“Deck is being tightlipped, and Deck being tightlipped means nothing gets past his sweet, sexy, fuck-me lips.” Georgie looked over at Deck who was talking quietly to Isabella and Logan. “He says she’s safe, whatever that means. Deck leaves tonight to fuck knows where for an undisclosed amount of time.” She lowered her voice like Deck’s when she said the “undisclosed amount of time” part.
Georgie always became a little unsettled when Deck went off on a job; I suspected it was because of what happened to her brother, but it was more than that. I knew Georgie really cared about Deck, maybe more than she’d ever admit. “Deck likes you, Georgie.”
Georgie laughed—hard. So hard she smacked her hand onto the kitchen counter and everyone paused to look at her. She leaned in, hand on my shoulder. “I annoy the hell out of him. Deck’s incapable of liking much except his way. And if you don’t like his way, then he’ll shove it up your ass, down your throat, and then make sure you learn to like it. I don’t like his way.”
Georgie and I chatted a while then Logan came over to join us, sliding his arm around my waist and kissing the side of my neck. Crisis was his usual loud and obnoxious self while Kite ended up chatting with Isabelle for a long while.
A car horn honked.
I slipped from Logan’s arms, and Georgie and I went running out through the patio door and around to the driveway where Matt and Kat were getting out of the car.
I reached Kat and threw my arms around her. I was careful not to squeeze too tight, but it was hard not to. “God, it’s good to have you home.”
Kat pulled back a bit, and despite her smile, I saw the haunted look in her eyes. I’d seen it in the hospital too, but she was so closed off, she wouldn’t talk about anything. I knew the feeling firsthand so I kept quiet and didn’t push her.
“Come here, lollipop. Give me a hug.” Georgie hugged Kat, kissed her on both cheeks, and then looped her arm around both of us and started walking back to the house.
Matt was getting the bags out of the trunk, but I noticed that his eyes never left Kat. It would take him a long time to get over this. I suspected longer than when their parents died.
“Hey, be careful with her, Georgie,” Matt shouted as Georgie started skipping and jarred us both.
Everyone cheered and gave Kat hugs and kisses. Crisis passed her a beer and kept beside Kat as if he was her private bulldog, although from what I didn’t know.
“You good, Emily?”
It was Deck. Logan had his arm around my waist and his fingers were caressing my bare skin beneath my blouse at my belly. I nodded. “Yeah, Deck. Glad to have Kat home.”
Deck glanced at Logan then back at me again. “You need anything. Call. That goes for you both.”
“Yeah, need you to convince her to leave Kat and Matt and come on tour with the band in a few months. Can you help with that?”
Deck lowered his head as if to hide the twitch at the corner of his mouth I caught a glance of. It was hot. Deck was hot, and Georgie needed to wrap her head around the fact that Deck didn’t watch over her because he had an obligation to her brother; he did it because he cared, and Deck caring was huge. I guaranteed he didn’t care easily.
Dinner was a barbecue on the patio, and it was nice. Better than nice. Georgie’s mom and dad showed up. Her dad was cool, but he didn’t take attitude from anyone, meaning he was scary, and he was also hot.
“Ream, buddy!” Kite shouted. “Where the fuck have you been, man?”
I glanced at Kite, then to where he was looking at the patio door. Then I searched out Kat, who was looking right at Ream. She paled. Turned white actually, and I think it had to do with the girl holding onto Ream’s arm.
Logan’s hand reached under the table and took mine and squeezed. He knew. He’d seen Kat’s reaction too.
Ream chin lifted. “This is Lana.” He didn’t bother introducing her to any of us. Instead he leaned into her and whispered something in her ear. The tall blonde giggled, gave him a kiss, and then walked back into the house.
“Not smart, buddy,” Kite said then turned away and started talking to Georgie’s mom.
Ream ignored the comment as he met Kat’s eyes. “You feel okay?”
I was holding my breath. I knew Kat she could fly off the handle pretty easily, and it was a real dick move for Ream to bring some chick to Kat’s welcome home party. But she did something I hadn’t expected—Kat nodded then looked away. She looked defeated, and it broke my heart seeing her like that. Crisis put his arm around the back of her chair, and his hand came on her shoulder and stroked back and forth. He leaned in and whispered something to her.
Lana came out seconds later with two beers, passing one to Ream.
The tension finally faded as everyone chatted and drank and ate a ton. It was Georgie getting drunk and stumbling into the sliding glass doors after coming back from the washroom that finally broke up the party.
“Well, shit.” She rubbed her head where she’d hit the glass pane. “That thing is so clean I didn’t even see it.”
“You didn’t see it because your vision is blurred the fuck up,” Crisis yelled, laughing.
Georgie laughed then staggered out onto the patio. I got up at the same time as Deck.
“Eme, let him deal,” Logan said and dragged me back down, but this time he put me on his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“But—”
“Eme.”
“But—”
“Emily,” Logan growled in my ear, and it did two things—got me wet and made me concede.
Deck strode over to Georgie. She backed away. He pursued, and his face looked pissed. I mean, I know I wouldn’t have fucked around with that face, but Georgie was Georgie, and she was drunk.
“You going to spank me again?”
Again?
Logan chuckled. And I saw Georgie’s mom and dad weren’t moving to protect their daughter from Deck.
Deck did briefly look at Georgie’s dad Frank, and I noticed him nod at Deck as if he was giving his okay. To what?
“Deck.” Georgie smiled. “You going to take me home again and put me in your bed naked?”
I bit my lip. Crisis out-and-out laughed, and I saw Georgie’s mom smile.
“No,” Deck said. “Going to do something else entirely.”
“Oh. Sounds delicious.”
“You’re not going to like it.”
Georgie frowned. “Think I’ll stay here then.”
Deck wasn’t doing anymore talking as he latched onto her hand. He nodded to Logan then dragged Georgie inside. I could hear her squeal then shout, and finally, she was screeching profanities.
A car door slammed and then another.
Soon Georgie and Deck were forgotten, and the party broke up an hour later.
“Mouse.” Logan had dragged me upstairs the second his mother and Georgie’s parents left. He locked the door then pulled me hard up against him. “My mother loves you.”
I smiled. “She’s an incredible woman, Logan. You’re lucky to have her.”
“Yeah. She’s yours now too.”
That made me feel warm inside, and I moved into him further.
His hand curled around the nape of my neck. “You’re touring with me.”
It wasn’t a question; it was a statement. “Logan—”
“I’m not asking anymore. This is big and I want you with me.”
The band got asked to open for Damaged and they’d be gone six months. “Don’t you think that’s kind of selfish? I do have a business to—”
“No. I told you. We’ll try and work in you doing clinics at the stops we make. We need time together, baby.”
“Logan.” He was right. We did. It was Logan’s turn to live his dream. He’d given me mine now it was my turn to be there for his.
“Emily.”
He leaned in and kissed me, and I melted. I mean it was an amazing kiss, one that took away any argument I had left, and he damn well knew it. I’d tour with him. I wanted to see him play in front of huge crowds; I wanted to hear him sing every night. God, I just wanted to be with him.
He sank his hands into my hair. “You’re my everything.”
I stared up at him, my finger tracing across his lips. He caught it between his teeth then drew it into his mouth and sucked. My rabble of butterflies took flight in every direction, and my stomach dipped. I smiled up at the man who had been my knight in shining armor all along, I just hadn’t seen it.
Together we were able to repair.
I kissed him then nibbled at the lobe of his ear as I whispered, “You fixed me.”