BEAR

Natasha kisses me once more before she leaves for the evening. Our date is too damn short, and I keep searching for reasons to keep her around longer.

The kids cockblock me by yawning a lot. I look down at their sleepy faces and try to get irritated by how they're luring my woman away. The little shits cheat by staring up at me and offering adorable grins.

Natasha watches me try to defeat two three-year-olds. If she thinks I'm a fucking idiot, she hides her feelings well. I don't know where her heart is at all night. She seems happy, but I also feel her editing what she says.

After a too-short kiss, Natasha takes the kids to the waiting SUV.

"When will I see you again?"

"I don't know," Natasha replies, sizing me up in a flirty way. "But soon, I would assume. After all, we're getting married in a month."

With those words lingering in my thoughts, she disappears into the night. Unable to relax, I head to the clubhouse. The energy's relaxed tonight. Siobhan works at one of the bar tops, talking up the club sluts who hang around for a chance to ride someone's dick.

Though I win a few smiles from the women, they know I'm not an option. Tack is also off the market, yet the women can't help fawning over the "hunky blond."

Tack ignores them as he joins me at the bar top in front of Siobhan.

"How long will you wait for Hunter?" I ask him and win a frown for my rudeness.

"I don't know. Eventually, a time will come when I'm done waiting."

"Don't threaten my friend," Siobhan says and flicks a peanut at him.

"I'm just saying, at a point in the future, I will unleash my feelings on her, and she will submit. But I'm letting Hunter figure things out until then."

"You're a generous man," I tell him.

"No, he's sad," Siobhan insists. "You're all so sad."

"Show me a little tenderness, will ya, woman?" I mutter to Siobhan.

"Stop pouting, you big potato spud," Siobhan replies and reaches across the bar top to pat my cheek. "I just found out I'm chaperoning your next date with Natasha. Feel better now?"

Leaning forward, I glare at her and ask, "Why the hell do we need a chaperone?"

"Well, no one spelled it out to me. If I were to guess, I suspect the powers that be worry you'll do something obnoxious and cause Natasha to bail again."

Tack chuckles behind his beer. "Chaperone."

"Don't tease him," Siobhan says and flicks another peanut at our brother. "In fact, you should come along and be my date so it's not a weird threesome."

"I don't want to go on a date with you."

"I can wear a short, red wig, and you can pretend I'm Hunter."

"That'll never work since I'm not a drunk child."

"Fine, but come along anyway. We can make seeing Hunter's band part of the date."

Tack rubs his blond bearded jaw and considers her suggestion.

Frowning at them, I ask, "Don't I get a say in any of this shit?"

"No, baby," Siobhan replies. "That's what you've got to comprehend now. You aren't marrying Natasha. You're marrying the Kovak family. That's what you signed on to years ago and what you're getting now. Get wise, boyo, and adjust to that fact."

"I just want to hang out with Natasha alone. No chaperones or security. Not even any kids."

"We get it," Tack says. "Your dick hasn't enjoyed that woman in a long time. But her pussy comes with rules and regulations. No freebies with a Kovak daughter."

Scowling at him, I mutter, "I had two freebies."

"Is that all you want?" Siobhan asks and studies me with her bright blue eyes. "To fuck her in peace and then bail?"

"I know what marriage means. I just want to be alone with her. Not to fuck. To have her see only me. She can't do that when we're surrounded by people."

"It's true you can't compete with the kids. And I'll most definitely steal the spotlight during our double date. That's why I'm bringing Tack to entertain you."

"Why me?"

"Because I asked Sync and he told me to go fuck myself. I can't play chaperone with such negativity around me."

"There are other guys you can ask."

"Why can't you go?"

Snorting, I mumble, "He's afraid you'll fall in love with him, and he'll have to break your heart."

"No," Tack mutters. "Everyone knows she's still hooked on Sync. No one wants to waste time pursuing a woman nursing a broken heart."

Siobhan shakes her head. "That's not true. Many men want to date me. You never let them."

Tack stares her right in the eye and states, "I'd let you date whoever you wanted."

"Well, then, Indigo won't let me. He's always lurking around, doing his creepy Hills Chapter behavior. Also, Scarecrow scared off a guy the other day, which is extra bullshit. So, he gets two women, but I can't even have half a man? I ought to protest. Maybe withhold my friendship and wisdom."

Frowning at how she whips her wipe rag around and nearly knocks over my soda, I point out, "Any guy who wants you ought to be tough enough to deal with Indigo's psycho crap or Scarecrow's death stares."

"Yeah, you can't date a pussy," Tack says. "How the fuck would he survive holidays around the farm?"

"Can you imagine him meeting Caveman and the Hills Chapter?" I ask, chuckling at the thought. "No pussies for you, Siobhan. Find a guy who can look at your uncles and foster brothers without flinching."

"No man like that exists. And if he did, he'd be suicidal. I don't want a guy willing to die so easily. What if my girls get attached to him and then he goes and dies like a punk-ass bitch? That'll mess them up. No way do I want Aneta scouting my girls one day for Stairway to Heaven because I picked a suicidal guy."

Tack glances at me and then back at Siobhan. "I think you don't want that imaginary guy because you aren't over Sync."

"That's not it," Siobhan says, seeming shocked by the suggestion. "I'm long past those childish dreams. I was just telling Natasha how I view Sync as my brother now, not as a former lover."

"Your brother knocked you up with twins," I reply, and Tack chuckles. "Incest isn't cool, Siobhan."

Tossing a handful of peanuts at me, she insists, "That was back when he was my lover and not my brother. It wasn't creepy then."

Tack and I chuckle at Siobhan's fussing. She's a hot chick, and I figure she'd do fine if she dated like a normal woman. The problem is men are nasty fucks, and she's Aunt Fred's baby girl. The club guys probably should let her run free, but it's just easier to lock her down and hide the key.

"After this chaperoned thing, can I go on a real date with Natasha?"

"You're marrying her in less than a month, spud. You can go on a bunch of dates then. Oh, that reminds me. Carys and I picked out the engagement ring. You'll bequeath it upon Natasha's delicate finger during this date. It's important for her to be seen around town wearing the bling."

"Who's that going to impress?" Tack asks and eyes a few rough-looking guys entering the clubhouse. "Does anyone really care who Natasha Kovak marries?"

"Alec Brennan sure as hell does," I mutter, and Tack shrugs. "You better keep your ass on alert when you're out. A pig cut me off twice on the way here today. The Brennan family isn't happy."

"Cry me a fucking river. They're not the first or last losers to want to own this town."

Tack rests his beer bottle on the bar top. I follow his gaze to find those rough guys smelling their waitress. She's in the process of doing the usual "you guys are so crazy" routine as she attempts to free herself from their clutches.

The bouncers ought to handle these assholes. One of them is a prospect from the farm. Nothing wrong with letting the bouncers do their jobs.

Yet, these assholes showed up and instantly started shit. I worry they're doing the pigs' bidding. Are they here to cause the club trouble like Stitt did before his usefulness wore out?

Zoot warned us the cops might try to raid the clubhouse on a bullshit warrant. That's why Tack and I ask the men to leave.

I spot prison tats on the assholes' forearms. Violence isn't foreign to them, but these guys are dwarfed by Tack and me. They can put up a fight or pull a weapon, just like anyone else with a death wish. However, I sense by their gazes how they're not looking to take their last breaths tonight.

Vacating the clubhouse, the men drive off without throwing a single punch. I want to write off their behavior as recently paroled assholes looking to get rowdy. Yet, deep down, I feel our enemies searching for weaknesses.

The Brennan family would be stupid to come at the club first when the Kovak Syndicate is their real target. However, I don't sense the pigs and their allies have bled in a long time. They might have forgotten what it takes to bring down the powers that be.