His Twisted Heart by Ellie R Hunter
Chapter Forty-Nine
Victoria
The waitress places my plate of pancakes and a jug of syrup in front of me, and my stomachs rumbles. Mom and Alannah wanted to meet for breakfast at Hank’s, and Emma and Aspen joined us. With the guys out of town, the women stick closer together. Bonnie isn’t feeling very well and wants to rest so she’s better for the wedding, so she’s at home.
“Where’s Harper?”
Since we’re going to be talking mostly about the wedding, and her being Luca’s sister, I would’ve thought she’d have been here.
“I have no idea,” Alannah says, adding, “Since Cas got shot, she’s been avoiding us. I think Luca’s the only one who’s seen her, but he hasn’t said much about it.”
“I heard she’s been looking for her mom. Maybe she’s just been busy?” Mom offers, and I make out like I wasn’t reading her lips and didn’t “hear.”
I wasn’t privy to the second time she left town, but I know Luca had something to do with it. And it will be a question I put to him when he gets back from the run.
Wanting to change the conversation, I go to ask if everyone has their dresses picked out when Mom asks after Holly.
“I saw her with Leo and Rayna in the store yesterday. She seems nice,” Mom tells Alannah.
“Almost too nice,” Alannah replies. “Leo won’t talk about her. Apparently, she’s just a nanny who he pays.”
“You don’t think so?”
“I don’t know what to think, but if he trusts her with Rayna, it leaves me little choice but to as well.”
“Will she be coming to the wedding?”
“I should imagine so.”
Tucking into my pancakes, dark figures walking through the door catches my attention. I don’t recognise their biker patches, and they’re definitely not Lost Souls.
Grim, Axle, and Bolt, brothers who have ridden into town for the wedding from another chapter, are sitting at another table, watching the newcomers. I found out this morning we’ll have shadows until our men are back from their run. I count twelve of them, and they all zero in on us, specifically Grim, Axle, and Bolt.
Emma pulls Penelope out of the highchair and hauls her onto her lap. Mom’s eyes dart to mine with concern.
I try to smile, to let her know I’m okay, but it doesn’t work. Looking back to the guys, four of the other club members face off with ours, with the others hanging back nearby.
I don’t bother trying to keep up with what they’re saying. They’re probably throwing insults and threats back and forth, and those I can guess.
Finishing my pancakes, I wipe my mouth with the napkin and make sure my purse is over my shoulder. The other old ladies move slowly, and Alannah lays down enough cash to cover everyone’s breakfasts.
All hell breaks loose when one of the guys shoves Grim into Axle, and then a scuffle goes down in the middle of the diner. I keep my eye on the others hanging back, but it doesn’t last long when Hank barges out from the kitchen, cocking a shotgun.
I raise my brows in surprise, and I’m relieved when he points it at the intruders in our town, and they all start to back off.
Hank pushes forward, keeping the gun on them as they back up toward the door, and the biggest guy stands until his last brother is heading toward the parking lot. Sliding his finger across his throat, he darts outside.
Grim is straight on the phone, no doubt calling Cas when Alannah beats him to it. It turns out, Grim is calling for back-up.
We’re told to sit at the table until said back-up arrives, and I drum my fingers on the tabletop. I have much better things to do than sit here because more egotistical men think they can roll up and be assholes.
I’m sitting on the steps of the main house when Holly’s car drives through the gates. She parks up by the house, and I watch her unclip Rayna from the car seat. When she’s hoisted her up onto her hip, she starts walking toward me. Keeping hold of the little one, she stands in front of me awkwardly. Stabbing her thumb on her phone screen, she holds it up like she’s about to take a selfie, and I wonder what the hell she’s doing.
I’m about to ask her when she mouths, “I’m here, I’ll pass it over.”
Thrusting the phone at me, I take it and see Luca’s face filling the screen. He looks pissed.
“You need your own phone!” he signs angrily.
“Why? I’m talking to you now, aren’t I?”
“After I had Holly drive to the club to do so.”
“Why didn’t you just call someone here?”
It seems a little excessive just to get a hold of me.
“Our moms aren’t around, and I didn’t know who else to call.”
“What was so important, anyway?”
“I wanted to see for myself you were okay.”
I lift the phone up and down, showing him I’m fine, and only then does he smile.
“If I weren’t okay, you would’ve heard by now, I’m sure.”
“It’s not a joke, babe. Wherever you go, there’s trouble.”
“Not much you can do about it, especially as we’re getting married next week. The club is just as much my life as it is yours.”
“Unless I lock you in the house at all times.”
“As if you would, or could.”
“You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Mom wants me to stay at the club tonight and I said I would, so stop worrying.”
“We’ll be back by lunch tomorrow, so stay put.”
Saluting him, he laughs and signs, “You’re so weird.”
“And you’re an asshole.”
It’s getting late, but Grandpa has summonsed me over to the bar. I was planning on going across to sit with him anyway. I grab him a beer and myself a bottle of water before joining him at his table.
“How’s the wedding plans coming along?” he asks.
I smile. “Nicely. We’re just waiting on the liquor delivery, and I’ve got to finalise the flowers tomorrow, and then it’s all done. We’ve managed to pull off a wedding in eight days.”
The club is always saying they never see my grandpa smile, but he’s always smiling at me, and right now, his smile is warm and full of something I can’t work out.
“What?”
“It makes my heart beat hearing you speak again.”
“I…”
“It’s because of Luca, isn’t it?”
My smile grows at the mention of him. Before, when we were a secret, I wished everyone knew about us, and now they do. It’s everything I wanted.
“Even though I still can’t hear, he makes me feel like who I used to be.”
“I’m real happy for you, sweetheart. I really am.”
“Thanks.”
Moving onto the reason he called me over, he passes me an envelope.
“What’s this?”
“Usually when you open something, you find out.”
“Ha-ha,” I mutter, ripping open the envelope.
Pulling out the wad of papers, my smile fades, and I begin to frown. It’s his last will and testament.
“I don’t understand. Why are you showing me this?”
Looking to him to read his answer, he says, “You already own the house, but when I go, you get everything I own.”
“What about mom and the twins?”
“Your dad is a good provider and has your mom covered, and your brothers are more than capable of finding ways to earn.” He thinks over his next words. “I have no doubt in my mind that Luca will never let you down, but if anything ever happened to him, I need to know you’ll be covered. Most of my money is cash, which you’ll find out the locations once I’m gone so you don’t have to pay the death taxes.” I roll my eyes. Trust him to cut corners with the government.
Shoving the papers back into the envelope, I pass it back to him.
“I’ll deal with that when I have to, but it better not be for a very long time. I choose you over money and material things any day.”
Grinning, he wraps his arm around my shoulders and hugs me. My grandpa is an enigma for most, but to me, he’s the best man in the world.