“We could have gone to a spa and gotten all of this done,” Emmie said as she watched Lucy put on a second coating of sunshine-yellow polish on her toes. “That’s what we did before my wedding.”
I shook my head. “I like this better. Just us.” It was perfect in my book. Sitting beside my pool with a glass of wine in hand while my favorite girls in the world catered to my every want and need. Dallas had done my mani and pedi, giving me a simple white French tip on both that looked elegant. I had an expensive mud mask on my face to make my skin glow come morning, and we were gorging on takeout food to the point I was sure my wedding dress wasn’t going to go over my hips. Perfect…
I missed Shane.
It was irrational, since I had just seen him a few hours ago. I would see him in less than twenty-four hours, and walk down the aisle to him and become his wife. Still, my heart ached to have him holding me right at that moment.
I wondered what he and the guys were getting into tonight. I knew they had something planned for him. I was sure that Drake was going to be watching Mia while everyone else went out. For Nik’s night out, he and Shane had gotten tattoos over their hearts. Nik’s had been mouthwatering. The heart, the lettering, the flames.
When Shane had shown me his own, I had cried. Then he had made love to me until I couldn’t remember where we were.
Drake had sketched my eyes. Big, violet eyes. Shane had taken it to the tattoo artist who had turned it into a masterpiece on my man’s chest. My eyes stared back at me every time he took off his shirt. I wondered if he was going to get another one tonight. With the remaining four members of OtherWorld joining them at Emmie’s house later tonight, I doubted it.
“I want a tattoo.”
Five heads shot up and around to look at me. They knew I wasn’t the biggest fan of tattoos. Unlike Dallas who was more tattoo than skin, I only had one little bitty one on the back of my neck that represented my friendship with her. I didn’t like the needles, the sound of the tattoo gun. But I wanted to show Shane how much I loved him, just as he had done for me long before he had trusted me enough to say yes when he finally proposed.
Dallas and Emmie were studying me more intently than the other three. I didn’t know what either were thinking, but finally Dallas grinned. “Okay. What did you have in mind?”
I thought of all of Shane’s tattoos. Except for the one on his chest of my eyes, the others were on his arms and back. They were all works of art, telling the story of his life in some way. The Demon’s Wings stamp on his left shoulder reminded me of the one that was on Emmie’s with ‘Property of Demon’s Wings’ and the angel’s wings that were on Lana’s back with the simple proclamation of ‘The Demon’s Angel’.
I knew exactly what I wanted. “I need Drake’s help.”
Chapter 6
Shane
I was contemplating calling Harper when Drake came out of the house with Mia in one arm and his messenger bag full of his art supplies in the other. I jumped up off the lounger I had been sprawled in. “What’s up?”
“The girls want me to go over to your house for a little while. Don’t ask why, I’m not allowed to tell.” He grinned, readjusting Mia in his arm. “You guys still going out?”
“Pussy-whipped hasn’t made up his mind,” Liam called out, sitting in a lounger by the pool with a pair of shades on—more to hide his glazed over eyes than to block out the sun. As usual, Liam was high.
I ignored him because as much as I hated him when he was high, I loved him like a brother. “I figured we could just grill some steaks or something. I’m not really in the mood to go out.” I had no urge to go out and get shitfaced with a bunch of strippers—something I was sure Liam had been planning on when he had come over.
Maybe the idiot hadn’t gotten the memo, but I was getting married in the morning to someone who made my life complete. From the moment I had laid eyes on her my world had been turned upside down—in a good way. The need for a new girl every night and all the other shit I had done had stopped the moment my lips had touched hers.
“Sounds like a plan.” Drake pulled his keys from his pocket, already moving toward the driveway between the guesthouse and main house. “I shouldn’t be gone long.”
“Bye, Uncle Shane.” Mia waved as Drake carried her away.
“Bye, Mia.” I blew her a kiss before she was out of sight.
When I heard the roar of Drake’s truck starting I flopped carelessly down on the lounger once more. Nik came out of the house with an apple in one hand and a Corona in the other. He tipped Axton’s lounger with his foot, tipping him out of the chair. “Wake up!”
Ax grunted, pushing himself into a sitting position but didn’t try to stand. “I got maybe an hour of sleep last night, man. Leave me alone.”
Four sets of eyes turned on him, curious. Zander was the first to call him on it. “What—or should I ask whom—were you doing to keep you up all night, Cage?”
Nik and I shared a look before snickering. Every member of OtherWorld had been hot for Dallas. When she had broken things off with him, they had been more than a little pissed at him. “Only Miss Texas,” Nik offered.
“You hooked up with Dallas again?” Devlin grunted. “I bet you a thousand dollars that she is only looking for a weekend hookup. She’s not going to keep you around longer than tomorrow night.”
Axton flipped the drummer off before finally getting to his feet and sitting back down on the lounger. “Shut the fuck up, Dev.”
“I’ll take that bet, Dev.” Wroth chuckled when Axton shot him the finger too. “Ah, come on, man. You know that chick isn’t going to put up with your shit. She’s smarter than fucking Gabriella.”
“Smarter, maybe,” Liam commented, messing with his phone. “But no less hot. And no less a bitch.”
Wroth, Devlin, and Zander raised their beers in agreement. “Amen, brother.”
Three hours later we were sitting down at the patio table eating steaks that Jesse had grilled when he had gotten back from his house. Drake and Mia still weren’t back yet, and I was growing more anxious to talk to Harper by the minute. It was insane. I had just seen her that morning, but that was the way it always was with us. When I was on tour I was like a drug addict the entire time I was away from her. My skin crawling, my heart racing, my body shaking until I could kiss her, hold her again.
I lifted my corn on the cob that Jesse had grilled to perfection and bit into it just as Nik raised his beer. “I never thought this day would come. All those years of watching Shane screw anything with a pussy, I think we all had given up on him getting married. But here we sit, counting down the hours until the biggest man-whore in rock history puts a ring on his woman’s finger. So let’s take a drink and remember the old days. Not necessarily the best days, but still good ones.” They all took a drink from their bottles before Nik raised his beer again. “To my friend and brother: Be happy.”
“Hear, hear,” everyone echoed, and I downed the rest of my beer to keep from tearing up. I was not going to be a pussy tonight.
Drake returned a few hours later, minus Mia. He looked tired, but he was still grinning when he dropped down onto the sectional in the living room where we were all watching some college football. As usual the SEC were dominating. Axton and the others had grown up in Tennessee, but had been die-hard Alabama fans from the time they were in diapers. Whereas my band brothers and I had grown up in Ohio and had followed the Buckeyes forever. Both were dominant football teams, but neither were playing tonight, thank fuck.
Wroth had one of his acoustic guitars with him and was strumming a few chords every now and then. I was itching to play too, but my guitars were all back at my house. It had been a few months since we had gone on tour, and I was still finding it hard to not be constantly on the road. Not because I missed the road, but because I was so used to playing every day. Lately I had to pick up my Fender and play just so I could see if I remembered how to do it.
“How’s Marissa?” Drake asked Liam during a comm
ercial break.
Liam shrugged. “She’s good.”
“She’s watching Harris for Devlin tonight,” Wroth informed us. “Now that the boy’s getting older, Devlin wants to take him on tours with us. Rissa is going to tag along and help out with him.”
My eyes widened. “And you’re okay with that?” Wroth tended to act more like Marissa’s big brother than Liam half the time. He had always put his foot down when it came to her touring with the band.
“I didn’t get a vote,” Wroth bit out.
“I was going to hire a nanny, but Harris threw a total shit fit. I can’t really blame him.” Devlin smirked. “If I were fourteen I wouldn’t want a nanny either. He gets along with Marissa so I figured it would be the best solution. The only one complaining about it is Wroth.”
“Rissa isn’t like Emmie. She won’t know how to handle five dumbass guys on one bus. Not the way we act. Not the way we all whore around.”
Marissa was wonderful, but I wasn’t so sure if Wroth’s protests were coming from his protective side or his possessive one. His family connection with Liam didn’t extend to Marissa, even though it had been Wroth’s parents who had practically raised her. Wroth’s mom had been sisters with Liam’s. Marissa had a different mother, who had cut and run when she was five. Not long after that their old man had been in an accident—his tractor trailer hit some black ice and he skidded over an embankment. Wroth’s mother had been the only family Liam had left while Marissa had had no one. Mrs. Niall had plead for custody of the girl instead of letting her go into foster care.
When the conversation turned to something else, I tuned out. My gaze kept going to my phone, my fingers itching to pick it up and at least text my girl if not actually call her. I was nearly sick with the need to talk to her in some way. Muttering a curse I finally gave in and grabbed my phone.
“Who had eleven?” Jesse called out, smirking when he saw that I was texting away like a mad man.
“Damn it!” Devlin yelled. “I had midnight. Fucker, you couldn’t wait another hour?”
I barely raised my eyes from the text I was getting ready to send to Harper. “What are you talking about?”
“We had a bet that you couldn’t go all night without talking to her,” Drake informed me, taking a drink from his can of Dr. Pepper. “I had five-thirty.”
“I win!” Nik stood, holding his hand out to the men sitting around him. “Cough it up, bitches.”
“How much did you win?” I demanded.
“We all bet five,” Drake said, pulling his wallet out and reaching for the cash he owed.
“Five hundred?” It wouldn’t have surprised me if it had even been five thousand. My friends were idiots like that sometimes when we got together.
“No, stupid. Five bucks. No way am I wasting five hundred on your ass. I love you, little bro, but Angel would kick my ass.”
“She spends that much on shoes, man,” Jesse scoffed. “Before she married you, my credit card statements were three pages of shoe stores alone.”
“Only three pages?” Drake grinned. “She really likes shoes. And I’m really weak when it comes to seeing her in them and nothing else. So she can bleed the bank dry buying all the damn shoes she wants.”
Emmie
I awoke before dawn, knowing that I had a million and one things to do so that Harper and Shane wouldn’t have to worry about them.
The wedding planner that I had hired to attempt to make my life a little easier planning the wedding was already waiting for me at Swiss Park Banquet Center. When we had been looking for venues for the wedding, Harper had fallen in love with the garden and gazebo outside. A team of thirty was already getting the white chairs set up, as well as the flowers and arbor in front of the gazebo.
Once I was sure everything was the way Harper had said she wanted it, I headed inside to the banquet hall to check on the tables and decorations. I was fighting my nausea, but I wasn’t going to let it stop me from making this the best day of Shane’s and Harper’s life.
It took three hours for me to get everything just right. Once the cake was in place I headed for the rooms that we were using to get ready for the wedding. It was nearly noon and I was expecting the girls to arrive before the guys. The limo should have already picked them up about an hour ago, but with traffic they should be arriving any time now.
“Momma!”
I turned at the sound of Mia calling my name. She was holding Lana’s hand as they walked toward me. I crouched down to give my baby some sugar before straightening to face Lana. When I saw her frown I knew something was wrong. “What?” I demanded.
“Harper’s stepdad just called me. Cecil said that the bitch twins have found out where the wedding is and most likely will crash the party.” She rubbed a hand over her pregnant belly, looking as stressed as I suddenly felt.
When Harper had given me the list of guests to invite she had told me that under no circumstances were her mother, father, or stepsister to be invited. Harper didn’t even talk to her mother or stepsister anymore. Her father only called once in a blue moon. All caused her trouble and heartache, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to let them ruin Harper’s day.
“Okay, I’ll deal with it,” I assured her. “Where is Harper?”
“She’s getting her hair done. The stylist is taking good care of her, don’t worry.” Lana offered her hand to Mia. “Let’s go, brat.”
“I’m not the brat, Aunt Lana. You are.”
“You’re as sassy as your momma. I should swat your butt.”
“No way!” Mia giggled when Lana took a mock step toward her. “I’ll tell Uncle Drake!”
“Uncle Drake has to put up with me more than he does you. He would so pick my side.”
“I’m his favorite.” Mia wiggled her eye brows in a way I had seen Nik teaching her lately and I couldn’t help but grin as I watched them walk away.
When they were out of sight my grin fell away and I pulled my cell out. Security was already tight. The death threats from crazy female fans had been coming in higher counts this last week. Harper’s safety as well as the need to keep the press out had made things extremely difficult. Everyone from the caterers to the florist had all needed to pass three security checkpoints to get into the building.
“No one gets in without an invitation and photo ID,” I told the head of the security team we had hired. “If you suspect anything from anyone, I don’t care if it’s the freaking minister, you call me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered without hesitation.
An hour later the guys arrived. Nik found me in the reception room going over last minute details with the photographer, as well as the caterer. Harper was going to take the shots the photographer did and use them for her magazine as an exclusive on the wedding. Her boss nearly pissed his pants when she promised him a front cover with her in her wedding dress with Shane holding her and the three other band members standing behind them.
“You look tired.” Nik wrapped his arms around me, lowering his head for a kiss. “Have you eaten anything yet?”
“Some fruit salad,” I assured him, holding on tight for a little longer. “So… I found out something.” He raised a brow and I smiled. “Looks like this baby is going to be a lot like me. The smell of bacon made me throw up.”
His lips twitched. “So you won’t be wanting bacon ice cream sundaes or bacon smoothies? Or bacon and peanut butter sandwiches?”
My stomach roiled at just the thought of those things. “Please stop.”
“Sorry, baby girl.” He brushed a tender kiss over my lips then stepped back. “I hate bothering you, but Shane is about to lose his shit. He’s been a basket case since he got out of bed. You think Drake was bad? He’s got nothing on Shane now.”
I frowned. “What? What’s wrong? What did you guys do to him last night?”
“Hey.” Nik raised his hands as if to ward me off when I took a step in his direction. “We didn’t do squat. He was fine when he went to bed last night… O
r really this morning. It was nearly three when he finally went to sleep. Then he woke up this morning and… Just go talk to him, baby. Please?”
Muttering a curse I followed Nik to the opposite side of the building where the guys were all supposed to get dressed. I walked in to find Drake and Jesse already half dressed in their tuxedos, but Shane was walking around in basketball shorts and a T-shirt. He was pale as death, his eyes bloodshot, and I was sure he hadn’t gotten any sleep at all.
“Talk to me,” I commanded, grabbing his arms and making him stop his frantic pacing. “Are you having second thoughts?”
“What?” He looked startled by my question. “No! I’m fucking ready to make that woman my wife.”
“Then what’s the matter?” I kept my voice low, calm. “I can’t take care of whatever is wrong if you don’t tell me, Shane.”
“I did something stupid. I think I messed up big.”
“What?” Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to turn and face him. I swallowed hard, terrified of the answer to the next question that I had no choice but to ask. “What did you do?”
“I… Oh, fuck!” He pulled away from me and raked his hands through his short dark hair. He paced to the window then turned back to look at me, his blue-gray eyes looking tormented. “Harper’s mom called me last night. She said she wanted to make amends, to apologize to Harper for being such a shit mom. Then she started laying it on thick about how she wanted to see her daughter get married. So I… I emailed her an invitation.”
“Shane!”
“I fell asleep for about two hours and when I woke up I realized how big of a mistake I made. Harper doesn’t want Monica here.”