’t handle it the best.”
“You think?” Zeke snorted.
Ginny laughed, the throaty sound like a balm to frayed nerves.
“I love the way your family, and club, looks out for and loves one another,” Eva admitted, studying Mox’s fingers intertwined with hers. “I’ve never had anything like that.”
Ginny wrapped Eva in a hug. “You do now, honey.”
“I’m sorry,” Rhys murmured, pulling her into a hug and kissing her ear.
“Don’t look at me,” Zeke said with a sardonic arch of his eyebrow. “I welcomed her into the family Christmas Eve.”
Eva laughed and wrapped her arms around the Brawer patriarch’s waist in an easy embrace. Mox’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and Ginny smothered a giggle behind her hand, but Zeke gave the girl a squeeze and kissed the top of her head.
“What?” he grumbled at his surprised family as he herded them back toward the stairs. “I don’t bite.”
“I beg to differ,” Ginny said with a delicate snort of skepticism.
Zeke caught his wife in a headlock, his brawny forearm curving under her chin to tilt her face up to his. Leaning into him, Ginny stumbled along, smiling sassily.
“That’s a whole different matter, baby, but if it makes you happy I’ll be sure to leave my mark later,” he murmured, kissing her.
“Dear God,” Rhys groaned, nudging Mox in the back. “Please walk faster. I need a drink.”
Curled in the crook of Mox’s arm, Eva listened to him laugh and reminisce with Rhys and Rain. It surprised her how quickly Mox’s ire had faded away. Like when Rhys had thrown Mox’s mother in his face at the apartment, within minutes all seemed forgiven between the brothers. She didn’t know whether to accredit that to the way brothers got along in general or to Mox’s laid back personality.
The warm haze of alcohol let her mind wander. Hearing Mox mention Ginny and the reverent way he said the woman’s name brought up a third possibility. Could it be that Mox didn’t feel he had the right to stay angry with Rhys? He’d said, growing up, the fear of being thrown out had been there the few times the two fought. When had Ginny stopped thinking of him as Rhys’ friend and started thinking of him as another son? As a kid, had Mox known? Either way, it was one thing to know and another to believe.
A silence fell over the group and she looked up. Rhys’ lips were pressed together in obvious annoyance, and Eva felt a blush creeping over her face. Had she missed something? Her eyes darted to Mox. He was looking over his other shoulder. Twisting her head, Eva blinked at the stick thin blonde. Wearing a mini-dress that pushed her breasts into twin mounds above and barely covered her lower cheeks, Becca looked trashy.
“How’d you get in here?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Becca said, smirking smugly at Rhys.
“I’d rather know what you want.”
“It’s New Year’s Eve. It’s a time for fresh starts and all that. We can put last year behind us and move on. We’re not kids anymore, Rhys. New Years is a time for couples. I’m sure even your dad wouldn’t want you all alone tonight.”
A slow smile spread across Rhys’ perfect lips, and he leaned back on the loveseat, tossing an arm around Rain. “I’m far from alone tonight, but thanks for your concern.”
Rain didn’t preen, or play coy. She maintained her relaxed sprawl—and waited.
Hatred transformed Becca’s painted face. Her scarlet lips drew back in a snarl.
“I don’t know what you see in this hippie bitch! It’s New Year’s Eve and she’s dressed like a hobo.”
Rhys didn’t bother to look at Rain’s casual jeans and lace tank. He smirked. Becca’s problem with the flannel tied around the other girl’s waist likely had more to do with the fact that it was his then any fashion objection. He let his hand drape down over Rain’s far shoulder, fingers trailing over the swell of her breasts to play with a crystal pendant that lay nestled between them.
Rain looked down, amusement quirking the corner of her generous lips as she watched Rhys’ fingers. Becca emitted a low strangled growl, drawing the playmates from their game. Eyes narrowed to fury filled slits, Becca’s nails dug into the back of the couch Mox and Eva sat on.
“Get your hands off my man,” she hissed between clenched teeth.
“It’s his fingers that are doing the walking, so don’t get your thong in a twist with me,” Rain said with a mocking smile.
“Don’t get smart with me, bitch! You aren’t the first ho to try and steal Rhys from me, and you won’t be the last. I’m not going anywhere. He always comes back to me, so why don’t you save yourself the embarrassment and ass kicking and go find some other low life biker to fuck.”
Rain stood, stretching her lean form like a lazy cat. “Such a dirty little mouth you have. I’m sure Rhys makes good use of it. Look here, sunshine, I’m not going to gnash my teeth and flex my claws with you. Rhys is a big boy. It’s up to him where he sheaths his sword, but one thing for you to think on, woman to woman, if you have such a lousy opinion of bikers, why keep chasing one? He’s not going to change. It’s in his blood,” she said, and stepping over Rhys’ long legs, headed for the bar.
Becca lunged at Rain’s back, fingers hooked into talons reaching for her unruly locks. She ended up with a face full of Rain’s fist. The crack of bone was audible to those nearby as Becca’s nose exploded in a spurt of blood.
Teary eyes wide in shock, Becca hit the floor grasping her shattered nose with both hands. Her wail broke the stunned silence. Blood gushed over her fingers, zigzagging between the gold sequins of her dress like tendrils of molten lava. No one moved to help her.
“You should’ve let me walk away, blondie. I don’t do the hair pulling and patty cake crap,” Rain said, shaking her head in disgust. She glanced at the trio she’d been sitting with and shrugged. “Anyone else need another drink?”
Eva tried to follow Mox’s conversation with his dad, but everything was fuzzy. After Rain had decked Becca, the party had seemed to kick into high gear. With the booze freely flowing, the Lords of Mayhem had welcomed the New Year in fine form.
She blinked as Lee swayed in front of her. At least Eva thought Lee was the one swaying. Flattening a hand against the wall, she nodded and giggled. It was definitely Lee. The beautiful Asian girl giggled and gingerly perched on the arm of an overstuffed chair.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Thank you for asking,” she said so politely, and then giggled again. “Reaper stepped outside.”
Brow furrowing in question, Eva glanced toward the ally door. Mox turned her into his chest.
“He’s taking a piss and doesn’t need your help, nosy.”
Lee and Eva dissolved into a fit of giggles while Mox just shook his head.
“Come on, giggles. I’m taking you home.”
Waving to her friend, Eva let her man, her fiancé she corrected herself, lead her through the clubhouse. It was the early hours of New Year’s Day now, and things were winding down. Many couples had retired to the second floor bedrooms. Some people hadn’t made it that far and lay passed out where they’d landed. Crazy Eddie was sprawled in a folding chair, with his boots on a table and the chair tilted haphazardly on two legs. She covered her mouth to hold back her amusement. How could he do that? He was dead to the world.