His Twisted Heart by Ellie R Hunter
Chapter Forty-Six
Luca
When Mom wants something, it always comes to fruition. In eight hours, she’s transformed the bar into a celebration in which the club has never seen. Everyone’s having a good time. Brothers are congratulating us, and Victoria is speaking more verbally as she makes the rounds. Emma stays close to her so she can translate what people are saying if she can’t manage to read their lips.
One person sitting off in the corner, looking like they want to be anywhere but here, is Leo.
Making my way through the crowd, I join my brother and snag one of his cigarettes.
“You good?” I ask, lighting the smoke.
“Sure.”
“What’s with the face, then?”
“I’m not doing this tonight. It’s your night. Go, enjoy it.”
Now I really want to know what’s up with him.
“I’m going nowhere, so you better start talking.”
Running his hand over the back of his neck, he sighs. “I was just thinking about Indie. We would’ve been married by now.” His eyes lazily roam the bar and land on Holly dancing with Rayna in her arms, spinning her about, making her laugh.
“Everything’s changing, and I’m not sure if I want to keep up.”
“What are you saying?”
“Nothing, really. I’m trying to figure my shit out.”
“You thinking of leaving the club?”
“Nah, nothing like that. I don’t know. I guess I’m still lost. It gets easier every day, but the nights are still too long and too hard.”
“What about Holly?”
It’s the first time I’ve outright asked him about her.
“What about her? She looks after Rayna and helps around the house.”
“In return?”
“She doesn’t have to go home. There ain’t shit going on between us.”
“No?”
Piercing me with his best glare, he snaps, “No.”
Holding my hands up in surrender, I back off the subject of Holly.
“There’s actually something I want to ask you.”
“What’s that?”
“Will you be my best man? I want you at my side.”
“Sure I will.”
“I’d understand if it made you uncomfortable.”
“Get the fuck out. Nothing would keep me from standing with you.”
Holding out my fist, he bumps his to mine, and I leave him to watch Holly and Rayna from the corner of the room.
Noticing my girl at the bar, alone, I come up behind her and glide my hand around the front of her throat and up to the side of her face. Turning her head, I plant a kiss on her lips and mouth, “I want to fuck my fiancée.”
Heat builds in her cheeks, and her chest rises with her laboured breath.
“Let’s get out of here.”
Taking her hand, I force a path for us, and as my foot hits the bottom stair, my dad calls for everyone’s attention.
Growling, I debate on whether to ignore him and carry on up the stairs or stick around. I choose to stick around, and sign to Tor what’s going on.
“We all know why we’re here tonight. My son and the lovely Victoria are to be wed next weekend.” Cheers erupt around us, and brothers raise their drinks our way. “The Jackson and Simmons families would like to formally invite you to the celebrations.”
He’s being quite theatrical tonight.
“Any fucker who isn’t there, I’ll take it as a personal insult,” he adds.
Pope bangs his hand on the table he’s sitting at numerous times, and more cheers fill the bar.
Tor shakes with laughter in my arms, and just when I think he’s finished, he’s not.
“Many of you have known our children since they were born, and after all the shit we’ve been through, this’ll be a day none of us will forget.”
Ricky stands and hollers, “To Victoria and Luca!”
Cheers and toasts ring out from every direction.
The chances of slipping away unnoticed will be next to none now with them all looking at us.
I love how happy everyone’s making Tor, offering their congratulations and well-wishes, but every time someone stops her, I want to ram my fist into their faces. Since my dad has ordered me not to throw anymore punches inside the club, though, I grin and bear the wait until she makes her way over to me. Sliding into my arms, I spin her around and slip back into the shadows.
Once we’re out of sight, I lean over and throw her over my shoulder, taking the side stairs up to my room. Placing her gently on her feet once behind the closed door, I lock it. No one’s disturbing us tonight.
“Get that dress off,” I order.
Bold as brass, she stands before me, slowly slipping the dress straps over each shoulder and shimmying out of the dress.
“You’re a little overdressed yourself,” she points out.
Shrugging out of my cut, I whip my hoodie over my head and back her up until her legs hit the bed. She works my belt easily enough, and the only reason it doesn’t kill me to stop her is because I know I’ll be inside her within the next five minutes.
She frowns up at me, and I hold my finger up, asking for a minute. Digging the ring out of my pocket, I reach for her hand and slide the emerald ring onto her fourth finger. Surrounded by diamonds, the gold bands fit her perfectly.
It’s not a traditional engagement ring, but we’re not traditional, and the emerald reminded me of her love of grass and flowers and shit.
“It’s beautiful, Luca,” she whispers
“It’s not nearly as beautiful as you are.”
While she’s busy admiring the ring, I undo my belt and dispose of my jeans and boxers. Taking hold of her hand, the spell between her and the ring is broken, and I push her back until I’m hovering over her.
A number of brothers are moving slower today after drinking so much last night. Since I spent most of the night either facedown in pussy or balls deep in it, I’m walking on fucking air and feeling damn fine.
“So who knows about this job?” I ask Mason and Myles.
I awoke to a message from Mason to meet them out front of the bar ASAP. Of course, I took my sweet time, pleasuring my fiancée before I even climbed out of bed. And only then we got up because she had plans with our moms to go wedding shopping in town.
“No one,” they both say, Myles adding, “You’re not afraid to go behind Daddy’s back, are ya?”
I scowl, having no inclination to get it into it today with her brothers.
“We’ll need a fourth,” Mason advises, getting back to the topic at hand. “The owner is stupid as shit. He’s the last one out long after everyone else has left. Myles and I can handle the safe. You’ll be the lookout essentially, and the fourth will be an extra precaution. Question is, since this is solely for Victoria’s surgery, they’ll have to do the job for free.”
Angel’s the one I think of first, and as he’s the next to walk out of the bar, I chalk it up to fate.
“Hey, Angel,” I call out.
Stopping, he turns and calls back, “What’s up?”
Mason jerks his chin, demanding he come sit with us. Sliding onto the picnic bench beside me, he waits impatiently for one of us to speak.
I take the lead. “Look, I’ll cut to the chase. You’ve heard about the surgery for Tor, and we’re still short. There’s a bar in the city we’re hitting up, and we want to know if you’re in. You’ll be back-up. you don’t really need to do anything unless something kicks off.”
“Sure, I’m in. When?”
No hesitation, and only one question. I’m impressed. Myles clears his throat and I hear what he’s pushing.
“The other thing is, the cash we get will only be for Tor’s surgery, meaning…”
“I won’t get a share of the loot.”
“You can understand we need every penny for her.”
“Doesn’t bother me, I’m still in. It’s for a good cause.”
My estimation of him grows. He’s a good guy now that he’s not chasing after my woman.
“It’s two nights from now. You haven’t got any plans that can’t be rearranged, do ya?” Mason asks.
“Nah, no plans.”
“Good.”
Dad walks by, nods, and continues walking until he abruptly stops and comes back over.
Waggling his finger, he asks, “What is this?”
“What are you talking about?”
“This. You four sitting together. What gives?”
Dad isn’t stupid. A couple of weeks ago, he thought I had a problem with Angel, and he was around every time I got into it with the twins. I don’t blame him for being suspicious.
“Nothing’s going on. We’re just… catching up.”
He raises his brow, clearly not believing my bullshit, Luckily, he doesn’t push it. “How’s the wedding plans coming along?”
I shrug. It’s not that I’m not interested in planning the thing. I just want my ring on her finger and the document tying her to me. The rest is her domain.
“All good, I suppose. Tor’s in town with mom and Kyla shopping. They’re due back soon.”
“All right. Don’t forget we’ve got a run in three days.”
He walks away, and Mason confirms, “We’ll hit the joint and be back in plenty of time for the run.”
“And no one mention this to Tor. I want to wait until we have the entire sum.”
“We haven’t spoken about what we’ll do after we’re married.”
“I guess we’d just carry on as we have been.”
“But we’ll be married. Some things will change.”
“Such as?”
“I have my house. It’s in my name, but it’ll be your home too. We’ll have to add your name to the deeds.”
I’m already shaking my head before she’s finished. “Leave it as it is. It’s yours. It doesn’t bother me if my name is on the paperwork or not.”
“But it’ll be ours. What if something happens to me? You wouldn’t be entitled to stay there.”
“Who said I’d want to stay there if you’re not? Besides, do you really think I’m letting you go anywhere without me?”
“Be serious.”
“I am.”
“But that’s where we’ll live.”
“And we’ll live there just like a proper married couple, because that’s what we’re going to be. Stop worrying.” Collecting her hands in mine, I add, “We’ll have a home, we’ll have the club and our families, and we’ll have each other.”
“And you’re sure this is what you want?”
Hearing the doubt in her voice equally annoys me, even hurts. She still holds mistrust for me, and it makes me more determined to squash it.
Making sure my hand movements are precise, I sign, “The love I have for you, Victoria Simmons, is something I don’t even understand. What I know for sure is you’re in my head from the minute I wake up till the second I fall asleep. You’re a part of me now, and even when we fight, because I sure as shit know we will, nothing will change how I feel about you. I want the rest of my life with you, and I’ll do everything in my power to make it so. You’re mine and I’m yours, a hundred percent.”
A smile creeps across her lips, and I capture it with a kiss. She urges me back until my head hits the pillow and she climbs on top, running her palms up my bare chest.
“I’ll never ask again,” she vows, leaning down to resume our kiss.