BEAR

I don't really want to hang out at a strip club. I'm already walking around sexually backed up and without relief. Why get myself riled up when I can't be with Natasha for several more weeks? Seems like tonight is a recipe for a painful case of blue balls.

The only reason I agree to the party is because I'm on a schedule. This week, I have this bachelor party and a visit from Natasha and the kids at my place.

Next week is a big fucking party with the who's who of Banta City. I have to dress up—Backcountry Kings-style—for that event. My people will attend, mostly as security and a sign of alliance with the Kovak Syndicate.

That's a part of this marriage I hadn't considered when I agreed years ago. I'm not shy. I don't shrink under the judgment of others. Yet, the idea of putting on a show leaves me on edge.

"Just take care of Natasha and the kids," Aunt Fred told me when I voiced my concerns about the engagement party. "Go where you're supposed to go. Don't worry about impressing anyone. People know you're one of us. They won't expect you to talk about Wall Street bullshit."

After Aunt Fred broke things down, I felt in control. I'm not even upset about hitting up this strip club since it's located only a few blocks from where Natasha is having her bachelorette party.

I get a kick out of her texts over the night. Her spelling gets worse as the booze clouds her thinking. I stay sober, mostly because Golden, Indigo, and Claw are having a drinking contest, and I might need to resuscitate them later.

Plus, Leon Kovak has been assigned to act as one of my groomsmen, meaning he's stuck here at the strip club with us. Dressed in his version of casual, the blond sits at a nearby table surrounded by his security detail. Occasionally, he'll send one of his armed employees to the stage to stick cash in a dancer's G-string.

Only once tonight did I try to bond with him. After we first arrived, I asked him why Jacinda was always holding his finger. "Is that a Russian thing?"

Leon opened his mouth to remind me how his family wasn't Russian but then caught Tack chuckling and decided to ignore my taunt.

"On the night Natasha returned, I oversaw the children for a short time. The girl woke up and prepared to cry. When I tried to cover her mouth to prevent her from waking the boy, she grabbed my finger. I let her hold it, so she would remain quiet."

"And now, you're her favorite uncle," I replied, wondering if I can get Jacinda to trust me like Hector does.

"That favorite-uncle thing won't stick," Sync said and tried to rest a beer bottle on Golden's head. "Jacinda hasn't even gotten to know me yet. I'm great with little girls."

Golden smacked away the bottle, and a shoving match ensued. Since then, Leon has ignored the rest of us. Well, until Pork Chop reads a text from Carys out loud.

"We're under attack by pig-scented skanks with festering cunts and too much eyeshadow."

"Let's go," I tell the men as Leon stands and moves with his team to the door.

"I'm going to punch a bitch in the face," Golden insists and takes a swing at Pork Chop.

"You can walk over there," I tell him and point at Indigo and Claw. "You dumbasses need to walk, too. I don't want anyone crashing."

"It's only a few blocks," Golden growls at Pork Chop and then frowns. "Wait, you're not Bear."

As I deal with the dumbasses, Tack disappears through the front door. When Hunter's in potential danger—even from pig-scented skanks with festering cunts and too much eyeshadow—he doesn't fuck about. Leon's also taking charge, leaving me to look like a weak-kneed dipshit.

That's why I shove Golden out of my way and run to my Ruger Super Redhawk. In the short time between Carys's text and our arrival, the street has filled with police cars. Women line the sidewalk. I spot the skanks waving their hands around and explaining their side to the cops.

I immediately realize we're dealing with a Brennan situation. Why else would Natasha and Petra Kovak along with their security be handcuffed? Meanwhile, Hunter and the O'Malley sisters remain cuff-free.

"Get those off them," I demand after pushing my way through the crowd of looky-loos to reach Natasha. Glaring at a nearby cop, I growl, "Have you lost your fucking mind?"

"Are you talking to me?" Siobhan asks from the curb where she rests her head on her knees. "I will puke the fuck on you if you give me grief right now, Bear O'Malley."

"Settle down and step behind the line," orders a cop who tries to usher me backward without touching me. When I refuse to move, the cop smartly gives up and acts like he doesn't care.

Nearby, Tack checks on Hunter who seems startled by the chaos around them. I notice how the normally chilly rich girl is standing very close to her non-boyfriend biker right now.

A few steps away, Pork Chop hugs Carys who is faking contractions and threatening to sue the cops. More Backcountry Kings arrive while I'm texting Noble to let him know shit's going south here.

"Those bitches attacked us!" screams the head skank from the other group.

Natasha responds by singing a song. Siobhan and Petra jump in with the lyrics. I assume they're drunk singing until I notice how the head skank and her festering cunt friends fly into a rage.

"Lucky for you," Natasha and Siobhan cry together, "I'm just me!"

"What is this?" I ask Natasha.

The sexy, drunk blonde suddenly seems to notice me despite how I've been standing next to her for the last few minutes.

"You are so handsome," Natasha murmurs and nuzzles my chest with her cheek. "Come down closer."

I look over her head to where Leon currently speaks with the precinct chief. More Brennan-connected cops arrive. Down the road at a light idles an army of black SUVs likely belonging to the Syndicate. In the other direction, I hear the roar of motorcycles.

Glancing down at Natasha, I find her licking her lips and wearing a "fuck me" gaze. I lean down to hear what she wants to share.

Rather than ask about her handcuffs, she whispers, "I want to lick your scrotal raphe."

"I don't know what that is."

Natasha sucks at my earlobe and explains, "It's the line between your balls."

I frown at her, only to find her giving me an exaggerated wink. "How drunk are you?"

"Too drunk to drive a car, but not drunk enough to fail a driver's written test."

"What's the play here?" Sync asks after Golden, Indigo, and Claw stumble to the scene.

Before I can answer, Yvette appears from behind Petra and starts screaming at Claw.

"Kick his ass!" Siobhan yells, nearly blowing out my eardrum.

"You should have stopped two Jello shots ago," Sync tells her.

"I'm going to punch you in the dick," Siobhan threatens her ex. "Right in the head of your dick. Just knock the brain right out of that thing."

Natasha smiles at Siobhan before focusing her gaze on me. "You're the only man who makes me horny."

"I know, baby, but why are you handcuffed?"

"Those whores!" Carys yells from nearby. "They attacked a pregnant woman! Where's the press? I want to tell a bitchy reporter my story of woe! I'm going to sue, too!"

"That's right, sweetheart," Pork Chop says, rubbing her belly. "We're going to fuck everyone up."

Carys nuzzles her jaw against his bearded face and coos, "Our baby girl had her first bar brawl tonight."

As Carys and Pork Chop fondle each other, Leon walks over with the precinct chief and two uniformed officers. I know these men aren't part of the Brennan circle. Not that they're on our side, either. The thin blue line means cops stick together. However, they fear the Syndicate more than the Brennan family.

"Remove the cuffs," orders the chief, and his men immediately comply.

Soon, Natasha's hands are free, and they go straight for my chest. She uses a nearby patrol car's bumper to lift herself up into my arms.

"No other man even registers for me," she whispers in my ear. "Do you know that? How I'll never want anyone else?"

I look into her eyes and smile at her lack of a filter. "You should stop talking before you say something you can't take back."

The chief walks away once Siobhan starts singing again. I notice Maks Kovak exit one of the SUVs. I can't believe how fast the Syndicate is on top of this shit. I sense they were alerted earlier than we were. Maybe the first time the skanks opened their mouths, a warning went out to the Syndicate. It would explain why Leon spent most of his time at the strip club on his phone.

Natasha wraps her legs around my waist and holds on to me. I try to stay focused, but her hips buck occasionally and taunt my dick.

Once her lips suck on mine, my self-control slips. I'm addicted to her flavor. No other woman possesses this power over me. As our lips part, I can barely turn my brain back on long enough to breathe again.

"I want your cock inside me," Natasha whispers in my ear and then stares into my eyes with her unearthly blue ones. "Is that so wrong?"

"Nope. Totally doable, too," I say and look at the others as I walk with Natasha toward my bike. "I'm taking her with me."

"Maks and Leon are right fucking there," Indigo says as Siobhan dances around him. "I don't think the Kovak men will appreciate you riding off with their very wasted sister."

"Don't let him boss you around!" Petra calls out in between breathing like she might hurl.

After I rest Natasha on her feet, she pushes past me. Pointing at Indigo, my fiancée demands, "Do you know who I am?"

Indigo cocks an eyebrow and replies, "I just said your brothers' names and mentioned your family. So, yeah, princess, I know who you are."

Natasha throws her arms up and starts bouncing. "I'm a winner!"

"Yeah, you are," I say, lifting her up and resting her on the back of my hog. Glancing at my brothers, I find them shaking their heads with disapproval. "She's fine. We're getting married. It's all good."

"I'm the bachelorette, bitch!" Natasha yells and nearly falls off the motorcycle.

Nearby, Sync and Indigo struggle to keep Siobhan on her feet. I swear all the women hit a new level of drunk as soon as the cuffs came off. I glance in the direction of the Kovak brothers who stare dead-eyed at the cops explaining something to them.

"Dude, she's too wasted to hold on," Pork Chop says as he rubs Carys's belly.

"No, I've got this," Siobhan insists and pushes past Sync and Indigo to get right up in Natasha's face. "Don't fall off, okay?"

"Okay," Natasha says and cups Siobhan's jaw. "I wish I was a lesbian, so I could ride your face. You're the best ever. But I like boys, so I'm going to ride Bear's face instead."

Siobhan nods hard enough to throw herself off-balance and nearly ends up on her ass. "You deserve his wily tongue."

"Wait, how do you know that about his tongue?" Indigo demands while Sync shoots me a dirty look.

"She read my diary!" Natasha cries and then slaps her hands over her mouth at how loud she's being.

Siobhan soon sits on the curb, laughing and making those guttural "I'm about to puke" noises.

Turning to Natasha, I cradle her cheek against the palm of my hand. "Don't you want to wait until our wedding night?"

"I already know what your dick feels like, Bear," she says and exhales like she's exhausted. "And it's been so long without you inside me."

I glance at where the Kovak brothers intimidate the cops. I hear the name "Alec Brennan" mentioned by the pigs. These dumbass cops are clearly calling in the big guns to avoid ending up at the Eternal Tranquility Funeral Home.

"We can go to my place," I tell Natasha. "I'll drive as slow as possible, but you can't let go." When she barely listens and her fingers tug at my belt, I kiss her forehead to gain her attention. "If you fall off and get hurt, the kids will cry."

Natasha sobers up enough to focus. "I want them to have everything."

"All they want is their mommy to love them."

Her expression makes me think I said the right thing to get her to focus. She offers me a sweet smile like when we'd goof around in bed after our sweaty fucks. This is the woman I fell hard for all those years ago.

"Hold on," I warn as I start the motorcycle.

Natasha tightens her arms and grips my shirt. Her brothers suddenly appear at the curb. Maks says her name with the aggression of a man on his last nerve.

"It's okay! He's family-approved cock!" Natasha cries, and I speed away before they can stop us.

Glancing back over my shoulder, I spot Maks gesturing for their people to follow. I'm able to reach my house without security catching up. Fortunately, Natasha doesn't fall off during the ride. She gets a little too cocky while climbing off my hog and nearly ends up on her sweet ass. I pick her up and carry her wrapped around my hips.

Once inside, I rest Natasha on her feet. Her gaze meets mine, and I see how her earlier lust is gone. When she steps back, I know without a fucking doubt, her mind's gone to Ollie.

My thoughts return to that day. I thought I had a handle on the situation. I remember thinking I was doing Ollie a favor by killing his shithead brother. Just before I pulled the trigger, I believed even a pacifist like Natasha would thank me for freeing Ollie from the main obstacle in his life.

As soon as I hit my target, I knew something had gone wrong. It's the only reason I didn't ride away. I don't normally stick around to watch a man die unless I need to hide his body. But the club wanted a public death for Roy. He'd tried snitching on the Backcountry Kings when he got nabbed on a shoplifting charge. Killing him would send a signal.

Yet, Roy wasn't on the ground, bleeding out from the shot to his throat. That moment was the first time in my life when I felt like the bad guy. No one I ever hurt before deserved mercy. If I was a monster, so were the people I fucked up.

Not Ollie, though.

Losing Natasha was my punishment, and I'm not wholly certain I should be forgiven.

Except I want this woman with every fiber of my being. Her tears feel like I'm losing her again. No, worse, I feel like as soon as I fired that bullet, I lost her forever.